Practicing in the London Aquatic Centre

I was back in the pool today after an afternoon off.  I chose to swim about 1500 meters in the competition pool.  I barely did any backstroke and focused on shoulder driven freestyle and butterfly.  I stopped a few times to soak in the experience of being where I was, those were good moments.  I'm loving every second of this experience.  I did two starts and a few short burst sprints.  I can't say I feel great in the water, but I think I'll do well in my events with a little rest.  I've focused so much on backstroke that butterfly and freestyle just feels a bit awkward.  I ripped two great starts off the blocks so I'm happy to report that at least that much is under control.  My body feels pretty good overall but my shoulders are sore, it seems odd that I would have overdone it the last few days.  My legs feel tired from all the walking I've been doing.  I'm planning on taking a taxi tomorrow rather than walking to the train, then walking to the pool.  I've found it's about 20 minutes of walking each way, it's time to take it easy.

After my workout I sat on the deck of the competition pool, stretched and looked around.  It's an amazing facility in many ways.  The architecture, the technology, everything.  The event has brought so many interesting additions to an already impressive building.

After I got dressed, I headed over to get a previously booked massage.  The health resources at this meet are extensive.  Since the Athletic Trainer the other day mentioned I had some knots in my back, I wanted to get checked out again to ensure I was in good shape prior to my big races Thursday.  I had some tightness in my muscles but no knots, a good thing.  She gave me a massage on the front of my shoulders and my entire back.  At times it was painful, but I knew it would benefit me at the same time.  She dug deep on a few areas behind my shoulder blades, I felt better afterward.  I had a great conversation with her about Athletic Training in general and her private Massage Therapy business she owned.  It turns out the Athletic Trainers are all volunteering for all of the Olympic Events.  It was a wonderful conversation and I thanked her over and over for her donation of time and expertise.