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EVENTS
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CNNSI.com GROUP
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We're not standing there alone
Jen Davidson, 29, is one of the top brakemen in the world. The Utah native has paired with driver Jean Racine for the past three seasons to form a powerful bobsled team. For more on Davidson and Racine see bobsledgirl.com. The two-time World Cup champions are in the process of training for the 2002 Salt Lake Games. Check out Davidson's diary on CNNSI.com as she prepares for the Games.
August 5, 2001
I've heard it takes a whole village to raise a child. I wouldn't know -- I don't have any kids. But the same principle holds true in athletics. It takes a whole neighborhood, city, state, an entire nation to get an athlete on the podium. People don't realize how even the smallest gesture can make a huge difference to an athlete pursuing Olympic dreams. Let me elaborate ... Imagine a dart board. The bull's-eye in the center represents my goal of winning a gold medal in the Games in February. I'm entirely responsible for making sure I'm prepared in the best way possible when the time comes. That means I have to make day-to-day decisions on how, what, when and where I should do what I need to do for training. I have to adjust the plan to suit my individual needs. I'm in the center circle of the dartboard.
Just outside the bull's-eye is the circle that holds my immediate family and a handful of close friends. These people are the ones who know my dream and its significance in my life. Even though they may not always understand why I have to do something, (like be away from home for a month or miss an anniversary party) they support me in reaching my goal because they love me. These are the people I call crying with frustration and also the ones who know all the fun stuff that's going on. They make my life easier by listening and making sure my personal business is managed. They love me regardless of the color of my medal. In the next ring is the group of people who support the daily operations of my dream. My head coach, start coach, driving coach, strength coach, agent, athletic trainer, physical therapist, doctor, lawyer, sports psychologist, personal sponsors, and the bobsled federation are all included in this circle. This is the team I've assembled around me to ensure that my bobsled business is handled appropriately. These are the people who have regular input into my schedule and training plans. They make my life easier by offering their specific knowledge to give me the information and resources I need to best prepare myself. Just outside that circle is the group of people who know me casually and support me on a regular basis. These are people who attend races, offer whatever expertise they have, and are heartfelt and sincere in their hopes for my success. The people inside this ring are usually the ones who are able to make the biggest difference with their help. This weekend a crew of at least 10 people gave up their Saturday morning to help me prep the yard and lay sod. Without their help, the job would have taken weeks of sweat and frustration. These are the same people that helped move me out of my apartment and into the house while I was out of town. Last month the local high school offered me the use of its weight room. It's such a simple gesture. But it's been such a benefit in my training day. Now I commute three minutes to the gym instead of 25. It saves me nearly an hour of driving. That's huge when every minute of my day counts. That's an extra hour I can spend recovering. These people make my life easier by caring and offering help when they are able to. In the outermost circle are individuals, companies and businesses that support the Olympic movement. These are people who ultimately make Olympic dreams possible. The U.S. Olympic Committee and its sponsors believed in women's bobsled before it was even made an Olympic sport. We had funding and support before the rest of the world, which is why we're the best in the world. People in this circle believed in us before they had any reason to. These people make things easier by providing support, not just to bobsled, but to the entire Olympic movement. When Jean and I stand atop the podium, we're not standing there alone. The hard work and support of hundreds of people has contributed to our success on that day. That support does not go unrecognized or unappreciated by athletes. We're so grateful for each bit of help that we get along the way. It takes and entire village to get an athlete to the podium.
187 Days to Go
-- JEN I play a lot of soccer and have terrible shin splints? What did you do to make your better? Shin splints are so painful. I've never found anything to completely cure them. All I can do is manage them with modifications to training. I try to avoid pounding activities when they are sore. I'll also spend warm-up and cool down time on a non-weight bearing modality like a bike. An anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen helps take the edge off. Sometimes a change in shoes will provide relief as well. I wear shoes with a lot of air in the forefoot. I've even been fitted for orthotics to make biomechanical corrections to my foot position. I too have a problem sometimes where I get an injury where I have to stop training completely and that is so frustrating. Do you have any before or after training tips that help you to stay flexible and mitigate injuries? First, I try to listen to my body so I can avoid injuries before they become a problem that requires me to stop training. That's not always possible, but usually injuries don't just come out of nowhere. If you are tuned into the feedback your body is giving you, it often sends signals before it gets to that point. I never stop training when I'm injured, I train AROUND the injury. There's always something I can work on. If my lower body is injured I can work on my core and upper body strength. It's usually a good time to shore up weaknesses. And I pay special attention to the injury making sure I get treatment, do my rehab, and ice it after every training session in order to speed up the healing process. What kind of knee injury did you suffer and how did you rehabilitate it? I fractured my kneecap and damaged my cartilage while playing volleyball. My rehab consisted of typical knee stuff: range of motion exercises; lots of quad strengthening exercises; and balance and stability training. I saw on your site the photo of you working out on the "beach ball." What is the most important elements of your workout and training, and what kind & elements of a strength and endurance program do you pursue? Bobsledders train similarly to track and field athletes. Our training involves a lot of speed and power exercise. We lift weights four days per week concentrating on Olympic lifts and leg power. We also do a lot of sprint work. I supplement the meat of the program with core training on the theraball as well as balance and stability training. I couldn't pick out the single most important element of my routine. It's all an important piece of the puzzle. When starting the race it looks like tracks on the ice. I know that is from other sleds. Do you try to get in those grooves to go faster or not? Actually, those grooves are cut into the ice by the track crew. Those grooves help us stay straight while we push the sled. Since Jean is pushing the sled with me, we need the grooves to keep the runners pointed straight ahead until we get into the sled and she can begin driving. The grooves are usually about 50 meters long. With 213 days to go, is there added pressure on you because you're the "home team" so to speak? Is it good pressure or bad? I try not to look at is as pressure. And I can't imagine anything more exciting than competing in the Olympic Games in my hometown the first time my sport is included. The extra energy and support will certainly add something special on Feb. 19. Jean and I have done a lot of work to ensure that "homefield advantage" doesn't turn into "homefield disadvantage."
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