The World Cup Starts This Weekend!
(but I have to wait 6 more weeks)
It’s Sölden week! Growing up as a ski racer, I always dreamed of competing in this weekend’s race one day. I was so focused that I even taped the word “Sölden” to my bedroom ceiling as a constant reminder of my goal. Looking back, that might have been a little intense…
As it turns out, my career took a different path, and this weekend, I’ll be watching from the couch instead of racing. There’s only GS happening, and although my love for adrenaline has taken me elsewhere, I never changed that piece of paper to say "Kitzbühel." So, the race in Sölden will always have a special place in my heart.
I’m savoring these last few days off skis before the season kicks off, but I can’t wait to sit down and watch the races! There’s so much excitement this year, especially with Lucas Braathen back and rumors swirling around Marcel Hirscher’s potential return (fingers crossed!). I’m also really curious to see how the American men perform. With a new head coach on the GS side and a solid summer of training, I’m hopeful they’ll come out swinging.
On the women’s side, I’m thrilled to see my friend Nina O’Brien back in the starting gate. For those who don’t know, Nina suffered a horrific compound fracture during the Beijing Olympics. She made an incredible recovery last season, only to break her leg again and miss the rest of the year. We rehabbed together in Park City last winter, so I’m especially excited to watch her compete. And of course, Mikaela Shiffrin will be a force as always. She’s made it on the Sölden podium 6 out of 10 starts, with two wins, it’s incredible to see her perform year after year—she’s truly one of a kind.
The races will be streaming live and on demand on Peacock. I’m guessing most of you will catch the replay, since the second run starts at 4 AM PST (don’t even ask about the first run).
Back home, I’m grinding through dryland training before the season gets underway. Even though it’s tough to stay motivated, I know how crucial these sessions are for the winter ahead. Plus, it sure beats hobbling around on crutches like I was 10 months ago.
I’ll check in again in two weeks with updates on the final push of the dryland season. And to keep some color in my blog posts, here’s a picture of the makeshift speed ladder I rigged up last week. (I used it all of 10 minutes before I peeled it up and tossed it—sorry, environment!) The things we do to shave off a few hundredths of a second!
allays good.