**Amazing Olympics**

I love the Olympics. I love seeing athletes compete at their best and hearing the stories about their training, and competition, defying odds and overcoming obstacles and find myself watching sports I normally wouldn't care much about, but the theme is just the same. These athletes have given all they've got to make it to the olympics no matter what the sport. I admit I am a sucker for those inspirational stories.

Of course I love watching the swimmers, runners and triathlon.

Dara Torres is truly inspiring. Being 40 myself and still competing (I am not going down easy!!)I think she is amazing. Last night I saw an interview with her and they were showing some of her training..holy core stability workouts, OMG. Needless to say, I found myself getting out my physio ball and started doing some more crunches and planks. And, I will be glued to track and field when it comes on. I love watching the runners and at all distances but especially the mile, 5000 and 10,000. I look forward to watching Shalane Flannagan and Kara Goucher run. I was in awe watching them run at the trials in Eugene OR. They run blazing fast and make it look effortless.


But yesterday I did watch women's volleyball, and some beach volleyball. Growing up, I was the team sport chick. I played volleyball, basketball and track through high school and then played college volleyball all before learning how to swim bike and run. In college we played sand ball in pre-season to get in shape for the indoor court. Some of the sorest legs I have ever had were from pre-season sand ball. Lunges and jumping in the sand for a couple hours is brutal. There was a day I had a very high jump reach. Being only 5'6" my volleyball days didn't last long after college. I think the US women's team has a girl who is 6'7"!! Team sports are great and it was fun having team mates to push each other and work together with towards a goal. What I didn't like about team sports was that if someone was having an off day, or didn't care as much as you, or have the same work ethic as you....the whole team could suffer. What I love about triathlon and what has kept me in the sport since about 1990 is that (oh my is that right?) is that your success or failures are a result of you alone. A great season, or race is due to the work you've done yourself, and you can always come back for more.

Happy Training!