Pre-season came around very quickly this year. It seems like only yesterday we went to the best and fairest to see Daniel Wells and Andrew Swallow receive the Syd Barker Medal. It wasn't long ago Brad Scott addressed the players about his excitement ahead of our camp in Utah.
So there I was the day before my departure for Utah, packing my bags and trying to get everything organised at the last minute. It was like organising birthday presents for friends and family. Before I knew it, I was up nice and early heading to the airport. I arrived earlier than everyone else and went to check in my bags. I was looking to find familiar faces and one by one, the boys appeared and started to check in. Myself and a few of the younger boys headed over a week earlier than most of the team to acclimatize.
After 24-hours of flying we finally arrived in Salt Lake City. We were all tired and jet-lagged and waited about 30 minutes for the bus to take us to the hotel. After an hour of winding roads and driving through mountains and valleys, we finally got there.
We checked in at the Montage resort and the service we received from the minute we entered the front door was unbelievable. I roomed with Ben Cunnington for our two-week stay .
Sleeping was a challenge and you have to experience the conditions to know what it's like. At altitude, the air is thinner and there is not enough oxygen for the body to take in. It takes a good week to adjust and some of the players say it is 'like breathing through a straw'. That's probably the best way to describe it.
The first couple of days at altitude were challenging. Knowing in the back of my head that pre-season was about to commence and I was going to be away for almost a month was something I really had to get my head around.
We started our training with a grueling seven-hour hike. The first three-hours were the toughest and the snow was coming at us from every direction. It was a real mental challenge with the freezing wind chill doing its best to hold us back. Walking up and down mountains for hours on end is draining and your focus and attention seems to decrease as you go.
Nevertheless, I made it through and jumping into a warm spa helped get the blood flowing again.
We stayed a week and a half at the Montage and by the end of it, I was struggling physically and mentally. My arms and legs were stiff as the hikes, running, weights and sleeping difficulties took their toll.
On our final day at the Montage we were lucky enough to experience the first heavy fall of snow in the region. The gardens and surroundings were covered with a thick sheet of white.
We couldn't have had a more welcoming stay. The players were clapped and cheered as we departed and it was a fitting goodbye when the club song came over the speakers on our way to the bus.
Next stop was the Newpark Resort which is a little lower in terms of altitude. This time around I have my own room to stay in with a living area, kitchen and spa. I'm yet to use the spa as it's on the balcony and it's just too cold outside.
We had our first skills training session at Brigham Young University and the boys were pretty excited to the get the footballs out and have a kick. It was a pretty solid session but the skill level was good. The coaches had another surprise with a boxing session to follow and it was pretty tough facing the big guys like Drew Petrie and Hamish McIntosh; the heavy-weights. At the same time, I enjoyed the challenge.
We came back to the hotel to get ready for our next phase of the day, which was a hard running session. This involved a 1.6 kilometre time trial which we had to complete four times. It was hard but we all got through.
That wasn't the end of the day though - we then headed to the USSA Skiing Centre for weights. The facilities are unbelievable. It's one of the most elite environments I have ever been in.
Utah has proven a great challenge for all of us, but I'm sure we'll really benefit from the work we've put in when we get back to Melbourne.
