2013 Combine Complete

It’s done, it’s done, it’s done!!!

Combine, complete! 

The past week has been so anxiety-inducing!

Last year the combine didn’t go so well for me.  I injured my hamstring half-way through the summer and between the long workouts and full-time job, I had zero time to recover.  My hamstring never got better and it was constantly something I had to deal with throughout the season.  While I passed the combine, it was by the skin of my teeth, scoring a 650 (which is the baseline score you need to pass).  Fortunately my push and sliding were just fine, and the coaches were aware of my situation so it wasn’t a problem, but it was definitely that I (being the perfectionist I am) didn’t feel proud of.

This summer we figured out what was causing all the discomfort and perpetual tightness and were able to get me back to normal!  Training went so much better this summer and I was able to focus on getting stronger and faster rather than just trying to get through a workout.

Even still, I was still super nervous this year.  

But it all turned out just fine!  I scored a 696 overall!  I improved big time in my sprints, which is no surprise since I was terrified to even try to sprint last year because I was afraid my hamstring would blow up. Even though I don’t feel completely at 100% yet, I’ve been feeling so much better.

My shot toss stayed about the same (13’0’’) while my broad jump improved (2.65), and my power clean and back squat both remained the same (72.5kg and 107.5kg respectively) which is fine because I’m 3 kilos lighter this summer than last, meaning my power to weight ratio is better.

Overall I’m really pleased with my performance and I now am starting to feel ready for the season now that this “formality” is out of the way.  I’m excited to start focusing more on pushing rather than upright sprinting. 

I’m also excited for my trip home! More on that later!

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Quick Post

Hi all!

In happy circumstance, I found myself waiting on some crazy lacrosse coaches….again!

I should have known it was them from the start…I was picked on and antagonized from the start.  Through a quick conversation we realized what was going on and caught back up!

I promised them I’d update as soon as I could because they wanted to know about the meeting I attended last night about the Olympic selection process since I wouldn’t be back at work until Sunday, at which point they were leaving town. So here’s what I learned!

1. Selections must be made by January 20th. This is the cut-off date issued by the IOC.

2. On the women’s side, we have the opportunity to earn a third spot. We currently only have 2 qualified, but the results of our ICC women can potentially earn us that third spot back.

3. In the case that we earn the third sled back, the first two spots for the Games will be based on rank.  The third sled will be on a discretionary basis.  If we only qualify two sleds, then the first position is by rank and the second is by discretion.

And that’s all I have for you for now! I’d better post this before the rest of the training center wakes up and we lose Internet connectivity again.

Thanks for reading!

Confessions of an Inefficient Off-Season Blogger

Let me preface you with this: I promise, promise you I’m actually a really efficient planner (despite my lack of blog updates suggesting otherwise).

I meant to submit a “July Update” post….I had it all written and everything…okay, so maybe half-written…but written enough that I could have finished and posted it within an hour or so.  I was even at work on the evening of July 30th and thought to myself, “Shoot, get it together girl and post an entry by tomorrow!”

Whenever I get a free moment, this is where I go! The grassy knoll by Mirror Lake.

And then I woke up this morning, noticed it was August 4th and thought, “CRAP, it happened again.”

But enough of the apologizing.  I, like any other member of the work force, have a To-Do List that’s a mile long…and growing.  The most important tasks are completed first, but as soon as I emphatically check one item off the list, three more seemingly jump in it’s place.  We’ve all been there.  And once we get a free moment from the chaos, the last thing we want to do is clean the house, weed the garden, or in my case- post a blog.  I just want to lay the heck down.

It seems like the To-Do list is growing at an exponential rate these days, especially with team camp, testing and the season rapidly approaching. (Hold on a second while I calculate how many days until we’re back on the ice…69!)

A sprint workout at the track. A beautiful day and beautiful view of the ADKs and the Olympic Torch!

National Team Camp starts tomorrow, hence the rush to try and get this post in today…and before 4pm mind you, which is when I go into work.  We’ll spend the week in meetings and such to fill out processing paperwork to prep for the Games. That way, whoever is selected is all set to compete.  I still have to manage to find time to fit in all of my workouts this week, particularly since I take my combine test at the end of August. Last year my testing didn’t go as well as I had hoped– I injured my hamstring in July and between the volume of my workouts and the lack I recovery I got because of a very heavy work schedule, it never got better.

This summer, we watched the volume load of my workouts, finally figured out what was causing the problem with my hamstring (an inefficient adductor) and I lightened my work schedule to 4 shifts a week.  In the grand scheme of things it’s still a lot, but I’ve been feeling much healthier and more “normal” this summer and training has been going well.  Fingers crossed and palms up for great results!

The Can Am Rugby Tournament. Katie plays for Severn River, in green.

This past Friday I was met with a surprise!  The Can-Am Rugby Tournament came to Lake Placid/Saranac Lake this weekend and turns out, my cousin Curt Heller was competing in it with his team from Millersville, PA.  I had no idea he was in town until I got a call from the front desk saying he was out front!  I was able to give him and a few of his teammates a tour of the OTC and got to watch him compete Saturday morning.  It was pretty awesome!  I also got to watch my former AUFH teammate Katie Turner kick some serious butt in her match and caught up with her for a bit after her match.  Honestly it was a pretty cool weekend!

Anyway, I’ve got to get ready for work, but it’s my goal to post another update in August…I’m aiming for an entry post-combine to update everyone on my testing results as well as the road ahead to team trials.

Cheers! And thanks for following!