It is well after the practice session and the banquet dinner, so let me get you caught up.
I arrived late to the training session due to my inability to properly calculate one hour before five o'clock. It was in the mid to upper forties when I arrived at four thirty. During the afternoon, I had made a decision to only slide until I felt prepared for tomorrow's race. On my first run, I slid reasonably well, and in the Chicane - the long straight away with two very minor turns, I touched the left hand wall which forced me early into the Turn 17 - typically a bad situation. I amazed myself, as I was able to adjust the path of the sled, and exited a little earlier than normal. I hit the left hand wall prior to Turn 18, and steered the sled into Turn 19. After the run, the US Luge Association National Team Assistant Coach Bill Tavares told me, "when you come out of Turn 14 (prior to the Chicane), you are going to get what you get. Make sure that you keep your shoulders in contact with the sled."
In order to do what he instructed me to do, it meant that I would lose all long range visual clues and have to place my head in position where I would be looking up rather than out. For the last two years, I have been looking out (just like driving a car) and not up -- clearly not your typical aerodynamic luging position. I thought to myself, he is part of the coaching staff for the Olympic athletes, he knows what he talking about.
In run 2, all went as planned, and as I exited Turn 14 (Bendham's Bend) and entered the Chicane, I laid my head back as instructed, and spotted the over head light fixtures (as they are centered over the track). Sure enough, I did not touch a wall and entered Turn 17 just right of center, and finished the track in a new personal best time of 47.443. I had already a decision that I wanted to end on a good clean run, and this run was more than acceptable.
After the practice, fellow slider Tony Shimkonis, who may have suffered a partially, separated shoulder in a particularly nasty crash on Thursday, told me that I flew down the chicane as if I drew a beeline to Turn 17, but when I came of Turn 14, that my feet were hitting the ice. More information that I needed to know, but had no idea that I was doing. It was this information, which indicated to me that it may be time to lose the indoor soccer shoes that I have been wearing. Wonder if....
The banquet dinner was simply AWESOME. Most of the sliders and all of the USLA officials attended the event. After dinner, the "business" portion of the get together occured. The discussion regarding the location of next year's Master's race was held, and it was suggested that it be held in Park City, Utah.
Jay Edmunds from the Wasatch Luge Club (Park City), challenged Jim Murphy from the Adirondack Luge Club to a friendly competition to the determine the winner of the Challenger cup. He introduced his team of Bill Dearborn, Paul Suplinskas and Matt Gannon! He explained that Bill and Paul had bi-club membership. He stated that he was opting not to press charges against Matt (a long time ADK Club member, and actually works at the track keeping the refrigeration system working) as he had "sled-jacked" Jay's sled earlier in the week during a practice session. Such herasy. Jim accepted Jay's challenge.
I retired relatively early, as I was awakened this morning at five o'clock to shouts of "Let's party!!!...." Annoying kids. I went to the front desk to ensure that everything was ready for an early exit in the morning - and all was in order. I mentioned the Annoying kids to the manager, and he indicated that it was the Pool Tourament players that finished up playing at about five in the morning. Annoying pool players!!! {LOL}.
Tune in tomorrow for the Final Round.
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