Well, let me tell you about my trip to Mexico (Pan American Games).....it starts with one word: FUN! I had an amazing time competing at the event. I thought that it was very important to have an event where I was more relaxed and focused more on enjoying myself. It has been a very long year with lots of events and I just wanted to go to Mexico and compete with a different mindset. I believe this has rejuvenated my sailing, thus enabling me to be motivated for my upcoming training in Clearwater and Colorado Springs.
I thought Florida had the most extreme humidity, but Mexico has taken it to a whole new level. It was incredibly hot and humid down there. I had to focus on staying hydrated which was actually a very difficult task. I felt like every ounce of liquid I consumed wasn't being absorbed!
The sailing conditions in Mexico were very difficult. It was a max of five knots. I kept thinking to myself, "I sure am happy that I gained weight for Perth! haha." That was the opposite of what I needed in Mexico! I was definitely pushed by all of the competitors to step up my speed and thinking (tactics and strategy) in light air. I started off the event just okay, but I quickly changed some things around and started to see an improvement. I feel that at the event I learned a lot about sea breezes. The wind would begin to fill while we were sailing out and it would not be finished by the time we began racing. This created an unstable racing condition with lots of shifts and changes taking place while racing. Sometimes the changes would be quick or veeerrrryyyy slow! I feel I learned so much and I am very excited to show and talk to Luther about the event. I think we are going to take my sailing to a new level because of the additions that we are going to add to my tactical process. VERY VERY EXCITING!
A third thing that was really fun about Mexico was speaking Spanish. I studied the language for a few years in school and could feel all of my lessons coming back. It has inspired me to become fluent in the language. When I came home I bought some books and audio to aid me in my studies.
So whats the plan for the future? Isabella Bertold (Canada) and coach Luther are coming to Clearwater tomorrow. We are going to do a training camp for the next week. I hope to get some long hours on the water and work on the things that I noticed in Mexico. Im expecting us to be doing 2-3 sessions of working out and sailing a day. It's time to amp things up because Worlds is approaching quickly.
On November 7 I am traveling out to Colorado Springs to get pounded by the trainers. I will be living in the Olympic Training Center for 2 weeks. I am worried that there won't be enough wind in Clearwater which would reduce my hiking endurance. So, I feel that focusing on working out and pushing myself beyond my limits on land will have a positive impact on my hiking fitness. I also want to be in a focused atmosphere where all I think about is training, sailing and improvement. Honestly, when Monday comes around I am going to be a focused, robot, extreme, motivated, disciplined Sailor Paige. I have very high goals set for Worlds and I know that to achieve them I need to start buckling down even more. Luther and I have been working very hard for a long time. We have had some very intense training which has prepared me to endure and raise my level of intensity this month in preparation for Worlds. When the event comes around I will be 100% prepared and confident in the sailor we have created.
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