At the end of the season, after the graduation ceremony, at which all of the seniors give a speech recollecting their MMWA experiences (and most of them shed some tears – along with Lori, but we’re used to that) and after the excitement of the Sugar Slalom and sugar on snow and pickles and cider, comes the time when all MMWA students must pack up their bags and return home to their families and their public schools. It is sad, but what fun it was during the winter.
The transition is a difficult one because the schedule of MMWA is so different from a public school schedule. OK, so we are spoiled at MMWA; we get to spend the whole morning outside in fresh air, getting exercise. When we go back to public school, all of a sudden we have to be inside, sitting at desks for six or seven hours. The classes at public school are longer and have a different atmosphere. At MMWA, one student and one teacher generally work together in each class, so the relationship between the student and teacher is generally a respectful one. At public school, with more kids in each class, the teacher is not paying full attention to any one student, so kids tend to goof off and not pay attention (I am not holding myself exempt), so it takes twice as long to do something in a class at public school than it would in a one-on-one environment. Working at your own pace seems so much more efficient and less stressful.
Besides the long school days, by the time students from ski academies return to public schools, the season for spring sports has already started. We are ahead in skiing, but behind in lacrosse, tennis and baseball. Some kids at MMWA who live fairly close by, go to some of their spring practices during the afternoons, but since I live far from Stowe, I have to jump right back into tennis when I return.
Although the school aspect of the transition is difficult, it is always exciting to return and see friends and classmates that you didn’t get to see very often during the winter. Living and spending so much time with people creates a strong bond, so it is really hard to go from seeing ski teammates every day to seeing them every few weeks or months. I still keep in touch with ski friends and teammates in the off season, and I know that sooner or later I will be back on snow.
Despite the sadness of the end of the ski season and the difficulties of transitions, time moves on and we adjust to life in the off-season. It’s not skiing, but it is still fun. Plus, I will head out to Mt. Hood to train with other MMSC racers. I am looking forward to this because summer ski trips are always fun, and I will get to see teammates. Also, I will be working a lot this summer to save up money for the trip to Mt. Hood and next winter. Soon enough fall will roll around, and I will spend time working out to get in shape for the upcoming season. Then snow will begin to fall, the new season will start, and we get to do it all over again. I can hardly wait. See you next year on the slopes! I’ll be the one with the big smile.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Trip to Aspen
Recently, I spent a week and a half in Aspen, Colo., competing at J2 Nationals.
Three areas of the country were represented in Aspen: The Western region, which includes Utah, California, Washington and Oregon; the Eastern region, which includes New England, New York and a few Southern states; and the Rocky/Central region, which encompasses everything from Colorado to Minnesota and Missouri.
About 40 athletes were selected from the Eastern region, based on our results at a series of races held throughout the winter. Six other athletes from Stowe qualified: Bobby Farrell, Taylor Wunsch, Ryan Siegle, Taber Engleken, Dustin Martin and Brad Farrell. Unfortunately, Brad Farrell broke his leg two weeks before our trip, so he was unable to go.
I was really happy to make it to Nationals. I did not qualify last year. Until right before I qualified this year, I was having a mediocre season and struggling with my giant slalom skiing. I really worked hard this winter, but my times did not always improve.
I put the possibility of going to Nationals out of my mind, so that I would have no expectations and therefore no disappointments. I decided just to focus on my skiing and having fun each run in the race course.
Luckily, I had some good slalom runs in the last two races that counted toward qualifying for Nationals. I placed well in the races, which were at Sugarbush, and to my surprise qualified for Nationals. It was a great feeling after my skiing struggles earlier in the season. I was proud of my accomplishment, and I decided to go to Nationals with a “nothing to lose, just go for it” attitude toward my racing there.
All of the racers from the East flew out to Denver together and then drove to Aspen. We all stayed together at the same hotel. This was a fun experience because, being the only girl from Stowe, I got a chance to make new friends with other Eastern girls who were my teammates there, instead of my competitors, as they usually are when we race in the East.
At Aspen, we raced downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom, all on the women’s World Cup downhill trail. We spent the first three days in Aspen doing training runs for the downhill race. We did one run each day, and each day it got a little bit less scary.
The first time I saw the race trail, Aztec, I was terrified. It was nerve-wracking to know that I would be flying down it in a few hours. Although not my best event, once I got used to the steep trail and the high speeds, the downhill was exhilarating and a lot of fun, although a challenging course.
Over the course of our racing in Aspen, I had some good days and some bad days, and some in between in terms of my skiing. The third day of downhill training was my best run, but I carried too much speed into one gate on the final day (the day when the results actually counted) and lost a lot of time.
On the last day, on slalom day, a great first run ended when I had to hike on the third-to-last gate.
Sadly, giant slalom remained a struggle in Aspen, just as it had been for the whole winter.
Despite my below-par race runs, I tried not to worry myself and just have fun each run. As a result, the trip to Aspen was a blast, although I wish we could have had more time to ski the mountain.
The bad part about racing is that you spend all day inspecting the course and warming up and doing your race runs and you never get that much time to free ski on other trails. Unfortunately, that was the case in Aspen. I guess I will have to go back again soon to do that!
Three areas of the country were represented in Aspen: The Western region, which includes Utah, California, Washington and Oregon; the Eastern region, which includes New England, New York and a few Southern states; and the Rocky/Central region, which encompasses everything from Colorado to Minnesota and Missouri.
About 40 athletes were selected from the Eastern region, based on our results at a series of races held throughout the winter. Six other athletes from Stowe qualified: Bobby Farrell, Taylor Wunsch, Ryan Siegle, Taber Engleken, Dustin Martin and Brad Farrell. Unfortunately, Brad Farrell broke his leg two weeks before our trip, so he was unable to go.
I was really happy to make it to Nationals. I did not qualify last year. Until right before I qualified this year, I was having a mediocre season and struggling with my giant slalom skiing. I really worked hard this winter, but my times did not always improve.
I put the possibility of going to Nationals out of my mind, so that I would have no expectations and therefore no disappointments. I decided just to focus on my skiing and having fun each run in the race course.
Luckily, I had some good slalom runs in the last two races that counted toward qualifying for Nationals. I placed well in the races, which were at Sugarbush, and to my surprise qualified for Nationals. It was a great feeling after my skiing struggles earlier in the season. I was proud of my accomplishment, and I decided to go to Nationals with a “nothing to lose, just go for it” attitude toward my racing there.
All of the racers from the East flew out to Denver together and then drove to Aspen. We all stayed together at the same hotel. This was a fun experience because, being the only girl from Stowe, I got a chance to make new friends with other Eastern girls who were my teammates there, instead of my competitors, as they usually are when we race in the East.
At Aspen, we raced downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom, all on the women’s World Cup downhill trail. We spent the first three days in Aspen doing training runs for the downhill race. We did one run each day, and each day it got a little bit less scary.
The first time I saw the race trail, Aztec, I was terrified. It was nerve-wracking to know that I would be flying down it in a few hours. Although not my best event, once I got used to the steep trail and the high speeds, the downhill was exhilarating and a lot of fun, although a challenging course.
Over the course of our racing in Aspen, I had some good days and some bad days, and some in between in terms of my skiing. The third day of downhill training was my best run, but I carried too much speed into one gate on the final day (the day when the results actually counted) and lost a lot of time.
On the last day, on slalom day, a great first run ended when I had to hike on the third-to-last gate.
Sadly, giant slalom remained a struggle in Aspen, just as it had been for the whole winter.
Despite my below-par race runs, I tried not to worry myself and just have fun each run. As a result, the trip to Aspen was a blast, although I wish we could have had more time to ski the mountain.
The bad part about racing is that you spend all day inspecting the course and warming up and doing your race runs and you never get that much time to free ski on other trails. Unfortunately, that was the case in Aspen. I guess I will have to go back again soon to do that!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Q&A with Annie - Part two
What is your race day routine? Don't spare any details (foods, music, what's on your mind when you slip into the start, how do you deal with nerves, are you thinking when you are racing or just going on instinct and auto pilot)?
My race day routine starts the night before the race. I tune and wax my skis, and I always make sure I have my ski bag packed and everything that I need for the next day organized and ready to go. This means I have less to worry about when I wake up early in the morning, and it ensures that I don’t forget necessities like my wallet, ski boots, etc. (these are things that have often been forgotten by racers and are pretty important!). In the morning on the way to the race or in the lodge before we go out, I eat breakfast, usually oatmeal or a muffin, and drink lots of fluids. When I inspect the course, I don’t necessarily memorize every single turn, but I visualize the line I plan to ski between the gates, and I visualize myself skiing the course. Later, when I am at the start getting ready for my run, I visualize myself once more, and I picture myself skiing any tricky spots in the course. I like to listen to music when I inspect the course and when I am hanging out in the lodge before my run. It can be any type of music, usually I just listen to whatever plays on shuffle on my ipod. The music helps me relax. To try to master my nerves, I just remind myself that the result doesn’t matter. My goal before each run is to ski as aggressively as possible without sacrificing my line between the gates. As long as I have skied as fast as I could have in the course, I am generally satisfied, even if I ended up falling or making mistakes in my run. Before my run I like to get really warmed up and stretched out. I run in place and swing my arms and legs to get them warmed up and loose. In the start I just remind myself to go for it and “leave it all on the hill.” It is hard to say what I think about in the course because looking back, the course is always kind of a blur. I try to keep myself pumped up and aggressive, but my subconscious brain takes over the control of my muscles and my skiing.
What role have your parents played in your racing career? Do you think kids from non ski-racing families can be as successful as kids from ski-racer or skier families?
My parents have played a huge role in my ski-racing career. They taught me to ski and fostered my love of the sport. I think the time we put in skiing as a family definitely put me at an advantage over other kids who did not come from skiing families. When I started ski racing my parents took me to all of the races, and we would ski all over the mountain after the race. Since neither parent ski raced, let alone lived near any major ski areas when they were young, they are always enthusiastic about every run they get on skis, and they always try to ski at races. They tease me that they should be going to the ski academy because they appreciate it more than I do. Also, my parents have funded my skiing career, although in recent years I have been contributing a bit. Without them, I would never have been able to start ski racing, let alone attend a ski academy. They have put in a lot of time and effort into the ski club at Suicide Six, so that my sister and I and other kids could race there. Most of all, my parents have been my supporters. They have cheered me on, and they have been the ones to whom I came crying when I was disappointed or upset.
With your busy life on the ski racing tour, do you have a social life? What does your winter social life consist of? Seriously. Do your friends back home get what you're doing?
In the winter, my social life is definitely different, although I spend just as much time with people my age as I do in the off-season. Since we all ski race and have early bedtimes before races and sometimes need days to rest and stay home, ski racers tend to hang out together in the winter. There is a great group of kids at MMWA, and I love spending time with them. Without that team aspect and being surrounded by other people who are doing the same thing, I would not enjoy ski racing as much as I do. I don’t have as much of a social life when I visit home in the winter because I generally like to spend my time resting and doing nothing because I am usually so busy. I generally just visit with my closest friends when I come home. My friends in Woodstock understand my ski career pretty well. Some of my closest friends ski raced for a few years when they were J5s and J6s, so they have gotten a glimpse of the sport. Also, they got an idea of how full the racing schedule is from my freshman year at public school when I missed so much school to attend races. A lot of kids I knew from Suicide Six still race, so I still see some friends from other academies who actually started out at Suicide Six.
How will spend your summer?
This summer I will definitely be working a lot! I try to save up some money for the ski season and to pay for summer ski trips, but what I earn gets used up really fast. I would like to ski this summer. In past years I went out to Whistler in British Columbia and skied on the glacier there. Last year, I went with a group from MMSC to Les Deux Alpes, France. The glacier was huge and the skiing was amazing. That area of France was beautiful, and it was a great experience. This next summer I hope to go back to France or to ski at Mount Hood in Oregon with the MMSC group. Aside from work and skiing, I like to spend the summertime playing tennis, hanging out with my friends, swimming and enjoying the warm weather.
My race day routine starts the night before the race. I tune and wax my skis, and I always make sure I have my ski bag packed and everything that I need for the next day organized and ready to go. This means I have less to worry about when I wake up early in the morning, and it ensures that I don’t forget necessities like my wallet, ski boots, etc. (these are things that have often been forgotten by racers and are pretty important!). In the morning on the way to the race or in the lodge before we go out, I eat breakfast, usually oatmeal or a muffin, and drink lots of fluids. When I inspect the course, I don’t necessarily memorize every single turn, but I visualize the line I plan to ski between the gates, and I visualize myself skiing the course. Later, when I am at the start getting ready for my run, I visualize myself once more, and I picture myself skiing any tricky spots in the course. I like to listen to music when I inspect the course and when I am hanging out in the lodge before my run. It can be any type of music, usually I just listen to whatever plays on shuffle on my ipod. The music helps me relax. To try to master my nerves, I just remind myself that the result doesn’t matter. My goal before each run is to ski as aggressively as possible without sacrificing my line between the gates. As long as I have skied as fast as I could have in the course, I am generally satisfied, even if I ended up falling or making mistakes in my run. Before my run I like to get really warmed up and stretched out. I run in place and swing my arms and legs to get them warmed up and loose. In the start I just remind myself to go for it and “leave it all on the hill.” It is hard to say what I think about in the course because looking back, the course is always kind of a blur. I try to keep myself pumped up and aggressive, but my subconscious brain takes over the control of my muscles and my skiing.
What role have your parents played in your racing career? Do you think kids from non ski-racing families can be as successful as kids from ski-racer or skier families?
My parents have played a huge role in my ski-racing career. They taught me to ski and fostered my love of the sport. I think the time we put in skiing as a family definitely put me at an advantage over other kids who did not come from skiing families. When I started ski racing my parents took me to all of the races, and we would ski all over the mountain after the race. Since neither parent ski raced, let alone lived near any major ski areas when they were young, they are always enthusiastic about every run they get on skis, and they always try to ski at races. They tease me that they should be going to the ski academy because they appreciate it more than I do. Also, my parents have funded my skiing career, although in recent years I have been contributing a bit. Without them, I would never have been able to start ski racing, let alone attend a ski academy. They have put in a lot of time and effort into the ski club at Suicide Six, so that my sister and I and other kids could race there. Most of all, my parents have been my supporters. They have cheered me on, and they have been the ones to whom I came crying when I was disappointed or upset.
With your busy life on the ski racing tour, do you have a social life? What does your winter social life consist of? Seriously. Do your friends back home get what you're doing?
In the winter, my social life is definitely different, although I spend just as much time with people my age as I do in the off-season. Since we all ski race and have early bedtimes before races and sometimes need days to rest and stay home, ski racers tend to hang out together in the winter. There is a great group of kids at MMWA, and I love spending time with them. Without that team aspect and being surrounded by other people who are doing the same thing, I would not enjoy ski racing as much as I do. I don’t have as much of a social life when I visit home in the winter because I generally like to spend my time resting and doing nothing because I am usually so busy. I generally just visit with my closest friends when I come home. My friends in Woodstock understand my ski career pretty well. Some of my closest friends ski raced for a few years when they were J5s and J6s, so they have gotten a glimpse of the sport. Also, they got an idea of how full the racing schedule is from my freshman year at public school when I missed so much school to attend races. A lot of kids I knew from Suicide Six still race, so I still see some friends from other academies who actually started out at Suicide Six.
How will spend your summer?
This summer I will definitely be working a lot! I try to save up some money for the ski season and to pay for summer ski trips, but what I earn gets used up really fast. I would like to ski this summer. In past years I went out to Whistler in British Columbia and skied on the glacier there. Last year, I went with a group from MMSC to Les Deux Alpes, France. The glacier was huge and the skiing was amazing. That area of France was beautiful, and it was a great experience. This next summer I hope to go back to France or to ski at Mount Hood in Oregon with the MMSC group. Aside from work and skiing, I like to spend the summertime playing tennis, hanging out with my friends, swimming and enjoying the warm weather.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Annie answers some questions - Part one
SR. Why did you decide to attend Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy and Stowe as opposed to some other school in some other location?
AL: The first thing that attracted me to Stowe and the Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy was the mountain. I raced every spring in the Sugar Slalom, and I had enjoyed skiing the rest of the mountain in between race runs. Compared to Killington and Okemo (some of my other choices for ski academies) the skiing at Stowe was incredible. Also, when I visited Killington Mountain School and Okemo Mountain School, it seemed as if there were a lot of kids who came from other states and lived in Vermont just for the winter. There were fewer kids at those schools who were actually from Vermont. I realized that I wanted to go to a school that had other kids like me, local Vermonters. MMWA seemed like an academically challenging option with an energetic group of kids, most of whom were from areas of Vermont near Stowe.
SR: What's your favorite thing about spending the winter in Stowe (it can be anything, from the food at the academy to powder days to whatever you wish)?
AL: It is difficult to pick a favorite thing about spending the winter in Stowe because really everything adds to the experience of spending the winter there. I love the early mornings when the snow is hard and groomed into perfect corduroy, and we can cruise down with no other people - it feels amazing. At the same time, I love the powder days when training is forgotten, and we spend the day skiing the deep stuff in the woods. Occasionally, these days are accompanied by cancellation of classes, which makes for a fun afternoon of building tunnels and playing around in the snow outside the academy. The food at school is also amazing. The chefs make a variety of fantastic meals ranging from Sue’s spinach lasagna to Pat’s tuna steaks with orange sauce. Most of all, the general atmosphere at MMWA is outstanding. There is energy and excitement about the place. The people there tend to look out for each other and respect each other, which I don’t always see at school or elsewhere in the world these days.
SR: Why do you take ski racing so seriously? You spend your winters in this special environment that enables you to race and train as much as possible... do you want to race in college and beyond?
AL: When I began ski racing, I never intended to come this far. I started as a J6 at Suicide Six, racing on the weekends, and I loved every minute of it. Every year after that there was no question whether or not I would be racing the next winter. As I moved up through the levels – J6 to J3 - the racing atmosphere became more serious. There were many more races as I got older, and the competition thinned out a bit. At the J2 level, most of the kids racing intend to continue with it, at least until the end of high school. When I was a J3 and we began to have a lot of races on the weekdays, I realized that I could no longer attend public school and race at the same time without my schoolwork suffering (I missed a lot of school in ninth grade when I was racing from home and attending my high school). I came to MMWA not necessarily because I wanted to get the best training and be the best, although those were certainly motivators, but because I loved ski racing and the whole ski racing world too much to let school attendance requirements limit my ability to be a part of it.
In my mental outlook on racing, I try not to take competition too seriously. After all, it is only a sport (although we choose it as a lifestyle), and it is not the end of the world if I am not racing as well as I would like to be (although sometimes it feels that way – I have shed some tears after bad races). At one point in my skiing a few years ago, after beating myself up race after race, I realized that I needed to just relax and enjoy skiing the way that I did when I was younger. Now, I try to work hard, focus on things that will help me improve and have fun. If I am doing these things, the good results I want will come in time. Still, before every race I have to say to myself, “This doesn’t matter. In a few years, I won’t remember each result I had; I will remember the fun I had.”
At this point I have not decided how far I will take my ski racing. I might race in college, but I don’t want ski racing to dominate my whole time in college. I do know that no matter how much more ski racing I do, I will ski for the rest of my life.
Editor's note: This Q&A style post was sent to us just before Annie left for J2 National Championships in Aspen, Colo. Check Annie's recent results to see how her races are going!
AL: The first thing that attracted me to Stowe and the Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy was the mountain. I raced every spring in the Sugar Slalom, and I had enjoyed skiing the rest of the mountain in between race runs. Compared to Killington and Okemo (some of my other choices for ski academies) the skiing at Stowe was incredible. Also, when I visited Killington Mountain School and Okemo Mountain School, it seemed as if there were a lot of kids who came from other states and lived in Vermont just for the winter. There were fewer kids at those schools who were actually from Vermont. I realized that I wanted to go to a school that had other kids like me, local Vermonters. MMWA seemed like an academically challenging option with an energetic group of kids, most of whom were from areas of Vermont near Stowe.
SR: What's your favorite thing about spending the winter in Stowe (it can be anything, from the food at the academy to powder days to whatever you wish)?
AL: It is difficult to pick a favorite thing about spending the winter in Stowe because really everything adds to the experience of spending the winter there. I love the early mornings when the snow is hard and groomed into perfect corduroy, and we can cruise down with no other people - it feels amazing. At the same time, I love the powder days when training is forgotten, and we spend the day skiing the deep stuff in the woods. Occasionally, these days are accompanied by cancellation of classes, which makes for a fun afternoon of building tunnels and playing around in the snow outside the academy. The food at school is also amazing. The chefs make a variety of fantastic meals ranging from Sue’s spinach lasagna to Pat’s tuna steaks with orange sauce. Most of all, the general atmosphere at MMWA is outstanding. There is energy and excitement about the place. The people there tend to look out for each other and respect each other, which I don’t always see at school or elsewhere in the world these days.
SR: Why do you take ski racing so seriously? You spend your winters in this special environment that enables you to race and train as much as possible... do you want to race in college and beyond?
AL: When I began ski racing, I never intended to come this far. I started as a J6 at Suicide Six, racing on the weekends, and I loved every minute of it. Every year after that there was no question whether or not I would be racing the next winter. As I moved up through the levels – J6 to J3 - the racing atmosphere became more serious. There were many more races as I got older, and the competition thinned out a bit. At the J2 level, most of the kids racing intend to continue with it, at least until the end of high school. When I was a J3 and we began to have a lot of races on the weekdays, I realized that I could no longer attend public school and race at the same time without my schoolwork suffering (I missed a lot of school in ninth grade when I was racing from home and attending my high school). I came to MMWA not necessarily because I wanted to get the best training and be the best, although those were certainly motivators, but because I loved ski racing and the whole ski racing world too much to let school attendance requirements limit my ability to be a part of it.
In my mental outlook on racing, I try not to take competition too seriously. After all, it is only a sport (although we choose it as a lifestyle), and it is not the end of the world if I am not racing as well as I would like to be (although sometimes it feels that way – I have shed some tears after bad races). At one point in my skiing a few years ago, after beating myself up race after race, I realized that I needed to just relax and enjoy skiing the way that I did when I was younger. Now, I try to work hard, focus on things that will help me improve and have fun. If I am doing these things, the good results I want will come in time. Still, before every race I have to say to myself, “This doesn’t matter. In a few years, I won’t remember each result I had; I will remember the fun I had.”
At this point I have not decided how far I will take my ski racing. I might race in college, but I don’t want ski racing to dominate my whole time in college. I do know that no matter how much more ski racing I do, I will ski for the rest of my life.
Editor's note: This Q&A style post was sent to us just before Annie left for J2 National Championships in Aspen, Colo. Check Annie's recent results to see how her races are going!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Time according to ski racers
In the pursuit of progress in ski racing, skiers race against time. The students at ski academies spend each week at school working out, tuning skis, getting tutored, doing homework and mentally preparing for the competition of racing. We do all of this preparation so that we can spend time out on the mountain and get the most out of the time that we actually ski.
Each morning, we spend around three or four hours at the mountain, and each race day we spend about seven hours at the ski area where our race is being held. Yet, upon closer inspection, when one calculates the amount of time actually spent skiing, not on the lift or in the lodge, the time on the snow is amazingly small.
On average, it takes about fifteen minutes to take one run from the bottom of the lift to the top, down the hill and back around to the bottom again. Yet, it really only takes one minute or so to ski down the trail.
So, for every fifteen minutes spent on the hill, only one minute is spent actually skiing. Therefore, every hour only produces four minutes of skiing, and of that time only a small fraction is actually spent running gates where the coaches watch us and try to help us improve.
In a full season we might have fifty races, but for each of those race days, when we spend six or seven hours at the race, we really only race for about two minutes. Of all of our races combined, we may race for less than two hours.
Thus, we are constantly on a mission to get the most out of each turn, out of each run, out of each second that our skis are on snow.
Although taking a couple free runs on the weekend may not seem as if it will make a big difference, it is four or five more minutes on snow and in the ski racing world, of hundredths and milliseconds, that can make a difference and bring each us of that much closer to achieving our goals. It isn’t surprising that progress improving one’s technique is made across seasons of racing rather than hours or days on the hill.
Unlike other sports, in which an athlete may put in three hours of practice and in that training spend three hours actively doing that sport, ski racers dedicate hours and hours to training and only get minutes and seconds of skiing.
Yet when asked why they participate in such a time consuming sport, any skier will answer that every hour spent in the tuning room or freezing on the lift is worth each little second spent flying down the slopes or in a course.
Each morning, we spend around three or four hours at the mountain, and each race day we spend about seven hours at the ski area where our race is being held. Yet, upon closer inspection, when one calculates the amount of time actually spent skiing, not on the lift or in the lodge, the time on the snow is amazingly small.
On average, it takes about fifteen minutes to take one run from the bottom of the lift to the top, down the hill and back around to the bottom again. Yet, it really only takes one minute or so to ski down the trail.
So, for every fifteen minutes spent on the hill, only one minute is spent actually skiing. Therefore, every hour only produces four minutes of skiing, and of that time only a small fraction is actually spent running gates where the coaches watch us and try to help us improve.
In a full season we might have fifty races, but for each of those race days, when we spend six or seven hours at the race, we really only race for about two minutes. Of all of our races combined, we may race for less than two hours.
Thus, we are constantly on a mission to get the most out of each turn, out of each run, out of each second that our skis are on snow.
Although taking a couple free runs on the weekend may not seem as if it will make a big difference, it is four or five more minutes on snow and in the ski racing world, of hundredths and milliseconds, that can make a difference and bring each us of that much closer to achieving our goals. It isn’t surprising that progress improving one’s technique is made across seasons of racing rather than hours or days on the hill.
Unlike other sports, in which an athlete may put in three hours of practice and in that training spend three hours actively doing that sport, ski racers dedicate hours and hours to training and only get minutes and seconds of skiing.
Yet when asked why they participate in such a time consuming sport, any skier will answer that every hour spent in the tuning room or freezing on the lift is worth each little second spent flying down the slopes or in a course.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Ski racing has taught me time management
Ski academies give junior racers an opportunity to get valuable ski training and be able to get out on the road and race without missing out on academics.
At Mount Mansfield Winter Academy, the J1 and J2 racers ski in the morning and go to classes in the afternoon. We head up to the mountain around 7:45 a.m. We free ski and train, then head back down to school around 11:30 a.m. Classes start after lunch. Each class lasts forty minutes. Classes generally meet three to four times a week, unless the student is off racing. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, we head to the gym after classes to lift weights or do agility exercises.
Attending the academy is not only a blast, but it teaches you valuable skills like time management. Coming from the regular school schedule (school until three and sports practice for a couple of hours in the afternoon) it takes a bit of an adjustment to get used to the academy schedule, where there are more things to do in the day and the time goes by faster.
For a procrastinator like me, I have found that mastering my time can take a lot of will power. However, I realized that if I did my homework or tuned my skis as soon as I had time, I would have a lot more free time to do whatever I wanted later. Also, I learned that it is a lot more enjoyable to relax and hang out when you have your work done, instead of having it sitting, unfinished, in a huge pile on your desk.
The time management skills I have gained from being a student at the academy have carried over to other aspects of my life. I tend to plan better when I know that there are important things that I have to do. I get things done and out of the way rather than building up huge lists of things I need to do.
Last, spring upon returning to public school, I used my new time management abilities to help me stay focused and not get the usual spring slacking fever. These skills are valuable and I think that they will help me later in life both in college and the real world.
At Mount Mansfield Winter Academy, the J1 and J2 racers ski in the morning and go to classes in the afternoon. We head up to the mountain around 7:45 a.m. We free ski and train, then head back down to school around 11:30 a.m. Classes start after lunch. Each class lasts forty minutes. Classes generally meet three to four times a week, unless the student is off racing. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, we head to the gym after classes to lift weights or do agility exercises.
Attending the academy is not only a blast, but it teaches you valuable skills like time management. Coming from the regular school schedule (school until three and sports practice for a couple of hours in the afternoon) it takes a bit of an adjustment to get used to the academy schedule, where there are more things to do in the day and the time goes by faster.
For a procrastinator like me, I have found that mastering my time can take a lot of will power. However, I realized that if I did my homework or tuned my skis as soon as I had time, I would have a lot more free time to do whatever I wanted later. Also, I learned that it is a lot more enjoyable to relax and hang out when you have your work done, instead of having it sitting, unfinished, in a huge pile on your desk.
The time management skills I have gained from being a student at the academy have carried over to other aspects of my life. I tend to plan better when I know that there are important things that I have to do. I get things done and out of the way rather than building up huge lists of things I need to do.
Last, spring upon returning to public school, I used my new time management abilities to help me stay focused and not get the usual spring slacking fever. These skills are valuable and I think that they will help me later in life both in college and the real world.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Speed week in Sugarloaf
In the winter, ski racers often spend more time on the road than we do at home. In the past three weeks, I have skied at Sugarbush in Waitsfield, Sunday River in Bethel, Maine, Sunapee in Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, Cannon in Franconia, New Hampshire, and I am currently spending the week at Sugarloaf in Maine.
These trips are a blast. On the day of our departure we pack up our van, piling skis on the roof rack and cramming all of our ski bags, boots, tuning boxes, food and homework into the back. Although it is quite a process, we are so used to it that we can pack the van fairly quickly, although not necessarily neatly.
This week at Sugarloaf, we are racing downhill, the discipline that requires the greatest amount of insanity. Upon our arrival the first night, we headed to the tuning room to prep our skis and get them to run on the snow as fast as possible. To do this, one must wax the skis with wax that is made to perform best with whatever kind of weather is predicted for the race day. Then, all of the wax has to be scraped off and the skis have to be brushed until no more wax comes out. When you finally think your speed skis are all set to go and you have gotten all the wax possible out of the bases, you scrape and brush them again. After that process was over on our first night in Sugarloaf, we went to bed, visions of downhill courses dancing in our heads.
As tiring as the prep work may be, skiing downhill is definitely worth it. At Sugarloaf, the track weaves smoothly through the gates of the upper pitch and plunges down the famous “Headwall.” After headwall, you hit the flats and fly off a knoll. Doing your best to minimize your time in the air after the knoll, you plunge your hands down and grab your tuck to the finish, crunching your upper body down on your quads until you can barely lift up your head to see out of your goggles. As soon as it began, the run is over. Adrenaline rushing through your body, you cross the finish line and descend back to reality.
We will spend the week taking downhill runs each morning, each time trying to go harder and faster. Our afternoons are spent tuning our skis for the next day, doing homework, relaxing, and enjoying the fabulous food of the local restaurants.
These trips are a blast. On the day of our departure we pack up our van, piling skis on the roof rack and cramming all of our ski bags, boots, tuning boxes, food and homework into the back. Although it is quite a process, we are so used to it that we can pack the van fairly quickly, although not necessarily neatly.
This week at Sugarloaf, we are racing downhill, the discipline that requires the greatest amount of insanity. Upon our arrival the first night, we headed to the tuning room to prep our skis and get them to run on the snow as fast as possible. To do this, one must wax the skis with wax that is made to perform best with whatever kind of weather is predicted for the race day. Then, all of the wax has to be scraped off and the skis have to be brushed until no more wax comes out. When you finally think your speed skis are all set to go and you have gotten all the wax possible out of the bases, you scrape and brush them again. After that process was over on our first night in Sugarloaf, we went to bed, visions of downhill courses dancing in our heads.
As tiring as the prep work may be, skiing downhill is definitely worth it. At Sugarloaf, the track weaves smoothly through the gates of the upper pitch and plunges down the famous “Headwall.” After headwall, you hit the flats and fly off a knoll. Doing your best to minimize your time in the air after the knoll, you plunge your hands down and grab your tuck to the finish, crunching your upper body down on your quads until you can barely lift up your head to see out of your goggles. As soon as it began, the run is over. Adrenaline rushing through your body, you cross the finish line and descend back to reality.
We will spend the week taking downhill runs each morning, each time trying to go harder and faster. Our afternoons are spent tuning our skis for the next day, doing homework, relaxing, and enjoying the fabulous food of the local restaurants.
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