As a challenge to myself and just to say “I did it”, I’m writing this update from the back of the team van. Which brought to mind some thoughts on driving in Europe and some of the other stereotypes I have for Europeans which have come out “big time” while here.

boot drying Ramsau style

The first and most obvious stereotype is that driving in Europe is ridiculous. Every day while we’re training in Ramsau it’s a mad dash to get to the gondola. Yesterday we got blocked hard while trying a pass over a much slower car. After exchanging a few pleasantries everything was fine and dandy again. It seems that a trip to grocery store can hold several close calls and while driving on the autobahn speeds of 160km/h are no big deal.

getting our ski on

The next stereotype that popped up is the fact Europeans love to tan. When the sun is out the shit is off. I get a hard time for taking my shit off at any opportunity, but I’ve now seen the next level. It couldn’t have been more than 10 degrees out and this guy had the shirt off, belly to the world and it wasn’t a small belly. He was baring his bronzed chest with the pride an alpha male can muster. This was lap one of my ski and while that was pretty funny, lap two was another level of hilarity. First the shirt and then the pants came off and the Speedo was on display. I have nothing against wearing a speedo on a glacier, (in the right conditions) but there are hundreds of people, some times over a thousand, skiing on the Dachstein glacier and so to see this coach was over the top funny. It would be tough to take this guy seriously as a coach! It was seriously good stuff.

My best Tiger on the Hotel's golf course, it was a great way to relax in the pm.

The third stereotype I’ve had slap me in the face this trip, is the Euro’s affinity for smoking. It doesn’t really bug me, the second hand smoke as much as it does some, but yesterday I saw a cigarette butt in the ski track up on the glacier. I don’t know which athlete was smoking, but I had to laugh, only in Europe! I couldn’t imagine seeing that up on the Haig. Not now, not never.

The view from the top. Winter in the am summer in the pm, not bad.

I love Europe and the town of Ramsau is truly an amazing place to train, which is what we’ve been doing a lot of. The camp is divided into two intense 5 day blocks of training with some down time in the middle for some rest and intensity. It’s a good formula for hard work and recovery and things are going well. Energy is good and the work being done is right on par with how I want to be feeling for this time of year. After some rest time in Quebec it’ll be time to hammer out some intensity, which will be where things really start to pick up. The skiing, although not amazing is still good, with Klister type conditions and firm skating tracks for the first couple hours of training. It’s a dream to have winter in the am and summer in the pm. Life doesn’t get much better. ‘Till the next one……….

Check yourself before you wreck yourself!

Phil