I'll tell you one thing.  It wasn't difficult coming up with a title for this blog.  Adaptation is what I have been doing physically, mentally, and emotionally 24/7 for the last week since arriving in St. George for my first camp with The Triathlon Squad. But not so easy is figuring out where and how to start explaining it all.  So that takes me back to advice I received from Ian Mikelson today about swimming fast.  The advice was JFS: Just ____ing Swim.  Instead I will attribut JFS to starting today's blog.  Just ____ing Start!  

I've been with the squad for just over a week now and it's hard to wrap my head around just how much I have learned in this short period of time.  One thing that sticks out about these lessons learned, is that I am being taught how 'soft' I have been in my approach to my training as a professional athlete.  In saying this, you must remember that I am a late-bloomer to the sport.  I didn't even do a triathlon until 2008 and only became pro in 2009.  So it is safe to say that I have so much to learn about training and racing, and everything in between.  I wouldn't describe myself as a 'softie' in general, but training with a squad such as this pushes you to be at your best. Everyone here 'wants it.'  Everyone is willing to do what it takes.  And this alone leaves you no choice but to "up" your own game.  Not only do you have Paulo watching your every move but you have your squad mates all pushing each other to perform day in and day out with each cumulative session.  No bitching.  No whining.  No complaning.  Just a common goal to do what we're told so that we can reach our full potential.  Very simple. But I won't lie and say it is easy.

At this camp, we don't know what each day will bring.  Paulo lets us know at the end of each day what our first 1-2 workouts in the morning will be but we don't know the details of these workoutsl until we are about to get started.  This is actually refreshing for us Type As in that you don't bother to worry about what lies ahead.  You just go into each workout session ready to do what is asked of you.  Nothing more, and certainly....nothing less.

The physical adaptation that I have been adjusting to really hit me this morning with the cumulative effect of the last week.  The second workout of the day (after an early bike) was another open water swim and I found myself just so very tired.  My arms just did NOT want to turn over anymore.  But that's the thing.  You can let that get to you, or you can just keep going...and ADAPT.  The latter being so much easier than the former.  But regardless, I have some serious catching up to do with the swim and I am swimming a lot.  Long open water sets, technical feedback and drills, hard sets in the pool...you name it.  I'm doing it every single day, sometimes twice a day.  Whatever Paulo tells me to do, I do. And that's just the swim part.

My bike miles have doubled (or maybe even more) this week, and although a lot of it has not been super hard riding, it is still a lot more miles than I am used to, with a lot more hills, and a lot more pro triathletes to push me when I otherwise might not have.  I have to admit as I ride along with this group I find myself wondering if I am dreaming.  I feel comfortable riding along with them, as I have ro remind myself of this as I note the USAT National Team members, the multiple IM Champ, and so on which I find myself riding with.  It has been 7 months since that crazy accident, and for all intents and purposes I should not be in riding in the company of these accomplished athletes.  Doctors sure as heck didn't think it was possible.  But I am.  And that tells me that things are very much rolling in the right direction.  This experience is not only forcing me to look at how I am going to 'up my game' but it is also providing me with some much needed confidence to know that this is where I belong.  In 7 more months?  The mere thought of that brings a very big smile to my face.

As for the run, I will be the first to admit that it is very hard not to do the 'training' runs with the others.  I love to run.  It is what I do, and so this is a very challenging test for me.  I must remain patient.  And it's working.  I am now up to running 25 minutes at a time.  I ran 25 minutes yesterday, and I will run 25 minutes again today.  I have also been recomended to an unbelievable massage therapist, April, who is kicking the living ba-jeebers out of my left calf/hamstring/glute on a regular basis.  I have needed this for a long time.  I am in dire pain with each therapy session, but I leave THAT much looser.  That much closer to being able to start opening it up on the run again.  So, as frustrating as all of this has been for me there is significant progress.  I simply must wait for it to be ready.  Waiting for my shot.  Damn...it`s going to be a beauty of day!!!

And with that, I will sign off.  I have a few hours before my next workout which will be on the treamill and then back in the pool, and I so very much need a nap.  But I will say before I go, that as hard as some moments can be here at camp (as they are for each of us in our own way) I am so VERY much in the right place.  Lots of pebbles in this mosaic of mine that I am building are being put in place right now.  And for this, I couldn't be happier.  Rolling on. I've got a project to continue with.