Haley Johnson ©Haley Johnson
Geography aside, the purpose of each training session, high intensity interval workout, rest day, or shooting competition is a step closer to reaching my optimal racing form – mentally and physically – by next weekend. The team and I are training in Ruhpolding, Germany for the remainder of the week to prepare for World Champs. The terrain is similar in that there are steep and shocking hills whose grade and transitions require a similar technique and energy strategy as the Pyeong Chang courses. The gradual downhill/flat approach to the range is also similar and can be helpful in fine tuning a range approach procedure that capitalizes on the terrain. It is more natural for me to focus on deep breathing and being relaxed when I can enter the range after a solid tuck-skate and V2 alternate section that has helped flush out my legs and open my lungs.
We are training here along with a few other teams: the German women’s team and the Canadian team have also being using this venue to prepare for Korea. Sharing a range and course with only a few other teams offers a unique view into how other teams train both on the range and on the tracks. Coaches alternate between video and ski technique on the course and tracking shooting times and hits and misses on the shooting range. Over the past few days athletes have been doing a variety of high intensity intervals, specific strength (no-pole and double pole) combos, team shooting drills, mock relays (for the US team: women – 2, men – 0 ), sprints, long distance easy skiing, and for the US team we look ahead to a Time Trial on Thursday.
The team heads out on Saturday for South Korea. Our flight plans span from Munich, to Amsterdam, to Seoul, beginning Saturday morning and ending around 1pm on Sunday in Korea. There is an 8 hour time difference from Central Europe, 14 hour time difference from the east coast US, and 16 hour time difference from my fiancé in the west. Races will be held at night, so that Eurosport can broadcast live in Europe. Which means my devoted dad will be pulling some late nights/early mornings in Steamboat, CO to watch the races live on-line (www.biathlonworld.com).
Looking back on my pre-season post, I am happy to report that I definitely was ready for the first World Cup in Sweden. I scored my best results there and had a really fun start to the season. I achieved my goals of pre-qualifying first for the US Biathlon World Championship Team and gained the opportunity to race the full second World Cup period in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz, Italy. Up next after World Champs will be another round of qualifications for the Vancouver World Cup, as well as the remaining two series in Norway and Russia. Thanks for reading and hope this finds you all well mid-winter in the North America.
-Haley