This summer is much different from summers past because I am
working part time at LL Bean. I am grateful for the employment, since college
expenses loom and it affords me a foothold in one of the most employee friendly
corporations in the word.
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| On hot days it pays to be coastal |
My job has made it necessary for me to adjust how and when I
train. I am working on balancing available training time with recovery needs and
my job schedule. This experience will be very handy when I join my teammates at
UNH this fall for training and studying. Despite this change I have trained
more hours this season then I did at this time last season. Not having to spend
time on the range also contributed to the increase in physical training hours.
As the previous sentence implies, my biathlon sabbatical has entered its 4th
month. I have taken this time to focus on my skiing, clear my head and examine
my priorities.
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| Working on that classic technique |
During a recent rollerski training session I was doing just
that... Thinking through where I had been, what I had done, where I was and where
it is I want to go. As these thoughts mixed with exercise induced chemicals, fatigue
and mild dehydration I looked to my left and saw a woman I had passed 2 hours
earlier on the first portion of my ski. She shouted as I passed, “How do you
know where you are going? How do you know where you have been?” I was taken aback
for a moment and replied something along the lines of “I go out and back!” As I continued back to my car, I began to
consider ever broadening interpretations of her question.
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| Once a field now a forest |
After returning to my car and re-gaining normal thought
process I re-visited her odd query. I decided that no matter where I have been
or what lies ahead I will endeavor to, as my coach Bill Meyer puts it “Enjoy
the Journey”
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| Mamma Snapper in the sand during a plyo session |
The journey continues this month with additional hours, a
dash high intensity work and of course a few summer fun days as well.
