Thursday, November 24, 2011

Good News!

So after some very difficult training in Nakiska we headed to Colorado on Monday. And WOW what a difference it has made! There is nothing like skiing in warm weather, with great snow and sunshine. Nothing can compare to that! With these lovely conditions to contend with it was easy to be in a great headspace for training. We have done two days of training at Loveland Pass- which is where the NorAms will be held next week. Being back on hard snow immediately made me feel more comfortable on my skis than I had felt all week in Nakiska. So, after two successful, consistent days of training, I got some very good news! I will be racing the Aspen Slalom World Cup this sunday! I am very excited! Last year I missed qualifying for this race by .09 of a second over a four run time trial. It feels quite amazing to actually get the opportunity to race this year. The next few days will be spent making some final preparations for the race. Today we had the day off which we spent very very casually. We did a movement and stretching session this morning and the rest of the day I have spent trying to get through some of my Chemistry homework. It is a little difficult to comprehend the hybridization of orbitals and the molecular orbit theory when you are far away from the classroom! Tomorrow we have race simulation training which should be great...and I will again take my mind off of skiing by investing some time on my homework. I am actually really enjoying having school with me on the road. Sometimes it gets very easy to obsess about the insignificant details of skiing and things which are outside of your control. Doing homework makes me feel productive and allows my brain a chance to switch gears for a while.

Erin Mielzynski has a schedule on her blog (which is on the list of blogs on the bottom right of my blog) of which World Cups will be televised and which channel in Canada you can watch them. In the states it is possible to watch via Universalsports.com. I hope everyone is enjoying their evening and happy american thanksgiving!


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Nakiska...

After an incredibly fun, nose to the grindstone month at school I am back in the mountains of western Canada! This is the closest I have gotten to home since July! Well I think you could call the Canmore area my second home for all the time I spend here! It feels very circular sitting here in front of the fire at the Delta writing a blog post! I have done this so many times before. For all its similarities though this time is slightly different. This time I have homework and am wearing my new University of Vermont team gear.....And I love it! I have absolutely been loving school! I spent the past weekend building a truss bridge out of balsa wood and glue...whats not to love??? Since Chile I have been feeling the tug of winter....every morning I have been loving school but dreaming of skiing some western Canadian Powder! And well there may be no powder here in Nakiska it feels pretty darn amazing to be back on my skis!

Today was my first day on snow here. Last night I got to the hotel at 11 30pm (which was 1 30am Burlington time...so I was feeling slightly fatigued) and after unpacking my skis fell into the deep slumber of someone how just disembarked from an airplane. Today we skied slalom. It felt great to be back on the shorties! We did four runs of timing on a 75 gate long course! 53 seconds of sprinting. It was great but difficult training due to the marbling in the snow between natural, man-made, soft and compact snow. I am really looking forward to the next few days of skiing!

Until then,

CIAO!