Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Unbelievable Yet True

When I was thinking about how to write this blog I didn’t know where to begin. Just thinking about it as a whole made it seem unbelievable, even I couldn’t wrap it all together. So here it goes, a summary of the last week – the last 2 days being the most…‘exciting’.


We’re all in Cortina, Italy getting set for the DH training runs that were supposed to start on Tuesday. After a dissapointing race in Altenmarkt I was ready to get at it again, with less clutter in my mind and renewed passion in my heart. David also joined me in Cortina on Monday, a very welcomed roomate. I always feel at home when I’m with him, he makes the time on the road much more pleasant.



As many of you already know, plans changed here in Cortina as the snow started to fall. In a matter of two days over 2 metres of snow fell. Finally, we ended up with 1 training run on Friday, DH race on Satruday, GS race on Sunday and a Super G race on Monday. (The second DH race was lost.) In the training run I had a solid, normal run and finished 3rd. Going into the race I had a clear focus, just ski. I had a good normal run for me but I was a bit dissapointed to see that I finished 9th. However, I later found out that I’d kicked the wand before leaving the gate, we were able to time this and I lost between 0.30 to 0.45 of a second because of this error. Without this mistake I would have finished between 4th and 2nd. My skiing is there, my mind set is there, now I just need to clean up that start (usually my best asset). I think this was the first time in my career I’d kicked the wand, I figured out why I did it and will learn from that mistake. Still, it really bothered me that I made such a silly mistake.


Also, throughout the week the whole team was sick. Half with head and chest colds, the other half with a gastro bug that really took people out for 2 days. In some ways I was lucky to have the head/chest cold. It didn’t completely knock me out.


Sunday was the GS race and while Gen Simard and Marie-Mitchelle Gagnon ripped in up in the race finishing 9th and 16th, we were training Super G at a hill nearby. It was soft snow and we were planning for an easy session of 3 to 4 runs, enough to hit some gates and be on our skis. Unfortantely, on my final run in the course, I crashed hard. It happened quickly and it’s hard to say what happened first, hit a rut, ski popped off?... I fell just before heading into a compression and I went down so fast I was unable to brace myself. My face went right into the snow and both my arms were above my head. Both shoulders popped out. The left subluxed for the first time ever, and the right one was out for the duration of the fall then went back in after I got up.


Obviously, the pain from having both shoulders come out was horrific. The pain settled down, although I was shaken up and upset.


The rest of my day was filled with icing and therapy on all the bits that hurt. In the end I had two bad shoulders, a scrapped up face, skiers thumb on the right hand, a pulled adductor, and the next morning I woke up to realize I also suffered some nice wiplash. Oh ya, and I was still sick as a dog and coughing up a lung. The check list of what could go wrong was rediculously high. Still, I had hope I could race. My legs (for skiing movements) and core were fine.


Monday morning started at 6am and David was with me every step of the way. Essentially, David did everything for me that caused pain, other than skiing. My goal was to see if I could get my brain and body to put a run together. There was no pressure from the coaches, if anything it was the opposite. They said they’d support me in whatever I chose to do. Once in inspection, I knew I wanted to run. The track was beautiful and the day was picturesque. Although I drew a later number than I would have liked, 27, everything else made me want to race. As David helped me get ready, boots, suit up, etc., I went to the start. I knew I had a run in me and I was totally committed to that. I saw it as a challenge and a mental exercise, yet even I was in the start hut almost laughing because I couldn’t believe I was there.


And so I raced. I had, for me, a pretty pathetic start but a solid run. I was a bit round in one section that I was a bit nervous about and more tense than I’d usually be, still I finished 20th. In the finish area I just stood there, bent over, waiting for the pain to subside and my lungs to open up again. Britt (who had a good day finishing 12th) helped me take my boots off and get me moving again. I had my bib cutt off because my shoulders were too sore to raise. But I did it, and I did it as well as I think I possibly could have. Even now, I can’t believe I raced.


This evening, now in Kirchberg, Dr. Litchfield (who ironically surgically fixed my right shoulder 6 years ago) was here to check them out. I’ll need some x-rays when back in Canada, but for now just rest. I’ll be taking the next few days off, completely off.


Hopefully, next week won’t be quite so eventful.


(Sorry, I chose not to take any pictures of my banged up face and body.) I do have a video of my crash in training…I’ll try and post that on You Tube in the next couple days.

Till next time,

Kelly

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Training in Europe, 1st in Altenmarkt Training Run

It almost feels like the season hasn’t even begun. The fall was so packed with training leading up to the races, then having 2 out of 5 races cancelled due to weather….it now feels like we’re starting anew. However, I think this slower start to the season hasn’t been bad for me, giving me more time to adjust to my new boots and find my racing legs. After the holidays you could tell which athletes were technical racers and which were speed skiers. The technical skiers (GS & SL) are a bit more tired and felt the holidays were too short, the speed skiers on the other hand are itching to race. So finally we’ll get our wish, racing begin again this weekend!

Since arriving in Europe just after the new year, we quickly jumped into training in Garmish, Germany and Kirchberg, Austria. We also had the honour of being hosted on the Kitzbuhel downhill by the chief of course, and a few other excited and proud gentlemen. One of whom raced with Nancy Greene Raine! This hill was spectacular and the history it holds certainly left us all in awe. It was fun to see Rob Boyd, our coach, look like a kid in a candy shop…we could all see the racer in him come out on his old turf.

I’m now in Altenmarkt, Austria with two training runs finished as I get ready for Sunday’s race. I was a bit surprised to win the first training run, but also happy to know my normal skiing is fast. It was only my second time to ever win a Downhill training run, the last time I won a training run was in Torino during the Olympics. It was nice to win the first day knowing I had another training run to feel the jitters that come with winning the day before. I was again fast in the second run, but made a massive tactical error trying to go way to tight to the gates in one turn, giving myself no chance to make the next gate. However, I was fast in the other sections…that had turns at least….but I was dog slow on the flats. In other words, there are a few things to iron out for race day but no mysteries to solve.

I’m simply happy to know that this weekend is the beginning of a long stretch of racing. From here we’re off to Cortina, Italy, then Garmish, Germany. David Ford, my fiancĂ©e, will be joining me for those two weeks! A special treat indeed.

All the best,

Kelly VanderBeek





Posing with a statue in Kirchberg, Austria.













Can you see the injection?.... Kitzbuhel is injected nearly the whole way down.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Breaking in 2009

Today I wrote 2009 for the first time and it certainly made it feel official; a new year has begun. I’ve always embraced, in fact loved, birthdays and moment’s like these that mark the passage of time. It reminds me how much there is yet to come, how many dreams I have yet to achieve, how many unknown adventures still await, and that my journey is a work in progress which keeps me on my toes.

I was thinking about whether I should write a list of New Year’s resolutions. What would it look like? Oddly, I’ve always felt that New Year’s resolutions were made to be broken. (Case and point with how busy the gym gets around this time of year…somehow it doesn’t lastJ). It’s because of this sentiment that I’ve never been someone to make resolutions. I do however regularly revisit my dreams, my goals, and re-affirm the kind of person I want to be at these times of year. I suppose it’s through sport that I’ve learned to see where I want to be then start taking steps to get me there. That old saying, ‘One step at a time’ is my reminder to not only remain in the moment, but to enjoy and appreciate those steps along the way. It’s a good reminder for myself because it’s those steps that make up our lives, not the destination.

Ok, enough philosophical stuff. As for the everlasting (and ever exciting) game of ‘Where’s Kelly’ my family plays, I am now heading to Europe for some training before we kick off more racing in Altenmarkt, Austria. The season started slowly, with only three speed races getting off before Christmas. However, once January 16th hits it will be nonstop racing for the rest of the season. Before the Holiday break I was feeling strong on my skis and more consistent with my racing. This makes me both excited and nervous to get back on my skis…a good combination. I certainly soaked up the time off the hill though to rest both physically and mentally. This fall was packed as I made up for lost time in the summer training. I’m now excited to be heading back to find my feet back on my trusty Volkl’s; getting bruised all over my arms again hitting those gates; and to feel the wind in my face!

Till next time,


Kelly