Relaxing Painfully

Today was a regeneration day. Unlike most days, my instructor today was Darryl Eto, just back from an Adidas Basketball Camp (he's a consultant for Adidas). Eto is also a Senior Performance Specialist at AP, one of the elite trainers handpicked by President Mark Verstagen. His expertise shows. He led us through a series of foam roll exercises, sprinkling knowledge about different kinds of muscle tension. He even diagnosed a balky tendon in my knee as a result of my lack of core stability.

The massage I was looking forward to was more painful than relaxing. The masseuse, Andria, tried to relax my tight shoulders. I think she made some progress, but it wasn't soothing. Speaking of pain, I can look forward to 2 physical therapy sessions tomorrow. I also have the normal AM movement workout and the PM strength workout.

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W. Mark Felt once famously told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to "follow the money" when Woodward was covering the Watergate scandal. While I'm not claiming there is a scandal here at AP, it is useful to talk about where the money goes. Pro athletes pay nearly $1500 per week; Collegians are out about $900 per week. Meals and physical therapy cost extra. However, 90% of my interactions so far are with unpaid college graduates who train us. AP is sponsored by EAS, Gatorade, Keiser and many others. EAS gives AP a ton of free supplements. Equipment manufacturers donate high-tech machines. Of course, there are expenses, including a full-time staff with which I interact daily. I don't mean to complain; I'm having a great time and it has been worth every penny. But either this company has great margins or their overhead costs rival the Taj Mahal's.

Thanks for reading,
Ben