The last few weeks I have been hard at work making a great plan for this summer. My team has officially started next season with our first camp in my hometown of Mammoth, California. This camp is all about going back to the basics, and for us that means slowing down. I mean way down. We are taken through many of the most important elements of skiing back at snail’s pace, and forced to do everything correctly before we are allowed to go faster again. For me, I was focusing on the fundamentals of going over terrain (like bumps and jumps that can cause you to be off balance). One of the most effective and consequently most entertaining methods of this was to put us on cross-country skis and send us down the mountain. These skis are probably about a quarter of the width of alpine skis, and have no edges and no heel attachment. If you are even slightly out of place on these skis, they will immediately let you know by sending you on your butt. To say the least, these skis are not made for going downhill, and therefore are a very effective training tool with quick feedback about body position. If you are confused about why I mentioned this was the most entertaining part of the camp, picture this: A group of athletes considered to be the nation’s best at skiing, hardly able to stand up, let alone make turns on a beginner run. We had a lot of people worrying about the future of US Skiing!

After completion of the snow camp, I was off to Park City, Utah (where the team is based) to have a physical testing and ‘dryland’ camp. Being the adventurous and sometime oblivious person that I am, I decided that I wanted to brave the outdoors and camp out instead of being put up at a hotel. And braving the wild outdoors was exactly what it was. Out of the 4 days I was there, my tent only actually stood up for about 3 hours. Hurricane force winds and downpours of rain and snow had me hiding in my car and rethinking my idea of camping in a winter destination in the beginning of May. This might actually be a story for another time though, cause it is actually pretty funny. My time in Utah, besides the camping, was actually very productive and worthwhile. I learned the entire new summer program from the trainers. I am very happy with it and excited to share bits and pieces with you as the summer moves on. One quick thing about the program is that it really is focused on being completely balanced as an athlete and eliminating weaknesses. Sometimes it is easier to just ignore what you are not necessarily good at and try to get better at what you are, but this program doesn’t allow that. For instance, I am generally considered more of a power athlete, so every time I have a lift in the gym, I spend more than an hour with a warm up that has an explosive biased theme. It is actually pretty cool, and I can’t wait to see what kind of effect it will have on me as an athlete.

One more thing that is kind of cool. I have made plans to participate in a triathlon in July. I have never done anything of the sort, and to be perfectly honest I am a little scared of the swimming part. But I am going to train hard for it, and am sure I will enjoy a little competition in the summer months. I am also trying to figure out a way to raise money for charity as part of my experience, so please check back here often, as this will be the first way to know how to donate. I am definitely stepping out of my comfort zone to do this, and I think it is a great way to try to get others to step out of their comfort zone and donate to a great cause.

STACEY COOK is an elite member of the U.S. Ski Team’s alpine skiing program. She competed in the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy and was a member of the 2007 World Championships Team... {more»}