It's not like riding a bike

I am four slides in. It is not like riding a bike. It doesn't just come back to you.

This is not going to be negative blog. But I am killing two birds with one stone and blogging my reflections from yesterday and tomorrow so it will be critical of myself. But there will also be positives. I have also got a 30 min time limit so it shouldn't be too rambling either (winning).

Here we go...

After two days here in Igls, Austria we (the 7 successful P2P'ers) got our first slide yesterday (Sunday) at 2:30 pm. As the track is so busy this week we were in a group of 30 (!) other sliders who will compete in the EC race Thursday and Friday. Talk about intimidating. But we just got on with it.

I (and I think it is fair to say we all were) was very nervous. Lillehammer felt like a long time ago. And things have stepped up a notch. No coach at the top - no junior start. On our own, in brush spikes and race suits :)

My first slide went well for a first slide. I got round Krisel (the big 270 degree left hand corner), through 8 and didn't flip my sled out of 9. A small knock to the ankle then through the high speed labyrinth and I was up through the out run. My feedback was positive: good form, decent steers; just they could be slightly firmer/longer.

The second slide didn't go right from the start. It was skiddy (I'd pushed faster) - the top half felt reasonably ok. But I hit in the straight between 9 and 10, and 10 just did not feel like the one before. And no time to work out why. Into 11 and boom I've flipped and I can see the sky. I screamed (poor Carrie heard and legged it) but then sense kicked in 'I've got to turn back over' so I managed and then having stopped short of the exit had to push my sled up the steep out run. It was the last thing I needed. My poor teammates had heard the crash announcement and were worried where the hell I was. They then really looked after me - Ellie even taking my race suit off as I iced my (very swollen and egg like) right shoulder. But that was the worst of it - so I'd crashed. It was always going to happen.

Bit of a red shoulder from my first crash

So positives (as promised):

1. I slid a new track
2. I pushed off the top for the first time
3. After I crashed I held on to and got back on to my sled

To work on:

1. Entry to corners at top of track
2. Firmess of steers
3. Feeling/awareness

Today (Monday): Slides 3-4 

We kicked off the day with a track walk (our first one) at 6:45 am! What a way to start Maddie's birthday - no longer a teenager!It was actually a beautiful way to start the day and for me being inside the track always helps me visualise and understand my steers a lot better. We also got to watch some of the EC guys training. Seeing how it is done it great but it is often difficult to relate to us and you can't really see how they are achieving the lines.

Upon arriving back Maddie's boyfriend and mate Jordan were waiting to surprise Maddie and we got tea and cake - which was very lovely. I then had some sled work to do. Daily checks and then working on my 'balance point' and practising my steers whilst on my sled - seems to work best for me. Having walked and slid the track always improves my visualisation as I can see the track clearer and know the timings/feeling of the corners better. So far so good.

Then it got infinitely better! OUR KIT ARRIVED. Or half of it did but hey free kit is free kit! So a little distraction mid morning which perked us all up. We are starting to look and feel like a real team now. Hopefully the rest arrives soon :)

 

KITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! :) We are so lucky. 

 

 Race suits are not so easy to get on!

Anyway the rest of the afternoon was free time (i.e. we tried on all the kit). We then left for the track and that's where the fun started. I was a little apprehensive for my first slide. Not too bad though - my shoulder wasn't sore and I knew how to rectify the problems from yesterday. But before I even go to the first corner I was having problems. I came out of the spur (the groove your sled runner goes in when you push and load).

This is roughly what went on in my head:

Push: 'Ok not bad right get on'

Load: 'SHITTTTTT (or a worse word) I'm out of the spur'

Into corner 1: 'OH MY GOD I AM CLOSE TO BEING SIDEWAYS - stick your feet out and try and get back facing the right way'

Corner 1-3: 'Bloody hell, this sled won't stabilise. My form is crap trying to control it - see where I am'

Corner 4: 'Oh that's four. Missed the first steer'

Corner 5: 'What am I doing in this corner? Oh yea late squeeze'

Corner 6: 'Ooh that's come at me fast and not the same as yesterday - this doesn't feel great I am skidding'

Corner 7: 'Right 7, let's get this shit under control. Match the pressure'

Corner 8: 'Two steers coming up - this is important for 9. Left shoulder then right. Good,, got that'

Corner 9: 'Firm steer. Wait and again. Good I didn't hit the wall - should be ok in to 10 now'

Corner 10: 'This is better. Feel the pressure and match - ok.'

Corner 11: 'God here we go..... get that steer on. Got it - bit bouncy but I am on my sled.'

Corner 12: 'Yes got that'

Corner 13: 'Good, now into 14, relax.'

Corner 14: 'Almost done, when am I in the outrun?'

Outrun: 'Stayed on the sled - yes! But so pissed I came out of the spur and had a frantic top half'

Or something along those lines... but in general I was ok - pleased with the bottom half. Not too concerned about my push.

Slide 4.

I won't give you another internal monologue but safe to say this was not a good one. Stayed in the spur - but didn't check my sled position. I then proceeded to skid down the track - no major issues through 7-10 (10 didn't feel brilliant again - always a danger) but stayed on in 11. Thought I'd got it then boom on my left hand side through 12. FOR @?*& SAKE! I pushed it back so didn't roll but was so rigid on my sled through 13 that I crashed in 14, back on my back so turned (again) and had the final straw of pushing it up the outrun towards lots of concerned faces. 

So I called my session there. Didn't take the 3rd and final slide. I was just too frustrated and my instincts told me not to push it. I feel annoyed about that now - so something to work on. Not letting my frustration get the better of me.

Positives were:

1. I am not hurt
2. My 8-9 was good. I got the new steer.
3. I am feeling 7 and 10 better.

To do tomorrow:

1. Check my sled position 
2. Work on my push position

Luckily we are getting lots of great feedback from our coaches as well as video analysis. So by the time I slide tomorrow I should have a new plan and more understanding of why today went the way it did, And I am hoping that that translates in to fewer skids and no crashes! Wishful? My stats would say so (3 crashes in 4 runs) but I am ever hopeful.

That's my 30 minutes. Good night x

Maddie - the birthday girl (she winded herself doing this!)