Is it really the beginning of June already?  Have I really already finished my first phase of the dryland training period? Did it really just snow in Calgary last Saturday? Is it really less than 250 days until the World comes to Canada to compete in the 2010 Games?

Yes to all of the above.  I can say good-bye to the 72 repetitions of the single leg dead lift and I can say hello to the back squat and lunges. My solution for the snow fall in Calgary last weekend was to stay an extra day in Vancouver? And yes I am getting more and more excited for the Games to come. This is the best time to be in sport in Canada and bit by bit fellow Canadians are getting onboard the Olympic band wagon which is making the spirit and passion of sport grow and grow

The challenge is the balancing act.  It is a constant struggle to balance what your body needs, what your head needs, what your sponsors need and what you want to do.  A friend of mine told me the other day when I was discussing the trials and tribulations of the infamous balancing act, that “You need to realize that if you win at the Games your sponsors, media, friends and family will love you and want to be around you but if you lose then it is only the latter two that will still want your attention and time so it is better to neglect everything a little now for a bigger return in the long run”. This means that I have to do everything that is best for me NOW and sometimes it comes at the expense of other things, obligations and people.  This now leads to the next predicament; how do I do selfish things without being selfish?  That is what I am currently working on and realizing the real importance of it.  Sports can be a harsh world in that you are often judged on your results and accomplishments and not on what you as an athlete might want to be judged on and I am sure that Vancouver 2010 will be no different.  I want to enter these Games knowing that I did everything in my power to be the best.  I will walk away win or lose a happy athlete as long as I know that I did everything possible.  Now is the time to pull out all the stops.

I can honestly say that I am enjoying the time in the gym and on my bike these days. It is like I know the true value of it and have fully embraced it and understand the direct link to my next season.  Having been on the National ski team for 11 years, it is sometimes hard to get motivated with the repetitive aspects of off-season training. This year is a special year and it has somehow made everything more worth it.  I really needed this kick and I am excited that I feel this way.  I am still 2 months away from skiing again but it is always close to my mind and heart. While training you are always trying to reciprocate the dynamic aspect of skiing and how certain exercises really pertain to racing.  Next week half of the women’s team is coming to Calgary for a 5 day dryland camp where I am sure there will be a lot of blood, sweat and possibly tears!!!  It is fun to get together as a group every now and then because it keeps you motivated and inspired.

Last weekend I experienced my first Richmond Oval skate which was so amazing.  It was such a great opportunity to actually skate on the ice that will be home to the 2010 Speed Skating events.  The building itself is so original and revolutionary with its use of damaged wood and environmental awareness.  It was also inspiring to be able to envision, just a little bit, what sort of atmosphere must fill the oval during competition and how it will be for the games.   I loved being able to share the Olympic spirit with fellow competitors on their home turf!

I wish everyone a great summer.  Watch out for me on the road as I burn up the pavement on my road bike.

Another season has come to a close and it is time to heal the body, mind and spirit.  Sorry that it has taken me so long to actually just sit down to the computer and write.  There is so much to say and yet so few words!  It was a season that tested me in so many ways and it has taken time to break it down a little and look at it objectively.

Are, Sweden was the last stop on the World Cup tour and where the Men’s and Women’s Finals took place.  I have always enjoyed Sweden so I figured what a nice way to end the season.  We competed on the same track as the men did, which made the racing exciting and more like the downhill tracks that I am used to with the higher speeds and bigger turns. The track was in excellent condition yet extremely challenging on a couple of the turns due to water injection!! For the first time in my life I thought of just survival opposed to winning which is never a good thing when you are an athlete in a competitive extreme sport. It was a position in which I hope never to have to deal with again as it is a constant battle of the body and the mind.  Deep down the desire to win and risk was there but on top of all that there was this film of doubt and lack of confidence which taints the spirit and thus the results.  This was a season of many battles. It felt like there was a higher power preventing me from succeeding and in the end I must admit that it won instead of me. In the final downhill race of the season I placed 14^th which placed me 14^th overall. In the Super-G I was 16^th which meant that I didn’t get any world cup points and moved me back to 18^th overall and in the combined I finished 15^th.   These rankings are a lot different than last year which is hard to swallow sometimes but when I look at the big picture and my season of obstacles, I can walk away with my head held high.

It was decided during the Finals in Sweden that Kelly, Britt and I would not go to the Nationals in Quebec in order to get some rest time before the all important Whistler camp. I had not been home since Christmas so it was well needed on all fronts. I enjoyed a relaxing week in Calgary where I got prepared to be in the best form possible for the 10 day camp in Whistler. It was hard not being at the Nationals this year.  We get to race at home so few times that it is a shame to miss out on any opportunity but it just came down to priorities and what was more important and unfortunately for some, the Olympics won the vote.  In all my years on the National Team I have missed very few Nationals as I truly see the value in it. My heart was broken when I saw only 16 girls entered in the Downhill race opposed to the 40 or 50 when I was younger.  Ski racing is such a great sport and I hope that it can sustain itself with the every changing factor against it.  I am sorry to any sponsors or supporters I let down by not being there and I truly hope to make it up to you next year by getting an Olympic medal!

Having this ski camp in Whistler is an opportunity of a lifetime. We were lucky that all the fencing and netting was still in place from the Para World Cup which was held in early March.  Although we battled the elements for most of the camp we got out of it some extremely useful information and tactics. We were lucky to be able to run all the parts of the course as the previous year we couldn’t run the top third.  The spirit of the games is in full force in Whistler and it is a great indicator of what is to come in less than a year.   The games are less than a year away, it is a now or never mentality and I look forward to the adventure to come.

Now it is time to get in a little rest and recovery before heading back to the gym and the bicycle for our off-season training block and get ready for the snow in August.

What an amazing week of World Cup racing in Bansko, Bulgaria.  Probably one of the women’s most well attended World Cup of the season and uniquely a crowd that cheered for everyone.  There was one Bulgarian racer competing in this event and the noise and support that was shown while she was racing down the course made me realize the honour it is to compete at home in front of thousands of people who are there to share the moment with you! The energy in the stands and on the side of the course was a great incentive to race fast and well!!!  

In my last blog I mentioned that the Bulgarian track was “technical”, well, that was definitely an understatement. I can honestly say that I have never skied a track so technically challenging.  It did not feel like a downhill and unfortunately it seems that the new age downhill tracks are losing the lustre of speed, jumps and big sweeping turns.  I think that I am in the midst of a “racing” revolution.  It breaks my heart though because when I signed up for downhill racing, it was for the whole package; the speed the air and the risk.  The race in Bansko was bad for women’s ski racing, I believe, because it did not make us look like good World class racers and it was uneventful and boring to watch on television.  Our course was 24 seconds slower than the Europa-Cup men’s race held the previous year which is a small indication to the potential of the course opposed to the reality. There is much talk and speculation going on right now regarding the new courses and I suppose we will just have to wait and see what the outcome will be. I know that the athletes definitely want the old downhill tracks back and the way of setting the course also back but politics and safety seem to take priority.  There are many different opinions and ideas that have to be considered and studied before a consensus is made.

I do not want it to appear that I am blaming the course for my results! I take full ownership for my skiing and thus my results. In the first downhill I lost my outside ski on the most challenging turn of the course and by some miracle managed to pull off the turn without falling, though I didn’t really believe that I could do that at the time.  As I have said previously, confidence is a huge factor in downhill and with having another “did not finish” it added to the baggage of the rest of the season.  The following day was better conditions by far and I ended up with a 22^nd place; definitely not something to write home about.  That was the last downhill of the season before finals and I currently sit in 14^th place.  My incentive for finals is big because I need to finish in the top 10 in order to keep my GMC Acadia!  The following day was the Super-G race and it was so refreshing and enjoying to ski.  The course was set nicely in the fall-line and it was a “feel good” course.  The positive factor being that it made for a fair and exciting race, the difficult factor being that you needed to be perfect to do well.  I achieved another “grey zone” finish of 14^th place.  I was happy because I really enjoyed racing that day but was disappointed that I was not on the podium or in the top 10.  This season has really been one of challenge after challenge.  With goals and dreams of being on the podium multiple times, it is a little hard to swallow when you are fighting for top 15 finishes but that is sport and it is better to happen this year as opposed to next.   Our team did nothing different this season than last but this year we had more adversity and less momentum.

I will finish off this blog with a day in the life of Emily heading back to central Europe from Bulgaria!!  After the Super-g race we had about 3 hours to kill before getting on the police escorted buses to start the journey home. A couple of us decided that a game of bowling was in order, as there was an alley in our hotel and we had on ongoing competition throughout the week.  The games ran a little late….ooops….and we had to do the walk of shame back to the buses where everyone was waiting for us to load!!  The 3 hour bus ride flew by and before we knew it we were back at Sofia airport. During the bus ride I came to the dreaded realization that I had lost my car keys. I have never lost my keys before and knew that this was definitely not the ideal time to do so for the first time.  As it was Sunday night I also knew that there was not much to do until the next day. The world cup had chartered a plane for us so the whole plane was filled with the world Cup which was quite comical.  We took off from Sofia at 9:00 pm and started the flight to Munich.  Landing seemed to be going according to plan until we made a very quick assent just before touching down.  The plane became awfully silent as everyone stared around in a concerned and ­­ominous way. Heavy fog was the reason for the quite assent and in the end we were rerouted to Stuttgart. After waiting around for more than an hour it was decided to spend the night at a hotel at the airport.  We caught a bus to Munich in the morning and arrived at the Movenpick Hotel with 2.5hrs of driving under my belt already. Now the key problem enters the equation.  By this time I realize that I have to drive 120km northeast of Munich to pick up the spare set of keys. I end up renting a little Panda Fiat and started the lovely drive northwards.  I arrived in Regensberg, picked up the keys and heading straight back to the Movenpick Hotel.  By this time I have almost 500km under my belt and I am not done yet. I return the rental car, pick up my car and start the drive to our home base in Kirchberg, Austria (another 1.5hrs).  There I drop the car off, get in with one of my coaches and head to St. Anton, Austria (another 2.5hrs) in order to race a FIS GS race the following day. I think that we pulled in around 7 pm which was 11 hours after leaving Stuttgart! It was a lesson well learned and I doubt that I will lose my keys in the near future, now the problem being that I am paranoid of losing them!!!

I hope that all is well in your lives!!!

Last weekend was spent in Tarvisio, Italy were I almost had a taste of the podium again but unfortunately it was not to be and I had to finish the weekend with a 15^th in the DH, 12^th in the SG and 20^th in the Combined.   The conditions were great for racing and it was so nice to compete under blue skies and sunshine.   Having been on the podium in Tarvisio a couple of years ago, I had high expectations but it was not to be and I must continue to strive and fight for the top. I feel like I have my race gear back and I am excited that there are quite a few more races left in this season.

Yesterday, after almost 12 hours of travel, we arrived in Bansko, Bulgaria and our next World Cup competition.  I didn’t really have any expectations coming here but was definitely surprised by what I saw.  We flew over the most spectacular mountain range and landed on the plains that surround Sofia, the capital.  Unfortunately, it was near dusk by the time we set off in our little convoy of buses with a nice little police escort.  What I do know is that we were driving down some streets that I would never have thought a bus could make it through, drove beside random luxury car dealerships covered by decrepit buildings, and sign posts that I couldn’t even begin to pronounce.  I wish that our route had taken us through the capital as I have heard that it is beautiful. From the airport we drove around the outskirts of Sofia and then ventured into rural Bulgaria and then back into the mountains.  When we arrived in Bansko it was dark so my first impression wasn’t until this morning.

My first impression of Bansko was amazement. I didn’t expect such big and beautiful mountains and such a big resort. There are nice hotels, a lot of developments in the works and you can see that Bansko is really trying to become a world class resort. Having said that, I can imagine that what I am seeing is not the reality of most of the country and that is unfortunately that harsh reality of what I do and see most of the time.  There were a lot of people skiing and I have never seen so many volunteers and workers for a World Cup; the people here are really passionate about putting on a great race and showing the ski community what they can offer. The track is technical and challenging and I am really excited for the upcoming races.  I am sure that this is going to be an experience of a life time and I hope to make the most of it. I will bring my camera with tomorrow and take some pictures to show off Bansko.

February 14^th, 2009

The World Champs of 2009 have come and gone already!   I am now sitting in front of the computer trying to recall the last week of my life. It is so funny how such “big events” in your life loom with such anticipation but happens and then passes with the blink of an eye.

The race after the Super-G was the Super Combined which consists of one run of Downhill and one run of Slalom.  I always enjoy this event because I don’t put as much pressure on myself as I do in the downhill and super-g; I think that might be in part to not having the same expectations. My mind set entering this event was that anything can happen, and that is literally what happened!!! I was really charging the downhill and trying to build as big advantage as possible entering the Slalom. Unfortunately, this lead to another spectacular crash! The good news is that I walked away with only a bruised rib and cartilage, the bad news was I knew that a mental hurdle was forming.  This crash also confirmed that I am not a very nice daughter…..my poor mother and cousin were in the finish innocently cheering me on and they had to witness the crash; I have decided that it is easier to be the “faller” than the spectator of the faller!!!

I took the next day off in order to help prepare for the Downhill two days later. I knew that somehow my body would be able to do the race and do what I needed it to but I knew that I had a lot of work to do mentally to get ready. I have had three big crashes this year, when on average I usually have one.  Each time to you have big crash is makes it a little harder to push the line and really take the risks which you need to do in order to win.  Having said that though, walking away from three big crashes gives you confidence that you can handle anything; it confirms my strength and my body’s resistance to injury!

The planned downhill day was cancelled due to bad weather and postponed until the following day which was a blessing in disguise because it gave my body one more day to heal and my mind one more day to come up with a solid game plan.  By the time I stood in the start gate of the World Champs Downhill, I was ready to take on the world.  I had a solid run with fast sections but one crucial mistake that ended me up in 11^th place.  At the moment I felt frustration and disappointment as I knew that I could be on the podium and do a lot better but when I stepped back and looked at the big picture I knew that I should be happy with 11^th.  My sport psych, Diana McNab earned that result as much as I did because that was a race of the mind.  I realize that you are not always going to enter a race in perfect form.  You are not always going to be able to execute your game plan ideally.  Sometimes you “fake it to make it” and have to ski out of your head instead of your heart and soul.

The World Champs was record breaking and exciting for the Canadian Ski Team with John Kucera becoming the Downhill World Champion and Mike Janyk earning an unexpected but impressive bronze medal in the slalom.  The men’s team definitely held up their end of the bargain but now it is the women’s turn to get back to where we belong (on the podium) and show the rest of the world that we are ready for 2010 in Vancouver.

Originally I was supposed to stay for the team event in Val D’Isere but it was decided the night after the downhill that I would take some time instead to heal my body and get ready for the next World Cup in Tarvisio.  Initially I was a little disappointed not to be racing in the event as it is a lot fun and a different sort of race but it worked out perfectly because the team event was cancelled in the end due to bad weather and I got to spend a couple days with my Mom and Cousin in Annecy, France doing a little retail therapy and relaxing.  I have spent the last couple of days in Mals, Italy training at my coaches’ place and feel ready and rejuvenated to take on the rest of the season.  Thanks for all your love and support!

 The Worlds is a “pinnacle” point in the year for all of us. It is a time to really shine, it is time to clear the slate of past results, and it is an opportunity to shine when the World is watching. Today I competed in the Super-G race and placed 13^th.  Let’s just say it wasn’t the race of my life and it wasn’t exactly what I had had in mind but I gave it my best and 13^th was what it was worth.  Am I disappointed? Definitely. Did I expect more?  So much more, I was going for the podium. For in my career right now I need to go for the top every race.  Today’s result was a disappointment for sure but maybe in hindsight I will be able to appreciate it more.   Having dealt with sickness for the past 10 days I knew that I would have to dig deep and give it my all and when I think of what my body has been through, 13^th isn’t the end of the World!

The team, in general, had a really tough day; with me as the top Canadian, reflecting that perfectly.  It is always tough when you enter these “big” races with high expectations.  Every girl who goes out of the start gate deserves to be there and is there because she had proved herself against the world leading up to the Championships.  With every one of us shooting for the podium, you know that it is going to be a tough competition.  Today’s race was one of the most challenging and difficult SG races that I have ever done.  Yesterday I had the chance to make 3 free ski runs on the track but that was all and definitely not enough to be comfortable on the track.  Usually there are World Cups, Europa Cups held on a hill before a Championships or Olympics competition but in this case there was none.  A few athletes had a couple of training days on the track last spring but it was definitely not made readily available to all.  The race today totally reflects the challenging aspect of the Super-G discipline. The  girl who won today (Lindsey Vonn) did so because she skied better than anyone else in the World.

Today was a “character building” day as my old coach used to say.  Tomorrow is a new day and a downhill training run.  Anything can happen in the Downhill and that is the mentality I need to take going forward!  I have two training runs, then the Combined race on Friday and the Downhill on Sunday.

PS: Garmisch last weekend was not what I had in mind finishing in 25^th place; chalk that one up as a “learning experience”!

Cortina – Blog

What an interesting week of racing. I would have to say that I don’t think that I have ever experienced so much snow in such little time while in Europe.  Cortina, which is one of the most majestic places in Europe, was inundated with snow.  As I have said many times before, I am “pro” powder but lately it has been getting the better of the sport of ski racing.

Cortina is one my favourite tracks on the circuit so I always arrive to the resort with high hopes and expectations. This year was no exception, having stood on the podium last year.  We arrived there on a Monday with the first training run planned for Tuesday but awoke to a massive amount of fallen snow and the continuation of falling snow! Needless to say the first training run was cancelled. Awoke the next morning to 1.5meters of fallen snow, and the continuation of falling snow; needless to say the second training was cancelled.   I awoke Thursday morning, which was supposed to be the first downhill race, to clearer skis but so much snow.  We made it up on the hill and even managed to get an inspection (or a slip) of the course before they cancelled the training run.  Now, it is Friday and we had a training run planned, which meant that we would be able to get in a downhill race the following day.  This was exciting news because I was quite sick of sitting on my butt waiting. Due to the excess snow, very few runs and lifts were open which left “free skiing” out of the question; instead my team took to Scrabble, cards and books!!!

Saturday was a beautiful day and perfect for racing. To add insult to injury though I was battling the flu and a severe cold so I definitely wasn’t feeling my best. I knew that I only need 1min17sec of physical energy (they lowered the start because of too much snow!) and I knew that I definitely had that in me. I conserved all my energy for my run and when I stood in the start gate, I knew that I could pull this off. I felt good and confident about everything. My run was good and I was totally in the moment….right up until I hit a cross rut! Before I knew it I was out of the course and pulling a unique little gymnastic move. I was so frustrated because I had put so much of myself into that run and to make matters a little harder to swallow I was leading by.35sec before I went out, with only another 15seconds to go. As an athlete you are always taught to look at the positive and the negative, so while I did not finish the race, the good news is that I am on the right track!

I was so pumped for the Super-G the following day because I felt like it was my chance for a little redemption.  I tried to take the perspective of what happened last year in St.Moritz when I was somewhat “robbed” in the downhill and came back the next day in the Super-G and earned my first ever World Cup victory.  When I woke up the morning of the Super-G, the flu was gone, but unfortunately the nasty cold and taken its place. I knew that, once again, I would have to conserve energy and dig deep for the run. The course looked great and I was excited to race the Super-G in Cortina. With a start number of 21, and warm weather, I knew that I was going to have to have a great run in order to be in the hunt. I went out of the gate “full gas”, as my coach would say; in hindsight maybe a little too full gas as I straddled a gate about a 1/3 of the way down the course and found myself tangled in the nets.  The good news being I was fine, the bad news being, I didn’t finish another race.  I must admit, it was definitely a top 5 crash for me.  Unfortunately, the TV didn’t catch it all but one of my coaches, Rob, saw it all in unfold before his eyes.  PS: it is never a good idea to straddle a Super-G gate going over 100km/h!!

All in all, a disappointing week in Cortina for me!  It is a place that I love so much and where I always hope to do well and stand on the podium.  My whole team had a tough week battling sickness and injuries so hopefully we can heal up and be ready for Garmisch on Saturday.  With the World Championships coming up in just over a week, it is time to get healthy, get fast and get inspired in order to show the world all that we can do! 

What a great weekend of racing just happened in Altenmarkt, Austria.  One of the most memorable moments for me was standing in the start gate the day of the downhill race and looking down the hill and seeing all these people lining the course. Seeing this support makes you want to “step” up you game and put on a good show. I would have to say that Austria, more than any other place in the world supports and follows ski racing; the best analogy being, ski racing in Austria is like hockey in Canada.  The finish was filled with people of all ages, supporting their fellow countrymen, fan club banners in every free space and people there just to cheer and watch the sport of ski racing! The gluwein is flowing freely, the horns are being blown relentlessly, and the bells are almost deafening!

Altenmarkt is one of the most challenging tracks on our circuit but this year it was the best I have ever seen it.  The athletes loved all the jumps which seem to be omitted from our newer tracks more and more.  The jumps varied in length and height but all were a lot of fun!  I found this week quite tiring though, between it being the first speed race in almost 3 weeks,  it being a difficult and challenging track, and having a combined on the Saturday before the downhill race, I was quite exhausted come Sunday night.

I am enjoying the combined events more and more because I have been training more slalom than usual which makes the racing part a little more exciting and competitive for me.  The slalom portion of the combined was on an “Emily” friendly track (not too steep and nice grippy snow), which in turn makes it a more equal race for the “downhillers” and more exciting for the viewers!

After both training runs had finished I knew that I was going to have to dig deep for the races because I was having difficulty getting a good feel on the snow.  I used the downhill portion of the combined race as another “training” run and in hindsight it was a great tactic because it set me up mentally and physically for the actual downhill race. Sometimes training runs are a great indication of how a race might play out but one the other hand, a race is a race and that is when athletes take more risk and really race the track.  Training runs can be great building blocks to get ready for the actual race but accurate predictors for race day.

I ended up finishing the combined in 9^th place which I was really excited about having not placed all that well after the downhill portion!  The days of combined races are always quite exhausting because the days are long for one, but they also take a lot of mental energy because you have to race in two very different disciplines that take different mental strategies and approaches.

The downhill race day was forecasting for snow and each and everyone one of the athletes was super disappointed and frustrated because it has been very challenging with the weather this year but when I woke up in the morning and saw blue sky and my spirits rose immensely.  With a start number of 8, I knew I had to have a great run to stay in the hunt and I also knew that it was going to be a long day in the finish area, waiting for the rest of the competitors to come down.  I was really happy with how I charged the course, took the risks where I needed and skied smartly in the crucial sections.  At the end of the day I finished in 5^th place which I was ecstatic about.  Having struggled on the track all week, I couldn’t have asked for a better placing…..well I am always looking for a podium finish J .  With this placing I continued my top 10 streak for this season and it gave me the confidence to know that I can still do well, even on hills that don’t necessarily suit me or I have difficulty with! 

Now I am in beautiful, majestic Cortina, Italy getting ready for a big weekend of racing.  They have scheduled 2 Downhills, 1 Super-G and a Giant Slalom.  I don’t plan on racing the GS, unfortunately, because we don’t have enough quota spots!  This is one of my favourite tracks in the world and I always look forward to racing here!  Much to my sadness, I woke up to a foot of fresh powder (don’t get me wrong, I love powder but just not when I am suppose to be racing downhill!) and a cancelled training run; I guess that the “hurry up and wait” game has begun again!

That is the million dollar question! I had a great 2008 and I can only imagine what this year will bring. My year came to an end in the beautiful and magical town of Fernie where I spent Christmas and New Years. I had 10 days off which might possibly be a personal best. The last race before the holidays was in St. Moritz, Switzerland which just happens to be one of my favourite tracks. Unfortunately due to bad weather and adverse racing conditions we had one cancelled DH, a sketchy Super-G in which I crashed and an exciting and slightly dodgy Super-Combined. After 2 weeks in St. Moritz I headed home for the holidays with the hopes of skiing some great powder and eating lots of Christmas cookies!

My little mini vacation was great. Although there was not a lot of powder when I first arrived back home, by the end of the holidays there was plenty and it looked like the quintessential ski town! On the days when the alpine skiing wasn’t at its best, I opted for some snow shoeing and a day of x-country skiing. It is always fun to find new ways to enjoy the outdoors while not being on skis. With a 17 foot Christmas tree decorating my house I felt the true spirit of Christmas. My mother pulled out all the stops, even putting my own little Charlie Brown tree in my room, adorned with many of my childhood arts and crafts (another reminder that I lack the creative abilities my parents have!). The house was filled with decorations, cookies, chocolates, presents and spirit; it was the perfect place to come home to and the perfect place to relax and get ready for the New Year.

Although I loved the 10 day break, I also found it a bit disrupting to the race momentum that I had built up before the holidays. The thing with confidence and momentum is that it is rather fragile and it can go as quickly as it can come. I was back on my Super-G skis today and the good news is that I still feel good on them. We have 10 days of training before the training runs start in Zauchensee, Austria.
I am really excited for the races to start up again the year. I will keep you posted on all the travels, results and adventures that happen on the road for the next couple of months.

All the best in the New Year!