Pan Am Recap!
I apologize for not having updated my blog the entire time I was out in Guadalajara. Internet was super spotty so I barely had the opportunity to get online. I did try to update my twitter as much as possible so I hope you guys were at least able to follow me a bit through there. If you aren’t already following me on twitter, please go ahead and do that!
Anyway, after 10 long days in Mexico, I’m finally back in the US. I have to give a huge shout out to the USOC. They totally bent over backwards to accomodate us and make our stay as comfortable as possible but I have to admit that I’m totally glad to be back in the US. After spending some time out there, I realized that I’ve been taking a lot of things that we barely give second thought to for granted. I’ve learned to be more appreciative towards consistent internet access and hot water!
Despite some tough situations, the trip turned out to be an awesome experience and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to get back into the international scene after being out of it for over two years.
On the competition side, we made one too many errors as a team to be able to come off with the win (we ended up with the bronze). Clearly we were disappointed since our main goal was to win the gold but I know that all of us will take this experience back to our own gyms and use it to fuel our fire. I’ve already returned to my normal training and I’ve never been this pumped to get back in the gym!
I honestly cannot thank the people around me enough for all the support you’ve given to me up to this point. This meet was especially significant to me because I was actually selected to the Pan Am team back in 2003, but never had the opportunity to actually compete because I had a major accident right before the competition. I’m incredibly glad to be back in action and to have had the opportunity to compete at Pan Ams again.
Below are random pictures from the event. Enjoy!
The Athlete Village - This is where all of the athletes from all sports (and all of the countries) lived for the duration of the Games!
The apartment complex for the American athletes. It was awesome being able to hang out with other athletes from the US!
At the "International Zone" there were some familiar shops such as Starbucks, Burger King and Dominos
The dining hall at the Athlete's Village. This is where we ate all of our meals.
The stage at the Athletes Village. There were performances every night that we were there. Lots of dancing and singing. Good times!
One of the mascots attempting to do some stuff on pommel horse. Not bad for a big fuzzy guy!
The competition venue. I've never been in a venue with that much energy before. The Mexican fans were awesome and I had a blast competing there!
Off to Pan Ams!
It’s been a hectic couple of weeks since my last blog post but I’m glad I got through! For some reason I had a lot more stuff going on than usual. Maybe the extra visits to the dentist on top of my regular schedule made things a little bit crazier. I’ve gotta give a shout out though. Big thanks to the lovely Dr. Joy in Newark! Now my mouth is cavity-free and I’m ready to take on some action!
After leaving early this morning, I’ve landed in Houston and just finished processing for the Pan American Games.
Houston Welcomes Team USA!
My teammates and I’ll be staying here over night before we head off to Guadalajara early tomorrow morning. During processing we went through the usual picture-taking for our credentials but also got a ton of new Nike gear from the USOC!
Nike USA Gear
We’ll be in Guadalajara for a week until we actually compete. Team competition is next Tuesday, with AA, Individual Event Finals occurring in the following days. I’m totally excited about this meet. Although we may encounter some tough situations given that we are competing in another country, I’m confident that we’ll get through it as we’ve all prepared hard for this.
From what I hear, the Athlete Village does not have a ton of hot water. That said, I took an extra long hot shower tonight just to make sure! Pretty sure that there will be other surprises as well but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see when I get there. Stay tuned!
Fall Weather is in the Air
For the first time in a long while, it rained here in the bay! Not only did my car get a good car wash but I was also happy to no longer feel the summer heat. When it’s a little bit cooler it’s definitely a lot easier to train. Spring/fall time is without question, the best time to train. Summer can get a little bit intense with the heat, and winter can get a bit rough when it’s cold and your joints start to hurt.
Anyway, training has been coming along. I leave two weeks from tomorrow for the Pan American Games. Sadly I’m not with the US team that’s in Japan right now for the World Championships, but I’m definitely busting my tail to help the Pan American Team bring back the gold! Hopefully the weather in Guadalajara won’t be too different from what it is here when we go in about two weeks. Should be fun times!
