Watch: CU Athletes in Bejing features on KUSA 08/15/2008
Follow University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer on her journey with Team USA to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Jenny and several other Buffs will be checking in from overseas throughout the month of August.
You can also check out www.flotrack.org for post race interviews, features and other Olympic athlete blogs.
August 26, 2008
Hey all,
Just a quick final post before this whole thing is all over and I'm back in Boulder. I'm didn't stay one day too short or one day too long. I'm ready for it all to be over but happy for each day with its own adventures and lessons.
Last night a few remaining USATF team members walked to the dining hall together for a final dinner. We were such a small group! Then, just when Billy and I thought the trip was getting way too long and were really longing for that beautiful Boulder Valley, we ran into some more fun. The kiwis were having a lawn party outside their residence and we stopped by on our way back. We ended up making tons of new friends and danced the night away with them on our last evening in China. It was a blast.
So, now Billy's sleeping in and I'm just packing up a final few things before we catch our bus ride to the airport at noon. I have had such a wonderful time here. It has been special to be one among a whole village of world-class athletes and be treated with such respect for the work and sacrifice it took to get here. There is a similar thread that runs through each of us that couldn't be found and tweezed out but is so clearly present in each of the people that were here. It's that individual "je ne sais quoi" that got each of us here. It's that extra element that goes beyond just working hard and being competitive. Anyway, it has been fun coming together with many talents and really getting to know at least a few.
Now I'm ready to go home. I've realized how blessed I am to be in a sport that has such a supportive but not massive following. Within the running world there are thousands who love and support what I do and to all of you, a sincere thanks. I enjoy meeting and exceeding all of your expectations, hopes, and dreams for me. Along this ride we were all dreaming together. But, I also appreciate and look forward to being able to go back to real (and normal) life. Despite all of the attention around the Olympics, I expect to return home to chores, roommate and school responsibilities, check-out lines and a team document :). Just everyday stuff.
While it is my honor and privilage to be an Olympian and I look forward to "forever being an Olympian," I also realize and am thankful I won't at every moment be an Olympian. Outside of this village are grumpy mornings, sprints to get to class on time, missing busses on snowy days, and lots and lots of friends that I feel close and equal to. This elevated level in my athletic career has had a huge impact on me but in everyday life and especially to those I'm close to I look forward to being the same spunky Jen that left Boulder on a grand adventure one short month ago.
Thanks again for being a part of my journey. I can't wait to see so many of your faces in the next few days!
August 22, 2008
Hey all,
Well, just like last year I'm here in Asia for my birthday. I'm not really sure if I get to count it as my birthday quite yet because I still have four hours to go before it's really the 23rd of Aug. on the East Coast. Better yet, how about we start my birthday last night at 12am here in Beijing and let it go until 12am tomorrow night in Boulder. That would give me a 38 hour day to celebrate :).
The past few days I've not done as much crazy rush-around sight seeing as I might have thought. After an understandably overwhelming month or two I've enjoyed sleeping in some and hanging out with Billy. We have hit up the big sights but have also taken time to relax and not stress about doing "everything," which is a nice change for me.
Today will be much of the same. Billy is resisting the morning wake-up call but as soon as he's up well have breakfast and go out into the city. I'm meeting a friend here in Beijing for lunch and then I'll come back to the Village. A ton of us are going to settle down at the USA house to relax and watch the track meet and then we're going to see what adventures we can find tonight as we celebrate my 22nd birthday.
So, not crazy but a fun day in front of me and I'm excited to spend it with some great friends. When you go on these trips, especially multiple times, you start to get to know some of your teammates pretty well. We don't see each other much during the year but when we get together there are similarities and funny memories that bring us together like last year wasn't so long ago.
I miss everyone at home. I'm still having fun and am looking forward to Closing Ceremonies but oh man how I miss beautiful Boulder!
August 20, 2008
Ni-hao,
The morning after my 2am recap of my race I woke up at 6:30 bright-eyed and ready to make the trek over to BNU where my coach has been staying. I caught a bus an hour later and bounced in my seat like a 5-year-old anxious for the warm welcome of a proud coach. My expectations were met when I saw Mark in the lobby and he was indeed very happy with my race and with my whole season. We communed over breakfast before he caught his Chicago-bound plane later in the afternoon. More importantly, Mark was Buffalo-bound. His mind is always with his team. I respect that and was happy to see him returning to Boulder quickly to rejoin our beloved Cross Country team as they commence a new season. A little sad too though because it was the first real indication that this fairy-tale trip is beginning to wrap up.
Now, I'm enjoying the "post-race bliss" as a former coach of mine put it in an e-mail to me. It's even more than post-race, it's post-season. I'm actually taking a short break and not running while I enjoy being more of a tourist here in Beijing. I spent my first free day with two of my family members that traveled here to watch my race. They were only able to be here in Beijing for one night so I wanted to make the most of my one day with them. I left directly from BNU to meet up with my family and travel to the Great Wall.
The Wall was so much fun and a must-do for any China trip. I went to a section of the wall that requires a ski-lift to get up to and then includes the thrill of a toboggan ride down the slope! I took a ton of pictures and really enjoyed catching up with my family a little bit. There was a point where I decided to go ahead because I wanted to climb further on the wall and I was going to come straight back when I had had my fill. Well, I managed on a straight wall to get lost (no surprise to Heather). I somehow managed to pass my family on the way back and walked way beyond where they were waiting for me. So, the end result was me getting to walk a very large section of the wall TWICE. Now, that doesn't seem like an adequate punishment for my unwillingness to pay attention to where I am but I assure you, if you've ever climbed the steps of that wall, you will feel sympathetic. By the time I finally found them I had definitely had my fill of the Great Wall as far as climbing it goes. It was beautiful though and a special highlight of my whole trip here.
After that we went to lunch (traditional Chinese and my family speaks Chinese so it was a special treat!) and then to a market. We bargained for kites and again just enjoyed being together and connecting in a foreign country. Last, we traveled back to Beijing to spend the evening there and the finale was a traditional pekin duck dinner. It was scrumptious and fabulous Chinese family-style where we shared tons of dishes and ingredients on a lazy-suzan in the middle of the table. And, I was excited to show off my chop-stick skills. The whole experience of interacting with the Chinese a little more in their own element because I was with native speakers was a wonderful gift. I even learned a few phrases and got to try them out. I asked where the bathroom was all by myself! I also learned how to say "See you tomorrow" and impressed the cute Chinese girl that stands at our door at night when I came in later that evening.
Today I was pretty spent from all of the action yesterday so I let myself sleep in and enjoyed a lazy day of phone calls home, sauntering to and from meals, reading, and writing letters. In the evening I went to the track to watch my roommates run, Shalane and Sanya. I got another cool and unexpected adventure. My family told me they ran into some people from Winter Park, Florida when they were in the Bird's Nest and that they had a number for me to call if I was interested in hooking up with them. I called them tonight when I got to the track to see if they might be watching the events at the stadium. It ended up being Donny, a member of the oh-so-memorable (and dominant) men's WPHS cross-country team of '05 and his brother and father. I ended up sitting with them to watch the rest of the meet. We caught up and shared some Beijing stories. It was a lot of fun to make that connection again and I look forward to maybe running into them again before we both take off to the States.
This has been a trip full of all kinds of anticipated thrills but the icing has been those unexpected meetings, connections, stories, and adventures. While I knew being a part of the Olympic Team and representing the USA would leave me with lifetime memories, this trip has been sprinkled with additional surprises like meeting up with my family and Donny. In ten years when I go back to this blog or my journal to taste some precious moments, the sprinkles will be the best part.
August 18, 2008
I walked into that stadium tonight and it was like the whole world showed up to watch our final. I had to smile because I felt like I was being introduced to the planet. There's really no way you can prepare yourself for the significance of the race I was about to begin. And surprisingly, it wasn't the pressure but rather the presence that hit me. I didn't feel expectations, I felt millions of eyes. Millions of eyes focused on a line of skinny, strong, serious women staring down nine lanes of imminent pain. What kept me sane was that despite the grandness of the moment I was able to bring my mind back to Potts, the track that I train on at the University of Colorado. There were very important things that Potts and the Olympic stadium have in common. First, they are both 400m tracks. Second, they both have one water jump per lap. Third, I've raced well on both tracks before. When I lifted my head and my eyes met a track I felt at home and wasn't as intimidated by the crowd, by the media, or by the venue.
I raced my little heart out tonight. I kicked as hard as I could for 8th but came up a little short. I waited on the track to see my place because I didn't even know if I was top ten (that was one of my goals). When I saw my name flash up as 9th I was very pleased and then when I saw the "AR" next to it I could hardly believe it! I'm glad I didn't settle despite being further back than I'm accustomed to. I'm really happy with my double of 9:29 and then 9:22 just two days later. I felt comfortable in the prelim but it was still fast and I had some tweaks from those pile-ups in the water pit. I have run a really consistent season and I'm able to take a break now happy with each and every effort. Especially this last one :).
I'm far from satisfied though. There's a burning deep inside that wants more than what I was able to accomplish this season. I'm looking forward to taking a short break from it all and being a tourist here in Beijing. My mind needs some down-time and I'm sure my body will agree in the morning. I want to sincerely thank everyone that has played a part in this 08 season especially. I had some ups and downs the past few months and I'm ending on an up because of the amazing people that I'm surrounded by. My roommates are anchors in my life both in faith and kindness and for that I could never express enough thanks. Christy, the trainer at CU, put up with a ton of my little complaints here and there. Nastas... what can I say? We're family. My CU teammates have been there for all of it. They put up with every side of me and still welcome me back to practice every day. There are so many others that played no lesser roles. You know who you are and thank you so much! Lastly and mostly, I raced the best race of my life in the finals of the Olympics as a 21-year-old because of the brilliance of my coaches Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs. They have worked together to bring me to a place I could have never traveled alone. I hope I've been able to gift them with some lifetime memories in return. This one was for them.
Mom and Dad, John and Emily, I love you so much.
On a lighter note, stay tuned later in the week. I'll try to post more photos... especially some funny ones of me and Billy goofing off around the Village.
August 16, 2008
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
All of the love and support from around the USA (and beyond) has been so touching and encouraging. WE have made it to the final on Sunday. Myself along with the investment of so so so many other people.
The race was crazy to say the least. There were several messy pile-ups and I'm really blessed to have made it though 99% unscathed. I'm off to catch a nap. Rest and recovery so I can rock on Sunday.
I'm also so happy for and proud of Anna for making it through to the final as well. She's a tough woman and it'll be good to have another USA woman in the bunch. Thanks again for all of the support and look for both of the USA ladies to show up Sunday ready to fight.
August 14, 2008
It's the day before my prelim and I don't know what the next few days will bring.
I will update you up until now but I make no promises about getting a blog up between now and after my final. It's time to be totally selfish about my time.
Yesterday was a pretty big day. I ran early and later, did a walk-through of the transportation to the official warm-up track and did actually get to go onto and see the warm-up track and the call rooms. No big surprises. The track is nice and located just meters outside of the Bird's Nest. The tunnels connecting everything are a little ominous, and the call rooms are tiny. Tomorrow I'll leave for the track about two hours before my race time. We have to enter our first of a series of call rooms about a half-hour before our gun. I really can't exaggerate the small size of the first call room. There are a dozen or so chairs facing each other on either side of a cubical. You're literally knocking knees and staring straight into the face of your competitors just moments before your race haha! There are several steps of procedure and about a half-hour before we actually step out into the stadium for the first time. If you're interested in the call room stuff I think I blogged about it while I was in Osaka and it's probably very very similar.
So, after the walkthrough (with just a small group) we all went to a big meeting with the entire team. This is one of the only times we're all in one big room together and it was kind of fun to see almost the entire team there all at once.
We went over every detail of the next few days.
After the meeting I had a Skype-date set up with my roommates and my boyfriend (I've very recently become un-single). It was so amazing to see their faces and have all of their encouragement all at once. I thought I would call them and we would talk for a while and then I would go to bed. We ended up finally reluctantly pulling ourselves away from our computers over an hour later.
It was a long walk back to my room because I miss them all a ton but my steps were light because it was so so wonderful to see them all.
We're now to today. I woke up and went to meet my Coach like every morning. I woke up ready to take on the day (after a cup of coffee) and was excited to get to my shakeout. We went over my heat (I'm in the second heat of three and my gun goes off at 8:37pm here which is 8:37am EST). I'm happy about where I sit and how the heats divided up. Heather did a TON of research on the women in the steeple and so I think I have a very good perspective of the race going into it all. After some race-tactic talk and discussion about last-day prep I parted from my coach and went back to the Village. By the way, I should mention, the advancement is top 4 from each heat and then 3 on time. Mom, Dad, and family, if you don't understand all of that just call Rachel... she knows everything :).
I've spent most of the day reading and relaxing with my computer and music. It has been raining most of the day and so I don't feel guilty about having stayed indoors. The hardest part about the day before a big race is that it's a whole lot of sitting around and waiting. It feels like the sun will never set and the next day is dragging it's feet on coming. Then, when darkness begins to blanket the sky the end of a chapter always begins. A race is always a huge learning experience for me. Success and failure are equal gifts in that you learn from both. So, as the sun sets the day before a big race it also sets in a way on who I am. There's no going back... No matter what happens (within reason of course) in a certain amount of hours I get to race. I am blessed to be able to push my talent to the edge and learn a little bit more about myself. I love that feeling. So, let the sun set and let it set slowly despite my eagerness for the dawn.
August 13, 2008
There is an illness sweeping the Olympic Village. It manifests itslef most clearly in the dining areas and international zones. It causes people to jingle as they walk and randomly stop other pedestrians with a tarret-like outberst of "pins? pins?"
Really though, pin trading in the Olympic Village has been a fun new experience and can easily sweep one into obsession. When we arrived at team processing every athlete received pins for our event area along with some pins from USATF. Also, in many sponsor gift bags there would be included an Olympic themed pin. I remember getting pins when I made some world champ teams but it was never a really big deal. Here in the Village- it's a big deal! I think I started out my journey here in China with about 20 trading pins. Most of them alike. When Billy and I go to dinner or walk around the complex it's a great conversation starter with athletes from other teams or countries. We've also enjoyed giving some of our pins away to some of the Chinese volunteers here that have been especially helpful. What were once 20 very similar pins, after a week or so at the Village, have transformed into a beautiful collage of colors and shapes representing so many different countries and often funny interractions.
Speaking of common communication breakdowns, I had a funny experience with one of my rooommates back in the states. I finally got ahold of one of the girls early yesterday morning (I think?) and told them to get onto Skype so we could do a video call. A lot of the computers provided here in the Village already have webcams set up for this purpose. Anyway, Cari got on the computer at the house and for the first few minutes I could see her but she couldn't see me on video while she could hear my voice but I couldn't hear her. It was like a blind person and a deaf person trying to communicate. We stumbled around with me talking and her typing messages until we finally at least got two-way video. I was half reading her lips and mostly just trying to ask yes/no questions so she could just nod haha! It was a bit of an ordeal but it was at least fun to see her.
Now onto the finale... Pandas! I did an easy shakeout-type run today. It's the day before the day before :) and so the workouts are over. Mark would say "the hay is in the barn." After I was finished running I changed and ate lunch and I went on a zoo adventure with Coach. We caught a cab and went off to try to scout out the Beijing Zoo. Honestly, it was a bit of a disappointment. I don't know if any of you remember where I spent my 21st birthday last year? Heather and I were in Japan at World Champs and I wanted to go to the Aquarium. So, we went for my birthday and boy, was it a wild birthday! Babies crying everywhere, parents giving up on taming their children, people with cameras and video trying to get their money's worth. Anyway, it was sort of a mess. The Zoo reminded me of that a bit but it was also kind of dirty and I just felt sorry for the animals in their little cages. I'm kind of soft about that kind of stuff though. So, Coach and I wander around, read the rules to the park (which were the only English in the park and it was hardly English) and were on a serious Panda search. After rounding dozens of bends, walking through abandoned monkey houses, and seeing a depressing exibit full of different breeds of dogs, I was doubting the presence of any real and happy-looking Pandas. But Coach didn't give up hope. He was an expert navigator and finally found our marquee event. We entered the Panda house ("Giant Panda House" which could mean the pandas are giant or the house is... I'm not sure) and saw three cute fuzzy bears chowing down on watermelon in their respective corners.
Like I said, the zoo was a bit of a disappointment but I got to see pandas as least :).
August 11, 2008
It feels like that past few days here at the Village have gone by quickly and have been full of... well, .... a lot of the same. This is one of the few times when a lot of the same is nothing to complain about! Billy and I have been waking up in the mornings to catch a bus to the USA training facility at Beijing Normal University. If you're going to compete in the Olympics, make the USA team! USATF and the USOC have done everything in their power to make our lives comfortable and convenient. The track that we workout at is a mere 10 minute bus ride away and when I stand in the street I could throw a rock and hit three different tracks! We've also been eating lunch there at BNU with my coach (who is staying there) and the food has been amazing. The Village is nice but you can't get away from the fact that they're trying to feed thousands of athletes and coaches every day. BNU is able to accomodate and specialize because they serve a much smaller USA crowd. Anyway, we finish training and lunch and then part with Coach to go back to the Village for the rest of the day.
There is a ton of stuff to do and see here. Billy and I usually head to dinner together in the evening and then march over to the USOC facilities to call home and use the computers in the evenings. It works out well because when we're about to turn down for bed all of you are just waking up in the morning.
I got a special treat yesterday. In Boulder I live in a four-bedroom condo and last year one of the rooms opened up. Through a series of e-mails and contacts we finally found a woman who was interested and finally agreed to fill the room for this year. I didn't realize until much later that she's currently living in Beijing! When she learned that I had made the Olympic team we arranged to meet up while I was here. So, yesterday I met my new roommate here in Beijing and got her a guest pass to join me in the Olympic Village. It was amazing to get to meet her all the way across the globe (and in her hometown)! She and I spent a few hours together just chatting and walking around the Village. She is so sweet and beautiful and smart... just like my two other roomies Rachel and Cari. It makes me anxious to get back to Boulder where I will be welcomed home by the three most amazing women I've ever met in my life. And I get to live with them which makes it even better :).
So, some excitement meeting Qian but mostly routine stuff going on here. It's good though to have routine before big competitions. I feel comfortable, relaxed, and confident. Workouts are going well, runs in between feel smooth, and I'm just as happy as ever. Imagine my biggest smile :)
August 9, 2008
Hey Everyone,
This is going to have to be a quick one. My computer availability has been compromised for a day or two but I wanted to sneak in a quick post.
Last night was quite an event. I'm so glad that I went and participated in the Opening Ceremonies. Between transportation, staging, marching, and the end of the ceremony it's about a 6 hour commitment for the athletes. But it was so worth it! I think the best way for me to describe my experience being a part of it all is that I felt like a stargazer... in so many different ways. It was a night of meeting the stars including a huge group of world-class USA team members, the President and some of his family, a ton of amazing athletes from different countries, and not to mention the open sky above us as we all stood together for the first time in the Olympic Stadium. It was an experience of a lifetime.
Only two downfalls to the whole experience (and they are totally worth it). It was insanely hot. We were dressed in our wool get-up for the whole six hours and by the end we all looked like we had gone swimming in them. We also didn't get back to the village until about 1:30am. I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the dining hall and then fell into bed after a quick shower.
It was unbelievable the amount of people that were in the stadium and also the amount of athletes that were gathered in the infield. I was split two ways between feeling like I was a big part of something wonderful but also it made me realize how insignificant my single role in athletics is when gathered with the masses. I'm so proud to be here and it is the greatest accomplishment of my athletic career. But, I'll never forget how many people I was surrounded by on that infield that very possibly have that very same sentiment.
August 8, 2008 - Check out this photo of Kara Goucher (far left) and Jenny Barringer (second from right, front row) with President George W. Bush at the Opening Ceremonies of the Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing National Stadium. The President and First Lady addressed the American Olympians, telling them they represent, "the finest nation on the face of the Earth" and urging them to "win as many golds as you possibly can."
"Laura and I and a lot of our family are here to cheer you on," Bush told the athletes gathered in the Fencing Hall. "We're just a handful of a lot of folks who care about you a lot. There are going to be a lot of people pulling for you."
August 6, 2008
I was listening to a mix of music this afternoon and on it is Jack Johnson's "Breakdown." Recently that song strikes a chord with me. The lyrics talk about a train rushing through town and how he needs "this old train to break down" so he can take a look around. I kind of feel like this entire experience of being at the training camp (which wasn't mandatory) and being in the Olympics is a bit like that speeding train. The scenery is so beautiful and it's a thrilling experience but it's all rushing by. If only time could just break down for a few moments and I could just absorb it all fully. I know I'm going to get back to Boulder in a few weeks and wonder how it all happened so quickly. Anyway, I mention this because tomorrow I'm leaving training camp to go into Beijing. Opening Ceremonies is on the 8th and I'm not going to miss the opportunity to walk. I'm also staying through the entire Games and will return after Closing Ceremonies.
I had a workout on the track today. Last one before I go into Beijing. It went really well and I'm feeling more confident every day in the fact that I'm here in the first place and will be ready to race. The women's steeple doesn't have much of a history compared to many other events. Those of us that are blessed enough to be here, Anna, Lindsey, and myself, are writing the history books. I feel very honored to be in this position but also a bit of responsibility to put my best foot forward and give all future female steeplers a respectable starting point.
I'll be anxious to get into Beijing, settle there, and get in my last few training runs. Obviously, I'll taper several days out. I haven't spent more than a few hours in Beijing yet so I can't really speak on my experience with the pollution or smog. Even when I am there though, the appearance of "smog" in what is typically a very humid place, is pure speculation from someone like me. I hesitate to make any comment really for two reasons. First, I'm no expert on pollution and I'm surrounded by environmental experts in Boulder, so I know I'm not one of them! (By the way, someone wanted to know, I'm a political science and economics major). And second, I want to give the Chinese an opportunity to put on the best Olympics possible. If I already have made up my mind that they're going to do a wonderful or terrible job then I think those preconceived judgments would distract or completely limit my experience. I hope for China, for the athletes, spectators and for myself that they pull off the most amazing Olympics yet!
No matter what I find in the next weeks, I fully expect my train-cart to rush through far too quickly for my liking. So, while I can, I'll take it all in and share it the best I can with all of you!
Last note... I want to cover a few questions every day if I can...
1. I don't count calories
2. I traveled over here with peanut butter :)
3. Some of my favorite foods are fish (especially salmon! yum!) Avocados (avocado, tomato, and mozzarella cheese sandwich!) and ever since I was young my dad always kept mixed nuts around the house for snacks. Love those almonds and cashews!
4. I usually like to eat at least 2 hours before a hard workout or race. I think that's pretty typical.
August 5, 2008
I want to take a moment to talk about diet and eating routine especially because I've had quite a few posts, e-mails, and general questions about it. I want to preface this with reminding you all that what I'm going to share is based on my own personal experience and opinions. I have found that if you asked five different athletes about diet you would probably get seven different answers.
Actually, this is good timing for this question because just yesterday I woke up to a breakfast of pepto :(. That's not at all to suggest that the food isn't great here (because it is... more later) but rather the importance and often the delicate nature of what is a very very routine part of my life. First, I am an unusually NOT picky eater. I'm willing to try anything (reasonable) at least once and I can only think of about three foods that I wouldn't ever go back to. But, when I'm in the most intense periods of my training and racing I don't like to risk it. Second, I drink tea and coffee. This can be problematic when you travel and can end up several days without a caffeine hit. My suggestion, if you don't drink caffeine now... don't start! (except that it is sooo good haha!) And third, I don't very often sit down for big (typical) meals. I'm a college student and am very active in the community and several days a week I double. Between all of this activity I prefer to pack lots of food with me at the beginning of the day and I kind of graze all day. Then, when I get home in the evenings my roomies and I (love them!) often cook, eat, and spend time together which is often a several hour ordeal. We're all sharing the kitchen, doing homework, and sharing about our day... we're girls, it takes a while! :)
So, these are three important points to my eating habits, 1) variety, 2) caffeine, 3) frequent. This routine didn't get change abruptly when I left for China, it goes back way further than that. I've been traveling and living out of a suitcase almost since NCAAs in Des Moines. The past three months have had a very high and expected level of stress that has required flexibility and adaptation. So, when I wake up with a tummy ache here in Dalian it's very much a culmination of interruptions and stress that might compromise one or two days of training. I still went out and did a steady run that day and got in 60 minutes easy today. So, it didn't hinder me much but it's just one consequence of traveling I have to factor in sometimes.
Now, more specifically about the food here. I spent one night in the Olympic Village and I will answer the inevitable question... yes, there is a free McDonalds in dining area. But, they do an amazing job accommodating many different cultural preferences. I was (personally) impressed by the variety of food (Mediterranean, Italian, fruit, salad, traditional Chinese, and others I can't remember). It's cafeteria style but considering the massive amounts of food they have to put out every day it's really respectable. Also, to accommodate schedules, the dining hall is open 24/7. And it's huge! It's like walking into an airplane hanger or something!
Then there's Dalian. USATF has brought over our very own Chef, Adam, from Denver (whoohoo!) who does an amazing job on meals three times a day! If you're going to have an "in" with anyone at the training camp it's not too shabby to be friends with the Chef. He really likes me and Billy because we're Boulder kids ;). But then again, who wouldn't love us! haha. He has an army of Chinese cooks helping him prepare and provide every meal for all of us athletes. He takes requests when he can and goes above and beyond to be involved with the athletes which is so cool! We'll be eating dinner and he'll come sit with us and make sure everything is just right and ask for suggestions. He has some funny stories about trying to communicate with some of the Chinese. I heard it took some time to explain how and why some people would want just egg-whites and when he wanted corn-flour it apparently took him 40 minutes to explain he didn't mean normal flour with corn in it haha! So, some challenges along the way but Adam is a hero in taking them on himself and having great food for us each and every meal. Most of our food here is typical western dishes but we have the option of some sushi, black rice, and occasional Chinese dishes I might not get at home.
Overall (once again, sorry so long!) food is sometimes a fight. Staying in a routine is the toughest fight for me. I don't have the option of walking in my kitchen and munching on crackers or making a salad or warming up a hamburger. That's tough sometimes, just the flexibility, but I guess my point is that our support staff here does everything possible to make the transition as easy as possible. Speaking of food, it's lunchtime for me and all of this food-talk is making my tummy growl. Hope this was helpful. Ask more specific questions about the food stuff if I didn't cover it.
August 4, 2008
Heyo,
I finally have some half-way interesting and funny stories for all of you, along with some answers to your questions. Dalian, while beautiful, isn't the most exciting place on earth (besides being the US training center!!!) and so I've been concerned about boring all of you back home. Your curiosities help me know what you want to hear about though so, ... here we go.
Yesterday afternoon we all went out on a little shopping excursion. The team drove a little way into the downtown city with the typical army of escorts and security. Don't worry though, we didn't wear "USA" gear, so I'm sure nobody knew we were Americans! :). We entered the mall with a mandatory 2:40 hours to kill. Upon initial scan of the premises we realized this was going to be quite a task. I'm not really a shopping kind of person anyway so the thought of killing three hours in a small four-story department store kind of killed my moral from the get-go. We solved our issue of potential boredom by planning on exiting the back of the store and venturing off on our own down the streets. After initially not even being allowed to leave (by the Chinese police) we finally came to some sort of agreement and began on our way. It wasn't more than a block or so when we realized our little group of Buffalos had been flanked by plain-dressed security people. It was kind of funny being followed around like that especially because they made every effort to not appear like they were with us. When we turned around they would read signs and look at items to purchase. My little group kind of felt for them... this job can't be that exhilarating; so we made their lives easy and didn't try to lose them. The security here is really tight. I have mixed feelings about it all. I know there's no way I could get hurt becuase there are so many eyes on me but at the same time, should I be concerned if these measures are necessary? The Chinese are doing an excellent job though and have made it very clear that our safety is absolutely their number one priority.
Later in the evening Billy and I talked Mark into going bowling with us. It was a ton of fun... kind of. I got killed! There was this sweet young Chinese man who was there to wait on us while we bowled (a little strange) and halfway through my game he presented me with an extra-light bowling ball of my very own. I was pretty pathetic and apparently not even a language barrier was going to save me from that. I didn't even break 100... not even close.
So, this is getting long (like all of my posts! sorry!) but I want to take a minute to begin answering some questions. FIRST, I want to mention the oh-so-obvious tape-job on my right ankle. I think I mentioned in my first blog that the morning that Billy and I left Colorado we had been on the track for a 6am workout. We both did some barrier work along with intervals. My right leg is typically my landing leg on the water jumps and so for an extra precaution I just had a compression wrap on it for the flight. Any time you go on extended international flights your feet and legs tend to swell anyway and since there were probably little micro-tears in my leg from the workout I wanted to be extra prudent. So... rest assured my dears, all is well :).
Second, I do not currently have a roommate in Dalian. I am scheduled to room with Nicole Teter but she doesn't arrive to the camp until later this week. In the village I'll be rooming with Shalane. I'm really happy about both set-ups. Shalane and I traveled out here together (as you can see in Leo's photos) and I'm looking forward to rooming with her in the village.
Last, yes, there are some fellowship services held here several times a week. Honestly, I haven't been to one yet because they've coincided with my training but I am so so happy that my church in Boulder has been putting our Sunday services online for some time now. Whenever I'm on the road I really enjoy continuing to learn from our pastor Gene and am comforted by familiar voices. It's also good to keep up because I chat with my roomies about service when I'm gone. (whom I miss dearly!)
That's all for now.... that was super long. I'll try to be more concise and I'll get to more questions tomorrow. Think of this like your weekend long run. Maybe I'll throw in some shorter specificity later on in the week :)
More Photos
view outside my window
room
a picture of me with my video camera that isn't compatible with my Mac :(. (I'm just learning how to use it... patience please!)
outside shot of the hotel
Hi Billy! Suspension bridge outside hotel
beach outside hotel
beach outside hotel
Billy took this photo with me looking directly into the sun... thanks :)
rocks haha.
August 3, 2008
Days of travel are finally moving out of my legs and today's track session was a sweet confirmation. My coach, Wetmore, got in last night and so that means I was back on the track this morning. With a spring in my step and Mark's thumb on the watch, I put in some good intervals in hot weather. The morning began again at 5:30am when I woke up after a solid 8 or 9 hours of sleep. Sleep and fluids are the most important prescription for recovery. So, I entertained myself again until breakfast and then met with Mark to go over my highly anticipated workout plans for today. I ran a few longer intervals pretty hard and then finished up with some short snappy stuff. There was an entire Chinese army out there to help us keep things flowing efficiently. Billy actually did some barrier work but when I wanted the water jump changed to the women's height about 5 Chinese volunteers hustled to the site and had the barrier changed in a jiffy.
The track itself was pretty nice. Rubber I think, but brand new. My understanding is that some of these facilities were just recently built just for the occasion of the USA team coming to train. If the track wasn't new, it was just recently resurfaced and when Billy and I went over the water jump we noticed we were putting the very first spike marks into the wood.
I finally feel back to normal. It's about 12:30pm and I actually feel like it's 12:30pm! We're headed out in about an hour to go on a little excursion to some downtown areas. It'll be nice to get out of the hotel and off of these grounds for a little while.
I know there were some requests to see some of our gear. I am having some trouble getting photos and video up on my computer but if I can figure it out I'll get that up here for you guys. There was a lot of media out at the track the past two days, so if you can find any of those clips we're all wearing a variety of our issued clothes. Please, feel free to ask me questions (I don't always know what to write about) and I'll do my best to give you all an idea of what I'm up to over here.
For the next few days it's all about consistency and focus...
August 2, 2008
Good morning everyone (for me at least),
It's early here and when I originally wrote this blog it was even earlier... but I think I accidently deleted it or something... oh well. So, speaking of time, it's about 9am here on Aug. 2nd while it's almost 7pm the day before in Boulder. If anyone in the states wants to know if tomorrow is going to be a good day, just send me an e-mail and I'll let you know ;). The excitement of where I am and what I'm embarking on is enough to warp time. But, that in addition to the time-zone changes and the overnight flights had me so confused about the days and times!
So, I'll give a quick synopsis of the travel: I had my first Olympic prelim in the Denver airport on the 29th as I was sprinting all-out to catch my flight after a 6am workout on the track and quick splash-shower in the bathroom. That was soon followed by my debut in the decathlon as I passed from room to room going through processing in San Jose. Apparel was the final room I went through and it was a Christmas I'll never forget. I'm not sponsored as an individual so I don't have a whole lot to compare this experience to but the amount of uniforms and gear was unbelievable. Tune into the Opening Ceremonies... you'll have a good laugh at first and then wish you could have an occasion to dress so flash haha!
I had just moments to separate and shove clothes into China-bound luggage versus Boulder-bound boxes. For those of you that know me well, my level of exhaustion can be expressed by explaining that I didn't even fold my clothes; "shove" was in the most literal sense. Next it was just a few hours of sleep before morning came closely followed by a 12 hour flight to another world. The entrance into China was laborious along with the bus ride to the Olympic Village. The Village is amazing, props to the Chinese. I'll go on about that later... I'm just hitting the highlights for now. A group of us went on a run once we got there. Easy shakeout and strides with five of the most impressive American distance runners and then off to dinner and sleep.
I'm now finally in Dalian. We departed from the Village the following morning after another evening of dragging-butt and repacking luggage for the third time. Our flight arrived in the beautiful coastal city midday and once again, a group of us went out on a rainy run, this time on a gorgeous golf course. The running conditions here aren't superb for distance running but I feel like that's a lot to ask for when we're under such high security anyway. There are a few venues that provide approximate mile loops but not a whole lot further. Lots and lots of loops. At least the view is nice. The landscape outside my window includes crashing waves on the coast buttressing luscious green rolling hills just beyond the golf course. This morning is a little more joyful with a bright clear sky inviting me out for a nice easy run.
There's so much to tell and most of this was just travel details. I'm beginning day 5 of my adventure and this is the first morning I've woke in the same bed I'll sleep in again tonight. It's nice to finally be a little bit settled. From here on out I'll try to write more interesting stories and experiences. Mom and Dad, this boring stuff was for you :). I miss so many of you. Traveling isn't the fun part, but I'm here with Billy Nelson (teammate and good friend) which is a huge help. He keeps thing light and never takes me seriously which is the best medicine for days and days of travel.
Good evening my dears, I'm off to enjoy the rest of tomorrow while you all finish up today :).
-Jen
August 2, 2008
Good morning everyone! (for me anyway)
It's 6:20am Aug. 2nd I'm just beginning the 5th day of my adventure and it feels like I've been traveling for a month but at the same time I almost remember having left just yesterday. The excitement helps warp the time but for this trip no help was needed. I've changed so many time zones and traveled through too many nights to know what day it is sometimes, much less what time it is! But now I'm finally settled in Dalian along with many other teammates. We'll stay here for a week before Opening Ceremonies. It's such a relief to finally be in one place for a while.
So, as you can imagine, there is so much to tell already but I'll try to keep this concise so I can hit some of the highpoints.
San Jose processing was exhausting. I had my first Olympic prelim sprinting through the Denver airport then enduring the long process of check-in at San Jose. Apparel was the last room I went to and you can't imagine what kind of Christmas I had in there. I'm not sponsored as an individual athlete so I have nothing to compare this to other than World Champ teams but the amount of uniform and gear was out of control. Then, no time to pack. I had to seperate and shove clothes in China-bound suitcases versus boxes to be shipped home. I grabbed just a few hours of sleep and then it was off to China on a 12 hour flight.
We landed in China and had a laborious entry into the country and onto the Olympic Village. The Village is amazing. I'll go on more at another time. Billy Nelson (my teammate and friend) along with several other members of the team and I joined up to run for an hour around the complex before another briefing and dinner. Then, sleep and onto yet another flight to Dalian in the morning. We arrived at the beautiful coastal city midday and quickly embarked on a rainy run before settling into our rooms before dinner. Whew! I feel like that was a lot of boring travel info but I know my family wanted to know all of that.
I'll leave it at that for now. Now that I'm more-or-less caught up on my time and location I'll try to actually write some fun and interesting entries from here on out. For now, I've got to find something else to distract my stomach before I can head down to breakfast at 7!
Courtesy: CUBuffs.com
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