Wow it has been quite a while. 2014 has been a very interesting year and i'm very excited to
finally compete this coming year in 2015!
SO what in the world have I been doing with my life since my last post? Welp, I was
training hehe. Training and working that is.... in order to keep my sanity and to have something to look forward to on the weeknds, I found a job. While the rest of my teammates/roommates competed on the weeknds, I have been working as a Redzone Specialist at the Apple Store in San Diego. Actually, it's a very fun job and more rewarding than I could have possibly imagined. The learning curve was (and still is) ridiculous, but I think it keeps me mentally sharp. It's a very dynamic job and wills you to think on your feet, improvise. All that fun stuff. Oh! I forgot to mention, the store where I work is a hot spot for many international customers. So, lucky for me, about 25% of my interactions are in Portuguese, 35% are in Spanish and the rest is in english. Bom dia tudo bom? Buenos días, cómo están? So practicando my language skills has been excellent. I've been working for the company since Valentine's day. Now that I have an actual competitive season on the horizon, vamos a ver que pasará con el trabajo.
I have absolutely loved working with my training partners. It is a Very motivational and very inspiring group, and we are all a goofy bunch so it's just an amazing time and job to look forward to.
What kind of training have I focused on this year? ohh boyyyy, many many hours of Discus, Jav,
and shotput. I honestly love the throwing events, and working on the weaker events of the decathlon has been frustrating, rewarding and, quite frankly, pretty insightful. As an athlete that can learn and pick up concepts fairly quickly, it is the most frustrating thing when something just isn't perfect, or just doesn't click. But that moment when the lightbulb comes on......DIOS MIO!!! It feels amazing. I've had a couple of those small but rewarding breakthroughs in those events, and I'm going to love to just keep drilling those. VAMOS!!
I didn't focus too much on the running side of training. My coach and I kinda put the cardiovascular fitness on the back burner and stressed rehab, long jump, and the throws. Much like my roommates (who are all throwers), I would walk down to practice with the mentality of a thrower. Big time baby, BOOM! Thats how I got my mind right for practice. When coaches would be traveling to competitions with athletes, I would find myself as the lone wolf on the track. That is definitely where you are made as an athlete. When nobody is watching, who is there to push you? to keep you motivated? I did have some mental battles this year during those times, but I'm glad to say that i'm 100% healthy and ready to go do big things this coming track season!
After the summer finished we were required by the USOC to take a month off or so from training, so
I drove back Seattle! Wanting to stay busy, I worked at the Apple Store in University Village (by UW!) and had a blast meeting the people that worked there (they were kinda like an extended family and were very welcoming/supportive of having me for a brief stint).
While I was back, I also made it out to Friday Harbor. Honestly you get the best sense of the PNW in this setting ... just cruising along the water in the Puget Sound.
For a weeknd we made it down to San Diego and I was able to show my lovely parents the Olympic Training Center. We also attended the blistering Seahawks-Chargers game that Sunday.
I also experienced quite a peculiar thing while back home; our justice system. I was summoned for jury duty and ended up being selected for a jury on a case that lasted about 3 weeks.
I wasn't able to work at Apple during this time, but it was an interesting process to experience and I'm glad that I fulfilled my civic duty.
Right after jury duty I traveled up to Vancouver to see my best friend who is living in the Gas Town area of the city.
I came back to Seattle that Sunday and the following Monday started the journey back to San Diego.
I went from Seattle to Portland and the next day from Portland to SF...
From SF i went to Palo Alto. I saw my family friend at Stanford and then Apple Headquarters in Cupertino.
Stopped in San Luis Obispo for a quick dinner and farmer's market!
Made my way to LA to stay with my friend from high school! I had the great weather following me all the way down the coast :)
I'm finally back in San Diego, all moved in and settled. Ready to start this next rodeo. Competing internationally is the goal. Time to win!!!
Good night and good Luck! Ciao
Jeremy
