First, It Was Good-Bye Hawaii...

...Now, It's Good-Bye AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!
I just shed a tear...actually, quite a few tears! Now that the official announcement has been made about the Hawaii Olympic Trials race being canceled (and moved to Alabama)...I was just informed that the Australia Training Camp has been canceled (and moved to Arizona)!
12-14 of the top American ITU triathletes will be in Tuscon, AZ for one month of training before the Alabama Trials race. Since I hope to be one of those 12-14 athletes, I will continue to report about the camp as if I'm going to be there.
I'm a bit hesitant to report that we will be living in a Residence Inn from March 14th until April 15th...at least it sounds like its going to have a kitchen...but it's still a hotel and that's not the same as the BEACH FRONT APARTMENTS we had in Noosa last year!
I've heard nothing but good things about the training in Tuscon. Great places to ride and huge groups to ride with. I'm sure the warm weather will be perfect to acclimate for Alabama (and Beijing for that matter). The sun will be shining and we will be outdoors so everyone will have a healthy (or unhealthy...if everyone forgot their sunscreen) tan when we leave.
The only other impact this change has on my schedule is in regards to the first World Cup races of 2008. When we were going to be spending March in Noosa...the Mooloolaba World Cup is just an hour drive down the coast. There was also the option of taking a quick flight to New Zealand for the second World Cup in New Plymouth or a kinda-shorter flight to Japan for the third race in Ishigaki. Now, I need to sit down with my coach (well, actually just sit down with my phone and call my coach because he is 2,000 miles away) and rethink what kind of traveling I need to do in March and early April.
I look forward to figuring things out and posting my new schedule. Until then...I am continuing to apply lots of sunscreen and swim, bike, and run in the sunshine of Central Florida!