I havent update much the blog. I been sick for the past 7 days with a strong case of cold. I havent done any session of training during that time. I watched a lot of movies and slept a lot. I m feeling a bit better today and really hoping i can get back slowly to training tomorow.
I always get sick around janurary/feburary but this time, i guess it s earlier! Hope i m now clear of sickness until ironman arizona!
When i was at the Canadian National triathlon training center, Every second monday, we would have what we call a toolkit! It s a meeting with all the athletes of different sport in a classroom and listen to someone that will come talk about a subject related to sport. I would go most of the time because it was all you can eat pizza and grape juice! But, there was that one monday when someone very special came to talk to us... someone that really reached me whit his message. His name is DR martin collis, He is a motivational speaker about Personal and Professional Wellness. Dr martin was very energetic, made us laugh so hard, it was like a stand up show but for free and with pizza at the same time. At the end of the presentation, he took his guitar and played a song. Ok, it s maybe not the greatest musicien in the world but the message is very simple and i always liked to hear it....
so here it is... download it if you feel like it. down the page...claudia song
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2001_summer/1.shtmlhere s the lyrics:
Claudia
It was just 50 meters of pale blue water
It was cool in the California heat
And the golden swimmers laid their soaking towels on the pool deck
To keep themselves from blistering their feet
And yet another station wagon parked in the parking lot
And yet another kid had come to swim
To swim for the champion club Santa Clara
Where everybody seemed to win
She asked for a trial and the coach with a smile
Said he’d be glad to see what she could do
But as he watched that little 12 year old attack the water
It was obvious she hadn’t got a clue.
She wasn’t very strong she did everything wrong
Just another kid he’d have to turn away.
But she explained that she’d failed in a bunch of other sports
So the coach said if she worked hard she could stay.
So she came to practice and found out very quickly
There was not a single kid that she could beat
Her suit rubbed hot shoulders and the chlorine blurred her vision
She was last when they put her in a meet
But the coach he was wise and he felt he’d realize
That she’d found another sport she could not do
So he helped her when he could, but told her mother perhaps she should
Look around a bit, find something new.
Chorus
Because she never made the finals
And she never got a ribbon for her wall
She never won a medal or a trophy or a T-shirt
She never won anything at all.
So the season ended and we said goodbye to Claudia
And a chapter came to its appointed end
She hadn’t mastered swimming, she could never think of winning
But at least she felt the coaches were her friends
But on the first day of next season for some masochistic reason
Claudia was standing there again
She swam 2 hours every morning and 2 hours every evening
With discomfort coming awfully close to pain
So when we held a banquet at he closing of the season
Just to give the Olympians their due
We bought a Dolphin trophy for the kid who tried the hardest
And we bought it with one person in view
Mark Spitz and Donny Schollander were scooping up all the silverware
And then we asked for Claudia by name
Oh I’ve never seen such happiness, and tears and total radiance
And I don't care if I never do again
Repeat Chorus
If that was all the story it would still have been worth telling
Because no-one loses when they do their best
But there is a little post-script that may be of some interest
So quickly I shall let you know the rest
Her body changed perceptibly as she approached maturity
And quietly co-ordination came
And when you add co-ordination to total dedication
Then the record books would shortly know her name
After the first 2 years the rest of it came easy
We just sat back and watched the tale unfold
In the individual medleys up in Mexico City
Claudia won 2 Olympic golds
So to all you people sitting there with your expertise and your savior faire
Be careful to all the kids that you turn away
For there’s many hurts and many scars when you reach for your appointed stars
But they’re not always as far as first they seem
Claudia wins gold!
She won 2 Olympic finals
And she won a stack of ribbons for her wall
She won a bunch of medals and some trophies and some T-shirts
But the Dolphin trophy meant the most of all
