SOF Regatta:

Scheduling and planning an Olympic trials year is difficult. It is imperative to get enough competition experience, but too much can be stressful as being away from home for so long is taxing on the mind and body.   Therefore, after my trip to New Zealand I decided to skip the Spanish World Cup event and only do the French World Cup event, the SOF Regatta. 

The primary purpose of competing at the SOF regatta was to utilize the newly acquired skills I learned in NZ at a big event.   My hope was that the regatta was going to be held in light air, as those are the conditions I need the most practice in, and it was.

Throughout the regatta, I was very pleased as the progress I made in New Zealand was illustrated throughout the many light air races.  I was consistently pushing mid fleet in light air, which has been difficult for me in past events.  When it was windy, I was pushing the top 10. Furthermore, particular aspects of my sailing that I needed to address and fix, I did and it showed at this regatta.  Although the result was not fantastic (14th in silver fleet), I was able to cross off every goal that I made before the event.  This event, albeit a training event, provided a nice confidence boost and a perfect check in as I prepare for my final push towards the first event of my Olympic Selection

Olympic Trials Final Push:

“The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital” – Joe Paterno

This quote has been ringing in my head the past few months, as I have been envisioning my upcoming Olympic trials.   Preparing for an Olympic trial is dissimilar to preparing for anything else.  Unlike a final exam, or an interview, Olympic trials preparation consists of years of sacrifice, forethought and execution. Over the past 5 months, my preparation has become evident in my results: I qualified for the Pan American Games in addition to the number one spot on the US Sailing Team.  Albeit, great accomplishments, these are not the only goals I have set out to achieve. 

The hours, days, months and years of preparation that I have devoted to this goal have provided me with a very solid base.  Therefore, the last few weeks of training before the big show, I will focus more on the micro aspects of my sailing, as there are no huge holes that I need to address.  I have weaknesses and I have strengths, but my goal is to be fully prepared to exploit my strengths and minimize my weaknesses. My will to win this 1st Olympic trials event is as high as ever, as it occupies my mind nearly 100% of the day.  However, the diligent preparation process that I have poured into this adventure is what I believe, will distinguish myself from the rest of my Olympic trials competitors.  

Heading into the event, everything will be perfect.  My equipment will be new and tuned, my weight and power will be ideal and my mental state will be hungry.  I will be prepared to overcome any diversity, but hopefully my preparation itself will address any irregular moments.

I am sitting here writing this, overlooking the site of the 2012 Olympic Games and where I will be situated for the next 5 weeks training with a group of very talented, motivated and inspiring sailors.  I believe this training recipe is the ideal platform for my final preparation.