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.

April Showers

Alright it isn’t exactly April yet but close enough, and it hasn’t stopped raining. It was a cold, muddy and wet day today. Sliding in this weather isn’t very fun. As soon as you pick your sled up and it touches your speed suit you’re soaked. (good thing our speed suits are really bathing suits, still get really cold though).

Its nice to be back sliding again. The week off was relaxing, more boring really. I had two decent runs today for not being on the track in a week and considering it melted a little this past week. When it rains a lot and gets warm the ice sometimes takes a different shape because it melts and refreezes. Track are always the most difficult after that happens you never know which way the ice is going to throw you.

I am testing a few pairs of runners (one of the most important aspects to our sleds). There are so many different types of runners and each athletes has reasons as to why they like the ones they do.

I think it is good to have this final race of the season in April. If you can teach yourself how to race tired, and after a long year and still race well I think you can learn a lot about yourself. So I’m ready to learn one last thing about how I race this season, I will tell you all about it after!

Almost Spring

Today was a beautiful April day for Lake Placid standards. I woke up early since sliding was in the morning, got a few things done and headed to the track for training.

The sun was out and there were few clouds in the sky, but the wind was blowing just enough so you needed a sweatshirt and some gloves. I love being at the track when its a nice day, it makes me happy. The best time to slide is when you are happy so basically its a win win situation for me.

The track wasn’t as fast as it has been, but it is getting less bumpy which is a good thing. This time of year each time I slide I try to learn something new, or try something out down the track. Whether it be a drive in a different part of a corner or a better way to relax down the track. This is the time to do all different things, make mistakes on purpse to see if your mind is fast enough to correct them, thats what makes a skeleton slider great.

My biggest stuggle in the past was consistency, that was mainly what I worked on this season during training and races. I am still working on being consistent but don’t feel like I am struggling with it anymore. What you aim for is two runs to be within 2tenths of each other, sometimes a little more is ok and well a few hundreths is pretty awesome.

After lunch I decided to get motivated and do a short running workout. My roommate and teammate was going so I figured I would tag along. It was a simple workout 8×80meter strides on the grass in the field outside the training center. This time of year it is a good idea to start running on the grass, except that the snow is still melting and the grass is soaking wet. So after my workout the back of my legs and my back were drenched and I was a little covered with mud. Abs were the end to my workout for the day. It may not seem like much but it is only March, and sliding before working out takes a lot out of you.

I won’t start my heavy training until the end of April or the beginning of May. Team trials take place in October so the summer is very long.

In Lake Placid

I realized I haven't written much lately, its been a little boring in Lake Placid. Sometimes its a good thing to have nothing to do here but it doesn't give me much to write about.

It was getting warm a few days ago. I went for a walk around Mirror Lake and down Main Street with my friend and the little girl she babysits. It was a wonderful walk, the sun wasn't out but it was relaxing. Unfortunately, that weather did not stay, it got rainy and muddy. Now its back to freezing. At the top of the track today for sliding it was about 10 degrees. Normally in the middle of winter 10 degrees isn't too bad, but after a few days with the warm weather, its hard to stand the cold again.

Other than sliding, I have just been working out. I am not back into the serious training yet, just workouts to stay in shape and not feel too lazy. I have been doing crossfit workouts. I think they are the best cross training workouts.

I am enjoying just sliding for fun right now, testing some equipment and just taking more runs down the track. I am racing the America's Cup April 3rd and 4th, the last race of the season. I wasn't going to but I decided since I am leading in overall points, why not see if I can win the whole thing. I think racing experience is one of the most important aspects of a mainly mental sport. Even though I had so many races this year I think it will be good to end the season on one also.

Thats about all for right now. I do the same thing just about everyday. Maybe something interesting will happen soon!

Check it out

Hey everyone if you have a minute, go check out my BIO on the America for Gold website...

http://www.americaforgold.org/athletes/annie_oshea.php

If you haven't done so already read the website and get to know America for Gold a little more.

Just in case anyone was wondering, yes I know the pictures I have up on my website are old and I am not the little anymore, I think on Monday as long as the weather is nice I will be taking new ones. So everyone be excited! I sure am!

America for Gold

I have never been happier to say that I am officially an America for Gold Athlete! I just found out on Thursday! I am so excited and I think this will be a great experience for me, to meet and talk with other people, while helping America for Gold get on the map some more and telling more people about skeleton.

I couldn't have done all of this without everyone who donated when I was raising money for my application. Thank you to all the people who help me and believe in me! This is going to make going into next season (Olympic Year) a little less stressful which is all I can really ask for!

I will be using this money for equipment and travel expenses, and getting a job this summer for the extra things. I am actually braving the cold today to go job searching, it isn't too busy in Lake Placid now so I might have to wait a little while for a job, but hopefully not.

Thank you again everyone for all of your help! It means so much to me!