Here I am at work again. GO MSCD IT! Reading, writing emails, and thinking about things. Its nice and quiet where I work, which allows me to get alot of schoolwork done and catch my breath from my busy mornings of working out, getting to class on time, walking the dog, grabbing a quick bite to eat here and there and doing other miscellaneous errands.
One of my teammates sent me some pictures of our trip to the Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs. Our tour guide, Modern Pentathalon Competitor Eli Bremer shared with our team what it means to be an olympic athlete. We had the chance to ask him many questions like "what do you do in your free time when you are not training?" We asked him this because he described his average day to us and we were amazed. He said an olympic competitor must train in every part of their lives. The recovery (sleeping) is just as important as the training part of his day because it allows his body to stay in a regular "rhythm" that is needed to compete. It also helps him stay focused. He said in his free time (usually on the weekends), he enjoys watching movies with his wife and just relaxing at home.
I asked him if he ever regrets not taking time out of his week to do other things, and he replied with "Hummm... not really. I train hard for the gold. It is my biggest life goal. Nothing is better to an athlete than the gold medal." It was amazing to see his determination and how much he and other athletes who train at the complex are supported. They have so many different kinds of people who help the athletes train physically, mentally and emotionally for the second that really matters in their life. The moment they might become an Olympic Gold Medalist!
Eli mentioned how training takes up a full 24 hours. Something he said really made me think about how I spend my day. He said that an athlete training for the Olympics must stay focused every day. They cannot afford to get off schedule even a little bit... 10 minutes of a morning spent doing nothing (say sleeping in) added to 20 minutes in the middle of your day doing nothing (reading a magazine for leisure) plus another 30 minutes watching T.V. adds up to an hour that could have been spent training. He said every 24 hours is spent training his body, resting, eating right, getting massages (he said they hurt), and then training again. It is a full-time job getting ready for the most important seconds of his life.
It kinda inspired me and made me think about how much I whine about things. I whine about almost everything. Not being able to sleep in enough. Not being able to spend more time with my friends. Not having more money. And the list goes on folks! Eli said the friends the athletes make there at the complex are the other athletes. They are their family. It also made me want to live healthier. When we went "behind the scenes" to the area of the dining hall where they prepare the food for all of the athletes (this was a really unique experience, as many do not get to go into the athletes sleeping and eating quarters) I saw how important food consumption really is in thier lives. It has really made me want to start cooking quality meals for myself and my boyfriend. It made me proud to be a part of the Smart Meal Seal program and promoting health awareness at Denver restaraunts!
To sum it all up, the experience was life-changing. I want to be more like the olympians who are so focused on their goals. I want to be an inspiration to myself and others and to work hard (harder than I have in the past) to reach my life goals. I will not let anything in the world stop me. I will train every day like the olympians- for my own personal "gold medals."
Well, gotta sign off for now... I have some reading to do. I am looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for our next assignment day!
E
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