Then there was a downpour of rain. Rain so hard that there was water running down the track, and not just a small stream either -- a whole river! Can you say 'hydroplane'? We couldn't even stand up at the end of the run to get out of the track. We looked like characters from those cartoon skits that repeatedly fall down at the skating rink - flailing helplessly and looking around in despair for someone to come rescue us.

The last day was plain old snow. But not the big, fluffy, reminds-you-of-Christmas kind. That smaller stuff that blows around in circles and whips you in the face. Needless to say, we were happy to be moving on to greener pastures in Altenburg, Germany. We had caught word that the weather was nice and the ice was fast.

Well, here we are in about three feet of snow, sliding on a track covered in half a foot of it and going at least 10 seconds slower than normal. This 'calculated' weather phenomenon has become commonly known in the luge world as the "German Weather Machine." We think they turn it on and off to piss all of us other nations off.

But back to Konigsee..

The week started like any other. The troops were gathered and hauled to the track for the ritualistic "track walk." We prepared our equipment, went for a run, then got ready to slide. In general the team seemed a bit ... well ... flat. Maybe people were tired or maybe they were just relieved to not be in Oberhof anymore, but either way, sliding didn't start off on a good note and it didn't change to one either.

In Konigsee, a technical yet gliding track, there are specific curve combinations that tend to give people the most trouble. And almost immediately the team started making those textbook mistakes.

Ian rounded out the week again with the most crashes (13 now in total). Meaghan and Madison had problems in the bottom part of the track all week, hitting walls almost every run.

My biggest challenge was the start. I am not one of the strongest starters on the circuit and the ramp here is long and flat, which gives me an even bigger disadvantage.

Jeff, Jorgen and Sam and Gwyn all slid fairly consistently and drove good lines. Grant and Eric seemed to be hot and cold. They tried a new sled with an entirely different setup and had some major problems. To me, that's to be expected. But they only took it for one run and gave up. Something the coaches didn't like, and apparently neither did some of the team.

Almost everyone on the team has the option to ride at least two different setups, but when Grant and Eric alone have three doubles sleds, eight sets of steels and four bridges ... then they get a brand-new sled worth more than $5,000, take it for one run and say they don't like it, it makes everyone else a little irritated. Especially our other doubles team of Sam and Gwyn, who only have one sled and one set of steels.

Basically there ended up being some team conflict and division surrounding the issue of equipment, and who gets what and why. I think more focus went into watching what other people were riding and less on making it down the track.

Walt and Robert had had enough and gave us the 'this is embarrassing' lecture and told everyone to grow up. That pretty much settled it.

Sliding improved incrementally, but more importantly, attitudes changes. It seemed like people decided to want to slide better, to have that drive, that motivation.

Even still, the coaches are feeling the pressure as we quickly approach the first World Cup race.

"I am still wondering and having insecurities about if the team is ready to race," says Walt.

As scheduled, Jorgen and the boys raced off at the end of the week to decide if Jorg would stay with the team. Well, he finished second again, to Jeff, and is with us right now preparing for the World Cup number one in Altenburg.

We had our first ice times on Tuesday morning and so far, so good. It's hard to tell how well people are sliding with so much snow on the track -- it's a totally different story on race ice. Race qualifications begin Thursday evening, the Challenge Cup is on Friday, and the World Cup races go on the weekend.

(For clarification: race qualifications determine who races the World Cup; Challenge Cup is a separate, made-for-TV money race. The World Cups are the regular two-run races.)