And then?!

Are you at all wondering what is next?!

After a couple long years, definitely a solid 6 months of training, and a World Cup, what happens after!?

Let me tell you what happened during that time.
The past 6 months has been occupied with the process. Something we take very seriously and like to think we live by. It is what we used working up until the Russia World Cup.
I think it was quite successful. It gave us something to focus on. If you found yourself stepping off the path or taking a different route, it got you back onto the track that we as a whole were working towards. It gave us consistency, and a sense of connected. Sticking to the process is what we were going to use to win the World Cup. Win it we didn't, but coming second to a very talented and skilled NZ side is something we are very proud of, and a moment in time that we will never forget. We made history that day, and I can honestly say that feeling is like nothing else you've experienced.

                                                       (harmless game of up down look)
No we don't accept losing, and we are not settling for second because it is something historical we as a team have achieved. Yes we are proud, so extremely proud! Beyond words even. But now moving forward, we have 3 years to start where we finished, and build on that process we so strongly believe in. Because I believe we can win. I know that as a team, as a program we have more. So much more.

We have a team motto, it is Team first. We also like to consider our group as #Connected, and we all have #Onegoal. As a team this brings us together. They are just words, but to us they are very powerful words.

After such a long 6 months and a World Cup to top it off, what next you ask!?

We had two weeks off...
Two weeks! I can not remember the last time we have had two weeks off! Try telling an athlete to take time off! So I mean active rest, lets be honest, but it has been fantastic!
A lot of the girls have went home to spend the summer with their families and loved ones before we reunite in September. But there are still some of us here in Vic who have been taking advantage, living it up, taking in the scenes, enjoying the beautiful summer!
The first week included some bike rides, afternoon patios with friends for food and drinks, some beach time, and getting errands done. I did a lot of driving around and getting lost, which can be really fun because you discover some really amazing and beautiful things on the Island that you wouldn't normally get the chance to see. Getting lost is not actually all that bad!

We then got presented with opportunities like going to Langara Island to the Fishing lodge in the Queen Charlottes for 4 days is a once in a life time unique experience that Ghislaine and I decided to take advantage of! We learned how to bait in 5 minutes, got our gear and out on the water as soon as we could. Just as quick as we were out there we were both getting sick over the side of the boat and curled up hoping for a miracle to make such a terrible feeling go away! Lets just say the next day we didn't forget to take Gravol for the motion sickness. In the end we had a great time, and came back with a couple boxes of fish that will happily feed us for a while! This experience would not have happened for us if it wasn't for Rick Bourne, so thank you, a hundred times thank you! You have an amazing place that you wanted to share with us. It is filled with amazing people that you must be so proud of. We truly appreciate it!

                                                              (that was just day 1)

Brittany Waters and I attended the Players Championship Golf Tournament here in Victoria last week and got to meet and spend time with a lot of people who really care about our program and want to help support us. It was a very humbling and honoring experience to receive a standing ovation for our result in the Moscow World Cup the week earlier. It just felt really amazing to see the proud on all the supporters faces as they applaud our efforts. We were coupled with Mike Chu and Bob...the Bob who never did show up! But we couldn't have done as well (term used loosely) as we did with out a Bob. Bob was the term we used when one of us couldn't get a shot to save our lives. Which proved to be more often then not, so thanks Bob!

The next day I was off to Vancouver to spend some time with the amazing friends I have and never get to see! We went on a couple hikes, which are can be quite difficult being such a different training system than I am use to, as well as kayaking. Both took a lot out of me! I loved it, I love the challenge. Sometimes I tell myself after that I wont put myself through that feeling again. I then find myself, not long after, making plans to do it all over again! It is a vicious cycle, but one that I love to hate.

It's not all fun and games, you see, we will resume regular training this coming week. Love the break, but I really have the urge to get back to the daily grind. We have work to do and when you want something you need to go out and get it. It wont come to you!
Actually funny story, well a short one anyways, but got an email from our coach saying touch is being held at this place this time, vacation is over! Love those messages, really shoots you back into reality, quick!

Side note:
After an intense training period, building up to a big event, you can almost count on the post tour blues. After the 2009 Dubai World Cup I found myself not wanting to leave the house for almost 2 weeks. I felt really low and sort of depressed. We are told those feelings are completely normal! You go from 100% all the time to nothing. It is a little confusing for the body. I have found keeping myself busy and enjoying the people around me very helpful during this time, as I knew what to expect after the 2009 experience.

It's not all about us:
Also during this time our U20 Women's team in competing in England at their Nations Cup and are doing things that our women's team has only ever done once before. They won their first game against the USA and have beat England. Beating England is something that only one other U20 team has done, and not even our senior side has ever done. We are all so very proud of them and are wishing them the best in their last game against South Africa, that when they win, they will have won the whole tournament! There is a stunning group of young women coming up through the system that I am very excited to see them carry this program in the future. At U20 they are exciting, give them a few years, I cant wait! Well done ladies, you should be so proud.                                                              (the future)

To finish this off I want to tell my parents I love them! They came out to Russia to support us, and had a great time travelling around and being apart of the scene. I cant thank them enough for everything they do. I love you guys!                  (love these guys, my two most fave people in the world)

Picture Blog: Lake Wood School Visit

The National Senior Women's 7s Team held some fun rugby skill sessions with the Kids of Lake Wood School in Bear Mountain today. We got there with a bag of balls, some cones, a few pinnies and just started to rattle off some ideas to do with the groups. The girls came up with 4 stations that we would end up running the different grades throughout the day. What was pleasing is that no matter the grade be it 1 or 6 they all had fun doing the same drills!

The kids were fantastic. We ended up having station one being a relay station, where the kids would work on their evasive skills. Not running just in a straight line, but cutting off the cone, what we like to refer to as a power step. Each kid had to go through about 5 cones then return to the same way they came before their other teammate could leave the mark. It was wet out, so there was a lot of slip and slide, which also made it hard to cut, but the kids were laughing, and lets be serious, falling and sliding is the best part!
Station 2 was run as basic catch and pass. You had 4 cones squared up, and the kids would run across and pop up the ball to their opposite, two lines going at once. Then they would have to meet in the middle and try to put the ball up for their opposite to run onto. The third part to that drill was them catching and passing, following your pass to the right and then to the left. Bringing the drill to the end, the grid opened up and all the balls got placed in the middle. The kids all still on 4 corners they had to run into the middle of the grid one kid at a time, relay style, and bring one ball back at a time. Once all the balls were gone from the middle, they were allowed to go and take balls from the other 4 corners.
Station 3 was British Bull Dog. You know! A classic. 3 people start in the middle, call the group of people over who are waiting to run on the line, and they try and tag as many to join in their chain to help them out in the middle the next time.
Station 4 was End ball. It's just like Handball but a very beginner level version and we play it with a Rugby ball! Once you get the hang of it, you can start to add skills, rules etc.

The Kids loved it. They laughed, cheered, and over all they seemed to have had a great time! I know that we all enjoyed spending the day with them. We were very thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the school today. Those experiences go a long way. We hope the kids got as much out of it as we did!

This is something we do on a regular, and I thought it was really neat to bring into this day! It's our motto team first, and so we bring everyone in for a team on 2...1...2...Team! Loved it.

Thanks Lake Wood School for asking us to come in and work with all the wonderful kids!

Mind of a stubborn athlete

I'm just going to go off on one here.
More of a conversation that I am having with myself. I would love for you to be involved though!
As an athlete, being the way we are, the hard work we put into everything we do.
It becomes your business. You are apart of a company. Something big.
Suddenly when there are set backs in that something huge you are apart of, you feel like your world comes crashing down.
I see it everyday in the people around me. I see it in the athletes I train with, my teammates, or you see other athletes training in the gym or on the track putting in the same commitment and efforts you are. Now when someone tells you that you can't do something, it makes you want it more then you ever wanted it before. Its almost like your purpose or reason for being is taken away from you.
Well, at least that's how it feels as an elite athlete who has given their life to their sport.

For example an injury. It doesn't matter what kind of injury it is, they all have similar effects on each individual. You have the serious injury that is going to take months and months to heal, and you know that what you need to do is rest. Little activity as possible, and rehab. Lots and lots of rehab. Now even though you know that this is going to take months and months, and you can't do anything to speed it up, you are going to be the most difficult, most stubborn, most impatient person you could imagine being until you're back in the game. Totally normal.
As much as we like to think the sport we play doesn't define us, something like an injury just makes that "being defined" more concrete. It does, because during that time you feel lost, confused, emotional, like your life is in shambles and its coming to an end. There couldn't possibly be anything worse! Even though going through all of this you have your friends and family who support you, you still feel a little bit on your own. That is where a life balance comes in, but that's a whole other topic!

No matter how serious the set back, you go through the same emotions!
All you want to do is be healthy, fit, back in the game, put me in coach I am ready!
Little do we know as an athlete time off / body management is just as important as the training you do on the pitch!

I was talking to my physio today and was telling him how much extra soft tissue I had done, and how I went to town on my neck and back, thinking that I had done the right thing! He then says, that's great that you went to town, but you know that less is probably more in most situations when it comes to niggles or injuries. He said "you prob just went and pissed it off." When actually just taking a couple days and letting things settle down is probably my best bet.
Go figure! But me being the stubborn athlete I am, thinking I'm doing what's best, I was actually probably not doing myself any favors!

Something funny happened to me today. You might have had to be there to fully understand the humor in it, but we were on the pitch starting up some contact drills. Well I was told not to participate, so I was standing on the side line, getting impatient. So I started to try and mimic what they were doing against the move able goal posts. What I thought was being discrete, was actually on show for everyone to see, and pretty much got told to just sit still!
I find it very hard to just sit still, when all I want to be doing is the same thing as everyone else!
Even though I am fully capable of doing the drills and the contact, that doesn't mean its going to help me any in the bigger picture. So just taking a bit of time to let things settle is best. Maybe then I wont be burdened with chronic pain?

Body management is so important, even at my age I have gotten much better, but still, I find myself trying to fight the inevitable. These things happen! Coach says there isn't an award for who is the most brave, nip it in the bud early, be smart about these things! It could be the difference in you being average for a minute and then progress from your injury to being your outstanding self or you being consistently average all year!
Set backs stink, and as an athlete you will either be lucky enough to never have to deal with any injuries, you may only have had to deal with a few, or your entire career has been littered with injuries that even your physio cant explain. You just have hard luck.

The most extraordinary thing about elite athletes is no matter how hard their luck may have been they don't give up. They do everything in their power to get back to 100% and do it all over again. And a lot of them say that they wouldn't have had it any other way. It has made them stronger. Frustrating, and mentally defeating, but they over come that. Those hurdles and challenges they have embraced during their roller coaster ride has made them who they are.

I was talking to a friend who is a Strength and Conditioning coach and he said that "we like to hire athletes because they don't call in sick when they have anything less then the squirts. They take the same pride in their working as they did in playing." I'd say that pretty much describes it!

There are some really impressive people out there.  A few of those people are on my team, and you know who you are, but every day you inspire me and the people around you for being there, doing what you can do, and still striving for that greatness. No matter the challenges your being faced with you come with a smile on your face, and encourage those around you. That takes a lot and I thank you, for being an outstanding teammate, and believing in us, because we all believe in you.

Thanks for sticking around for my little rant.
This is something you see people go through on a daily basis and I am always impressed with how these things get dealt with. Very strong determined people. Most people would crumble, but these ones don't!