November 20, 2008 (Idre, Sweden) – After 2.5 days of travel and a lost rifle, I finally arrived to Idre, Sweden last Saturday afternoon. Idre is located in the West of Sweden and it is home to both an alpine resort and a world-class biathlon venue. We were greeted with sunny skies and perfect tracks in Idre, which made the long travel well worth it.

I react a little different every time I travel to Europe, so it’s super important for me to be flexible with the training plan when I arrive. This time around I have been sleeping well and my energy levels have been high, so I have been able to jump back into a full training schedule.

My first few days were spent doing long easy skis and no shooting, as my rifle was still sitting somewhere in Chicago airport. Unfortunately, lost bags are the norm when travelling to Europe, but it’s always a bit unnerving when my rifle goes missing for a few days. Finally, my rifle made its way here Tuesday night, so I am back to training like a normal biathlete.

Training has been going well and I am fired up to start racing in two weeks! Thanks for checking in!

Check out Tim’s page in our Rossi Team Diaries section along with other skiers.