Good Bye Calgary...

It was a long week in Calgary but definitely worth the trip. Out of all the tracks I’ve been to this year, I think I learned the most here. Unfortunately my sliding struggled but I finally pieced it all together on my final descent and proved that it was possible for me to go fast here. That’s the best feeling because it means that I really did have a poor IC race and there was much more potential there. That’s much better than doing my best and still being disappointed with my finish.

The biggest thing I learned is this… What worked in the past to get me pumped up for a race doesn’t apply anymore. I needed to find new inspiration to put my game face on. It’s a little more complicated than it sounds and it doesn’t happen overnight. However, I definitely feel like I’m 3 races closer to creating a clear picture. As my sliding career progresses, I’ve become increasingly more competitive and have naturally generated higher expectations for myself. I think that’s great but I’ve been finding out how tough it can be when I don’t reach my challenging goals. The U.S. Olympic Committee put together a sports psychology workbook that I picked up at the beginning of the season. I filled out quite a bit during team trials and found that it was very helpful... I need to go back and tailor some of my goals… I have a new workbook waiting for me in Lake Placid!

I really enjoy the mental side of this sport because I think it’s just as, if not more important than the actual physical elements. This week I had to force myself back to the basics and focus on my foundation. I was so caught up in timing of steers and where I wanted my sled to be on the track that I forgot to just relax and be comfortable in the moment. I was stressed that I couldn’t get into the first curve correctly and had exhausted my options… it wasn’t until I changed my frame of mind that my sled started reacting the way I had planned.

There are always mental exercises and strategies to improve your performance but there was something else I wanted to do for this race. Sometimes in individual sports, athletes can have individual agendas. That’s great but I come from a team background and when we all have “USA” written on the back of our speedsuits, I want to act like a team. Support amongst the athletes has lacked in the past so last night I decided to bring a bit of my college field hockey/lacrosse experience to Skeleton. Psych cards! Haha. Just a little something to show my support for the team… we ended up with 3 girls on the podium today and that made me proud! GO TEAM USA!