Nathan posted an interesting item on FB - a Senegalese paddler who has been training with him in Chula Vista for the past year had to go to Kenya for Africa's Olympic trials. Facing radically different conditions from his American and European counterparts, Assane Fall was met with this scene;
"Flanking kayakers as they paddled down the course in the African Olympic trials at Kenya's Masinga Dam earlier this month were two boats. In each was a man armed with a machine gun, scanning the horizon for potential trouble.
Not because Kenya has plunged into chaos following a disputed presidential election in December, with reports of nearly 1,000 deaths from ethnic violence across the country.
Because of the crocodiles and hippos.
Crocs, you know about. Hippos are even more feared in Africa, where they are known to suddenly rise up in a lake, flip small boats, drag their occupants to the bottom, drown them and bite off their heads; on land they are said to run up to 30 mph. "
Makes our training camp run-ins with manatees and dolphins seem like a day at..well a day at the Pines.
It's great that Nathan's program is doing so well and I'm sure his amazing attitude has had a positive effect on his athletes, "Fall returned to San Diego last week. Members of the U.S. team greeted him at the airport, holding up signs with the Senegalese flag drawn on them. Fall teared up and hugged Luce for a good 30 seconds."
You know I'll be cheering for all of Nathan's athletes at the Olympics along with ours.
Another brutal snowstorm is supposed to hit tonight. It was semi-bad all day - OPP reporting 2 accidents every minute during the morning rush hour - but the worst (reportedly) is yet to come. I have to go out and get some groceries. I wish this freezing would wear off faster. Ugh. I look like Quasimodo. I'll just have to wrap a scarf around my head.
Okay, it's 7:30 pm and it is CRAZY out there. At least on friday the storm started in the morning. The steady run of traffic kept the roads reasonably beaten down. This storm started around 4:00pm - the roads are covered in giant snow ruts and cars are all over the place. As I was getting out of my car at the store there was a flash of light. At first I thought it was the beginnings of a migraine but then decided it seemed more like a camera flashbut then it happened again about 10 minutes later when I was driving along Lakeshore. Turns out this winter storm comes with lightning.
Alyson called to let me know that the gym is open but classes are cancelled (this is the night we do a core class). I was already planning to cancel so that let's me off the hook because the freezing is starting to wear off and my mouth really, really hurts. That along with this cold is making me miserable. It's times like these I wish I had a mife (man-wife) so I could just go to bed and he could bring me Advil and a hot toddy and tell me I look beautiful in spite of the swollen face, runny nose, red-rimmed eyes and paralytic mouth drag.
On second thought, maybe it's better there's no one here tonight.
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