Canadian Champion back to back to…. Back?

I find this title somewhat humorous, but I spend a lot of time alone and may not know the meaning of funny is to the normal person. I started sliding when I was 15 years old, 3months later I won the Canadian Championships in Jan 1996. It took me until Jan 2008 to repeat it! Our schedule last season didn’t allow for a Canadian Championships so our federation decided to host the 2008/09 Canadian Championships this past Saturday and the 2009/10 Canadian Championships this past Sunday. Instead of holding the title for an entire season the winner would be crowned for one whole day!

After an intense camp in Whistler it was somewhat refreshing coming back to Calgary. This is the track where we all took our skeleton schools. This is the track where we all had breakthroughs at one level or another. And when it comes down to it, this is our home track.

It was the 1^st day of training and I would be the 1^st athlete off the top besides the 2 forerunners. I had learned my lesson from last year about not taking the Calgary track seriously after starting our season in Whistler. You would think the 25km/hr speed difference between the two tracks would automatically mean Calgary was a cakewalk and we would be falling asleep on our sleds before we entered the kresiel turn at a 120km/hr. If I remember correctly, last season my 1^st trip down the Calgary track, my face got slammed in the ice in kresiel and I panicked before making sparks fly on the short wall as I launched out of the corner. So just because I was travelling 143km/hr in Whistler I wasn’t going to let my guard down on the Calgary track. I was standing at the block waiting for my turn and I heard the 1^st forerunner Steve Ovis on the radio to the tower, “the ice is great, super smooth and the outrun is smoking fast!” I was shocked! As our development team, poor rookies, spent the afternoon scraping ice trying to help our track crew get it ready for our sliding session. Our coaches had told us that we would be sliding, but it would be really slow ice. I had a few butterflies of excitement in my stomach ready to go fast. I pushed my sled to the length of a marathon, Calgary has a much longer, flatter start than Whistler, so it feels like you are running forever, and I loaded on my sled. As I was going through corners 2-3 my entire sled was shaking. I entered corner 4 and the shaking got more intense. I started to question whether I had forgotten to take my runner guards off or tighten all of my bolts. I made the quick transition from 6-7 and I got the living day lights scared out of me… my sled felt like it was jumping off of the ice but the pressure was taking me right up to the roof! I couldn’t see anything because my eyeballs were rattling around so much in my head. This was unbelievable! The noise and how long it was taking me to get to the bottom it seemed to take an eternity! As I crossed the finish line I remembered what I had heard over the radio about the blistering fast outrun and I started to brake really hard. My sled started to sink into the ice instead of gliding overtop of it. I crept past the 1^st dock and saw Steve Ovis standing there and then I realized he hadn’t been on the track in 3 years! Of course it felt smooth to him his adrenaline had him floating on clouds!! And he probably hadn’t been sliding when we since added the top dock at the end of the out run! Needless to say I had to walk a long ways to the top, we love you Steve! Thanks for all your hard work this week it was great to have you back slidingJ

With the rough conditions I had to make a decision that wouldn’t necessarily benefit me for the 2 remaining selection races and Canadian Championships, but looking ahead into my health for the upcoming season. I know what it like to slide with an injured brain and bluntly it sucks and makes you suck all the way down the track. With the schedule of our races being held back-to-back Saturday and Sunday, I didn’t think it was in my best interest to slide all 3 training days and then go directly into 2 race days. So I took my chances and only took 4 runs total on the bumpy track and hoped my 15 years of experience would carry me into a spot on the World cup team.

Triggers… this is something I am just learning about. Working with my sport psyches’ and reading the odd article I have been learning about ‘triggers’ in our environment that create a sympathetic response. I showed up to the track on Saturday and I felt nervous. Maybe it was because I didn’t maximize my training runs; maybe it was because it was a selection race. My thoughts are it was because going back to the beginning of my career and Calgary being my home track and having so many successes and so many failures. 15 years of trials and tribulations can you imagine the range of emotions I’ve experienced at this venue? So I acknowledged my feelings and engrossed myself with each step I was taking during my warm up.

5.46 start time! 5/100ths better than my personal best, which I set 4 years ago at the 1st world cup I had ever won. Came down the track with a 58.52, the ice was almost 2 seconds faster than it had been in training! I had instant gratification for our track workers and their hard work. I was warming up for my 2^nd run and Kelly told me he expected no less than 5/100ths off of my next start time. I was skeptical, but I had a bit of a wobble as I was getting on my sled, so maybe he was right. I pushed my sled and I was noticing little mistakes I was making, but not much I could do about it as I was trying my tail off to go as fast as I could. I had a fairly good run, little rusty mistakes here and there, but again, I couldn’t expect much more with only taking 4 training runs. I got to the dock and chatted with a few reporters before heading back to the top. I saw my family as soon as I got of the truck and that is always a treat at the end of the race even if it’s for a minute. My Dad gave me a big hug and congratulated me on my win. He was talking a bit and then mentioned I had great starts. I asked him what my 2^nd start was, 5.41… I was stunned! He pulled out his Rimbey auction mart chart that he had clearly labeled all of the girls start times and down times. I couldn’t help but to have a beamer smile, I had just pushed 1/10^th under my previous personal best, which I hadn’t come close to in 4 years. To top it off I won the Canadian Championships for the 3^rd time…well for a day at least.

Selection race #3 & 2009/10 Canadian Championships. I had actually forgotten it was Canadian Championships this weekend because I was so focused on the selection process. Even though this was a completely new race, I decided to treat it like a 4 heat race, like the Olympics. Of course we are always tired or as Dr Greg Uchacz told me before my race, my body was in complete shut down. Nothing was firing properly. He said it isn’t uncommon to push your body to the limits and achieve personal bests and the next day to be completely exhausted and to have your muscles not fire. I told him he better fix them because I was going to push another personal best today and the number is going to be in the 30s! So Greg agreed and he had all cylinders firing by the time I was headed to the start line. 5.41… tied my personal best had a pretty good run down the track with a perfect exit of kreisel, that was a 1^st time experience for me and came across the line 57.70. A personal best for me! I was again amazed at the hard work our track crew put in to give us this awesome ice!

When I got to the top I talked to Kelly and asked him what do I have to do to push in the 30s? He kept it simple, keep everything the same, except when you are at the line I want you to do 2 jumps. I have a set pre routine that I go through to get my nervous system fired up and everything is timed to the second of when each particular exercise takes place. I was a bit hesitant when he mentioned 2 jumps unsure if my knees could handle that impact, but I didn’t question Kelly. I felt amazing when I was warming up, I caught myself wondering what my 30m sprint time might be at this moment and then scolded myself reminding myself I was a skeleton athlete not a track star! Oh but think of the warm locations I’d get to travel to!!! Anyhow, everything was right on time with my warm up and I was super excited to give it everything I had on my final push. I walked out to the line and jumped once, came down to the ground to explode for my 2^nd jump and “POP”!!!! Instant pain in my knee… I could feel it swell up and I could also feel my confidence deflate as all I could think about was the pain in my knee and what was this really going to mean? I didn’t say a word to Kelly at the block about it, I pretended nothing had happened and decided to give it my best effort. I put my sled down, rocked back and pushed my sled out in front of my and it felt like I had a knife stabbing in and out of my knee my entire push. I had a sloppy load and tried to stay as relaxed and present in my run as possible, but couldn’t help but to be slightly freaking out about my knee.

I got to the bottom and heard I pushed a 5.42. I was disappointed. I instantly got snagged for drug testing and sled control, so the long evening was about to begin. Greg got me some ice for my knee as soon as I got to the top and Kelly asked what happened. I explained to him when I did the 2^nd jump it popped. He then said “ya the jumps weren’t supposed to be consecutive”… Now I was really disappointed. I had a bum knee and I ruined my opportunity to push in the 30s. My cousin Ryan Davenport told me before my 2^nd run that only 1 woman in history had ever pushed in the 30s and that was the great Canadian Lindsay Alcock. I wanted to be the 2^nd and I knew I was capable of it. I guess now wasn’t the time…

The good news? I hung onto the Canadian title for more than a day and I will get to keep it all year long. The even better news is that I have secured a spot on the World Cup team. The official team/media announcement will be Wednesday Oct 28^th, downtown Calgary at City Hall. So now we are off to Ottawa for wind tunnel testing then to Park City, Utah for the 1^st World Cup race of the Olympic season.

Congrats to all of my teammates! It was a great battle and I’m super excited to venture off into this journey with such amazing people!

I know it has been so long since I’ve reported on anything going on in my skeleton world, so I apologize. It was a whirlwind of a summer with very cool experiences from introducing Bryan Adams at the Junos in Vancouver to enjoying a recovery camp in Kauai. The best part of my summer was spending any chance I got with my family and the worse would have to be our grueling stair workouts!

Yes it was an intense summer of training, but it has paid off well with the beginning of our sliding season, which started in Whistler. We just spent 3 weeks on the fastest track in the world and half of our selection process has been completed. I would have to say it was a successful camp for me, considering I was the only one on my entire team that insisted on going from corner 3 on our 1^st day while everyone else was going from the top. I didn’t leave the Whistler track on my terms last March and it was a long summer thinking about my crashes, broken sled, concussion and stitches, so I had to go with what I was comfortable with. I was standing on the dock from corner 3 with my coach Nathan Cicoria and I was terrified. Not nervous, absolutely petrified! I told Nathan how I felt and he asked if I wanted to sit this run out. No way, I had to go now otherwise I would torment myself even more. So they cleared the track for me and away I went. You’d think that it would be easy to go from corner 3, but I was out of control, skidding in the corners like a windshield wiper! All I could think about was, I am going to die if I go from the top! I got to the bottom and waited for my teammates to go from the top. I was pretty quiet, listening to their adrenaline filled stories about their 1^st runs. I asked Jeff Pain what corner 4, 6 & 16 were like from the top. He said it was really nice. I asked him what I was really wondering, “Am I going to die if I go from the top?” Jeff and Jon Montgomery both scolded me and told me I had to go from the top my next run. I was seriously considering spending the day at corner 3. But I got on the truck with them and decided I had to do it or I’d be tormented til the next day when I’d get another opportunity. When I was sitting at the top everyone was buzzing with excitement about their runs and I was sitting there, again wondering if I was going to die out of corner 16. Amy Gough came up to me and rubbed my shoulder and said, “I know what you are going through right now and it’ll be ok”. I felt a lot better, but the unknown was still ahead. I was standing on the block holding my sled waiting for my turn and I gave the track worker a grimacing look of, “do I really have to do this?” and of course he had no clue what I was going through at that time and he just smiled at me as the track was cleared for me. I felt numb… I put my sled down on the ice trying to dismiss the horrific visuals I had going through my mind of hitting the roof in corner 16 then crashing out of the finish. I pushed my sled down the hill and loaded and instantly I felt calm… I sunk into my sled and felt so relaxed and in control. It was AMAZING! I predicted my 1^st run from the top to be a wild ride, with my head up high and fighting all of the pressure and speed and it was anything but! I got to the bottom, safely and somewhat speedy I think. I was so grateful to experience that “zen” like feeling, especially on my 1^st run of the year.

Training continued to go well thoughout the week, both on and off the track and I pushed a personal best of 5.02…tidbit push record is 4.97, so I was very pleased.  But most of all I was happy I was getting down the track safely and feeling like I had things under control. Our development team (devos) was sliding in Whistler and they had a selection race on one of our days off and all of them were sliding personal bests on extremely fast ice. All of a sudden I got anxious. The fastest I had gone on the track was 54.75 & 140.7km/hr unofficially last March and I was crashing pretty much every run. I had been sliding similar to those times this camp. The devos had their race and a young slider Micheala Widmer slid a 54.73. Ice was fast and the possibility of me getting into the 53’s was becoming a reality. No woman had gone this fast before, what would corner 16 be like travelling at that speed? I worried myself sick all day waiting to slide and of course it was a hard push day. I couldn’t shake the feeling of “its my day to die” and so I was hesitating on everything I was doing from sprinting in my warm up to calling the control tower 1 minute before they cleared the track for me to make sure the barricade was moved. There’s more to that paranoid story! A bobsled was going from corner 3 right before me so they had to swing the barricade over. If it isn’t put back in place, yep… I smack head first into a concrete wall at 80km/hr. So you can understand why I was nervous. I made the tower give verbal confirmation over the entire PA system at the track that the barricade was moved and I stood beside the track worker at the top listening intently for the conversation between the guys moving the barricade and the tower, just as a back up to my back up plan. Anyhow, I pushed my sled and dove on. I was pleased to go past corner 3 with the barricade in place. I could tell once I was in corner 4 the ice was rippin’ fast. I stayed as relaxed as possible and I was having a decent run, I was a bit behind in my steers with the fast ice, but reacting to what was being given to me. I came into corner 15 and my sled got away from me and yep you guessed it, late into corner 16 which meant my next spot would be the roof on the entry. Right away I thought, oh I wasn’t going to die by hitting a barricade, I’m going to die on the exit of 16, seems fitting enough…I panicked and had 2 feet on the ice and I could feel my sled violently riding the oscillations I knew with the height I was getting on the last pressure it was going to be a hard hit so I braced myself as I bee-lined for the right wall on the exit of the corner, WHAM!!! I saw stars and my hips rattled off of my saddle so hard they were throbbing. I got to the dock and took a second to get off of my sled. Tuff Latour, head bobsleigh coach, was there and thankfully and carried my sled off the ice because I was having a hard time walking with the hit I took. I looked at the clock and it said 54.11…. Wow I had just gone 6/10ths faster than I have ever gone on this track with my mind going insane and a rough ride AND… I survived… My anxiety lifted a bit as I prepared for my 2^nd run and it helped on the way down I finally broke the 54 mark with a 53.95. The next day with a technical push I had my fastest time of the camp 53.81 & reached 143km/hr! I think this enabled to put my anxiety to rest and get excited about going fast.

RACE DAY! Of course we couldn’t have the conditions that we were sliding in for the entire camp that would be too perfect! Saturday morning it was pouring rain, not unusual for Whistler in the fall, but we had lucked out with awesome weather, blue sky & sunshine so this would be a bit of a crapshoot with ice conditions and I had no idea what kind of drama was ahead of me. Warming up I felt great, strong & zippy. I had start #1, which I enjoy, that way I focus on what I’m doing and not on other’s times. I was standing at the block when they cleared the track for me so I put my sled down and exploded off the block and before I knew it my sled jetted out from underneath me to the right side of the track. I got stopped before the timing eye and I heard my coach Kelly say “you have lots of time” so I turn my sled around somewhat rattled, not knowing if I broke the timing eye or not. Picked my sled up and saw our 30 second countdown clock at 5. I had 5 seconds to get my sled across the eye or else I would be disqualified! I didn’t even go all the way back to the block I just started pushing my sled . My hands were back wards on my saddle and I was running and changed them then went into a 1 handed start and ran as far and as fast as I could. I had to remind myself to stay calm in every corner and it wasn’t really working. I flopped out of corners 4, 6, 7, 11, went late into corner 16 again hit so hard on the exit my sled came up into my face. I could feel my face get hot, but I was thankful I was still on my sled. I saw my time on the clock 54.14 I had some relief. At least I got across the timing eye before my clock ran out. When I exited the track I asked what my push time was and it was a 5.07, I chuckled! After all that went wrong I still had a decent time. Then I heard over the PA system, “Hold at Start” Michelle Kelly was the next athlete to come down and I knew right away, she too had pushed out of the groove, but they decided to fix it. Then I heard over the radio, “Get Mellisa Hollingsworth back to the start as soon as possible she has to do another run” I was stunned. My late entry to 16 took me into thin ice near the roof and my runners were badly scratched. I got to the top and asked the jury if I had the option of keeping my 1^st run. The bad news, I missed the countdown clock by 25/100ths of a second! I would have to do 3 runs total and the 2 that would count would be on runners that ran over concrete. The good news, I wasn’t disqualified because the groove wasn’t prepared properly in the first place. Within 10 minutes I was standing at the line again, not recovered from my 1^st trip down the track and somewhat hesitant on the start because I had pushed out. I was laughing to myself because of course this is happening… I’ve been through almost everything else this year, lets practice this type of drama too just incase it happens at another race or even the Olympics. I pushed a 5.00 and had a down time of 54.30. Then my 3^rd run of the day I was slightly off balance and loaded on my sled too early and had a start time of 5.06 and 55.51 down time. I was ending day 1 in 1^st place despite the drama and the whole while I thought I handled the situation pretty well, didn’t allow my emotions to get in the way of the task at hand.

Day 2: This selection race was set up to simulate the Olympics so 4 heats combined time over 2 days. Sunday morning it was pouring even more than Saturday. I kept wondering what the groove would be like with even more rain washing the ice away. But I had to drop it and focus on my warm up. I was 1^st off again and we were warned to use caution with the groove it was shallow. And I felt like I was hesitating on my start, but I stayed in the groove and felt a sense of relief when I loaded on my sled and I was going straight. My run was smooth, but I could tell the rain wasn’t helping the ice conditions and I could see where the ice had melted in corners on my way down. I crossed the finish line with a 54.88 and a 5.02 start. I was shocked I pushed that time with the slow conditions and my hesitation. When I got to the top of the track I was checking the order of the 4^th heat and I noticed at the top of the sheet 2 things. Track Record: Mellisa Hollingsworth 54.30, Start Record: Anja Huber 4.97… I knew it was a long shot in the conditions, but I decided to focus only on the start. I knew I was capable of going sub-5 on the start so I asked my coach Kelly for help. He laughed at me and told me “Not today, not in these conditions”. I was angry, I said I don’t care about this next run, I want to give myself the absolute best opportunity to own that start record. As some of you know, I’ve never been labeled a “push monster” and I’ve never even been in a sniff of owning a start record. So Kelly decided to change my warm up and let me chase after it. Another thing about me is that I need to be really calm to slide well and it always affects my starts, because I’m never as fired up as I need to be to push well. Sliding is my priority. I thought this is good practice for the Olympics. What if I’m standing at the top of the track for the 4^th heat at the Olympic games as the last competitor to go down the hill? I naturally will be full of anxious adrenaline and I’m going to have to learn how to slide this way. So I was standing at the line and I asked what the condition of the groove was, it was great. I left any hesitation behind the block as I grabbed my sled and exploded off of the block. My run was a bit of a gong show with a big hit on the entry of corner 7 and 3 hits down the bend-away and skidding into 9, but I saw a #1 when I crossed the line. I waited to hear my start time over the PA as I stood on the dock, 5.00… UGH!!! I was instantly disappointed but I snapped out of it quickly when I reviewed my start in my head. It was pouring rain and I pushed really well without hesitation and after Day 1 I should have owned the right to hesitation. I could have played it safe on that run just to make sure nothing went wrong and slid safely down the track to ensure I kept my spot in the race. But I didn’t and I was proud of that rebel attitude that I tend to lack most of the time. To me it will be the difference of having a medal around your neck or watching the medals being handed out.

I just arrived home late last night to prepare for our 2 races in Calgary this coming Saturday & Sunday at Canada Olympic Park. Then our World Cup and Intercontinental Cup teams will be announced and the Olympic qualifications will continue. Come out and cheer us on this weekend if you don’t have anything better to do, it will be the only time you will see your Canadian skeleton athletes/potential Olympians compete this year, as we aren’t hosting a World Cup in Calgary this season. I don’t know the time of our races yet, sad I know I heard they were in the afternoon, but I think they have been moved to the evening…

Congrats to my teammates who all had a successful camp in Whistler, we all came away without too many injuries and everyone slid personal bests at some point during the 3 weeks. Good luck in Calgary!