Hellllloooooooooooooooo Everyone!
I just got back from 10 days of push training at the push track out in Park City, Utah, where I stayed with one of my team mates and his girlfriend.
The push track allows me to practice my pushing and loading techniques in the summer. The push track is about 200 meters of laid railroad or grooved track, where we are able to place a modified two-man or four-man bobsled that have been fitted with wheels to run along these tracks.It was great to get out there and train with some of the guys! We went to the push track twice a day for about two hours of practice, for the week we had at least 100 trips down the push track, uhmm yeah... my legs are a little bit tired.
I worked on my pushing technique/angles from all sides (left side, back, and right side) of the sled. Practicing from the sides of the sled helps me prepare for when I am racing four man. I work on my initial hit and my side load which can be tricky at time. Because, when loading from the side its a full out sprint and then a crossover step to get into the sled. For example, when loading from the left side, after the initial push off the block while running full speed my left legs crosses over my right foot onto the bunk of the sled while simultaneously reaching my right hand across and grabbing a hold of the right side of the sled as I proceed to hope in the sled. When loading from the right side of the sled its the right foot that crosses over and the left had that reaches over. Now if you are unlucky.....which has happened to many a athlete you could miss the bunk fall on your face and do the walk of shame up the ice (I have never had to do that one), or you could slip and fall upside down ( ok I admit this happened once or twice but it was at practice and in the Ice House. lol) into the sled or backwards neither one will result in a fast down time! Or one of the greatest ones I have seen is when your foot hits the bunk of the sled you fall, and one of your team mates grabs a hold of you drags you into the sled. But since everyone else has already gotten in you become their seat cushion cause that's the only way you fit in! lol Once again this has never happened to me, but I saw it and it was funny as all get out! especially cause they made it down safe.
Loading from the back of the sled is a lot easier but you could still take a wrong step and find yourself being dragged down the ice. AND NO THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE.....come on people give me a break here I am a trained professional!!! I load in MY SLEEP LOL. I like a NINJA with it! It's like when someone screams "LOAD" and I'm like yall gonna get in already cause I loaded 10 minutes ago and I was wondering if I was racing by myself! One time I beat the driver in and had to scoot back, at the bottom he looked at me like I was wrong....I know right, I told him he needs to hurry up and get in cause we got a race to win and we do not have time to wait for him to get in all the time! LOL
Take care and God Bless!
Jesse
