Landgraaf - Round Two

After what felt like ages off training due to the surgery on my legs, I was more than ready to return to skiing, especially with feet that should hopefully stay in place on the footrest a bit better.

Last November I once again made the journey to Snowworld, Landgraaf (in The Netherlands) with the British Parasnowsport Team for the first races of the season. For anyone confused on how I was able to ski in Holland, it is a massive indoor ski slope, for more details I refer you both to the photos on this post and my write up of the place last year.

The camp began with a bit of training in slalom gates, where I was pleased to be told by the coaches that my skiing had improved quite a bit since they had last seen me. I definitely found it easier to deal with the ice and ruts on the course towards the end of the session caused by so many people racing. I also met a new coach for the first time who was great to work with.

Next it was time for the main event - the races (of which there were two, over two days, each consisting of three runs down 2 different slalom courses). You may remember that I did my first race here last year, but that was the youth race, this year I was doing the proper ones that I could actually gain points in.

On the day of the first race I decided to just take it steady and concentrate on getting down the course rather than focus on my time, a decision that was confirmed when I was in the start gate and the racer before me managed to crash repeatedly (not particularly helpful when you are already pretty nervous). After successfully getting through the first run I began to relax a bit, and that meant that on my second run I was able to take a much tighter line and improve my time quite a bit. The third and final run of the first race was somewhat interesting. On coming out of the start gate one of my outriggers failed to deploy  (most likely due to the spring freezing whilst waiting around in the cold) and I fell pretty much straight away. As I managed to get myself up straight away I was able to continue, but still slightly shaken from the first fall, I managed to topple over once again! Luckily I (somehow?) was able to get myself up again and finish the course (I found myself shouting at myself to stay upright for the remainder of the run) in a respectable ninth place, scoring my first points for slalom.

By the next day the effects of the week of training and racing were really beginning to take their toll on my body, and I really did not feel well, to the extent where I was seriously considering pulling out of that day’s race. However I couldn’t let myself come all that way to not race, so to the start I headed. The first run went remarkably well considering I felt half dead, not to mention how icy the slope was after the previous day’s races, and I managed to get down in a much better time than the day before.  Unfortunately the next run wasn’t quite as successful as the previous one, I had managed to get about three quarters of the way through before I realised I was moving with more speed than I could handle as I approached a more technical section of the course. In an attempt to quickly come onto the edge of my ski to slow myself down, I ended up skidding on a patch of ice, which would normally only cost me a few extra seconds, but this time I managed to slide past the next gate, so I was unable to finish the course and the rest of the race. On this occasion I wasn’t too bothered to have not finished, I was pleased with myself to have got this far, and somewhat relieved that I was now free to stop and rest.

Overall this was a camp of great success, I was thrilled to have finished one of the races and to get some points, giving me a starting point on the leaderboard. I also left being more comfortable with taking a tighter line through the course, meaning that next to work on is being happier with hitting the gates as I go past them.