This morning I happily awoke to the snow falling, it's a picturesque Christmas day in August! Today is my first day off since arriving in La Parva ski resort 6 days ago.Here training are the women's World Cup Tech and Speed teams and we are expecting the arrival our Development 
team today. This year we jumped right into full courses and intense sessions on the hill, which left all of us with some extremely stiff backs. We were all moving like old lady's until yesterday when our bodies adjusted to being back on snow. As much as we train and as strong as we are, there is simply no way to simulate the G-forces your back deals with in the courses.
So far we've done Slalom, GS, and Super G training. All the teams are staying in different apartments, I'm with the Speed team which includes Emily Brydon, Britt Janyk, Sherry Laurence, Larisa Yurkiw, Dany Polleschuk, and Alison Forsyth. Our physio with us right now is Therese from Whistler who has been great at keeping us in one piece. The tech team has been faced with a few altitude issues and minor injuries but they're pushing through.
Three days ago we had some young visitors from Ontario come watch our GS training. Unfortunately I didn't realize one of the groups was Pete Bassin and his racers from Chicopee! I am still upset with myself that I didn't clue into the fact that it was Pete (the helmet through me off). I would have loved to ski with the kids and rip around the slopes with them. Oh well, hopefully we'll get another opportunity next year or sometime this season.
team today. This year we jumped right into full courses and intense sessions on the hill, which left all of us with some extremely stiff backs. We were all moving like old lady's until yesterday when our bodies adjusted to being back on snow. As much as we train and as strong as we are, there is simply no way to simulate the G-forces your back deals with in the courses.So far we've done Slalom, GS, and Super G training. All the teams are staying in different apartments, I'm with the Speed team which includes Emily Brydon, Britt Janyk, Sherry Laurence, Larisa Yurkiw, Dany Polleschuk, and Alison Forsyth. Our physio with us right now is Therese from Whistler who has been great at keeping us in one piece. The tech team has been faced with a few altitude issues and minor injuries but they're pushing through.
Three days ago we had some young visitors from Ontario come watch our GS training. Unfortunately I didn't realize one of the groups was Pete Bassin and his racers from Chicopee! I am still upset with myself that I didn't clue into the fact that it was Pete (the helmet through me off). I would have loved to ski with the kids and rip around the slopes with them. Oh well, hopefully we'll get another opportunity next year or sometime this season.
As for myself, I'm feeling strong and finding my rhythm again. There are some changes I'm determined to pattern into my skiing to help me continue moving downhill. :) As a group the level of skiing has really been picked up. Emily, Brit and I are all close and with Ali's return it's creating a great competitive environment. There have also been equipment changes for this upcoming season. The skis are now wider, plates are smaller, and boot heights are lower. All of these changes are in an effort to make this dangerous sport a bit safer. Hopefully, these changes will mean the athletes will face less severe and frequent injuries. Volkl & Marker have done an excellent job adjusting to the new requirements. The differences in the equipment aren't overwhelming and we can still turn these skis with the best of 'em.
We'll be staying here in La Parva for another 10 days then we'll make our way to Portillo after a few days off on the coast for recovery. Yes, life is rough!
With Lots of Smiles and Best Wishes,
Kelly
