Hamstring

So we've been in Whistler for almost two weeks now and I've been struggling with a hamstring injury the entire time. I first hurt my hamstring in Calgary during push championships, and then with team trials and racing so much, it wasn't given the proper time to heal and now it's really quit on me. The World Cup season starts next week with the first race in Park City, Utah, and I was scheduled to race with Bree Schaaf, however, with my hamstring injury I have been advised not to race. As an athlete, it's a very difficult decision to make- I always think I'm invincible when it comes to this sort of thing and believe I'll be ready to race next weekend. However, there's always the chance that I'm not 100% and end up doing more damage then anything else- which will set me back for a long time. Injuries are one of the most difficult things to deal with in sport, but I'll just have to give my hamstring some time and see how I'm feeling.

World Cup Team Announcement

The World Cup team has been announced and I have made my third consecutive World Cup team! We are currently in Whistler for a week of training on the Olympic track! Here's the press release: http://bobsled.teamusa.org/news/article/28560

News Spot: 11 Alive News Atlanta

Team Trials

Team trials have officially begun! Team trials consists of a series of four races, two in Lake Placid, New York, and two in Park City, Utah. We are currently in Park City, Utah, about to begin the second round with the final races this Friday and Saturday to decide the World Cup team. Last week in Lake Placid I raced the first race with pilot Jamia Jackson, where we placed second and pushed a new start record- a 5.46, smashing the previous start record by .08 (a huge margin in bobsled)! The second day, I raced with pilot Erin Pac and we pushed the fastest start times of the day, with starts of 5.49 and 5.48, and finished second as well. The top 2 women's pilots will be named to the World Cup team (pilot Shauna Rohbock has already been named to the team), and the races are very close! This week I will race with pilot Bree Schaaf and then with Shauna Rohbock as a pilot sled (not officially in the race). Someone's Olympic dream may begin, or end, this weekend- so stay tuned for the finale!

Vancouver 2010

Back on the Ice!

Today was the first day back on the ice as the bobsled track opened in Lake Placid, NY, for the season. I slid today with pilot Jamia Jackson and we took two trips, down and safe! As always, the track in October is a little bumpy and slow- as it's pretty warm for bobsledding, but I'm so excited the season has started. We race next week on October 14-15 and I'll be sure to re-post all the details. As of now, I'm scheduled to race with pilot Jamia Jackson on Oct 14 and Erin Pac on Oct 15. As exciting as it is, there's other things coming up sooner- like my 25th birthday on Saturday.....

In the meantime- here's some push video from today.

Push Video

This video is from a training session in the Ice House in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I am pushing on the brakes with driver Jamia Jackson.

It's Been a Longggg Time!

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I hope to be more consistent once again. So much has happened, but in some areas so little has happened! First, I'd like to give a shout out to my new manager, Frank Johnson. Frank has worked very hard on sealing up some sponsorship for me and getting my name out in the media. He's a great guy and a welcome addition to the team!

I've been training hard and working hard and the season is almost upon us! We had our push championships Sept 14-20 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which included our combine testing. I finished the combine testing setting personal bests in every event and finishing first overall in the combine by one point! Just a testament to how talented all our brakeman are this season! I also accomplished one of my goals for this year and defended my title as the U.S. National Push Champion, and set an ice house record in the process. The previous record was held by the Canadian brakeman Shelley-Ann Brown, who I had the pleasure of staying with in Calgary, along with her roommate and teammate Amanda Moreley.

I have been home this past week, and if you follow the news, you know that Douglas County was torn apart by massive amounts of flooding and has been named a disaster area by the president. My poor county has had more deaths than any other county due to the flooding and we are still under a boil water advisory as there have been sewage leaks into our water. Much of the county has lost everything- homes and other possessions, I count my blessings that all that was flooded at my house was the back yard. Many trees have fallen as the ground is too saturated, creating further damage. All the creeks, rivers, and lakes have overflowed and many roads around the county have completely disappeared- not under water- but just crumbled from all the flooding. I was unable to leave the county until Wednesday or Thursday as there was no way out- all the roads out in every direction were flooded! Luckily, people are kind and they have come to the rescue of Douglas County, providing assistance and bottled water to all those in need. Please keep us in your prayers, as I can imagine this is going to be a long recovery.

I leave for Lake Placid in the morning and team trials start soon!!! Wish me luck...

Colorado Springs

It's been a while since I blogged, but in that time we had a team camp out in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During that time- all the bobsled and skeleton athletes come together to have an annual board meeting and to do some team bonding activities, including a Gala- which is an award's ceremony and a chance for everyone to get dressed up. The picture above is from that event. Although it can be nice to see everyone, it brings the reality that the season is almost here. Time to buckle down and get to work!

Hang Clean- 82.5kg

Part of our testing is an exercise called a power clean. This exercise is designed to develop power, and it's important to do this exercise quickly and explosively to maximize all potential gains. Here, I am doing a hang clean (a power clean is the same exercise done starting from the floor vs a hang clean which is completed by starting just above the knee). Our testing maxes out at 100kg, which is the weight needed to get 100 points on our testing scale. Here I am doing 82.5kg for a set of three. My goal is to get 100kg from a power clean by September when we test.

Lex Gillette

Lex is my friend that I met here in the training center in Chula Vista.  He is a blind paralympian and is the current American record holder for the long jump for totally blind athletes.  Not only is Lex athletically gifted, he is also very musically gifted.  Listen for yourself- he's awesome!

Bobsled 101

As bobsled is not popular in the south- and really not anywhere in the states- most people don't really know what the sport actually is.  I usually get asked if it's like the movie, Cool Runnings, and have even been asked if I'm on the Jamaican team (Cool Runnings will give you a rough idea of what we do- but it is fiction and no- I'm not on the Jamaican team).  Anyways, bobsled traditionally has two disciplines, 2-man and 4-man.  Only men compete in both disciplines, while women only have 2-man.  There's many reasons why this is- but I'll save those reasons for another post.  In a 4-man sled, you have 3 brakemen and one driver.  The 3 brakemen are actually two side pushers and a brakeman (the person who sits in the back and pulls the brakes at the end- usually the last person in the sled and in 4 man- the one who feels the most pressure).  In a 2-man sled, which again is the only discipline in which women compete, there is just a driver and a brakeman.  The brakeman is responsible for the initial velocity- pushing the sled at the top of the hill to get as much speed as possible to start the run.  Brakeman are judged on 'start times' or the time from the first timing eye to the 50m mark.  Start times vary per track- with some tracks having start times around 5.20s (Whistler) while others have start times sometimes in the 6.00s (St. Moritz).  The U.S. team has some of the fastest push times, and as a brakeman, you make the Olympic team by pushing fast (and by being able to play the game- something I'm not very good at and another topic for a later post).  The driver, the person in the front of the sled, is responsible for making sure the sled makes it down on all 4 runners (the blades that are on the ice- they're not sharp but actually curved) and for making it down as fast as possible.  Drivers or pilots drive the sled onto and off of curves in order to reach the bottom the fastest.  Our sport is a sport where time is critical, and races can be won or lost by hundredths of a second.  For World Cup races, the fastest time after two combined runs is the winner, while in the Olympics it's the fastest time after four combined runs is the gold medalist.   There's more to bobsled- but I think we've covered the basics for now.  

Training Diet

I had a comment asking what my diet was like.  I constantly have to be aware of what I eat.  In bobsled, we have to make weight as a team.  The maximum weight is 340kg (748lbs), which includes the sled and the brakeman and driver and all our gear.  Our sled alone weighs anywhere from 176kg or 387lbs (USA 2 sled) to 184kg or 405lbs (USA 1 sled) and we have some of the heaviest sled's in the world!  The Germans use sleds that are minimum weight (170kg or 374lbs) which allows them to be have heavier brakemen and drivers.  Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury in the U.S.  I am the heaviest brakeman- my in season weight ranging anywhere from 80-82kg (176-180lbs) and my out of season weight (and my current weight) at about 84Kg (185 lbs).  Ideally, I would be 80kg and am working to get down there.  Although I have my ups and downs and diet mistakes (I had to try IN-N-OUT for the first time and it was delicious), I am starting to find a diet that will allow me to make weight and allow me to keep it off.  Before I've tried all types of diets- mostly eliminating carbs- which worked temporarily- but I was never able to keep the weight off- it always came right back.  Now I've learned that carbs are not the enemy!!!  It's all about eating the right types of carbs at the right time.  My coach described it like this: if you divide your plate into thirds, there should be 1/3 good carbs, 1/3 good fats, and 1/3 lean protein.  Now each meal I focus on having exactly that.  Good carbs are carbs that are low glycemic carbs, foods like whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, etc.  These are important because they provide energy, and when you workout as much as I do, you need the energy.  Often as power athletes, we overload on the protein- but really this isn't an efficient way of giving your body the energy it needs (although protein can be converted into glucose, the only substance the brain can actually use, it is much harder on our bodies and not efficient).  Good fats are things like nuts, peanut butter, avocados, and even butter- yes butter!!!  I'm not saying to overload on the butter- but definitely butter over other spreads.  Lean proteins are things like chicken, lean beef cuts, turkey, and fish.  I personally don't try to count every single calorie, but I do write down what I eat and try to eat balanced meals with plenty of vegetables.  If you have to eat high sugary foods, the best time to eat them is right after a workout- your body will use them the best.   As for me though, I'm trying to avoid them, but as you can imagine- that's much easier said than done!  If your trying to loose weight, it's important to remember- this is not something you do overnight!  You didn't put on the weight overnight and you're not going to take it off overnight!  So give yourself some time to lose the weight.  You're better off losing gradually then losing all at once and gaining it all back.  One last tip- STAY HYDRATED!  People often think they are hungry when they're just thirsty.  I drink as much water as possible (and tea).  Water is your friend :)  Your body does so much for you, the least we can do is give it the proper fuel it needs.

WCWS

The WCWS has been on the last week or so and is still continuing over the next (hopefully) 2 nights.  Although I've been out of softball for two years now, and haven't even picked up a ball in a while, I can't help myself and find myself addicted to the game and watching every single inning possible!  My training partner, Jamia Jackson (Mia), was even nice enough  do our med ball exercises in the field house by the track so I could watch UGA in the first round.  I've watched as much as I can and I can tell you the games have been super exciting!  Makes me miss playing though...I did love the game and played it for 13 years of my life- I still love the game!  Sometimes I wish I was still playing but I know if I were I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now- training for the Olympics in bobsled- which I love.  Maybe in the future there will be a way to do both, we'll see, but for now I'm a relegated to the duties of a fan...in which case I say GO GATORS!!!!  :)

New Training Cycle!

My coach, Dan Pfaff, writes my running and lifting and plans each part of my training weekly.  Every 3 weeks, I start a new training cycle, adding some things, changing some things, and if I'm lucky- taking out some things.  I just started my second training cycle with Dan- which still includes 2-a-days (running in the morning and lifting in the afternoon) every day but Thursday (just running Thursday morning) and Sunday is an active rest day.  My last cycle was 2-a-days every day, which as you can imagine, can get very exhausting!   Not only do some of the exercises change, but also the intensity and volume.  The training season is divided into several different cycles, the first of which- I'm currently on it- is General Prep- which prepares you for the more intense workouts to come.  These workouts contain a lot of conditioning type exercises, such as up-backs (which I have tomorrow- Yikes!) where you run 70m at about 80% intensity and then turn right around and run back- sounds a lot easier than it is trust!  The workouts I have are very challenging and kicking my butt- just what I need.  Just finished my second day on my new training cycle and I'm exhausted!  Time to rest up for more work in the morning!

Drug Testing and Supplements

Yesterday morning I was awoken by a knock at the door at 7:12 am.  I almost didn't wake up- but then realized who it was and knew I had to- it was USADA.  USADA is the United States Anti-Doping Association- the organization that performs the random drug tests on all the athletes in the registered testing pool, which is athletes who are trying or currently do represent the U.S. in various sports.  As an athlete, we are subject to random testing- including at 7:12 in the morning!  We have to let USADA know where we are staying and what our daily activities are, including giving them a one hour time window stating exactly where we are and remain there for that entire hour (mine is usually 6am-7am just because I know I won't have a workout at 7am lol).  So I got up, did everything necessary for the drug test (which includes a full frontal urine sample), and then went back to bed before getting back up at 8:30am to start my day.

The trickiest thing about USADA and drug testing is not whether or not your directly taking banned substances- it's the supplements.  Many athletes, including myself, take supplements to help not only recover from workouts, but also for general health reasons- stuff like a multivitamin, fish oil, etc. etc. supplements many of the average population take for various health reasons.  The tricky thing about the supplements is you can never be sure if it doesn't contain a product that is a banned substance.  Supplements are not controlled by the FDA, so what the label says is in the product may or may not be actually what's in there.  USADA's stance on supplements is not to take them, however, with the amount of training we all do, we need things like multivitamins as our training places so much stress on our body.  As athletes, we must be very careful of what we put in our bodies and each time we take supplements we run the risk of testing positive.  Many supplement companies now put guarantees on their supplements stating they are clean and rewarding you monetarily if you do happen to test positive, which is great, but it's still always a risk.  Personally, I take supplements, and check USADA's drug reference religiously to make sure my supplements or their ingredients aren't banned (however, most of the supplements are not on the drug reference!).  For me, I feel that the supplements help me stay healthy, which is a risk I have to take each time a pop a pill. 

Back In Chula!

Just got back to Chula and I'm so excited to be back!  It's such an advantage to be able to stay at an Olympic Training Center.  The training center in Chula Vista is probably my favorite of all the training centers (other centers are in Colorado Springs, CO, and Lake Placid, NY); everything is right on site here!  I wake up in the morning and am able to get worked by the athletic training staff for any ailments I have, get made to order eggs for breakfast, and then walk down to the track to start my workouts.  Then after my track workouts, I can go right to lunch, get some more treatment by our staff, and relax a little before my second workout in the state-of-the-art weight room.  Not to mention the scenery is great around this place and the weather is always nice!

I am working with the Director of USA Track and Field, Dan Pfaff, and after only two weeks on his workouts I'm very pleased.  Last season I worked with Billy "Whiteshoes" Johnson, who is a great coach, but I needed someone who would be at the training center- and Dan Pfaff was highly recommended.  Dan trains many athletes here, and I am very fortunate to be working with him.  I also get to train alongside some of this country's top track athletes and I'm excited to see what the rest of the summer holds!  Stay tuned!

Oh Deer!

This summer I have decided to train out in Chula Vista, California, in the training center.  I first traveled out their by plane on May 1 to get situated and then flew back to Atlanta on May 8 for my sister's (Elise, my younger sister) graduation from Georgia State University.  I decided to drive back out to CA in order to have my car and to be able to bring a little bit more stuff for my new summer home.  Elise and I left for Chula on Sunday afternoon.  A little into the evening, as my sister and I were listening to an audio book and traveling at 70mph (the speed limit) down I-20 in Forest, Mississippi, a deer ran out in front of my car.  I slammed on the brakes and thought I'd avoid a collision, but wasn't so lucky.  The car is currently in Meridian, Mississippi, and is very close to being totaled.  The deer, on the other hand, did not survive the crash.  Luckily, both my sister and I were ok, just bummed that our road trip was cut short.  If you never hit a deer or know anyone (besides me) who hit a deer, as you can see, it can do a lot of damages.  Deers be trippin'!

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my blog, the first part of my journey to the web!  Feel free to look around and post. Thanks for visiting!  :)