Getting Ready for RACE 1

Well, our first team trials race is tomorrow morning. We’ve had a tough week of official training because of ice conditions. The first day was so frosty that we barely made it across the finish line… 15 seconds slow! The next day was cancelled due to the extremely warm temperature… even the track’s refrigeration couldn’t keep the ice from melting in some places. However, today we got up before the sun and managed to have some decent down times. No one was surprised how the week turned out since the weather switches on and off like a light bulb during October in Lake Placid. We’re used to it.

I’m a little nervous sitting here tonight thinking about the race. For some reason I’ve had a really relaxed outlook on team trials this year and I’m not sure if that’s good or not. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been through this process so many years now that I subconsciously know not to get worked up or overly excited before race day. (Hmmmmm, that sounds like a good reason! haha). Tomorrow is also where the sports psychology that I’ve worked on this summer will come in handy. The first race of the year is always a little nerve racking because you are out of practice with how you’ll react to the nerves and perform under pressure. I’ll let you know how things actually turn out!

We just had a meeting to determine our order for both races… Tomorrow I have the least favored spot for the predicted warm, rainy weather… Last. Although, I’m not worried about the draw at all because if I focus on my job and execute, I believe I’ll slide fast. I’m also really excited to get to the bottom of the track since my parents will be there! They’ve come up the past three years and helped with recording each athlete’s time as they step off the ice. It’s a huge help!

Here goes nothing… wish me luck!!