Careful what you wish for ...

 

The athletes were up for a challenge today so challenge they were given. I setup an environment that was relatively turny on a flatter section of real estate. They also had a brushy course set on the steeper part of our lane where the did some lower performance turns working on upper body and lower body separation but with the focus that if they release the ski as early as possible they will have more time at the top of the next turn - stressing the urgency to release the ski as early as possible in the transition.

They were challenged with multiple upper body exercises in the stubby course as we have been talking a lot about how our upper body stability affects our balanced powerful position of the lower body.

Athlete: Hey Kat, Can I have my poles back? Kat: Hmmmmmm...Is it possible that doing something you may not be entirely good at - yet -, and doing something that challenges you may make having your poles back seem like a walk in the park. Athlete: I guess so (not completely sold). One hour later, Athlete with poles: "MAN, that was so much easier with my poles".

Mike Power hit the slopes with me at 7:20am to help me set.
He was the last athlete off the hill today at 4pm. Lots of miles
on the tires today Mike!

I often wonder that if we challenge our athletes beyond what they think is possible, what may have not been the greatest skiing in an environment immediately becomes very easy because they are A. inclined to perform well and prove to themselves that they can have good sensations and, B. It is just easier with their poles, but much easier after having struggled through exercises they don't often appreciate until later on in their careers.

My apologies for the lack of action shots as promised today. I had some camera photo function failure and opted for about 12-15 segments of each athlete on video today so they could see their improvement of performance as the day went on. We had a long day starting out at 7:45 and ending at 3:45 and only a 30 minute lunch break. Way to grind it out again U16s!

The plan tomorrow is no longer to go to Santiago. The switchbacks open very early for only downhill travel and then not again until later on in the day for uphill travel. This would make our day off a very early start and a potentially late finish. The athletes have decided that they want to do a late start and ski some GS for a few hours before lunch and end after they eat. We are moving into our GS block where JP Roy will join us for a few days as the FIS group is moving into Super-G. The athletes are pumped to have him and change up the tempo.

Buenas Noches mi amigos.