New Zealand fun!
For the last few days I have been trying to figure out the New Zealand jet lag. Coming back to the U.S. after New Zealand is the worst jet lag we get all season. For me, it doesn't matter what I do the end result is always the same, a restless night and a 4 a.m. wake-up call for about a week. But I have been starting to think that maybe it's New Zealand’s way of giving me a perfect time to reflect about the amazing trip down there.
This camp was longer than most training camps we do. I left Park City, Utah on the 2nd of August and got back on the 28th. The time in between those two dates gave me one of the most productive, hard, and fun camps I have ever had. Something I was hoping would be possible after having my knee scoped again on June 2nd this year. It was the first full summer camp I was able to finish in three summers. Getting some much needed volume in my slalom training was exactly what I needed in taking more steps towards becoming a more consistent skier.
I took a different mental approach to this camp than any other I’ve ever done. I looked at it as just as much of a conditioning camp as an on snow training camp. I have to give a lot of credit to the men’s alpine team trainer, Alex Moore, for coming up with a great strength program to go along with my on snow training. And one of my coaches, Josh Applegate, for making sure I got it all done. There were a lot of mornings where I was skiing with tired legs down there, but it made me tougher. Plus getting stronger not only gives me more confidence in my skiing, but also is a key piece in fully conquering this knee issue.
It was a blast to ski with the boys again. The fun part about training in the summer with these guys is we get to feed off of each other's skiing a little bit, which pushes us all to step it up. The group of guys we had down there was a big change for everyone from the last few years. But the dynamic ended up being great. We laughed a lot, skied hard and fast, and even went skydiving.
It's kinda funny what a year changes. I remember being down here last year. Having fun and skiing hard. But as much as I was enjoying skiing, there was a feeling deep in my gut that I hated. It was a feeling of being so in love with something that could easily be taken away from me. It was a feeling of thinking and hoping I was good enough, but not truly knowing if I was. It was a feeling that I didn’t understand and didn’t want to.
I now feel lucky to be able to experience those feelings. The fear of the unknown is within everyone. It doesn't go away with a big race win, or a signing of a new contract. It's there because it should be. I believe you if run away from it you CAN live a happy life saving yourself from some heartaches. When you embrace it, you can and will fall hard. But for me, the moments when you can touch your true potential only come when you allow yourself to take a chance, accept the fear, and reach for more.
Until next time....keep it smooth.
Will
P.S. we were scheduled to go down to Portio, Chile for a speed camp in Sep. But due to a low snow year, I will miss my scheduled Portio trip for another year. But all that means is we will be heading back down for round two in New Zealand, this time to Mt. Hut and some much needed speed training for me!!
This camp was longer than most training camps we do. I left Park City, Utah on the 2nd of August and got back on the 28th. The time in between those two dates gave me one of the most productive, hard, and fun camps I have ever had. Something I was hoping would be possible after having my knee scoped again on June 2nd this year. It was the first full summer camp I was able to finish in three summers. Getting some much needed volume in my slalom training was exactly what I needed in taking more steps towards becoming a more consistent skier.
I took a different mental approach to this camp than any other I’ve ever done. I looked at it as just as much of a conditioning camp as an on snow training camp. I have to give a lot of credit to the men’s alpine team trainer, Alex Moore, for coming up with a great strength program to go along with my on snow training. And one of my coaches, Josh Applegate, for making sure I got it all done. There were a lot of mornings where I was skiing with tired legs down there, but it made me tougher. Plus getting stronger not only gives me more confidence in my skiing, but also is a key piece in fully conquering this knee issue.
It was a blast to ski with the boys again. The fun part about training in the summer with these guys is we get to feed off of each other's skiing a little bit, which pushes us all to step it up. The group of guys we had down there was a big change for everyone from the last few years. But the dynamic ended up being great. We laughed a lot, skied hard and fast, and even went skydiving.
It's kinda funny what a year changes. I remember being down here last year. Having fun and skiing hard. But as much as I was enjoying skiing, there was a feeling deep in my gut that I hated. It was a feeling of being so in love with something that could easily be taken away from me. It was a feeling of thinking and hoping I was good enough, but not truly knowing if I was. It was a feeling that I didn’t understand and didn’t want to.
I now feel lucky to be able to experience those feelings. The fear of the unknown is within everyone. It doesn't go away with a big race win, or a signing of a new contract. It's there because it should be. I believe you if run away from it you CAN live a happy life saving yourself from some heartaches. When you embrace it, you can and will fall hard. But for me, the moments when you can touch your true potential only come when you allow yourself to take a chance, accept the fear, and reach for more.
Until next time....keep it smooth.
Will
P.S. we were scheduled to go down to Portio, Chile for a speed camp in Sep. But due to a low snow year, I will miss my scheduled Portio trip for another year. But all that means is we will be heading back down for round two in New Zealand, this time to Mt. Hut and some much needed speed training for me!!
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