Lots Of Random Updates

My latest post-race story is up on the USA Triathlon website...check out the Elite Update from Longmont. Jason, the USAT media guy who is in charge of the website has just asked me if I want to keep a daily journal at the World Champs next month! Of course I said yes...I will probably be posting the exact same updates here on my blog (double duty:).
So I leave Colorado Springs on Monday, August 27th at 3:55pm. I fly through Denver and Frankfurt before arriving on Tuesday, August 28th at 1:55pm at my final destination: Hamburg, Germany. I guess I'll start the journal on either one of those days...it will mean that I have to lug my 40 pound laptop with me...but I think I was going to take it anyways (what else will there be to do in South Korea for 2 weeks?)!
Before heading "Around the World" (which is now officially abbreviated to 'AtW'), I have a quick trip to Atlanta this weekend...the second IronKids event of 2007 is taking place at 8:00am on Sunday morning at Dacula Park. I'm hopping on a plane on Friday afternoon...nonstop Delta flight right from COS to ATL. Same flight on Sunday night...nonstop back to the Springs.
Since I will not be taking my bike, training had to be adjusted for the weekend. My coach solved the problem by throwing some extra cycling in during the week (like today, for example) and just writing 3 running workouts for me on Saturday and Sunday! Yikes...normally I'm just exhausted from helping at the check-in and at the race...I'll make sure that I find some motivation to do my training sessions (especially in the heat and humidity that awaits in Atlanta)!
I just got off the phone with my brother...he's almost finished packing for his USA Swimming trip to Japan! He flies out of Gainesville tomorrow morning, into Chicago, and ending in Tokyo. Being the well seasoned world-traveler that I am (haha), I gave him all the advice that I could think of...like bring water bottles to stay hydrated on the plane...pack snack food in your checked baggage so that you don't starve (he's the pickiest eater EVER!)...don't exchange money, just withdraw from an ATM, you get the best rate...pack one of all the important things in your carry on (suit, goggles, cap, toothbrush). The list went on and I'm pretty sure that he stopped paying attention to me after a few minutes:).
He made this USA Swimming trip by swimming a qualifying time in the 400IM. I had to ask him if he was limited to just swimming that event or a full meet schedule. He answered that he's entered in his typical Big-6 (200 & 400 IM, 200 & 400 Free, 200 Fly and Back). That was almost my exact Big-6, just substitute the 800 Free for the 200 Back! It's like we are related or something:)!
As for the latest 'going-ons' here in the Springs...I was invited to a very nice dinner event on Monday night. It was hosted up at the beautiful Cheyenne Mountain Resort for The Hartford (an insurance company, I think) because they are one of the major Paralympic Sponsors. I represented the regular-Olympic athletes...hey, I wasn't complaining...all I had to do was 'schmooze' for 3 hours, eat some yummy and free food, and get paid some $$ for my time!
During the cocktail hour, we were entertained by the men's National Trampoline Team(apparently, this is a new Olympic Sport). They travel the country with some trampolines and put on shows with normal trampoline stunts and then add snowboards and snow skis to demonstrate the Winter sports. It was really cool to watch (they get HIGH) and I found out that one of the guys lives here at the OTC as well!
Other than that, I've just slowly been getting back into training after Sunday's race. Monday was a very light day with just a fun swim in the outdoor pool. On Tuesday it was back to a little bit of everything (swim, bike, run) and today I finally had to push the pace and get my heart-rate elevated during all three sessions. Swimming this morning was awesome...the main set was 8x300 where the first 4 were negative split (swim the second half faster than the first half) and the second 4 were just all fast. I was very pleased with the times I was holding in the pool...also happy with my 90 minute hilly bike ride in the middle of the day...and finished it off with a tough but achievable 60 minute treadmill run. Now I'm just working on recovery, rehydration, and relaxation!