Winter is coming

Hey guys,

It has been a while since my last blog but I thought I would update you on a couple of things. I have just got back from 10 days in Hintertux Austria, It was a great camp, lots of snow and I am definitely the post mountain blues.

I have been struggling with a neck injury the last few camps and thus struggled with training       and generally getting about. Although, inefficient, the way I learnt to walk means I use my neck muscles for pretty much everything I do, which when pulled, makes getting from A to B pretty difficult, but its on the mend now.

I have recently started Ballroom dancing. Absurd ? no, well I did think that a bit to begin with but bear with me. The idea was to improve my balance and my footwork whilst being able to work at a higher intensity and still have precision in my movements. Darren at Footloose dance studio in Barlborough has been great at easing me into it. I keep warning him that I will end up falling over at some point but luckily, this hasn’t happened…yet.  He has been getting me to do Cha cha, Waltz, Fox trot and a bit of rock and roll. I am really enjoying it and it has brought a different focus to my training.

At the beginning of September we spent a week in Hintertux, it was a hard camp for myself, there was very little snow(pictured right) and we spent most of the time skiing on glacier ice.  I struggled with the snow, it was like skiing on marbles, which wasn’t very fun. The skis vibrated under foot and I found it hard to relax. As the week went on I felt as I was beginning to relax to it but still struggled to keep an edge. 

I arrived back in the UK on the Sunday to stop off in Luton to commute straight into London for work on the Monday morning.  It was a strange feeling being back at sea level, Hintertux is a glacier that sits at 3250 m, and the hotel we stay at is around 1000m above sea level.  The next four days brought on the feeling that can only be described as being drunk on oxygen. I felt energised and felt like I had drank 100 espressos. I don’t think my colleagues knew what hit them when I walked in haha.

This week I started my next rotation at work for my graduate programme. I have moved into the Network function and I am working on a project to streamline the business. The first week has been a steep learning curve but I am starting to get my head round the challenge. This job is based in Chesterfield and I will only be in London 1 -2 times a fortnight. This is going to cut my costs down dramatically and help me manage my energy levels more efficiently. If I am having a ‘tired’ day I could restrict my walking to a minimum of 5 minutes a day. Which will be great for my general well being. Although, I am sad to leave London, I will miss the people and the fun I do have down there. I am excited to start this next challenge.

As I said earlier I have just got back Hintertux from another training camp. There had been a dumping of snow since the last camp in September and the glacier looked much more inviting. It is getting colder and it feels like ‘winter it coming’ (check out the below picture, even my hair froze.) I have been trying to work on rolling my skis more and pressing through the shins to get more drive. 

This is the first time I have ever enjoyed powder skiing. Having outriggers and generally limited control over my feet, powder and I have never really got on. There are too many things to get caught and I just normally end up face first in big mounds of snow (look over previous blogs for evidence.) But on this camp, I have started to see the fruits of my labour. We got on the hill early, and there was miles of untouched snow waiting for us. Feeling a little apprehensive I made my way to the meeting point, a short ski down the mountain. I made two turns and suddenly realised what all the fuss was about. I forgot everything my coach had told me to focus on and just ripped some massive turns, spraying powder everywhere. I felt like I was floating, it was a true feeling of freedom.....AWESOME !!! ....Even If I did get a little told after for not focussing on the drills....it was worth it (don't tell Dougie that.)

We have even been doing off snow drills but on skis to try and perfect the movement. This involves me stood on skis but on a mat, trying to replicate the movements I would do to ski but on dry land. This helps greatly, as we can control a lot of the conditions and get my body understanding what it needs to do much more easily.

On camp we have 3 rules to ensure to define our culture, to provide a bit of order and to show that we are respectable to each other and the other teams. 

These are:

• be punctual,
• no swearing
• carry your water bottle wherever you go (hydration is a hot topic at the moment) 

To add a bit of fun into the mix we have forfeits to do if we break one of these rules.  These can consist of 10 press ups to hill sprints to dancing in a random place for 60 seconds to singing a rendition of Singing in the rain outside (in the the rain).  These have brought a lighter side to training and help define our values and the performance side of our training.

Well, I will leave it there for now, it is 4 weeks till my next race, I am training hard :) and making the most of my new working location. I will update you when I am settled into my new job.

Much Love

Alex

x

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

Norway and the tale of the broken tethers

It has been a while since my last blog so I thought I would update you on my escapades and my time in Norway.

Norway is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. To even get to the hotel we had to cross Fjords, mountains and even mile long tunnels.

My first impressions of Norway was….WET. For the first week we had pretty much non stop rain on the hill but glorious sunshine at the hotel.  Which made for great recovery post training. We could ski in the mornings, come back soaked and then go and swim in the sea to relax….

Oh yeah the Hotel was a 5 – 10 minute walk from the nearest Fjord, which was tidal and had a very low salt content. Which meant it was really nice to swim in.  There was even a diving board, which I HAD to jump off, at least once.  It wasn’t in the easiest of locations to get to. We had to walk over rocks, slippy cambered surfaces and even climb a few steps with no hand rail and then when we got to the board there was no rail or anything to hold onto whilst you were on it. I set off on the trek, picking my line through rocks and climbing onto the slippery camber, making sure to avoid the rock pool, Catherine the physio caught up with me and asked me the question “are you sure this is a good idea?” My reply “Yep it will be fine”. I was determined to have a go and needless to say when my mind is made up, there is no going back.  Catherine just sighed and and helped me climb the steps by guiding my foot, making sure I don’t drag my toes up the rocky steps and cut them (isn’t she a good un?.)  I get to the top and stand on the board, I then decide to let the rest of the group know, I don’t like heights…  The board had two metal bars going across the bit you walk on at different points, which meant I would have to really pick my legs up if I wanted to walk.  As the water was so deep it meant that If I jumped in with my crutches I wasn’t sure if I would ever get them back and that wasn’t a situation I wanted to be in.  I suggested dropping the crutches and just running for it….needless to say that went down like a ton of bricks. I decided (with some slight persuasion techniques from the rest of the guys) the best option was to crawl to the end.  I crawled to the end, posed for the obvious photo opportunity and flopped in. It wasn’t the most graceful of things I have done, but it was fun to say the least.  I swam to small ladder, climbed out and decided that was enough for me, so I spent the rest of our time there relaxing in the sun.  

This was the first camp we have worked with Dougie Mill as a coach. He was a lot of fun and has a strict but fun work ethic. He really cares about your development and definitely thinks outside the box.  As mentioned in my previous blogs I have moved to a rope holding my skis together rather than a steel bar.  Dougie was a key part of trying different types of ropes and straps to see which worked best. I must have broken at least one a day…some days two, if I was on form. These ranged from belt, to a bit of paracord, we tried everything. Towards the end of the fortnight, I think we found the method that worked the best with a bit of input from John Clark.  Whenever I broke one, Dougie would disappear and come back 5 minutes later and it was fixed…mega.

A bit on the technical stuff . At the moment I am working on a couple of aspects. One is to flex the front of the boot to be much more progressive in the turns. This will allow me to control my speed and really regulate the amount of pressure I can put through the ski.  The second is to turn my feet together on the steeper terrain to give myself more direction and control as I head down the hill. I felt a lot of positives from this camp, I am starting to feel more and I think my new boots are working perfectly.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I was looking to secure funding for a orthotic lycra suit that would help pull my body into the position it is meant to be in.  I have been lucky enough to secure this and I have just started training with it.  It is a bit of a devil to get on without a hand. I definitely feel this is an invaluable investment into my development.

So what's next?

Currently I am in Wittenburg Germany for a week training in their indoor ski slope. This is a great training place as the snow is very consistent and is basically bullet proof, which is a great challenge and means if you are not on your edges you are on your backside. I will update you all when I am back.

Much Love

Alex  

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click hereOr email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

ParaSnowBall and Hintertux

It has been a while since my last blog, so I thought I would update you on my recent escapades and my plans for the summer.  A lot has happened since my last blog but skiing is still on the agenda ☺

First of all we had the ParaSnowBall, this was an evening of fine dining with the purpose of raising money for Disability SnowSport UK (DSUK). DSUK is a charity that provides lessons for people with disabilities, enabling them to get into snowsports. They also support the team when they can and are one of the mains reasons the team exists. They are also the reason I am skiing and have provided support for a few years now.

The evening was hosted by John Inverdale, and was a roaring success. I was lucky enough to be sat on the Knights (Suzanne and Millie) table with a great view of the stage.

There was a host of guest speakers from Pippa Middleton, to team members, to members of DSUK.  The most iconic for me was a charming guy called Brendan. Brendan has cerebral Palsy, which affects all of his body quite significantly, including his speech. He was asked the question, what has DSUK done for you. His answer “When I am walking everyone is waiting for me but when I am on skis, no one can catch me” This guy for me is the sole reason DSUK and the team exists, to inspire and to enable people like Brendan to ski.

Some of you may have seen through my Facebook page that I have been lucky enough to maintain my sponsorship with ChillfactorE for another year. They are a great supporter and are a huge aid to my development. I can't thank them enough.

My current diary is packed and I am dashing here there and everywhere trying to fit in everything. I am currently looking get a more stable situation with the days I work from home to allow me to train more and to a better standard and of course to improve my sleep pattern.

So what’s happening on the skiing front? We recently came back from a training camp in Hintertux Austria, this was the first camp of the summer and I was eager to get on the boards.

We stayed in the usual Hotel Koesller with the lovely Mader family. Karina and her family go out of their way to provide us with everything we need and they make us feel at home. We were the only ones staying in the hotel, we made sure to make the most of this…

After careful deliberation, I have scrapped the spreader bar that I use to keep the tips of my skis separate and have now moved onto a cord. This is to allow my skis to move more freely and individually but still help coordination. This takes advantage of all the extra movement I am getting from the chiropractor and physio.  Unfortunately for the short term, this means I took a bit of a step back, whilst I got used to keeping my legs apart and the coordination with my feet….not so easy when you add altitude to the mix.

                                                                                                                 

This camp was the first time I have undergone hydration testing. This was done daily for the purpose of managing our hydration levels more effectively. You basically pee’d in a pot which was then tested and If you scored under a certain score (being too dehydrated) you were given a dioralyte to rehydrate you, or a sachet of shame as we call them…. I had many a sachet that fortnight, I can still taste them now….not good. This was really helpful and goes to show that I probably don’t drink enough water when I am at home never mind when I am training on a glacier.

The snow for June was amazing, we had a couple of powder days with poor visibility but other than that, the weather was perfect.  I even enjoyed the powder… which is a first, being a four tracker I have a lot of edges to think about in powder but I actually loved it, it was great to make fresh tracks !!! But on the odd occasion I still do end up getting a bit stuck….

We skied in just base layers most days as it was too hot to have anything else on. The coaches and physio’s took advantage of the glacier river near the hotel for recovery, which as you can see from the pictures was FREEZING.

The team morale has been at an all-time high recently and we have been getting on very well. We are constantly playing pranks on each other and winding each other up (in a friendly way )…this makes down time far more fun and relaxing.

So what have I been doing since I got back ?

I have been looking into new equipment, I went to see an Orthotist in Reading called Nick Gallogly, he has a great understanding of the human body and was recommended to be by a friend. He recommended two things, new innersoles for my shoes/ski boots and a special type of body suit. Currently I free style it in my shoes with no support…needless to say I got told off for being daft and being stubborn (as usual). He made some interesting observations about my walk and some ways we could improve it by innersoles.  His second recommendation was a body suit by a company called DM Orthotic. This is a skintight suit made to fit which pulls my body into a correct position using different panels and weave.

I have invested in the innersoles which I have already put into practice, they seemed to have made a difference already. I am currently looking at which organs I can sell to fund the body suit as I feel this is an invaluable bit of kit, I am hoping to get this later this year :) Stay tuned for that one!!

So whats next ?

On Monday 11^th July I am off to Norway for two weeks training in the resort of Fonna. I am very excited for this, I have never been to Norway and I have heard it is an amazing and beautiful country.   I will be sure to take lots of photos.  I will update you guys when I get back.

Love

Alex

x

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here
Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

Swiss & British Champs Part II

We Arrived in Tignes. We stayed in an amazing apartment right at the bottom of the valley, this wasn’t ideal but due to the time of year, it had to do. It did mean we had a much higher quality apartment than we normally do. On-site pool, Jacuzzi and Sauna…which did have its benefits :) 

Tignes is quite a self-indulgent resort for myself, I have skied there a number of different times over the past couple of years and it is very satisfying to ski there. It provides a visual benefit on how much I have improved.

We had a few days free skiing, working on the fundamentals and our overall goals.  At this point, Tignes had become overrun with English people. There were a number of different races over the week, which meant there was always something interesting to watch.  

Training went well, I felt like I was getting a higher hip position and was able to influence the ski more. The pool and Jacuzzi definitely helped with this…

On the Thursday, I received a phone call from Andy Barlow saying he had just broken one of his outriggers, he had been racing in the French National champs and was just about to head to Tignes. He was going to need the borrowed outrigger back. The first race was on Saturday. I began to panic.  I rang up Tessier, which is the company in France that supply adaptive equipment. They said that the quickest delivery time is 2 days once the order has been made.  I explained the situation and they said the only other option would be to pick up the part myself (a two hour drive.)  I said I would call back once I had spoken to the coaches.  We finished the training session and just as I was packing my stuff up, my phone rang. It was Tessier again. They explained they had a client that was visiting La Rosiere (just round the corner) and would be willing to drop it off for me. MEGA !! I jumped at the opportunity. The gentlemen dropped it off a couple of hours later, free of charge and my payment hadn’t even cleared yet. Amazing Service!! I couldn’t believe my luck. I was back in business.

Saturday brought the start of the slalom. We were racing with the women’s able bodied. There was some fantastic skiers there and it was great to be skiing alongside them.  As the day started it was very much an us and them situation, but as the day went on, we all began to bond and really became a team. We all cheered each other and wanted everyone to do well.

It was the first time adaptive skiers have raced alongside able bodied. We were the first to go down.  I had been having problems with the bar on my skis that day that keep the skis tips apart. The extra movement I am getting from the chiropractor has changed my body that much that I need to look at new ways of doing things.

I dropped onto the course but just as I dropped in, my skis crossed due to my bar and I ended up sliding, missing the first gate…BUGGER. I put my outriggers into crutch mode and started to hike back up. John Clark one of the coaches shouted to me to “Push Alex” the next moment, the whole of the women’s able bodied were shouting “PUSH ALEX !” (This helped). I reached the gate, dropped back onto the course and started to ski back down. I was already out of breathe from the hike but I was taking deep breaths trying to recover.  I dropped onto the steep section, I was skiing quite well, I was active but I could feel myself tiring.  I got around half way down the steep section, My skis crossed because of the bar again, I ended up skiing a gate backwards (not intentional), catching myself off balance and throwing myself down the hill. It was quite a spectacular fall.  I got up ,skied two turns and straight lined it to the bottom to watch the rest of the race.  The end results for GB.

Womens VI

1.  Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe
2.  Millie Knight and Brett Wild

Womens Standing

1. Molly Griffith

Mens Vi

1. John Dickinson-lilley and Jack Davey
2. Michael kear and Rufus Allcott

Mens Standing

1. James Whitley
2. Matt Short
3. Andy Barlow

Men’s Sitting

    2. Ben Sneesby

    3.Benji Milliard

As you can see it was very much a GB Podium :)

The second day brought the Giant Slalom. We were racing on the downhill course. This run is closed off to the public and has lots of terrain to deal with. It was a fantastic course, with a punchy start but I was very excited.

The weather had been cloudy and there was flat light for inspection which made it quite difficult to inspect.  As we queued in the start gate to start the race, the clouds parted and the sun came out.  I dropped in and after a few gates I really let the skis run. I was flying. I was making sure to finish my turn and trying my best to stand up to get more drive through the ski and to keep my weight forward. The course was awesome, I was loving every minute of it. I got to the last couple of gates, letting the skis run even more, I hit a bump in the snow and ended up hip sliding. I quickly pushed myself up, dropped in on the right side of the gate and passed the finish line. I was knackered but that was the best I have ever skied. I was proud to have skied like that and it was a good reflection on the year but I was frustrated I had fallen at the last gate.

(Photo Credit Racer Ready, Cannot be used without permission)

 We inspected the course for second run, it looked good. I could feel myself beginning to tire. I checked my ski spreader bar. It was twisted and was causing the skis to cross more. I rushed to the top and started trying to work on it. Abi Okell (the team physio) and John Clark worked tirelessly to get it ready for the next run. The start referee let me start a few numbers later in order to resolve the problems I had with the equipment.  I dropped in. I didn’t have confidence in the equipment that I wanted, so I was tentative (and tired.) I worked my way down the slope, making sure to look ahead and not get too focussed on my bar. I got to the bottom, exhausted but I made it. It was a small field but I managed to clinch a 4^th place finish, which was awesome :)

 It was a great feeling to have come to the end of my most successful season yet. I have had some ups and some downs, some frustrations and elations but that is ski racing. I have never experienced a sport that is so challenging but so rewarding at the same time.

I strive for a challenge and I am motivated to keep on pushing to be the best I can be.

So what’s next for me ?

The chiropractor has had more of an impact on me than I realised, my personal goal at the moment is to improve my stamina to how it was and to go one step further. 

I am cycling more in order to do this and hoping to increase the intensity of this. We are currently working together to get the summer season plan together to understand when I am next on snow and my goals for next season.

I started my next placement on Monday 11^th of April, I am working in Telephony, looking at the Post Office Homephone and Broadband offers. This is an exciting area and will be a great challenge.

Love
Alex

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here
Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com