More airport craziness...

Tuesday 5/6/08

This morning, we flew out of Austin into Colorado Springs. We got to the airport, I got some breakfast, then found a seat away from people... or so I thought. There were 2 women talking one seat down from me. I thought nothing of it because there was a seat between us... until the woman's old, talkative-looking husband came and took that seat. Great, just great. Just leave me alone and let me read my book. Please. What have I ever done to you? Oh no, he's turning in his chair, oh no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Weird old guy: "Whatcha readin? That looks interesting. Is that a medical book?"
FR: "No, it's a weightlifting book"
WOG: "You know when I started weightlifting?"
FR: (never, I thought) "No, when?"
WOG: "Back in the 50's before it was popular... before it was mainstream... hell, almost before anyone had ever heard of it!"

Now, had I not been trying to end the conversation as soon as I could, I would have schooled this idiot on the 50's being the "Golden Age" for bodybuilding. Names like Reg Park, John Grimeck, Steve Reeves, and, the author of the book I was reading at the time, John McCallum. His monthly articles in Strength and Health brought bodybuilding and weightlifting into the mainstream. Not to mention a little governator named Arnold Schwarzenegger was soon to be making his way from Austria to the US of A to really bring the sport to light. But I digress... back to this idiot.

FR: "Oh really?"
WOG: "Yep. Now you know you have to run too? You can't just lift weights. I used to run all the time with football. I still run... and I lift like crazy still too!"

This guy goes on for some time, bragging about various accomplishments that you knew were absolute bullshit. He asks where I am headed, where I am from, etc etc etc. Then, after all his bragging and carrying on, he asks the golden question.

WOG: "So, what do you do?"
FR: (loving every second that I am milking this, haha) "I am the strength and conditioning coach for the Round Rock Express"

This shut him up for a few seconds and I could tell that he was thumbing back through all the crap he had just said in his mind, wondering if I was going to call him out on it, or if he should just ignore it and carry on. He chose the latter.

WOG: "How fast do your guys run the 40?" (meaning the 40 yard dash)
FR: "We don't run 40's"
WOG: "Well everyone runs 40's"
FR: "Well we don't run 40's"
WOG: "We ran 40's all the time in football. That's all anyone ever talks about: how fast athletes run the 40"
FR: "No, that's all anyone ever talks about FOOTBALL players running. 4o's are irrelevant in baseball. Baseball players' speed is judged on 30 and 60 yard sprints."
WOG: "30's and 60's? Those are random distances!"
FR: "Not for baseball players. 30 yards is the distance from home plate to first and 60 yards is the distance from home plate to second base."
WOG: "Oh... oh well that makes sense then."

He tried to make more small talk, then made the mistake of telling his wife that I was the "trainer" for the Express. He was quickly corrected and reminded that I was the strength coach. Strength coaches and trainers are completely different people and each get equally offended if they are referred to as the other. Thank god my boarding group was called.

WOG: "Well good luck to ya... we'll see you on the plane!"

What did he just say? See you on the plane? It hadn't occured to me that I could have this idiot right in my ear all the way to Dallas, then possibly all the way to Colorado Springs! What seat did I have? 23F. Window seat. Clarky: 23A. Papa Jack: 23B. There was no 23C as this was a plane with 2 seats on one side of the aisle and 3 on the other. Otis: 23D. Radio guy: different row. Bullpen catcher: different row. OH NO! It could be true! This guy actually could be in 23E! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I kept my head down after I sat down, occasionally glancing up to see if this goofball and his pencil-thin mustache was wondering down to sit his fat butt down in 23E. I did not see him. What is it with me, wierd people, and airports?

Thursday 5/8/08
I didn't know this when we first got into town, but Colorado Springs is actually at a HIGHER elevation than Denver. Denver (the sunshine state... gorgeous... GORGEOUS!) is known at "The Mile High City" since it is 5,280ft above sea level. Well Colorado Springs is over 6,500ft above sea level!!! You can really tell that the air is much thinner up here. You are completely gassed after running 2 quick sprints. You try and breathe really deep and instead of you lungs feeling like they are going to burst from the huge amount of air you just inhaled, they feel like they are nearly empty. The USA Olympic Training Facility is located here and I can see why. If you can get into shape, run, jump, swim, etc at this elevation, then anywhere closer to sea level would be a breeze to compete at. You would be able to increase your performance no problem. Salt Lake City (where we are headed next) is at a high elevation as well, but not as high as this. I am interested to see if there are any positive effects on the players' performance, as well as mine. What I am trying to say is I am wondering if training for 8 days at a very high elevations will make training in Round Rock noticably easier or different at all.