To Be Upset or Not To Be Upset...

Hi!
I chose not to write anything while I was in Park City for two reasons… one, I didn’t have internet and two, I really wasn’t inspired to put anything down on paper. I was kind of going through the motions if you know what I mean. Training was going well all week and I was happy to be there. My race prep was decent but looking back, it was a bit robotic. When I wake up on race day, I usually have a little nervousness, which I like… It lets me know that I care about doing well and in the past I’ve been able to control them quite well. I like to use those nerves to help me push faster and focus on my run. I wasn’t nervous all morning but I just let it go… I didn’t want to create false sense of excitement… Who makes themselves nervous because they aren’t nervous? Anyway, I was looking forward to the race but I didn’t have the drive like I’m use to. Because my practice runs had been going well, the track hadn’t showed me what could go wrong up until my first run. It seemed as if everything was a disaster. I found every short-wall to smash into and every straightaway to skid sideways down. What a mess! I actually had to laugh as I got out of the track because I couldn’t believe what just happened. I tried to regroup and refocus for a successful second run but it wasn’t enough to move up the ranks. “Disappointment” is the only word I can use to describe my Park City race. I finally come back to my home tracks and have the worst performance of the year. That hurt! I understand that everyone has good days and bad days so I chalked it up as a terrible race and shifted my focus to Canada. Surely Calgary will be better despite the fact I haven’t been there in a few years...

Well, the Calgary Intercontinental Cup has come and gone. It hurts less the second time you bomb a race! Haha. I guess it’s not funny but what the heck is going on? I’ll admit in Park City I had trouble getting into race mode but I was READY to go today. I was happy with my race prep leaving no corner unturned. I woke up early, had a nice breakfast and got a great warm-up in. The nerves were back and I was excited to race. My practice runs all week were like a puzzle. One day I would get the top but mess up the bottom and visa-versa the next day. I knew what I had to do today it was just a matter of piecing the puzzle together in the right order. I believed I could do it, which was the most important thing for me. I tried to focus on my foundation and relax. The ice was super hard because the temperature was bone chilling cold so I knew I had to be quiet on my sled. I had the sharpest runners on that I have with me but I had a bit of trouble with skidding. I made a few mistakes on my first trip but the time reflected a train wreck run. I was a little surprised but the clock doesn’t lie. I knew I had to clean it up on my second… The race wasn’t over yet. I’m not going to sugar coat my emotions between runs - I was pretty pissed off. If you ever need to vent and not make a scene… I suggest the bathroom stall! Haha. Sometimes that’s the best way for me to let it all out and allow myself to regroup. It feels good to know I can bounce back and motivate myself again in a short period of time. I gave it my best shot improving my start time four hundredths, beating my personal best I set two years ago here at Olympic team trials. My trip down the track was much better but I made one mistake that could have cost me up to a half a second… just so you know, it’s not fast to power skid down a 50 m straightaway (8-9 if you’re familiar with the track). Oops! In a blink of an eye my hopes of improving was over. Amazingly enough I did move up one spot but that was due to another sliders mistakes not my own triumph.
Hey, that’s racing… whether you’re ecstatic and on top or miserable on the bottom, there’s always something to learn and take with you to the next destination. Even though today didn’t work out like I had hoped, I have an awesome opportunity to dig myself out of my 12 place hole… two girls were unable to make it to the America’s Cup race taking place Saturday and Sunday so Becca and I will be taking their spots. It will be just as competitive, if not more, because most IC athletes will be participating plus all AC girls. So that’s the update… Two more races here in Canada before I jet off to Lake Placid (the last stop on our 6 destination tour). What do you think? Feel free to leave comments…