Picture Post

If anyone would like to see a picture season update go check out www.annieoshea.wordpress.com I can't put that post onto blogger because the pictures make it difficult. There aren't a ton of pictures up, just some good ones from the first half of the season so far. I will be finishing the second half tomorrow!

Enjoy your night! Its getting late!

Beautiful Weather

I have been enjoying the Lake Placid weather. Really the randomness of the weather, but hey I'll take it.

Saturday was beautiful, I didn't have a workout just a little rehab in sports medicine so it didn't take up much time. It was about 80 degrees in Lake Placid. Me, Caleb, Becca and Diego (all skeleton sliders) decided to go down to Caleb's parents house. There is a river right across the street from them with awesome rocks that people lay on during the summer. Its always a little warmer down there so it was probably about 90 or so.

We grabbed some snacks and hung out on the rocks just relaxing. The river was flowing like crazy because all the snow from the top of the mountains was melting. I decided to put my feet in the river to see how cold it really was, it was serously cold probably about 40 or around there.

I felt the need to cold tub my legs, so I just sat down, firmly planted on the rock so the current wouldn't take me away. Becca went to the deeper part and started walking in, I decided to join and of course I lost my balance and fell in. This always happens to me. I fell in the river when we were up in Calgary last August using it as a cold tub I lost my footing on a rock and fell in. Slow motion really quite hilarious.

Back to this past weekend though, the water was so cold but the instant you got out of the water the sun instantly warmed you up. I kept getting back in the water and getting out to lay on the rocks.

All the runoff made the river filthy. People up here are always saying the fresh water is so nice and you get out feeling squeaky clean. Well not this weekend I was covered with dirt and Becca had her magnetic bracelet on and had so much iron stuck to it! It was so awesome!

Sunday wasn't the best day it rained, so I spent the day inside just relaxing. The sun kind of wore me out the day before.

Today was beautiful as well about 80 degrees again just a little windy though. I had a lifting and sprinting workout this morning. It was much better than last week. Well easier not better, workouts are always hard!

I wanted to get the most out of the day so I went down to the beach area in town. It is actually funny, they made a beach but its not the best sand even and well its a lake so I have a hard time calling it the beach. Besides the point, anyway it was very windy so I ended up just laying in the grass. Two ducks came very close to me, I almost thought they wanted me to pet them. People must feed them, which I think is so horrible because they don't learn how to get all the food they need on there own.

Tomorrow is just a sports medicine day and make a 30min bike or something!

Seriously Sore

I had a seriously hard workout yesterday. I went into the weight room still sore from Mondays workout, and Tuesdays rehab in sports med. I don’t have any injuries (knock on wood please if you are reading this, huge superstition). I am doing maintenance on my lower back because the end of the season pushing took a toll on me and I need to work on some small muscle groups.

If anyone wants to be incredibly sore and dread an exercise, do Bulgarian Deadlifts. I think they are the hardest thing I have ever done. It was killer to end the workout with Glute Ham Raises.

I had a great workout yesterday, despite the pain. I was the only one in the weight room (sometimes I don’t like that but yesterday I couldn’t have thought of anything better.) Jason is the head strength and conditioning person who runs the weight room, he writes programs and this off- season I decided to get on his program. I thought it was the best for me because of all the rehab things I am doing, he coordinates with the athletic trainers in sports medicine to see if you are having any problems and can’t do some exercises. As I was saying about yesterdays workout, Jason helped me with every lift. He watched my deadlifts, and cleans, and helped me with my glute ham raises.

Most importantly he gave me a ton of confidence. Normally I have problems when it comes to any hamstring exercise because I have had so many problems with my hamstrings. Jason assisted me on that part of the workout, and said that in about a month he believes I will be able to do them on my own.

I’m an athlete that needs to hear that your coach on the track or in the weight room believes that you can do it. Just a little bit of encouragement is all I want. So I think the summer in Lake Placid will be great for me, getting me ready going into next season and adding a little extra confidence to what I know I can do.

Sorry this post was a little bit scattered. I think I had a lot to say and probably could have put it all in one paragraph but how horrible would that have been.

Little catching up to do

Well I am back up in Lake Placid, but I had a wonderful time at home. I saw some family and a few friends that were at home over the weekend. I took the week completely off from training, it was awesome!

The only down side was that it wasn’t as warm as I was hoping for. It was actually warmer in Lake Placid the entire time I was home than on Long Island. I was shocked! I brought back my summer clothes in hopes that it would stay warm in Lake Placid. So far that hasn’t been the case. It is now pretty chilly and has been raining for the past few days. This weekend is going to be beautiful though, they are saying a high of 75 for Saturday, I’m hoping to catch some rays, maybe add a little color to my face.

This past weekend we had a BBQ at Caleb’s parents house a few bobsledders came and some other skeleton athletes. It was a nice sunny day and the BBQ was the perfect thing to get out of the OTC.

I started working out on Monday and let me tell you I can’t move too well today. I did 3×10 squats not heavy but after the second set I was already sore. I had some other lifts that added to me not being able to move yesterday or today and I’m guessing tomorrow also. Yesterday I thought I was going to fall down the stairs my legs were so dead. And today I couldn’t go up or down them very well. I am hoping my workout tomorrow will be doable.

Home for Easter

I am home for a few days, back on Long Island where there is no snow and the grass is green.

I had planned on coming home Saturday with a friend but plans changed and my friend and teammate Katie was wonderful enough to let me borrow her car to drive home. I had planned on coming home today but I was so anxious yesterday that after lunch I decided to pack some stuff and hit the road around 3:00. It was so nice that she let me take her car home, it felt great not having to burden anyone with trying to coordinate rides and now I can head back to Lake Placid whenever I want.

I surprised my mom last night she thought my Aunt was picking me up on Saturday. I thought it would be fun if she didn't know I was coming home. It was funny to see her face she was just shocked, stared at me and said why are you home!

I haven't been home since February so its nice to be home for a while. When I left Lake Placid it was snowing and just seeing the green grass on the drive down once I got around Albany always makes me happy. I stopped for gas and when I got I got out of the car I couldn't believe how warm it was.

Its pretty warm down here today high 50's the sun isn't out but the grass is green and I don't need a jacket just a long sleeve shirt! I am so happy to be home and excited because my older sister Kaitlin will be home tomorrow!

2009 America's Cup Champion

Well I had my last race of the season Thursday and Friday. I won Thursdays race by.67 seconds. Its a large margin to win a race by so it felt good. Yesterdays race I finished second, behind my New Zealand friend and competitor Tionette.

Winning the overall America’s cup title was a great way to end the season. I won the circuit in the 2006-2007 season as well, so it was fun to win again.

The weather for these races was just horrible. It was warm and the ice was soft and slow. Never the way you want to race for anything. It is the most difficult ice to drive on. It is easy to do to much, and go really slow.

Thursday’s race went really well, I had a great first run and a decent second run. I had planned on using these last two races as training for races for next season. I think in any race you compete in you can learn something. Whether it be how to keep it together for two runs, and if you are in first how to stay in first, or if you are in second how to pull it together for a great second run. I think day one I did exactly what I had planned to do.

Friday’s race didn’t go as I had wanted. I have been having some back tightness from pushing, and when I woke up I was very uncomfortable. I don’t think my head was completely in the right place, and I wish I had fixed that before the race started. Second was a good finish though. Tionette is a tough competitor and she had a smokin’ fast first run.

I enjoy being friends with the people I compete against. I think it is good to be able to hang out, and get along away from the track.

This race was a great way to end the season.