tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18056411889341515222024-03-25T10:06:50.513-04:00Erin MielzynskiErin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-52579866931449247602020-08-13T09:09:00.003-04:002020-08-13T12:00:16.077-04:00Part 3/4: The New Normal<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Part 3: Arrival </b></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We picked up our bags and headed to meet up with the team. We all had our passports, visas and multiple documents proving our reasons for travel, special permission, proof of insurance, etc. In our team vans, everyone has to wear a mask at all times, and there is only 1 person allowed per seat (we have vans with bench seats). To be honest, this 4.5h ride over multiple passes ending with over 47 switch backs was slightly nauseating due to wearing a mask, while jet lagged in warm summer weather. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We have to get a COVID assessment test once a week while we are here. We had a first COVID test upon landing. In Italy the testing is slightly different. They take out a long q-tip like swab. They first stick this very far back in the throat and then one time in each nostril, spinning it around in each. I found that it wasn’t as uncomfortable as the Canadian test, but my eyes did water and it isn’t enjoyable at all. Additionally, we have to download an app for contact tracing in Italy. As well as filling out out a COVID questionnaire in the morning and at night, which includes our temperatures. These are all things that we are equipped to do to not only keep our team safe, but also to follow the guidelines of Italy and follow the protocols of travel in a foreign country.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxZXVJNfNFFTv46Xm3F_zCDLN_uIwYcBUZHpi2IEwuyJIIDwon4gmyUMDqiMpGKPEL7iVd7gG4Wu4St3lz52hV0EUKrGQdSfLOjHKQO-zJ21ONHm75LFSLLznT8K7tS6iM_TiBJNHoWwi/s2048/61EC987E-E241-4155-B578-1A84BDEF034B.jpeg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxZXVJNfNFFTv46Xm3F_zCDLN_uIwYcBUZHpi2IEwuyJIIDwon4gmyUMDqiMpGKPEL7iVd7gG4Wu4St3lz52hV0EUKrGQdSfLOjHKQO-zJ21ONHm75LFSLLznT8K7tS6iM_TiBJNHoWwi/w384-h512/61EC987E-E241-4155-B578-1A84BDEF034B.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our hotel in the clouds below the lower training run.</span> </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;">Our hotel is at over 3000m in altitude. The only people that come here are ski teams training on the Stelvio glacier. On the ski hill there are only pompa lifts, or riding in front of or behind a snow cat, which greatly reduces the risk. We are grateful to avoid trams and gondolas for the time being. In each line up (if we have to line up) we have to wear a mask and social distance, as does every other athlete training on the glacier. However... it is always hard to control what others do, and the actions of others are very much out of our control. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheSDK8YRYrKtRhWk6ufe17PiDTStUnapYf-q8onPW1bch_iSjldLQPyWBroBJW9nLUcq7rKVX9ViDfN_oZ1shalSElh1E-u46FLRySz_YS4GeNJHmPhTSQgHsUtid3fLMv5TRikDk5OIb/s1600/B1545017-588E-4A55-9C4A-0F57F2326B79.jpeg" style="display: inline; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1600" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiheSDK8YRYrKtRhWk6ufe17PiDTStUnapYf-q8onPW1bch_iSjldLQPyWBroBJW9nLUcq7rKVX9ViDfN_oZ1shalSElh1E-u46FLRySz_YS4GeNJHmPhTSQgHsUtid3fLMv5TRikDk5OIb/w640-h295/B1545017-588E-4A55-9C4A-0F57F2326B79.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Manny Gamper, our head coach, ready for the cat ride up at 5:45am. </span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;">Our head coach, Manny, has been rolling with the punches, or zigging while others are zagging, so when he sees that something makes us uncomfortable he makes plans to change it. We are now allowed to use a “World Cup line” at the pomas, to avoid the uncontrollables. We also have a “crazy Canadian” zone in the boot room at the hotel, where we can get ready, store our things and stay distanced from other teams. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKIVUYbpOXyhKUWPU5iyMZ7X1rdi7QCNZZtu1DUk00n99_ARK9FS8gXAPfbp_9tbm-xr-tjYHYCyBqkssdn4oPKT1VY3UelQiqEBo2zCZ2ETtFC36d4Z4MrQ-QRPm10ggEUFKDBHfWNbb/s2048/10A52EB5-203D-4820-89E1-52DE521EB0F1.jpeg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkKIVUYbpOXyhKUWPU5iyMZ7X1rdi7QCNZZtu1DUk00n99_ARK9FS8gXAPfbp_9tbm-xr-tjYHYCyBqkssdn4oPKT1VY3UelQiqEBo2zCZ2ETtFC36d4Z4MrQ-QRPm10ggEUFKDBHfWNbb/w384-h512/10A52EB5-203D-4820-89E1-52DE521EB0F1.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><span style="font-size: small;">These views make the 4:30am wake ups worth it! </span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Part 4: The New Normal</b></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It took me a while to get used to the “new normal” of living in a hotel room again and being around more people. We wear a mask around the hotel, to and from dinner and each time we get up from the table. Before entering the dining room we sanitize our hands and take our temperatures. We then sit down at tables that are quite far from any other team. We take off our masks when we eat, and there are sheets of plexi glass running down the length of the table to separate the two sides. The waitstaff wear masks and gloves as well. We have hand sanitizer on our table, and use it multiple times throughout a meal, especially after touching anything communal. These precautions are followed by everyone that is staying at the hotel. Our team took additional precautions by eating meals 30minutes before most other teams, so that we spend most of our dinner alone in the dining room and we are able to get seated without coming into contact with many people. We also try to wash our clothes and masks as much as possible, which means that I have already done about 5 loads of laundry in my little <a href="https://thescrubba.com/">Scrubba</a> bag. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOBzoa4Ct__7XU1lEAM5yyzOOG4oX6AxKPw3hMA6HZdU3HalvaoX6DVWfu_1gHYBcViKLxP7XyaJ5EkYuWAgYKe5oSfKhk1OAK5Ep0zROSlYXHHAmMNE6nO3pfAhCk3i2yqx6nvVsMiAq/s2048/B5BD6184-34FA-43CD-9D33-B995B38C234E.jpeg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOBzoa4Ct__7XU1lEAM5yyzOOG4oX6AxKPw3hMA6HZdU3HalvaoX6DVWfu_1gHYBcViKLxP7XyaJ5EkYuWAgYKe5oSfKhk1OAK5Ep0zROSlYXHHAmMNE6nO3pfAhCk3i2yqx6nvVsMiAq/w384-h512/B5BD6184-34FA-43CD-9D33-B995B38C234E.jpeg" width="384" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most days I go for a recovery walk instead of using the spin bikes. </span></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We just finished up our first two blocks of training on snow (more on that later) but it was incredible. We had amazing snow each day, we trained hard, we learned a lot... and I was able to test my new ski/boot set up with Atomic. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Joxr7nwcGI1TqhldJa-gSIML-Dc3kxx8Qtso6N8yVxofQncNcKLSaPCNWlpk7mfYdozdYdO2VHEo1D6P6nnktugoDhuMcjSLw5K39rgCfJpBtKlxVkiMDvbServj1TnbIQznnWPRYFYI/s2048/9A1632D1-D1BD-4A68-843E-826418E309E3.jpeg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"> <img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Joxr7nwcGI1TqhldJa-gSIML-Dc3kxx8Qtso6N8yVxofQncNcKLSaPCNWlpk7mfYdozdYdO2VHEo1D6P6nnktugoDhuMcjSLw5K39rgCfJpBtKlxVkiMDvbServj1TnbIQznnWPRYFYI/w512-h384/9A1632D1-D1BD-4A68-843E-826418E309E3.jpeg" width="512" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Each day, each run, each turn, has been a blessing and I feel tremendous gratitude each day for being able to get back on snow, and for the hard work that our team (and team behind the team) puts in each day to keep us safe, while working towards top performances. I hope that this gratitude shows each and every day because I know that others are waiting for the day to come, and reading this in disbelief. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">After each block, we took two days off at a lower altitude.</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdgXhkEK302lvd9VurSVFlDvaH2C1WvxpbV1Soh7Y90XI9QIWTcDX4xrONhnByl_sgZ7-OLL5qHN7WKNqX9xKtD3Yg_2_aYBvxJRc-eDIaS12oSJwmAbemDCE8dcbgBtWgjnkdE_pe1gf/s2048/595DDBFD-6DC2-4408-B6CD-BC5329ACF8D3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdgXhkEK302lvd9VurSVFlDvaH2C1WvxpbV1Soh7Y90XI9QIWTcDX4xrONhnByl_sgZ7-OLL5qHN7WKNqX9xKtD3Yg_2_aYBvxJRc-eDIaS12oSJwmAbemDCE8dcbgBtWgjnkdE_pe1gf/s640/595DDBFD-6DC2-4408-B6CD-BC5329ACF8D3.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Day off adventures in Müstair, Switzerland. </span></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">We then go for another COVID assessment test before heading back up to Stelvio. This is now my fourth COVID test in 3 weeks. I no longer get as nervous for the testing because I now know what to expect. It is still uncomfortable, makes my eyes water, and my nose sting, but it is short lived. Although, having someone come at my face with a long cue tip while wearing incredibly intense safety attire while be forever etched into my memory. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOIy3Qnk5-1YKNfAq1YdqOk2QbK6qkBC3eC6_uef9FPM6m8EWrzrtXez2DLGzfPcPgsRxiJF3XWZ42Y1Fej0Aa75ryoM5AHzW5nUmz2KGSv0tOV3Gi3Xl0IOaKbzpcg2uXrBWq__3HgwM/s1920/2D24426B-110F-4C93-A5C9-7D81BD072BD2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOIy3Qnk5-1YKNfAq1YdqOk2QbK6qkBC3eC6_uef9FPM6m8EWrzrtXez2DLGzfPcPgsRxiJF3XWZ42Y1Fej0Aa75ryoM5AHzW5nUmz2KGSv0tOV3Gi3Xl0IOaKbzpcg2uXrBWq__3HgwM/s640/2D24426B-110F-4C93-A5C9-7D81BD072BD2.jpeg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Waiting at the testing center. </span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I won’t say that every day is anxiety free or comfortable. Sometimes I have to leave situations, sometimes I severely overthink about how I am feeling, always I have to control the direction of my thoughts. As a long-term germ girl, I am proud of my team for the precautions that we are taking, for hand sanitizing after touching anything that someone else may have touched, for protecting each other and thinking about the comfort levels of others. My family is at home being extremely careful. They check in with me each day. I am honest with them, share my turns with them, and hope that they aren’t too worried about me. </p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkexyU841hqHr0KGl1ZnijLnQr4fQ73neZNzRvmmnPGP_8K9po19_GYvEW_JK2BWAsj2Zn3aG3SbhcglB63e7aoskhYEjSnzgZopEDVCIHYhyphenhyphenaCYkZzRFjwCWVrGGoWrSVLjpCxxQOSmu/s1600/944BCCDD-3A77-47B4-8FDF-A4024AC9589B.jpeg" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkexyU841hqHr0KGl1ZnijLnQr4fQ73neZNzRvmmnPGP_8K9po19_GYvEW_JK2BWAsj2Zn3aG3SbhcglB63e7aoskhYEjSnzgZopEDVCIHYhyphenhyphenaCYkZzRFjwCWVrGGoWrSVLjpCxxQOSmu/w384-h512/944BCCDD-3A77-47B4-8FDF-A4024AC9589B.jpeg" width="384" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amelia and I with our new technician, Nicola </span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This season will be like no other. These precautions may vary, but as one changes, another will take it’s place. I am hopeful that I have the mental agility to zig while others zag. I’m sure that things will not always be easy, and many of these difficult situations we will not be able to plan for, however through it all I will try to take you with me. I will try to be as honest as possible about my feelings and my story. I am so uncertain about many things that are occurring at the moment, but then out of nowhere a glimmer of hope begins to burn and illuminates all of the shadowy corners.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfOh1_We8CT9o0A_t8ZRm92SzHl8Y2V3efm6YJI7JLVaHxslMpcYEaq6PEVHcBa-TpPk1H61uoig00sKbPAmIWWbwyqxgCxbtnpOdK60Lq2tlXN59Z8ZKP3Ey_3dZVwppp6GILd9qjBfk/s1600/A352DB5E-E331-49DE-9C74-F5D9199D457B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfOh1_We8CT9o0A_t8ZRm92SzHl8Y2V3efm6YJI7JLVaHxslMpcYEaq6PEVHcBa-TpPk1H61uoig00sKbPAmIWWbwyqxgCxbtnpOdK60Lq2tlXN59Z8ZKP3Ey_3dZVwppp6GILd9qjBfk/s640/A352DB5E-E331-49DE-9C74-F5D9199D457B.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most of our team after a great training day</span></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I hope that you are well wherever you are. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I hope that my story may help someone along the way. </p>Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-7489967891425213612020-08-09T10:29:00.000-04:002020-08-09T10:29:42.491-04:00Part 1/2: Preparing for Departure<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b>Part 1: Explanation</b></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">It has been a long time since I’ve sat down and written, especially for my blog. I made excuse after excuse- blogs were a fad, I don’t have anything relevant to say, I am too busy. But now, times are changing, and I am sitting down to write about it. </p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">First of all, I want to say that writing about the current times is a touchy subject, to say the least. There are many different points of view, experiences, rules and even research. If you know me, you know that I try to avoid touchy subjects. I am a highly sensitive person, I care deeply about all living things, and I try to hurt the feelings of no one. Secondly, I know that people are experiencing these unprecedented times in extremely different ways. Some are having trouble financially, some have lost loved ones, some are not overly worried, some live each day in fear, others are still stuck at home. Everyone is coming from a different place, and I hope that this time is showing us how to meet people exactly as they are, respect their beliefs and find compassion. I know that I live a privileged life as an alpine skier. I know that having the fantastic team of Alpine Canada behind me is a blessing. And I know that in the grand scheme of things sports and alpine skiing are small fish in a huge ocean. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEuyIkhWs_x_OFNXVFJlmZbET6am6pyBqXTjsOIvlQqoZ8NIexBncedD3vMyoISLCoiItq_ROEfc7ywfOYis1KfqRke4NJEOsyyuKHcZAljIRRQo-neg8o04CL0xGNfb87_9yPjI2mhaS/s1600/47202621-6D4D-47B8-A9CA-3EB9ECF0FD73.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEuyIkhWs_x_OFNXVFJlmZbET6am6pyBqXTjsOIvlQqoZ8NIexBncedD3vMyoISLCoiItq_ROEfc7ywfOYis1KfqRke4NJEOsyyuKHcZAljIRRQo-neg8o04CL0xGNfb87_9yPjI2mhaS/s640/47202621-6D4D-47B8-A9CA-3EB9ECF0FD73.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><font size="2">Women’s Canadian Ski Team 2020</font></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: left;">Thus, this brings me to my reason for finally sitting down and writing again. I know that young athletes follow me, or their parents do. I know that many coaches in Ontario and Canada are preparing to take their athletes overseas to train. Many of these athletes, coaches and parents feel comfortable with this decision, while others are extremely hesitant. I am hopeful that by sharing my experiences here, I can let you know what our protocols and situations are as we begin travelling. I urge you to make sure that you are comfortable before travelling, you do your research, you ask all of the questions that you have, and you come up with a decision for yourself. I am not here to advise you, and sometimes I won’t share all of the personal details, but I am hopeful that I can give you a snapshot into the world of skiing at the moment.</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">I am a “germ girl” in normal conditions. I have never been big on sharing drinking glasses, I wipe down the stationary bikes before use, I try not to touch my face (my eyes are my downfall), I open the bathroom door with a paper towel (or another contactless method) and I like having my own room when a roommate is sick. The current times have really heightened these tendencies as we all have to think two steps ahead about what we are touching, who we are near and what could make us sick. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9HxivNZmihq1LGIIReRIQ-Awh9lf-1WS1OLq6rMgxEz3a7Yh9-zxUZdC_99qlpDP1kZ6uDrZoDW9OTUR2nVxevYwUTCTiUUGLZ3Ns_ACv9MOvhzA0eK5TvD6tlkoaLBKAzKckH4qlzz_/s604/903AB6C4-3064-46BD-905F-23DFEE0F0FE2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9HxivNZmihq1LGIIReRIQ-Awh9lf-1WS1OLq6rMgxEz3a7Yh9-zxUZdC_99qlpDP1kZ6uDrZoDW9OTUR2nVxevYwUTCTiUUGLZ3Ns_ACv9MOvhzA0eK5TvD6tlkoaLBKAzKckH4qlzz_/s0/903AB6C4-3064-46BD-905F-23DFEE0F0FE2.jpeg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><font size="2">My Dad and I at the top of Georgian Peaks. </font></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">To delve into this further, this “germ girl” way of life began when I was 6 when my dad got pneumococcal disease (streptococcus pneumoniae). The doctors were unable to diagnose him and he became sicker and sicker as his lungs filled with fluid and started to collapse. We couldn’t move him to another hospital because he was too sick, a priest was called to give my dad his last rights, and he was simply laying in what we thought would be his death bed. We weren’t allowed to visit because he was scared that we would get sick too. To make a long story short, my dad underwent major surgery slitting a 1.5ft opening in his back to remove a rib and cutting 4 more openings to insert tubes to drain the fluid. Simply put, when I was 6, I almost lost my dad to an extremely rare form of pneumonia... so nowadays I am scared. </p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_kl7E3lmb3OzZgvkJmHbL7uLoM6go85riVR65edOYMrNvKS-Q9momSuCFee6BYuq3y2_iFkBw5rMp_o1OAHN-gNZaQSYwcF29y9AZPhzFpVT78ANq_xSaj_qPZPh8I_wLwkfaOyWx2xJ/s640/67AE2CEA-B141-418B-9168-6586E9609429.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_kl7E3lmb3OzZgvkJmHbL7uLoM6go85riVR65edOYMrNvKS-Q9momSuCFee6BYuq3y2_iFkBw5rMp_o1OAHN-gNZaQSYwcF29y9AZPhzFpVT78ANq_xSaj_qPZPh8I_wLwkfaOyWx2xJ/s0/67AE2CEA-B141-418B-9168-6586E9609429.jpeg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">Photo: My dad and I at the bib draw in Flachau in 2014</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">When our season ended early and we flew home just after COVID 19 was announced as a pandemic, I was scared. I was scared for my family, I was scared of all of the unknowns, and I watched the news with anxiety each day. I followed the rules, stayed home, wore masks, washed my hands for 20 seconds (twice)... you all know the drill now. I woke up each morning in disbelief, feeling anxious and ill prepared. Meanwhile, I was training hard throughout the summer, knowing that at some point I would have to leave Canada and my family. With each passing week, my departure loomed ever nearer. We tried to plan a ski camp in Canada, but one by one those options were taken off of the table for various reasons. Eventually, the date was set. We would leave Canada to travel to Switzerland and onwards to Italy on July 25th. Each day I counted down to this date, knowing that I could always pull the plug and that Alpine Canada supported this decision entirely. I asked numerous questions to far too many people, as I felt comfort in gathering information. My greatest fears being contracting the virus in a foreign country and passing it to others. I tackled the tasks that were put forth by ACA, while silently dreading July 25th. We sent our passports to the Swiss consulate to get new visas for Schengen travel, we listened to zoom calls about COVID safety while away, we jumped on additional zoom calls with our specific teams to come up with plans, I talked things through with my sports psych and finally 5 days out from departure I headed into town for what would be the first of many COVID assessment tests</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b>Part 2: Preparation </b></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">I walked into the testing center with a mask and gloves. I waited outside until someone came and got me. She opened the door for me and we stood in between two entrance doors. She was in full PPE including face shield and a clothing cover. I took off my gloves, and she sprayed my hands with disinfectant. I then took off my mask and threw it away. She sprayed my hands again and gave me a new mask to put on. She sprayed my hands again and opened the internal door. Once inside I walked up to a woman behind many sheets of protective plastic. She took my information and when a tester was ready he came and got me. He was very very kind. We went through some paper work and he explained how the test would feel. I was nervous because I heard that it is extremely painful. He said that it will feel like a lot of water going up my nose, such as when you jump into a lake too aggressively. I would feel the need to sneeze, but I wouldn’t. Finally he took out a fairly long stick with a little brush at the end, tipped back my head and guided the long brush deep inside my nose and started spinning the stick. The feeling was exactly as he had explained. It wasn’t painful, but it was extremely uncomfortable. My test came back negative. I printed the result along with many other supporting travel documents.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">I started packing for my trip. One bag was entirely extra food (in case I felt unsafe eating), sanitization products, protective products (masks, gloves, hand soap etc), etc. I packed far too much for a 3 week trip, but I want to be prepared to zig while everyone else is zagging and I foresee many changes to our schedule this winter. My hope is that I get to see my friends and loved ones at some point this season. </p>
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<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">On July 25th, we drove to the airport with everyone in the car wearing masks. </p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZER5ZxmniDBYI34diVkoQGWizDN7gFAGpJ4uR5EAO5J7wAnPtSPEZm_bd4oDfvwzAVXoZBoW47V-5bm0uS8qrhhKZ5C1fKq5Xa7vUBB4bCqTVrShCLi9TMPcK9sfnNRi7FvP4CZlNPnfJ/s2048/BEB08BE1-D248-42B5-851B-FB162E9FFA1F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZER5ZxmniDBYI34diVkoQGWizDN7gFAGpJ4uR5EAO5J7wAnPtSPEZm_bd4oDfvwzAVXoZBoW47V-5bm0uS8qrhhKZ5C1fKq5Xa7vUBB4bCqTVrShCLi9TMPcK9sfnNRi7FvP4CZlNPnfJ/s640/BEB08BE1-D248-42B5-851B-FB162E9FFA1F.jpeg" /></a></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><font size="2">Dad and I driving to the airport </font></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">Most of the doors at the airport are now closed, so all traffic has to go in one set of doors and you can only enter if you are flying that day. The airport was a shell of the place it had once been. The line ups were small and there were no sad goodbyes at security. I checked in my bags, and headed to security. At the Toronto airport, only one security is now open for Canadian and European destinations. A man checked my temperature with a contactless thermometer. There were very few people at security, many lanes open and they shut down some lanes to practice social distancing. At the international terminal there were only two flights flying out; one to Zurich and one to Frankfurt. There was only one place to get food and water. I bought some water, but I had packed my own food from home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl40ZucudqluaaBTw5IkvNksaVtarwbC0nYPpdI8JdJeTvww1MsyGSL-J8V-P0yLjk0SMrWX8F23w6jZEVsnYBtrx8QriCVoR0092jl1Zo1s3xyGDbP4E19tInm7QYDxTt5MJKY32yDOm/s1600/369E7C7D-B42E-4DCE-82F2-5F26D8773D4E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwl40ZucudqluaaBTw5IkvNksaVtarwbC0nYPpdI8JdJeTvww1MsyGSL-J8V-P0yLjk0SMrWX8F23w6jZEVsnYBtrx8QriCVoR0092jl1Zo1s3xyGDbP4E19tInm7QYDxTt5MJKY32yDOm/s640/369E7C7D-B42E-4DCE-82F2-5F26D8773D4E.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><font size="2">Lau and Mitch (seat buddies) leaving Quebec.</font> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;">I was a little bit late, but I didn’t want to take off my mask for long during the flight, so I headed to a secluded place in the terminal, took off my mask and ate as quickly as possible. I waited to board the flight until the very end, so that there were less people on the ramp leading into the plane. The plane was only half full, however the flight attendant told me that the same flight a week earlier only had 12 people on it. My seat was fairly secluded, so I was happy about that. Gone are the days of a “dinner like” meal service followed by drinks. They now offer a panini and a few snacks in a plastic container and plastic water bottles. The plane was much more subdued than usual, with fewer people getting up to walk around and few people getting up to use the toilet. The flight was uneventful, but it was ironic when they ask you to social distance while disembarking and then make you get into a bus that does not allow for social distancing.</p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3WVSFH17tcj3waajp-2NBKENo-DKq0U2X2N_9TIIKI71ek0P5CTS19Q1cv5U_WhapAdVKpLWgDkQKj7y8jPFMfRMZbubrsWUkYqiWgaSAdpjRkj2U0uqtKz1HTW165h847T5LeiZCaMY/s1553/99FF46C7-B088-489A-A396-58098992828F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3WVSFH17tcj3waajp-2NBKENo-DKq0U2X2N_9TIIKI71ek0P5CTS19Q1cv5U_WhapAdVKpLWgDkQKj7y8jPFMfRMZbubrsWUkYqiWgaSAdpjRkj2U0uqtKz1HTW165h847T5LeiZCaMY/s640/99FF46C7-B088-489A-A396-58098992828F.jpeg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><font size="2">My favourite masks by @brielle_officialle (<a href="http://www.brielleofficielle.com">www.brielleofficielle.com</a>)</font></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 13.1px;"><br /></p>Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-60657542491472120572017-10-23T05:52:00.001-04:002017-10-23T06:28:22.688-04:00Inside the Arc: Combine to Conquer <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;">I’ve made a lot of excuses about blogging in the last couple of years. These excuses are born from many different reasons.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkUkOIWxsrtyxuaep2-TT9VVhw-uNqzfiU3PVspU_jaVoQBsA0lVaGuSKa1ZoG17p46pR6cVl5y_83au-q30MzSvLuP_G6Y8FN4H7IYrHnHEK-ck2H8ro8Ixib7JSfFGRqedVpH_UMUEh/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkUkOIWxsrtyxuaep2-TT9VVhw-uNqzfiU3PVspU_jaVoQBsA0lVaGuSKa1ZoG17p46pR6cVl5y_83au-q30MzSvLuP_G6Y8FN4H7IYrHnHEK-ck2H8ro8Ixib7JSfFGRqedVpH_UMUEh/s400/images.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
guess I should go back to the beginning and explain why I started my blog. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZKYpgaGGdYWkDNUIRCB4ZvttLKWNt9_yqtIONlbysR_OyyUA2d0jZ74NWKgUd4x5pEvDed-g-GS5Qe-11WImZau284dE8gKKiJhl3VjsQWvgjWfqm-W70rJC9IfPMq1YWcH7_rTWOXU_/s1600/P1010683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZKYpgaGGdYWkDNUIRCB4ZvttLKWNt9_yqtIONlbysR_OyyUA2d0jZ74NWKgUd4x5pEvDed-g-GS5Qe-11WImZau284dE8gKKiJhl3VjsQWvgjWfqm-W70rJC9IfPMq1YWcH7_rTWOXU_/s640/P1010683.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://annagoody.ca/">Anna Goodman</a> is one of the most talented
human beings that I know, not only can she DIY a house, she is kind, smart and
wrote the best blog. When I was first named to the national team, I was young,
I looked up to the older racers, and Anna inspired me, so naturally I had to
copy her, and start a blog.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5U6h1ol-dxzfGG9FpRxqmzDEpxL3nxaWoxWNUB3P-ucKQQJ7-6l4GzprY0CvfQwZiiC0AZcELXKaUpnW6wb0A0NPB8wDvwOzbJaZnBU0VIFDRW7rBcLDlymJXkRh-X-yJg9XBczlg8-I/s1600/_MG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5U6h1ol-dxzfGG9FpRxqmzDEpxL3nxaWoxWNUB3P-ucKQQJ7-6l4GzprY0CvfQwZiiC0AZcELXKaUpnW6wb0A0NPB8wDvwOzbJaZnBU0VIFDRW7rBcLDlymJXkRh-X-yJg9XBczlg8-I/s640/_MG_0052.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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A few of our Anna directed photoshoots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfnEbqxO2M5gB0qvQOD7fkkYSAA-qhpC-0lfvIKss_8xFBcuEiCZgNAmdiVIUs1vgeGpY0Q7v6BStgQ0yezCGKC9D3HpBRaFodaN1-IrECdr23v-iuPLDeOEzMiKBMC32PvK4hauD0kaV/s1600/IMG_1971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="464" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfnEbqxO2M5gB0qvQOD7fkkYSAA-qhpC-0lfvIKss_8xFBcuEiCZgNAmdiVIUs1vgeGpY0Q7v6BStgQ0yezCGKC9D3HpBRaFodaN1-IrECdr23v-iuPLDeOEzMiKBMC32PvK4hauD0kaV/s640/IMG_1971.JPG" width="464" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
However, when I first started writing, I thought
that this would be a place for my family to keep up with me and possibly,
hopefully, just maybe I would find sponsors. Yet, as the years passed, my blog
became a place for me to, not only, share my experiences, but learn from them,
see the good in them and understand them. I blogged about bad races, trips with
my dad, and Christmas in Europe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0N_tsek3M2qQAvsxgG1TwomhDboXgqwXMsDVQpZTcrgU6hoG9VNZcz7ollqlm6Ssl2TRnhUZ1LBIe4ghND4jrx6ZQY8Ww4YnBbgXedvFZhDe43Q-nitYdN6u7dEutD2abfifE15R9NwA/s1600/IMG_2781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="750" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0N_tsek3M2qQAvsxgG1TwomhDboXgqwXMsDVQpZTcrgU6hoG9VNZcz7ollqlm6Ssl2TRnhUZ1LBIe4ghND4jrx6ZQY8Ww4YnBbgXedvFZhDe43Q-nitYdN6u7dEutD2abfifE15R9NwA/s640/IMG_2781.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mdeI7SEG8mzpor3C4jrNYFkuA8OpNiL0G6VwnTGTW9L8dn9gF9hH_FvhFVLQ6eOx5mNvnsgmnqi7fXw7shsKLroPCCkS5AGcXXqKymeaHb65eGUYqEkS3ZA7S_8F10S4ZWEH7ACl6T9I/s1600/IMG_2871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="961" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mdeI7SEG8mzpor3C4jrNYFkuA8OpNiL0G6VwnTGTW9L8dn9gF9hH_FvhFVLQ6eOx5mNvnsgmnqi7fXw7shsKLroPCCkS5AGcXXqKymeaHb65eGUYqEkS3ZA7S_8F10S4ZWEH7ACl6T9I/s640/IMG_2871.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a way for me to find the best case
scenario, connect with my writing and capture photos of all of this. </div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I
had many amazing experiences and I shared these with all of you. However, I
usually sugar coated some of the tough experiences, and this is the main reason
that I stopped blogging. Heading into the year of the Olympics in 2014 in
Sochi, I had an incredibly tough year. </span></div>
</div>
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Many people know this, but few know the
details. I think it was during this time that I stopped sharing. I know that
people want to be with you through the ups and the downs, however I can’t
explain to you how hard it is to share these downs. You keep hoping for an up,
so you can say, “Wow, look what I have been through, but it was all worth it. I
have learned and I have grown.” </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UoFLoCq6w8Oxth1ApfUmAWX9eLfiQYA825d7ZyNMXD1g_fLjojA7XXwXFtHBRqSUFd3-NI-OXu6fLJdhyphenhyphenWKmBjqTs0ltejdD7FOZ1IBWiRRT_oUKLP862Ae5mrqNG3quMSMCzcOPL8Yp/s1600/Blurbed+Sochi+GS+portrait_69T8252dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1085" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UoFLoCq6w8Oxth1ApfUmAWX9eLfiQYA825d7ZyNMXD1g_fLjojA7XXwXFtHBRqSUFd3-NI-OXu6fLJdhyphenhyphenWKmBjqTs0ltejdD7FOZ1IBWiRRT_oUKLP862Ae5mrqNG3quMSMCzcOPL8Yp/s640/Blurbed+Sochi+GS+portrait_69T8252dad.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Yet, life doesn’t follow these rules. It simply
doesn’t work like that, and what I have learned is that the up that I was
looking for is sometimes hiding in plain sight. It not only lies in the results
that I have as a ski racer, but in who I become throughout this journey, in the
people that I inspire, in how many times I get back up, in how I learn how to
deal with adversity, in what I learn about myself, and in the amazing angels in
disguise that I meet along the way. I didn’t want to relive the hardships, I
didn’t feel like I had enough knowledge to contribute, and so my keyboard
stayed dormant.</div>
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With
each passing year, I would promise myself that I would start blogging again,
however the excuses began. “What could I ever blog about” “There is no space on
my computer for photos” “Blogs are dead, it is the era of instagram” “What if
no one likes it” ….. so my blog has not been updated.</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">However, slowly an idea started forming in
my head. What if this blog can be inspiring? What if blogs are fading away, but
insight isn’t? What if I start to ask people for ideas? What if this isn’t a
one woman job?</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvPSK5Bw0zcC51MBr7taIo9mCxBSv6QaN1spaERCEDabQvlRsrtCMXq19Vfq1vEgzjBVbP95mYxCFi67QJn_uV6ERtG0eR1u30OKCjIQOxcNd4tSqo7vf9SU5J428dStZ4RKvHVvlTVcG/s1600/IMG_3892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1574" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvPSK5Bw0zcC51MBr7taIo9mCxBSv6QaN1spaERCEDabQvlRsrtCMXq19Vfq1vEgzjBVbP95mYxCFi67QJn_uV6ERtG0eR1u30OKCjIQOxcNd4tSqo7vf9SU5J428dStZ4RKvHVvlTVcG/s640/IMG_3892.jpg" width="625" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And out of this a new idea was born.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-uE76cP_ziIDYxe59HCZ8dayvLy_BlTXw7jKC_yg_JjrfBquh3u5p-5g_a4_KQ71O9FYuXP_WmrO1TePXof3kh-RLJK4sHGy3rsX_vHtOLehpnr2CWE0O4tGc5okJsm6AgU5i7wq-hxr/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-uE76cP_ziIDYxe59HCZ8dayvLy_BlTXw7jKC_yg_JjrfBquh3u5p-5g_a4_KQ71O9FYuXP_WmrO1TePXof3kh-RLJK4sHGy3rsX_vHtOLehpnr2CWE0O4tGc5okJsm6AgU5i7wq-hxr/s640/IMG_1786.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Inside the Arc</u></b></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">My dream is that the community of the athlete world can "combine and conquer". We can give fans, friends, family and young racers a small glimpse into our lives by sharing our stories and knowledge. I want this to come from the perspectives,
thoughts and experiences of a variety of people. I want to feature athletes,
physios, doctors, parents, and coaches. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEbku8LVJ2YeyhCdfBhWb4xDKpnI_VL1jLLOtR-16mTW7pyj2l_ZeSYRapRKsc2ndDckhyphenhyphenMgvgbRY53Cgi-TzZo-BWiMJ5zdQHH5uh6Jkh-gfFcTRiqYrZo9h3vaKIWqbfECzoUrk1-_A/s1600/IMG_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="850" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEbku8LVJ2YeyhCdfBhWb4xDKpnI_VL1jLLOtR-16mTW7pyj2l_ZeSYRapRKsc2ndDckhyphenhyphenMgvgbRY53Cgi-TzZo-BWiMJ5zdQHH5uh6Jkh-gfFcTRiqYrZo9h3vaKIWqbfECzoUrk1-_A/s640/IMG_1343.JPG" width="387" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I want this blog to paint a picture,
with each brush stroke added by a different person, creating a mural that
unites us as one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want as many
sides to this story to be told as possible. I realized that everyone has a
unique journey and that is what I want to share, so that more people relate and
we can touch more hearts. As a community I want to share knowledge, inspire
people and have fun while doing this. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BHHGfgQmRxm6vN2D73enWjhxc-DcbAre-DvhpOZfPYAjyIZAjVfl1CSG56ptWiEa0P-jKfUjvrUxJ8fUpzvFKkMlsZDP80RZGEjlTtgIG2KqQMCpmdIr_SDeGpyxw7mD4ZsRfxQ7CQBY/s1600/IMG_0799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BHHGfgQmRxm6vN2D73enWjhxc-DcbAre-DvhpOZfPYAjyIZAjVfl1CSG56ptWiEa0P-jKfUjvrUxJ8fUpzvFKkMlsZDP80RZGEjlTtgIG2KqQMCpmdIr_SDeGpyxw7mD4ZsRfxQ7CQBY/s640/IMG_0799.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The guest posts will follow no specific
format, they can be in the form of blog posts, short answers, video blog, photo
blog, a list, a how to post or something even more cretaive. They might feature
what keeps an athlete motivated, or the best ski specific core exercises, or
the secrets to packing for many months on the road. I know everyone leads busy lives, so in between these posts I will try to keep things interesting and post my own write ups. </span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55X43AXC8YsnZD-5E0SXXzpJZkDO5HE_sCUobXPw6Dbku8D-rbsl6U4uAMFdz2WOxCoQWE6alYp9yfdhKXSG2L_bSn8c5FA2-_dRk6LF0zoT-8VvZHfu9YQ24yrhlZQtDHThIw6XxM8hM/s1600/IMG_1043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55X43AXC8YsnZD-5E0SXXzpJZkDO5HE_sCUobXPw6Dbku8D-rbsl6U4uAMFdz2WOxCoQWE6alYp9yfdhKXSG2L_bSn8c5FA2-_dRk6LF0zoT-8VvZHfu9YQ24yrhlZQtDHThIw6XxM8hM/s640/IMG_1043.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKff-0wHjNEJkVzIX606qZ_uIjnNU4GnNwX_s0Pd23dp1SnSUHPvwO8vz6ih0BxXOnqfBO2qC9s2dcHBPajK6AQXHkfhJ7ikf9z2O-XR4tGo7dv-NyU5D1uaWsQPekuQ_hjZvRqpzHHpD/s1600/IMG_1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKff-0wHjNEJkVzIX606qZ_uIjnNU4GnNwX_s0Pd23dp1SnSUHPvwO8vz6ih0BxXOnqfBO2qC9s2dcHBPajK6AQXHkfhJ7ikf9z2O-XR4tGo7dv-NyU5D1uaWsQPekuQ_hjZvRqpzHHpD/s640/IMG_1032.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let us begin! </div>
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">**Please contact me in the contact section
on my blog if you are interested in doing a guest post! Thank you! </span></div>
</div>
</div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-76225675431366884362017-09-02T14:06:00.001-04:002017-11-06T08:14:10.524-05:00No Bake, Simple Granola Bars <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3VRb77pNspnaPGRCdDAtlHCgcSLnae9S_1Mo5DsWLcI9EkKbL7pW77AZCe1-1FqRpRbSIJriU9A83_FdeFepX1QQJPMMs86wt4xPgJyo6OBuzWFtvGc21QwGrp97aUwA4Bg_uNZR3neu/s1600/IMG_4440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_mhPod31n2-x5KRsN4dDXa_4rhCSG9dsbAAHjw6C21gytLzYTQ-zJeoCvnNezh3zFG-y3Ht6e4nLkUwZoi_PWmUHSkl56JpWkbf8dusjAcZroW1qWkAMkSRWrhvsFXr0GlV-ZAHcSkT2/s1600/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj_mhPod31n2-x5KRsN4dDXa_4rhCSG9dsbAAHjw6C21gytLzYTQ-zJeoCvnNezh3zFG-y3Ht6e4nLkUwZoi_PWmUHSkl56JpWkbf8dusjAcZroW1qWkAMkSRWrhvsFXr0GlV-ZAHcSkT2/s640/FullSizeRender-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit;">A while ago, I was turned off of pre-made granola bars because of the long ingredient lists that I simply did not understand. However, this year my program was busy and it became harder to find healthy snacks on the go. I was able to make a batch of these granola bars on Sunday, wrap them up, freeze them and have fairly healthy snacks for the weeks ahead. Sometimes I would make double batches because it was just as easy, I had less "meal prep" days and I could share with my training buddies. I put them in my camel back for bike rides, in my water belt for long runs, in my gym bag for after my weight sessions, and sometimes on a plate for dessert! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Ingredients </b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 1c pitted dried dates<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 4T (1/4c) honey (maple syrup or agave or try coconut oil)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 4T (1/4c) coconut almond butter (peanut butter or other nut butter)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 1t cinnamon</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- ½c chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 1/2T coconut oil</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">- 1/2c shredded unsweetened coconut flakes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Instructions:</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><u>Step 1: </u>I don’t have a food processor, so I put all of the dates into a blender. I blended the dates until they were well blended and created a ball. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">** (The dates should form a sticky ball. If the dates are too dry you can soak them in warm water for 7 minutes, drain and then blend OR add a little bit of warm water to the blender)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><u>Step 2:</u> Add the nut butter and honey to a pan or pot and warm gently on low until melted. Keep stirring. Don’t allow this to overcook!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><u>Step 3:</u> Add the nuts and oats to large mixing bowl. Stir. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">*If you want full chocolate chips in your granola bars, add them now. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">**You can also add the shredded coconut flakes now to mix in with the other ingredients or you can wait and sprinkle them on top (see below))</span></div>
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<u style="font-family: inherit;">Step 4:</u><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Add the blended dates, honey-nut butter, cinnamon and vanilla to the mixture and mix until well incorporated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Step 5:</u> Line a baking tray with plastic wrap or parchment paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><u>Step 6:</u> Pour the recipe into the baking tray and spread out along the tray as evenly as possible. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Use your hand and then something clean and hard to press the mixture down to make it well packed and compressed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">***(If you want melted chocolate on top of your bars put your chocolate chips into a pot with 1/2T of coconut oil, gently heat on low, while stirring until the chocolate is melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars. You can sprinkle coconut flakes on top of this)***</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Step 7:</u> Cover and put in the fridge or freezer for about 30minutes or until they are firm.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><u>Step 8:</u> I cut the bars, individually wrap them and store them in the freezer. The colder they are the better they hold their form for training, running, sharing, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "helvetica"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p><u> </u></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><u>Step 9:</u> Nom Nom Nom Nom!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">Inspired By: T</span>he Minimalist Baker (<a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/healthy-5-ingredient-granola-bars/">https://minimalistbaker.com/healthy-5-ingredient-granola-bars/</a>)</span></div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-71169578153620883972015-03-04T06:01:00.000-05:002017-08-22T09:08:29.870-04:00World Champs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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World Champs...</div>
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I think I want to broaden this topic to "big events", including World Champs, Olympic Games, etc. I love "big events". I have had many different results at these events including DNFs, winning second runs, bad results, good results and everything in between. I stood in my room in Beaver Creek and all of a sudden, it hit me, no matter what my results would be at the World Championships, I already loved them.</div>
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I started to try to figure out why. At a big event why do I feel like I've still won something even when I straddle? Why is my heart calm even before what is considered a high pressure event? </div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">1)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Family and Friends</span></div>
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I am incredibly lucky because I have amazing support
around me from my family and friends. My friends at home have been known to
dress up for the Olympics to have a Canadian tv watching party when I race. They
send me songs to give me some "swagger" at the start. My grandparents send me photos that they have found online and seem to always know what to say on good days and bad days. My mom has been
with me every step of the way, and finally she was able to come to a big event. And most of you know my dad. He can be found on the
side of the hill with the huge lens taking photos. (photo cred: Andy Mielzynski)</div>
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I will always cherish the feeling I had when I realized that Canada podiumed at the team event and </div>
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my parents would be able to be with me as I stepped on the podium. This has always been one of my biggest dreams.</div>
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And of course none of this would be possible without my technician Marco!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNTi-coDltvVosyl4ZsEfWhrPiiv8W6OFzgCkg2TDcfYgACpOgXg-N3R2VWArX_x65R-grfJePyvq5oMF2p4ClAnnBzWLlGeEIi3Zh0QTCukfUgjPnRzZT_VaeyCb7jRrHBbeGhCIAyMw/s1600/IMG_1164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNTi-coDltvVosyl4ZsEfWhrPiiv8W6OFzgCkg2TDcfYgACpOgXg-N3R2VWArX_x65R-grfJePyvq5oMF2p4ClAnnBzWLlGeEIi3Zh0QTCukfUgjPnRzZT_VaeyCb7jRrHBbeGhCIAyMw/s1600/IMG_1164.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Length of Stay</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhu3wXSDaKFMrmyiUWKMlciaavod-tBkI4Czg103dIKyNWTHmiX0kzDQidh6XLxyYJymhhdmNIWHTFee7TR9XBvIxHOe7jNq28tZcHe76IL9B_cFwYbge_K25Tb4IHIvpWNSQ9dMo4wrl/s1600/IMG_1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhu3wXSDaKFMrmyiUWKMlciaavod-tBkI4Czg103dIKyNWTHmiX0kzDQidh6XLxyYJymhhdmNIWHTFee7TR9XBvIxHOe7jNq28tZcHe76IL9B_cFwYbge_K25Tb4IHIvpWNSQ9dMo4wrl/s1600/IMG_1034.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I know many of you think that we must love traveling every
few days, however I am a terrible packer and I hate packing. I love staying in
a place for a few days, unpacking my clothes, setting out my toiletries and
having time to explore the town. A hotel room begins to feel like home after at
least 4 days. Beaver Creek started to feel like home. </div>
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<o:p> 3) </o:p><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Team</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIU36Gq0GfJ_gDFoJb1S4rwGTVM-V-nfjuXWieghl4_bnXTJgxUE2cl0uKjJTS4U0IF64m-QmVOO3-0lPbEnVHy2Cwc88KubKK8MtQLccemgDlcajuN8og7eNRWLceJE0wP4O3Bi1RG85/s1600/IMG_1077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIU36Gq0GfJ_gDFoJb1S4rwGTVM-V-nfjuXWieghl4_bnXTJgxUE2cl0uKjJTS4U0IF64m-QmVOO3-0lPbEnVHy2Cwc88KubKK8MtQLccemgDlcajuN8og7eNRWLceJE0wP4O3Bi1RG85/s1600/IMG_1077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love when our team comes together as one. I enjoy when our men’s and women’s
teams are at the same event. When we can cheer on our team, catch up with
friends and maybe if things align play a game of keep up. I love feeling like a
team, and in Sochi we were a huge team. The lugers, the skaters, the skiers,
the boarders, and everyone else were a huge Canadian family. We were united as
one. </div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">3) The Crowd</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmZP_5QrF64naCl79GWkpgH8j5lT-_eVzoWSNPdNiDir5D1A2mUEnQNv_ztJ9P_pC6TFqk4cJq85scJMkiNLVISnc1WHpChy5J_trxUpD0ll6K4-2B8KpdLCpM2NhgoOghMdeSneS0_2k/s1600/IMG_1192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmZP_5QrF64naCl79GWkpgH8j5lT-_eVzoWSNPdNiDir5D1A2mUEnQNv_ztJ9P_pC6TFqk4cJq85scJMkiNLVISnc1WHpChy5J_trxUpD0ll6K4-2B8KpdLCpM2NhgoOghMdeSneS0_2k/s1600/IMG_1192.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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At big events the crowd becomes even louder and more loving.
Nothing will ever compare to crossing the finish line at the Vancouver Olympics
and seeing so many Canadian flags and hearing the crowd go crazy just because I
was Canadian. However, the crowd was nearly just as loving at the World Champs
in Vail. They cheered for everyone from start to finish, however I think they
had a special love for the Canadians as well as the Americans. </div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidonkAzGdNuEFjmy05luVsdQniEv5gMX1gA6yrpHly0j4unQhtZO8uSOHKoPPuJfNGg5d3jx6-xrrUsRdeI_N-hGZANTBVLaAXxeUD5FpN-KU47FGe-6wQuneGGfx2ueah7Qe7nArMR-2p/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" width="640" /></div>
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After the slalom
race, I was able to be apart of the awards ceremony because I came 6<sup>th</sup>.
I will never forget standing on that stage with Mikaela Shiffrin on top of the
podium. I have never seen a crowd like that. I stood on that stage and fell in
love with skiing even more because I saw how many people she inspired that day.
She was so strong under pressure and that crowd… they loved every second of it.</div>
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4) Inspire and Be Inspired </div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_L2yX0aTym-MohPqm48UkPRsGpzjIMFnmWCa6B3EQsMeqR0yHWXuYQs0BxLb7UZeuN6RhtVNO-aJ3AOt6jFyyEF23INUvWr9HPjBL7Ka1LjmTypm2fCPonsMav0fsDyxH0ehf_qBrqDGj/s1600/IMG_1018.JPG" width="640" /><span style="text-align: left;">At Beaver Creek I was able to attend a Fast and Female event
with some of the young ski racers in the community. For many big events we
speak at schools,</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">or get emails
from young racers, or sign autographs, however what rings true time and time
again is how inspired I am at these events. How much harder I want to work, how
much better I want to be, how I realize that just maybe what I am doing might make a difference. I
am so inspired by these young athletes and I learn from them time and time
again. Also, how about that Dustin Cook?</span></div>
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<o:p> (Can you see him up there?) </o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"> (photo cred: Andy Mielzynski)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0LvQVb9kFZxsR0kEVmNWqo9nFIC_bk33KCjYtPHGJLqjb-5Saf58q-cjNyseckOCWN3RG4rF2XKJ3s3c_104JMwrRCyGtWH_Hhh55JjCgwatn3O8AVV91QDHx0J2sWh3SfjKUBtbW6ws/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0LvQVb9kFZxsR0kEVmNWqo9nFIC_bk33KCjYtPHGJLqjb-5Saf58q-cjNyseckOCWN3RG4rF2XKJ3s3c_104JMwrRCyGtWH_Hhh55JjCgwatn3O8AVV91QDHx0J2sWh3SfjKUBtbW6ws/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">My love for team events has been a torrid affair. I have loved duals since I was racing down our small poma hill at Georgian Peaks. I have loved team events since I raced for Ontario at the Canadian Nationals when all the other provinces would call us “Onterrible”. I love head to head competition, however I especially love it when you are competing for your teammates and your country. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYa_kaqIZ3a5pudH7mMCUt4WUWIMZsIfhL-imWCv6GsrF9-lqHTFINwZT8BhYdW9kBI_3d3tA7tR_MD0vIkARSo8sq3PpHz28J7Xw5ooGZzqPvVfKfCXRh0fMKsNMo0q7UNU6zlLoJq2b/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYa_kaqIZ3a5pudH7mMCUt4WUWIMZsIfhL-imWCv6GsrF9-lqHTFINwZT8BhYdW9kBI_3d3tA7tR_MD0vIkARSo8sq3PpHz28J7Xw5ooGZzqPvVfKfCXRh0fMKsNMo0q7UNU6zlLoJq2b/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> At the 2013 World Champs, our team was led by Mike Janyk and he was incredibly excited to be racing the event. The rest of us fed off of this energy throughout the night. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hB0-_f-urd2-xLN1NdaT5Cepn64_HrEYG43sAuOGWwK7_1721nrC7kKRAQgkekR5f_ZWPA02Ute_Npm11lLmEzf7Vf-oqWu-60oJKu0TT8w_uV8hj8zMoYXQO513bS8_IGfRASYvLJzZ/s1600/IMG_1057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hB0-_f-urd2-xLN1NdaT5Cepn64_HrEYG43sAuOGWwK7_1721nrC7kKRAQgkekR5f_ZWPA02Ute_Npm11lLmEzf7Vf-oqWu-60oJKu0TT8w_uV8hj8zMoYXQO513bS8_IGfRASYvLJzZ/s1600/IMG_1057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We finished 4<sup>th</sup> that year, missing the podium
by 0.01. This year our team members were a bit different, but so was the message… We can
podium. I am proud of every single member of the team whether they raced or not
because that day we were Canada, from team members coming back to win races
after bad falls, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm27n00-JWLUgy7OWfbb1ey6TJTLtga-pkdfjR2azxe0jvbB1FtjXt2PfvBl_xjg4HG1-FcDXlXIbxz2fSnMXOfTxqeMRTRzEcS46oYJXYvYM3qOFlvLjk7A-URkP30akgRXeJlp0zYdC3/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm27n00-JWLUgy7OWfbb1ey6TJTLtga-pkdfjR2azxe0jvbB1FtjXt2PfvBl_xjg4HG1-FcDXlXIbxz2fSnMXOfTxqeMRTRzEcS46oYJXYvYM3qOFlvLjk7A-URkP30akgRXeJlp0zYdC3/s1600/IMG_1075.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
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(Candace was Canada's sweetheart that day!... nice entrance into her first World Champs)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQvSYyrlfmGy9bMMxAmuxb9APN0f3CR76v1-Whih3fJf7TIfO2Bn6wWMjy4zq55OKvECOva-qQ7D8aBvk-zxjOsOT4Hdp5GQNnIZxWARHp5doM1q4LwAT6fVAdNfAEO4X95LB0CQ9eKH5/s1600/IMG_1104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQvSYyrlfmGy9bMMxAmuxb9APN0f3CR76v1-Whih3fJf7TIfO2Bn6wWMjy4zq55OKvECOva-qQ7D8aBvk-zxjOsOT4Hdp5GQNnIZxWARHp5doM1q4LwAT6fVAdNfAEO4X95LB0CQ9eKH5/s1600/IMG_1104.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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to others being in their boots all day ready to give us our
hats for the podium. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqmrBmVbKCkqOuS-zqHLu-QGdwF5O_mLxnWmT9OhLsjrLGNN7aCs_xjOHDU5qHNHZLV9hp5rxh3fOV1XoR_Ji5tavRo4r-Xsny9M8eEITXNsKMaLgzphyphenhyphen_zzKCQtDcaETDpnlNTRN-rr8/s1600/IMG_1144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqmrBmVbKCkqOuS-zqHLu-QGdwF5O_mLxnWmT9OhLsjrLGNN7aCs_xjOHDU5qHNHZLV9hp5rxh3fOV1XoR_Ji5tavRo4r-Xsny9M8eEITXNsKMaLgzphyphenhyphen_zzKCQtDcaETDpnlNTRN-rr8/s1600/IMG_1144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">6) Etcetera</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Yd2H9iLWcU059ETQXzFbRxdyZoWTFgKUOTQb4jiY_8Rf1hbYZQVlgkSh-MMx7He0hgpAnIKY36mvQ3WsJSeQKebF2oACC_RASR3wvSrJ6tmZHgCaeh1oomCmswKJ00ZBGHbNxiXK4DZJ/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Yd2H9iLWcU059ETQXzFbRxdyZoWTFgKUOTQb4jiY_8Rf1hbYZQVlgkSh-MMx7He0hgpAnIKY36mvQ3WsJSeQKebF2oACC_RASR3wvSrJ6tmZHgCaeh1oomCmswKJ00ZBGHbNxiXK4DZJ/s1600/IMG_1069.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's amazing hearing people on the streets talking about skiing. "Did you see how strong Ligety was today?" "Yes, it was a real battle between him and Hirscher." In North America, we hardly ever hear this kind of friendly banter about ski racing, especially from random people on the street. I like how we have many days of training leading up to big events. We can start slowly and begin building into these events, without rushing and without panic. I love watching the races and watching what people do; watching them step up under pressure, watching them prove people wrong, or watching them enjoying themselves to the fullest (And smiling into the lens of a camera at the start). (photo cred: Penta Photo)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO9km10qUxcNzIp6NSW6t8akILLAXRHNQvXjMVG4ppJZA3JYNKzO66kBh846WnRn8aHBKqmKxYHooKbzcqw_Opp4ZVnHOg4f-bM2EMzygWHYJxrwopceRmXG_3J1AoZLAG2Qgwa1HECQm/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO9km10qUxcNzIp6NSW6t8akILLAXRHNQvXjMVG4ppJZA3JYNKzO66kBh846WnRn8aHBKqmKxYHooKbzcqw_Opp4ZVnHOg4f-bM2EMzygWHYJxrwopceRmXG_3J1AoZLAG2Qgwa1HECQm/s1600/IMG_1188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> I was able to be a spectator at the Cross Country World Champs in Falun. I hiked up the hill and tried to dodge other spectators dressed as Mrs Norway and Mr Sweden. It was amazing to see all of the fans cooking on their coal stoves, and cheering heartily for their Swedish athletes. Lenny and I watched the 50km race in Stockholm on his cell phone in a coffee shop. People kept coming up behind us to see who was winning and what was going on. You have got to love big events :) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivATXWVHJ-pnAyvcUWu9gAOSH_HSVbEIfNnWSGidVS_CBAskSltlRp1fSDoSWegW1r5iD69ScmoBEVuyqrE8uSuTp8LITFy7ol6BQlmfcmqUfV9h0xqY7c5IdO5T9sr-Y3QrMy3XsKVAlC/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivATXWVHJ-pnAyvcUWu9gAOSH_HSVbEIfNnWSGidVS_CBAskSltlRp1fSDoSWegW1r5iD69ScmoBEVuyqrE8uSuTp8LITFy7ol6BQlmfcmqUfV9h0xqY7c5IdO5T9sr-Y3QrMy3XsKVAlC/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"> Big events don’t come around often, and yes there is pressure, however each of these events holds a special place in my heart. As athletes what we do is pretty special, but sometimes this is forgotten and can go unnoticed. At these times it takes a big event to shake things up a little bit. Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for being part of my family and team. Thank you for allowing me to do what I do and to represent Canada.</span></div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-89316837783831245932015-01-18T08:48:00.002-05:002015-01-18T08:48:51.527-05:00Journey <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Journey: </div>
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<header class="luna-data-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="dbox-pg" style="box-sizing: border-box;">noun</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">, </span><span class="dbox-pg" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">plural</span> </span><span class="dbox-bold" data-syllable="jour·neys." style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-weight: bold;">journeys.</span></span></header><br />
<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 37px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">traveling</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">from</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">one</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">place</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">another,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">usually</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">taking</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">rather</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">long</span><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">time;</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">trip:</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 37px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">distance,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">course,</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">area</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">traveled</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">suitable</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">for</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">traveling</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">period</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">of</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">travel:</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 17px;">
<span class="def-number" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: left; line-height: 22px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="def-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-left: 37px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">passage</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">progress</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">from</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">one</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">stage</span> <span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available" style="box-sizing: border-box;">another</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(http://dictionary.reference.com)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="def-block def-inline-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: left;">
<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">As ski racers, we journey, in all definitions of the word. This particular </span></span><span style="line-height: 22px;">journey in my life has been a crazy one. Filled with many ups and down, highs and lows. I knew my journey wouldn't be a linear path, however the past few years have taught me how true the image below is, as well as that there are many ways to define success. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXLY3eakyKFAFxRJ9iwEWlK3TR8vJIzc8I1bD7ZiHPnCuCOZpKj7XBOG6RnrWn7eRm_0HqpBckzK32omMAxuZZeDjaCEZqsYJpDY-i2g6oYLO6Ev6Dhdl-53YnKdC3Ir6X48LfqKWtmSr/s1600/Demetri-Martin_tumblr_lo9k5j8SE31qhtggqo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXLY3eakyKFAFxRJ9iwEWlK3TR8vJIzc8I1bD7ZiHPnCuCOZpKj7XBOG6RnrWn7eRm_0HqpBckzK32omMAxuZZeDjaCEZqsYJpDY-i2g6oYLO6Ev6Dhdl-53YnKdC3Ir6X48LfqKWtmSr/s1600/Demetri-Martin_tumblr_lo9k5j8SE31qhtggqo1_500.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="def-block def-inline-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px;">
<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently I was asked how I continue to believe in myself.... Well some days I take this goose's lead. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqtUj1Y24DgUJ6Ihq5KI8eLJw92iTLnXfbPi3AiEZU7fPP5ninGnxM8LoJcVwQX_jzf9ETZpwtdJRDeWy6HO335-izbFE_9o2KpyIvKhLwHnyLUZ93rM7NW7ozKl7SpZdhWeScnVrveXR/s1600/IMG_2979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqtUj1Y24DgUJ6Ihq5KI8eLJw92iTLnXfbPi3AiEZU7fPP5ninGnxM8LoJcVwQX_jzf9ETZpwtdJRDeWy6HO335-izbFE_9o2KpyIvKhLwHnyLUZ93rM7NW7ozKl7SpZdhWeScnVrveXR/s1600/IMG_2979.jpg" height="640" width="566" /></a></div>
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<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="dbox-example" style="box-sizing: border-box; quotes: '"';"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="oneClick-link" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few pictures from the last few months. </span></span></span></span></div>
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Our camp to Pitztal and Solden was difficult and challenging, as usual. It's always an eye opener training/racing on these steep, rough pitches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6uBeET2H3e_FSYPhXon56zIJ3S8_eHK20WBdpb032xkdql9-EzOxaj_iKree2J1irISRtWaelCnnopcH0g43aYSTcnJF4iqmsbILvjiOGXgYuS-rXZDnKMcHXZRjkpYzFrR9aBBz5Cw-/s1600/IMG_2337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6uBeET2H3e_FSYPhXon56zIJ3S8_eHK20WBdpb032xkdql9-EzOxaj_iKree2J1irISRtWaelCnnopcH0g43aYSTcnJF4iqmsbILvjiOGXgYuS-rXZDnKMcHXZRjkpYzFrR9aBBz5Cw-/s1600/IMG_2337.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Somedays I look towards nature to cheer me up. At times, I think that animals can feel our emotions and know exactly what we need.</span></div>
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Next we travelled to Colorado for our Levi prep. I felt prepared, strong and fast, and I was ready to begin building after last year. However, this was not what was in store for me.<br />
In Levi, Finland I straddled at the top of the last pitch.<br />
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The sun shone in Levi this year, helping me overcome this curve in my path. And I tried to learn from my mistakes and look forward.<br />
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(Photo: Pentaphoto)<br />
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Next we travelled back to Colorado to begin our prep for the Aspen World Cup and Nor Am races. My prep went well, and we trained hard in the days leading up to 6 races in a row. </div>
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However, I straddled the the top in Aspen, and a little piece of my heart broke. This was not part of the plan. The plan was to build and learn and grow.<br />
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Sometimes when difficulties arise all you can do is go back to your roots. My favourite place in the world in my cottage. A road runs around the lake, which my grandpa cleared himself. Every day he takes his motorcycle or tractor out to the beaver dam to control the levels of the lake. Every few days he picks loose rocks out of the road, so that he doesn't run over them and fall. </div>
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I needed to pick a few rocks out of my road.<br />
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I had to get back to my roots.<br />
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Our next race was in Are, Sweden. I raced to finish. I started 33rd and ended up 16th after first run. As soon as I crossed the finish line, relief washed over me. I finished a first run! I ended up 21st overall and it was a great day. It was my first finish in about 10 months. <span style="text-align: left;">(Photo: Pentaphoto)</span></div>
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Again I went back to the basics. I spent Christmas with my team in Europe. I was able to see Lenny race in Switzerland and cheer from the sidelines. Then Lenny came to Italy to spend a few days with my team. It was refreshing and rejuvenating and put a fresh perspective on skiing and training. Despite our car getting broken into... it was a great Christmas.<br />
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Next stop, Kutai. My rabbit heart almost couldn't take Kutai. It is an interesting feeling standing at the bottom of the race, after you have gone, waiting to see if you were good enough. I didn't think that I would get a second run. When I realized that I made it into the second run, I felt lucky and I wanted to take advantage of what was given to me. I moved from around 28th to 16th in the second run. It was my first time standing in the leader's box in a long time :) (Photo: Pentaphoto)<br />
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After a few days of training we headed to icy Zagreb. One of my favourite races. </div>
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After the first run I ended up about 16-18th, but I knew that I could make my skiing flow more. I had a plan. In the second run I put this plan into action. I moved up to 6th place after the second run. I had so much fun skiing that second run and felt in control and calm. And I was able to share the leader's box with Mitch :) (Photo: Pentaphoto)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlsK0DjdqKWhyphenhyphenyskPKxAVmR6hzi9uboci2JzRXEPq-YBsPSpe7d9prBw47GONM4kk_FJldOBKsA7kGHWoLibZW55T2obLma9w4Pksyc4DXuYw4EpwGzZVjmKol0DSBFsMSDVhjeeeAt7O/s1600/IMG_0693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlsK0DjdqKWhyphenhyphenyskPKxAVmR6hzi9uboci2JzRXEPq-YBsPSpe7d9prBw47GONM4kk_FJldOBKsA7kGHWoLibZW55T2obLma9w4Pksyc4DXuYw4EpwGzZVjmKol0DSBFsMSDVhjeeeAt7O/s1600/IMG_0693.jpg" height="628" width="640" /></a></div>
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After Zagreb I decided to try to get better at Lenny's sport... It's a work in progress. </div>
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Which brings us to our most recent race, Flachau. Everything did not go as planned leading up to Flachau, however I knew that I needed to trust my skiing. I was excited because I love night races and my dad was going to be on the hill taking photos. I ended up 12th and it was amazing sharing this experience with my dad. (photo credit: Andy Mielzynski)</div>
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Thank you to my sponsors Polar Securities, the Dattels family, Rossignol, Uvex and Leki for joining me on my journey and making it possible. </div>
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It's been one of heartbreak, happiness, tears, believing, failing to believe and so much more; but " the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." (Lao Tzu)<br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ZWq3N2nKrRM%2FVGt9Sr-m6YI%2FAAAAAAAAHBY%2FyIvl51Mz-5U%2Fs1600%2FIMG_2337.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6uBeET2H3e_FSYPhXon56zIJ3S8_eHK20WBdpb032xkdql9-EzOxaj_iKree2J1irISRtWaelCnnopcH0g43aYSTcnJF4iqmsbILvjiOGXgYuS-rXZDnKMcHXZRjkpYzFrR9aBBz5Cw-/s1600/IMG_2337.JPG" -->Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-84560766267673756782014-05-21T13:26:00.000-04:002014-05-21T13:27:43.489-04:00Let's Try Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Let's try again... A few short words that could describe anything... a driver's test you failed, getting sprayed while changing a baby's diaper, walking into a sliding glass door, starting over a new 4 year Olympic cycle or even... blogging.<br />
I read in an article once that you aren't supposed to apologize for not blogging for a while... but does that apply for one week, 3 months, or... 7 months. I am sorry, but I also feel the need to explain...<br />
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I came
into this season more prepared than I have ever felt. I dialed in many
weaknesses that had presented themselves during previous seasons. I was
training better than ever and my coaches felt that I was on track. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">However, sometimes
life decides that it will test you, and we don’t get to choose when this
happens. It was a season of struggle, disappointment
and picking myself back up to try again. </span></div>
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I’ve often said of my past seasons
that they were seasons of learning, and seasons of growing, and that is true, however, this
season was truly a year that made me take a step back, ultimately to realize
that I have to make big changes to take multiple steps forward. </div>
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Sometimes it
takes challenges, set backs and struggles to make you realize the drive that is
inside of you, how much you can handle, how well you can ski under difficult
circumstances and the changes that need to be made in order to soar in the future. These challenges ranged from equipment changes to allergic reactions the morning of a race. </div>
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Through all of this I didn't want to write. I was trying to get better, trying to "snap out of it" and change things around, and this is where I put my focus.</div>
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I will not dwell on these things on my blog. Instead I want to take you to the period of time that everyone is wondering about and that I have been dreaming about my whole life, the Olympic Games. </div>
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First of all, to answer the most important questions that are floating around in everyone's minds... no I did not see two toilets in one stall, yellow drinking water or open manholes dropping 15ft. Actually, Sochi is a beautiful place, the volunteers were incredible friendly, other venues were quite easy to get to and our accommodations were very nice. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-R_-RUgDQgq4YQyPZnG6VlMsfRPv4FEYlJNWSnPDgBkEEee9T5YeaTgERLPk2Ztyn1xJvoVtYA8Y7-Tg3gKWnEUMh7txZf6k8iC6x_BJBF96Iyr6qMmAcI2XgNAZaMT7ujg71cCDsTXOv/s1600/IMG_7479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-R_-RUgDQgq4YQyPZnG6VlMsfRPv4FEYlJNWSnPDgBkEEee9T5YeaTgERLPk2Ztyn1xJvoVtYA8Y7-Tg3gKWnEUMh7txZf6k8iC6x_BJBF96Iyr6qMmAcI2XgNAZaMT7ujg71cCDsTXOv/s1600/IMG_7479.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70vT-zPCKpOD1DvOiCOApUV5CbKFBArQaSTr075V9cehzbk8PXQ3aZ3q9GiIYGsdMEDD6Mlq4O2eIW01yDD5TLddxiXll-wcnsmD7qS-C-ZYYoi2h0LsUgY_JvoqYfAX_ZUTXXRA9ioui/s1600/IMG_7468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70vT-zPCKpOD1DvOiCOApUV5CbKFBArQaSTr075V9cehzbk8PXQ3aZ3q9GiIYGsdMEDD6Mlq4O2eIW01yDD5TLddxiXll-wcnsmD7qS-C-ZYYoi2h0LsUgY_JvoqYfAX_ZUTXXRA9ioui/s1600/IMG_7468.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I arrived in Sochi about midway through the games and my first experience was eating kabobs at a giro stand. However, my first <u>Olympic</u> experience was watching my friend Denny Morrison win a silver medal in speed skating after his teammate, Gilmore Junio, gave up his spot for Denny.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRoCn7ijrhiUofytVuhjcl2B2xDz_XZQ1anxWSJakKeNxTOuT5r35VRCAdb2oSIxQtRcId70bcnrNeilcgsKrynmxZK5WXDvdfzAu7R86Qgv_b5phhxGkv8dEk6854EfRauye2v1oqhl/s1600/IMG_7443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRoCn7ijrhiUofytVuhjcl2B2xDz_XZQ1anxWSJakKeNxTOuT5r35VRCAdb2oSIxQtRcId70bcnrNeilcgsKrynmxZK5WXDvdfzAu7R86Qgv_b5phhxGkv8dEk6854EfRauye2v1oqhl/s1600/IMG_7443.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is what truly began my Olympic experience. Remember when I wrote a blog post about "inspire and be inspired"? Well I was truly inspired. </div>
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Leading up to the games I had been struggling with some back pain, making some equipment changes and dealing with a disappointing first half of my season. </div>
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However, I knew a few things:</div>
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1) None of these things mattered and I could still be a contender</div>
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2) No matter what was thrown at me I was ready to deal with it</div>
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3) Inspire... No matter what happened I was going to hold nothing back. I was not going to let anything stop me from skiing like myself and behaving in a way that was true to myself. </div>
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I decided that I would start the GS race after quite a few months of focusing on slalom. As many of you saw the weather was difficult on this day. We experienced tough conditions and mostly... a lot of snow and rain. </div>
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However, I was simply happy to be skiing GS again. I was happy to stand in the start and get the jitters out, and most of all I was so pleased that I felt some amazing feelings again in GS. I ended up 21st in the race, which is my second best result in GS to date. </div>
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I came through the finish line and saw one of the only Canadian flags in the crowd... It was my dad, drenched to the bone, wearing a "Go Erin" t-shirt over his ski jacket, waving a flag with a huge smile on his face. And this made me think... To all those parents out there paying a great deal of money so that their kids can race and then spending more money to stand freezing on the side of the hill to watch their kids... Yes, it is worth it. </div>
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We appreciate every penny you've ever spent and every toenail you've ever lost. <b>And</b> to those athletes that wonder if it is all worth it... Just look into your parents face after a race whether you have done well or not. </div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My Olympic result in slalom was disappointing, however it was not
devastating. I came into the slalom ready to race, against all odds. I
stood in the start feeling a smile starting to form on my face because I knew
that finally I was ready to race. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBkUn2sO84xETnnbgBbzKu5X8BFT8DiNjAfQYh6QehP5dPtJsJe4HOBp47FOR6SD270s5t7PsmyxeA4pGeG_kajDlQKyTz_cH559ZNLZrmV3KGDzq-prA8L_ss4wyei4S6qEWS-1bY0yT/s1600/IMG_7548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIBkUn2sO84xETnnbgBbzKu5X8BFT8DiNjAfQYh6QehP5dPtJsJe4HOBp47FOR6SD270s5t7PsmyxeA4pGeG_kajDlQKyTz_cH559ZNLZrmV3KGDzq-prA8L_ss4wyei4S6qEWS-1bY0yT/s1600/IMG_7548.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I pushed out of the start and I can still imagine
the rhythm of the course and my feet finding the tempo of the rut. About 2/3 of
the way down the course I was in around 4<sup>th</sup> or 5<sup>th</sup>, but
then I was off by a centimeter, a millimeter even, and I straddled. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I swallowed
a skifull of the salted snow, coughed a few times and then thought, “You have
to go down and wave at your fans, your family and Canada.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My goal for the
Olympics was not to simply finish, it was to be a metal contender, and that is
why I am not devastated. Of course I am disappointed, however I gave everything
I could. It didn’t work out for me this time, but I
didn’t let anything, including past experiences, hold me back. </span><!--EndFragment--></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmKxDNGM_T_bEOusMIzN7kXE5UfYHIcVIRH5jN8dNGNq_NmPep4cVg9IutN-0c0ozRoflJjazwl83Zb6TYKmr1tj4sTm9TUXVtNybIEigxC79YSh0idB5FQvnOUMh9vL7RfzI-IONHs8H/s1600/IMG_7624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmKxDNGM_T_bEOusMIzN7kXE5UfYHIcVIRH5jN8dNGNq_NmPep4cVg9IutN-0c0ozRoflJjazwl83Zb6TYKmr1tj4sTm9TUXVtNybIEigxC79YSh0idB5FQvnOUMh9vL7RfzI-IONHs8H/s1600/IMG_7624.JPG" height="360" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Cambria;"> I've had some time to digest my season, my struggles, my successes and I've discovered some changes that I want to make. We have just completed our physical testing and I feel positive that with the team in place behind me I can make the changes that I want to make. I am continuing to pursue my dream and my goals, but first I wanted to thank all of you for your support, your belief and your kind words.... and now... let's get back up and try again. </span></div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-49105556653338171222013-11-07T22:55:00.005-05:002013-11-07T22:55:50.364-05:00Solden and Fundraising<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am back to my usual blog format for the time being. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year, in between camps, I have been able to head home to Ontario and visit with family and friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The day before I left for Solden I had the honour of being awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal was a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, this commemorative medal served to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians. During the year of celebrations, 60 000 deserving Canadians were recognized." - </span>http://www.gg.ca</span></div>
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Next I headed to Piztal, Austria to begin my prep for Solden. I have made some significant changes to my GS this summer, and I went to Solden for a few reasons, to get a race under my belt before Levi, to get a few extra days of GS training under my belt and because this year I felt that I had a chance. </div>
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We had a fun photoshoot with MP's new line for "I GOT SWAGG". </div>
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MP and I always listen to Hugues, but Jenny isn't impressed by what is being said...<br />
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Thanks Audi for our sponsorship! </div>
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Mitch the lizard.... </div>
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Who reminds me of... the lizard in "How Animals Eat Their Food".</div>
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I love my teammates and physio! And the new line of... <a href="http://www.teamigotswagg.com/">http://www.teamigotswagg.com</a></div>
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I was excited when we moved to Solden because the forest is always so beautiful. I brought my big camera on this short trip for the sole purpose of taking pictures of the trees. I slung my camera over my shoulder, bush wacked up the trail and got my camera ready. Only to realize that my battery was dead. I resorted back to my good old iPhone,<br />
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Silence<br />
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I woke up the next morning ready to race. </div>
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I didn't ski the way that I wanted to in the race. Many of the changes that I made in GS are not yet good habits and fell apart under the difficulty of Solden and the pressure of the race. The outcome of the race was a bit of a nightmare, and I was disappointed. However, I got many of the things accomplished that I went to Solden for. I felt calm in the start, I trained in many difficult situations and my warm up went according to plan.<br />
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However, I still felt like this after the race.<br />
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<br />
I headed home to get myself ready for my preparation for Levi. This break at home was extremely busy, filled with fundraisers, inspirational days and working out.<br />
The first thing on the schedule was a couple of interviews and then heading to a school in Toronto for a kids' inspirational lunch. It was amazing to see the kids open up to us, get comfortable and be inspired. I am so happy that Ontario decided to add this to their gala day.<br />
After the kids lunch we headed to the Miele centre for our Ontario gala. It was amazing to meet new families from Ontario and see the support from our province.<br />
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Next on the schedule was the HBC launch for the Olympic clothing. It was exciting to see our Olympic gear for this coming season! I am excited to put on these clothes and become part of team Canada!<br />
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Our amazing hair stylists.<br />
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Jan and Brad helped us launch the clothing in style!<br />
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After the launch and a few interviews, I headed to the Gold Medal Plates dinner. This is a dinner where chefs from some of the best restaurants in Toronto come to have a cook off. Tom Cochran and Jim Cuddy performed during the event (and let us come up on stage and sing with them!). The proceeds of this events go to our Canadian Olympians and the chef that wins moves onto the culinary finals in Kelowna, BC.<br />
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The week at home was incredibly busy, but it was simply incredible too. I was able to meet many other Olympians, and I am excited to watch them all compete in Sochi. These events are busy, colourful and they inspire us to...</div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-35445984895233359202013-10-05T07:55:00.000-04:002013-10-05T07:55:31.172-04:00Twitter Questions: Part 2- Team Camaraderie/Living in Canmore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Team Camaraderie</span></b></div>
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Our Canadian Women’s Ski Team is
a truly incredible team. This team includes the athletes (and a few other
ladies that will always be part of our Team), our coaches, our physio, our
techs, our trainers, and all of the behind the scenes people that make this
happen such as sponsors, presidents, board members, Alpine Canada employees,
etc.</div>
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First
of all, our coaches and technicians make our team run as a unit. My
relationship with my coaches/technitions is an open dialogue. I can rely on them
through thick and thin, skiing related or otherwise. I truly believe that they
want what is best for us, even if it is not related to skiing. I had one coach
come up to me after a particularly bad day and tell me, “Erin, you know that
your skiing doesn’t define you. I know today wasn’t what you wanted, but we are
proud of who you are and what you have become.” </div>
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Our
physio is one of our greatest assets. She keeps us happy, healthy and mentally
sounds. Not to mention that she is an absolutely fantastic driver, in some of
the worst cars! And her yell out of the start has me pushing hard for the first
gate. She knows exactly what we need, and goes out of her way to make it
happen. </div>
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Now
on to my teammates, my teammates are my extended family. They are adopted
sisters, confidants, de-stressers and rocks. Most people would think that with
a group of about 7 girls travelling together, training together, and living
together this would be a recipe for disaster, and in the past I would have
thought so to, however this is not the case. Every single person on our team
brings our team something special, whether it is Britt the encourager, </div>
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Madi as
our story teller,</div>
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Elli as our scholar,</div>
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Mikaela keeping us young, </div>
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MP giving us
fashion advice, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoXbK9D-sarO3EGWHMeHgy-ha50TYjLm39u0D3fWE5AjsbguozfLdPacwR8I1SZEkQI5_NdfJCVN0NqZR-3a2WJDvbopYCh43weCQ-LvF6LDblpkFrDvNPDnXGal5qtG9wTjq-gFIj_8B/s1600/IMG_4810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoXbK9D-sarO3EGWHMeHgy-ha50TYjLm39u0D3fWE5AjsbguozfLdPacwR8I1SZEkQI5_NdfJCVN0NqZR-3a2WJDvbopYCh43weCQ-LvF6LDblpkFrDvNPDnXGal5qtG9wTjq-gFIj_8B/s640/IMG_4810.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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or Mitch keeping us on our toes, making sure we are fired up
and always ready to laugh. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlGf40WBMs_Fb6mWepukLB-apG8y7Sz4TRTdeojIN90Viu_Npl_J6EwdMDhIHlBCObmzzqWMdW6Rt2Fvhui1T655UtwQG22sw28DlOhyphenhyphenNswbieo-1bVso8uzP6kebXr_pZJ9dvXeGTDF1/s1600/IMG_5289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWlGf40WBMs_Fb6mWepukLB-apG8y7Sz4TRTdeojIN90Viu_Npl_J6EwdMDhIHlBCObmzzqWMdW6Rt2Fvhui1T655UtwQG22sw28DlOhyphenhyphenNswbieo-1bVso8uzP6kebXr_pZJ9dvXeGTDF1/s640/IMG_5289.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have never been on a team like this. Day after day
I watch teammates put their needs aside to help one another. We are young, we
are growing together, and as we build this fabulous castle of our careers, each
team member acts as the foundation. No matter what this year bring, I know that we will get through it, because we are lucky, we have all we need, and together, we can conquer anything. </div>
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</div>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Living in Canmore</span></b></div>
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(I had to do my research for this one)</div>
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Mr Lawrence Grassi was an Italian man that moved to Canmore in 1912. Mr Grassi started working in the mines in Canmore, but also became well known for his skills as a climbing guide. It is said that on one of his tours a man broke his leg and Lawrence, who was small in stature, carried the man 2miles down the trail because he didn’t want to leave him behind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzovvzMvYBhLHFCVY8NfisomA-2005bZBv2Qoj-gtvV6-XuCnz597Ia1lV6weLia9eplOZLL3Jp3ANktk3EHqRAmuWzfj2X3kKpncKKravOXj-PlnpkZfWnHBHVam-sJK6avuCDFs23pMY/s1600/IMG_4056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzovvzMvYBhLHFCVY8NfisomA-2005bZBv2Qoj-gtvV6-XuCnz597Ia1lV6weLia9eplOZLL3Jp3ANktk3EHqRAmuWzfj2X3kKpncKKravOXj-PlnpkZfWnHBHVam-sJK6avuCDFs23pMY/s640/IMG_4056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Lawrence Grassi took it upon himself to set off into the woods with an axe on his shoulder to make trails. “…It was a labour of love. He loved the mountains but enjoyed having others share their beauty. So day by day he pushed through the bush discovering the best ways of approach -blazing a trail, cutting out the underbrush, grubbing out stones and rocks, bridging little mountain streams…</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRifu9Uzj6tblPlw4CWM5lKF3j7M4I1XCI8IPPBGcwGYDn-S89bM8-jVztfZybjV6ltRr722NaS5rgS942j9jOVInF_XHqIKI-p9bBKYYGlV1XNFR8LOsviujCnsYBF2Qwb7C_FS1M_O2p/s1600/IMG_4052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRifu9Uzj6tblPlw4CWM5lKF3j7M4I1XCI8IPPBGcwGYDn-S89bM8-jVztfZybjV6ltRr722NaS5rgS942j9jOVInF_XHqIKI-p9bBKYYGlV1XNFR8LOsviujCnsYBF2Qwb7C_FS1M_O2p/s640/IMG_4052.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The world needs Grassis... men who will seek new paths; make the rough places smooth; bridge the chasms that now prevent human progress; point the way to higher levels and loftier achievements." -Dr. Woodsworth (<a href="http://www.peakfinder.com/">www.peakfinder.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbULwppWgOCSvtumNiWLqa3dFxSfXDEuEU8vsPs2qFIUR3uTns_TgY7SaKj0QRkMSqZlnOkd4J_DE2Q4RzKoFtL9DUt_K1AXE-2x0BVKsXUjJ24Ev-40a3e14yUsmfcb0FTGHH0JWklLaT/s1600/IMG_5482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbULwppWgOCSvtumNiWLqa3dFxSfXDEuEU8vsPs2qFIUR3uTns_TgY7SaKj0QRkMSqZlnOkd4J_DE2Q4RzKoFtL9DUt_K1AXE-2x0BVKsXUjJ24Ev-40a3e14yUsmfcb0FTGHH0JWklLaT/s640/IMG_5482.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now to the question of why I chose to spend my summers in Canmore. Well, the funny thing is that it wasn’t a choice… well not really. In February 2011, our coaches told us that we would now be required to move to Calgary or Canmore in the summers for the foreseeable future. To tell you the truth, I didn’t want to move. My friends and family were in Ontario, not to mention that I really didn’t have many funds to rent a place in Canmore, find a car, buy myself food, etc. I had lived at home my whole life, and I was being uprooted. My mom and I decided to drive across the country in a standard car, and I thought that stalling so many times that I missed a green light was proof that I really wasn’t prepared for what was in store for me that summer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, that was one of the best decisions that our coaches made. I was able to realize the importance of training and more specifically the importance of rest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CtvBocHkYcLBY9_-Q_Yzd2P95Y-N2NZhazaPcKkbwW17Nhhe7PNHn3-SS_sMyYMTGmnjicX4ytc4kcT5lYQW4DnC9ecYs96uzW2UyomzxAf-Jv1tnnW1Sm9wsMULrI6CwoI9-M6lb8bk/s1600/IMG_4261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CtvBocHkYcLBY9_-Q_Yzd2P95Y-N2NZhazaPcKkbwW17Nhhe7PNHn3-SS_sMyYMTGmnjicX4ytc4kcT5lYQW4DnC9ecYs96uzW2UyomzxAf-Jv1tnnW1Sm9wsMULrI6CwoI9-M6lb8bk/s640/IMG_4261.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6O-hv1OBETCtPnUQJhwvyiVgKIZyI-jFjovY4HsU7Was-ueCXGkhgy2mUKHTqS9-XAhCskBCrinXu_265ygY3FdLDU4wcQucbAIInqpdPcPfy6bOHusRbrKqT1r1GHHuUqZsLyU1rRLH/s1600/IMG_4273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6O-hv1OBETCtPnUQJhwvyiVgKIZyI-jFjovY4HsU7Was-ueCXGkhgy2mUKHTqS9-XAhCskBCrinXu_265ygY3FdLDU4wcQucbAIInqpdPcPfy6bOHusRbrKqT1r1GHHuUqZsLyU1rRLH/s640/IMG_4273.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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I was able to balance out my training, with having fun, resting, sleeping, eating the right foods, etc. Yet, even as I realized this, I didn’t realize the full extent that I would fall in love with Canmore. </div>
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Over the past few years Canmore had become our home away from home. I have met so many incredible people; hiking up some brilliant mountains; swam in some cold, yet inspiringly clear water; and rediscovered biking again. There are so many hidden gems by the three sisters, that I was able to discover because I had time during dryland or during my rest period; such as the standing wave at the Kananaskis river or the cliff to climb near Cougar Creek. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUWIuDDdA_gSrp2xLjHme-xZI7dP3cBs8saKj-ZxgAHlCSawpzi7KXNtf-ldBo4NEVE6rkoXm9KqLCE5OVOqzu-t303inqyRzi0dKW2KReFO-lToP8QLONof6gkrk34JyUuEvywZQhyphenhyphenp/s1600/IMG_4288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUWIuDDdA_gSrp2xLjHme-xZI7dP3cBs8saKj-ZxgAHlCSawpzi7KXNtf-ldBo4NEVE6rkoXm9KqLCE5OVOqzu-t303inqyRzi0dKW2KReFO-lToP8QLONof6gkrk34JyUuEvywZQhyphenhyphenp/s640/IMG_4288.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I told the girls the other day that I miss Canmore. I miss it because I know where to find things in Canmore, I have friends that I can call up to go for a coffee and Canmore is the place that our team truly came together.</div>
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Please don't hesitate to contact me with any more questions. </div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-50820304399669212562013-10-02T08:28:00.002-04:002013-10-02T08:28:27.643-04:00Twitter Questions Answered Part 1: Diet and Europe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
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Diet</div>
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There are a few unspoken rules that I lean towards when considering my diet:</div>
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1) FOOD IS FUEL</div>
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Food is truly your fuel. What you put into your body, and when is exactly like filling up a car. If you want your body to run like a Ferrari or Porsche, you have to put premium gas in the tank; and you should never let the tank run empty for fear of damaging the car. If you would never put low grade gas in a good car, why would you put poor fuel into your body. </div>
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As athletes our engines are constantly running. I am one of the biggest eaters on my team, and I listen to my body when it tells me that it is hungry. I bring snacks on the hill and sometimes eat them on the tbar just to get the nutrients in my body because some days I actually feel like I need the food, which gives me a boost in energy to finish my runs. I eat a lot. I eat many times during the day and I eat a lot of calories, but that is okay. Calories have received this stigma that they are bad, however calories are what makes our bodies run. Too many calories and our bodies can't process them, too few calories and we are running on empty. When you are using many calories throughout the day, you have to eat these calories. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSl8NE3GabKc30d05DjD4xcAXfd4D0VaeGCGuyJ727Xi7IJj3zl95s_v6qtuFHYZUpueH2ab-AQqultpVQPNuipw42rs9cP2ZXWczsxurLbRwSaoGOU8HXcJc7EZvFwO7nhWVoKQNpt7X/s1600/foodfuel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSl8NE3GabKc30d05DjD4xcAXfd4D0VaeGCGuyJ727Xi7IJj3zl95s_v6qtuFHYZUpueH2ab-AQqultpVQPNuipw42rs9cP2ZXWczsxurLbRwSaoGOU8HXcJc7EZvFwO7nhWVoKQNpt7X/s640/foodfuel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <a href="http://www.stepawayfromthechocolate.com/">http://www.stepawayfromthechocolate.com</a></span><br />
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I know that at times we all cheat. I love fresh baked cookies and ice cream, but this is a general rule that I follow. When I do indulge, or at times over indulge, I never substitute my good food for the bad food. I usually eat both.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpLk9uthpmALAgdQRaUbhGVaxLt4RE33BAbfx0BL5DQu_iaT0hZktOJrRc2Fsea3GceXEvP_kSnduGM_md-zgWaVxZNDlQjydkKXkqRB-2ccFxPyin7Y0elASEaLZ2hvqy3tS5-mqbZQi/s1600/foodfuelbad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpLk9uthpmALAgdQRaUbhGVaxLt4RE33BAbfx0BL5DQu_iaT0hZktOJrRc2Fsea3GceXEvP_kSnduGM_md-zgWaVxZNDlQjydkKXkqRB-2ccFxPyin7Y0elASEaLZ2hvqy3tS5-mqbZQi/s640/foodfuelbad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://bellaxthree.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/food-is-fuel-i-now-eat-to-give-my-body-what-it-needs/"><span style="color: #6a6a6a; text-decoration: none;">bellaxthree.wordpress.com</span></a></span></span><span style="color: #6a6a6a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><br />
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Our bodies are our machines, we have to keep them fuelled well, oiled up and ready to go. This is why it is important to know what foods are good and why. For example, avocados are a source of good fat that can balance your cholesterol, cranberries have been associated with kidney health and paprika is said to be good for your eyes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <a href="http://www.premierfitnesscamp.com/your-body-is-a-machine-how-to-lose-weight-and-speed-up-your-metabolism/" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #6a6a6a; text-decoration: none;">www.premierfitnesscamp.com</span></a></span></div>
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2) EVERYTHING IN MODERATION</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJq0iZeVcZW5DrkoG88SYDWE5pjon0-9mNqIA3a98Ag0a-GEL3977M1X_7Vqn_iR-zkwA7C33w1HbopjERoD5plRpewUX5qX23MespU57QsnG4ynL3Xj5LqK7ye2iRSPB6Uej7ofcg2dM/s1600/moderation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJq0iZeVcZW5DrkoG88SYDWE5pjon0-9mNqIA3a98Ag0a-GEL3977M1X_7Vqn_iR-zkwA7C33w1HbopjERoD5plRpewUX5qX23MespU57QsnG4ynL3Xj5LqK7ye2iRSPB6Uej7ofcg2dM/s640/moderation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom always told me to eat everything in moderation. Of course most of us think of that joke where the woman says, "Drink in moderation? Why I only have one glass of wine a day," but of course the glass of wine might as well be as big as a fish tank. Others might think of a slice of cake or an ice cream sandwich made with fresh cookies with the chocolate still melting filled with cookie dough ice cream (now you know my weakness). And of course these things ring true. I try to eat my "bad foods" or foods with no real purpose, in moderation. Of course, as an alpine athlete I indulge, and a piece of chocolate on a bad day seems to fix everything, however I try to do this in moderation, maybe a few times a week.</div>
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However, this rings true for all types of food. Of course eggs are good for you, but too many eggs can be harmful to you or cause an egg intolerance. Avacados are a great source of good fat, however you don't want an excessive amount of fat in your diet and also, why not try a flax seed oil or good nuts from time to time. I love dairy and yogurt, but I recently found out that I am intolerant to almost every type of dairy you can think of. I think this is because I thought that most dairy was good for me, so I never used moderation. Now that I have had to cut this out of my diet, I wish that I had lean sausages some mornings instead of yogurt every morning. </div>
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3) THE MORE COLOURFUL THE BETTER</div>
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As a rule, the more colourful the food, the better. When I am at home I am able to cook/bake/blend whatever I want. I try to use types of food that I have never tried before. Sometimes it tastes great, while other times... it really doesn't. </div>
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This is a recipe for my favourite smoothie- kale, carrots, banana, cucumber, pure coconut water, bosc pear, and ginger. Sometimes I add beats for a little more colour. </div>
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4) THE SIMPLER THE BETTER</div>
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(I always buy natural peanut butter, with no salt added, but this is a good example)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WDi7Nj49o0IYkXNwDfXmNluxViunzw4SYbZ7a8Or0lw0uaLkds2qtQMAsroWiwoI7naIioClkhe8_tHZQIWrtEwj6WQ7GLrrTyAyHOkMqmI5YjTiPLtcS6oVb-_hELCQilCNaTG1INSB/s1600/peanutbutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WDi7Nj49o0IYkXNwDfXmNluxViunzw4SYbZ7a8Or0lw0uaLkds2qtQMAsroWiwoI7naIioClkhe8_tHZQIWrtEwj6WQ7GLrrTyAyHOkMqmI5YjTiPLtcS6oVb-_hELCQilCNaTG1INSB/s640/peanutbutter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.whistlepighollow.com/2013/01/30/making-better-choices-at-the-grocery-store-kid-snack-edition/" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #cdcdcd;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.whistlepighollow.com</span></span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Another general rule to go by is, the simpler the better. In North America we usually can’t understand half of the ingredients in our food. This is what is tough to avoid, but if you try to make things yourself they are usually healthier. This is a huge reason why I love being at home. I can make a quinoa salad with cucumber, peppers, carrots, mangos, chicken, and lentils, with my own dressing on top.</div>
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** However, with all of that said, I spend the majority of the
year in Europe eating off of a fixed menu. When they serve us schnitzel and fries, we eat
schnitzel and fries or else we don’t get a meal, and an unhealthy meal is
better than no meal at all after 4h of training. In Europe we try to be as
healthy as possible, but we also have to eat what is served to us. I usually
bring oatmeal to breakfast to try to avoid the white breads with jam. Yet,
Europe has a different quality of food than we do. The dairy is fresher, the
bread has less gluten and the pasta in Italy is par to none. I prefer to cook
for myself and experiment with new foods such as matcha, chia seeds and kale,
but in Europe we eat what we can to fuel our bodies. We also of course chow
down on a lava cake now and then, but I always remember… “everything in
moderation”, and you must admit when you haven’t had cake in a while it tastes
even better when you have that first bite. **</div>
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Love and Hate about Europe</div>
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Europe is a double-edged sword for me. Here are a few things
that I like and dislike about Europe: </div>
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Like: I love the old buildings and sloping sidewalks in
Europe. </div>
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The castles high up on the cliffs offer a distraction during our long
drives. I love when the cows walk through the streets when their farmers walk
after them, or when there is a pasture at the bottom of a ski hill. It is
amazing how huge skiing is in Europe. </div>
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There are ski hills everywhere! Skiing in
Europe is like hockey in Canada, and it is amazing seeing people get off the
train in Innsbruck and walk through the city with skis on their shoulders. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I
think it is smart when the toilet has it’s own room. I love that every hotel
has a duvet. I love that there are places on the Autobahn with no speed limits.
This makes every long drive go by much faster, and it is much more exciting! </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Dislike: I really hate that it is hard to find laundry in
Europe, and when you do it is usually between $20-$40 for a grocery bag of
laundry. </div>
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A “double room” in Europe is usually defined as a room with one bed
with two mattresses stuck together and two duvets. As a sleeper that moves
around a lot, this is not my favourite part about Europe. The thing that I find
the hardest about Europe is that I am away from my family. I recently got a
cell phone in Europe, so that my family can call me, but there is nothing like
picking up the phone in Canada to call my grandparents whenever I want to. It
is also very hard to get used to the hours of stores in Europe. After 6 years I
finally realize that stores are usually closed on Sundays (although I forget at
times), however many stores close for lunch at 12:30 and reopen at 2pm, or at
an odd hour around these times. We rarely ever make it to a store at a time
that it is open. </div>
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Thank you to my twitter followers for your questions. I will get to the rest in my next blog. If anyone has any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask and I will try to get to them. </div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-84476665614592022802013-07-23T08:42:00.004-04:002013-07-23T08:44:50.002-04:00Fear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span></b>ear
can be a number of things, including fear that warns you and keeps you safe,
fear of failure, and fear which makes little sense, but usually fear is a
mixture of all of these things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b>his
summer I approached summer training a little differently. I have reached many
of the physical goals I had, so I decided it was time to challenge myself
mentally. I decided to make myself come face to face with fear, in all
different environments. I figured out that, “</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">What
is needed, rather than running away or controlling or suppressing or any other
resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come
directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape
from it.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti </span><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I</span></b>
made a joke this summer that 60% of my life I live in fear. However, as the
summer progressed I realized how real this joke was becoming. I wasn’t afraid
in the traditional sense, for instance I didn’t walk down dangerous streets
alone at night or talk to strange men. I made sure that I was put in
uncomfortable situations, where my heart was pounding, my eyes were focused and
my mind stayed on task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">M</span></b>any
people know my mountain biking history up until this point. To make a long
story short, I didn’t bike as a child. I don’t mean that I didn’t mountain bike
or bike 10km to school. I mean that I did not bike. I can’t remember owning
training wheels. I remember riding a bike once, and that was in the halls of a
hotel room. When I was 17 and made the National Alpine Team, I was told to buy
a bike, so I did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">On our first ride, I fell off on the first 2m long hill (I am
not kidding). After this, I was quite far behind the other girls, so I worked
as hard as I could to catch up. I worked myself into an asthma attack and I was
too afraid that I would pass out if I sat down, so I continued to hike my bike.
Eventually I decided that I couldn’t continue, so I turned around, and found a
coach, who took me down a single track. I went over my handlebars within the
first few meters of the trail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The following weeks I would hope for rain so we
didn’t have to ride, however day after day would bring sun and I would hit the
trails, literally. A spatula was needed to pry me off the ground some days.
Usually, I went over my handle bars at least once a day. I would have to get off
my bike and rest when my heart rate went over 200. To say the least, I was
terrified. I tried biking a few more times and each resulted in more fear,
frustration or a broken helmet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> <b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b>his
year I decided to conquer my fear. I decided to start at my own pace, walk
where I needed to walk and be smart about the situation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Marker Felt"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Of course I had a few
crashes, another ending in a broken helmet, but I started to improve. I started
to be able to keep up on some of the uphills, and stay on my bike during the
downhills. “</span><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I have accepted fear as a part of
life…I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back.”
-Erica Jong <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span></b>his
summer I agreed to go river surfing with friends. There is a standing wave in
the Kananasis river that is for kayakers. I was picturing a very calm river,
with a nice wave, however, this river was moving quite quickly. I stood at the
top of the cliff looking down at these guys and fear was making a low growling
sound at the back of my mind. </span><span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I was comforted knowing that it was a man made
river and many friends were around, however my blood was pumping and my heart
was pounding. I put on the wetsuit, refusing to tell anyone that I was scared
and having second thoughts (however I may have given myself away by putting the
wetsuit on backwards). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I sat there at the side watching these guys try to surf
and fail, and then try again and succeed. Eventually, it was my turn. I tried to
get into the part of the wave that keeps you there, but got sucked back out. I
didn’t fully realize that you have to swim right when you hit the water and got
carried quite far down stream. The next time, I found my way to the correct
spot for a little bit, got on my knees and then got dragged out again. This
time I tried to swim as soon as I felt the icy water, but my arm got tangled in
the leash and I was dragged down the river again. However, now I was hooked. I
needed to get up. The fear was there, but I was thinking through it, learning
and wanting to conquer. I didn’t stand up that day and actually surf the wave,
but I conquered my fears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span>started to face my fears in gymnastics, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">velodrome (where we do motor pacing,
which is biking at about 47km/h behind a motorcycle) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIh7UOJVTAb3r7ZAjaxsda6-tlnwhUO8fcBhwGONp1pVdMLgj8JehHWsj79_rx_0mY016-wmmpkamaHMBmIo2BtjKEoaxr1tHiSJrzHh4q_GOkB13UR4m1Vw0vtUIKDaSkC1O9dNIgnT2q/s1600/velodrome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIh7UOJVTAb3r7ZAjaxsda6-tlnwhUO8fcBhwGONp1pVdMLgj8JehHWsj79_rx_0mY016-wmmpkamaHMBmIo2BtjKEoaxr1tHiSJrzHh4q_GOkB13UR4m1Vw0vtUIKDaSkC1O9dNIgnT2q/s640/velodrome.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">and in the gym. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>T</b></span>his
mindset began when I was in Maui with a really stupid saying; YOLO, meaning You
Only Live Once, like any of us really thought otherwise. However, it does have
a good meaning. If we only have this one beautiful and messy life to live, why
not; </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbnWnVZhdJcCYp4FKXz0rRnfwkO5ggzi-Fv0UsoFwFiFRuzVoBvhgtvqsD2C4polDnn7Zd44PZ-SiwmEclXn4IrV8NPfG1GC8VSm3l2gW0x0vpuD7vgq7HX-Npxe0q9GoB_fF5Uzbvpdr/s1600/IMG_4056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbnWnVZhdJcCYp4FKXz0rRnfwkO5ggzi-Fv0UsoFwFiFRuzVoBvhgtvqsD2C4polDnn7Zd44PZ-SiwmEclXn4IrV8NPfG1GC8VSm3l2gW0x0vpuD7vgq7HX-Npxe0q9GoB_fF5Uzbvpdr/s640/IMG_4056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Why not learn how to mountain bike? Why not fall down a few times? Why not
learn how to surf in waves that you don’t quite trust yet? Really, why not? It
is fear that stops us from doing these things. I stood at the side of the beach
many times looking out at the water, thinking about all of the things that
could go wrong. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyXMDtMlS0I4GmgirIT68WEmgDU1DM7UBmT4HTxe3enLit-W_uabOIyuY9O-b3e0W6GipJ8Nn1Lt9u0-XaOqNte1slt7oSR6ANQIFfh5zDrlXhyWuyffxTfipINDKNlfZzd-81r8ieXav/s1600/IMG_3857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPyXMDtMlS0I4GmgirIT68WEmgDU1DM7UBmT4HTxe3enLit-W_uabOIyuY9O-b3e0W6GipJ8Nn1Lt9u0-XaOqNte1slt7oSR6ANQIFfh5zDrlXhyWuyffxTfipINDKNlfZzd-81r8ieXav/s640/IMG_3857.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">However, sometimes that fear makes us forget about all of the
things that could go right. The exhilarating feeling of catching a wave and
riding it to shore.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnNEn7GdI1ZK98NR_JqAJsFqMIz25tNP6IsRw9hUUGM4zK36MBmRsi0t7pUNJ1XPdmsigzEih_uf0gMG5aiNoz1Os-sPzjx1ZMIDfg_vqwnIPBVxUpL8yuwG1ZtcINUIUGuqkGJfOILMD/s1600/IMG_4078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnNEn7GdI1ZK98NR_JqAJsFqMIz25tNP6IsRw9hUUGM4zK36MBmRsi0t7pUNJ1XPdmsigzEih_uf0gMG5aiNoz1Os-sPzjx1ZMIDfg_vqwnIPBVxUpL8yuwG1ZtcINUIUGuqkGJfOILMD/s640/IMG_4078.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">M</span></b>ost
of my summer I spent dealing with that little voice inside my head that told me
that I couldn’t do it, and proceeded to list a million reasons why. However, I
decided to notice that the little voice of caution was there, take it’s
warnings, make sure that I took as many precautions as possible, and then do the
activity anyways. I’m not saying that I was a daredevil this summer. I am not
saying that I did everything that came to mind. I’m saying that I took
calculated, measured risks. I watched other people as they succeeded and tried
to study what they did. I watched people while they failed and discovered ways
out of tough situations. I am not saying that every risk is worth taking. I
won’t be jumping head first off of a cliff anytime soon, however pushing your
own limits whatever they may be, is worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #0f0f0f; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt;">“Be fearless. Have the courage to take risks. Go where there are no guarantees. Get out of your comfort zone even if it means being uncomfortable. The road less traveled is sometimes fraught with barricades, bumps, and uncharted terrain. But it is on that road where your character is truly tested. Have the courage to accept that you’re not perfect, nothing is and no one is — and that’s OK.” ~ Katie Couric</span></i><br />
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-48363401942554641462013-06-25T23:53:00.000-04:002013-06-25T23:53:08.728-04:00Canmore Flood of 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is now my 3rd summer in Canmore. Each year it seems as if we deal with weather that we call monsoon June or Junuary. </div>
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I thought that this would be the case again this year. In May it started to snow again... </div>
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Even if it rained in the valley, snow gathered on the peaks.<br />
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However, the weather never stopped us from getting our workouts in.<br />
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<br />
Yet, when June began, the amazing weather began. Most days were beautiful. The grasses were green, the trails were dry and Canmore was our own fairytale land of adventure.<br />
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We had about 2 weeks of warm weather and sun. After our bike rides we would go to a little pool of water in Cougar Creek (the runoff area for the mountains) for a cold tub. This are looks like a dry river bed, with a few pools of water here and there. </div>
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However, last Thursday we were woken up by a knock on the door telling us the road leading into town was closed. We sort of laughed this off thinking, "How bad could it be? We woke up early for this?" Yet, overnight the rain of monsoon June that had been building for the last two beautiful weeks, hit us all at once. </div>
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Apparently, it rained so much overnight that the water from the mountains drained into Cougar Creek. This creek usually has very little water and it grew to be a huge, raging river.<br />
This is what we saw when we arrived on the scene.<br />
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Throughout the day we saw many things float down the river including hot tubs, pipes and this trampoline... This yard was gone within 3 hours of this picture being taken.<br />
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People along the river were evacuated, and those that were able to moved some of their household items into neighbouring houses.<br />
This has always been one of my favourite houses in Canmore. In front of this house was a huge area of rock and trees, where the bike path to one of my favourite trails ran through.<br />
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Never again will I underestimate the power of water. Throughout the day volunteers were working hard to make sure everyone stayed safe and try to save as much as they could. </div>
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Within minutes of the machine on the right arriving on scene, the water took the road away. The trampoline used to be behind that large tree in the middle of the picture.<br />
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The devastation that Canmore witnessed last Thursday is still incomprehensible. My heart goes out to the families who lost their houses and lots. For much of the day we were unable to leave our little neighbourhood because of the loss of that road. Eventually an access road opened, and we were able to get into town. Our power was off for a little while, our gas was off for a few days, and we are still under a boil water advisory, however our rental house was in a good location and we are safe.<br />
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This "creek" empties into the Bow River which then makes it's way to Calgary. We received many worried notes from our friends in Calgary, however the next day Calgary began experiencing the flood in a huge way. I have not been to Calgary yet because there is still limited travel to and from Calgary (especially travel into Canmore- you need official documentation of habitation here). However, I know many people were evacuated from their homes and Calgary experienced huge devastation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dzLLoG33mH61JcOx4Y8ViEhV68caTkSPJ716LAGe2nudrw2a6Cgagp94rUiPqlOAOrbte1PCF9_wx0HYro-b9J71A0bfUWLGGvVyC1vjfnphyphenhyphenGxYyDCH9xkSKyOMIsbX2KrCYmUs67NW/s1600/calgary-flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dzLLoG33mH61JcOx4Y8ViEhV68caTkSPJ716LAGe2nudrw2a6Cgagp94rUiPqlOAOrbte1PCF9_wx0HYro-b9J71A0bfUWLGGvVyC1vjfnphyphenhyphenGxYyDCH9xkSKyOMIsbX2KrCYmUs67NW/s640/calgary-flood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My thoughts and prayers are with these families. I think everyone who is working hard to keep everyone safe, especially those who woke up the families at 3am to make sure that they left their houses.<br />
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Kindness always presents itself in these horrible situations. I have heard stories of people putting up families, giving people rides and one man paid for a woman's groceries when her cards didn't work.<br />
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Alberta has a lot of work ahead of them, but Canadians are always strong in adversity.<br />
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We are all currently safe in Canmore, weathering the bouts of pouring rain that come and go each day, even when it means sprinting up hills in pouring rain.<br />
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And to think... a week ago we were surfing in on of the rivers here...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUWIuDDdA_gSrp2xLjHme-xZI7dP3cBs8saKj-ZxgAHlCSawpzi7KXNtf-ldBo4NEVE6rkoXm9KqLCE5OVOqzu-t303inqyRzi0dKW2KReFO-lToP8QLONof6gkrk34JyUuEvywZQhyphenhyphenp/s1600/IMG_4288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqUWIuDDdA_gSrp2xLjHme-xZI7dP3cBs8saKj-ZxgAHlCSawpzi7KXNtf-ldBo4NEVE6rkoXm9KqLCE5OVOqzu-t303inqyRzi0dKW2KReFO-lToP8QLONof6gkrk34JyUuEvywZQhyphenhyphenp/s640/IMG_4288.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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You never know what each day will hold. </div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-29128551213538194992013-06-03T15:48:00.001-04:002013-06-05T20:58:07.325-04:00Olympic Reflection- Be Inspired<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Currently I sit looking out the window of my hotel room in Vancouver,
where the mountains lay claim over the water. </span><span style="text-indent: 48px;">I stare out, barely registering the birds as they soar across the water, teasing the sailboats on their way to paradise. But, my mind is elsewhere; it is on people that I have just met, places that I have yet to go and events that have yet to occur.</span><!--EndFragment--><br />
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<span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"> This weekend we sat through quite
a few meetings, guest speakers and media interviews at the Olympic Excellence
Summit. It is usually said about these events that, “It will be a good place to
meet the other athletes”, hinting that everything else learned will simply be a
bonus. Well in that case, I have received my Christmas bonus and end of the
year bonus.</span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The best parts of these few days were the guest speakers. As I sat at my table,
with other future Olympians, my thoughts were on trying to introduce myself and
remember everyone’s names, however as John Herdman, the Canadian women’s soccer
team coach who led the team to bronze in London, </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">started speaking, these
previous worries didn’t matter anymore, we were captivated, mesmerized and most
importantly of all, we were united, we were Canada. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v8QnOiNNErgydH_sOWhGhINmj8nAqrk7ecmQodxyFCQfNYQZmk31M-KHler0aJFSNEYXnmJ7Kr9SD5GXbI4mw1Vgu7JN72M24dH4xhU6MtNxCD4xNFQOCy4j8kyzziPS-ccpESeLZU-6/s1600/sinclair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v8QnOiNNErgydH_sOWhGhINmj8nAqrk7ecmQodxyFCQfNYQZmk31M-KHler0aJFSNEYXnmJ7Kr9SD5GXbI4mw1Vgu7JN72M24dH4xhU6MtNxCD4xNFQOCy4j8kyzziPS-ccpESeLZU-6/s640/sinclair.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">I have sung the Canadian
anthem since I was a small child. I have used it to try out for school plays, I
listened to it as I stood on the top of a podium. However, I will ask you the
question that he asked us, have you ever actually listened to the lyrics?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">John
listened to our anthem and realized that Canada is the “true north strong and
free”. As athletes, we rely on the coaches, but we make our own decisions; it
is up to us to “see thee rise”. Yet, at times, before we can see our flag rise,
we must pull ourselves from a fairly low place. One thing I have discovered is
that when you do something for long enough, you will never get through it
without struggling. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">It is always said that these struggles make us tougher and
make us self aware, but when you are sitting there at what is said to be “the
bottom”, these ideas don’t help much. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsMeqM7kCHZgc2AlpC12vyA7WgXUV5mt4YAyeuagyzWvH_VmTdMw8N8IiNs-apex8QUeV_GGIvA6vI95G8mqGeg5q8-qAiFUyt0LieD5L3tmPK3sZnh7AJEp2GaxGHI7tr9HHrBqbumXo/s1600/049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsMeqM7kCHZgc2AlpC12vyA7WgXUV5mt4YAyeuagyzWvH_VmTdMw8N8IiNs-apex8QUeV_GGIvA6vI95G8mqGeg5q8-qAiFUyt0LieD5L3tmPK3sZnh7AJEp2GaxGHI7tr9HHrBqbumXo/s640/049.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">This is where our bronze metal soccer team
found themselves in the months leading up to London, however this was not such
a terrible place to be. These tough moments, these black holes, are an
opportunity to refocus, start again and make a hugely significant change that
we may not have thought necessary before. Thus, as athletes, we promise to
rise. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CS5XoyDRNl2EFdKzH4iPLYFuLNEh1BLVZEGrTpZHd5JPeQiXNsaY2_3lqLYr5jjENl_g8Yh7a8nbLoYftUKwhNhkI7UAcIt8BDJX2JkWrcn6GtZEFCMP2kiK2aBj1PnByu72iTwAowXJ/s1600/IMG_4143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CS5XoyDRNl2EFdKzH4iPLYFuLNEh1BLVZEGrTpZHd5JPeQiXNsaY2_3lqLYr5jjENl_g8Yh7a8nbLoYftUKwhNhkI7UAcIt8BDJX2JkWrcn6GtZEFCMP2kiK2aBj1PnByu72iTwAowXJ/s640/IMG_4143.JPG" width="522" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Clara Hughes, an Olympian in both
summer and winter Olympics, was next up on the agenda. I have met her before
and she struck me as a confident, down to earth, successful woman. The kind
that other people look at and wonder how she got to be so lucky. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2LOZvX76QexP1lRU1RYtDBaoqw8AvAGtF89ZEa7vaHrxZ2Zjsn3Nd973GBuqdceBrVnS-ZflKZCM_f5yv4LRFmmR-WfB9HcdjHHAOZNwh1rvC-NMJzWnoCBVS4KUYD7ktpipuHfYA2PP/s1600/Clara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY2LOZvX76QexP1lRU1RYtDBaoqw8AvAGtF89ZEa7vaHrxZ2Zjsn3Nd973GBuqdceBrVnS-ZflKZCM_f5yv4LRFmmR-WfB9HcdjHHAOZNwh1rvC-NMJzWnoCBVS4KUYD7ktpipuHfYA2PP/s640/Clara.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;">However, Clara
has had to deal with such incredible emotional and physical struggle. She has
dealt with depression, delinquency, losing a close teammate, sickness, and the
list goes on. Through all of these craters, she has found a way to tell her
story in a method that reaches others. It is so easy to merely focus on medals
and results; that is all anyone cares about anyways, right? Wrong. Clara’s
message came across loud and clear, “You can have an impact on others when you
don’t think there will be one. Be that inspiration. Don’t underestimate the power
of your actions, win or lose.” </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;">This made me decide that leading into these
games, if I could take away one thing, it would be inspiration. I want to watch
the country come together; I want to watch athletes give their everything,
knowing that no matter what, they have done all they could; I want to watch
people compete on the equal playing field that is the Olympics; I want to be
inspired. However, I want to be that inspiration as well. At the race, I will
bring everything that I have on that day, whatever that everything may be. Win
or lose, medal or no medal, finish or no finish; I want my actions to speak to
those Canadians at home. The nation that stands behind us “with glowing hearts”
when we find ourselves in those dark places, and for that nation I will “stand
on guard for thee”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-12905819948133746482013-05-19T17:30:00.003-04:002013-05-19T17:30:32.810-04:00Maui, Collingwood, Las Vegas, Canmore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Right from Vancouver MP and I headed to Maui. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
To be specific, we were staying in Paia and then Haiku, which are the less touristy parts of Maui.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I will let some of our pictures speak for themselves.<br />
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One day we decided to have an "active day" away from surfing. We decided to rent one paddle board between two of us and brought our snorkelling masks. We realized that this was the most efficient way to do two things at once.<br />
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We saw turtles almost everyday, whether it was while snorkelling, or while surfing. The turtles love to float near the surface of the water, just before the wave is about to break. I guess they too love the feeling of the water freely moving their bodies. </div>
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Mp and I thought that we would be able to both stand up and paddle. In between giggle fits and falling in, we realized that we were wrong.<br />
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Hookipa<br />
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I got burnt the first day... I wasn't going to let that happen again.<br />
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The best teammate and travel companion!<br />
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One morning we woke up very early to drive up the volcano, Haleakala, to watch the sunrise. Although it was an early morning, it was worth every second of it. </div>
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We met a few new friends and spent many hours exploring Hawaii and attempting to become locals!<br />
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Maui was an amazing experience. After I stopped waterskiing, I lost my love for the water. I forgot how much I love the sound of the waves smashing against the sand, as the birds sing in ecstasy. I missed the feeling of the waves rolling under my body, knowing that the ocean is more powerful than I am, but if we work together we can accomplish great things. Now, when I see a river, I think of surfing; when I make a GS turn, I feel like I'm surfing; when the sun comes out, I know that it is a good time to surf. I am hooked, and I bet you can see why!<br />
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After Maui, I went back home. First order of business was to sleep for 13.5hours and catch up on my sleep debt. Next, try to get the sand out of my hair and clothes, and finally... make Boulder love me again.<br />
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I was able to have some time to myself to reflect on the year. I find writing to be a way to escape. To put the words in my head on paper, seeing the words that are scrambled in my head, set straight.<br />
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I was able to run on my favourite trails.<br />
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And witness life from the uncomplicated mind of a dog.<br />
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Next up on the schedule was Las Vegas. </div>
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I had a photo-shoot in Vegas for Sports Net Magazine, for the beauty issue. I had an amazing time and the photographer made sure that he got the shot no matter what. </div>
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I have never done anything like this, but it was a great experience and I am excited (and nervous) to see the photos... I had just a little make up on.. </div>
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Oh and I got to ride in a Ferrari that they rented for James Hinchcliffe's shoot.<br />
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Next, I packed up my life and finally got back to the mountains!<br />
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Our team traveling up to Sunshine with all of our gear and spend 10 days skiing and staying up on the mountain. In the morning we would do about 10 runs of super G or GS.<br />
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In the afternoon, we would practice our skier cross starts and features! At first we were terrified, but slowly we started to get the hang of the rollers and the wu-tang.<br />
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A few of the days we were towed up by a snow mobile, so we would maximize the number of runs we did and minimize our time on the chair.<br />
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Robbie Dixon volunteered to be our snow mobile driver for the day!<br />
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He made sure never to miss out on a google tanning session.<br />
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We were able to get a lot accomplished during these 10 days. We only skied GS and Super G and it was nice to think about skiing in different ways that I know will transfer over to my slalom nicely.<br />
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We felt like Europeans during this camp because we trained hard all week, but on the weekend we were able to head home to Canmore and get rested up for another 5 days on snow.<br />
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I've been skiing for a long time. I have struggled and overcome some of those struggles. This life is messy and beautiful. However, I can honestly say that I love skiing today more than I ever had and for that I am thankful.<br />
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-39409803445060057832013-04-16T16:20:00.001-04:002013-04-16T16:24:23.667-04:00Season Concludes- Ofterschwang, Finals and Nationals <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The last few months have been very tough on me and have slowly taken their toll. It seems as if when this happens, I start letting my blog go a little bit. I am going to rewind to the last few races of the season, and then fill you in on my two weeks of rejuvenation! </div>
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After a break at home, we headed to Ofterschwang for our last race of the year before finals. Ofterschwang is the place where I won my first World Cup race last March. I was excited to be back, and my body felt great. </div>
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We trained for a few days before the race and my times were in there with some of the best in the World.<br />
Bib draw<br />
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My bib draw buddy! :) (I miss her already!)<br />
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I really struggled during the race. I didn't have a very good first run, but I knew what I had to change. I knew I had to let a few things go mentally, and I felt prepared to step up for the next run. However, very early on in my second run, I straddled. I took this hit hard, and knew that I would have to fully accept what happened and move on before finals which were coming up in less than a week.<br />
However, it was a good day for Canada. Mitch placed 4th, narrowly missing the podium and Anna won the second run, during her first race "back from retirement".... also we lifted Tom.<br />
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After Ofterschwang, I headed to Innsbruck for a few days to collect my thoughts and get prepared for the last race of the year. It was a nice time to relax and enjoy a new city.<br />
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We headed to Lenzerheide, Switzerland a few days later to prepare for and race in the World Cup finals.<br />
Every year at finals they have the Audi party, where athletes, coaches and anyone involved with FIS celebrate the end of another great season.<br />
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This year some of the big names were our musical entertainment for the season. (Ivica Kostelic and Andre Myhrer)<br />
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Leading up to the race I straddled almost once every single day. I tried to put this out of my mind, but looking back I did a poor job of this. After first run I was quite far back, however I held it together and I knew what I needed to do for the second run. I went out of the gate second run, knowing that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I knew that my family was at home, watching online at 5am.<br />
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In the last run of the World Cup season, I proved to myself that even on off days I can still be in there. I ended up 10th that day and 11th in the overall standings.<br />
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It seems as if I say that every year is a learning year, and I suppose that that rings true this year. I started my season strong, however I struggled near the end of the season and I had to fight my way back out of this struggle. I know what I need to change heading into next season. I know what I need to work on, and I know what I will never let happen again. I ended the season this year in 11th, where as last year I finished up in 15th. I didn't win a race this year, however my results were more consistent, which was my goal entering this season. </div>
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I am ready for this season coming up. I will be stronger and I will be tougher. </div>
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I will no longer have to rely on people like this to brighten up my day. </div>
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The air show at finals</div>
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The finish area.<br />
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One of our European fans makes these collages for us throughout the year, I wanted to share mine with you! </div>
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After finals we headed to Whistler for nationals, and we packed lightly of course.<br />
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Nationals are always thoroughly enjoyable because I get to see my family and friends, however they are difficult as well because we are battling the fatigue of travel and the season.<br />
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This year I was able to do a few free ski days with my family and old friends!<br />
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And I was reunited with my girls!<br />
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Including Kelly Vanderbeek, who officially retired during the Whistler nationals, and skied her last run down a race course. Kelly has always been an inspiration to the rest of us on the team. She is incredibly professional and is always willing to lend a helping hand. I am lucky to say that someone that I looked up to greatly growing up, became my friend and also my teammate through this amazing sport. We are sad to see you go, but I know you will be successful in everything that you do!<br />
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I raced my first super g and gs since the beginning of December.<br />
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Next year I will start skiing more gs again.<br />
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I fell in the slalom near the bottom... but Mitch took a well deserved slalom title!<br />
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Most importantly I was able to ski with my grandpa, who is one of the most inspirational people in my life. Sometimes you need days like this to put the rest of your life in perspective.<br />
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After Whistler MP and I had flights booked for Maui... we were only a little bit excited!!!<br />
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I will post about our crazy Maui adventures soon!!<br />
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(My new phone case)<br />
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-70748748510791826082013-02-27T11:59:00.003-05:002013-02-27T11:59:37.642-05:00Rewind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before World Champs I hadn't blogged in a while, so now I will rewind a little bit and fill you in on some of my other races.</div>
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My Dad flew out to Europe just for my race at Flachau. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We raced Flachau a few days after our trip to Egypt, so I felt rested and ready to go. However, I brought the wrong intensity to Flachu. I made a few mistakes near the top and backed off after these mistakes were made. I ended up 10th, which is my 4th best result to date, however I </span><span style="text-align: left;">wasn't satisfied. I knew that I backed off, and I knew that there was much more left in the tank. </span></div>
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After Flachau, we had a few terrific training days in Maria Alm. We trained both slalom and gs and it was nice to get back on my longer skis!<br />
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Mitch and I found our new favourite meal in Europe. Often-kartoffl- which is a baked potato, with sour cream, covered with veggies and chicken. Mmm!<br />
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Finally, we headed to Maribor. Leading up to Maribor I struggled a bit with lower back pain. I didn't feel my back in the course, however I raced with foot warmers on my back to keep my back warm and moving.<br />
I was excited to get back into racing, and I felt good in training!<br />
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The plus to waking up while it is still dark is that we get to witness the sunrise! </div>
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I have no more pictures from Maribor because I didn't make it very far down the hill. I was a bit slow out of the gate, but I had a plan for the run as a whole. As I crested the break over, I started to feel good. I was in a good place, my skis were biting and I was in a position to really push; and I started to do just that. I finally found that illusive feeling on my skis, that I have in training but have been struggling to find in the races. I had won the section between the first and second intervals, and was currently in 4th place. However, my skis got caught in my switch and I fell. I tried to get up to finish, but I continued falling. </div>
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I am usually quite upset when I don't finish, but that illusive feeling kept me strong. It kept me level headed that day and although I didn't finish, this was the first time that I have ever truly believed in myself. </div>
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After Maribor I headed to Vermont to visit Kevin, do some laundry and feel like a normal person again. </div>
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We went to see Keane one of the days.<br />
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And he was absolutely incredible live!<br />
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I finally was able to do my laundry. My final load before heading back to Europe was done in this dungeon...<br />
This looks like a scene from a horror movie!<br />
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This is my sweet ride in Burlington, well actually the towel strapped over the back metal piece is where I sit.<br />
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FASTFORWARD!!</div>
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Now I am back at home after world champs. It is nice to be home with my family, my animals and all the comforts of home (aka real laundry!). </div>
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And my book shelf! </div>
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I returned home to find this...<br />
A little lion.<br />
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He had to get stitches and they decided to shave him down. Now he is a cold baby lion!.... not to mention that we used to think he was fat because of his lustrous hair. </div>
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One night we decided to have a big family dinner! :) I love family dinners. As we were all settling down and talking there was a knock at the door. It was the doping control officers (drug testers). I thought that this might be a joke considering that I had been tested a week ago and this would be the 5th time I was to be tested within 3 months. It was not a joke, however the testers were very nice, so this always helps the process. And I got free cards... euchre anyone?<br />
I was able to ski at Georgian Peaks for a few days, and my grandpa joined us! He is 81 years old and he doesn't just ski, he rips!!<br />
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I was able to attend the Peaks auction and hand out awards at the U18 Nationals!<br />
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My Air Canada elite card came in the mail! This year I flew 77,000miles, and I have a feeling the coming year will consist of even more flying! </div>
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And I will leave you with this....<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXGq_8wqdyGiaS1MqF9sMjwLPH81ng1CokizixEbiJPiC4D6qGo-UFxLAs3wFexHyEtcaqpbsOgXJTSXklAv_Q-iaWedcNujBcUdCMYnlmb0nr-e6fwbAg1ru7elPAx9Wz6rviiexRoyV/s1600/IMG_2359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXGq_8wqdyGiaS1MqF9sMjwLPH81ng1CokizixEbiJPiC4D6qGo-UFxLAs3wFexHyEtcaqpbsOgXJTSXklAv_Q-iaWedcNujBcUdCMYnlmb0nr-e6fwbAg1ru7elPAx9Wz6rviiexRoyV/s640/IMG_2359.JPG" width="486" /></a></div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-58859089436454697642013-02-19T10:02:00.001-05:002013-02-19T17:01:05.052-05:00World Champs!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I haven't blogged in a while... so I will start with the most recent first, and then move backwards from there. </div>
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Recently, we traveled back to Europe to start our preps for the World Championships in Schaldming, Austria. </div>
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We did most of our prep at the Gaisberg in Kirchberg. We had the hill to ourselves and it was beautiful! </div>
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(Thank you to Pentaphoto, Stef Rizzo and Jenny Delich for some of these photos) </div>
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In the days leading up to the races, I only trained slalom, so for a few of the days it was just Tim and I and a beautiful slalom course! This is now my 5th year working with Tim.<br />
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Europe has started to feel a bit like home. I've now learned where the beautiful running trails are, and it's nice to get out of the hotel, off of the bike and explore a little bit.<br />
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The men's tech team was also in Kirchberg and we were able to train with them for a few of the days. It is always nice to spend time with these guys whether it is for game nice or kase spatzle. Mitch and I decided to have a "bunpartay", but everyone seemed so distracted by our buns that they forgot where our eyes were.<br />
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Eventually our time in Kirchberg came to a close and we started the relatively short road trip to Schladming. We decided to get a few mobile tats.<br />
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Mikaela Tommy, aka Kalers, aka Killer, brought these temporary tattoos and we all tried not to scrub too aggressively so that they stayed on for a long time.<br />
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We started the week with a press conference for our Canadian training center in Kirchberg and to announce our team for the dual slalom.<br />
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This year our team consisted of myself, Mike Janyk, Mitch, Phil Brown and Britt Phelan. I always love competing on a team and working towards a common goal, so I was so excited to race WITH some of the hardest working athletes that I know. </div>
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Mitch and I trained a few runs of dual after training one day to try to get the tempo down and practice starting on demand.<br />
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We always try to keep things light before the races... this time by making music videos! </div>
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Phil and I grew up racing together. We've seen each other go through a lot of highs and lows and it was amazing to race on the same team!<br />
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On the first round we faced Switzerland. </div>
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We won 3 out of 4 races and moved on to the second round, which is farther than Canada has made it in a long time. Talking about it afterwards, we realized that everyone was pretty happy just to have made it that far. </div>
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On the second round we faced Czech. Again our team pulled through. Phil stood up under the pressure, and we were VERY excited!<br />
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To say the least...</div>
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Our 3rd round meant that if we won we would be in the race for gold or silver, and if we lost we would be racing for bronze or 4th. After a tough race against Sweden, we lost my a slim margin... but that meant we were still in contention for a medal.<br />
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The stakes were high as we raced the German power houses for 3rd. Britt was second against Lena Duerr (the last dual winner) and Mike won his race. I was next to go and I knew that I needed a better start, a good run and calm skiing. I kept saying this to myself, but as I was talking to myself the beeps began and I was incredibly late out of the start... a gate late against Maria Hopfl Reisch. I pushed as hard as I could and eventually pulled ahead a bit, but then I fell inside and just made the next gate and she pulled ahead. I went as straight as I could through the last gates, Maria made a mistake and I was able to take the race by 0.01.<br />
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Phil was our last man out of the start. He skied an amazing race and in the end only lost by 0.01. This meant that Canada came 4th. We missed the podium by 0.01... if I had started better or had a better run by 0.03 we could have medaled. We could have stood up there as a nation! However, what if is always a hard thing to swallow and maybe if I had a better start, I would have had a slow run. You just never know. </div>
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After the race I was drug tested for the 3rd time in about a month... now I am pro at drug testing. A couple days later was the women's GS! We cheered on the other girls with our men's team!<br />
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Next, it was time for our slalom. My training had been going very well coming into World Champs. I felt confident and I trusted my skiing.<br />
I drew #15 at the bib draw, which is the worst I could have started, however I don't mind starting 15th. It gives me more time at the start.<br />
photo cred: Andy Mielzynski<br />
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The venue in Schaldming is out of this world!<br />
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However, I did not ski the way that I have been skiing or the way that I wanted to ski. I ski to get the incredibly hard to achieve feeling that all athletes talk about, and on this day, I missed that.<br />
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photo cred: Andy Mielzynski<br />
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I was disappointed after my first run (17th), but I was prepared to re focus and find that feeling on the second run. I've been working on being faster our of the start to the first interval, and I achieved this, however again... I missed my skiing. In some intervals I was 5th or 7th, but I ended up 17th overall.<br />
(photo cred: Nisse)<br />
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I am extremely disappointed about my race at World Champs. Skiing is my life, my love, and my passion, which is why this feeling hits so close to my heart. This feeling is hard to describe to people, and yes I tried my best, but while skiing fills my heart, at times it also gouges out little pieces of it.<br />
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However, I will take as many lessons as I can from this day. I have many World Champs left in my career and other races to learn, to adjust and to perfect everything about race day. Sometimes it is not find more to do, but learning to do less more affectively. I know this is only the beginning.<br />
photo cred: Andy Mielzynski<br />
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Now I am home resting and preparing for the last few races of the season. I am still getting over a cold that I've had for a little while, so it is time to get healthy and get back to 100%.<br />
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However, my travel day didn't help this much. Our flight was 9h delayed due to 10cm of snow in Toronto.<br />
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Luckily my travel ended here and my mom's boyfriend's son, Chris, kindly picked me up. However, we ran into a potential problem as well. It was -24.5C outside, and our gas light was on for about 40minutes.<br />
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I will blog again soon! </div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-84313286236608984362013-01-29T10:08:00.000-05:002013-01-29T10:08:05.078-05:00Video from Podium in Zagreb <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-63494312332587213232013-01-26T04:51:00.000-05:002013-01-26T04:51:01.074-05:00Race Video from Flachau <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I FINALLY got many of our World Cup videos from our coach, Jay, so I will be posting video from some of the races this year.<br />
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I will start with our latest race in Flacha, Austria (10th)<br />
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-8704830158211130242013-01-14T08:28:00.000-05:002013-01-14T08:36:34.330-05:00EGYPT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After Zagreb, we disappeared, literally. Right after the race, drug testing and the press conference, we jumped in the car at 11:30pm and started out 6h drive to Munich. We arrived in Munich, and jumped on a plane to Hurghada, Egypt. </div>
We were told that it was about 30C. I have never been on a warm, restful vacation, so I was expecting warm temperatures, and many days spent on the beach.<br />
I was a little surprised looking out of the plane window at this.<br />
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Let me start by saying, Egypt was a little bit different than I expected. </div>
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As soon as we got to our hotel we decided to look around a little bit and soak up the sun... We soon found out that Egypt was not 30C, especially at night, in the wind or in the shade.<br />
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Let me just say that most of the time we were cold, and we were too stubborn (and had packed too lightly) to wear many clothes.<br />
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But we were excited to be there on a vacation, experiencing some aspects of Egypt.<br />
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Our first day was quite warm (when the sun was out). It was a relaxing day filled with water aerobics, beach volleyball and reading my mystery book bought specifically for the beach.<br />
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We decided that the next day we would do something outside of our hotel. We had a few options such as swimming with dolphins, travelling to Cairo, but we decided that a Safari trip would be the safest and most interesting.<br />
We woke up the next morning, met in the lobby and found this car waiting for us.<br />
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And this man ready to drive us 30minutes to Hurghada and then 30minutes across the vast desert to arrive at a bedouin (A nomadic Arab of the desert) village.<br />
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We were taught how to say faster and slower in Arabic. We only learned Faster... YALLA YALLA!<br />
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Our first stop was to check out the mirage.<br />
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We found water in the desert!!<br />
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Not... but we did levitate. </div>
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Of course we had to get onto the car. </div>
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After bumping around in the desert for a little longer we "hiked a mountain" aka walked a few steps up a hill, but with full bladders it might as well have been Everest. We found a few secret spots though.<br />
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Better than the holes in the ground that we found later...<br />
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Mitchles... what are you seeing?<br />
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Britt and I are hardcore and decided to do some sand hill sprints. </div>
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Because going down is worth going up!<br />
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After this we headed to the thatch huts in the village for "lunch" aka two white buns with jam or cream cheese. </div>
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However, we saved our appetites for pita like bread cooked over camel dung. Actually it tasted great and didn't even smell.<br />
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Our chef seemed like a very nice woman with beautiful eyes. </div>
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Then we were allowed to ride CAMELS!!<br />
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I was so excited... even though my camel tried to bite me.<br />
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But Eve's was really out of it.... there is no grass in the desert silly camel.<br />
CANADIAN ALPINE WOMEN'S TEAM.... riding camels. Never before seen.<br />
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Many people asked us if were were sisters or friends. (One or the othaaa) Mitch liked to tell them that we were artists, while Eve and I answered twins. </div>
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The camel in the background seems to want the cigarette...<br />
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After this we headed over to see a few of the buildings.<br />
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Some were fairly nice.<br />
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However, I don't know how entire families live in these type of homes all of their lives. I guess it really makes you appreciate those around you... and camels, which the men give the women for wedding gifts. The more wealthy the are the more camels they give. I wouldn't mind that! </div>
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One man made these class like things with colourful sand.<br />
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He even made little camels and birds.<br />
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Then we had to don our headgear...<br />
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We got in character.<br />
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Blended in with our surroundings.<br />
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And then headed into the desert to drive dune buggies. </div>
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And ATVs!<br />
The scarves were supposed to keep the sand our of our mouths, faces and hair, but I can honestly say that that was a fail.<br />
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We were very hungry after this and headed to dinner and our live show. </div>
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I call him twirling man. He probably spun for over 5min and didn't even look dizzy afterwards.<br />
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He was definitely feeling the heat.<br />
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And then things happened that created these facial expressions.<br />
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A man did many sword tricks including putting a knife against his neck and having Elli and I stand on his shoulders. I hope he realized how heavy we are before choosing girls to do this.<br />
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Oh ya... I forgot. On our first real day in Egypt I decided that I should pay and check my emails, and let my mom know that I was still living. I realized that my cross-country childhood friend, Lenny Valjas, sent me an email. He said that he was trying to figure out where to go on his break after a crazy Tour de Ski (those long distance athletes are crazy!), and he panicked and booked a flight to Egypt.<br />
Well after a crazy taxi ride (which I am glad not to have been a part of, although my boxing skills are top notch), Lenny made it to Egypt.<br />
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It was too bad that we had already gone on the Safari, but there were other things to do on the... not so warm days.<br />
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Like trying to avoid man eating fish. (Finally something that we could do for freiii) </div>
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At night we ate Egyptian food, bread fresh out of the bread stove and star gazed wrapped in blankets lying in the sand.<br />
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Everyone saw a shooting star except me. Maybe I will see one when I least expect it, when I really need a wish.<br />
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During the days we did workouts with an elderly couple, did water aerobics with a man in a speedo, kayaked, swam in the Red Sea and listened to facts that Mitch had about bodies of salt water. </div>
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It was peaceful and relaxing, yet not warm. </div>
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It was an amazing trip filled with a lot of laughing, many inside jokes, and 5 really great friends.<br />
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We tried to figure out how to do a modern Egyptian picture. Everyone had various ideas, while I looked on in... admiration.</div>
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Then we struck a pose, and Lenny got into character.... </div>
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We had a few jumping pictures... fail.<br />
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But all in all everything that we did, whether we froze or not, was a lot of fun. We laughed until our bellies ached (or it might have been the core that the elderly people had no trouble with), gazed at the stars until we almost fell asleep. We jumped high and never wanted to come down, we swam in the sea hoping we wouldn't drown. </div>
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I've made some amazing friends along the road, and I am so grateful for the journey that I am on. </div>
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For future adventures see:<br />
Lenny<br />
<a href="http://lennyvaljas.com/">http://lennyvaljas.com</a><br />
<br />
Mitch<br />
<a href="http://www.mariemichelegagnon.com/">http://www.mariemichelegagnon.com</a><br />
<br />
Eve<br />
<a href="http://routhierski.blogspot.com/">http://routhierski.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
Elli<br />
<a href="http://www.elliterwiel.blogspot.ca/">http://www.elliterwiel.blogspot.ca</a></div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-83021246098425734342013-01-12T10:32:00.002-05:002013-01-12T12:23:38.855-05:00Podium in Zagreb!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First of all, this year our team decided to stay in Europe for Christmas and train during the holidays. We have been in Europe for the past few Christmases, but this year we celebrated in a different way. </div>
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We skied! Merry Christmas! </div>
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After Christmas, we headed to Semmering for a night slalom race!<br />
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I made many mistakes on both of my runs. It was frustrating and I did't ski the way that I wanted to ski. I ended up 18th on that race.<br />
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However, this is what happened 2 years ago in Semmering, so... I guess things are... looking up.<br />
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(**Many of these pictures I found online, thank you to everyone who took pictures, we all appreciate it!**)<br />
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After Semmering, I decided to go to Munich to race the dual slalom at the city event. It was an incredible experience! It made me realize just how much I love skiing and how it is such an incredible sport!<br />
My first opponent was Mikaela Kirchgasser. On the first run I had a pretty good start. I ended up just 0.02 behind Kirchgasser. On the second run, I wanted to give it my everything because there was no point in holding back. However, I really messed up my start and had a lot of time to make up. I ended up cutting the line off a little bit too much and straddled the GS panel. Ouch!<br />
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After Munich I ready to race although I trained very little between the two World Cup races. However, I had a plan.<br />
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My two previous years racing in Zagreb didn't go well at all. I barely made it 10 gates and ended up not finishing. This year was a year that I wanted to put those demons to rest.<br />
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In the bib draw I drew number 8. One of my favourite numbers. Before the race started, I decided that I wouldn't try to find a race gear or "attack" as some people say. My skiing has changed a lot in the past few years and I feel as if I need to change with it. I have to realize that in my skiing I can't look for a 6th gear. I have to trust my skiing.<br />
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I was going to be happy with how I ended up as long as I skied the way that I know how to ski. The way that I have skied run after run in training.<br />
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I stood at the top of the hill and looked around me. I noticed that for the first time Zagreb was clear. Standing at the start I could see lights from the town flickering below.<br />
After first run I ended up 5th. There was still work to be done in my skiing, but I was happy.<br />
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When I reached the finish line second run, I looked at the board and saw a green light!! That is one of the best feelings in the world. Seeing the green!<br />
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I was incredibly happy, and it felt like deja vu after last year in Ofterschwang. I headed to the leaders box and waited for the last 4 girls to come down, knowing that I was guaranteed a 5th.<br />
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The girl after me, Frida, took over the lead after her strong run. However, the next two girls didn't finish the run. The last girl to go down was 17 year old Mikaela Shiffrin. She smoked both runs and won the race!<br />
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This meant that I came 3rd!!! This was my second time on the podium in a World Cup race!<br />
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It was such an amazing moment in my skiing career. I felt relief finishing on the podium after my win last year. It felt good to hold my hand in the air with the two girls beside me. </div>
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Mikaela was the Snow Queen in Zagreb and she deserved that spot on the throne! </div>
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Except there were a few difficulties opening the champagne. A man solved the problem by opening Mikaela's bottle with his teeth! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-lxbhuz8NRtl7Y0Fb0D_c-GrsLxRjiF4i9RgUv_L0NtDGonbLbZ0IU_1qAP3q3lk9-GrxpLHiObvjZFgnyKnYK0vMOAfGoit_kmkSKBesSPVWnZw2rZtTzhuE1WmWwVgKbwC37dVhwE9/s1600/Shiffrin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-lxbhuz8NRtl7Y0Fb0D_c-GrsLxRjiF4i9RgUv_L0NtDGonbLbZ0IU_1qAP3q3lk9-GrxpLHiObvjZFgnyKnYK0vMOAfGoit_kmkSKBesSPVWnZw2rZtTzhuE1WmWwVgKbwC37dVhwE9/s640/Shiffrin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was such an amazing day and again I felt that all of my hard work paid off. I felt at peace and happy with the way that my skiing came together. Of course, after every race we fine tune and make adjustments, but with every race I learn, and in Zagreb I learned huge lessons with a silly smile plastered on my face. </div>
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Here is a few videos from the day: </div>
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<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Skiing/ID/2323056976/">http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Skiing/ID/2323056976/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Skiing/ID/2323101411/">http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Skiing/ID/2323101411/</a></div>
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Thank you to everyone that has helped me get to where I am today. I love what I do and it is shaping me into the person that I will be in the future. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00fMMaZmqnRM8czpvU2lIvDo9u46ANLc49-7hhSzpSp-MChBstpvdQJr1UawxZAOiRMcD5hQ2rgxSTi6K5_z4E5Ak9IL5ySMfwYB21p1oWblNVzLCroLs3eMbjwSIlKWBY0CkV8yU_frr/s1600/Mielzynski+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00fMMaZmqnRM8czpvU2lIvDo9u46ANLc49-7hhSzpSp-MChBstpvdQJr1UawxZAOiRMcD5hQ2rgxSTi6K5_z4E5Ak9IL5ySMfwYB21p1oWblNVzLCroLs3eMbjwSIlKWBY0CkV8yU_frr/s640/Mielzynski+%25281%2529.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-47550083710231372522012-12-25T11:33:00.002-05:002012-12-25T12:49:29.180-05:00Are, Sweden <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before heading to Europe we went to Panorama for a few Nor Am races. I raced these races for a number of reasons including lowering my points in GS, Super G and Super Combi, however I also switched to a different Rossignol slalom ski recently.<br />
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It was very fun racing the Super G. I had no pressure, and it was good to feel the wind in my face a little bit. I say a little bit because the Super G started quite a bit lower than usual and was quite short.</div>
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On the Super G, I surprisingly moved from 40th to 3rd! </div>
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(photo credit for these 3: freshshots.com)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWoEG5koK_pxq7aeDpwlvEK23M9HD0FxDcl4iBiyZqy6W8wGCjmHJslesSUoEDcOuum4UMMT-avw0zRCnDNknIXBTUiL4v-bLm0S_kSqwevp-mR5Pcpk-tX5ak_TpIR2p20OC_Xqmr2Uu/s1600/2012-12-12+W+GS+%252840%2529-M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWoEG5koK_pxq7aeDpwlvEK23M9HD0FxDcl4iBiyZqy6W8wGCjmHJslesSUoEDcOuum4UMMT-avw0zRCnDNknIXBTUiL4v-bLm0S_kSqwevp-mR5Pcpk-tX5ak_TpIR2p20OC_Xqmr2Uu/s640/2012-12-12+W+GS+%252840%2529-M.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The slalom portion of the super combined was very tough! I ended up winning the super combined, which was the first one in 3 years that I finished! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljHcwVTTqBWVlTW5J4fKCWzubQkCr2H-BJ4HgS89C4BLRa_WPfYz2QpRvQ3CUHZOuTVOrR2r600pNt80k_x3Pd7p_2E8QpO56Tl6aUaNLk1__kGjefUwzXlT2XW0yGCaF55k0O3aJZjqo/s1600/_2012-12-11_157_pano+noram+w+sl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljHcwVTTqBWVlTW5J4fKCWzubQkCr2H-BJ4HgS89C4BLRa_WPfYz2QpRvQ3CUHZOuTVOrR2r600pNt80k_x3Pd7p_2E8QpO56Tl6aUaNLk1__kGjefUwzXlT2XW0yGCaF55k0O3aJZjqo/s640/_2012-12-11_157_pano+noram+w+sl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The GS days were filled with learning and trying to bring it what I learned from our training this summer. Panorama is an easy hill that becomes very hard to race due to the soft snow and fairly flat terrain. I raced hard and ended up 3rd on both of those days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfZzpXfakIKuONJZLkzcXvX3kFWEoyNbcv6hyYuStms0llUBCbSnY7CcKr5I_keUznFjNd1PwyrTvBN9uo2pBKiJP-ZIjehGsJ3lRamQ0HwoDceYKJy7Mm3WCePZnhaGRqOg4cZB0SZqV/s1600/2012-12-12+w+gs+%252813%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfZzpXfakIKuONJZLkzcXvX3kFWEoyNbcv6hyYuStms0llUBCbSnY7CcKr5I_keUznFjNd1PwyrTvBN9uo2pBKiJP-ZIjehGsJ3lRamQ0HwoDceYKJy7Mm3WCePZnhaGRqOg4cZB0SZqV/s640/2012-12-12+w+gs+%252813%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After our races in Panorama we headed to Are, Sweden! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuunE1-2YjDVbrvnamTzTv67sO1QHPJqvXF29dzvlLel-Xsg7bEkCE3xALtkPXIP3-3i_pCIb54BHNGwX9yxY7dyjV_s6QQmYRanZpChFSUoM3cuw9aO2WTE3oLw4wIKz3yjTO7SvnuMi/s1600/_MG_3421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuunE1-2YjDVbrvnamTzTv67sO1QHPJqvXF29dzvlLel-Xsg7bEkCE3xALtkPXIP3-3i_pCIb54BHNGwX9yxY7dyjV_s6QQmYRanZpChFSUoM3cuw9aO2WTE3oLw4wIKz3yjTO7SvnuMi/s640/_MG_3421.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It got dark quite early in Sweden because it is so far north, but it's beauty never ceases to amaze me.<br />
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Before the race, I went to walk around town a little bit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPH_2rMkpS5NM_SNrjIcmMWjZ4ZAHgj4zl8OMfZsoTuZ2EGr7FdufouXMYGo24GkQ6EdNmhs-MzWQVW43Dtiu6Wi9mVsWK7OGTJrwgp86-V8G6mlW9-Rf0dvb8Vozfs5D8y7udKi49p3R/s1600/_MG_3472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPH_2rMkpS5NM_SNrjIcmMWjZ4ZAHgj4zl8OMfZsoTuZ2EGr7FdufouXMYGo24GkQ6EdNmhs-MzWQVW43Dtiu6Wi9mVsWK7OGTJrwgp86-V8G6mlW9-Rf0dvb8Vozfs5D8y7udKi49p3R/s640/_MG_3472.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have always loved Are and it has always brought with it such an extreme of emotions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvmKT3bjRNrGH5nLePG8bQWFo2IoaBz0MNQMxKutrYRM2wJaUnwgNfRimnC4ZnFZvYg5i7FCGJofk3MDphUfPdy-SanPQZWlSwsy7A59hl3WyKXk6Xh6ki0ZrKRiSXH5aQ9Krrm7BDb4z/s1600/_MG_3470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvmKT3bjRNrGH5nLePG8bQWFo2IoaBz0MNQMxKutrYRM2wJaUnwgNfRimnC4ZnFZvYg5i7FCGJofk3MDphUfPdy-SanPQZWlSwsy7A59hl3WyKXk6Xh6ki0ZrKRiSXH5aQ9Krrm7BDb4z/s640/_MG_3470.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last year Mitch podiumed in Are for the first time in her career!!! It was an amazing day and she skied like a rock star.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-ZlURhTL_BGer66dPYguDSuTXZZv28r3u4kr_95T1lzwZhxqs0Trt8QY3bd1yXQees7Ff80Edj8_k8LhqXX-su8pDPAcpIPH8CuiQ8R52VBdJHBBDIWY7GHYyURJfWJ37f31I001HXfo/s1600/_MG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-ZlURhTL_BGer66dPYguDSuTXZZv28r3u4kr_95T1lzwZhxqs0Trt8QY3bd1yXQees7Ff80Edj8_k8LhqXX-su8pDPAcpIPH8CuiQ8R52VBdJHBBDIWY7GHYyURJfWJ37f31I001HXfo/s640/_MG_3436.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">However, last year in Are, I straddled. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"></span></div>
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">[Shattered glass and frosted panes</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Alter the image beneath</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Warped lines and distorted shapes</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Morphing into one another</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Unknowing, untelling, undefined</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">Blurry to the clearest of eyes]</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">(I wrote this when I couldn't sleep on the bus back from Are)</span><br />
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However, this year was a new season, bringing new things; new sun rises, fresh snow and beautiful places)<br />
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(photo credit for the next few: Eve Routhier)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZlMZT8Eu-MUQMB5WA-V-fjQbChOVgOFxZ_lxVjoRTYPkFb3XVZI7cfCvsl4sR74L_T0UibVLXpl1ZBJD6oUvIdqrXax2zDmd-Jtnmx1Ywuhnwf0dLh26lXTSAqBnYu-45xXpcw_ynyMm/s1600/P1100781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZlMZT8Eu-MUQMB5WA-V-fjQbChOVgOFxZ_lxVjoRTYPkFb3XVZI7cfCvsl4sR74L_T0UibVLXpl1ZBJD6oUvIdqrXax2zDmd-Jtnmx1Ywuhnwf0dLh26lXTSAqBnYu-45xXpcw_ynyMm/s640/P1100781.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8fi8ApWtU6HXUwFeIIb7ledRWO7zmXc6DxAe2NhRlab4EkWvM4wEtMShVnkNqEdoFka2ybkFfusjKR4d6yJgs8QKnbPEPxTWIZrrokltEVIKZpbH-3PTGFx7jTRijWZ3WvWZi3URDSBp/s1600/P1100779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8fi8ApWtU6HXUwFeIIb7ledRWO7zmXc6DxAe2NhRlab4EkWvM4wEtMShVnkNqEdoFka2ybkFfusjKR4d6yJgs8QKnbPEPxTWIZrrokltEVIKZpbH-3PTGFx7jTRijWZ3WvWZi3URDSBp/s640/P1100779.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Before the race we had a few days of training on the warm up hill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNTQ_-BVPbsmmcZYPSc6-meoOTOcxEEc-H7waKAx1sPYrxgxpQuPfrYNwy3tiQsuJJypqektIyxq9oEnWE2JnT4oamz9O_TiJKqQEvDfSQhfdIEcJ9VjmvaQKyILXLKUpslsV5Eorng_z/s1600/P1100788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNTQ_-BVPbsmmcZYPSc6-meoOTOcxEEc-H7waKAx1sPYrxgxpQuPfrYNwy3tiQsuJJypqektIyxq9oEnWE2JnT4oamz9O_TiJKqQEvDfSQhfdIEcJ9VjmvaQKyILXLKUpslsV5Eorng_z/s640/P1100788.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even though it was quite icy and difficult, we all had a lot of fun! .... photo bombing Martin<br />
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But then he threw my pole.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXMmeApdOscjSN__7OIoCoGfg7v7T5HSHS5egqbdUGaLTeOPyF0b1FsQkPIF-1kgWLJzK8QKWzWrIQW-wX5ybI7e1sxAfQSx2e1o-6OSTcuxPUwcOu5uARvgGjDHNRS7snllQXKPCRzdN/s1600/P1100799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXMmeApdOscjSN__7OIoCoGfg7v7T5HSHS5egqbdUGaLTeOPyF0b1FsQkPIF-1kgWLJzK8QKWzWrIQW-wX5ybI7e1sxAfQSx2e1o-6OSTcuxPUwcOu5uARvgGjDHNRS7snllQXKPCRzdN/s640/P1100799.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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See pole here >><br />
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I started number 18 on race day. When I got into the start, I looked out at the lights and everything seemed so simple. There was a course in front of me and I got to ski it. I ended up 5th on the first run! </div>
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I was a bit nervous on the second run, regarding my last two races, etc. I skied hard, but I held back the slightest little bit. I came through the finish line relieved; relieved and happy that I had come down with the green light, ensuring that I was guaranteed a 5th place finish.<br />
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My happy face is attractive, agreed?<br />
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Mikaela Shiffrin won her first race at 17 years old! It's nice to have her smiling face around pushing us all to be our best. Britt Phelan finished in the points yet again and experienced her first race standing in the leader corner! (photo: Eve Routhier)<br />
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Lastly, I want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you get to spend it with loved ones. It is hard for us on the road, but I know I am lucky to have amazing people waiting to celebrate with me in February when I head home. Hug your friends and family a little tighter today, because I wish I could! </div>
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-29160223055995194192012-12-21T10:27:00.000-05:002012-12-21T10:27:09.843-05:00My Ski Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here is a video about my ski story that Alpine Canada made this summer.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3ci1-8CxAL8" width="560"></iframe></div>
Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-22152775712557113882012-12-18T11:34:00.001-05:002012-12-18T11:40:00.281-05:00The 3 Factors of Success<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Recently I was asked the question, "What characteristics/factors would you say are most important in young skiers to help them have success in skiing in the long term."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Perseverance: Many skiers that have been injured know a lot about this characteristic, as do all skiers. I don't think that a skier can become successful without this trait. There are so many factors that you have to persevere through in the world of skiing. I had to work through a lot to reach where I am today, and the struggles are far from over. I think that it is important to endure these struggles, learn from them and come out on the other side.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oVsR26ejV2cvQZVUrASvqwNSPs4fEJSQLIsrvgRu6W96xSwwzdlFH0ShJMlfYW6yFGNBIFyyVXAqhvwxIjKbU6c1cKpixDqIrES-uCYOCrJHlKOwMp-10MewP-A6JUoX7T3hmBx4onT6/s1600/IMG_0289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9oVsR26ejV2cvQZVUrASvqwNSPs4fEJSQLIsrvgRu6W96xSwwzdlFH0ShJMlfYW6yFGNBIFyyVXAqhvwxIjKbU6c1cKpixDqIrES-uCYOCrJHlKOwMp-10MewP-A6JUoX7T3hmBx4onT6/s640/IMG_0289.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sometimes it's okay to cry (although less often in my case would be better). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vm88v8lEWTY-UStKAEt2Bte9EaxulOxc23lQ6G6oC_3yJS1FMKl441dpTT3XhvRN3Y2sRpPFxxJVXasgqXVif4ESJC6GZshrmsqD3hR1owD6PiJh5N7O-ijieX6PzTBI7bT3gAd2XrzJ/s1600/GAP+SLALOM03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vm88v8lEWTY-UStKAEt2Bte9EaxulOxc23lQ6G6oC_3yJS1FMKl441dpTT3XhvRN3Y2sRpPFxxJVXasgqXVif4ESJC6GZshrmsqD3hR1owD6PiJh5N7O-ijieX6PzTBI7bT3gAd2XrzJ/s640/GAP+SLALOM03.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> In every day whether good or bad, there is a lesson. A lesson of what to try, what to try again, or what to never allow yourself to do again. I don't want to be negative, however I feel the need to be realistic. Every athlete, whether young or mature, will struggle, and it is important to live through these struggle, never give up and learn. </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Hard Work: I don't know many skiers that don't work as hard as they can. I try to do everything I can to be the best that I can be. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAznNPYQTuYmogXOnvVCEms5A-6qdsuM-IHwzrRw_eXHL3t6FQe34lDHWhBkriTo4HW58TTdzsR03TK9O3AAV78_t5zNpS0RvODOFrYNMf51VNOUshbh29AnPBKW_e1-4Yalb27nR-TfE/s1600/bikeintervals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVAznNPYQTuYmogXOnvVCEms5A-6qdsuM-IHwzrRw_eXHL3t6FQe34lDHWhBkriTo4HW58TTdzsR03TK9O3AAV78_t5zNpS0RvODOFrYNMf51VNOUshbh29AnPBKW_e1-4Yalb27nR-TfE/s640/bikeintervals.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fall down... but make sure you get back up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I watch video, I visualize, I train hard, even when I feel I can no longer train any more, I answer my emails, I fill out my training forms, I talk to a sports psych, but most importantly I try to learn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I keep my eyes, ears and mind open to whatever tid bits come my way, whether they are about the new skis, how the rules work, what the new helmets are made out of, how to eat properly. etc.</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTp8uGKzlQRmPR_FssmfdVw9xm5zpNQrsaGClPAff76DnGsDJ39cLzriUfi-57Qyzbd0zgneRYa0Xaa9ndVAM-m22Y0iOn4ObHcj3K7mOggmAwF3VWChsvLOtJ6swVdEq1VKa-9XuoC13/s1600/_MG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTp8uGKzlQRmPR_FssmfdVw9xm5zpNQrsaGClPAff76DnGsDJ39cLzriUfi-57Qyzbd0zgneRYa0Xaa9ndVAM-m22Y0iOn4ObHcj3K7mOggmAwF3VWChsvLOtJ6swVdEq1VKa-9XuoC13/s640/_MG_0051.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Have Fun: Most importantly, have fun. I honestly cannot stress this enough. At a young age, having fun is easier to do. You are surrounded by family, friends, coaches and success. I disagree with pushing a child to the point that they are no longer loving what they are doing. Of course, I agree with tough love, hard work, pushing through pain, pushing past limits, however when an athlete finishes day after day with more frowns than smiles, they will not continue. They might ski for a few more years, but no matter how good they are, this will be a limiting factor. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwSkUDNDKqrIvQmeh3Erv3vOKZSv09j7wtd8_TWc1uAfbzdNf_5tmzzeAW0wyqC2_io_DQtfcTUJFW7gDDkLPX1W7PU0FokZgN-dK432RInEAqjoHo_OwYi-wQZ-YyYhvlxcVuCFppFP9/s1600/P1030151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwSkUDNDKqrIvQmeh3Erv3vOKZSv09j7wtd8_TWc1uAfbzdNf_5tmzzeAW0wyqC2_io_DQtfcTUJFW7gDDkLPX1W7PU0FokZgN-dK432RInEAqjoHo_OwYi-wQZ-YyYhvlxcVuCFppFP9/s640/P1030151.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now it is harder to have fun, stakes are high, limits are pushed, bodies are pushed and we have less people to turn to. However, countless races prove to me that I do well when I have a smile on my face knowing that I get to be the only person on the course, pushing the line as far as I can and skiing the way I am able to. Now my days are filled with hard work, dedication and fun. I know that I need this aspect in my skiing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">(An amazing ending to a bad day.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I think a lot, I train a lot, and I need time to balance this out. I take it seriously when I don't do well. I get upset when I don't finish, but after that day is done I do something that I enjoy. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkQiGjKUBXWA41hGBRQ68iSI4JYqTA471gLqkYqurqQGlPoRdoEoGJ4QMVL9E3fpTdodRO6AFF0xgfw6ef6oPHI3B-cCLVzDCojj5cjSW8nGHnjFqOsoWQt1svl9OqGkgU0n2XCs_pbAV/s1600/pitztal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkQiGjKUBXWA41hGBRQ68iSI4JYqTA471gLqkYqurqQGlPoRdoEoGJ4QMVL9E3fpTdodRO6AFF0xgfw6ef6oPHI3B-cCLVzDCojj5cjSW8nGHnjFqOsoWQt1svl9OqGkgU0n2XCs_pbAV/s640/pitztal.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I take a free run with my music blaring (I know, frowned upon), I dance on the chair, I talk to a friend, I read a book, or a let it go and know that the next day will be better.</span><br />
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1805641188934151522.post-67477003084200148122012-12-02T15:58:00.000-05:002012-12-02T15:59:30.508-05:00Colorado: Highs and Lows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before I left home, I went to Toronto for a function with my headgear sponsor, Polar Securities. Before the function, we hit the gym. I designed a program for some of the guys at Polar and we spent an hour squatting, sweating and breathing hard. After our workout we headed up to their office for a cocktail party. Many people were invited including many new people I had the pleasure of meeting and many of my family members! I gave a little speech, which seemed to run smoothly, although my heart was pounding the whole way through! It was an amazing evening, and I want to thank Polar for everything!</div>
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(And yes, my feet even hurt in these low boots) </div>
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Our first destination in Colorado was Loveland, where we used the injected hill to get prepared for our World Cup races in Aspen. </div>
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While we were in Loveland, it was American Thansgiving, so since most of us missed our Canadian Thanksgiving, we decided to celebrate as a team, with Mike Janyk cooking a 30lb turkey. </div>
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We all dressed up a little bit, and headed over to the guys place to eat. </div>
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We went around the table saying what the person to the right of us was grateful for; including Movember, each other and Cousi's new baby! Then we dug in! </div>
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We trained hard to Loveland, and also had one day off, so Britt, Eve and I decided to walk through Frisco.</div>
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After our final day in Loveland, we headed to Aspen for the World Cup races. I was excited because my family came to watch, including my mom who doesn't get to come very often. </div>
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On Saturday, I raced the GS. I tried to bring more aggression into my GS race, but I didn't go about this the right way. I can't put too much pressure on myself in GS, however I wasn't satisfied with the way that I skied. </div>
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Yet, racing the GS is always a good way to prepare for the slalom. Although I didn't race the way that I wanted to, I still learned a few things. The first of which, was that I didn't want to hold anything back in the slalom. I didn't want to leave anything on the hill. I promised myself that I wouldn't hold back like I did in Levi.</div>
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I stood in the start gate, wearing number 14, and felt ready. I pushed out of the gate, and my rhythm felt good. I forced myself to move even more, and be more on it. After about 12 gates, I felt my ski move between the two close gates of the hairpin, and I realized that I had straddled. </div>
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Britt Phelan moved from 44th to 15th first run and ended up about 21st in the race!!!! Her second time in the points (ie finishing in the top 30) </div>
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I was very upset. I put everything into my skiing, leaving nothing on the hill, and it is very upsetting when days like this happen. </div>
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However, in a sport that deals with inches and centimeters, straddles happen. I couldn't dwell on it. I was happy with how I started the race. </div>
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I had to move on to the next day. I hopped in the car to drive back to Loveland for a Nor Am Slalom. I wanted to prove to myself that my skiing was still there. I wanted to push it, but most of all, I needed to bring fun back into skiing.</div>
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It had to be just me and the hill..</div>
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I ended up winning in Loveland for the first time by about 1.2s. I needed a day like that. I needed a day of fun, a day of loving what a do, and feeling the joy of the wind in my face as my hand blocks a gate. </div>
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Britt came 3rd, and we all cheers(ed) on the podium! </div>
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The next day I decided to take a day off (Britt won!) and I headed back to Aspen to prepare for the GS Nor Ams. </div>
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Day 1: I ended up in a very precarious position near the bottom of the course. Something happened and I ended up with one ski in the air headed to straddle the next gate. I ended up just missed the next gate, but the tail of the ski in the air hit the gate and I fell. It was disappointing not to finish, however I was okay. </div>
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Day 2: I held back again first run. I NEED TO STOP DOING THAT. I ended up quite far back in 15th. I decided to really go for it second run. I made some improvements, however I need to make a few changes in my gs skiing. I know what some of these changes are, but the tricky part is implementing these changes. I was disappointed with the way that I skied and also the way that I approached this race. </div>
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We packed up the cars and headed to the airport to fly to Calgary. Tim's truck, which he drove back to Calgary, had no more room. I swear that the longer I stay on this team, the better that I will become at Tetris... and packing </div>
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We have just had a few days off in Calgary. I am rested, and ready to go. (Although my Christmas shopping doesn't agree. I guess I am buying online this year). </div>
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Colorado brought many highs and a great many of lows, but that is what our sport is... perseverance. </div>
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And when that fails, I watch funny animal videos. </div>
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Whenever this family would leave, they would find puddles on their pool deck. They though that it was the kids next door, so they set up a video camera...
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Erin Mielzynskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14701791876955719837noreply@blogger.com1