July Flys By

Hi again!
Right now it's the first rainy day in Collingwood that we have had all summer!! I'm sitting in a Starbucks drinking a mocha and eating a muffin, something I rarely get to do. This past month has flown by. I came up to Collingwood right after my Calculus exam and have been up here for 3 hard weeks of tough training. Looking back, it was the perfect choice for me to move up here and start training in a more intense competitive training atmosphere. I am finally starting to lift some serious weights and grunt through some tough intervals of jumping and running. It is amazing how much more fun training is with friends and some sweet loud beats blasting in the background. Active Life is a great gym and the positive atmosphere makes me want to go back each day. Right now, I feel fit and strong but I also feel like I have a lot more healing to do before I can ski again.

It has been great to have my close friends up here too. Training is more enjoyable if you know you have something to look forward to after it. Takin a dip in Georgian Bay, going to Wing Night here every Tuesday with friends, mountain biking in 3 Stage or even just getting away from it all and having a nap is what keeps me going. I'm always looking for an adventure. Even though my life right now is semi normal, I am looking forward to being back on the plane and rippin some turns. This year, I am going to focus mostly on tech events. I already know what I can do in speed and I want to save it for later. My technical skiing will translate into my speed skiing anyways.

I am counting down the days until I see the Doc in September. I am anxiously awaiting what he will say for my return to snow and an approximate time that I can start back at it. Wearing a brace is on my mind but if it means I can do what I love again then so be it.  All our new equipment is coming in tomorrow and its basically a skiers Christmas. However, I think it will be a tease for me to get all my new gear and not be able to use it right away. The team leaves aug. 1st for Mt. Hood and this time I am actually not that upset about missing it. Of course I would be there in a second if I could but right now I know I'm not ready. Which is a good thing. I look at it as if I have 3 extra months on everyone else to get even fitter. The season is long and I'll be fresh for the race season. Even though I don't get as much training as the rest of the field, I'm confident in myself and my training right now; and for me, thats all that matters. If I know I'm doing all I can, thats what counts when its time to race.

One of the goals I set for myself when I got injured was to create a better life at home away from skiing. I have been branching out and trying hard not to talk so much about my skiing. So far, its been working. I've been tagging along with my brother and his new group of friends where he's been working at our cottage. It has been a blast and I can't help but thank my bro for being such a good friend to me. I am so glad we have such a good relationship and because of it we have a ton of fun together. I've been enjoying spotting for him while he wakeboards and getting tips from him while I try and wake surf. I've been trying to love the small things in life and I think I've really learned even more about myself this summer then I thought I could. Being with my family a ton isn't such a bad thing after all. Laughing and doing nothing but it was also another goal of mine and I've been doing a lot of it. Heres some pics of my bro wakeboarding!

 Flippzzzz

And Grabs

I am looking forward to working in August at the Active Life Sports Camp and I can't wait to be a leader for all the crazy, enthusiastic kids. I know I was one of them growing up and I can't wait to be run into the ground by how much energy they all have each day. Well, thats all I have for now!
Julia.