I have been training in Jericho, Vermont during the first
and second week of August for the entirety of my time as a serious biathlete.
This season marked the first time my goals in Jericho where centered on
performing at my best during the North American Summer Biathlon Championships.
These races are a part of the World Cup and Olympic Selection process, so all
of the top athletes in North America arrived ready to race.
I raced as hard as I could in both races, despite
contracting a cold that plagued the athletes staying in the military housing
near the race venue. It is important to note that my ski speed was not the
primary limiting factor in my results. Like in years past I was not able to execute
satisfactory shooting on race day. These races where an excellent reminder that
racing and training are different beasts and in order to be prepared for the
next round of trials races I need to become much more stable technically and mentally
on the range.
I have a few new concepts that I will be introducing to my
shooting regime to facilitate these changes, in addition to the additional intensity
that comes with the beginning of fall.
Next week I will take some time away from specific training
to re-build my training base following this past weekend’s racing and prepare
mentally for the fall training season. After this period my MWSC teammates and
I will be training in Valcartier, Quebec for 5 days. Valcartier is a common
racing venue in the winter, but I have never visited in the summer. This camp
should be an ideal introduction to fall training.
