Day off...

This pic is of one of the local taxi's, called a 'Jeepney'. In the back they have two bench seats facing eachother and they function much like the kombi's back home picking up and dropping people everywhere and anywhere. Unlike the taxi's at home though they are very courteous drivers (like all the drivers here) and will give you a comfortably wide berth when on your bike.

Today we were back into training after yesterdays complete day off. I didn't do much with my day off except work on getting over the jetlag once and for all. I slept until about 10h30 and woke up feeling like I had actually rested for the first time since I got here. Today I feel much better and think I am finally over the time difference. We walked the streets of Olongapo for a while (see pic) in the morning. Olongapo is the 'town' part of town across the river from the Subic Bay base. It is everything you would expect from an asian town with small side shops and markets hidden down alleys. We bought fruit at a market vendor and she asked wehre I was from. I said South Africa, and she said, 'Ah, my oranges are also from South Africa!'. Outspan export quality oranges in the Philippines. Nice one!
To fill the rest of the day off we went to watch the latest James Bond movie. It is quite a good movie, on of the better Bond's I think. Unfortunately the movie theatre was not quite as good. I didn't expect much and was actually impressed when we first entered, but when we sat down we knew it would be a long movie - the seats were very narrow, didn't compensate for the sloping floor (meaning they also leant forward) and were well worn. We all needed some good stretching after 2hrs in there! After the movie we went and had pizza and a beer to round off a pretty good and relaxing day off.

Today's training was not too hectic, something like active recovery with short sessions in each discipline. Tomorrow we are doing a long run (for the first time since I got here) and beyond that, who knows?! We never know what is coming more than a session or two in advance - and it is quite refreshing being able to focus simply on the task at hand, not the bigger picture. Having a coach certainly makes training easier, although I am actually training much harder... if that makes sense... :)