Half Way There

Article written by AWCA athlete Jack Carlyle –

When you study for a test, exam, spelling bee, interview, the time and effort, quality and focus reflect on your confidence and most of the time, the outcome.

Walking to a start line, pep in my step the same way I did (that one time) walking into chemistry 10, singing the periodic table to a tune…as apposed to writing down as many elements as you can on the inside your graphing calculator.

I lean over to clip my skis on, I’m humming the sweet sound of all the hours training and work I did from May to December to get to that point. Your mindset and poise is exactly the same.

Between the months of May to November you train, train, train. Hours and hours of intensity focused, repetition and work of precision so that when the pedal has to hit the floor, there is no doubt that I will be able to motor.

A couple weeks ago I qualified to race for Canada at the U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. It was a huge goal of mine when preparing for this winter, without question, but its only part one of the greater picture. Now that I am going to race in the red and white, I’m not going to compete, I am going to be competitive, regardless if it is only my first time to the big dance.

Excitement for the trip has been building since I was told I qualified for the team. A couple days and I will be on a plane; skis, duffle, back pack, and the work of 700 hours in my legs.