I just got back from closing ceremonies. It was great to be in the bird's nest one more time with my team-mates, what's left of the US delegation, and all the other athletes here in Beijing. It was like we could all come together for one last time before we go our separate ways.
As I walked out of the stadium towards the buses that took us back to the village, I realized the whole journey has been a crazy mix of emotions--right up until the last day. When I first made the training squad, way back in December 2006, I was so excited. I didn't think this dream could possibly be true. But at the same time, I knew that two people from the squad would be cut to form the final Olympic team, and I knew I had a lot of work to do to make sure I kept a spot. And then when I made the team in April, I was so happy and so sad at the same time. Then there's the highs and the lows of practice every day. The joys of really improving and the frustrations of staying in one spot.
Fast forward to training here in Beijing and in Korea, and we had some of our best swims and knew we were working really hard for our goals, but at the same time we were ready to get out there and compete instead of just practice. Our competition swims were just as packed with emotion. We had so much pride in our swims and were thrilled to have our best swims at exactly the right time. But I also wish that the results could have ended differently. The closing ceremonies were exciting and fun, but also sad--the 2008 Olympics, the event I and my team-mates have been dreaming about for so very long, had reached their end.
Now tonight as I write the end of my Olympic Experience, I'm realizing that every huge investment you make in your life is this crazy combination of emotions. And that's what makes them real and worth it. The highs wouldn't be quite as high without the lows, and vice versa.
Finally, I know that such investments require the support of a nation, even of a world--thank you!! I am forever grateful that I had this opportunity to represent the greatest nation at these games. I am likewise so thankful for your comments, your emails, your phone calls, and your cards; you don't even realize how much you have been part of my journey! Erick, Jennie, and David, words cannot possibly express how much your love means to me and how much it has been the reason for what I do. And finally, mom and dad, I love you so much and I am so proud to be everything you've taught me to be! Being an Olympian is such an honor, and I am so glad you could share this journey with me!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Free competition
Today was our last day of competition at the Olympics! We had such a wonderful swim today--I mean really incredible. It was everything I had hoped it would be: slow-motion, in the moment, hard enough to know I gave it my all but not so much that I worried if I would make it through, feeling the energy of the audience, and connected with my team-mates the whole time. If I picture my perfect swim, our swim today would be it!
I'm writing this after having just attended a dinner in my team's honor with my parents, husband, and sister, and having spent a little time out in the city of Beijing celebrating with my friends. I was wondering what this moment would feel like, the moment when I look back on today and on the Olympics as a whole. I wondered whether I would be happy, satisfied, and relieved or disappointed, sad, and upset. And the thing is, even though our place today was not what I had hoped it would be, I'm not feeling angry or disappointed. I am so proud of myself and my team, no matter the place we ended up. It sure would have been incredible to medal--I can't deny that. But at the same time, it was pretty incredible that we had our two best swims at the Olympics. And not only were they our best, but I think they were the best we could have done. I have no regrets about the competition. We worked hard every day and we really wanted it. Sometimes that's satisfying in itself, particularly when you're competing against the world's best!
So now all that's left is a little time in the village, closing ceremonies, and a little free time in Beijing with my family. This has been an incredible and indescribable experience...but it was everything I hoped it would be!
I'm writing this after having just attended a dinner in my team's honor with my parents, husband, and sister, and having spent a little time out in the city of Beijing celebrating with my friends. I was wondering what this moment would feel like, the moment when I look back on today and on the Olympics as a whole. I wondered whether I would be happy, satisfied, and relieved or disappointed, sad, and upset. And the thing is, even though our place today was not what I had hoped it would be, I'm not feeling angry or disappointed. I am so proud of myself and my team, no matter the place we ended up. It sure would have been incredible to medal--I can't deny that. But at the same time, it was pretty incredible that we had our two best swims at the Olympics. And not only were they our best, but I think they were the best we could have done. I have no regrets about the competition. We worked hard every day and we really wanted it. Sometimes that's satisfying in itself, particularly when you're competing against the world's best!
So now all that's left is a little time in the village, closing ceremonies, and a little free time in Beijing with my family. This has been an incredible and indescribable experience...but it was everything I hoped it would be!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tech Competition and being an Olympian
I am so so so very proud of my team. If you haven't seen the swim yet, and don't want it spoiled, stop reading now! Their performance was incredible. It was as near perfect as I could have possibly imagined it to be. Not only was it their best swim ever, but it was fantastic! It was beyond fantastic!! I think every element was at it's best, and they had so much energy in their last section that it could have been the beginning. This is what we've been working for all year...to have an amazing swim!
The unfortunate part of all of this is the scores. I think the only explanation is that we are at the Olympics! Every team had a good swim today, and our amazing swim happened to be 5th best--tied with Canada. Of course we had hoped for better, but really all we can control is the swim we have.
I was talking with my team-mates in the caf tonight, telling them how proud I am of them and that I hope they realize how amazing they are! Then Christina said something that really hit the nail on the head: the Olympics aren't really about this swim today, the swim tomorrow, or even all the competitions during the two weeks of the games. It's really about the practice, the preparation, and the perseverance we've had for our whole careers. The athletes competing at here didn't wake up on August 8, and think, "Today I'd like to go compete at the Olympics." All of us, myself included, have worked for many hours, many days, and many years to make it to this level. And that process is really what the Olympics are all about--witnessing the end product of that journey (or a stop along the way of an athlete's career!)
So on to tomorrow. We are fired up! We know what we have to do tomorrow, and it exactly what we did today: go out with the fight and determination we need to have the swim of our lives, and in doing so show the world the amazing product we've created. We are so proud of our free program, and we can't wait to show it to everyone tomorrow afternoon!
The unfortunate part of all of this is the scores. I think the only explanation is that we are at the Olympics! Every team had a good swim today, and our amazing swim happened to be 5th best--tied with Canada. Of course we had hoped for better, but really all we can control is the swim we have.
I was talking with my team-mates in the caf tonight, telling them how proud I am of them and that I hope they realize how amazing they are! Then Christina said something that really hit the nail on the head: the Olympics aren't really about this swim today, the swim tomorrow, or even all the competitions during the two weeks of the games. It's really about the practice, the preparation, and the perseverance we've had for our whole careers. The athletes competing at here didn't wake up on August 8, and think, "Today I'd like to go compete at the Olympics." All of us, myself included, have worked for many hours, many days, and many years to make it to this level. And that process is really what the Olympics are all about--witnessing the end product of that journey (or a stop along the way of an athlete's career!)
So on to tomorrow. We are fired up! We know what we have to do tomorrow, and it exactly what we did today: go out with the fight and determination we need to have the swim of our lives, and in doing so show the world the amazing product we've created. We are so proud of our free program, and we can't wait to show it to everyone tomorrow afternoon!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Last practice day!!
Today was our last full practice day of the 2008 Olympics! When I first made the training squad in December of 2006, this day seemed so far away. I can't believe it's here now, it seems so unreal!
In typical synchro fashion, we made the most of every last moment today. We had a pretty tough morning practice where the team perfected our technical elements and did a lot of swimming. We've decided we must be in pretty good shape though, since swimming small sections is just as hard as swimming the whole program! We also touched on free a little which was an amazing feeling. After focusing on tech for a few days, the free program feels so amazing and, well free!! We went to the cube in the afternoon and did a full rehearsal of tech, from the practice in the warm-up pool to the last stroke. And an amazing thing happened...during the tech run-through the music cut out after the second lap, but the team got right back up and started again. The second swim was still calm and connected, despite the music flaw. That proves that we are prepared for any situation, because the music stopping during the routine is one of the craziest things that can happen mentally to us.
Tonight we have a little time to relax and prepare for our first day of team competition tomorrow. I am so ready to start! But tomorrow I'll just be there to help everyone out, make sure my team-mates are hydrated, happy, and comfortable so they can have the best possible swim. The tech program is worth 50% of our final score, so ultimately tomorrow's performance is just as important as the free program the next day. I know as the team hits the water tomorrow your thoughts will be with all of us! Thank you so much!
P.S. There is a great article in the Washington Post about our free program...just reading it gives me chills and is so motivating for our free performance on Saturday!
In typical synchro fashion, we made the most of every last moment today. We had a pretty tough morning practice where the team perfected our technical elements and did a lot of swimming. We've decided we must be in pretty good shape though, since swimming small sections is just as hard as swimming the whole program! We also touched on free a little which was an amazing feeling. After focusing on tech for a few days, the free program feels so amazing and, well free!! We went to the cube in the afternoon and did a full rehearsal of tech, from the practice in the warm-up pool to the last stroke. And an amazing thing happened...during the tech run-through the music cut out after the second lap, but the team got right back up and started again. The second swim was still calm and connected, despite the music flaw. That proves that we are prepared for any situation, because the music stopping during the routine is one of the craziest things that can happen mentally to us.
Tonight we have a little time to relax and prepare for our first day of team competition tomorrow. I am so ready to start! But tomorrow I'll just be there to help everyone out, make sure my team-mates are hydrated, happy, and comfortable so they can have the best possible swim. The tech program is worth 50% of our final score, so ultimately tomorrow's performance is just as important as the free program the next day. I know as the team hits the water tomorrow your thoughts will be with all of us! Thank you so much!
P.S. There is a great article in the Washington Post about our free program...just reading it gives me chills and is so motivating for our free performance on Saturday!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Duet finals
I am so proud of our duet! They had their final swim today and they were awesome. In spite of a little fluke at the beginning, they got back connected right away and performed like they were the best duet of the meet. Besides being halfway done with Olympic competition, Christina and Andrea can now focus only on the team events. I'm sure they are relieved and excited all at the same time.
We had another hard practice this morning, but as we can count the number of practices we have left on only one hand, we were anxious to make every moment count. When you're going for perfection, it seems that there is always something you can fix! But we know we are getting there when our repetitions are fewer and fewer and our coaches are more and more excited about the result.
Tonight we attended a party hosted by Speedo, our outfitting sponsor, that was absolutely wonderful. All of my family and friends could attend, and it was so nice to see everyone and just relax. For the duet, tonight was the first time they had a chance to see their families, so it was particularly special. There is something about being surrounded by those you love that gives you energy and excitement, which are two great feelings to take with us into our final day of practice tomorrow and into competition the next day.
We had another hard practice this morning, but as we can count the number of practices we have left on only one hand, we were anxious to make every moment count. When you're going for perfection, it seems that there is always something you can fix! But we know we are getting there when our repetitions are fewer and fewer and our coaches are more and more excited about the result.
Tonight we attended a party hosted by Speedo, our outfitting sponsor, that was absolutely wonderful. All of my family and friends could attend, and it was so nice to see everyone and just relax. For the duet, tonight was the first time they had a chance to see their families, so it was particularly special. There is something about being surrounded by those you love that gives you energy and excitement, which are two great feelings to take with us into our final day of practice tomorrow and into competition the next day.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
My family is here!
The best part of today, well besides watching our amazing duet swim their free program, was seeing my husband, my family, and friends for the first time in Beijing. I am so happy they are here! It's crazy to go from seeing Erick and Jennie every day or nearly every day to not seeing them for almost 2 weeks. Just knowing they are here for me is a tremendous feeling!
I just finished showing my family around the village, which I think they really enjoyed. How often does a person actually get to be in an Olympic Village! It really drove home the fact that this is an amazing place. On my way back from the "international zone" where I dropped them off to head back to their hotel (or a soccer game for my parents and siblings!) I had a chance to really take in this experience and enjoy it. We've been moving so fast, going from pool to pool and practice to practice that tonight was really nice just to enjoy being here with the people I love--my family, friends and team-mates!!
I just finished showing my family around the village, which I think they really enjoyed. How often does a person actually get to be in an Olympic Village! It really drove home the fact that this is an amazing place. On my way back from the "international zone" where I dropped them off to head back to their hotel (or a soccer game for my parents and siblings!) I had a chance to really take in this experience and enjoy it. We've been moving so fast, going from pool to pool and practice to practice that tonight was really nice just to enjoy being here with the people I love--my family, friends and team-mates!!
Monday, August 18, 2008
First competition day!
I just got back from the pool where our duet swam very well and placed 5th. Their spin and heron elements (for those synchro fans!!) were near flawless and the best we've seen all year! My team-mates and I are so proud of them as they are off to a great start for our team!
This morning we had practice at BNU again, which is so much better than having a crazy schedule of no music at the competition pool. Then we practiced for a short bit after the duet swam. Even though all of our attention is on the duet right now, we still have to keep our team routines sharp so they can jump back in on Thursday when their competition is over.
And the best news of the day, is that my parents, sister, and brother are due in today! I haven't been able to reach them yet, but I can't wait to see them tomorrow. They have tickets to the duet event, and so at the very least I'll be able to see them up in the stands! Erick arrives tomorrow as well, as do some of my friends. I can't tell you how excited I am that they are going to be here to watch me and my team compete. It really makes my swim that much more special! Plus we could use a few more American cheerers in the crowd. Thanks as always for your comments and emails...your support means more than I can even say in words!
This morning we had practice at BNU again, which is so much better than having a crazy schedule of no music at the competition pool. Then we practiced for a short bit after the duet swam. Even though all of our attention is on the duet right now, we still have to keep our team routines sharp so they can jump back in on Thursday when their competition is over.
And the best news of the day, is that my parents, sister, and brother are due in today! I haven't been able to reach them yet, but I can't wait to see them tomorrow. They have tickets to the duet event, and so at the very least I'll be able to see them up in the stands! Erick arrives tomorrow as well, as do some of my friends. I can't tell you how excited I am that they are going to be here to watch me and my team compete. It really makes my swim that much more special! Plus we could use a few more American cheerers in the crowd. Thanks as always for your comments and emails...your support means more than I can even say in words!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ready to go
Today marked our last practice before synchro competition starts tomorrow with duets. After 3 days of duets, there is just one day off until team competition begins. I can't believe that all the waiting is almost over!
Practice went pretty well today, although our music time at the cube was not until 4:00 so we had a long day. We started again at BNU but today we got to eat lunch there in their amazing cafeteria. It was a highlight of the day! Another highlight was the warm-up CD that we listened to this morning. Kim, one of our captains, often makes CDs to listen to while we warm up every morning. But this one is extra special because it is our Olympic mix with such songs as Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" and Kim's original "Hero" compilation. It's a great way to start the day! We also had our last practice with Sean our circus school teacher, and it was sad to say goodbye for the last time. It was a foreshadow of things to come...there will be a lot of goodbyes before too long!
The final highlight of the day was watching the men's 400 m relay capture gold and watching Michael Phelps win his record 8th gold medal of the Olympics. What an incredible athlete! I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to watch such a historical event, and to be a member of the US team with him on it! His story is among the many memories I will take home with me after the games are over and I'm back to living a regular life!
Practice went pretty well today, although our music time at the cube was not until 4:00 so we had a long day. We started again at BNU but today we got to eat lunch there in their amazing cafeteria. It was a highlight of the day! Another highlight was the warm-up CD that we listened to this morning. Kim, one of our captains, often makes CDs to listen to while we warm up every morning. But this one is extra special because it is our Olympic mix with such songs as Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" and Kim's original "Hero" compilation. It's a great way to start the day! We also had our last practice with Sean our circus school teacher, and it was sad to say goodbye for the last time. It was a foreshadow of things to come...there will be a lot of goodbyes before too long!
The final highlight of the day was watching the men's 400 m relay capture gold and watching Michael Phelps win his record 8th gold medal of the Olympics. What an incredible athlete! I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to watch such a historical event, and to be a member of the US team with him on it! His story is among the many memories I will take home with me after the games are over and I'm back to living a regular life!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Practice back in Beijing
Today started out with a morning practice at BNU, the US-only training center that's about 15 minutes (give or take 30 minutes depending on traffic) away from the village. We had a little longer warm-up than usual due to our day off yesterday. It sounds funny, but sometimes you kind of need some time to get re-acquainted with the water again after a day off!
Unfortunately we didn't get to eat lunch at BNU, as we had to head strait to the competition pool after practice. I was looking forward to the food there because it is so outstanding! But the boxed lunches the food staff made for us were pretty decent: plain turkey sandwiches w/ condiments on the side on nice, soft, American bread. My kind of sandwich!
We had a really good afternoon practice at the cube with some music time in the competition pool. The coaches were impressed with both our programs, but especially free since we didn't do too much to warm it up and it still looked pretty good. We only stayed in the the warm-up pool for a little bit to fix things...sometimes the warm-up pool time lasts for hours! And now we have some time off to relax before dinner and a video/land-drill session later this evening.
Our coaches also told us today that they've made official decisions about our players in each program, which means that Becky is well enough to swim the tech program next week in competition. For those who don't know, she was recovering from an arm injury that has been plaguing her for a couple months now. I'm so happy for her--there was a time when she wasn't sure she was going to be here! At the same time that means I'll just be swimming the free program since I was filling in for her in the tech during her recovery. I'm a little disappointed about not swimming tech, especially since I've been working on it for so long now. But that feeling is definitely overshadowed by the honor I feel to be in the free program and to be competing at the Olympics with the world's best athletes. It's just incredible to look around the computer room where I'm typing this blog, the cafeteria where I eat dinner, or even the elevator up to my room and be surrounded by so many talented and amazing people. And it's incredible that I'm part of all of it!
Unfortunately we didn't get to eat lunch at BNU, as we had to head strait to the competition pool after practice. I was looking forward to the food there because it is so outstanding! But the boxed lunches the food staff made for us were pretty decent: plain turkey sandwiches w/ condiments on the side on nice, soft, American bread. My kind of sandwich!
We had a really good afternoon practice at the cube with some music time in the competition pool. The coaches were impressed with both our programs, but especially free since we didn't do too much to warm it up and it still looked pretty good. We only stayed in the the warm-up pool for a little bit to fix things...sometimes the warm-up pool time lasts for hours! And now we have some time off to relax before dinner and a video/land-drill session later this evening.
Our coaches also told us today that they've made official decisions about our players in each program, which means that Becky is well enough to swim the tech program next week in competition. For those who don't know, she was recovering from an arm injury that has been plaguing her for a couple months now. I'm so happy for her--there was a time when she wasn't sure she was going to be here! At the same time that means I'll just be swimming the free program since I was filling in for her in the tech during her recovery. I'm a little disappointed about not swimming tech, especially since I've been working on it for so long now. But that feeling is definitely overshadowed by the honor I feel to be in the free program and to be competing at the Olympics with the world's best athletes. It's just incredible to look around the computer room where I'm typing this blog, the cafeteria where I eat dinner, or even the elevator up to my room and be surrounded by so many talented and amazing people. And it's incredible that I'm part of all of it!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Day off in the village
Today was an absolutly perfect day to have off back in the Olympic village. The sun was shining, it wasn't too terribly warm, and there were really exciting events to watch! I started the day with a trip to the water cube--not to swim but to watch some swimming finals. I saw the men's 200 m back, the women's 200 m breast, and a couple semi-final events before I headed back to the village to explore. I am so happy for our US swimmers who are doing so well!!
The village is so huge. When I'm walking from my room to the "caf" everyday, I hardly realize that it is really like a small city's downtown! I went into the international zone for the first time, which has, among other things, a book store, a souvenier store, and a couple of cafe's run by Olympic sponsers. Every time I go in an Olympic store I have to stop myself from buying one of every thing inside...even the most tackiest of products is appealing when it has "Beijing 2008" on it! I managed to leave with only a couple items though, which I'll likely never use.
In the afternoon I took it easy. I watched various events on the TV in our room that has a live-feed of any event going on. Some cycling finals were going on as well as a softball game and water polo game. I took a short nap, and found some time to organize and move into my room, which I really havn't had time to properly do since I got here the first time. Anyone who knows me knows that I like being organized, and so it was a big relief to get that done! It was also nice today just taking my time eating lunch and dinner, enjoying the company of my team-mates and meeting other US athletes who stopped by to chat.
Tomorrow it's back to work at the pool...duet competition starts on Monday and teams start 4 days after that. I am so anxious and excited to start! I feel ready to go and show our stuff to the world!
The village is so huge. When I'm walking from my room to the "caf" everyday, I hardly realize that it is really like a small city's downtown! I went into the international zone for the first time, which has, among other things, a book store, a souvenier store, and a couple of cafe's run by Olympic sponsers. Every time I go in an Olympic store I have to stop myself from buying one of every thing inside...even the most tackiest of products is appealing when it has "Beijing 2008" on it! I managed to leave with only a couple items though, which I'll likely never use.
In the afternoon I took it easy. I watched various events on the TV in our room that has a live-feed of any event going on. Some cycling finals were going on as well as a softball game and water polo game. I took a short nap, and found some time to organize and move into my room, which I really havn't had time to properly do since I got here the first time. Anyone who knows me knows that I like being organized, and so it was a big relief to get that done! It was also nice today just taking my time eating lunch and dinner, enjoying the company of my team-mates and meeting other US athletes who stopped by to chat.
Tomorrow it's back to work at the pool...duet competition starts on Monday and teams start 4 days after that. I am so anxious and excited to start! I feel ready to go and show our stuff to the world!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Back in Beijing
I'm back in Beijing today, and back to the excitement of the Olympic Village. We had our last Korea training practice yesterday morning and then headed to the airport to find our flight back four hours delayed! Our coaches joked that we could have stayed in the pool longer...we didn't think it was as funny as they did. We got in pretty late last night, but it was nice not having to set an alarm this morning because it's our day off! I've been looking forward to today, and I'm hoping to make it to a couple of events and look around the village a bit. I can already tell that things are more exciting than when we left because the village was already buzzing at 7:30 when I went to breakfast...yep sleeping in is now waking up at 7:00!! I'm exciting to be part of it, too!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Showtime practice
I got up this morning, packed my bag, and ate breakfast just like it was a competition day. Our team did our usual meet day warm up in the pool, we warmed up certain hybrids (leg moves) and strokes (arm moves) that need particular focus, and we had our 15 minutes of scheduled music time. Then we put up our hair, which we call "knoxing" because we use knox gelatin, put on lots of make-up, and put on our newly-finished competition suits for the first time. Finally, we got in to kick out our legs, visualized the free routine all together, and walked out on deck. Then it was SHOWTIME!!!
The only difference was that it was practice, not the real thing. Our coaches wanted everything this morning to be just like our competition so we could feel what we're going to feel like so nothing is a surprise on competition day. I was just as nervous today as I am in competition, which is exactly what they wanted us to feel. And I was just as excited swimming the routine through as I am during competition. Of course there is no real comparison to the feelings and emotions we'll be feeling in another week and a half, I mean this is they Olympics!!! But it was a good start and good preparation. We had a pretty good swim. Not our best so far (which the coaches said was our last swim last night at 7:00 pm), but that's why this was still practice!
We're heading back to the pool this afternoon to do a little work on tech, and then we'll be packing up all our stuff to head back to Beijing tomorrow afternoon. It's been such an exhausting and difficult few days, but at the same time we've improved so much that it has definitely been worth it. I'll be sad to leave South Korea and the helpful and wonderful people we've met here. But it will be fun to be back in the village to feel the excitement of the competition that seems so far away right now!
The only difference was that it was practice, not the real thing. Our coaches wanted everything this morning to be just like our competition so we could feel what we're going to feel like so nothing is a surprise on competition day. I was just as nervous today as I am in competition, which is exactly what they wanted us to feel. And I was just as excited swimming the routine through as I am during competition. Of course there is no real comparison to the feelings and emotions we'll be feeling in another week and a half, I mean this is they Olympics!!! But it was a good start and good preparation. We had a pretty good swim. Not our best so far (which the coaches said was our last swim last night at 7:00 pm), but that's why this was still practice!
We're heading back to the pool this afternoon to do a little work on tech, and then we'll be packing up all our stuff to head back to Beijing tomorrow afternoon. It's been such an exhausting and difficult few days, but at the same time we've improved so much that it has definitely been worth it. I'll be sad to leave South Korea and the helpful and wonderful people we've met here. But it will be fun to be back in the village to feel the excitement of the competition that seems so far away right now!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Still at it....
Last night's dinner was everything I had hoped it would be! The beef was amazing and they cooked it right there on the table for us in special grills. They also served this iced noodle soup thing, which I've decided will skip if I ever eat there again. We had frozen persimmons for dessert--not as good as chocolate, but still really good. I've never had a persimmon before, but it's kind of like a cross between an apple and mango.
After a delicious dinner last night, the coaches decided to give us a little break this morning. We slept in 2 hours (crazy, huh?) and only worked on land this morning. We've been needing to spend some time on our deck-work (the stuff we do on the deck before we enter the water), so it was good to spend some time making it better and working out all the kinks. We also had time to land-drill a bit which means we go through our routine on land for timing, patterns, matching, and performance.
We're heading back to the pool this afternoon for a little longer than usual since we had the morning off. But it will be fine because I feel rejuvenated after a full night's sleep and a more relaxed morning. Plus, our other coach/consultant Gail Emery flies in today and we're anxious to see her. Gail is a veteran Olympic coach...this will be her 5th Olympics! She always helps create a more exciting and relaxed atmosphere on deck and plus it's always nice seeing people again when you haven't seen them for a week or more!
Speaking of seeing people, I can't wait to see my family again in a week--my parents and sister arrive on the 18th and Erick and his mom arrive the 19th. Even if I can't spend time with them, I'll be able to see them up in the stands during duet competition! It is so nice knowing there will be so many people in Beijing to support me and my team, including those that are there in spirit!
After a delicious dinner last night, the coaches decided to give us a little break this morning. We slept in 2 hours (crazy, huh?) and only worked on land this morning. We've been needing to spend some time on our deck-work (the stuff we do on the deck before we enter the water), so it was good to spend some time making it better and working out all the kinks. We also had time to land-drill a bit which means we go through our routine on land for timing, patterns, matching, and performance.
We're heading back to the pool this afternoon for a little longer than usual since we had the morning off. But it will be fine because I feel rejuvenated after a full night's sleep and a more relaxed morning. Plus, our other coach/consultant Gail Emery flies in today and we're anxious to see her. Gail is a veteran Olympic coach...this will be her 5th Olympics! She always helps create a more exciting and relaxed atmosphere on deck and plus it's always nice seeing people again when you haven't seen them for a week or more!
Speaking of seeing people, I can't wait to see my family again in a week--my parents and sister arrive on the 18th and Erick and his mom arrive the 19th. Even if I can't spend time with them, I'll be able to see them up in the stands during duet competition! It is so nice knowing there will be so many people in Beijing to support me and my team, including those that are there in spirit!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Nose to the grindstone
Well, it's Monday here, and Mondays are particularly "Mondayish" when you don't have a weekend before them, or even one weekend day! We're definitely putting in all our work and hours now so that we will be ready in another week. We had practice this am already, and then after lunch we'll head back to the pool for another session.
But even despite the work, it is still incredible to be here and to have this experience. We love checking the NBC website or the news to see how our team-mates are doing back in Beijing. Michael Phelps has already won 2 medals I hear! And our routines are getting better every day. Stephane said that our tech swim today was the best he's seen yet! Not bad for the end of a 4 hour practice! And tonight we're going to a really popular and delicious Korean BBQ restaurant which I'm looking forward to. If you've never had Korean BBQ, you simply must go! It is amazing!!
I hope everyone back home is doing well, and again I can't thank you enough for the comments and emails. I look forward to blogging every day just so I can ready them!!!
But even despite the work, it is still incredible to be here and to have this experience. We love checking the NBC website or the news to see how our team-mates are doing back in Beijing. Michael Phelps has already won 2 medals I hear! And our routines are getting better every day. Stephane said that our tech swim today was the best he's seen yet! Not bad for the end of a 4 hour practice! And tonight we're going to a really popular and delicious Korean BBQ restaurant which I'm looking forward to. If you've never had Korean BBQ, you simply must go! It is amazing!!
I hope everyone back home is doing well, and again I can't thank you enough for the comments and emails. I look forward to blogging every day just so I can ready them!!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Back to work
After one of the most exciting evenings of my life, we're back to practice as usual today. We actually flew to Korea yesterday morning for a week-long training camp. I love South Korea!!! It is beautiful and sunny, the people are so nice, and the food is delicious. They make sure we have everything we need, right down to providing bananas for breakfast since many of us love having them in the morning (maybe I get that from my dad??) Being in Korea also lets us have a huge pool all to ourselves without regulated times for laps and music. If we stayed in Beijing, we would probably only have about 1 hour of music time a day, whereas here (and at home) we can use the music all the time if we need to.
Practice so far has been pretty hard as this is really our last chance to get in the last bit of work before we head back to Beijing. This morning we spent 1 hour on land and 4 hours in the pool, and we'll head back this afternoon for another 4-hour session. We're hoping to get a little dry land-drill time at the beginning--but I'm not counting on it!! It's definitely hard work, but I just keep telling myself that this is all worth it. The "big party" at the end (aka our competition swims of tech and free) will only be a party if we've done our work before-hand!
Practice so far has been pretty hard as this is really our last chance to get in the last bit of work before we head back to Beijing. This morning we spent 1 hour on land and 4 hours in the pool, and we'll head back this afternoon for another 4-hour session. We're hoping to get a little dry land-drill time at the beginning--but I'm not counting on it!! It's definitely hard work, but I just keep telling myself that this is all worth it. The "big party" at the end (aka our competition swims of tech and free) will only be a party if we've done our work before-hand!
P.S.
I've received so many emails and posts wishing me luck and I just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You have no idea how much it means that you're sending your thoughts, and I really really, really appreciate them (even though I don't have time to tell you that except in this mass blog post:)). I'm so grateful to have all of you here with me in Beijing!
Let the games begin!!!
The Opening Ceremonies were just as amazing as I had hoped they would be!! As I write this you’ve probably just finished watching them, so you have an idea of what I'm talking about. I just hope the broadcast captured even half of the excitement of the event as I saw it!!
Before the ceremonies, we went to the US athlete staging area with the rest of our team. While there we met the USA Basketball team and got a few photos with them. They are so nice and humble—I think they took pictures with anyone and everyone who asked! We also met the first lady, George H.W. Bush, and our current president! He was kind enough to let us take both a team shot and individual shots with him. In his address to us, he said he was so proud of us and so honored to be here, but really I think I was more honored to meet him. Mr. Bush seems like a really kind, gentle, even fatherly man in real life.
After photos we went to the gymnastics stadium with the rest of the athletes. I was disappointed that there was no ceremony live feed for us to watch, but I passed the time meeting other athletes. I was inspired by the Lopez brothers who sat right in front of me—all three brothers and their sister are in the Olympics for taekwondo, three as athletes and one as their coach. What an amazing story!
Walking into the stadium was indescribable!! As soon as we entered the tunnel into the stadium the whole delegation started chanting USA-USA-USA…and it seemed to erupt as we entered the stadium of around 100,000 people. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard that many people cheering, but the feeling is beyond words when they are cheering for you! By the time we made it all the way around the track, we were covered with sweat because our parade outfits were anything but breathable; but we were almost too excited to notice.
The culmination of the evening was the lighting of the torch which was probably one of my favorite torch lightings. A man rose into the air, and “ran” around the top layer of the bird’s nest carrying the torch. Behind him, video of the world-wide torch relay played on the wall. Then he lit a track and the flame swirled its way up to the top of the Olympic torch. The stadium and what seemed like all of Beijing erupted in fireworks!!
By the end of the ceremony, we were exhausted but thrilled all at the same time. It was even a little hard to fall asleep, despite the fact that I got into bed at about 1:30 am! This day will certainly stand in my memory as one of the most inspiring, most exciting, and most amazing days of my life!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
The countdown is over!
In just two short hours I'll be leaving the village and heading to Opening Ceremonies!! I am so excited and the energy here around the village is just incredible.
Everyone got up early this morning to fit in some practice before the ceremony, including (of course) our team. Of course we're up early every day, so it was really no different for us! We had a short pool practice then headed to Beijing Normal University, the away-from-home home of the US team. It's basically like an Olympic Training Center that's been moved in its entirety to Beijing for the Olympics. The USOC hired top American chefs to provide meals there, and let me tell you it was so worth it! My lunch today was probably the most delicious meal I've eaten in a few months! We had another land practice after lunch with our circus school trainer, a meeting with our sports psychologist, and then headed back to the village to get ready for the ceremonies.
I can't wait to tell you all about the ceremonies, but it might have to wait until tomorrow night! We leave at 5:00 and probably won't be back till around 1 am. But I'm so sure it will be worth it to march with the best US and international athletes of 2008! I can't wait!
Everyone got up early this morning to fit in some practice before the ceremony, including (of course) our team. Of course we're up early every day, so it was really no different for us! We had a short pool practice then headed to Beijing Normal University, the away-from-home home of the US team. It's basically like an Olympic Training Center that's been moved in its entirety to Beijing for the Olympics. The USOC hired top American chefs to provide meals there, and let me tell you it was so worth it! My lunch today was probably the most delicious meal I've eaten in a few months! We had another land practice after lunch with our circus school trainer, a meeting with our sports psychologist, and then headed back to the village to get ready for the ceremonies.
I can't wait to tell you all about the ceremonies, but it might have to wait until tomorrow night! We leave at 5:00 and probably won't be back till around 1 am. But I'm so sure it will be worth it to march with the best US and international athletes of 2008! I can't wait!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
1 day left till the games officially begin!
The Opening Ceremonies are less than 24 hours away!! Oh my gosh I can't believe it!!
I had another busy day today. I woke up to a cloudy day here in Beijing, which was kind of disappointing because our first days here were so much better! But that didn’t stop us from doing what we need to do at the pool! After a breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, and bacon, we headed to the practice pool for some lift work with one of the Circus School coaches we’ve been working with. “Sean” (his Chinese name is harder to spell) is so talented! He has family in Shanghi and it worked out perfectly that he could be here in Beijing to help us a bit while we’re here getting ready. He is such a help for me and the team because he’s done both the base and the flying parts of lifts on land, and he has a lot of insider tips!
In the afternoon we had our first free routine practice at the water cube! It is so exhilarating swimming in there. The brightness of the space and the colorful banners give us a lot of energy to perform!
We headed to the filming of the today show right after dinner. I’m pretty sure you can see us and other American athletes waving as the camera pans the crowd near the beginning. I’m getting really excited for tomorrow’s ceremonies which start at 8:00 pm on 8-8-08!! I hope you can catch a glimpse of me among the 500+ American athletes!!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Day #2
Yes, this is written on the same day as my last entry, but I still wanted to tell you all about today. So lucky you...two entries at once!
We had a full day of practice today, which started with breakfast at 6:15. The cafeteria is a little walk from my room, especially cause I live on the 8th floor and I usually take the stairs down (not up!) There are lots of options at meals, but the funny thing is that they appear to be the same options. For example, I'm not sure I'd ever eat sushi for breakfast, but I guess there's someone out there that might! There is a Mediterranean station that serves pasta and pizza, an Asian station, and an International station which is kind of a mix of things. Then theres a salad bar, a deli, a bread basket of sorts, and a dessert table. And of course there's a McDonalds! I'm surprised by the number of athletes that eat there all the time. Christina said she saw someone with a big plate full of meatballs and two orders of large fries! There's unlimited coke, coffee, orange juice, water, and ice cream as well.
Everything in Beijing takes longer than you think. We were scheduled to be at the practice pool which was only 30 minutes away at 8:00--you'd think leaving at 7 would be no problem! Unless you're in Beijing where there is rush hour at every hour. Our bus was late picking us up, and combined with the traffic we arrived with barely enough time to warm up before our official time with music began at 8:30. Luckily the officials at the pool let us have a few extra minutes because the team after us had canceled their music time.
The afternoon practice was at the Water Cube which is beautiful inside and out. It was so amazing swimming there, especially since we got to sit in the stands already in April. The top-most seats seem miles away! The only downside to practice at "the Cube" is the pool temp which is a more speed-swimmer friendly 79 degrees...I'd prefer at least 82!
Tonight I finally have some time to think and relax, and catch up on blogging. I have a meeting in a few minutes with the USOC staff that will fill us in with all the details we've missed, and then its off to bed for another day of practice tomorrow. We might be filming a slot for the Thursday morning Today Show tomorrow night...I'll keep you posted!
We had a full day of practice today, which started with breakfast at 6:15. The cafeteria is a little walk from my room, especially cause I live on the 8th floor and I usually take the stairs down (not up!) There are lots of options at meals, but the funny thing is that they appear to be the same options. For example, I'm not sure I'd ever eat sushi for breakfast, but I guess there's someone out there that might! There is a Mediterranean station that serves pasta and pizza, an Asian station, and an International station which is kind of a mix of things. Then theres a salad bar, a deli, a bread basket of sorts, and a dessert table. And of course there's a McDonalds! I'm surprised by the number of athletes that eat there all the time. Christina said she saw someone with a big plate full of meatballs and two orders of large fries! There's unlimited coke, coffee, orange juice, water, and ice cream as well.
Everything in Beijing takes longer than you think. We were scheduled to be at the practice pool which was only 30 minutes away at 8:00--you'd think leaving at 7 would be no problem! Unless you're in Beijing where there is rush hour at every hour. Our bus was late picking us up, and combined with the traffic we arrived with barely enough time to warm up before our official time with music began at 8:30. Luckily the officials at the pool let us have a few extra minutes because the team after us had canceled their music time.
The afternoon practice was at the Water Cube which is beautiful inside and out. It was so amazing swimming there, especially since we got to sit in the stands already in April. The top-most seats seem miles away! The only downside to practice at "the Cube" is the pool temp which is a more speed-swimmer friendly 79 degrees...I'd prefer at least 82!
Tonight I finally have some time to think and relax, and catch up on blogging. I have a meeting in a few minutes with the USOC staff that will fill us in with all the details we've missed, and then its off to bed for another day of practice tomorrow. We might be filming a slot for the Thursday morning Today Show tomorrow night...I'll keep you posted!
Welcome to Beijing! (Beijing Huan Jing Ni!)
I am writing from the Olympic Village in Beijing China...I can't believe it! I meant to write as soon as we got in last night, but yesterday ended up being a bit long to say the least.
Our flight was pretty uneventful, except that I met some really nice USA team-mates--some of whom used to live at the Colorado Springs training center. We arrived in Beijing to find it sunny! What a change from when I was here in April. We received our Olympic credential which I'll be wearing around my neck every hour of every day, well when I'm not swimming, because it gets us into the pool, the village, the dining hall, and various other Olympic places. The drive from the airport was hyper--we were all on a high even though we had slept little on the plane. There were gardens and signs everywhere welcoming us to Beijing and announcing the Olympics. The Olympic village is absolutely beautiful! There are gardens and ponds and sculptures, and the rooms are pretty modest but nice. After moving in to our rooms we headed strait to the practice pool to stretch out a little and get rid of the "travel legs" we all grew on the plane. I was kind of dreading doing anything athletic at that point, but it actually felt really good to just swim for a little while and stretch out. I think we finally made it to the dining hall at 9 or 9:30, grabbed a quick dinner, and headed strait to bed. I think I fell asleep in less than five minutes!
It's so great to be here and I can't wait to explore the village in the next couple of days. I miss you all and hope you get a little idea of what life is like here!
Our flight was pretty uneventful, except that I met some really nice USA team-mates--some of whom used to live at the Colorado Springs training center. We arrived in Beijing to find it sunny! What a change from when I was here in April. We received our Olympic credential which I'll be wearing around my neck every hour of every day, well when I'm not swimming, because it gets us into the pool, the village, the dining hall, and various other Olympic places. The drive from the airport was hyper--we were all on a high even though we had slept little on the plane. There were gardens and signs everywhere welcoming us to Beijing and announcing the Olympics. The Olympic village is absolutely beautiful! There are gardens and ponds and sculptures, and the rooms are pretty modest but nice. After moving in to our rooms we headed strait to the practice pool to stretch out a little and get rid of the "travel legs" we all grew on the plane. I was kind of dreading doing anything athletic at that point, but it actually felt really good to just swim for a little while and stretch out. I think we finally made it to the dining hall at 9 or 9:30, grabbed a quick dinner, and headed strait to bed. I think I fell asleep in less than five minutes!
It's so great to be here and I can't wait to explore the village in the next couple of days. I miss you all and hope you get a little idea of what life is like here!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Leavin' on an airplane
Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go! Two big pieces of luggage, a carry-on, and a small backpack fit all I need (I hope!) for my first Olympics. Packing was quite a feat--I really wasn't sure all the stuff I had laid out would actually fit in anything.
I've heard from many people today wishing me luck and safe travels--THANK YOU!! I can't even tell you how special and supported I feel as I head to a far-away land tomorrow to compete in the world's biggest sporting event. And for those I couldn't get back to I really appreciate your calls, emails, and texts. I really do feel like I'll be competing with the support of a nation behind me! I'll be checking my voice-mail, email, and blog while in China, so don't be shy...I'd love to hear from you.
I can't believe that my next blog will be from Beijing! Opening ceremonies are just 4 days away!
I've heard from many people today wishing me luck and safe travels--THANK YOU!! I can't even tell you how special and supported I feel as I head to a far-away land tomorrow to compete in the world's biggest sporting event. And for those I couldn't get back to I really appreciate your calls, emails, and texts. I really do feel like I'll be competing with the support of a nation behind me! I'll be checking my voice-mail, email, and blog while in China, so don't be shy...I'd love to hear from you.
I can't believe that my next blog will be from Beijing! Opening ceremonies are just 4 days away!
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