We did it!! After a grueling two and a half months of training and a week of bruising skeleton runs and memorable times, I realized my dream and got invited to be on the US Skeleton Development Team. It's been an absolute wild ride so far and it only looks to get even wilder.
I apologize for not updating this sooner but we had to check out of our rooms on Friday at 7:30 AM and I didn't have internet access this weekend at the wedding. Friday started early, obviously, because the tryout ended at noon and we wanted to get in a couple of good runs so we had to head out to the track at 8 AM. Unlike previous days, we were going to the top of the track and doing the full run so we were all really excited to see what it was like. When we got to the top, it was an experience in and of itself. The view of the surrounding mountains and the track is breathtaking, and just being in the start house with all of the bobsledders and skeleton racers is exhilirating.
Once we had settled in, our one coach, Amanda Bird, a.k.a. Birdman, brought us out onto the deck and talked to us about the extra 4 turns that we had since we moved up, and gave us tips on how to negotiate those turns. Then her and Steve Peters, the other coach, gave us 4,207 suggestions on what to do, followed by a "Just relax and don't worry about anything" quip. Thanks guys, you really put us at ease with that one. A really unique part of our start from the top was the fact that we were able to do a running start on the track. A professional skeleton or bobsled racer has brush spikes which get amazing grip and don't damage the track. They don't have us buy those because they are very expensive. They do have us get outdoor track spikes so that we can practice on the Push Track which is made of rubber and helps you practices your push starts. Because of the weather, the Push Track was closed, so we thought we had all bought spikes for no real reason. However, since it was the end of the season, we were allowed to run on the ice and therefore we could do a running start.
At this point I'd like to emphasize a few points on the "Sink or Swim" experience the other skeleton racers and I were put in. In a normal tryout week, you have video review sessions of your runs and the coaches critique you on what you did wrong and what you need to fix or keep the same. We didn't have any video review sessions. In a normal tryout week, you get to practice your start and load at the Push Track. We didn't go to the Push Track. In a normal tryout week, you get about 12 runs in before you move to the top. We had gone on six runs since the storm had come through and cut out two of our track days. In a normal tryout week, you don't do a running start from the top since it's during the competitive season. We did get to do a running start. So in review, we had no video review sessions, no practice starts or loads, only half of the practice normal people get before going to the top, and we got to do a running start when we actually went to the top. In short, our coaches threw us into a Sink or Swim situation, where you either picked up their suggestions real fast, or you were screwed. The collective group not only all swam, we were doing what was effectively a butterfly stroke as beginner sliders. More on that later.
We were actually all pretty excited about the situation we were thrust into, because it gave us less time to think about what we were doing and just made us enjoy the moment and go out and do it. We all took our first push starts pretty easy and effectively jogged a couple of steps before we jumped on the sled. I had padded up as best I could from the day before, and was excited to finally go from the top. The ride was one of the coolest experiences of my life. There is no way to put into words the experience of sliding along a mile-long sheet of ice, going over 60 mph with G forces ripping at your body while you're 12 feet up, sideways, on Turn 10. Since we were going from the top, we were able to get really high on the turns and fully experience the run for what it's made of. Unfortunately, my previous day's injuries were determined to come back and haunt me. On that first run, I really tore up my arms. When I got down to the bottom, I couldn't lift my arms and I had blood seeping through my protective clothing in several areas. I got back up to the top, told Birdman that it was a thrilling experience, but I had to stop for the day. I refused to take off my padding though, because I didn't want to see the wounds until I was in front of proper medical attention. I hung around the rest of the session with the coaches and other sliders and took lots of pictures and videos while simultaneously icing my arms.
During my time with the coaches, I realized that it was getting late and we were supposed to have had our personal meetings with the coaches by that time to find out if we were invited to be on the Development team. I cornered Amanda and asked her "Are you guys going to e-mail us if we are invited back?" to which she replied, "Oh, you're definitely coming back." Since I had not had a meeting with anyone, and no one had said anything to me or anyone else that I had seen, I was perplexed. Naturally, I said, "Excuse me?" and she said "You're definitely invited back," like I was supposed to have known that already. I had run through this situation in my head a thousand times, and when I found out I was invited back it could not have been any more anti-climactic. That being said, I was ecstatic by her answer.
The more exciting part of the tryout was what I found out after she told me I was invited back. She told me that she is normally a really harsh critic of new sliders and that out of a group of 15 sliders who tryout in a session, she might think that 2 or 3 guys could be competitive on the Development team. For our group, she said we were probably the best recruitment group she's ever seen (she's been in the sport since 1997) and that we were not only all quite athletic, but we caught on to stuff a lot quicker than she ever expected. Her best example of this was our ability to recognize where we were on the track and where we were when we hit walls. She said that she still has people on the Development team who, after 3 or 4 weeks of sliding, still have trouble telling her where they hit the walls during their runs. We were ALL able to do this within a matter of 2 or 3 days. While she was amazed by this, none of us realized it was that special because we could all do it, and we just saw it as a necessity because we didn't have that many runs before we went up to the top. So, you either figured out where you were screwing up, or the next time you screwed up, it would hurt a lot more since you were going so much faster. The friendships we had all formed during this past week were great, and we were all happy to hear that the majority of us had been invited back to be on the Development team.
I have a lot more to say on the entire experience and my future but for now, my mother's birthday calls. We are about to head out to celebrate with family, so I must leave you hanging. Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!
Posts and Pics to come.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
I Left My Heart (and Shoulders) In Lake Placid
After our successful runs from Start 4 yesterday, everyone was feeling pretty excited for everything else that lay ahead. A couple of the skeleton guys decided that we wanted to relax and kick back so we headed into town and drank a few beers and played some darts. It was Lionel, Dan, Blaine, Nick and I who experienced the Lake Placid "nightlife" and enjoyed its low-key style. They're all really good guys and I enjoy being around them both on the track and off of it.
We headed to the track today around 11, and the entire process of getting there and getting up to Start 3 was much much much smoother today than yesterday. As an added bonus, the Start House was much bigger, much nicer, and had a bathroom this time around. We had about an hour before we slid, so we all took pictures of the beautiful day and the gorgeous sites. They told us that from this start, which was about 4/5 of the way up, we should just let the sled and ice take us for a ride. Apparently, the ride they took me on was called "Destroy Ben's Shoulders in Every Way Possible." I probably hit the wall 10 times on that run, and each time wasn't a glancing blow but a full-on hit. I came back far from happy. The crazy thing was that I had the fastest time for the guys, but I definitely had the second-worst run in terms of hitting. Lionel ended up going down sideways for a bit which tore his Under Armour and shoulder apart along with his ankle. For the next run, I had Amanda Bird, one of our coaches, teach me a few different ways to steer so that I wouldn't hit so many walls. Before I left for my second run, I taped my knee pads to my shoulders so that it wouldn't hurt as much when I hit. I was pretty cautious on the second run and as a result it was much smoother but a full two seconds slower which put me behind almost all the other guys. While I was very happy with that, my natural competitiveness had me looking to find a happy medium where I would stay relaxed, but keep it under relative control. I fortunately found that happy medium and ran another fast time with only a few scrapes at the end. The third run ended up taking out my ankles, forearms and hands from when I hit the wall. I ended up getting ice burns on the back of my hands, and had to go to Sports Medicine with Lionel after we got back so we could get bandaged up. After we got bandaged up, we joined the other skeleton athletes and the two coaches in the gym for some practice with our push-starts and loading onto the sled. It was fun practicing the loads because you're told to just try and do "The Worm" dance move to get on your sled.
In other news, I look like a complete tool with all my bandages. I have bandages or something on my left ankle, both of my hands, my right forearm and my right shoulder. Everyone has injuries here or there, but I have the fortune of having my bandages being held up with stretchy lace material. SWEET.
Lionel and I had dinner with two of the bobsled girls and it was really cool hearing some of their war stories from bobsledding and living the life of a full-time athlete. I have to reiterate again how friendly everyone has been up here. Starting with Eric Bernotas and all the way to every single one of the athletes here, every single person has been outgoing and helpful. It makes the whole experience exponentially better.
We have to check out of our rooms and leave for the track by 8 AM tomorrow so that we can get a couple of hours on the track before we have to leave by noon. It should be awesome because we not only get to go from the top, but we get to do a running start since it's so late in the season. I'm not sure if I will have access to a computer tomorrow afternoon, but if I do I will make sure to write about how tomorrow goes. I'm really sad that we have to end tomorrow, because we're only just getting used to the track and starting to learn some things. At this point I'm trying not to think about that and just focus on having a good time. It's pretty easy when you get to do what I'm doing.
We headed to the track today around 11, and the entire process of getting there and getting up to Start 3 was much much much smoother today than yesterday. As an added bonus, the Start House was much bigger, much nicer, and had a bathroom this time around. We had about an hour before we slid, so we all took pictures of the beautiful day and the gorgeous sites. They told us that from this start, which was about 4/5 of the way up, we should just let the sled and ice take us for a ride. Apparently, the ride they took me on was called "Destroy Ben's Shoulders in Every Way Possible." I probably hit the wall 10 times on that run, and each time wasn't a glancing blow but a full-on hit. I came back far from happy. The crazy thing was that I had the fastest time for the guys, but I definitely had the second-worst run in terms of hitting. Lionel ended up going down sideways for a bit which tore his Under Armour and shoulder apart along with his ankle. For the next run, I had Amanda Bird, one of our coaches, teach me a few different ways to steer so that I wouldn't hit so many walls. Before I left for my second run, I taped my knee pads to my shoulders so that it wouldn't hurt as much when I hit. I was pretty cautious on the second run and as a result it was much smoother but a full two seconds slower which put me behind almost all the other guys. While I was very happy with that, my natural competitiveness had me looking to find a happy medium where I would stay relaxed, but keep it under relative control. I fortunately found that happy medium and ran another fast time with only a few scrapes at the end. The third run ended up taking out my ankles, forearms and hands from when I hit the wall. I ended up getting ice burns on the back of my hands, and had to go to Sports Medicine with Lionel after we got back so we could get bandaged up. After we got bandaged up, we joined the other skeleton athletes and the two coaches in the gym for some practice with our push-starts and loading onto the sled. It was fun practicing the loads because you're told to just try and do "The Worm" dance move to get on your sled.
In other news, I look like a complete tool with all my bandages. I have bandages or something on my left ankle, both of my hands, my right forearm and my right shoulder. Everyone has injuries here or there, but I have the fortune of having my bandages being held up with stretchy lace material. SWEET.
Lionel and I had dinner with two of the bobsled girls and it was really cool hearing some of their war stories from bobsledding and living the life of a full-time athlete. I have to reiterate again how friendly everyone has been up here. Starting with Eric Bernotas and all the way to every single one of the athletes here, every single person has been outgoing and helpful. It makes the whole experience exponentially better.
We have to check out of our rooms and leave for the track by 8 AM tomorrow so that we can get a couple of hours on the track before we have to leave by noon. It should be awesome because we not only get to go from the top, but we get to do a running start since it's so late in the season. I'm not sure if I will have access to a computer tomorrow afternoon, but if I do I will make sure to write about how tomorrow goes. I'm really sad that we have to end tomorrow, because we're only just getting used to the track and starting to learn some things. At this point I'm trying not to think about that and just focus on having a good time. It's pretty easy when you get to do what I'm doing.
Headfirst Down that Slippery Slope
OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO?!?!?!!!
That's your thought (or at least mine) about halfway down the track on your first skeleton run. There was a solid five-second span during that first run where I just screamed every curse word I knew, and some I didn't, and swore to myself that I would quit this sport as soon as I hit the bottom. However, that was really only a five second span, and even though we only went on half the track, the run lasted about 52 seconds. The other 47 some-odd seconds consisted of me having the biggest adrenaline rush of my life and trying to remember the 9,317 instructions they gave us before we went down.
The one thing above everything else that we have to remember is that we have to relax. This is completely counter-intuitive considering when you do the full run, you have to have a really explosive start to compete in the event. However, as soon as you finish that push start, you have to make your body as close to jello as possible so you can protect yourself. If we tense up, when we hit the walls, our bodies will just ricochet off of them and into the opposite wall. If we are "loose as a goose," then we'll hit the wall, absorb it the impact, and go straight again. Hitting the wall is an inevitability. Everyone does it, there's no such thing as a clean run where you don't hit the wall. So, you really do have to focus on being as relaxed as possible. When your chin, which is an inch off the ice, drags along the ice on hard turns, just relax. When your helmet fogs up or your contacts fall out and you can't see anything, just relax. When you feel your track shoes ripping apart from dragging along the ice, just relax. When you hit a wall so hard, it feels like someone hit your shoulder with a sledgehammer, then poured gasoline on said shoulder and lit it on fire...hey man, just relax. It is most definitely one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do.
They tell you that on your first run, you really don't think of much and the whole memory seems like a blur. Yep, they nailed that one right on the head. I really only remember getting pushed off, hitting the wall 10 feet into my run (that was not my fault but my coach who pushed me...it really calmed my nerves when I hit a wall that early), and then I remember my screams of terror, this one odd straightaway called the Chicane, and then the end. They then tell you that your second run is definitely scarier because you know what you're getting yourself into and you don't know why you're doing this stupid sport again. I have to say, though, that right before my second run I found myself in a serene calm. I was really at ease during my second run until the turn where I hit my shoulder. The third run was just a little bit smoother than the second one since I only had a glancing blow on my shoulder.
It's scary, no doubt about that, but it's also amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime thing to do. Every time I finish my run, I find myself glad that I made it, and then glad that I did it, in that order. I have a healthy and respectful fear of this sport, and I can't wait to do it again. Yesterday, we started from Start 4, which was halfway down the track. Today, we go from Start 3 which is apparently a lot steeper and faster. Friday we go from the start, Start 1, and from there we will reach speeds around 70 mph.
I did get a little personal victory yesterday with my run times. The first run we all did, basically every guy got a 52 or 53 something. I got a 52.25 and was the fastest out of all the guys. The girl, Rachelle, killed us when she clocked in at 51 and change. Steve, the head coach, said he predicted it because testosterone will kill you when you first start this sport, because it gets going and it tenses you up. The second run, I got a 51.20, all the other guys got in the 52's and 53's again, and Rachelle got a 50.90. The third and final run I clocked in at 51.05, the guys clocked in again at 52 or 53, and Rachelle got a 51.27. Granted, the coaches said that they're not necessarily looking for what we can do right away, but how we respond to instructions and coaching with our form during the run. So, I'm not looking too much into it, but it did help my confidence a little when I got a good score. I don't know if it will help me much after I butchered the athleticism test, but I do know it didn't hurt.
We are about to head out to the track to do some runs at Start 3. I'm very excited, to say the least. We have taken some pictures, but I don't even want to try and negotiate the picture uploading on this website until I get back home. More updates to come!
That's your thought (or at least mine) about halfway down the track on your first skeleton run. There was a solid five-second span during that first run where I just screamed every curse word I knew, and some I didn't, and swore to myself that I would quit this sport as soon as I hit the bottom. However, that was really only a five second span, and even though we only went on half the track, the run lasted about 52 seconds. The other 47 some-odd seconds consisted of me having the biggest adrenaline rush of my life and trying to remember the 9,317 instructions they gave us before we went down.
The one thing above everything else that we have to remember is that we have to relax. This is completely counter-intuitive considering when you do the full run, you have to have a really explosive start to compete in the event. However, as soon as you finish that push start, you have to make your body as close to jello as possible so you can protect yourself. If we tense up, when we hit the walls, our bodies will just ricochet off of them and into the opposite wall. If we are "loose as a goose," then we'll hit the wall, absorb it the impact, and go straight again. Hitting the wall is an inevitability. Everyone does it, there's no such thing as a clean run where you don't hit the wall. So, you really do have to focus on being as relaxed as possible. When your chin, which is an inch off the ice, drags along the ice on hard turns, just relax. When your helmet fogs up or your contacts fall out and you can't see anything, just relax. When you feel your track shoes ripping apart from dragging along the ice, just relax. When you hit a wall so hard, it feels like someone hit your shoulder with a sledgehammer, then poured gasoline on said shoulder and lit it on fire...hey man, just relax. It is most definitely one of the hardest things I've ever tried to do.
They tell you that on your first run, you really don't think of much and the whole memory seems like a blur. Yep, they nailed that one right on the head. I really only remember getting pushed off, hitting the wall 10 feet into my run (that was not my fault but my coach who pushed me...it really calmed my nerves when I hit a wall that early), and then I remember my screams of terror, this one odd straightaway called the Chicane, and then the end. They then tell you that your second run is definitely scarier because you know what you're getting yourself into and you don't know why you're doing this stupid sport again. I have to say, though, that right before my second run I found myself in a serene calm. I was really at ease during my second run until the turn where I hit my shoulder. The third run was just a little bit smoother than the second one since I only had a glancing blow on my shoulder.
It's scary, no doubt about that, but it's also amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime thing to do. Every time I finish my run, I find myself glad that I made it, and then glad that I did it, in that order. I have a healthy and respectful fear of this sport, and I can't wait to do it again. Yesterday, we started from Start 4, which was halfway down the track. Today, we go from Start 3 which is apparently a lot steeper and faster. Friday we go from the start, Start 1, and from there we will reach speeds around 70 mph.
I did get a little personal victory yesterday with my run times. The first run we all did, basically every guy got a 52 or 53 something. I got a 52.25 and was the fastest out of all the guys. The girl, Rachelle, killed us when she clocked in at 51 and change. Steve, the head coach, said he predicted it because testosterone will kill you when you first start this sport, because it gets going and it tenses you up. The second run, I got a 51.20, all the other guys got in the 52's and 53's again, and Rachelle got a 50.90. The third and final run I clocked in at 51.05, the guys clocked in again at 52 or 53, and Rachelle got a 51.27. Granted, the coaches said that they're not necessarily looking for what we can do right away, but how we respond to instructions and coaching with our form during the run. So, I'm not looking too much into it, but it did help my confidence a little when I got a good score. I don't know if it will help me much after I butchered the athleticism test, but I do know it didn't hurt.
We are about to head out to the track to do some runs at Start 3. I'm very excited, to say the least. We have taken some pictures, but I don't even want to try and negotiate the picture uploading on this website until I get back home. More updates to come!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Dealt A Crushing Blow
My world came to a painful halt yesterday on my first 30m sprint. After warming up properly, doing my progression sprints, and doing three practice full-out sprints, I pulled my right hamstring in my first tested sprint. This was not the hamstring that has given me problems in the past, which may or may not be good or bad for me. I didn't say anything to anyone at the time but after the three tests were finished, I talked to the coach for a bit. He had me get it checked out at the Sports Med office but they just told me I pulled it and gave me some stimulation and had me ice it.
I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I am with this. The fastest time in the 30m sprint was 3.65, with a 3.73 coming in second. After that there was a significant gap and the rest of the times were basically 3.9 or higher. I ran a 4.01, which put me in 11th out of 20 total athletes, and 4th out of 7 skeleton athletes. On my slower days when Eric and I would test I would routinely run around a 3.65, 3.66. Knowing that I am not only faster than everyone else but significantly faster just makes me infuriated since I can't show that. I didn't want to sound like a complainer so I chose not to talk to the coach about my injury until after the testing, and even then I didn't tell him how much it hurt. Unfortunately, my hamstring definitely mentally effected me on the 30m sprint, the vertical jump test, and the medicine ball toss. The physical effect was quite evident on both the sprint and the medicine ball toss.
I was not only depending on impressing the coaches in the gym but I was fully expecting myself to do just that. I know I'm faster than everyone here and to be in the middle of the pack...well, it just sucks. I didn't train my ass off for two months to come here and be average.
Luckily, we are not scheduled to do any more running, since the push track is closed and we aren't allowed to run on the actual track since we don't have the proper spikes. We start sliding today at 10:15 so I'm really excited for that. I got paired with my helmet and sled yesterday, so that was cool. My helmet looks pretty funny and my sled's name is Roger Medema. If anyone knows what that name is in reference to, I would appreciate it if you clued me in. I definitely have more to say on the sliding subject but I need to go ice down and get ready to go to the track.
On a final note, to everyone who's texting me, calling me, posting, THANK YOU. I gotta give a shout-out to Samantha Brandolini who called from ITALY to wish me good luck. Sam-I'm pissed I didn't get your call, I guess it went straight to voicemail, but it meant a lot. Send me your number by texting me or messaging me.
Off to my crash-course in skeleton...get it? get it?
Injuries suck. I'm pissed.
I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I am with this. The fastest time in the 30m sprint was 3.65, with a 3.73 coming in second. After that there was a significant gap and the rest of the times were basically 3.9 or higher. I ran a 4.01, which put me in 11th out of 20 total athletes, and 4th out of 7 skeleton athletes. On my slower days when Eric and I would test I would routinely run around a 3.65, 3.66. Knowing that I am not only faster than everyone else but significantly faster just makes me infuriated since I can't show that. I didn't want to sound like a complainer so I chose not to talk to the coach about my injury until after the testing, and even then I didn't tell him how much it hurt. Unfortunately, my hamstring definitely mentally effected me on the 30m sprint, the vertical jump test, and the medicine ball toss. The physical effect was quite evident on both the sprint and the medicine ball toss.
I was not only depending on impressing the coaches in the gym but I was fully expecting myself to do just that. I know I'm faster than everyone here and to be in the middle of the pack...well, it just sucks. I didn't train my ass off for two months to come here and be average.
Luckily, we are not scheduled to do any more running, since the push track is closed and we aren't allowed to run on the actual track since we don't have the proper spikes. We start sliding today at 10:15 so I'm really excited for that. I got paired with my helmet and sled yesterday, so that was cool. My helmet looks pretty funny and my sled's name is Roger Medema. If anyone knows what that name is in reference to, I would appreciate it if you clued me in. I definitely have more to say on the sliding subject but I need to go ice down and get ready to go to the track.
On a final note, to everyone who's texting me, calling me, posting, THANK YOU. I gotta give a shout-out to Samantha Brandolini who called from ITALY to wish me good luck. Sam-I'm pissed I didn't get your call, I guess it went straight to voicemail, but it meant a lot. Send me your number by texting me or messaging me.
Off to my crash-course in skeleton...get it? get it?
Injuries suck. I'm pissed.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Denied the Dream...For Now
I finally made it to Lake Placid! Let's take a moment, though, and reflect on the actual journey up from Albany. Last night, I was treated to a healthy dinner of chicken wings and spinach & artichoke dip washed down by nothing but the finest tap water in all of Mechanicville. The general dinner discussion revolved around gawking at the unnaturally attractive bartender and JoshO and Jason "Meat" Donlin saying, as loud as possible, without actually yelling, that I was trying out for the Olympics. Much to my relief, JoshO and Jason did not succeed in their endeavors and no sandwiches were named after me. After dinner we retired to a nice, relaxing night of watching TV and just vegging out. I guess you wouldn't be surprised to hear that I woke up many times during my sleep last night. As weird as this sounds, I felt like I got a good night's sleep, but I woke up pretty often since I was so excited to get up here. I woke up at the crack of 7:40 am, with no alarm clock, and prepared for the day ahead.
JoshO and I luckily had an uneventful drive up and we witnessed little to no accidents, unlike our insane drive from Poughkeepsie yesterday. We concluded on the drive that the US decided to have the Olympics in Lake Placid so that no other teams could find their way there and therefore the US would win all the medals. Seriously, it's in the middle of NOWHERE. The last 20 miles of the trip the two-lane roads were barely plowed and this was the middle of April. I can't even imagine it in January/February. We did arrive, though, and I filled out about 79 pages of paperwork effectively signing away my soul and declaring that I've never had herpes. I'm pretty sure that I was completely truthful in the paperwork, unless someone isn't telling me something. (Antoian? Helga? Now's the time to come clean, it could cost me my tryout if you don't) I checked in to my room and found out that there will be six of us competing in skeleton, with about 20 people trying out for bobsled.
The skeleton crew has two triples across the hall from each other, with each room decorated and preserved from 1980. The guys are pretty cool. I have two roommates, Brendan and Nick. Brendan plays soccer at DIII Marywood and has done the skeleton school back in November, so he serves as a sort-of guide for us. Nick played soccer down in Florida and then played in the MLS for a bit. He's 32 and is married with a little boy. The guys across the hall are Dan, who played soccer for the Air Force (he's funny), and Lionel, who is from Alaska, did the pentathlon at Tufts, and is also really tall. 6'5'' last I checked, which would make him the tallest skeleton athlete in history if he makes it to competition. I forget the other guy's name, since he just moved in, but I know he goes to TCU and he seems just as nice as all the others.
Unfortunately, due to this weather, the dream of actually doing a skeleton run will be postponed for the near future. Due to the horrible weather that the Northeast has had, the track was not only closed for today but tomorrow as well for repairs. Since we had nothing else planned for today besides the intro meeting, we essentially had a free day. We checked out the skeleton track (cool), the hockey rink (goosebump-inducing) and the ski jump (purely terrifying). We then went into Lake Placid the town for a bit, and then played HORSE in the gym for a little. We also met some of the other athletes, including some of the bobsled girls. They are JACKED. They've got some serious muscle on them, it's quite impressive.
We have another meeting at 9 am tomorrow and then are free until our 4-Item test at 3 pm. I found out that they are doing away with the 5 hop test, and instead putting in a medicine ball throw test. Umm...jackpot? I've only done that twice a week for the past two months. I really lucked out and if I don't post the best mark on that event I'll be supremely disappointed. I won't judge the other athletes prematurely, but from what I've heard from Brendan, who has done this before, I'm pretty confident.
The down-time is plentiful, but we keep ourselves busy surfing the internet, watching tv, eating and working out. I get along well with the other skeleton guys and I can't wait for the actual racing part on Wednesday. It's frustrating to get up here and be told you can't even race until Wednesday, but that will only make me hungrier to get up there and do it. Here's to hoping that my hamstring holds together tomorrow and I blow the socks off the competition!
JoshO and I luckily had an uneventful drive up and we witnessed little to no accidents, unlike our insane drive from Poughkeepsie yesterday. We concluded on the drive that the US decided to have the Olympics in Lake Placid so that no other teams could find their way there and therefore the US would win all the medals. Seriously, it's in the middle of NOWHERE. The last 20 miles of the trip the two-lane roads were barely plowed and this was the middle of April. I can't even imagine it in January/February. We did arrive, though, and I filled out about 79 pages of paperwork effectively signing away my soul and declaring that I've never had herpes. I'm pretty sure that I was completely truthful in the paperwork, unless someone isn't telling me something. (Antoian? Helga? Now's the time to come clean, it could cost me my tryout if you don't) I checked in to my room and found out that there will be six of us competing in skeleton, with about 20 people trying out for bobsled.
The skeleton crew has two triples across the hall from each other, with each room decorated and preserved from 1980. The guys are pretty cool. I have two roommates, Brendan and Nick. Brendan plays soccer at DIII Marywood and has done the skeleton school back in November, so he serves as a sort-of guide for us. Nick played soccer down in Florida and then played in the MLS for a bit. He's 32 and is married with a little boy. The guys across the hall are Dan, who played soccer for the Air Force (he's funny), and Lionel, who is from Alaska, did the pentathlon at Tufts, and is also really tall. 6'5'' last I checked, which would make him the tallest skeleton athlete in history if he makes it to competition. I forget the other guy's name, since he just moved in, but I know he goes to TCU and he seems just as nice as all the others.
Unfortunately, due to this weather, the dream of actually doing a skeleton run will be postponed for the near future. Due to the horrible weather that the Northeast has had, the track was not only closed for today but tomorrow as well for repairs. Since we had nothing else planned for today besides the intro meeting, we essentially had a free day. We checked out the skeleton track (cool), the hockey rink (goosebump-inducing) and the ski jump (purely terrifying). We then went into Lake Placid the town for a bit, and then played HORSE in the gym for a little. We also met some of the other athletes, including some of the bobsled girls. They are JACKED. They've got some serious muscle on them, it's quite impressive.
We have another meeting at 9 am tomorrow and then are free until our 4-Item test at 3 pm. I found out that they are doing away with the 5 hop test, and instead putting in a medicine ball throw test. Umm...jackpot? I've only done that twice a week for the past two months. I really lucked out and if I don't post the best mark on that event I'll be supremely disappointed. I won't judge the other athletes prematurely, but from what I've heard from Brendan, who has done this before, I'm pretty confident.
The down-time is plentiful, but we keep ourselves busy surfing the internet, watching tv, eating and working out. I get along well with the other skeleton guys and I can't wait for the actual racing part on Wednesday. It's frustrating to get up here and be told you can't even race until Wednesday, but that will only make me hungrier to get up there and do it. Here's to hoping that my hamstring holds together tomorrow and I blow the socks off the competition!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Prepare For Glory
TOMORROW!!!!
I apologize for the lack of posts the past two days but I've been incredibly busy trying to get ready for this trip. I'm right now sitting in JoshO's (and Jason "Meat" Donlin's) guest room in Albany, NY. I took the train to Poughkeepsie today and JoshO picked me up there and then we drove from there to Albany. It was a 90 mile drive and we passed 19 accidents in those 90 miles. The "Nor'easter" that is passing through will make the drive up to Lake Placid tomorrow far from pleasant. We were hoping for a "Southwester" but unfortunately the "Nor'easter" decided to rear its ugly head.
In an unrelated note, I ended up partying with Shavlik Randolph and JJ Redick Friday night downtown in Philly. For anyone who doesn't know me or my life they are both former Duke basketball players who are now in the NBA so it was a story that I'll be telling for ages.
Sitting in this chair, less than 24 hours from my first run, I find myself decidedly not that nervous about the actual tryout. I'm sure the butterflies will come, but right now it's smooth sailing for me and my stomach. I'm more worried about what it will be like living there for a week. Will I get along with the other athletes? Will they have clean facilities? Do they have internet access? None of my worries are actually about the sport or the tryout, just everything else I'll be dealing with. I'm sure it will all work out and I'll have a great time though.
I'd like to go ahead and thank everyone who has helped me along the way, be it actual trainers, my financial sponsors (read: parents), or anyone who has ever wished me luck or made a facebook group about me (read: JoshO). I was truly surprised at how supportive my family and friends were and I will not soon forget it. No matter how this tryout turns out, I'm supremely grateful for the many different ways my support network has helped me. Above anyone else, I'd like to thank my parents. I don't think many kids have the fortune of being raised in a household whose parents support you unconditionally through both your worst nightmares and greatest dreams. I love you both, thank you.
This week promises to be epic regardless of the outcome. We don't know what will happen, or what my future holds, but I'm very confident that I'm ready and prepared for whatever lies ahead. I'm ready for anything, but prepared for glory.
I apologize for the lack of posts the past two days but I've been incredibly busy trying to get ready for this trip. I'm right now sitting in JoshO's (and Jason "Meat" Donlin's) guest room in Albany, NY. I took the train to Poughkeepsie today and JoshO picked me up there and then we drove from there to Albany. It was a 90 mile drive and we passed 19 accidents in those 90 miles. The "Nor'easter" that is passing through will make the drive up to Lake Placid tomorrow far from pleasant. We were hoping for a "Southwester" but unfortunately the "Nor'easter" decided to rear its ugly head.
In an unrelated note, I ended up partying with Shavlik Randolph and JJ Redick Friday night downtown in Philly. For anyone who doesn't know me or my life they are both former Duke basketball players who are now in the NBA so it was a story that I'll be telling for ages.
Sitting in this chair, less than 24 hours from my first run, I find myself decidedly not that nervous about the actual tryout. I'm sure the butterflies will come, but right now it's smooth sailing for me and my stomach. I'm more worried about what it will be like living there for a week. Will I get along with the other athletes? Will they have clean facilities? Do they have internet access? None of my worries are actually about the sport or the tryout, just everything else I'll be dealing with. I'm sure it will all work out and I'll have a great time though.
I'd like to go ahead and thank everyone who has helped me along the way, be it actual trainers, my financial sponsors (read: parents), or anyone who has ever wished me luck or made a facebook group about me (read: JoshO). I was truly surprised at how supportive my family and friends were and I will not soon forget it. No matter how this tryout turns out, I'm supremely grateful for the many different ways my support network has helped me. Above anyone else, I'd like to thank my parents. I don't think many kids have the fortune of being raised in a household whose parents support you unconditionally through both your worst nightmares and greatest dreams. I love you both, thank you.
This week promises to be epic regardless of the outcome. We don't know what will happen, or what my future holds, but I'm very confident that I'm ready and prepared for whatever lies ahead. I'm ready for anything, but prepared for glory.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Imagine Where You Will Be...And It Will Be So.
Amphetamines...and now rehab.
Or more appropriately put...physical therapy. That's right folks, I've managed to re-aggravate my hamstring injury. It happened yesterday during my workout with Eric and we immediately stretched it for 20 minutes, then set up an appointment with his friend Larry Grello who's a very talented physical therapist. I met with Larry yesterday and we did stretching for about an hour and I just did a lot of icing and resting. I also set up appointments with my old Pilates intructor, Kristen, and she said she could do some stretching with me, too. Today I did an hour's worth of stretching with Kristen, and then the same with Larry. It's pretty sore but I think that's from stretching it so much.
I could easily try and put into words my frustration but it's not worth it for a number of different reasons. As my cousin Tim Foster said, "There isn't room for negativity anymore. All energy is towards physically and mentally making this the best tryout." Well said, Tim, well said. (Tim, by the way, is getting married in 9 DAYS to a lovely lady named Caralyn Desautels. The whole family is really excited and wondering how Tim convinced her to marry him. She's way out of his league! But seriously, congratulations to them and I can't wait to see you guys next Friday!) Tim had a good point, though, and I'm really trying my hardest to stay positive and visualize doing my best and getting the invite to be on and train with the team.
On a different note, I finally got all of my equipment together. I went to Kelly's Sports, which is easily one of the best sports stores I've ever been to, and I managed to procure elbow and knee pads, gloves, and additional track spikes. I got my track shoes yesterday in the mail...yikes. In my defense, Eric-who's an accomplished sprinter and at 39 runs a 10.7 100m dash-said these are the best and they only come in one color combo. They. Are. Hideous. Imagine the brightest and most visually offensive orange you've ever seen...and then put that color on my shoes. It has black on the back part with some black stripes in certain areas so I effectively look like I killed Tony the Tiger and made track shoes out of him. I tell you...They're GRRRRRRRREAT!
In case any of you didn't know, because I definitely had no clue, Lake Placid is in the middle of f-ing nowhere. The closest town is the fighting city of Albany, NY and even that is two and half hours away. To arrange transportation to the tryout, I had to get creative. While flying directly from Philly to Saranac Lake (the closest airport) is possible, there is only one flight per day and I don't want to take the chance of it getting delayed or canceled. I've decided that I will go to New York City Saturday afternoon, meet up with my sister and a bunch of friends that night, and more importantly meet up with the "Comments Master" himself, Josh Oryhon. Since Josh is the only undefeated and unscored upon goalie in SUNY-Albany history, I deemed him worthy of being part of my entourage that took me up to my tryout. Sunday, JoshO and I will drive to Albany, relax that night in his humble abode, and wake up early on Monday to travel to Lake Placid and check out the sites before I have to check in at noon.
4 MORE DAYS and I really can't wait. It's going to be an experience of a lifetime. At this moment in time, I'm reminded of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies. Standing with his troops before battling the Germanians, the great General Maximus Decimus Meridius said, "Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so." One week from tomorrow, I will be celebrating my invitation to train with and be on the United States Skeleton Team. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so.
Or more appropriately put...physical therapy. That's right folks, I've managed to re-aggravate my hamstring injury. It happened yesterday during my workout with Eric and we immediately stretched it for 20 minutes, then set up an appointment with his friend Larry Grello who's a very talented physical therapist. I met with Larry yesterday and we did stretching for about an hour and I just did a lot of icing and resting. I also set up appointments with my old Pilates intructor, Kristen, and she said she could do some stretching with me, too. Today I did an hour's worth of stretching with Kristen, and then the same with Larry. It's pretty sore but I think that's from stretching it so much.
I could easily try and put into words my frustration but it's not worth it for a number of different reasons. As my cousin Tim Foster said, "There isn't room for negativity anymore. All energy is towards physically and mentally making this the best tryout." Well said, Tim, well said. (Tim, by the way, is getting married in 9 DAYS to a lovely lady named Caralyn Desautels. The whole family is really excited and wondering how Tim convinced her to marry him. She's way out of his league! But seriously, congratulations to them and I can't wait to see you guys next Friday!) Tim had a good point, though, and I'm really trying my hardest to stay positive and visualize doing my best and getting the invite to be on and train with the team.
On a different note, I finally got all of my equipment together. I went to Kelly's Sports, which is easily one of the best sports stores I've ever been to, and I managed to procure elbow and knee pads, gloves, and additional track spikes. I got my track shoes yesterday in the mail...yikes. In my defense, Eric-who's an accomplished sprinter and at 39 runs a 10.7 100m dash-said these are the best and they only come in one color combo. They. Are. Hideous. Imagine the brightest and most visually offensive orange you've ever seen...and then put that color on my shoes. It has black on the back part with some black stripes in certain areas so I effectively look like I killed Tony the Tiger and made track shoes out of him. I tell you...They're GRRRRRRRREAT!
In case any of you didn't know, because I definitely had no clue, Lake Placid is in the middle of f-ing nowhere. The closest town is the fighting city of Albany, NY and even that is two and half hours away. To arrange transportation to the tryout, I had to get creative. While flying directly from Philly to Saranac Lake (the closest airport) is possible, there is only one flight per day and I don't want to take the chance of it getting delayed or canceled. I've decided that I will go to New York City Saturday afternoon, meet up with my sister and a bunch of friends that night, and more importantly meet up with the "Comments Master" himself, Josh Oryhon. Since Josh is the only undefeated and unscored upon goalie in SUNY-Albany history, I deemed him worthy of being part of my entourage that took me up to my tryout. Sunday, JoshO and I will drive to Albany, relax that night in his humble abode, and wake up early on Monday to travel to Lake Placid and check out the sites before I have to check in at noon.
4 MORE DAYS and I really can't wait. It's going to be an experience of a lifetime. At this moment in time, I'm reminded of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies. Standing with his troops before battling the Germanians, the great General Maximus Decimus Meridius said, "Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so." One week from tomorrow, I will be celebrating my invitation to train with and be on the United States Skeleton Team. Imagine where you will be, and it will be so.
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