Tales from Tokyo: Part 2

Afternoon from Miyazaki!

As we get more settled into the acclimation camp, the days are starting to blend together. Hard to believe we have been in Japan for a little over a week! It’s also still hard to grasp we live almost a full day ahead from everyone back home. 
Humidity. We were warned it was no joke here, but it doesn’t really hit you until you experience it. From the moment you step outside, it feels like it’s already time to take another shower. Our strength and conditioning gym is outdoors in a parking garage and the fans can only do so much. It does not take a lot to get a sweat going, which the boxers do not mind at all. Thankfully, we also have some amazing ice vests that Kevin (Kotsko) and Chris (Bader) prep every day for the boxers and help put on after training. True example of the team behind the team!
Cones. There seems to be an endless supply of cones. From the quarter mile walk to the meal and training area to the green space for outdoor relaxation, we are guided along by brightly colored cones and caution tape. The hotel and organizers are very serious about keeping us socially distanced and safe from the general public. New ones appear almost every day as we get access to more areas. Matt (Johnson) has been a great warrior to get us places to relax and recover!
Spiders. BURN THE PLACE DOWN!!! Some of the coaches and staff were getting their daily 5:30 a.m. workout in the S&C gym when a ‘friend’ decided to make an appearance. After some googling, we learned it was a Huntsman Spider and it is FAST. It was hard to catch a picture of one as it scurried around the pillar, but Tim (Back) snagged one. I might have made a few sounds when I initially saw it… Another slightly smaller ‘friend’ made an appearance later in training and why I triple check before I do any wall sits or med ball throws against any of the pillars. 

We had our first contact training with other countries this week. A little ‘school of combat’ with Australia, Germany and Ireland. France and the Netherlands will be arriving soon and will join once ready. I think everyone was ready to spar against someone different than the training camp in COS. Tiger earned some stripes against Ireland yesterday😊. 

We continue to be tested for COVID daily and thankfully everyone is still negative. That is a trend we want to keep! Thankfully, we just suck on a ‘lollipop’ for 30 seconds. Our noses are safe for now.