After spending the past summer in Colorado Springs training to get bigger, stronger and faster I am finally able to get a chance to perfect my on ice push technique.  I am spending this week in Calgary pushing in an indoor ice house that simulates the start of a bobsled track.  In an hour of time you can push three to four times the amount that you would get in a day of sliding.  It is very beneficial to our training to be able to work on different aspects of our push without having to put our bodies through a run down the bobsled track.  I really enjoy being in Calgary pushing and I always improve while pushing here.  Unfortunately, it is very expensive for us to utilize the ice house and we can spend up to 275 dollars per hour to push in the ice house along with the additional cost of training, room and board.  Luckily my former teammate has allowed me to stay in his spare bedroom to ease my cost and make my training trip possible.  I am excited about my progress and I am looking forward to the start of the season here in a couple of weeks.  

Girls RULE!

Women have come a long way in the Olympic Games since their debut in Paris in 1900.  The 2012 Olympic Games was what seemed to be a coming out party for female athletes.  This was the first Olympic Games women were represented from every country participating and prior to these games three nations had never sent female athletes to an Olympics.  It is great to see the growth of female sports not only in our nation, but internationally as well.  For these women representing nations that had never sent female athletes to an Olympic Games the outcome was not nearly as important as breaking through and being able to represent their country.  These women have paved the way for other female athletes from their countries in the future. 

Because of women in the past breaking through in our own country United States female athletes out numbered and out preformed their male counterparts.  Had the women of the 2012 United States Olympic Team been considered their own nation only China would have racked up more Olympic gold medals and of the 46 gold medals won by the United States 29 of them will be brought home by female athletes.  Well done ladies!  As a female athlete it is hard to not be proud of what these women have accomplished.  My hope is that the women of the 2012 Olympics will continue to be role models for young aspiring female athletes and help to expand the growth of women’s sports in
our nations. 

Opening Ceremony

Emily and Kristi Yamaguchi

As a young girl I intensely watched every Olympic Games.  I remember watching the likes of Kristi Yamaguchi and Bonnie Blair in the winter games and of course the Magnificent Seven gymnast in the Atlanta summer games.  These women inspired my sister and I.  We would skate around in our socks on the hard wood floor and would complete our ‘triple axels’ and our ‘double loops.’  We created beam routines and attempted to emulate different skills each of the gymnasts completed.  Those two weeks every two years were some of the most inspiring for me as a young child. 

Emily and Bonnie Blair

I was a gymnast growing up and every year my gym would have an Olympic Festival where we would get the opportunity to walk in our own Opening Ceremony.  Each group was given a different nations flag.  We created our Olympic garb and represented our select countries as we followed our flag into the gym.  I remember always being somewhat disappointed that my group was never selected to carry the American flag, but was always excited to recreate our version of the Olympics.  Little did I know that close to a decade later I would finally have the opportunity to follow our flag in an actual Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.  As I watched the athletes walk on Friday in the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony I could not help but remember all the emotions I felt over two years ago in Vancouver. 

Emily at the Vancouver Opening Ceremony

I often get asked what the experience was like and to be honest there are really no words to describe it.  The Olympic movement is something greater than the individuals involved and for me that was the first time I realized that I was a part of something bigger than me.  As I laid in bed after that night I tried to decompress from the excitement, but all that went through my head was ‘that was so worth it.’  Everything that happened up to that point for me was part of my path to the Olympic Games.  None of it was easy, but making an Olympic Team should not be easy.  That was the moment I decided that after Vancouver I would try to fight to earn one more chance to have that same experience

Over the next couple weeks I will be glued to the television watching these Olympic Games just like I did as a child.  Maybe I won’t skate around or complete any gymnastic moves, but I will watch and continue to be inspired by all the athletes fulfilling their dreams to compete in the Olympic Games.

Thank You Fire Fighters!

Colorado OTC comes to the rescue

The Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado has been home to hundreds of athletes since its opening in 1978. In 1996 the city of Colorado Springs helped the Olympic Committee reposition to a location that was previously an Air Force Base.  The facility now provides housing and dining to over 500 athletes’, coaches and this week fire evacuees. Colorado Springs has been my off season home for the past 5 summers.  After arriving in 2008 I was overwhelmed by the generosity of not only the staff at the Olympic Training Center, but by the excitement of Olympic sports throughout the entire community.

This past week was a horrible one for the city and state I have grown to love.  We heard news of the Waldo Canyon fires this past weekend, but had no idea the devastation that was to come.  Throughout the next few days it seemed the city was living the worst case scenario.  Many people were and still are evacuated from their homes, and an estimated 346 homes have been destroyed by the blaze.  Fortunately, I have not been directly affected by the fire, expect for the smoke and haze that has been hovering in the Colorado Springs area.  I do, however, feel sadness for all the people, many of which I know who have lost homes and possessions.  I sit here at a loss.  I wish there was more I could do to help all those in Colorado Springs who have supported the Olympic movement and the Olympic Training Center. 

Conversely, I feel a sense of pride as I watch the Olympic Committee come to the rescue and house many of the families affected by the flames.  It amazed me that our Winter Sports High Performance Director had been evacuated out of his home, but was still at the Training Center making sure that all the athletes had masks to protect us from the air quality.  I was astounded by his level of commitment to make sure we were not only safe, but also able to train at a high level throughout the chaos.  For the most part, the Training Center’s mission statement has, for a brief time, shifted to helping the people of the community and employees of the Olympic Committee stay safe.  I am hoping the London Olympic Games, which are just around the corner will help to boost the spirits of the people in Colorado Springs as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Where's the line?

In the world of Olympic sports the difference between winning a medal and not winning a medal can often be measured in hundredths. There is a very fine line between the top level athletes and what's considered the lower tier of athletes. It is hard to decide what sacrifices are worth it and what is too much to sacrifice. This is something I constantly struggle with. For me to be the best in my sport I have to make tough choices that often leave me missing bridal showers, weddings, graduation, and sometimes even Thanksgiving and Christmas. I do understand that it is important to have a balanced life to be successful in other aspects of life, but for now I have to miss time with family and friends so that I can train at the top level daily. I recently heard a commercial referring to Olympic athletes having part time employers and friends that are willing to be part time friends. In many cases this is very true. We have to put our bodies needs ahead of spending time with friends and family. I am very lucky that for the most part my friends understand that sometimes I may just be a part time friend.

This past weekend my sisters and I cashed in on our Christmas present from our parents which was a sister vacation. We chose to go to the Sonoma\Napa area. None of us have really experienced wine tasting and thought this was good opportunity with our baby sister, Geneva, recently turning 21. It is often hard to fully enjoy myself on trips like this as I am now in the thick of my off season training. I am usually caught in the middle of trying to relax and obsessing about what I am doing an how it will affect my next training session. For the most part when I am with my family they are very supportive and understanding of my selfish ways when it comes to training. I am thankful for that but wonder if these days in Napa will affect my training further down the road or if I need to learn to let go? I have yet to learn where the line is. I want to enjoy my life, my family and friends, but I also want to be the best in my sport. I am constantly trying to figure out how to have both. For now, I am going to enjoy the time with my sisters and hope that a little relaxation time will help me with my goals.

My sisters and I wine tasting in Sonoma, California

It is good to be old...

The past six years of my life I have spent training over thirty hours per week.  The first few months of off season training are the worst because this is when I do high volume and conditioning.  It is important to do this phase of training because this is the conditioning base that will help me maintain my physical condition throughout the season.  As I have gotten older it isn’t as important to do as much volume training instead, it is essential to train less, but maintain a high level of intensity. 

Recovery becomes imperative as I get older.  This includes spending time in the hot tub, cold tub, sauna and receiving deep tissue massages weekly.  It sounds like an easy life, but believe it or not these treatments are necessary for an older athlete, like me to be able to train at the top level daily.   It is defiantly a perk to not have to put in as many hours of training as I use to, but with age comes a lot more aches and pains.  I have forced my body frame to maintain about twenty pounds of extra weight throughout the past six years.  This weight along with the intense weight training has caused my joints to ache.  So, with age comes increased joint pain, but also less volume of training and more massages!  I guess you can not have it all.