ANDY SHIELDS GOES TO EUROPE!

Here is a terrific Article about a great friend of mine and someone with whom I learned to ski when I was little. We come from the same original club Waterloo Jackrabbit club, and he is one to watch in the years to come. Lucky for me I still have 2 years before he is my competitor! Good luck in Europe Andy!

C

(click on the post title for the link)

1 or 2 posts? that is the question... i opt for one!

Today, I am sitting at home for my first day back at my moms house since I left last June for Whistler. I love it here! There is nothing that can beat meals cooked for you! This epic post sums up these last couple of weeks for me, and once again its full of first time experiences!

Since moving to whistler I have become used to being the learner and always going around with an open mind. The experiences that I have come across have been life changing, and enlightening. And they remind me that I still have a lot to learn.

After the Olympic trials in Sovereign Lake and Canmore, I headed home for a week back in Whistler. This was the first of the 'firsts'. Christmas alone. A hard one to stomach, so as i've learned this year when things get tough, I have to just put my head down and focus on what I have to do. This way I get what I need done. What did I need? two things; money, and a good recovery and prep period before the biggest focus of my season other than Nationals: U23 World Championship Trials. I had at best an extremely slim chance to be selected for the world champs, so I thought I'd have just give it my best shot and see what I could learn from the races.

That was my focus of the week, shortly put, I worked everyday from the 23rd to the 27th. Trained every morning at Lost Lake (a 10min walk from work). Treated myself to a beautiful Christmas morning ski up on the upper Fairway and Blacks Loop! Than when that week was done I hoped on a plan for Quebec City!

After all the terrorist scares I was a little apprehensive about flying, not so much about the risk. But the hassle of the security measures. I ended up flying out with a friend of mine, Kajsa (also racing in the up coming races) and let me tell you, it went without a hitch! my life long never-beep-through-the-metal-detector-luck just keeps rolling! the flights were pleasant, the company was great, and we were greeted on the other side by a VERY fantastic family (Kajsa's cousins).

RACE TIME!

At U23 Trials, there are 3 races, and the winner of each is selected than the next most consistent athlete are picked to complete the team of or five if the room is available. The first race was a 30km Pursuit, I was registered, but opted out of it to save my legs for the sprint the next day. As a sprinter, I thought I'd give it my best shot in that event. This proved to be a good decision! So far this year I've steadily moved up in my sprint races, from 96th in Soveriegn, to 55th and 49th in Canmore, and than 17th in Val Cartier, QC! All of a sudden I am right in the mix! This race felt good, but I really surprised myself with my qualification! I was 18th after the time trial! BOOM! It shocked me, but as I took it in, I knew I could do better! So I went into my quarter final with one goal, beat as many people as I could and try and move up! It was a very fast heat and I let it get a little close for comfort at the finish line, we were 3 lunging to the finish for 3rd spot in our heat. I still don't even know who took it, but with the results up now, I finished 4th in the heat, and moved one spot up in the overall results! I had accomplished my goal! My first ever Senior mens heats, and a very solid performance! I am still pumped! I ended up 9th U23 in the country and so think that there is still a LOT to come from me this year. As it turns out now, I think I had a better crack at being selected than I had thought, but its still a tough race, and next year will be that much better!

The 3rd and last race of the trials was a 15km classic technique individual start. This was going to be the first hard distance race of the year for me! I had decided to not try and hold back, but to go for it from the start! As a sprinter I have always had trouble with these middle distance events, as I find its too fast for too long, I much rather a good old fashioned long distance race.

The morning of the race I felt good, and motivated! The race began fast, I pushed from the beginning, and might have paid for that a bit in the second of 3 laps of 5km. The course was extremely hard, big climbs, soft conditions, and fast technical downhills. At the end of the race I clocked in my best distance race in a year! So I am very motivated to keep going and start focusing on the next couple of races!

That was one of the longer posts I have ever written, Pictures will be coming!

Cheers for now!

C

suspension of thoughts midway through the week

Well, it is that time of the year, where the first races are under my belt, and all I had hoped for coming from those races was to do well and learn from them. The first races are always a HUGE learning curve which is so needed. After a whole summer and fall of training and not racing, I entered my first races in Sovereign Lakes Nordic thinking I remembered what it felt like. The first event was the 15km Skate. As I know this is not my forte, especially as the first race of the year, I had planned to use it as a primer for the Sprint the next day. I think I executed my race plan, which was to go out relaxed and speed up as the race went on, pretty well. BUT, the altitude hit me a LOT harder than I had thought. Skiing at 1600m of elevation caught up within the first kms of the race. I was skiing relaxed, but going Dog SLOW! I crested the first hill and thought, "Oh damn, I am tired already!" well yes I was, but as the race went on, I found that I was able to push harder. In that sense, my race plan went well... too well actually. I managed to Negative Split my laps. Something that should never happen. I did feel that I tired myself out, and that was the Goal for the next day. Jump start my body into feeling PAIN!

Race #2, 1.1km Skate Sprint. Today was the day. My goal: To come out of the starting gate, and ski with POWER! well I did that perfectly, I gave it my all, finished, and felt

good about how I skied. When the results came up, I looked and looked everywhe

re for my name, I couldn't understand. Had they missed me? Am I just totally blind? No; was the answer to both those questions.

I was there, in 96th overall, 66th Senior man. Ouch. I guess its 'Welcome to the Big Leagues Son!' I couldn't understand, I felt good, people were telling me I looked very strong. Whatever happened, I was not one of the 30 athletes to move on. This was hard to stomach, but hey, I can only control what I do, not what the results do. I will just try even harder next time.

I pushed these thoughts to the back of my head, and decided to start focussing on the next races in Canmore, 2 Classic Sprints. Than, I realized what happened las Sunday. People were telling me I looked good, because I was trying to ski powerfully, rather than fast. Something that is very effective if you have power. Something I do not have. I can hold my own, but I can't ski a full course FAST just using power. As I am a small and light sprinter, the one thing I have against the big guys is pure speed and turnover. All of a sudden it clicked!

I am now in Canmore, waiting eagerly for this weekend. I have been working on skiing fast with speed, rather than powerfully.

So first races under my belt = learning!

I vow to do better than 66th this coming Saturday, as these are the qualifiers for the World Cup in early February!

Happy Holidays

C

interview, en Français avec Radio Canada Vancouver

voici un interview que Mélanie Cossette de Lemission Phar West, sur Radio Canada Vancouver, qui était enregistré Vendredi Passé.

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/colombie-britannique/emissions/emission_Chron.asp?pk_region=1&id=1190&IDEmissionFR=687&IDCat=6&leMois1=2009/12&sub=%2E%2E%2F%2E%2E%2F

le titre est: Le "pouls olympique" de la région de Squamish-Wistler

pour mes amis francophone :)

C

IN THE PRESS

Click on the title to read a terrific article in the Peak News magazine in whistler about our program this year. enjoy.

here are some pictures from our Silver Star Camp!

C

would you like a side of snow with that?

This post is going to be short, but with lots of pictures. I have been working hard at getting healthy these past few weeks, and it seems like I am finally getting somewhere, I am also now convinced that I have experience the wrathe of the H1N1... (OH NOOO!!!) well I think. I know reports say that it affects people differently, but if anyone is affected like I was, trust me, its no biggy. This flu bug hit me no worse than the regular flu. Yes it put me out of commission for a week, and i felt less than pleasant for 4 days, but thats it. Period. Now that I am healthy in my head and body which most important, and I am back to training as well as ever! The focus now that snow flakes are in the air and in the plans, is to train smart and rest even more smartly. Here in whistler, there has been snow on the ground, and in the forecast a few times over the past weeks, but long term, nothing yet which drive us skiers to travel to find skiable snow at this time of year. With the first races about a month away, we have that 'urge' to have 'white stuff' under our feet.This week is shaping up as one of the more exiting ones of the year so far for me, because on saturday, we hit the road to head to Silverstar mount

ain near Vernon BC, where they are reporting mid winter conditions! http://www.skisilverstar.com/ check the webcams, a thing of devine beauty!

That is my short post, now the pictures come!

C!

narrowing the focus with snow in the air!

A few days ago, skiers in Canmore starting skiing, only a 400m loop, but skiing non the less.

Here in Whistler, we don't have such snow making capabilities, as we rely 100% on natural snow. We also, being on the west coast, don't have the cold temperatures that those albertans have. So the result is we are not skiing on white stuff yet. It still wet cold pavement under our rollerskis.

These past few weeks have not been the most stellar for me health wise, so the training has suffered. I am at the tail end of this virus, and so, getting ready for training tomorrow, and really pumped and stoked about getting the FAST on. As the snow approaches, because it has teased me several times on the mountains, i get more and more exited to race. There is lots going on in my life right now, all involving skiing still, just as the fall rolls on and winter is coming gear is coming in, business is picking up at the shop, and training is getting really fun. It has been a while since my last update, but with the last couple weeks mediocre, I don't have any awesome training stories. This will change. Till next time.

C