when in Finland...

...do as the Finnish. Tonight I tried Reindeer for the first time. Looked and tasted like beef, just a little more fatty tasting but still good. We ate it with "smashed" potatoes and puolakka (lingdonberry or cowberry in english).

My week in images (and captions)

Lake Pieksanjarvi, the town lake.

Lance wanted a photo. It's ALL about the bike...

One of few friends I allow to use my computer.

Posing like Where's Waldo (or Wally) in front of the Cathedral in Helsinki.

nutrition and performance

I've been here just over a week. I've had volleyball sessions and lifting sessions at all different times throughout the day. The best thing is, we're done by 7pm each night. This is one of my first professional teams I've played on where I don't finish late. Now my eating habits will stay consistent and healthy. It's very important I eat well to keep up my energy and also for recovery. I need a proper balance of carbs and protein before and after each training session. This helps my muscles recover at a faster pace, allowing me to be prepared to go hard the next day again. Usually I will have a small amount of high protein yogurt (like greek yogurt, low in carbs and sugar) and a piece of fruit 1 hour before training. I like to play on a light stomach. After training, I'll have a recovery shake with a ration of 3:1 carbs:protein or if I've just lifted I'll have a protein shake. During training I'll typical snack on a banana to keep my level consistent.

Throughout the day, I try to eat smaller meals. It's in the evening where I pack on my calories. This is only because with 2 training sessions a day, with a few hours to recover in between, the smaller meals won't make me feel full at my next session. Breakfast right now is Wheetabix. Once I'm in my normal living situation, I'll have more protein in the morning such as eggs and toast or greek yogurt. Lunch is typically an omlette with some meat and veg. Dinner is whatever I spend time making. The balance I'll have each night is meat, veg and some carbs. As the season goes on, I'll post my favorite meals (I know you can't wait!)

The part in my nutrition that I feel benefits me most, is eating my protein and carbs before and after each session. I tend to recover well and am less tired. That's not to say I don't get sore and tired, I do!, but my window of recovery is smaller, taking less time to recover.

Feels like a decade ago...

Bogie, my dear friend and former SMC teammate has reminded me that 10 years ago today we were at our first day of training camp at SMC. It's crazy to think it was that long ago. For one, I'm still doing the same thing and two, I don't feel that old. It's amazing the memories that keep coming back to me after thinking more about my freshman year.

1. Being run into the ground every day during training camp.

2. Triple days.

3. Eating my body weight in food after each training session.

4. Meeting other college athletes.

5. Living in the dorms.

6. Our coach saving the last 30 minutes of practice for running (haha)

7. Stretching in lines, seniors in front and freshman in back.

8. Wearing collared jersey's that were too big.

9. Running 300 meters in under 1 minute, 3 times.

10. Ice baths in the large portable pool outside.

Pieksämäki

You know the fun game "spin the globe to see where you will live"? Well I played that game the other day. I spun the globe and when it stopped, my finger landed on Pieksämäki, Finland. A small town in the South East of the country.

I'll be living here for the next 8 months as my preparation for next year's Olympic Games. My International season with Great Britain is now over. It was a more successful summer for the team and a good way to transition into playing in a national league from August to April. I'm fighting for my spot for the Olympic team, so this next year is important for me to continue to improve. So far I've had 2 volleyball sessions and 1 lifting session. I haven't felt that I've needed much a transition to move here and play (it has been only 2 days, so I could feel differently soon). Wherever you are in the world, volleyball is volleyball and it's about delivering your job on court. I've played for 4 teams throughout Europe, this team in Finland being my 5th. I guess moving and playing around the World is now normal for me because I've yet to feel like I'm out of my element.

I don't know the language and it is very unfamiliar to me. I'll learn a word, pronounce it until I say it correctly, and then a few minutes later forget it. It's a little tiring not remembering but I think the more I submerge myself in the language, the more familiar it will sound and the more I will remember. For now, it's important I understand what is going on at training and become as fluent as I can in the Finnish Volleyball language. Which means, I'm starting with numbers...

1	yksi
2	kaksi
3	kolme
4	neljä
5	viisi