Registration/Signup Info

For those of you registering for the Virtual Training Team, here are a few notes:
1. You do NOT have to go to Vegas: If, for whatever reason, you can't join the party but want to join the training, follow along with us. Join the Virtual Training Team, and I'll help you find a local race. For those of you in this situation, feel free to answer in the comments section--let me know where you're from--and I'll find some suggested races in your area. I have athletes scattered all over the country/world, and I can get the scoop on the best races in just about every major city in the US.
2. If you are going to Vegas: register for the race. If you have trouble, contact me. Book your accomodations shortly, as 10k-plus runners descending on Vegas = limited accomodations.
3. If you have not registered for my program, please do so. You can go to http://teamwildblue.com/coaching_services and click on the Paypal link under the Virtual Training Team. You can pay by either credit card or your paypal account.
4. Once you register, you'll receive a liability waiver and questionnaire, as well as additional instructions. In an effort to make this program as personalized to the group as possible, I must get input from you, so please email the questionnaire back as soon as possible.

TRAINING STARTS SEPTEMBER 1ST!!! Get your shoes, get your gear, and get ready for some fun! :)

Coach Cami

Last Call--Las Vegas Half Marathon Training Program

This is the LAST WEEK to sign up for my Las Vegas Half Marathon Virtual Training Team. In order to have a program personalized for the athletes, I must have a committed head count this week. Please go to www.teamwildblue.com for details and to pay for the program. Feel free to contact me with any questions!
Coach Cami

0.02 Seconds of Fame

In light of the media attention devoted to swimming lately, there is understandably a lot of new and rekindled interest in the sport, which of course makes coaches VERY excited. Hey, any way I can get someone to get out of their comfort zone and try something new or revisit a sport, I'm all for it. In any event, here is a clip of me discussing the frenzy while teaching my friend Terrence the butterfly (thanks T!!! :)).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#26202532

Cami

Cholesterol, Anyone?

For those of you strung out on Olympic coverage, one of my athletes (thanks PJ!) passed on this link detailing Michael Phelps' typical daily diet:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/13/the-michael-phelps-diet-dont-try-it-at-home/

A few excerpts of note:

"Breakfast: Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise. Two cups of coffee. One five-egg omelet. One bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
Lunch: One pound of enriched pasta. Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread. Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.
Dinner: One pound of pasta. An entire pizza. More energy drinks. "

Travel Deals from Seattle

For all Seattle runners who are Vegas bound, my sister found a great deal on Travelocity: airfare plus 5-nights hotel at the Luxor for $438.00. www.travelocity.com

If anyone else has any great deals on airfare/hotel combos or otherwise, feel free to either send them to me or post them in the comments section!

Coach Cami

Olympic Lessons...

Like most red-blooded American athletes, the Olympics for me are magical. And although I'm watching them on the couch with a cold beer rather than being there as an athlete, the excitement is still the same--like when my Mom used to let me stay up to watch a movie with her. I'd take the obligatory nap, eyes, squinted shut in the dead giveaway of faked mandatory sleep, only to prop my eyelids open later that night while falling asleep on her lap.
While these days I beg for the aforementioned nap, staying awake was no problem while watching the swim events last night, particularly the men's 4x100. For those of you who missed it and aren't swimming buffs, you'll still appreciate the quintessential battle: Trash-talking by the French, a seemingly impossible team to beat by the US, then the come-from-behind finish--a half a body length, to be exact--for the US to take the gold and Michael Phelps to continue his winning ways.
This team taught me a great deal, as have so many of the other events thus far in the games, namely the few following points:

1. It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Nope, not until that fat lady is singing. You never know when your time will come. You never know when a window of opportunity becomes an answer to your hard work. In men's gymnastics, it was two twin brothers dropping out which gave one guy the chance of his life after being denied Team USA status for two Olympics, and he is now the bedrock of their team. For the 4x100 men, it was an anchoring French athlete tightening up while our anchor gave the lunge of his life to the wall.
2. There is more than one way to skin a cat: As we've seen from all our swimmers, there are differing techniques in every stroke, different body types, different ages, and most importantly, differing training philosophies, and ALL work. The key, resonating ingredient in all of them, though, is an unwavering faith in their system. The athletes, know their bodies, know what works, and follow that path. The anchor for the US team has been coaching himself for two years, while Phelps has been with the same coach since he was 11 years old. Quiet your mind to the chatter around you, and stick with what you know works. Stick to your plan. Stick to your guns.
3. Never Give Up: There is always an air of uncertainty, and that is what makes sport so attractive. In a long race in particular, but in all competition, the reward doesn't always go to the swiftest, but often to the one who sticks with it.
Thanks for letting me wax philosophical, and may these games be as enchanting to watch for you as they always are for me. And mom, I promise to go to bed on time once they're over :).

Coach Cami

Race Day Weather

A good question from one of the athletes out of Seattle is in regards to the race day temperature. While anything is possible in a desert plateau scenario (hey, anything is possible in Vegas, for that matter :)), the average high for December is 58 degrees, while the low is 34 degrees. See link below for monthly averages:

http://www.vegas.com/weather/averages.html

It may very well be a chilly morning but could warm up to a perfect day. Start time is at 6:07am, so it will likely be chilly. We'll talk about the importance of layering once training commences. Hard to think about while we're running in 90+ temperatures right now, but hey, it will be here before you know it.
- Coach Cami

Hotel Accomodations Going Fast

While the race has not yet sold out, the hotel accomodations very well could. With 10,000 people descending on Las Vegas for the weekend, it's inevitable that the hotels will be maxed.
As of today, Mandalay Bay was maxed out on ITS website. However, it was NOT full on the RACE website. The race is offering a discount at Mandalay Bay Luxor, and Excalibur hotels, so go to its site at this link http://lvmarathon.com/Travel.217.0.html (or click on LV Hotel Accomodations under "fun/useful links" on the right). I'll be in contact w/the race director about accomodations as well and will keep you posted.
Long story long--get registered, and get your hotel soon!!!
Cami

Website is UP!!!

Finally, after years of coaching and a fair amount of procrastination, I'm successfully launching into the 21st Century :) The website is up and running. Here's the skinny:
- website is www.teamwildblue.com
- If you're signing up for the training program, you can pay via credit card under coaching services. If you're an online athlete, you can pay here too.
- Info on the race is under LV Half Marathon Virtual Training Team Link

If there is anything you'd like to see on the site (or here, for that reason), speak up--post a comment on here or send me an email.
Have a great night--one of my runners took me to the CLEANERS this morning in Central Park (you know who you are :)), and I'm pooped. Love seeing you guys get faster, but it does have its consequences!!!