The Arizona training camp that former olympic coach Barrie Shepley invited me to help with the swimming portion of triathlon and a week of training for myself took place about a month ago.
It is really easy to get caught on the rutine of things to do putting aside the important things that makes us happy like writing this blog.
I do not want to bore you, kind reader with the tales of the 39 and 40 hours drive back and forth from Guelph Ontario to Oro Valley Arizona that Mr. Bob Knuckey and myself endured pulling a trailer with 26 expensive bycicles with only two meals and sleeping for a couple of hours alternating the driving and a lot of stops for gas.
I wont elaborate either on the extremely fun times that I had while on the pool coaching and teaching swimming techniques to a great group of enthusiastic triathletes,
nor the extremely painful bike rides that with estoicisim and a fake smile on my face I did after more than three years of not having my butt on a saddle,
or the beautiful morning runs on the desert
I wont tell here the story of the Sabino Canyon hike or the memorable Mount Lemmon bike climb
or the beautiful sunrises I saw while swimming on my own in the pool.
What I really want to do is to thank Barrie for his warmth and the time he shared with me.
To thank the whole group of athletes that patiently listened to my broken english while trying to explain the drills to do, to all of you that worked as hard as you guys did to get a little bit better in the water, to all of you that shared a bit of time chatting and gifting me with the opportunity of getting to know about you. To you that waited for me at the top of the mountain with those pretzels and humongous cookies. To you that patiently accepted that I am bad with names and tolerated me while I finally got yours.
To all of you that listened to the story of the swim across lake Ontario and were genuenly intersted in how and why.
To thank Greg, for letting me be part of such neat group for a few days.
To thank Bob for such great time we shared as drivemates and roommates.
To thank Brooke for her time, her advise and her wonderful chicken with black beans and rice but more than anything for giving me the chance to speak the slang spanish that mexicans from where I come from speak …with a canadian. That was a surprise and a treat.
The rest was another wonderful experience that the sport has given me.
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