October 29, 2008 (Caledon, ON) – I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in Ontario for a little Thanksgiving holiday break. I must say that the return back to Canmore was quite the shock. The weather went from 20 degrees Celsius (68 F) and sunny in Ontario to zero (32 F) and flurries in Alberta. It got me pretty excited though because it meant that winter is finally near.

Words can’t express how excited I am about racing this season. Taking a year off really gets you raring to go! There isn’t one day that goes by where I don’t think about the upcoming race season. Just the thought of stepping up to the start line puts a smile on my face. I’ve caught myself a few times walking down the street beaming from ear to ear and I’ve had to remind myself that it probably looks a little weird to bystanders on the corner. In fact, to them I probably have the uncanny look of “young love” pasted across my face.

With the race season fast approaching the training intensity is ramping up. This time of the season can sometimes be tough. A combination of difficult training weather combined with some very difficult workouts can really drain an athlete. My approach to this time of year is to bring the energy from my smile into the energy of my workouts. The way I see it is this:

– If I wake up to a morning of bad weather, I use it as an opportunity to get comfortable skiing in poor conditions. Race weather isn’t always going to be perfect, and if I can find a way to see it in a positive light then that’s one more advantage I have over those that it affects negatively.

– When training gets tough, the tough get going. The fall is known for it’s gruelling intensity workouts. When the pain hits me like a wall I try to dig out the smile I carry on the streets. That extra boost of energy can dig any suffering athlete out of their pain hole. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right?!

– When it’s raining, who cares? Skin is waterproof. I find the toughest step is to get out of the door, but once you’re out, bad weather is never really that bad. If I wake up and it’s raining and 2 degrees (35 F), I immediately think of specific workout goals and how I’m gong to achieve them. Keeping these on my mind keeps the rain out and my goals in sight.

Bring on winter !