Betsy Mawdsley: January 2011

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

North American Cup 3 Yo!

So this post was meant to go up Monday after our race, but after an impressive snow storm we got stuck in Canmore for an extra night until it was safe to hit the highway. Needless to say we were very disappointed to train an extra day in Canmore before heading back. Classes have started and there has been a substantial amount of laughter from my professors as we discuss the amount of school I am missing for racing. Never underestimate the value of a small school with amazing professors!

Here is a quick race update from North American Cup 3!

Thanks Joel for some great race pictures!

After a great Christmas at home it was back to work with North American Cup #3 in Canmore. Nor Am #2 was in Jericho, Vermont and I opted out, partially to make it home but mostly Turkey is my focus this year and so a trip out East wasn't in the books.

Nor Am #3 went decent and I was relatively happy with my 3rd place finish in the sprint and my move into 2nd in the pursuit for an overall 2nd place finish in the weekend. It was a cold weekend and my hands are still healing from some bad frostbite. I was also very tired going into this weekend as we just came off a large training week in effort to get our last bit of volume in before we taper off for World Unis.

Settling in for some solid standing shooting in the sprint

Saturday, I took a risk with some a newer pair of skis and ended up working overtime to match the glide of some of my competitors. While this may have cost me some speed, I know, racing is the only way to really know and trust your race skis. Regardless I had a strong skiing race and was only limited by some quality penalty loop time after some unfavourable shooting results. I am extremely happy with my skiing as I managed to match some powerful women in their ski speed which is a new asset in my skill set.

Battling with Cindy Clark, Congrats on the win!

Sunday, I was determined to take control of my race. I cleaned both sets of my prone and was leading for the first half of the race with my team mate Kathryn Stone. I stumbled in my standing and was beat out by Cindy Clark, a very talented biathlete who shot 19/20 and skied in control the entire race. While I was disappointed that my range performance cost me the chance to take on Cindy for the win, I ended up in a last lap Battle with 3rd and 4th and managed to keep the gap into the finish. The result of such a hard ski effort? I was a puddle and was a little fuzzy for a couple days.

I've been talking a lot with my coaches and training partners about what goes through my head when I race. After missing some crucial shots so close to my biggest event I have been reflecting on what went through my head during my races. So here are my most productive, distracting and illogical thoughts, also known as:

15 Thoughts During Nor Am #3

1. Holy man I'm cold, I'm 4km in how can I still be freezing?!

2. If they are going to beat you, make them earn it, don't give it to them

3. You've done this 1000 times, your just doing another interval with Alex, just push that hill like you do every time with Alex

4. @#$%@@$$* (in regards to messing up my standing in the pursuit)

5. Awww Joel don't take that picture of me I've got more drool and snot then any person ever should

6. Be the change you want to see

7. Why are you letting them set the pace?! It's the first lap, lets run our own race.

8. Okay second prone, the other girls are going to get a correction and shoot well so just do what you did the lap before and everything will be alright.

9. YES!!!!! (10/10 prone)

10. They're coming for you, get moving they're coming for you

11. Black and Yellow, Black and Yellow, Black and Yellow

12. Man I hate when I ski over fallen off leg numbers, wait those were my numbers... when did I loose those?

13. Don't think about missing, don't think about missing.... damn

14. Okay so you can hear skis behind you, but if I look back and its Kat or Karen I'm not sure I can handle that, but what if its not them will I be able to keep the motivation for this pace.... but what if it is and I need to dig deeper ... don't look back just don't let the skis pass you!

15. Just breath.

Its been a cold cold week in Camrose hanging out around the -30 mark. I've been testing out a newly recovered knee with some running work outs. Thankfully things have been holding strong and I am feeling better than ever heading into Turkey. It's only six days away.... wow.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Home Again, Home Again

For the last two weeks I've been hanging out in my hometown Fort Smith, NT. It is pretty rare that I get home and even more rare that our race season and school let me stay home for this long. My trip home has been filled with tonnes of sleep, great skiing and naturally way too much of my Mom's cooking.

Rocking Some Training on Home Trails

I come from a family of four kids and two amazing parents that still back my sports and school as enthusiastically as they did when we were kids. As soon as I get off the plane, it's like I never left. My parents spoil me rotten and I spend way too much time goofing off with the siblings. My partner in crime/older sister Ella spent Christmas in Africa this year and it was tough to spend the holidays without her here to keep me on my toes. She called me at 6:30 Christmas morning just to make sure that she kept tradition and woke me up on Christmas.

My brother at his finest

My Mom and Dad are pretty cool and spoil me rotten when I am home. I think this is partially an effort to get me to come home more and also they always surprise me with the level of support they are ready to provide for biathlon. It's been a warmer Christmas than most but its still below -20 pretty much every day. My Dad is ready before I am to be behind the scope for me, groom trails in front of me when its snowing and always seems to pop up when it gets cold and dark, just to make sure I'm safe.

Poppa Bill Ready to Go Train

Me and Momma Phillys

I've got a weird diet that cuts out a lot of basic things such as wheat and milk. When I walk in the door my Mom has more gluten free food ready for me then I knew was possible. They ask me everyday how they can help now and long term. My parents are amazing.

Being home reminds me why I have such an infatuation with biathlon. It's cold, it's always dark and I spend way more time listening to my Ipod than ever before but this place is my home. It's where Don "the professor" True chased us around the trails and still comes out to give me a hand almost ten years later. It's where PK Hamilton taught me that you can work and love every minute of it (go Belarus!). But most importantly, when your trails look like this, its hard not to love my home, the north and my training.

Back south tomorrow and straight to Canmore for North American Cup # 3.

All About Me

I was born and raised in the small northern town of Fort Smith, NWT. With my two sisters and brother, being active and involved in sports was a regular part of our everyday life. My parents encouraged us into organized sports, including figure skating, track and field, soccer, volleyball, swimming and skiing. Having four kids in the house meant we were regularly kicked outside to play to keep from driving our parents nuts. All my childhood memories include playing baseball and soccer in the backyard as well as tones of early memories doing swim team and weekends playing at the lake. My family remains my greatest form of support as they support and encourage me through the many challenges of being an athlete.

My love for skiing started in the Jackrabbits program when I was seven years old. With my Dad I spent every Saturday learning the basics through fun and games. I started biathlon when I was thirteen under the watchful eye of Patti-kay Hamilton and Don True. Growing up in this program were some of my favorite years as I competed in the Alberta cup, Nationals and three Arctic Winter Games capturing two gold and a bronze Ulu. Through these training sessions, many of which were done by headlamp at very cold temperatures, I learned dedication and mental strength as well as a pride of my northern upbringing. PK and Don taught me to succeed you must work outside your comfort zone and at the same time find joy in every training session.

After graduating I spent a year training and racing for West Coast Nordics in North Vancouver. After competing at Canada Winter Games in 2007, I was given a scholarship to race for the Augustana Vikings Biathlon Team in Camrose, Alberta. While racing for them I have been completing my Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. Despite moving teams I still hold pride in being an NWT athlete and race under that title as often as possible.

I am also working to complete my coaching levels and while summer training, I have been working as the assistant coach with Foothills Nordic Biathlon. In the fall I will work in support of the Camrose Ski Club Biathlon program. While working with a very talented group of young athletes I am reminded everyday why I love my sport.

During my years with the Vikings I have had multiple top ten finishes at nationals and am currently ranked 11th nationally. I have also had multiple podium finishes on both the Alberta and North American cup races.

Currently I am training with hopes of making the IBU cup and World University Games. My long term focus is the 2014 Olympic Winter Games which will come after four more years of work and dedication.