How are you coping with sleeping at altitude?
During the middle part of the season after my knee surgery I actually had to sleep in an altitude tent for about 6 weeks until i was back playing, so I think that stint has helped me cope much more comfortably with being able to sleep over here, but many of the boys have had trouble getting to sleep and also constantly waking up during the night because of the high altitude.
How is the intensity of training compare to your normal pre-season training regime?
Up until now, pre-seasons for me have consisted of recovering from one or multiple surgeries undergone at the end of the season, but this pre-season, I've been able to hold on to some of the fitness gained from finishing off the season. I've been out on the training track from the first day which has been a real positive.
How did the guys go on the acclimatising hike up Mount Humphreys today?
Really well. We had really good conditions for our first taste of the mountain and everyone handled the climb pretty comfortably, even when the odd snowball would fly past your head from someone further back. The real test will be the climb to the peak on Thursday.
How was the high ropes course?
The ropes course was pretty fun, whilst also being pretty taxing on the upper body. I had "Boots" (Josh Bootsma) with me around the course, and it was lucky he had a safety harness on because there were a couple gusts of wind which just about knocked him off.
What aspect of training have you enjoyed the most?
Training at the dome has been really good, plus being able to train in shorts and a singlet when its snowing outside is a massive win. Although they will be challenging, the hikes up Mt Humphreys and the Grand Canyon will be a highlight of the trip.
What have you disliked?
Sharing a room with "Waitey" (Jarrad Waite). His smells and his jokes have made it a long trip so far.
Have you had any down time to do anything else?
We have had pretty full days which hasn't left a lot of down time but Jamo, Davey Ellard, Laids and I managed to sneak in a bit of a shoot around on the indoor basketball courts at the college which showed that Davey will never be a NBA player and Jamo thinks he should be.
