The final prep

So I sit here today realizing that the beginning of the final race series is here. What has gotten me here and where have I been? Well I should start at the first camp that I attended on snow in the fall, a three week camp that consisted of two weeks of training and a week of racing. That was in the summit county area where we trained out of Copper Mountain, workout in Breckenridge, and stayed in Keystone. Our races were in Copper Mountain and Winter Park. I was able to win all of the races and actually score points in the Giant Slalom in Copper Mountain. After the Holidays and a bit more training out of Winter Park, I was off to Europe for the World Cup Series.
The first races were held in RollRinn, Austria, where both Innsbruck Olympic Downhills were held. I had a horrible Giant Slalom and an awesome Slalom there. That Slalom would be the last great race in Austria. I had a lot of good runs in Abtenau, Austria, but never in the same race. After that we traveled across Austria and the upper bit of Italy, practically to France, where we stopped at a little hill called Sestriere. I guess it isn't really that small, the Olympics and Paralympics. I got my groove back. After an expected middle of the pack finish in the downhill I put it down in the Super-G and the Super Combined. I finish the series with two more silvers and a bronze. I left Europe with three slivers and the bronze.
After a week off I went up to Winter Park for some awesome training on Cheshire Cat, some Super-G and Giant Slalom. Next I went up to Kimberly, BC, for a speed series, well more training for me. I was there to help others with lowering points but I was there to train. I was skiing most of the morning. I like that hill, very rollie and nice quick steep pitches on wide runs. I won all of the races here as well but again not really a race for me, no international competition, mostly regional racers.
Now that puts us at the last set of events. I competed at the Wells Fargo Bank Cup and World Disable Invitational. I managed to finish second in both races. The World Disabled Invitational was raced on my twin tip all mountain ski. From Winter Park I drove down to Colorado Springs, packed up my car for April 3rd and then drove up to Vail for the final camp.
The Camp went really well. I have found new confidence in Giant Slalom, which doesn't amount to much but I feel better. The Slalom and Super-G training was top notch. After a bit of shopping in Dillon I made my way west to Carbondale to get ready for the World Cup Finals in Aspen. I am ready. This is just training for the real event in a couple of weeks. We have gotten our suits and jackets for competition but still await to get our Paralympic gear on the 7th. I am still trying to weed out the things that I don't need through the rest of the month. Not sure how I am going to do that but I am sure that I will figure that out. Until then I am ready for the games. These races here in Aspen are the final tuning to tactics and technique needed for Whistler.