SuperBowl Sunday

I barely even know what two teams are actually playing in the game tonight. I don’t care which one wins either! But, living at the OTC, surrounded by all kinds of athletes means that all conversation and activities tonight will revolve around a silly game of guys chasing after a weird shaped ball. The cafeteria is making the whole dinner menu into ‘football snacks’…all the TVs will be tuned into the game…there is a gambling grid for 25 cents a square…I can’t escape it!
But this morning I had a great escape from the OTC…I went on a 3h30min bike ride. It was a bit windy and cold this morning at 9am when I started so none of my girlfriends wanted to ride with me (they are down in the basement right now doing their ride inside in front of a TV…crazy) so I went by myself and had a great time! The sun was shinning, the winds were blowing, and the road was long and hilly! I rode south from Colorado Springs on SR115 for 1h35min and then turned around and came back. It’s a good thing I turned around at the time I did because the beautiful tail-wind I was enjoying on the first half became a menacing head-wind on the return and it took me a few more minutes to get home. I think I was down to 10mph at some points when I was riding up a hill with the wind blowing right in my face. Like they say: “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!” Total ride time was 3h25min and total miles were 56.
Later today I should start attacking the chore of packing for Australia. I’ve got some laundry in the washers downstairs as a start. But now that I think about it…it’s not that much of a start because most all the clothes I’m washing will NOT be going to Australia…there is a bit of difference between what I normally wear during the day in Colorado Springs in the middle of winter and what I will be wearing in Melbourne in the middle of summer!
Yesterday at morning swim practice we had a mini-swim meet just for the Triathletes…it was tons of fun…and extremely painful! Within a 1 hour time period I raced the following events: 400m free, 100m kick w/ board, 100m free, 50m fly, 200m IM, and anchored a 4x50m relay. That’s actually more events for me than the worst dual meet line up ever at Florida…although it doesn’t come close to the day that we swam Clemson in South Carolina and Coach Troy had me swim the 1000 free, 400 IM, 500 free, and part of a 4x100 free relay! But back to the present…I was pumped with my 400m free time: 4:24 (at 6,000 feet elevation and without any competition). Hey, that’s only (let’s emphasize the ‘only’) 13 seconds off my Trials time from 2004…and that pool was on the beach (sea level)!!
Now I’m thinking about doing some Statistics homework, going to the mall with my friends, and hanging out at the Superbowl party for the remainder of this lovely Sunday…I wish good things to you too!