Hello from San Diego (actually, Chula Vista), California. I am out training here at the US Olympic Training Center.

Well, I guess you figured out that the Star Worlds did not go as planned. We were in 13th place going into the last race and with a decent finish we would have had a top ten overall. Long story short is that we had a decent start and an average first beat. At the top of the first beat we gybed onto port for the run and were pointing at the leeward marks on port gybe. Things were looking very good but wouldn’t you know that the boats on our right looking downwind and on starboard gybe still beat us to the leeward gates. This was a very strange run and was a first in my career. Chalk it up to experience. Lesson learned. We are keeping our eye on the big prize in August.

Overall, the Miami season was a good one. We won the Commodores Cup, placed 4th at the Bob Levin Regatta, 3rd at Bacardi Cup and JD had a 5th at the Star Masters with his son, while I had a 10th with my old man at the same regatta. We made great progress on our road to Beijing.

After the Worlds, Rodney and I stayed in Miami to move out of the team house and load two containers with our boats for China. It’s amazing how much stuff we collected living in the team house for the past five months! With the weak dollar and a booming export business here in the States, there was a serious shortage of containers. Rodney and I had to wait around a week until two containers became available. We finally loaded all of our gear. Two Star boats, one RIB, one US Sailing team RIB and 8 masts and 4 booms.

This took about 4 hours to complete but was a huge weight off our shoulders once we finished this ordeal. After that we got a good night’s sleep and Rodney and I drove back to Mississippi the following day with the team van and suburban, towing home the other Star boat and two Finns. It was a 13 hour drive, but it was good to finally be home. I was away on this trip for 35 days… too long.. Rodney was away for the same amount. I want to thank all of our wives and better halves for supporting us during these final months leading up to the Games.

Did I mention it was great to sleep in my own bed and lay on my own couch… It was nice. But I couldn’t get to used to it because although I was home on Saturday, I was off on Thursday to the US Olympic Training Facility in San Diego.

As soon as I arrived at Orange County Airport, I collected my bike and bag, then headed straight to Andy MacDonald’s. When I arrived at his great house in Laguna Beach I immediately noticed that his road bike was ready to go! Andy rides a lot so I knew it was going to be a hard afternoon. We shot the breeze for a few minutes then I put my bike together and off we went on a little ride. Andy Mac is in his mid fifties and is really fit. It was fun trying to hang on his back wheel for the afternoon. We made it safely back to his house and got ready for a little party that evening. Colin (Andy’s son and fantastic guy) along with John Virtue (one of my other life long friends) started playing liars dice on his kitchen table, we started at 5pm with the dice and a few beverages, we were still sitting at the table come 2am with the same dice and fewer drinks! An epic evening with old friends.

Friday morning I woke up and headed to San Diego to check into the US Training Facility. This place is awesome! It’s over 150 acres and has everything you can think of! Track, pole vault, state of the art weight room, BMX track (yes, BMX bikes are now an Olympic Sport) – everything.

On Friday evening, I picked up my personal strength and conditioning coach Chris Herrera from the San Diego airport. Needless to say we came home and crashed. On Saturday, we woke up at 7am went to the on campus restaurant (which has great food that is healthy) had a big breakfast and headed to the gym. This is not an ordinary gym! It is state of the art – not your local health club! What I found to be the coolest thing in the gym was all the 60" plasma TVs around the weight room. They are used for play back and run on 30 second delayed loop. This means, I could do a power clean and power snatch, then watch myself on the big screen to make sure my form was in line and that I did not hurt myself.

It’s cool walking around this place. There are real athletes here, fit and focused its really motivating. When you’re here all you want to do is train. We live in a dorm type apartment, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, no kitchen but a small fridge next to a small desk near the front door.

I have been riding my road bike a bit, yesterday we were in the gym lifting for more than 4 hours over two sessions. After the last session, I put my bike costume on and Coach Herrera got in my rental car and followed me while I hit the road. Basically, I thought Chris was there in case I crashed or got a flat tire. Nope, he had other ideas. Ideas called intervals!

So Chris pulls up next to me in the car while I was riding to say that when he honks the horn he wants me to basically get out of the saddle and grind the pedals into the payment for 30 seconds at a time… sounds fun, huh! Well, after a while I thought his horn was broken because it kept honking! Finally, my legs said no more and we called it a day around 6pm. This went on for a few days. Needless to say I am so sore it hurts to laugh, cough, walk well I can hardly walk and the truth of the matter is, this is how I judge a good workout, if it hurts to move I knew I gave it 110%…

I just returned from taking Chris to the airport and I am laying on the couch trying to prepare my body for one more workout in the morning before I get on a flight headed home.
It’s been really great here, a great place to clear my mind and focus on my body. It has been very productive.

Looking ahead next Friday, I leave for Chicago for a two day event on how to be a ambassador at the Olympics. Then Sunday is my birthday… turning 30 years old.. I am on the fence on this one not sure if I should embrace this of be depressed….. from there I head to Germany.

That’s all for now, be sure to check out my website www.austinsperry.com for the latest pictures, clips and updates. I will also be posting some video and pictures from my trip to San Diego and a few other random shots….

Later…
Austin