Hey everyone! I don't think that I will have time to write about our team final swim untill I get home.. but I wanted to let you know that I am so far having the time of my life in Thailand! Today we went on a few river boat rides, rode an elephant through the jungle, and then petted tigers! No joke! Tomorrow we are off to some Thai island. Just know that I am living the dream but miss you all so much!
Love, Christina
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tech Team Day!
First off, WE HAD AN AWESOME TECH TEAM SWIM!
We started off training at BNU, and that was awesome as usual. WE had a good solid warm up, ate lunch, and then did our hair at BNU. Before we left, Patrick our trainer since 2002 gave us a little speech. He told us how proud he was of us, and how it has been really cool for him to see us improve over the years. Before he even started talking, a few teammates started crying. This has been such a long, hard, but amazing road for us all.
We had an awesome warm up at the pool, and everyone was so relaxed and confident. We drew lucky number 8.. last! Our crowd was AMAZING. As we were walking out of the warm up pool, our families started a USA chant. THAT is a moment I will never forget. We walked out there, and had the swim of our lives! It felt so easy and connected, the coaches even said it was great! I would be lying to you if I said we weren't bummed about the scoring, but don't you worry! We know that we did our best, and we are READY to show the world our free program! We drew first for tomorrow, so we will set the standard high!
GO USA!
We started off training at BNU, and that was awesome as usual. WE had a good solid warm up, ate lunch, and then did our hair at BNU. Before we left, Patrick our trainer since 2002 gave us a little speech. He told us how proud he was of us, and how it has been really cool for him to see us improve over the years. Before he even started talking, a few teammates started crying. This has been such a long, hard, but amazing road for us all.
We had an awesome warm up at the pool, and everyone was so relaxed and confident. We drew lucky number 8.. last! Our crowd was AMAZING. As we were walking out of the warm up pool, our families started a USA chant. THAT is a moment I will never forget. We walked out there, and had the swim of our lives! It felt so easy and connected, the coaches even said it was great! I would be lying to you if I said we weren't bummed about the scoring, but don't you worry! We know that we did our best, and we are READY to show the world our free program! We drew first for tomorrow, so we will set the standard high!
GO USA!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Last day of practice...
We are done with our last day of practice.. can you even believe it?! OH MAN.. and it was a PRACTICE. We started off at BNU, our territory. We shared a little bit of pool time with the Womens Water Polo team and that was super fun! Those girls are awesome, they are playing right NOW and I wish them all the best. We had a really good practice at BNU this morning. We did a quick free review, and then really worked on tech. The coaches said we looked good, and we felt GOOD. We got the privelage to eat at BNU!! That's right people, no boxed lunch today! It was such a dream! After lunch, we headed over to the water cube for practice time with music. During our practice time with music, things were getting hectic as they always do in our sport. The difference was that our team stayed calm and focused and we were able to push through it. We started from deck and swam through tech, but over halfway through the music stopped! We all sat up gasping for air, and Captain Kim said," Alright guys, back on the deck we don't have much time!" We all sprinted back to the deck and swam through right then and there with no rest. Not one person complained, we were all just kind of laughing at the situation. Despite the indescribably amount of lactic acid that this memory involved, I will always remember it fondly. I am so proud of our team and how far we have come.
During practice I pinched a nerve in my neck again! I keep doing that from the impact of diving off of the pool deck. I was able to get in with the chiropracter tonight, and I should be all ready to go tomorrow! The cold is getting better, I'm on some top rate antibiotics. I am going to be in tip top shape tomorrow, I can feel it. I am so excited to see what the future holds for us.
Once again, I'd better get some sleep! Love you all so much!
During practice I pinched a nerve in my neck again! I keep doing that from the impact of diving off of the pool deck. I was able to get in with the chiropracter tonight, and I should be all ready to go tomorrow! The cold is getting better, I'm on some top rate antibiotics. I am going to be in tip top shape tomorrow, I can feel it. I am so excited to see what the future holds for us.
Once again, I'd better get some sleep! Love you all so much!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Duet Finals Day!
WOW WHAT A DAY! We got to sleep in this morning! It was really nice to have allllllll day to warm up our free duet. It was a calm and relaxed warm up, just how I like it! It is so crazy to me to be writing this right now.. duet finals over.. already over half way done with my Olympic experience.
Our swim was really enjoyable today. There was a MINOR error in the beginning, but we were able to pick it up. We were not the only duet that made an error by the way, so we were all on a level playing field. Todays swim felt way slower, and I felt like I really had an opportunity to connect with each and every judge. It was SO nice to see my friends and family in the crowd again! Seeing them, and knowing that I had the Burns patch sewn into my suit, I was once again reminded of all the love and support from back at home.
After duet finals, we practiced team a little and then were off to the Speedo Party!!! It was so nice to go to this event because EVERYONE was invited! I got to see my mom, dad, Julia, Alison, Kathleen, Matea, Amanda, Tree, Liz, Bekah, Rachel, Piers, Missy, and EVERYONE ELSE! It was SUCH a dream to sit and eat dinner and chat with the people I love most in this world. It was just SO amazing, and I will remember this night forever! Matea, Tree, and Amanda made shirts with my picture on it.. and puff paint.. complete with a sign! Everyone else was in their USA gear, and I actually started crying the first time I got to hug my dad! Today was an emotional roller coaster for sure.
I am so thankful for my duet partner Andrea. Together we have come SUCH a long way, we have been through SO much together. I will cherish the bond that we have forever, and I will take all of these memories with me. I love you Drea!
We don't compete tomorrow, but it will be a BIG practice day! I am hoping to overcome this stupid cold that I have (I didn't admit to myself that I had one until after finals were over). I AM SO READY TO BE BACK IN THE MIX WITH THE TEAM!
WATCH OUT WORLD!
Our swim was really enjoyable today. There was a MINOR error in the beginning, but we were able to pick it up. We were not the only duet that made an error by the way, so we were all on a level playing field. Todays swim felt way slower, and I felt like I really had an opportunity to connect with each and every judge. It was SO nice to see my friends and family in the crowd again! Seeing them, and knowing that I had the Burns patch sewn into my suit, I was once again reminded of all the love and support from back at home.
After duet finals, we practiced team a little and then were off to the Speedo Party!!! It was so nice to go to this event because EVERYONE was invited! I got to see my mom, dad, Julia, Alison, Kathleen, Matea, Amanda, Tree, Liz, Bekah, Rachel, Piers, Missy, and EVERYONE ELSE! It was SUCH a dream to sit and eat dinner and chat with the people I love most in this world. It was just SO amazing, and I will remember this night forever! Matea, Tree, and Amanda made shirts with my picture on it.. and puff paint.. complete with a sign! Everyone else was in their USA gear, and I actually started crying the first time I got to hug my dad! Today was an emotional roller coaster for sure.
I am so thankful for my duet partner Andrea. Together we have come SUCH a long way, we have been through SO much together. I will cherish the bond that we have forever, and I will take all of these memories with me. I love you Drea!
We don't compete tomorrow, but it will be a BIG practice day! I am hoping to overcome this stupid cold that I have (I didn't admit to myself that I had one until after finals were over). I AM SO READY TO BE BACK IN THE MIX WITH THE TEAM!
WATCH OUT WORLD!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Duet Free Prelims Day!
Random fun fact about synchronized swimming at the Olympics: There are 17 underwater speakers! That's right people! 17!!!! How nuts is that?!
So today we went through the same plan that we did yesterday. We started at BNU got ready at the pool. I need to pause a second and really let you all know just how thankful I am for my team. Our team was back there before we competed, offering us help and support in any way possible. I can definitely feel the love when I'm with them. They gave us their best wishes and went up to watch us. SHOW TIME! We were really excited to show the world our free program, we really feel that we have stepped up to the plate with our revamped routine. So far, we have gotten lots of compliments on it! When we walked out, the cheering was nuts! It felt so good to know that I had friends and family there... decked out in USA gear.. with signs made and everything! I once again heard my dad scream ,"GO STINA!". Right before we swam some guy screamed, "YYYEEAAAUUUUUHHHHH!!!" and the ENTIRE crowd started laughing and clapping. We still don't know who this mystery man is, but we have a suspicion. Whoever you are.. you rock and keep it coming! The swim itself felt a little rough today, but the coaches said that it was a really really good swim! That always happens to me... the best swims feel a little rough! I still don't know why that is! I got half a breath before I started our super long first hybrid, and Andrea sucked in water before our last hybrid, but somehow...we fought for it and it worked! I feel very proud of our swim, and I KNOW that we can be better tomorrow!
After our competition we walked through the media zone and then hopped back into the practice pool with the team! It felt good to do a few things with them, as we have only been practicing duet lately. We busted out some elements, some lifts, some key parts.. and we were on our way home! I just finished getting a massage, and I am ready for bed! The coaches are letting the duet sleep in tomorrow! YES! Alright my lovies... it's time to REST UP!
FINALS TOMORROW... BRING IT ON!
So today we went through the same plan that we did yesterday. We started at BNU got ready at the pool. I need to pause a second and really let you all know just how thankful I am for my team. Our team was back there before we competed, offering us help and support in any way possible. I can definitely feel the love when I'm with them. They gave us their best wishes and went up to watch us. SHOW TIME! We were really excited to show the world our free program, we really feel that we have stepped up to the plate with our revamped routine. So far, we have gotten lots of compliments on it! When we walked out, the cheering was nuts! It felt so good to know that I had friends and family there... decked out in USA gear.. with signs made and everything! I once again heard my dad scream ,"GO STINA!". Right before we swam some guy screamed, "YYYEEAAAUUUUUHHHHH!!!" and the ENTIRE crowd started laughing and clapping. We still don't know who this mystery man is, but we have a suspicion. Whoever you are.. you rock and keep it coming! The swim itself felt a little rough today, but the coaches said that it was a really really good swim! That always happens to me... the best swims feel a little rough! I still don't know why that is! I got half a breath before I started our super long first hybrid, and Andrea sucked in water before our last hybrid, but somehow...we fought for it and it worked! I feel very proud of our swim, and I KNOW that we can be better tomorrow!
After our competition we walked through the media zone and then hopped back into the practice pool with the team! It felt good to do a few things with them, as we have only been practicing duet lately. We busted out some elements, some lifts, some key parts.. and we were on our way home! I just finished getting a massage, and I am ready for bed! The coaches are letting the duet sleep in tomorrow! YES! Alright my lovies... it's time to REST UP!
FINALS TOMORROW... BRING IT ON!
Monday, August 18, 2008
First day of competition is finished already! WOW! Let me start filling you all in from this morning, even though this morning seems like it was 3 days ago!
So each country was allowed 8 minutes of music time this morning. Being draw number 4, that would mean that we would have to be diving in at 7:30, to use 8 minutes of music, all to compete at about 3:15. We opted to NOT use that music time. Instead, we went to BNU! That was the best decision we have ever made! We got to sleep in a little bit, and we got the chance to warm up in privacy hidden from the chaos and commotion. Andrea and I had a nice long swimming warm up, stretched out, and warmed up our verticals. We then had 1 hour of music time, instead of 8 minutes. We went over each section, and swim large parts to get our bodies going! Then we grabbed a quick sandwich, and were off to the competition pool! As soon as we got to the pool, we went over our walk ons and deck work because the stage was not set up until this morning! Swimming was using the deck space until last night, so nobody had a chance to figure their steps out yet. The walk on was pretty easy to figure out, so after we did that we got back in and warmed up again. Then we went over some key parts, and did some pretty big sections with our run through with music. The run through with music was a little rough, but we were glad that we got all of the jitters out. After that, we got out and got all ready for our swim! Our suits are so pretty by the way! We got in and warmed up again (yes we warm up a lot in synchro). When we walked to the ready room, it was so surreal. I expecting to be super unbearably nervous and anxious. Instead, I was so calm. Not nervous at all. Andrea and I were both super connected, calm, and collected.
As we walked out, I heard my dad say ,"GO STINA!" loud and clear. That comforted me like no other. Our swim was SO MUCH FUN! It felt in slow motion, and I felt like I had time to think of each task that I needed to complete. It felt really easy and free. The coaches were pretty pleased with our swim as well. A few things SLIGHTLY off, but for the most part it was a good swim. I will always remember the feeling of satisfaction that I had after. It was really exciting to look into the stands and see our American flag waving proudly in various parts of the cube. After we were done competing, we walked through the media zone and answered some questions for NBC and some other reporters.
Guess what we did after that? Thats right! Got right back in, and practiced free duet! I feel good that we got the opportunity to go through everything. I am ready to go back to my room and read until I fall sleep.. which will probably last about half a page or so.
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHOW OFF OUR FREE PROGRAM TOMORROW!!
So each country was allowed 8 minutes of music time this morning. Being draw number 4, that would mean that we would have to be diving in at 7:30, to use 8 minutes of music, all to compete at about 3:15. We opted to NOT use that music time. Instead, we went to BNU! That was the best decision we have ever made! We got to sleep in a little bit, and we got the chance to warm up in privacy hidden from the chaos and commotion. Andrea and I had a nice long swimming warm up, stretched out, and warmed up our verticals. We then had 1 hour of music time, instead of 8 minutes. We went over each section, and swim large parts to get our bodies going! Then we grabbed a quick sandwich, and were off to the competition pool! As soon as we got to the pool, we went over our walk ons and deck work because the stage was not set up until this morning! Swimming was using the deck space until last night, so nobody had a chance to figure their steps out yet. The walk on was pretty easy to figure out, so after we did that we got back in and warmed up again. Then we went over some key parts, and did some pretty big sections with our run through with music. The run through with music was a little rough, but we were glad that we got all of the jitters out. After that, we got out and got all ready for our swim! Our suits are so pretty by the way! We got in and warmed up again (yes we warm up a lot in synchro). When we walked to the ready room, it was so surreal. I expecting to be super unbearably nervous and anxious. Instead, I was so calm. Not nervous at all. Andrea and I were both super connected, calm, and collected.
As we walked out, I heard my dad say ,"GO STINA!" loud and clear. That comforted me like no other. Our swim was SO MUCH FUN! It felt in slow motion, and I felt like I had time to think of each task that I needed to complete. It felt really easy and free. The coaches were pretty pleased with our swim as well. A few things SLIGHTLY off, but for the most part it was a good swim. I will always remember the feeling of satisfaction that I had after. It was really exciting to look into the stands and see our American flag waving proudly in various parts of the cube. After we were done competing, we walked through the media zone and answered some questions for NBC and some other reporters.
Guess what we did after that? Thats right! Got right back in, and practiced free duet! I feel good that we got the opportunity to go through everything. I am ready to go back to my room and read until I fall sleep.. which will probably last about half a page or so.
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHOW OFF OUR FREE PROGRAM TOMORROW!!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
LAST DAY OF PRACTICE!
WOAH! Last day of practice! I am going to try to type really fast and get in as much as I can, but I need to get my rest because tomorrow is GAME DAY! We first started training at BNU again. We had a nice long warm up, worked on verticals, reviewed free duet and tech team. As we were getting out the Womens Water Polo team was getting in for a scrimmage so it was cool to see them! After practice, our manager Denise gave me a bag with gifts from loved ones at home! One was a card from the Burns family and in it was pictures, an awesome card, and a little patch of material. On the material Cindy drew a red glitter "good luck" Chinese character with one gold sequin. For each event Denise is going to sew it to the inside of my suit. I know that is going to give me comfort! I also got a care package from Matea, Amanda, and Tree! It was SO AWESOME! It made me smile so much, it totally made my day! I guess they all made shirts that have a picture of my 12-13 Evita solo on it. They made me a shirt with a picture of them wearing those shirts, fully decorated with the Olympic rings and other goodies! They also included emergency chocolate, and little good luck charms. I was reminded that I have so much love and support coming from home. It gave me the warm fuzzies for sure. I have more wall decorations for my room.. YES! After water time, we had practice with our circus school coach, landrill/ video watch, and a Duke session! THEN, we were off to the pool! We had about 2 hours to get ready for our whopping 20 minutes with music. We swam through tech duet, and tech team, and then did some free parts. After practice, I came home and got my shoulder worked on and then got all of the lactic acid rubbed out of my legs. By the time I got to the caf, none of my teammates were there so I had to settle and eat dinner with the Mens Waterpolo Team.. that was pretty rough... JUST KIDDING!
OH YEAH! This morning Gail made sure that we stopped our training at BNU to watch Michael and our boys make history! We all crowded around a TV with other USA athletes from other sports, and watched with anticipation. It was a moment I will never forget. Everyone SCREAMING... oh man I nearly fainted I was so nervous! Once again our boys pulled through, we are GOOOOOOOD!
I am so excited that I will actually be competing tomorrow. Everything feels like it is in fast forward, and I keep trying to sloooooow it down. I need to savor each and every moment. Ok I'm off to bed.
Love, Christina
OH YEAH! This morning Gail made sure that we stopped our training at BNU to watch Michael and our boys make history! We all crowded around a TV with other USA athletes from other sports, and watched with anticipation. It was a moment I will never forget. Everyone SCREAMING... oh man I nearly fainted I was so nervous! Once again our boys pulled through, we are GOOOOOOOD!
I am so excited that I will actually be competing tomorrow. Everything feels like it is in fast forward, and I keep trying to sloooooow it down. I need to savor each and every moment. Ok I'm off to bed.
Love, Christina
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Day 2 of a blue sky in Beijing! If only it could last.. So last night my parents weren't able to make it into the village. The airline lost my luggage that I will need for my 25 day long vacation after the Olympics, and they were dealing with it at the airport. I am really bummed out that I didn't get to see them, and really bummed out about my backpack. Air Canada better find it! So last night our track cycling friends competed, and before they got back to the village we decorated their hall. We wrote congrats signs, taped "recovery snacks" on the wall for them, and topped it off with 2 rolls of toilet paper. That was fun! It was nice to have a chance to talk with other athletes all yesterday.
Today we got to practice at BNU (the University that the USOC set up for us). It was really nice to just get away from all of the commotion and have just the pool, and us, nobody else. We were focused and got some good work done. Then we headed over to the Water Cube and had 20 minutes with music. This was the first day that we saw all of our competition. We had a pretty solid practice.
We just got back to the village and have a few hours to rest. Then we will have landrill tonight at 7:30.
Everyone keep their fingers crossed that Air Canada will find my bag! After all, backpacking with out a backpack would be pretty hard..
Today we got to practice at BNU (the University that the USOC set up for us). It was really nice to just get away from all of the commotion and have just the pool, and us, nobody else. We were focused and got some good work done. Then we headed over to the Water Cube and had 20 minutes with music. This was the first day that we saw all of our competition. We had a pretty solid practice.
We just got back to the village and have a few hours to rest. Then we will have landrill tonight at 7:30.
Everyone keep their fingers crossed that Air Canada will find my bag! After all, backpacking with out a backpack would be pretty hard..
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hello from Beijing! We made it "home" and boy does it feel GOOOOOOD! Let me back up to yesterdays practice in Korea. We had a really good last practice. We anchored all of our lifts, and did some last minute touch ups on the tech team. After that we booked it to the airport only to find out that our flight was delayed 3 hours, and we couldn't actually check in until 2 hours before our flight. So that was fun. We roamed around the Korean airport, trying various Korean goodies. I personally settled for a ham and cheese panini, not very Korean I know! We got the giggles BIG TIME at the airport, and Gail was out of control! She kept dropping everything all over the floor, it was pretty funny. We finally made it onto the flight, and were back home at the village by 11:00 pm.
Today is our day off! I started off the morning by sleeping in (yes 6:30 is sleeping in for me)! Then I took a nice LOOONG shower, without anyone telling me to hurry up. That was nice. Nobody was awake in my apartment yet, so I checked out our teams other apartment and found Kim reading the USA Daily. We both enjoyed a nice relaxed breakfast and we saw Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, and Nastia Liukin eating breakfast before their big days. It was so crazy to see that for some reason. After that, I went to our USA Sports Med and had Brent our trainer work on my shoulder. Good news is that he was able to release it, and my shoulder is feeling a lot better. THEN I took the 9:30 bus to the Water Cube to watch some swimming! I somehow got separated from my teammates, and ended up with the coaches. We weren't sure if our credentials would let us into the venue on a swimming finals day but we had no problem! We walked right in. On the bus I met some Canadian swimmers, who promised that they would cheer for us. When we walked in the swimming venue, we sat down first row pool side and WATCHED THE EVENTS! It was so crazy to see The USA win 6 medals right in front of me! I could have touched the water if I wanted to! We were screaming at the top of our lungs, it was just such an incredible moment. I got to hear our National Anthem 3 times! That song never gets old.
When I got back to the Village, I showed Gail around the caf and then headed back to my room to rest a little bit. It was really hard to sit down with so much adrenaline, but I knew that I had to rest my legs and ice my knees. After a short rest, Belle and I just roamed the Village. I saw the game room, pool, disco, media center, and so so much more! It is craziness, and the entire place is just buzzing with an indescribable energy that I have never experienced before. I want to bottle it up and keep it forever.
Right now I am in the USA athlete lounge and yes they have computers, TVs, phones, and snacks all set up for us. I am listening to some track athletes watch a womans basketball game in the other room while I wait for a call from my parents! They are supposed to arrive any moment! I hope they call me soon because I think this will be my last opportunity to get them into the village! I want to see them so bad! I miss them so much, I just need a super long hard hug from both of them at once. Ok, I think I'll go check out the basketball game in the room next to me! XOXO!
Today is our day off! I started off the morning by sleeping in (yes 6:30 is sleeping in for me)! Then I took a nice LOOONG shower, without anyone telling me to hurry up. That was nice. Nobody was awake in my apartment yet, so I checked out our teams other apartment and found Kim reading the USA Daily. We both enjoyed a nice relaxed breakfast and we saw Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, and Nastia Liukin eating breakfast before their big days. It was so crazy to see that for some reason. After that, I went to our USA Sports Med and had Brent our trainer work on my shoulder. Good news is that he was able to release it, and my shoulder is feeling a lot better. THEN I took the 9:30 bus to the Water Cube to watch some swimming! I somehow got separated from my teammates, and ended up with the coaches. We weren't sure if our credentials would let us into the venue on a swimming finals day but we had no problem! We walked right in. On the bus I met some Canadian swimmers, who promised that they would cheer for us. When we walked in the swimming venue, we sat down first row pool side and WATCHED THE EVENTS! It was so crazy to see The USA win 6 medals right in front of me! I could have touched the water if I wanted to! We were screaming at the top of our lungs, it was just such an incredible moment. I got to hear our National Anthem 3 times! That song never gets old.
When I got back to the Village, I showed Gail around the caf and then headed back to my room to rest a little bit. It was really hard to sit down with so much adrenaline, but I knew that I had to rest my legs and ice my knees. After a short rest, Belle and I just roamed the Village. I saw the game room, pool, disco, media center, and so so much more! It is craziness, and the entire place is just buzzing with an indescribable energy that I have never experienced before. I want to bottle it up and keep it forever.
Right now I am in the USA athlete lounge and yes they have computers, TVs, phones, and snacks all set up for us. I am listening to some track athletes watch a womans basketball game in the other room while I wait for a call from my parents! They are supposed to arrive any moment! I hope they call me soon because I think this will be my last opportunity to get them into the village! I want to see them so bad! I miss them so much, I just need a super long hard hug from both of them at once. Ok, I think I'll go check out the basketball game in the room next to me! XOXO!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
WOW! It's official. One last practice in Korea and then we are off to Beijing! This morning we had a pretty successful mock meet. We warmed up with counts just like we would on game day, and then used the 15 minutes of music time that we will be allowed before we compete. Then we got out and knoxed, put on full comp makeup, and our free team suits and hats! The suits are SO amazing! They are decorated with REAL Swarovski crystals, and they definately show our theme which is "LIGHT". After we got all geared up, we walked through our exact warm up regimine that we will use at the Games. We got in and warmed up our bodies, got out and visualized that we were actually there, walked out, and swam the free program! I think that this was a really good simulation because we all got really nervous! I am glad that we practiced that and got all of the nerves out of our system. The swim was a little less connected than yesterdays, but nothing too bad. We know what to expect now, and we feel stronger than ever.
After our "showtime" we came back to the hotel for lunch. I havn't written about this yet, but every day Belle (my roomate) and I have this ongoing battle. We cannot stay awake on our lunch breaks! Every day we get back to the room and have an hour to unwind, and we always end up passing out! Waking up from these naps has been particularly traumatizing, so we promised that we wouldn't fall asleep today. We layed in our beds and watched the Olympics, and before we knew it we were dozing off. I caved in pretty early, but as I was falling asleep I kept hearing Belle saying ,"Must... Fight... Sleep... Must.. Fight it...". Sure enough our alarm went off way too soon, and we went through the WHOLE process again. We push snooze, moan and complain, somehow put one foot on the ground, roll onto the floor, put on our shoes, and go to practice with our nap hangovers. I was able to snap out of it pretty soon though, so I am glad that I got the extra rest!
Our second practice went pretty well too. We landrilled, worked on free duet, and tech team. Our bodies are getting really tired, but we have a half day tomorrow and then a full day off the day after that so we know that we will be fine. This is all part of the plan, and we believe in it 100%.
Oh yea! Yesterday Duke (our one of a kind sports phsycologist if you could call him that) and Laura (our National Team Director) gook a trip to the border or North Korea! It was really interesting hearing about their journey, and I wish that I had the time to go see it. For now their stories will have to tide me over.
My next blog will be from the Olympic Village! I think that we REALLY benefited from this Korea Training Camp but I am ready to get back to the OLYMPICS! Till next time!
After our "showtime" we came back to the hotel for lunch. I havn't written about this yet, but every day Belle (my roomate) and I have this ongoing battle. We cannot stay awake on our lunch breaks! Every day we get back to the room and have an hour to unwind, and we always end up passing out! Waking up from these naps has been particularly traumatizing, so we promised that we wouldn't fall asleep today. We layed in our beds and watched the Olympics, and before we knew it we were dozing off. I caved in pretty early, but as I was falling asleep I kept hearing Belle saying ,"Must... Fight... Sleep... Must.. Fight it...". Sure enough our alarm went off way too soon, and we went through the WHOLE process again. We push snooze, moan and complain, somehow put one foot on the ground, roll onto the floor, put on our shoes, and go to practice with our nap hangovers. I was able to snap out of it pretty soon though, so I am glad that I got the extra rest!
Our second practice went pretty well too. We landrilled, worked on free duet, and tech team. Our bodies are getting really tired, but we have a half day tomorrow and then a full day off the day after that so we know that we will be fine. This is all part of the plan, and we believe in it 100%.
Oh yea! Yesterday Duke (our one of a kind sports phsycologist if you could call him that) and Laura (our National Team Director) gook a trip to the border or North Korea! It was really interesting hearing about their journey, and I wish that I had the time to go see it. For now their stories will have to tide me over.
My next blog will be from the Olympic Village! I think that we REALLY benefited from this Korea Training Camp but I am ready to get back to the OLYMPICS! Till next time!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Today was a good day! We got to "sleep in" and start the morning with pre-deck work. It was really fun, and we have something pretty cool planned. Hopefully you will all get to see it on TV! Things went really well in the water too. The Korean Junior National Team came to watch us today which gave us an opportunity to perform for an audience. We swam through tech duet, tech team, and free team for our guests. Each swim was a step up from our last one. Yes you heard me! WE ARE IMPROVING! Yes! All of our swims felt really connected and together. I love swims like that. While we were warming up a stroke section in our free program, Jillian broke her toe. She stuck her foot out of the water and her 4th toe was WHITE while every other toe had color to it. She was in a lot of pain, but she taped it and got right back in for our performance. Props to Jill! The Korean team really liked our routines and they gave us 2 cakes and a box of fruit! After dinner (and cake), it was time for round 2 of my Korean massage experience. My session started off with "Pretty Woman" as the background music, sung by a Korean of course, The lady that massaged me this time was so intense! It was more like a stretching session rather than a massage. I was able to keep a straight f ace untill she put me on my back, bent my leg and crossed it over me, and then started spanking me! I was caught SO off guard, but my body feels a lot better so I guess she knows what she's doing. Everyone here is so nice and hospitable, I love it! I AM starting to miss the village though! I am excited that we get to go back the day after tomorrow! Gail got in tonight, and I will be glad to have her at our practices. The plan for tomorrow morning is to have a "free team show time" complete with knox and competition suits. I will let you all know how that goes!
It is so exciting to follow the Olympics online, I can't wait to get back and be a part of the magic! With that said, I am off to bed.
It is so exciting to follow the Olympics online, I can't wait to get back and be a part of the magic! With that said, I am off to bed.
Monday, August 11, 2008
WOW.. we are officially HALF WAY through our Korea Training Camp. Today was another SUPER hard day. We had the same long practice hours that we did yesterday. By the way, our pool is RIGHT next door to the World Cup Soccer Stadium from the Suwon World Cup. Anyways, we started off the practice with tech duet while the team worked on the side. Our duet practice was intense. We "played the add on game", and for those of you synchroers out there.. you know how fun that can be! We started with the end of our routine, and just kept adding on untill it was a swim through. Our bodies are pretty beat and full of lactic acid. Training is rough. After tech duet, we did the same thing with tech team. That was really hard as well! After we went to lunch, we came back and landrilled, then did another tech duet run through. After that we worked on free team. By the end of practice our whole team was so tired that we all got the giggles. We were laughing about everything, includint the Korean water aerobics class that was going on in the pool next to us. Let me tell you, our American water aerobics classes are NOTHING compared to this one. These people were working hard, and also politely asked us to turn off our music. Obviously our coach said no. Another incident that made us laugh pretty hard was the super high voltage microphone. The pool that we are practicing at has no AC and is so unbelievably humid, it is pretty hard to take. For some reason the extreme humidity makes the coaches microphone shock them every time they touch it, so they have to hold it wrapped in a towel. Poor Tammy kept accidentally touching her mouth to the microphone and shocking her self. We would hear, " Ready? 5, 6, 7, OUUUUUCCHHH!!". Although we are working super hard, we are definately improving. We are getting all of the small nitty gritty tasks done. Our coaches tuned into how our bodies are doing, and thankfully are giving us the morning off! We get to stay at the hotel and landrill starting at 9 tomorrow! We have pool time from 2-5. I am so thankful for this, I think we really need it and I am glad our coaches are being smart. Tonight we went to a Korean BBQ place for dinner! I LOVE KOREAN BBQ! It was soo good, I ate so much beef and other goodies! After dinner, we had a really inspiring Duke meeting. We went around the room and stated what we are thankful for, and we realized just how thankful we are for eachother. I am so thankful that I have been given such a wonderful life with so much endless opportunity, the chance to compete in the Olympics, and I am even more thankful that I am in a team sport and get to experience all of these monumental moments with the poeple that I love most. Oh yea, I forgot to blog one more detail about my massage last night! The entire time they were playing music from American musicals, sang by Korean people! It was so funny to hear," Tomallooowww.. Tomalloowww .. I love you.. Tomallowww!" and ,"Summer Lavinggg had me aa blaasstt"(just to name a few!). I was trying so hard not to laugh the entire time. That's all I've got for the time being. I am going to have a long, most enjoyable nights sleep with my tummy full of bomb Korean BBQ! Life is gooooood.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Can I just say that I LOVE Korea?! It is for sure my favorite Asian country that I have been to so far. The air is fresh, the people are so nice, the general feeling is so refreshing. I think it was a really smart move for our team to come here and train for 6 days. Let me tell you, WE ARE TRAINING! Today we had practice from 7-12, came back to the hotel and had lunch, and then went back from 3-7. Our practices are super intense too. We swam through 3 out of the 4 programs, I am dead! This morning I nearly passed out my lungs were burning so bad! Although training is super hard, I know it is just what we need right now. We are improving and fine tuning everything. I am so proud of how we are working together, but it is still REALLY REALLY HARD! These are the days that we will remember and be proud of.
After practice, we went and got sports massages. Appearantly only men are aloud to work out, use the sauna, and get massages here. We had to sneak through the boiler room in order to get our massages. That was so crazy for me to find out! The massage itself was good, and so funny at the same time! My lady got on the massage table and stradeled me, putting all of her weight into the massage. She also stretched my splits for me! By the end of our session, the poor lady was DRIPPING sweat! I am glad that I was able to get work done though.
By now I am sure that most of you have heard about the USA mens volleyball coaches family. We havn't heard much here, somehow it didn't make the news in Korea. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his family, and his team though.
I am off to go have a team meeting with Duke. We are going to close our eyes and visualize our routines before we go to sleep. Love you all, and think of you a lot!
After practice, we went and got sports massages. Appearantly only men are aloud to work out, use the sauna, and get massages here. We had to sneak through the boiler room in order to get our massages. That was so crazy for me to find out! The massage itself was good, and so funny at the same time! My lady got on the massage table and stradeled me, putting all of her weight into the massage. She also stretched my splits for me! By the end of our session, the poor lady was DRIPPING sweat! I am glad that I was able to get work done though.
By now I am sure that most of you have heard about the USA mens volleyball coaches family. We havn't heard much here, somehow it didn't make the news in Korea. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, his family, and his team though.
I am off to go have a team meeting with Duke. We are going to close our eyes and visualize our routines before we go to sleep. Love you all, and think of you a lot!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Hello Hello! So much has happened since my last Blog.. I again don't even know where to start!
Yesterday morning (the 8th) we had a short but intense practice at an off sight pool. We had limited time with music and in the water, but man was it hard! We swam a lot of big sections without goggles marathon style, but I felt much more confident after we finished practice. We then headed over to BNU (Beijing Normal University). BNU is a campus that is over 100 years old that the United States Olympic Commitee has rented out for the Games. Let me tell you.. it's times like these when it is GOOD TO BE AN AMERICAN! We were lucky enough to eat lunch at BNU away from all of the craziness at the caf in the village (although that is super fun too). The USOC has flown out cooks, food, and helpers to make everything perfect for the athletes. We sat in a super hip room with incredible furnishings and decorations. The food was SOOO good too! It was really nice to be with a bunch of Americans who are supporting eachother 100% of the way. After we ate lunch we headed through hallways of USOC medical staff, chiropracters, a full gym (looks exactly like 24) brought over by the USOC just for us, anything and everything you can imagine that an athlete might POSSIBLLY need! We were able to get our lift/ circus school coach inside BNU to give us some land training. I was having some neck pain, so I was able to make a trip to the chiropracter. He gave me an awesome adjustment and informed me that I pinched a nerve. Nothing serious, just a bunch of cracks and I was rebooted and ready to keep going! On my way back from my chiropracter appointment, the USA Mens Basketball team was finishing up practice. They are so talkative and friendly! A few of them wanted to know what sport I did, and when I told them they said they couldn't even swim. I told them that I'd be glad to teach them if they could teach me a few moves. Don't worry, I know there will be no time for that but a girl can dream can't she?!
After our trip to BNU we headed back to the village to get ready for OPENING CEREMONIES! On the way back to our rooms, we stopped by a small store in the Olympic Village. If you promise this store that you will recycle, they give you a free shirt made out of recycled bottles that says," I am from earth". We made our pledge and sprinted back to the rooms to pack for Korea and get all dolled up. OH AND BY THE WAY... last night at dinner I spotted Yao eating in the caf! That guy is HUGE.. but you already knew that I'm sure. Anyways, everyone got into our Ralph Lauren ensembles and started lining up. It was so wierd seeing myself wearing formal pants and a blazer, and it was even WIERDER seeing a SEA of people wearing the exact same outfit as me! All of the US athletes then loaded onto a bunch of busses to meet George W. Bush, the First Lady, and Bush Sr. We were all positioned in the Fencing competition venue while we waited, and we were set right next to baseball! We made friends with the team. All of the baseball guys are super nice, and they are all gentlemen! Were talking opening doors and assisting us off the bus! The Bushes then entered the room, and George W. addressed us. He wished us luck, and told us he was rooting for us. He then took a picture with each team. When he came over to ours, a few of us asked if we could get an individual shot with him and he let us! So yes, I have my picture taken with the President! BTW.. he said that we are the prettiest team! YES! After our picture with the president, we made headed over to the basketball team to get some pictures. I got my picture taken with Kobe and a few others. Once again, they are all so nice! Our coach Tammy asked Kobe why he only had ONE diamond in his ear, and one of his teammates joked ,"BECAUSE HES CHEAP!" Somehow, I don't think that's why.
After we mingled with a bunch of athletes, it was time to head over to OPENING CEREMONIES! The big sea of perfectly tailored RL suits headed over into the gymnastics competition venue with every other country as we all anxiously awaited 8:08 pm! Every country was sitting all around the stadium, and everyone was cheering and doing the wave! I can't even explain the energy that was in that "holding tank" while the worlds best athletes awaited Opening Ceremonies! I was able to get my picture taken with a few guys from Saudi Arabia, it is a pretty interesting picture! We ended up sitting in that stadium for a few hours because we marched out as the 140th country. It was finally time, and my legs were shaking I was so excited! We walked past crowds of Chinese people screaming and taking our pictures while chanting "KOBE! KOBE!" As we got closer and closer to the giant tunnel leading to the birds nest, the anticipation was KILLING ME! We were all running around saying ,"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING?!" We were lucky enough to be by a few of our track cycling friends that we have known for years (from the training center) and it was really special to share the moment with them as well! As we entered the tunnel, all of the Americans started a USA chant! I cannot EXPLAIN to you the feelings I had at this moment. EVERYONE was SCREAMING ,"USA! USA! USA! USA!" I had a mix of goosebumps, tears, giggles, I don't even know what the word would be to describe the feeling! The BEST part was that I was experiencing ALL of this right next to 8 of my best friends. I will remember that moment forever! When we walked in the stadium, the crowd went WILD! There were way more USA flags in the audience than I was expecting! We made a lap, waving, and I found out today that we made it on TV! We were then positioned in the middle of the birds nest for the rest of the Ceremonies. It was then that we all realized just how HOT we were in our suits. Everyone was DRIPPING sweat, and I'm sorry Ralph but we had to take the jackets off! After the jackets came off, so did the ties, scarves, shirts came unbuttoned, shoes came off.. at this point it was SURVIVAL! I have never sweated so much in my life, and I had to resort to sitting down on the ground in my freshley pressed and tailored RL pants. Once again, SORRY RALPH! Oh! And who knew that Jackie Chan sang?! We were all so shocked to see him there! Anyways, the ceremonies were simply amazing. The torch lighting was for sure the coolest part. It was SO crazy to see it in person! After the ceremonies were over, EVERYONE headed over to busses waiting for the athletes. By this point it was 1:00 AM which really sucked because we had to leave for Korea at 6:30 AM! We lucked out and got on a bus with the USA Mens Water Polo team. Their coach kept telling the bus driver "GO! GO NOW! GO!" We cut in front of so many other busses, and got home waayyy earlier than a lot of other people. By the time I got home, I was a walking zombie. I quickly packed for Korea and passed the heck out!
This morning we woke up bright and early, ate breakfast at the caf with the triathletes who were also heading to Korea, loaded on the bus, and got to the airport! We arrived in Korea around 2ish, and headed straight to the pool for practice. It was a short but productive practice. I will write more tomorrow about Korea though, because I HAVE TO GO TO SLEEP!
I feel like I have left so much out, but I will write things down as I remember them! Love you all, stay safe, and talk to you soon!
Yesterday morning (the 8th) we had a short but intense practice at an off sight pool. We had limited time with music and in the water, but man was it hard! We swam a lot of big sections without goggles marathon style, but I felt much more confident after we finished practice. We then headed over to BNU (Beijing Normal University). BNU is a campus that is over 100 years old that the United States Olympic Commitee has rented out for the Games. Let me tell you.. it's times like these when it is GOOD TO BE AN AMERICAN! We were lucky enough to eat lunch at BNU away from all of the craziness at the caf in the village (although that is super fun too). The USOC has flown out cooks, food, and helpers to make everything perfect for the athletes. We sat in a super hip room with incredible furnishings and decorations. The food was SOOO good too! It was really nice to be with a bunch of Americans who are supporting eachother 100% of the way. After we ate lunch we headed through hallways of USOC medical staff, chiropracters, a full gym (looks exactly like 24) brought over by the USOC just for us, anything and everything you can imagine that an athlete might POSSIBLLY need! We were able to get our lift/ circus school coach inside BNU to give us some land training. I was having some neck pain, so I was able to make a trip to the chiropracter. He gave me an awesome adjustment and informed me that I pinched a nerve. Nothing serious, just a bunch of cracks and I was rebooted and ready to keep going! On my way back from my chiropracter appointment, the USA Mens Basketball team was finishing up practice. They are so talkative and friendly! A few of them wanted to know what sport I did, and when I told them they said they couldn't even swim. I told them that I'd be glad to teach them if they could teach me a few moves. Don't worry, I know there will be no time for that but a girl can dream can't she?!
After our trip to BNU we headed back to the village to get ready for OPENING CEREMONIES! On the way back to our rooms, we stopped by a small store in the Olympic Village. If you promise this store that you will recycle, they give you a free shirt made out of recycled bottles that says," I am from earth". We made our pledge and sprinted back to the rooms to pack for Korea and get all dolled up. OH AND BY THE WAY... last night at dinner I spotted Yao eating in the caf! That guy is HUGE.. but you already knew that I'm sure. Anyways, everyone got into our Ralph Lauren ensembles and started lining up. It was so wierd seeing myself wearing formal pants and a blazer, and it was even WIERDER seeing a SEA of people wearing the exact same outfit as me! All of the US athletes then loaded onto a bunch of busses to meet George W. Bush, the First Lady, and Bush Sr. We were all positioned in the Fencing competition venue while we waited, and we were set right next to baseball! We made friends with the team. All of the baseball guys are super nice, and they are all gentlemen! Were talking opening doors and assisting us off the bus! The Bushes then entered the room, and George W. addressed us. He wished us luck, and told us he was rooting for us. He then took a picture with each team. When he came over to ours, a few of us asked if we could get an individual shot with him and he let us! So yes, I have my picture taken with the President! BTW.. he said that we are the prettiest team! YES! After our picture with the president, we made headed over to the basketball team to get some pictures. I got my picture taken with Kobe and a few others. Once again, they are all so nice! Our coach Tammy asked Kobe why he only had ONE diamond in his ear, and one of his teammates joked ,"BECAUSE HES CHEAP!" Somehow, I don't think that's why.
After we mingled with a bunch of athletes, it was time to head over to OPENING CEREMONIES! The big sea of perfectly tailored RL suits headed over into the gymnastics competition venue with every other country as we all anxiously awaited 8:08 pm! Every country was sitting all around the stadium, and everyone was cheering and doing the wave! I can't even explain the energy that was in that "holding tank" while the worlds best athletes awaited Opening Ceremonies! I was able to get my picture taken with a few guys from Saudi Arabia, it is a pretty interesting picture! We ended up sitting in that stadium for a few hours because we marched out as the 140th country. It was finally time, and my legs were shaking I was so excited! We walked past crowds of Chinese people screaming and taking our pictures while chanting "KOBE! KOBE!" As we got closer and closer to the giant tunnel leading to the birds nest, the anticipation was KILLING ME! We were all running around saying ,"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING?!" We were lucky enough to be by a few of our track cycling friends that we have known for years (from the training center) and it was really special to share the moment with them as well! As we entered the tunnel, all of the Americans started a USA chant! I cannot EXPLAIN to you the feelings I had at this moment. EVERYONE was SCREAMING ,"USA! USA! USA! USA!" I had a mix of goosebumps, tears, giggles, I don't even know what the word would be to describe the feeling! The BEST part was that I was experiencing ALL of this right next to 8 of my best friends. I will remember that moment forever! When we walked in the stadium, the crowd went WILD! There were way more USA flags in the audience than I was expecting! We made a lap, waving, and I found out today that we made it on TV! We were then positioned in the middle of the birds nest for the rest of the Ceremonies. It was then that we all realized just how HOT we were in our suits. Everyone was DRIPPING sweat, and I'm sorry Ralph but we had to take the jackets off! After the jackets came off, so did the ties, scarves, shirts came unbuttoned, shoes came off.. at this point it was SURVIVAL! I have never sweated so much in my life, and I had to resort to sitting down on the ground in my freshley pressed and tailored RL pants. Once again, SORRY RALPH! Oh! And who knew that Jackie Chan sang?! We were all so shocked to see him there! Anyways, the ceremonies were simply amazing. The torch lighting was for sure the coolest part. It was SO crazy to see it in person! After the ceremonies were over, EVERYONE headed over to busses waiting for the athletes. By this point it was 1:00 AM which really sucked because we had to leave for Korea at 6:30 AM! We lucked out and got on a bus with the USA Mens Water Polo team. Their coach kept telling the bus driver "GO! GO NOW! GO!" We cut in front of so many other busses, and got home waayyy earlier than a lot of other people. By the time I got home, I was a walking zombie. I quickly packed for Korea and passed the heck out!
This morning we woke up bright and early, ate breakfast at the caf with the triathletes who were also heading to Korea, loaded on the bus, and got to the airport! We arrived in Korea around 2ish, and headed straight to the pool for practice. It was a short but productive practice. I will write more tomorrow about Korea though, because I HAVE TO GO TO SLEEP!
I feel like I have left so much out, but I will write things down as I remember them! Love you all, stay safe, and talk to you soon!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Hello! I am going to write a short blog today, I am so tired! Today was a good old training day. We practiced off sight, came back to the village for lunch, and then had practice at the Water Cube. After practice, we went to a live filming of the Today Show. If you watch Thursday morning you will probably see us waving in the background... not much but it was still fun! I am so excited for tomorrow, OPENING CEREMONIES! I will update you all as soon as I can. Take care!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Where do I even start?!
SOO much has happened since my last blog.. I don't even know where to begin! I guess I will begin with our fabulous departure from the airport! My dad drove us (Meghan, Brooke and me) to the airport where we were met by a fairly large group of our loved ones. They were there with American flags and such to see us off. It was so comforting to see them all right before we left. When we were walking into security, somebody started a USA chant. I'm going to have to admit that I got a little bit teary eyed when everyone in our entourage (and everyone else at the airport!) chimed in and started cheering for us. It is definitely a moment that I will treasure forever. We were joined by the USA softball, cycling, and track & field teams on our flight. The entire trip the flight attendants were announcing over the intercom that there were Olympians on board, and we got limitless water as well! The flight itself went by as fast as an 11.5 hour flight could go by. It was pretty comfortable, and before we knew it we were in Beijing!
I'd like to take a moment to give Beijing some serious props! Since April, they have done a 180. The city is so much cleaner, and the air is much clearer! On the day we arrived the sky even had a blueish tint to it, so PROPS BEIJING! Anyways, when we landed all of the USA athletes loaded our stuff into several trucks and got on one big bus to the OLYMPIC VILLAGE! We were informed that our luggage would be brought to our rooms for us. The village itself is truly... AMAZING. There is no other word for it. There are athletes wandering around from every country, all with the same Olympic glow on their faces. The architecture overall decorations are fabulous as well. We made our way to our rooms and were once again very pleased! Our team is sharing 2 apartments, and I am rooming with Belle. We got as situated as we could in 5 minutes because as you synchro people know, WE HAD TO GO SWIMMING RIGHT AWAY!
Our first practice went really well. We got in the pool and pretty much just swam laps to get rid our our airplane legs. I love the feeling of swimming after a long flight. It makes you feel so clean and it makes you tired enough to SLEEP!
After practice, we went back to the village for our first meal in the caf! It was a little overwhelming, I'll have to admit. There are countless types of food including Mediterranean, Asian (duh), International, Deli, Salad, Fruit, and yes... all you can eat McDonald's! There are about 6 stations for each style of food. I walked around like I was in the twilight zone, and decided on probably the most boring dinner I could have picked. Oh well, I will have many more nights explore the depths of the caf!
After dinner we made it back to our rooms and UNPACKED! I brought every card that everyone has written me this year (including multiple cards from the little students at Warm Springs Elementary). I taped them all up on my all, and set the picture frame that Bahareh gave me on my night stand. It feels just like home already!
I brought a huge 3x5 USA Olympic flag from home, and I am having as many athletes sign and write messages on it as I possibly can. So far I have a my team, a swimmer from Yemen, the entire Cuban wrestling team (on this team is one of the HUGEST humans I have ever seen), and the Japanese synchro team. I've got a lot more signing to get done!
Today we had a morning practice at an off sight pool and then came back for lunch. and then had our first practice at THE WATER CUBE! This pool is incredible to swim in. The walls are all bright rainbow colors, I feel so free when I'm in there! I am so proud of our team, and so honored to be a part of it. I took a step back and realized just how much we have grown. We are so calm and work so well together, but we have SO much fun along the way! I am really going to miss this when it is all over, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO LIVE IT UP!
Ok folks, I feel like I have left SO much out but I am STARVING!! I must get to the caf and feed myself!
Till next time!
I'd like to take a moment to give Beijing some serious props! Since April, they have done a 180. The city is so much cleaner, and the air is much clearer! On the day we arrived the sky even had a blueish tint to it, so PROPS BEIJING! Anyways, when we landed all of the USA athletes loaded our stuff into several trucks and got on one big bus to the OLYMPIC VILLAGE! We were informed that our luggage would be brought to our rooms for us. The village itself is truly... AMAZING. There is no other word for it. There are athletes wandering around from every country, all with the same Olympic glow on their faces. The architecture overall decorations are fabulous as well. We made our way to our rooms and were once again very pleased! Our team is sharing 2 apartments, and I am rooming with Belle. We got as situated as we could in 5 minutes because as you synchro people know, WE HAD TO GO SWIMMING RIGHT AWAY!
Our first practice went really well. We got in the pool and pretty much just swam laps to get rid our our airplane legs. I love the feeling of swimming after a long flight. It makes you feel so clean and it makes you tired enough to SLEEP!
After practice, we went back to the village for our first meal in the caf! It was a little overwhelming, I'll have to admit. There are countless types of food including Mediterranean, Asian (duh), International, Deli, Salad, Fruit, and yes... all you can eat McDonald's! There are about 6 stations for each style of food. I walked around like I was in the twilight zone, and decided on probably the most boring dinner I could have picked. Oh well, I will have many more nights explore the depths of the caf!
After dinner we made it back to our rooms and UNPACKED! I brought every card that everyone has written me this year (including multiple cards from the little students at Warm Springs Elementary). I taped them all up on my all, and set the picture frame that Bahareh gave me on my night stand. It feels just like home already!
I brought a huge 3x5 USA Olympic flag from home, and I am having as many athletes sign and write messages on it as I possibly can. So far I have a my team, a swimmer from Yemen, the entire Cuban wrestling team (on this team is one of the HUGEST humans I have ever seen), and the Japanese synchro team. I've got a lot more signing to get done!
Today we had a morning practice at an off sight pool and then came back for lunch. and then had our first practice at THE WATER CUBE! This pool is incredible to swim in. The walls are all bright rainbow colors, I feel so free when I'm in there! I am so proud of our team, and so honored to be a part of it. I took a step back and realized just how much we have grown. We are so calm and work so well together, but we have SO much fun along the way! I am really going to miss this when it is all over, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO LIVE IT UP!
Ok folks, I feel like I have left SO much out but I am STARVING!! I must get to the caf and feed myself!
Till next time!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
2 days untill we leave for Beijing!
I have decided to create a blog for me to write in during my Olympic experience. This will be a way for me to keep family and friends updated, and it will also be nice for me to go back and read when this is all over. I want to document as many memories as possible.
SO! We leave for Beijing on Monday morning. This has all come so fast I can't even believe it. It is all so surreal and I am still in disbelief that I will be competing in the Olympics in 17 days. I am so excited to go to Beijing and show the world all of our hard work!
Tomorrow we have a day off. I am going to use this day to relax as much as I can while enjoying every last minute that I will be in the good old US of A. Right now Brooke and Meghan are staying with me at my apartment and we have planned a day full of much needed care free fun (massage, going out to breakfast, manicures, pedicures, and a movie!). I am pretty much all the way packed and READY TO GO! Well, it is WWAAYY past my bedtime so I better turn in. =)
Night!
Christina
SO! We leave for Beijing on Monday morning. This has all come so fast I can't even believe it. It is all so surreal and I am still in disbelief that I will be competing in the Olympics in 17 days. I am so excited to go to Beijing and show the world all of our hard work!
Tomorrow we have a day off. I am going to use this day to relax as much as I can while enjoying every last minute that I will be in the good old US of A. Right now Brooke and Meghan are staying with me at my apartment and we have planned a day full of much needed care free fun (massage, going out to breakfast, manicures, pedicures, and a movie!). I am pretty much all the way packed and READY TO GO! Well, it is WWAAYY past my bedtime so I better turn in. =)
Night!
Christina
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