I Really Hate Packing!!

I think I may have more anxiety and frustration packing than I do racing. To fit all of my junk into one bag is impossible! I'm talking about all of my equipment, winter clothes, winter boots, helmet, clothes, bathroom stuff, work out clothes... I could go on forever with this list. This is everything I'm going to be using for the entire winter and I have to cram it into a tiny corner of a huge bag...which by the way, ends up weighing 100 lbs by the time I'm finished. UGGGGG. Thank goodness for the invention of luggage wheels! The only thing more terrifying than having two bags both oversize and over 70 lbs is trying to convince the airline check-in person why they shouldn't charge you an extra $300 for your massive amount of baggage! I literally get sweaty armpits when I'm at the counter because I'm so nervous! That's embarrassing! I’ve also learned that waiting for the youngest, most attractive male employee and flashing a big smile and batting my eyes has about a 50/50 success rate for getting on with no extra charge. I’m actually writing this because I’m procrastinating from the dreaded process of packing. I hate it!

Home... for a second

My cross-country trek with Eric was awesome! We ended up driving 4,300 miles (San Diego – Calgary – Virginia) and slept in the back of his covered pick-up truck along the way. The scenery was amazing from state to state… from the ocean view of California, to the snowy city of Calgary, to the lakes of Minnesota, to the tree covered mountains of West Virginia and finally, the horse fields and winding back roads of home. What a trip!

We stopped at my Alma matter, DENISON University, on the way home! That was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. I got to see my field hockey and lacrosse coaches and my academic advisor. After sitting in the car for so long, Eric and I worked out with the field hockey team in the rain and afterwards I talked to the girls for a bit. I was really excited to tell them what I’ve been doing and they asked the greatest questions! My favorite was “do you wear underwear under your speed suit?” haha.

This was the first year that I didn’t know anyone on the team… it made me feel really old! More than that, being there made me miss being on a team sport so much. It's the difference between having everyone work together to win and having everyone working against each to win. It’s almost more rewarding to know you’ve accomplished something together as a group rather than just by yourself. I had to learn the art of celebrating internally and how to be humble because even though you know your teammates are happy for you, they may not show it because they aren't very excited about their own performance. You definitely have to enjoy the moment and not boast too loudly like you would at the end of a rival hockey game. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely things I love about individual sports but being on the field hockey field brought back a lot of great memories. YA BIG RED!!

So, I was home for a total of two days and now I’m off again (just for the weekend) to New York City! I’m going to visit a friend of mine, Claire, which has been such a long over due get together. I can’t wait! No working out for two days…it’s going to be a real vacation ;) haha I don’t actually go back to Lake Placid until the October 5th … so I’ll have a little bit more time at home.

That’s what’s going on for now. Always on the road! I love it!

Calgary Push Training

This week I pushed on ice for the first time in 6 months at Calgary's indoor ice house. I was frustrated at first because I feel much faster and stronger than I did last year but my times weren't reflecting my improvements. Running on ice bent over is a very unnatural position that takes time to master. It is extremely different than running upright on a track. You have to re-teach yourself how to accelerate efficiently over the crest of the ice and continue to run downhill. I found that the harder I tried the slower I went. Because of this, the first few days were rough and I was trying to hide my disappointment from my teammates because I knew they would just tell me what I wanted to hear to make me feel better. Although, I've learned that when I'm down on myself the only person to bring me out of that lull is me. I reviewed videos, set goals for each session, and decided what I wanted to work on for the next day... this is how I gained my positive attitude back.

The last day I was able to apply force into the ice in the right direction and my "easiest" push became my fastest time. It reminded me that relaxing and staying fluid is one of the most important elements of the push. It allows my legs to turnover faster but in order for this to be effective, I have to stay focused and be deliberate with each step so I don't get lazy. All in all, I was 0.04 seconds off of my fastest push last year but I'm confident that there is plenty of room for improvement once I return to Lake Placid. I just didn't have enough time here to get back into the swing of things on ice. At the end of the week I'm happy with where I am with my pushing and I'm looking forward to sliding down the entire track in just a few short weeks. I must say that there was one thing a teammate said to me this week that really opened my eyes. "Know how hard you worked all summer but don't rely on it...build on it". I took that to heart and it really helped me focus on what I needed to accomplish during my stay here. LAKE PLACID.... HERE I COME!!!

On the Drive...

I left San Diego Saturday morning with a strange feeling. Where did the last six months go? I felt like I had arrived just yesterday but looking back at what I’ve accomplished in that time makes me feel great about the hard work I put in. I can remember having some really tough times with my training the first two months. I had taken some time off after my season had ended and getting my body back into shape wasn’t easy. I spent a lot of time in the Sports Medicine building nursing small injuries that seemed to never end. Just when I thought I was feeling good again I’d have another set back. It certainly tested my patients and dedication… did I really want to be here? Every muscle in my body ached, my energy was depleted and I didn’t feel like I was making any progress. I think every athlete has felt like that at some point in his or her career. I really had to take a step back and look at the big picture to turn my downward mental spiral around.

In reality, I was making progress. I just didn’t realize it at the time because I was working on building a stronger foundation, which isn’t necessarily noticed immediately. I don’t remember the exact turning point in the summer but I began making baby steps toward my short-term goals and I started to gain a more positive attitude about the months to come. I guess I had to go through some “downs” to appreciate the “ups” and motivate myself to keep striving to stay on top.

On a more physical level, I learned how to take care of my body more efficiently and was able to prevent my chronic back pain (an old injury) from limiting my training like it had in the past. I feel faster, stronger and more technical with my pushes than I have any other summer so I’m really looking forward to getting on the ice. I’m actually on my way to Calgary, Canada as I write. Eric and I are splitting a 24-hour drive into two days. We just stopped in Park City, Utah and walked the skeleton track just to bring back the feeling of sliding. I haven’t slid down that track for a year and a half so it was important for me to spend some time there before Team Trials. Calgary has an indoor push facility where we can practice our starts on the ice. I’ll be able to put my summer training to use for the first time! I’m really anxious…only 8 more hours of driving until I arrive! The season will be here before I know it… I can’t wait!

(More pictures of my drive home in the Media Gallery "summer 2006" album)

Weight Loss Ads are CRAP!

I was sitting at breakfast this morning and a weight loss commercial kept replaying every five minutes on TV. It made me sick to see what they were trying to sell! A pill that just melted away fat... you didn't need to change anything in your life - just pop the pill and watch the weight fall off! You could lose up to 15 lbs in one week! YAY!

99.9% of weight loss ads drive me crazy! Don't believe any of them you see on TV or in Magazines! As we all know I've spent a few hours on my computer this summer and have learned a thing or two about what they can do. I just wanted to give you an example of what a "beginner" can do with a photo. And don't be fooled by the videos either because there are people out there that can touch those up too!

Here's my advise for losing weight.....

With 6 easy payments of $29.99 I'll tell you :)

Just look at my pictures and you can see it really works!!!




or you could just go out and buy PHOTOSHOP at your local computer store!

PS: All four of these pictures were taken within 2 minutes of each other... I bet you really want to know my secret now!

My Cousin's Wedding

My cousin Neal got married yesterday and his wedding was absolutely beautiful. The rehearsal dinner was at a Virginia winery and the wedding was held on a gorgeous plantation... Thanks to Hurricane Ernesto, we were graced with a steady downpour for two days straight but it didn't effect the celebration one bit. My favorite part about the weekend was having nearly all of my relatives together in one place. They traveled from Florida, Texas, Georgia and California and I hadn't seen some of them for 9 years! What a great event to get together for...we danced the night away and chatted about what we've been up to. It's times like these that make me really appreciate my entire family and love how supportive they are of my career.

You might think that after a weekend with 16 people staying in my house (ranging from age 4 - 83) I'd be ready for it to end but I've had such a blast with everyone. I can't wait for the next cousin wedding... although I'm the next in line by age, I have a feeling I'll be beat to the alter! haha...and by the way, that's perfectly fine with me!!!!! :)

Neal and Erika, Your wedding was wonderful...Thanks for bringing everyone together again...Congratulations and Good Luck! I wish you guys the best!

(Picture: All of my cousins at the wedding - Paige, Carly, Sammie, Shannon, Me, Katie) -click pic to view larger

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

With my peers moving forward in successful careers, I sometimes question if I am doing the right thing with my life at this point. Is a dream a valid enough reason to put my entire life on hold? I've heard several encouraging comments such as "you're only young once" and "I wish I had the talent to do what you're doing". But I've realized that the true answer lies within myself.

I believe that this adventure will only benefit me in the long run. I've had the opportunity to travel the world and experience the cultures of six different countries in one season. I was able to witness first hand the greatness and power of sports to bring people with different backgrounds and beliefs together to compete. And for that moment, you are all friends with a common goal to do your best and politics are far from anyone's thoughts.

Not only am I working hard physically, I also endure continuous mental challenges and practice self discipline on a daily basis. I'm learning how to take care of my body by eating healthy, getting enough rest and preventing careless injuries. But the best part about my entire experience is that I had the curiosity and courage to try. I was never the most naturally talented athlete growing up but I always put in 110 percent.

I never dreamed of being on the National Skeleton Team when I was a kid... most people still don't know what Skeleton is. But when I discovered it, I decided to test my limits with a sport that I loved and take the path less traveled. I could have followed my peers into the work force but I felt the need to excel in a different way. I never expected to be a top 10 ranked athlete in the US, but I also had never tried before now. If anything, I've learned that you never know what your true limits are until you set your heart to find out. In my mind, that's not putting your life on hold... that's just creating one more page in your story book of valuable memories and lessons to take on with you for the future. When I end my athletic career, I'll be a stronger person for what I've been through. Life is about experiences and this one will surely be chalked up as nothing short of amazing!