Well that chapter is over, what a journey.
Four years ago Coach Joel and I set the goal to get back on the podium at the Olympic Games after what can only be described as a what-doesn't-break-you-only- makes-you-stronger experience in Athens.
In 2005 Coach Joel assembled a squad that initially spent a year with 6 athletes jammed in one lane at Crystal Pool. We had very little funding, and of the original squad I think only Colin and I are left. The following year we were given another lane at Crystal. Kyle Jones, Dano Wells and Jordan Rapp joined us soon after and when Kirsten Sweetland came along our squad was rolling. We've had some other athletes come and go, all on good terms, it just didn't always work out for one reason or another. At the start of 2008 Brent McMahon was training part time with us and found a way to contribute with his great work ethic and experience. Paul Tichelaar was commuting from Edmonton to train with us and Andrew Mac was crushing us in the pool much to his delight. Eventually Olympian Lauren Groves also joined us. It was with a mission statement built around "people will rise to the level of expectations" that Joel's squad was (and will continue to be) world class.
He'll be taking applications in the fall, with commitment being the one and only criteria.
We started out the Olympic year in Tucson, Arizona with a full squad focused on first qualifying, and then competing in the Games. I remember thinking "Wow the boys are already going fast" as Tich, Colin and Kyle were so focused on the June World Championships in Vancouver and their final chance to make the Olympic team. Fortunately I had qualified in September '07 and with my sole focus on August 19th I started a bit slow and had to watch a few of the workout battles from the back.
In February we moved to Flagstaff, Arizona after a short break back in Canada. At 7000 feet the altitude makes training just that much harder, something Joel seems to love. The boys continued to role along, I think the highlight was going head to head with the locals on the Saturday group rides in often freezing temperatures as we tried in vain to win the sprint to the yellow sign at the end of Mormon Lake road. I was commuting back and forth to Sedona, which was 45 minutes away (and 5000ft lower) to see Jennie and Pippa who were living at a vacation rental with her parents. I think in hindsight this acted as a governor on my training that paid off later in the summer. The other guys are all at least 7 years younger then I am and for them hammering in the winter is possible, not to mention fun. Joel and I knew I had to be a little more patient and roll into spring a little underdone.
In April the boys headed off to Australia for some early season races and I headed back to Vic where I shifted my training into 3rd and eventually 4th gear and put in a critical 6 weeks of consistent and focused training with Dano and Jordan. By the end of May I was running 6x1k on the track in under 2:35, my riding had come around and my swimming was right on track. Paul had a very successful southern hemisphere campaign, as did Kyle. Colin and I went off to Japan for my first World Cup of the year and with Colin in the front breakaway pack acting as the "momentum keeper" we were able to stay away from the chase back that contained, among others, Tim Don and Peter Robertson. I was eventually able to pull away from Rasmus Henning in the final lap and we started the year with a bang. It also acted as another opportunity to race with Colin and try and dictate how the race unfolded.
