“You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning within your own.” – Eleanor Doan
In May I thought…280 days… wow.
The significance? The 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games!
Yes that is all. I suppose there will always seem like there is not enough time. That is why everyday is important. Everyday an opportunity! If each training session is accomplished with this attitude, then I will be ready!
I had an excellent break from biathlon in the tropical islands of Maui and Kauai during April. Soaked in the sunrays, surfed (or tried!), swam, snorkeled, and fully embraced beach life!
By the end of April I was back on snow in Whistler at the Olympic venue in Callahan Valley. We had absolutely beautiful sunny days with amazing ski conditions. It was a great start to the training season. Then before I flew home, I spent 3 days in Vancouver at the Olympic Excellence Series, a conference run by the Canadian Olympic Committee for Olympic and potential Olympic athletes from each sport, and the coaches/support staff. It was an excellent weekend filled with inspiriting stories from Ray Zhab, Johann Koss, Sylvie Frechett, Adam van Koeverden and great workshops. I left feeling refreshed, inspired, motivated, and determined. I dream that one day, I too have an amazing story to tell that will capture the next generation of young people to believe!
Later in June I learnt…
Inspiration can come in so many packages. In June during a rest week, I drove to my hometown, Red Deer, and spoke to grades 1-5 at my old elementary school (Ecole Mountview Elementary School). The kids loved my biathlon simulation exercise, (we “raced” a 7.5km sprint race), and my Olympic story. And I loved their sound effects, their excitement, and numerous questions. I was inspiring them, but they were motivating me and driving my passion! The 4 hrs I spent at the school literally flew by! I left feeling as though I had consumed 20 cups of coffee!
In July, Canmore had some wonderfully hot summer days. I made sure to tick off the list of usual fav summer activities: licking ice cream, fruit smoothies, barbeques, dinning al fresco, swimming, sunbathing, and even some rock climbing at the local crags. The annual Canmore Folk Fest in August was another great relaxing summer highlight.
Training has been awesome this year. Besides the usual intervals, strength and roller ski workouts at the Nordic Center, we have also been up to Highwood Pass a lot for long roller ski sessions. Highwood Pass is a long gradual climb in Kananaskis where we often spot grizzly bears during the month of June… an exciting experience when you are moving so slowly uphill on skis! (yes we do all ski with bear spray and pray that that bear is more interested in the berry bushes than a skinny skier…) We had a fun bike and roller skiing camp in British Columbia in June. Definitely had a chance to work on excellent short tan lines. Highlight included Scott wearing his bike shorts up to his butt in order to fix his tan lines… this only made him look like he was wearing a diaper while riding! In July we headed to Whistler for 2 weeks and did solid training up in Callaghan. Highlight was a team building session involving drums and lots of them! We made some amazing rhythms as a team. Well that may be arguable! August was spent training in Canmore, with an emphasis on field tests and preparation to our World Cup trials in September. I got away from small town life and biathlon for a few days to Vancouver in early August. Definitely needed and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! Stopped in Summerland for a swim and it felt like I’d flown way south as it was 35 degrees. So glorious!
As the summer has officially come to an end, the temperature dropping, and the leaves changing, I am reminded of the immediacy of the World Cup season, and more importantly the Olympic Games.
Therefore…
“The only thing that relieves pressure is preparation.” – Tom Kite
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