In most instances the first race is held in Calgary and the second in Salt Lake City. This year, both races were held in Calgary due to restricted ice availability in Salt Lake City. The World Championships this coming February will be held there and the Americans are notorious for restricting ice time to other nations so they have home track advantage. At any rate, the first two weeks of the season are always the busiest and this year was no exception.

We had track time twice a day for two hours each, plus workouts, meetings, sled-work, video, team physicals, and for some of us, school. Having no time for any semblance of a social life has become a cold hard fact - one we just accept now.

In the midst of all of that, there were a handful of us that were testing new equipment. In luge, equipment accounts for probably at least half of an athlete's success. I have seen amazing sliders go slow and average sliders win, all because of what's underneath them.

In a never ending search of what combination of parts go the fastest as well as a fight between a dozen athletes for a spot on the team, came frustration, tension, and plain old fatigue. I was scheduling my days in half hour increments so everything got done.