Where have I been?

Where have I been since my last post? Keeping busy, that's for sure! The Canadian Olympic Trials are just around the corner and my athletes have been training like champions. They're ready for one of the most difficult short track competitions they'll ever compete in. (It has been referred to as the Olympics before the Olympics).

We've conquered Highwood Pass in Kananaskis again this year with even more volume. Cycling through the highest paved highway in Canada can be a great challenge and skaters tackled it in the cold month of June. Battling the snow and rain at times and luckily also enjoyed a fair amount of sunshine.

We also headed to Vancouver for our National Team training camp.  All of Canada's best were there to prepare on the Olympic ice surface at the Pacific Coliseum. The skaters dealt with intense programs, lactic burning efforts and Olympic intensity scheduling to prepare them for the tough qualifying competition format. Vancouver proved again to be a wonderful city (my love affair continues) and the weather was simply fantastic.  Grouse Mountain was ascended as well and the team took a look at their future home during the Olympic Games, visiting the Canadian building in the Athletes Village during a recovery jog.

Since the camp we've been down to business in Calgary, training at the Olympic Oval. We've had an awesome group of teammates helping us prepare for these trials and my crew is primed and ready to compete. To say we're excited to get back to Vancouver would be an understatement.

By the numbers:

- 5 days of racing over a 10 day period

- 3 distances, 3 times each for a total of 24 races

- 16 women vying for 5 spots, 16 men vying for 4 spots

- 1 goal, Vancouver 2010

One day, one distance and one race at a time.

JC