I have been looking forward to this week for about eight months.  When I signed on to work with the Naval Academy team, we decided on a couple training weeks to get together and do some serious work and face-time with as much of the team as we could muster.  This is the week of the spring break training trip.  At one point, we had about 10 signed up to head south, but due to some un-triathlon related injuries (Kyle Hooker is being missed by all) and some unfortunate family situations the number is 6. However, it is a SOLID group of six young triathletes.

For the week, I am working my schedule into theirs which makes for some interesting dynamics on the trails and roads and in the pool.  For example, today was a relatively short day, which started with the weekly 4k set and then a fun 56+ min run.   In the pool, I am swimming in our slowest lane and not feeling bad about it because the fastest lane has some former USNA swimmers.  Today I was rockin’ with a former USNA hoopster, Sarah Simmler class of ’10 and a Minnesotan runner/skier, Nate Wallace, class of’11.  They have taken to the water much more impressively than my first couple years in the water.   Had this been a month ago, I would have been asked to depart the lane.  However, they were keeping me just so stoked to be in the water and I was literally pushing 8 seconds/100 better than February.  I had my best swim of 2009 and have Sarah and Nate to thank for it.

After the swim, we headed out to Orange Trail, a beautiful, but hot and unshaded dirt road in the outskirts of Clermont.  There we did a longish run with some intervals.  I had the great pleasure of being joined by Nate, again, and Scott Terry ’10, a fellow Virginian and former USNA swimmer.  I don’t want to brag about this guy, but he has kept me literally on my toes with regards to running thus far this week.  He got off the bike just before me at a triathlon on Sunday and despite passing about 10 other guys, I only made up .2 of a second on him.  I am running pretty well these days.  Today, he easily hung with me and was looking almost as smooth on the run as he does in the water.

I will be sure to add some more late in the week.  Good to go? (as all my athletes recall me ending our conversations)

Go Navy!  Beat Everyone!

later,

billy