Friday, July 1, 2011

Happy Canada Day!

It's been and intense and busy week of training.  Everything is coming together really well for me and I see more improvements every week! I feel healthy and strong and now I'm really getting excited for new zealand to get back on skis for the first time since February!!!!
One of the hardest workouts we do during the week mentally and physically is intervals at the velodrome.  It's hard to push yourself to your limit for 2 full minutes 6 times, and to push through the leg burns and lung hackings!! I'm into it though, and I know that the benefits will help a lot at the end of a high altitude long slalom course!! (ASPEN!!! haha!)
Here's a picture that Malcolm Carmichael took of me this week at the velodrome getting down and AGGRESSIVE!!
 And then I decided to race yesterday!
It was really fun and very VERY different from skiing!! It's more about tactics and knowing when to sprint, when to tail people, and when to watch your back for people attacking!!!
I really like it and I am already excited to race again!  We had a 10 lap scratch race where everyone basically cruises at a high speed until the last few laps when people start attacking and "boxing you in"....
AND there was an unknown race where you go around and around until a random bell which means one lap left, so it's an unexpected crazy sprint!! So some people just attack early and others wait it out... 
ANd we also did a one lap scratch race where you start from a dead stop (I attached the video below...) which was a little nerve-wracking since I'd never tried it before!!!
AND the last race was my favourite race where every lap, the last person gets eliminated until there are three laps left and three people left.  It was cool and a little crazy at times!!
I was pumped with how I did and I cant wait to do it more!  It's such a chill atmosphere, we all sit on the grass and cheer everyone on while we wait for our races, and it was fun to race at something completely new and out of my comfort zone.
AND here's a short video of one of the races I did, a one lap scratch race.  It was the first time I've ever started from a complete stop, but it was cool, i'll definitely practice them in the future!!  AND the best part of the video is the commentating!! hahaha. thanks to the girls for coming and cheering me on!!!



ANYWAY!!! Here are more of Malcolm's pics from the gym this week!  I added commentaries haha
 Another thing to add to the busy week was our line-dancing class!
A bunch of us went and learned how to line dance and two step and other complicated things....
It was really fun but Marco and I are far from pro!!!
 pigeon toe, pigeon toe, side side side side front front back back front side back kick twist REPEAT!
 We're trying to seem more local for stampede! Maddy's trying to teach line dancing to mitch and travis...
 That's mostly everything!! we have a three day weekend and I've already had two huge naps and lots of relaxing time today at the park!
Happy Canada Day!

1 comment:

  1. Hello Anna. I am a writer for Ski Canada magazine collecting memories of racing in the Nancy Greene League. I’m writing an article for Ski Canada on how the league got started, and I hope to include all kinds of memories from participants… racers, parents, coaches. Your job is to answer these two questions as thoughtfully as possible, hopefully by July 22 or sooner:

    Q: When (approximately) did you participate in the Nancy Greene League (NGL) for ski racing, and was it as a racer, a coach, a parent… or maybe all three!?

    Q: Tell me what you remember best about the NGL. Describe a memory. Perhaps begin with: “I remember driving to Devil’s Glen on a snowy Saturday morning when…” or “I remember getting so nervous at the start I’d…”

    If you have any photos from ‘back in the day’ please feel free to pass them along to me at lori@loriknowles.com. And please pass these questions on to all your NGL friends.

    Thanks again.


    Lori Knowles
    lori@loriknowles.com
    Twitter: @LoriExploring

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