Few days off followed by a highspeed crash

Well its been a week since I last wrote, and sadly, I have only had 1 more run, and not even a complete run at that, we crashed in corner 14. Last Thursday I was supposed to slide, but didn't end up sliding so I was trying to slide on Friday, but that also didn't happen as we had a sled malfunction - runners weren't responding to the steering. So saturday I spend the morning sanding runners, then into the shop for the early afternoon and then up at the track for early evening. My boyfriend had come up for the weekend to see me slide and Saturday would be the first time ever he'd see me slide - naturally we were both excited. My pilot and I are roaring and ready to go, I do 90% of the push, as she will be racing on Sunday, but we want it to be decently fast. Do our loads, and the run is going soooo smoothly, little pings here and there, but for the most part a very perfect run, and then we have a hit in corner 11 and suddenly the sled has flipped and I am violently yanked from the sled, at around 140km/h (it was a fast night at the track), I am spinning down the track on the ice, out of my sled. I try to stop myself so I dig my bobspikes into the ice on the short wall and on the actual corner, and eventually grind myself to a hault, where I know the sled will most likely be careening backwards towards me. So I drag myself out of the track and on to the platform in the middle of corner 16. By the time I am out, and sitting, that is when the pain hits me, my left hand is searing in pain, and my elbows well I can barely move my arms. The medics rush up and watch as my adrenaline levels plummet to the ground - now everything hurts. So they check me all out and decide its not worth the risk, send me to the hospital for x-rays on both elbows and my hand. As Terrance the track med says "I misdiagnosed hand last week, there is just too many bones, off to get x-rays you go, better to be safe than sorry". So now my poor boyfriend who has had to watch this wicked wild crash, where the bobsled ejects me then proceeds to do barrel rolls, breaking the back axle in the sled, destroying the bunk in the process and mushing the 15kg solid steel runner into some form of melted art. He rushes into the Medical room and sees me, alive and well, bandaged up, but smiling. What a relief, but he comments that he will never get that image of me being blown out of the sled at 140km/h. It's the nights like these that make you remember just why you are doing what you are doing, who you are with and what your life is about. I got lucky. So my boyfriend drives me to the hospital, get all my x-rays and I assumed I would be fine. I am, just crushed the tissue in my left index finger, and severely bruised my elbows - they are now black and deep shades of indigo and violet - but all good none the less. We then head home for a quiet evening of icing and movies.

Third day of sliding, what a ride

So I've now had 3 runs down Whistler, over 2 days, much nicer from last year, where in 2 days I had had 5 runs down. I slid with CAN 6 and CAN 3. Yesterday our runs were a bit tricky, the track is much much faster than its ever been, which is obviously a huge bonus for Team Canada as we prepare for the Games, where the ice will be about this fast if not faster. But it means the pilots need to be on top of their game every run down the track.

Before sliding even started, I needed to get my sled, which was down in the shop, so a few brakemen and myself steal two trucks, book it to the shop, lift our sleds into the trucks, only to realize that we only have 1 strap, and now definitely not enough time to take 1 sled up and come back with the other, so one of the other brakemen and I sit in the back of the truck with my sled, and we hold on to it, while we drive up the winding steep road, as a light snow comes down. Safe, probably not, hilarious to look at, most definitely.

Last night there were 4 crashes, which is not so awesome. Fortunately two were very minor tip overs, so no one was injured, the other two I can't say the same. For my two runs last night, we had some bumping and hard hitting, our second run was more like us being a little ping pong ball being bounced from wall to wall to wall. Definitely not fun on my head nor my body, and today I am definitely feeling it. Fortunately for me, its a day off from not only working out, but from sliding as well, so I will be rested for tomorrow's workout and then sliding. But onwards and upwards!

Whistler Selections have arrived!

So its that time of year, when the crisp autumn air and the crimson leaves appear - must mean its SLIDING SEASON! and oh is it ever. We have been told that the ice on the track is extremely fast - which is fantastic, but as its our first day it would be nice if it was slower! I am not sliding today, or tomorrow but I'll be at the track moving sleds and helping out which is a nice way to get back into everything - I haven't slid since January, so I know my body will be feeling it after I slide on Tuesday.

This year we are doing things a little differently, for the girls at least, no longer are the pilots picking their brakemen, but the coaches have put us girls in a rotation, so that everyone slides with everyone, so no one gets too beat up. I am rather excited to be sliding with Canada 2 and Canada 3 for my entire time here at whistler.

Unfortunately that means I am up here in Whistler, alone for Thanksgiving - not so great, but will definitely be worth it if I make it all the way to the Games.

Second Training Camp

Helllllo team!

So second training camp has come and gone (by a long shot - I've been a bit busy) but I did well at that placing 2nd overall in the sprints and doing well enough on my pushing. Had some minor glitches but life isn't perfect. Overall Calgary was very productive for me, and so has my training been since I got home. I have been training a lot with the Vancouver Canucks - which is obviously a huge deal for me, and definitely pushes me harder than I would've thought - can't let them lift more than me! My bench press, cleans and squats have come along nicely! I can nearly bench my weight (140lbs) I can clean 70kgs, and squat a nice 250lbs for reps - making my 1 rep max nearly 300lbs. Go me Go!

With work and school out of the way I used September as purely a training month, seeing my docs multiple times a week for check ups and acupuncture, massage and phsyio. Its been wonderful and I can see the improvements in my own body - definitely much more muscle mass. I am very excited for this up coming season - although nervous at the same time. We have selection races coming up in Whistler and I really want to make the World Cup Team this year, yes it means a whole lot more travel and competition but I know I'm ready for the challenge.