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Back to school

April 3, 2009 01:20 PM | Posted by   Jessica Gregg  

My 2008-09 season ended with the world team championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands on March 15.

It was a very good season but a very long one as well. We started training at the end of April last year — earlier than previous years because our national trials were held early in September to better simulate what this pre-Olympic summer is going to be like. So from April 2008 until March 2009 my group has been training almost every day, both on and off the ice.

Many people think we are crazy to devote so much of our time to one thing, but looking back on every season, through all the ups and downs, we know that it is always worth it. Our training schedule is busy, but we still find time to be "normal" as much as we can.

This semester I'm enrolled in three classes at the University of Calgary, so now that we have had a little break from skating, I kind of actually feel like a real university student. Now I know what it feels like to be a full-time student, with lots of exams and textbooks to read, but it's actually a refreshing change while it lasts!

Viva Mexico!

School is a nice break from skating during the season (when I'm actually home and can go to classes), but it's also a real change to be able to go straight to class from home, instead of straight from the ice. I also like to get a break from everything when I can. It's a real advantage to be living so close to my parents in Edmonton, as I can drive home for the weekend whenever I get the chance. Calgary has been a really good home for the last three years, but it's always comforting to go back to your family and the neighborhood where you grew up.

Last weekend a bunch of skaters and I drove up to Edmonton to volunteer at the West Edmonton Mall Short Track Fun Meet. This is a competition that the Edmonton speedskating club puts on ever year at this time. It's always exciting to come home and see everyone I grew up skating with, and to visit with all the parents, volunteers and officials who have had such a huge influence on my skating career. It was fun to see all the new, younger kids as well, just starting their skating careers. It wasn't long ago that I was one of them, skating around with my friends at this competition!

Some friends and I are leaving for a brief vacation to Mexico during our time off. This is definitely something I have been looking forward to for a while! I think everyone needs a break both physically and mentally from training, at least once a year. Because our season is so long, our only chance to have a break is usually around this time, so I capitalized on that.

My group has ice time starting soon, but because I finished my season a week later then them, my coach generously let me get away for another week. I think lying in the sun and just relaxing all day will be really rejuvenating. It will be a nice mental break before hitting the ice and training for the most important competition yet: the 2010 Olympic trials.

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