Summer Training

I finally have my blog up and running, and will keep my finger crossed that it won't get connected to the sites it did this winter. Unfortunately I had to delete all my prior posts. This is a big year for us and I look forward to keeping you all connected to myself and team through the journey.
I really can’t believe that it is already nearing the end of August. The thoughts of sliding this spring are still very fresh in my mind, which I suppose is not a terrible thing considering the start of the sliding season is 6 weeks away. I have had a great summer training in Lake Placid, we had a solid group of athletes in and out throughout the summer. We have all been training hard with each other and in our own ways preparing for the season. I am really pleased with the amount of wheel training we have been able to do this summer. Wheel training is really important for training sliding position and smoothness, both things that I consider to be my biggest weaknesses in the sport. It is great to be in a community that is so supportive and helpful in our training. The track allowed us to use the track 3 times a week, which is a lot in there busy schedule and work maintenance they are doing this summer to get the track ready for the winter. We have watched them re-sow a lot of the shades that cover the curves, and they have also extended the roof cover almost half way up the finish. The track is now probably about 95% covered which is important for keeping consistent track conditions.
There were a lot of different sports floating around the training center this summer. At times Lake Placid can get very repetitive in the day to day schedule, so seeing so many fresh faces and sports has help to keep things both interesting and motivating. Seeing athletes from different sports prepare for their own individual competitions can be very inspiring. A lot of the sports that come through the Lake Placid training center are smaller sports much like luge. One thing in particular that is special about the training center is the amount of development programs kids ages 10-14 that have training camps in the summer. They represent their sports in their truest form with pure joy. While I love what I do, and am so blessed to have found something to partake in that I am so passionate about, at the end of my day results matter a lot. And I think at the elite level it is easy for the true love of sport to slip your mind. The development camps here not only offer a reminder of my live for what I am doing but also offer such great energy, and lastly they give me an extra push within myself to be the type of person/athlete these kids are aspiring to be.

So I am on the train now heading to Newark airport and getting ready to fly overseas for an 11-day training camp. My first stop in Altenberg, Germany where I am going to be wheel training for 4 days by myself. I try to always take some training time for myself so I can focus solely on what I am thinking. I came here last year for the first time (at the time we didn’t have any wheel training available in Lake Placid) and really enjoyed the training I got here, and the better understanding of my sliding strength and weaknesses. Although I have had the opportunity to wheel train in Lake Placid this summer I decided to try and train in Altenberg again because the tracks are quite different. In Altenberg I can really focus on being smooth and making my movements on the sled softer and try and find the finesse I sometimes lack in the winter. From there I will meet up with the rest of the team in Lichtenstein are our head coaches house. We are going to do a 3 days hike between huts in the mountain. It is something I have wanted to do for sometime so I am glad that we were able to fit it in to the schedule. The last stop with be the start competition in Italy. I am really looking to returning this year and seeing where my start times compare with past seasons. I have been doing a lot of work on my paddle strength this summer and this will be my first real test. I hope everyone is ale to enjoy the last weeks of summer, and is able to find sometime to get outside and enjoy all the natural gifts of the world.