Friends

For the first days of my arrival, I was training at one of the local velodromes outside of Melbourne.  DISC (Darebin International Sports Center) is not just any local training facility but an indoor 250m!  Yes, these folks are spoiled and don't even know it.  

After a bit of "negotiating" with the track manager, I somehow managed to have the track all to myself for 2 days in a row.  Sounds nice, right?

I suppose I have been spoiled by having the best training group in Colorado Springs.  Not only do the coaches provide a supportive and challenging environment but my training partners provide lots of entertainment.  (thanks Dean and Blatch!)  Anyway, I figured out quickly how lonely the track can be.

Luckily I found friends... bowling friends.  Bowling... Aussie style. Don't laugh!  It is a very serious sport here in Australia.  So serious that there are uniforms, correct shoes and hats, lots of cheering, and, no doubt, competition. 

This was their little halftime pep rally.

Oh, and then my friends... the Koreans.  Between the athletes and the coaches, there were about 15 of them and nobody spoke English (or at least they chose not to).  Even though they were very suspicious of my camera (like I was spying on their equipment) and we never did manage to communicate, I still consider them my new friends.  Hey, I am alone and in need of friends!

Did I mention I have been driving a rental car this whole time on the left side of the road?  More on that later!