First Training Session... 5am

First things first... the Commonwealth Games pool in Melbourne... (not the pool where the team I am working with swims). Took a tour of the pool yesterday.

Okay, with the first training session at 5am, that means getting up before 4... good thing for being messed up on time zone change. I visited with the Nunawading Swim Club. The first training session was more of a recovery practice as they have just come off a competition this past weekend. There were two training groups. The National Open Squad (mostly ages 21 and over) and the National Youth squad (high school age). There is really no college swimming here... like we have it in the US. They all had a two hour practice then either went off to High School or home or to college classes somewhere in Melbourne. The NO groups had a "tribute to Michael Phelps" practice. They incorporated all of his 17 events from the Olympics into the practice. The total was about 5k-6k (meter). They used lots of equipment, paddles, pull-buoy, fins, snorkel (lots) and sponges... the sponges were like using parachutes but more controlled, as they use them for building strength instead of power.

Their NO team has Prue Watt on their team. She will be leaving this Saturday for the Paralympics in China. She is blind (like 90% in one eye and 80% in the other). She will be swimming the 100 fly... she is about 1:08 in meters.


I am leaving in a few hours for their second practice (5:15-7:30pm). One hours of dryland and then the rest of swimming. They are to do some high quality swims tonight.


Yesterday was a tourist day. I spent most of the day with GC swimming alum Natasha Vasey. We also made the time to watch the final day of swimming. The Aussies are NUTS about their sports... especially swimming. We were in a restaurant for the events and the entire place was cheering and totally into their Aussie swimmers and Michael Phelps. He has a great reputation here and seems to be seen as a really nice guy.


Back with more later...