Just call me hop-a-long

The journey continues.

           Where the journey started 

I really enjoyed sliding in Winterberg. I didn't waste time 'stuck' like in Igls (because I was better prepared), my speeds and times were decent and I was showing progress. I liked the track and apart from a few crashes in the outrun (at the end) and a popped spur it was pretty much drama free. Of course I had plenty to work on (mainly skidding) but that's life; when do you ever sit back and say I can't be any better? Never and especially not in this sport. As a group we were becoming closer and better at working together - there were some pre Lillehammer nerves about but overal we had had a decent camp and were looking forward to moving on to Norway. 

Team love ❤️

Then the environment bit back. We were staying in apartments in a separate building to the main hotel and on Tuesday eve walking down to the pool I slipped on ice, fell off the kerb, spraining my left ankle in the process. *%#>!!!!! I could weight bear but at the same time I knew this wasn't one of those sprains that you can shake off. I'd bent my foot back falling and all the muscles in my lower leg were hurting as well as my foot and ankle. How typical, I managed to get through a week of skeleton but hurt myself walking on a rest day.

And this accident has shaped my entire time in Lillehammer and has resulted in me being sat on a train which will take me to the airport which will take me home. Four days early. So as you can imagine I'm not the happiest at the moment. If I look really hard I can see some silver lining in this situation. I mean I got to use a mini car thing round Frankfurt airport and I can go back to work and earn money when I was taking unpaid leave. The train also has wifi and is much more comfortable than the trains in the UK. But that's all I can manage. 

Initially I hoped the coaching team would let me slide. But my ankle was massive and I had a rather gangster limp going on. So I've spent a lot of time doing RICE; resting, icing, compressing and elevating. Not easy when you have to travel and move place to place just to eat but I didn't have much other choice. It didn't get better quick enough and I was soon told that unless I could run I couldn't slide. This may sound silly to you, I mean why do I need my ankle to lay on a sled and slide down an ice track? Well yes I could just be pushed off the top but the risk remained that I'd hit my ankle on the way down which best case scenario would just hurt like hell and worst case break my ankle. 

My fat ankle, hospital trip (no break) and airport transport 

I got it. And if I'd been at work talking to an athlete in my position I'd say the same. Go home and get it looked after properly. But it was still a rubbish situation and I was upset, especially as the past few days my ankle really is a lot better. I can walk fine, even jog, go up and down steps and the swelling is almost gone. My teammates had had two sliding sessions and watching was hard and nerve wracking at the same time. We'd all gotten used to tracks with very little pressure in comparison to Lillehammer and on the first day everyone (even the more experienced sliders) struggled with the track. Maddy hit both her hands hard out of 13 (the big, mean corner) and had two golf ball lumps on her hands and I found Marcus, Ellie and Brogan at the finish all looking traumatised and worse for wear with more than a few bumps, bruises and horror stories between them. Shit got real and I realised that if I was sliding it was very likely that I would hit my ankle at one point or another.

I was provided with a welcome distraction yesterday courtesy of Maddy. She wanted to change her saddle on her sled to better protect her hands and was instructed to go buy the bolts etc and make a starts whilst the group were training. Feeling like I couldn't let her do that all by herself I went to. Cue an adventure of sorts to go find these bolts. Picture this, two blondes (me and Maddy almost look like twins) in a van, with snow chains, in thick snow, blindly following a sat nav to a hardware shop. Obviously the sat nav directed us incorrectly, we ended up going down a narrow, road thick with snow (we'd taken the chains off by this point) to a few random houses and a railway line. Across the railway line we could see the industrial estate we were supposed to be at. With no way over we put the chains back on (first time for everything) and went back up the hill to the main road. Once on the road we took them off and continued on now directed by my phones sat nav. But of course we took the wrong exit onto the motorway and needed to turn around. Eventually back on track we saw the store on the side of the motorway - yay!!! We took the exit and found ourselves somewhere we'd already been. The place where we'd first taken of our snow chains!! In disbelief we ploughed on along a snow covered road of sorts through an industrial estate and thank fully made it to the store. Relieved we went in only to be told that they didn't have bolts long enough in stock!! Our faces must have been a picture. 

The two blondes in a van (above).

Anyway we took the best they had and made it home in about 20 minutes following the main road rather than the sat nav. We were back on track. Or not - we got to the hotel and room where we can do sled work only to find Maddy's sled not there. It had been taken to the track for some reason!? Abruptly furious all we could do was sit and wait for the guys to comes back. Luckily we didn't have to wait for too long and we actually got it all done in time for the video session so we were able to join in with everyone else the rest of the evening. I was drained. I'd also had it confirmed that I was leaving and was pretty upset that I wouldn't be sliding again so had no opportunity to prove my ability (we are all still on trial). 

So now I am on my way home, I'll be back in work this time tomorrow which is strange but to be honest it will be a welcome distraction and now that I am home for a decent amount of time I can properly get back into work which I love. The next part of the skeleton journey are the summer camps in Bath so my job is very clear. Fix my ankle and go smash these camps over summer. There are about 18 talent athletes which gets cut to 6 before next season so I need to really show the coaching team what I can do or ensure I stay in this sport. 

What's is all for. Worth it.

Butterflies

It's day 4 but today was day 1 in terms actual sliding. Which meant this morning the nerves came. Although this is my third sliding camp the nerves prior to your first slide on a new track don't get much better (well not for me anyway).

So this morning... 

Breakfast at 8am, then some time before leaving at 9:30am for the track. This is when the butterflies really hit!! 45 min with not a huge amount to do. I was packed, had made my plan, visualised my plan, eaten etc just a waiting game now.

To be honest the first 3 days were a waiting game. True to an earlier blog Winterberg has fulfilled the 'subject to change' tag skeleton has earned so far. We had no hotel first night so arranged a last minute one just outside of Winterberg. Then at our proper hotel we had no space to work on our sleds so couldn't unpack. So off to the track we went to get an idea of the geography, ice, corners etc. We got a decent track walk in only to find we'd been locked in!! So all our luggage and sleds were stuck at the track when we needed them in the hotel to put together and prep for our sliding session next day. 

So we did the logical thing. We got our cases out (30kg luggage) and walked the 2 or so miles to the hotel - up an icy hill I might add. Anyway 25 minutes later Maddy and I are in our room dying of heat, sweating as we've got tons of thermal layers on. But we're home. However still sled-less. So our first session is in jeopardy. 

Anyway we got the vehicles the next morning and got straight into sled work. Servicing each sled, putting the saddle back on in place, greasing and polishing runners etc. however our session did get pulled in the end as we were just too rushed and it was one thing after another. Not the sort of circumstances you want to attempt a new track in. 

I was reasonably relieved and only slightly disappointed with this news to be honest. I wasn't keen on sliding not 100% prepared or rushed. Still a little deterred by my performance in Igls I was happy to spend some more time learning the track and steers as one of my goals was to be better prepared for the track. Have the ability to anticipate the feeling and steers required using knowledge from past tracks.

ANYWAY! Fast forward to this morning ..

Much better prepared compared to the previous evening. But still not at all confident and basically dreading the first one. How can I explain this? I'm not mental, I don't hate my sport but still do it. It's just scary as hell not really knowing how the first one is going to go. Our coaches had briefed us on where we were likely to crash (!!!) and of course that's where they were positioned hoping to get some decent crash footage! Coupled with some self doubt from the last camp, how I struggled to begin with and this camp has similar characteristics. Hopefully this explains some of my apprehension. 

Once at the track a long warm up helped calm the nerves then one by one we were off. Responsible enough to be at the top by ourselves now we had one another for support. Tim went first, his run looked lovely on the camera. The nerves eased slightly. Once Brogan leaves the changing area I'm next. Hello nerves again. 

I leave the changing room, Marcus has just gone and Brogan is getting ready. Time for me to do the same - take my helmet and sled to the start block. Once Brogan goes it's just me. Off come the over shoes and I check for ice in my spikes. You can't set up your start position until you get the all clear so I wait, watching the clock which is timing Brogan's run and going through my plan in my head. Helmet on, coat off then 'next up, Kim Murray. Track is clear'. And the green light. 

That's it then. No turning back. Set the sled up - we are pushing on the left spur which is my less preferred side. Another thing to unnerve me - no one wants to pop the spur first run. But I think about my start coaching points from Konigssee and reassure myself it'll be fine. 12 steps and on. The spur pulls left so straight away I'm being challenged, having to deviate from my plan. But this is good for me as I need to learn how to get back on line. Funnily enough by now the nerves are gone and replaced by a determination and concentration to get down well. 

I stay on in 9 (as did everyone much to our coaches disappointment) and don't flip at the finish so I'm pretty happy. Then I fly up the outrun and can't get out. Hahaha! I call for help and Tim comes and lifts my sled whilst I clamber over. All very dignified :) then I have some time to recall the run before coach feedback. Overall I am pleased with my run. The key corners (7-8-9) went well and I also had a good top of the track, working to stay straight on the straightaways (not as easy as it sounds). Awareness in the higher pressure corners needs some work but that'll come. I also need to relax in the labyrinth. 

Repeat x2 and that's a training session!! 90 mins of 'training' for 3 minute or so slides. But boy is it draining physically and mentally. Lunch, gym and video and we are done for the day. 

Tomorrow we have the same again. 

This week I'm loving...

Home for five days. Five things I'm loving this week.

1. Friends and a date! Two dinners (one homemade, one out) - I've been away for the majority of the year so far and have been missing Scotland pals. And Thursday night date night was a last minute addition to the week ;)

Sygn, Edinburgh. Sundays dinner venue

2. Rowing testing. I caught up with some of the Scottish rowers that were due testing. This meant a 7am start in Glasgow and a lengthy road trip to Aberdeen. So maybe one I wasn't loving quite as much.

3. My bed. Despite leaving my cuddly toy pancakes behind at Maddy's I slept so well all week because I was in my own bed. Can't beat it.

Poor pancakes left at Maddy's 

4. Perfume. Chanel Chance to be precise.  I'd not worn perfume since Hogmanay. So Sunday eve when I was getting ready for dinner with Katie I may have gone slightly overboard. 

5. Training. Running upright and further than 15m :) I'm not a natural short sprinter; favouring the longer sprints so Thursday in particular when I did a few 120s as part of the session was lovely. Also getting to see my coaches and get some useful advice and of course my big training group!! I miss them when I am away.