New Year, isn't it?

Normally, 1st of January, I have a long classic skiing tour in the program. Then I go home to watch Tour de Ski and New year's concert of Wiener Philharmoniker.

This year the ground is grey and it's raining. I've been miserable and lightly depressed since I came back 22nd of Dec from sunny Italy where we had Winter Universiades for student athletes. So instead of skiing I'm just running with poles and wondering where the hell is the white snow, and due to these conditions we don't even have any races! buuu!

So after nearly a year without any writing, I'm here to clear how it's going, how it's been since last year and what's happening right now!
Let's start it by a short review of the end of season, the funny "golf field- finnish championships" where I just performed average, 4,6,6 places and the crowd of national biathletes stood a loop behind outstanding Kaisa. At that time I managed to hurt my left shoulder when I did pull-ups behind my neck. eh. And that's been my weak point since April. Specially in my standing shooting it's still causing troubles^/

The season was short, lame and brought me only a couple of good memories, including European Champs and some other better tha average performances. Seems like the bigger the races the more concentrated performances I have. In World Championships 2011 I made it to 49th. In European Champs 26th. Now in Universiades in Trentino I felt lazy, not fully motivated like it should be. And the best marking was just 27th with average results. And now I'm "wrestling" with the same problem here in Finland. Don't know the races, don't know about snow or future. Don't even know how I'm going to continue biathlon, or at all. ^^

But to put the summer briefly into the pocket. I started the recovery season with 2-weeks teacher -job. Nasty children of the age of 10- 15 should learn compulsory Swedish or "free will"- Germany. Not the brightest job indeed here in the Eastern Finland!:D Then I got my holidays, one week in Turkey! Lovely, but absolutely too short! Then it was already May and it was time to train focused for the races for the next winter! Training has been great and I progressed a lot. The summer included, of course, two weeks in Otepää. Normal training camp of our Kontiolahti Sport Club. When I wasn't the part of our national team, I needed to follow my own way the whole year.

Finnish summer Champs did go well, twice second place in cross- biathlon and twice 4th place in roller- biathlon! And everybody was there on the line!:)) So I couldn't wish anything better temporarily. So I decided to go to Ramsau, after 2 years absence, to the prettiest place to prepare for the season. Thanks to all helping me there=) Without a car, I survived, and had the best trainings of the year. Feeling light and happy to be an athlete, for once!:)

Since Ramsau and beginning of October I unfortunately suffered from viruses and poor quality training. And again the snow conditions were challenging. I decided to stay in Kontiolahti for the last weeks training before qualifications. BUT just in the middle of last trainingweek I got a message that the races would be in Muonio, in three days! in 3 DAYS, only 800km away from home.! NICE

But I travelled, started, skied and shot, and finished 3rd. Relief. Week to go to IBU-cups in Idre and Beitostölen. No snow. Ship and long way to go there, hardly any snow on the tracks. Team spirit is fragile to explode, scary and untempting. My races sucking as hell, mostly due to my first race's accident. My Leki- pole stuck after standing shoot to my ribs and I stood there without taking any breaths. I crushed my right side stomach muscles for a long time. Finished. Bad skies. Oh I was wishing so much more. Anyways, the next race was bad due to horrible wind. 1+5 isn't normal me? Then we headed back to familiar Beito, good shooting in Individual, still bad skiing. The sprint went even more horrible. I just cried before the zeroing, after that, maybe during the race. 2+3 with foggy eyes. I'm not allowed to tell why, but it's just horrible how there are still people with unfair play and rudeness. 0_o

But I survived home, headed luckily soon for 2 weeks to sunny Italy. I must tell it's been one of the top 5 biathlon trips in my life! Perfect skiwaxing, nice team and old and new friends! THANKS! Of course I was happy to see my biathlon friends in ibu-cups... Like I told, I didn't finish extremely good in Val di Fiemme, mostly because of my shaking legs in the standings. Only once I managed to drop all the targets, in 5 races including 80 shots!^/ The best personal performance was my relay leg. Satisfied. It's enough.

Joy of Biathlon, but just a few times. My calculation is not wrong. I'm out of mood, watching the biathlon races with tears in my eyes. I could be there, but I'm not even close. Crazy, worrying kid, am I?

Well, I got my Christmas break. I hoped even that I would be sick, so broken I was. So my wish came true I got a flue just when we got back from Italy. Maybe it was due to 5 races in 8 days, and 2 nights in the row pure partying and departure home. Though, I'm getting old and don't wanna stay awake so late anymore:D

Summa summarum: Now I don't know where to race or where to go. Alpencup, biathlon races in Finland (level D?), Cross-country races.? eh. Well, let's wait for snow. And give me some advice to cheer me up. I need goals to work hard for.

BTW. I've moved in September to Jyväskylä and started my Master of Sportmedicine studies here. Hopefully I will finish them soon, only 2 years to go I bet!;)

Happy New Year 2014! Alles gute im neuen Jahr!
Gott nytt år! Hyvää Uutta vuotta!
xxx

ps. I'm playing my accordion, since a very long time:D cheers*

Champion!!

Champion... in finnish-  Samppioni, www.samppioni.fi  is a new website for young talented sportmen and -women who are the potential future champions. There will be soon a place for sponsors to be shown, some information and of course the blogs. If you are interested  to sponsor or have something to ask so contact me:

 laura.toivanen@live.com   (The biathlon -fancards still available:))

Follow my blog there under category Laura, soon there will be also some information about me, maybe in finnish and english.:D
Thanks for all your views and comments. Around 20.000 views have been reached now!! Let's follow my trip to the top on the new site also! Welcome:) www.samppioni.fi

Kiitän lukijoita ympäri Suomen täällä Blogspotissa. Nyt kuitenkin on saatu aikaiseksi pian valmiina olevat sivut nuorille tulevaisuuden lupauksille. Luvassa infoa ja blogikirjoituksia, kuin myös paikat sponsoreille! Sponsoriyhteistyölle on siis luvassa isompaa näkyvyyttä!! jee! Jos kiinnostuit, ota yhteyttä:
laura.toivanen@live.com
 Tue minun matkaani kohti huippua. I wanna be a champion!:)

with love, Laura

My happy ending^^

I missed them. I missed the qualiraces in the middle of December just to notice right after that I won't get anywhere...

And that was just because I was sick during the week before the compettions and I was too weak to race. Ironically, on Sunday and Individual race, only 3 girls finished and they all got into the IBU-cup or even World Cup team. 50% is quite good for hitting the targets. LOL
Then it was me, in the brink of total depression, determined not to start at all... so I would avoid a possible myocarditis (heart disease if you train/race when being sick).
So I thought our biahtlon association would bring more than 3 girls to the "neighbourhood" Otepää, but no, it would be too expensive. I don't even know if it was just a question of money, they just didn't want me in. B-team coach and the big bosses may think I'm a badass and should quit. That's how it feels. Instead of falling into despair I am training well at home, and for sure, I will show the big pigs how good I am.
Luckily I'm not writing this at 18th of dec or 1st of Jan when I was so pissed off, I mean totally.

I did a couple of good races before New Year (f.ex. 1+0 etc.), but they were just some unofficial races which of course didn't have any effect on selections. Less than 1 Minute I lost to Sanna in the long pursuit-kind-of-race and she is now in WorldCup! Observing the shooting performances both in World Cup and IBu-cup I'm pretty sure I would have succeeded, as I did also perfectly last year and now I'm even in better shape! But if and if are stupid words. Life sucks.
Some points to notice next year: 1) You have to race, always. You're never too sick... 2) If you happen to perform well once early in the season, do NOT finish any race you think it would bring a worse result than earlier or someone could beat you. 3) Keep an excellent relationship to the coaches "above" you. In the tricky decisions you could be the one who is IN. 4) If you have a lot of money it can help you to get into the team. Unless you have lack of money do not hesitate to stay at home. This year we pay 350e per week if top 20 result does not turn up at once. 500e in WorldCup, that's really nice job...

There would be a plenty of nice points in my heavy-hearted brains. But it's time to focus on the next races. I did a excellent 3K race last Sunday whn we had a North Carelia Relay with 7 legs and different ages and styles! I' got a powerful feeling and now I'm eagerly waiting for the next qualiraces on 19th and 20th of January. Let's see if I get any company or does the association already make the selections beforehand, and without me. Ridiculous, before new Year racing I took an extra 1K loop, and as funny it is, I finished just 40seconds after the local winner. hehe. So without my racingfellows around Europe there are nobody who could give a good run to me^^ buuu

After races within a week I might be able to ski in Martell and after that maybe European Championships in Bansko, Bulgaria. Cause I'm not NOW abroad there are hardly any chance to get into the WorldChamps team, even though I probably could fit in more than well.
So that's the plan. I hope you had nice Christmas holidays and this will be you Happy New Year. I got at least a nice pre-Christmas present when I got engaged now on the 20th of Dec. " Schön aber sehr schade" said one of my friend. It means he was sorry to know I'm officially out-of-single-world, such a nice lady... but of course it feels great!!:D That was a real rescue from falling into the deep depression...

Thanks for the nice wishes and congrats, and sorry to being so rude this time^^

Happy New Year! See you later:)

Time's running out

Once upon a time there was a gorgeous winterwonderland called Muonio. When the ground in Joensuu was covered by mud, in Muonio otherwise, the snowflakes were falling down from the misty sky.

That was the scene when we arrived up to the north in the beginning of November. 10 days trainingcamp included a lot of skiing and was supposed to give the final boost to the first starts of the season. I had also a good program, planned with my coach. However, my stumbling stone was the tiny cottage which we shared together with three younger boys from the same skiclub as my roommate Anna. Once we settled down there was a battle between an athlete and the three rebells... And being annoyed all the time when the restrictions of sporty life didn't interest them at all got me run out of battery mentally. Overloaded. Without getting a proper nap in the afternoon and a lack of dreaming hours nearly ruined my camp. I become into these thoughts afterwards when it was time to race and my lazy feeling on the skies was a mystery. I did enjoy my long tours in the beautiful landscapes and snow--- we had it enough luckily.:) I also went to the local gym with Ahti and Kaisa and we bet who would lift the most weights in bench press. Kaisa's coach Jarmo took a clear win when me and Kaisa shared the 2nd place and stayed in 62,5kg. Ahti didn't take a part;) We also confronted same problems as the athletes in World Cup, the slippery matts on the shooting range were causing problems with shooting. Otherwise I shot nearly perfect ha:D

So after the more and less succeeded trainingcamp up there we drove back home over 9 hours on the icy roads and resting only three days before qualiraces here in Kontiolahti wasn't obviously enough. Friday morning was a cold clear day and the track was great! Unfortunately, they put some new fresh snow to cover the stones  in the evening and the track become a softy horror. The sprint on Saturday was hard for me, the track was also soft and wet. I hadn't raced since April in Finnish Champs and now there were the first races and the wc-track with all the big upphills. I managed to drop 9/10 but lost still over 3 minutes to Kaisa. I thought my feeling would be better the day after, but I still crawled deep in snow also in pursuit. 5 penalties didn't get me shine like a diamont and I fell out of the undersized WC- and IBU-cup teams. Finland will not send anybody to Ridnaun and the next chance to earn tickets is next weekend when we have qualiraces here in Kontiolahti. I caught a cold last weekend (still raced, stupid ass..) and I'm still a bit sick at the moment. So I'm aiming to be healthy and fit for the weekend, and then we'll see how we progress to the next level. there's only a tiny hope left today...

Luckily Christmas is coming!! And Ahti is als coming home next week. :D And also my dear friends are coming to town for Christmas!! And Sampsa got a place in Police Academy so the moving southwards is coming closer all the time:))  So there are some things to get better now even though my instinct says I maybe can't perform at the level where I would like to be, but take a chance, make a change and breakaway....

South, North, West

Yesterday morning was a bright day. We got the first 15cm layer snow!!=) So the scenes over here in Kontiolahti are from winterwonderland, unfortunately they are supposed to melt away soon... And that means I'll be heading to Lappland and Muonio after tomorrow for the first and last snowcamp.

Two months ago since I wrote last time we were heading to Germany with Sampsa. That was a lovely  5 days with two days celebrating the wedding of Svenja & Daniel in a small town near by Hamburg! Danke nochmals!:) The journey was just too short to experience all the places we wanted (Heidepark jei!:D) but long enough not to miss any important trainings. That wasn't just resting down there in south but good partying and excellent german food.:) And of course I needed to see the places where Sampo used to hang around 6 years ago, having an exchange year there! Last day in Hamburg was warm and with a last ice cream in my hand we head back to Finland and rollerskiing up to Koli was just waiting for me¨^)

So in the beginning of September it was full focus to the trainings. This year I have taken a huge step forwards in my physical shape when the "holy" triangle with training, sleeping and eating has succeed!!=) Compared to the last autumn when there was school, moving and stressy mood all the time I have it really fine now. 60 hours more training thus far don't make the sky fall but it's a good start:) I had only one 5-days camp in Vuokatti (with tests), otherwise I've enjoyed the good surroundings here around Joensuu. Hopefully you'll see a happy face with more balanced performances during the next season. I'm not ready yet and me and my coach are taking small steps in trainings, focusing mainly to the races after Christmas.

The next stop is also Muonio where Sweden, German , Russian women team and Finns are training before the season starts. Two weeks and we have the first races here in Kontiolahti, also qualifying to the first Ibu- and World Cups in West. Östersund and Idre, hope to see some friend there:)) kom å besök! Unfortunately, there will be only 3 +3 women in cups, with 4 startplaces it's gonna be interesting... Let's see, let's see!

Now back in the business, resting tomorrow!! Maybe I'll check out the first xc-race here in the evening... Then a long tripup to the north. gött!!:)

Seldom random O(M)G!

I'm a bit late.
Olympic games were over before I even started to watch them properly. Luckily most of you have already forgotten the half of the gold medalists and I don't even know half of them. Three names I appreciate most, the fastest Bolt, the magnificant Rudisha to make it look easy to run 800meters in 1.40(!) and the Decathlon hero Mr. Eaton. Of course I should mention him and her from every nation to flatter you all plus the finnish medalists but I'll continue on the other way.

What comes to the finnish medalists they are at this moment the beloved heroes, but who will really remember the names after a decade? (Oh there was a shooter-gold-medalist in 2008) There are the medalists and then there are the loosers, the tourists and shame-on-you-guys in a row. The finnish sportjournalists have been really rude and un-professional blaming the none-medalists as tourists when they couldn't made it to their best and over it. It's been a lot of discussion about appreciation of athletes and their work and as well about how the limited resources will affect to the sport careers! If they have got through the limits to OG I think they are very seldom just the "tourists"..But the discussion continues^^'

So after all this mess I'm not surprised at all that Kaisa felt so much pressure during the last WCH's in Ruhpolding. The "fear" of the sport journalists stabbing you in the back instantly if you will not get the medal... And so she shouldn't read so much crap newspapers before the races :) There is at least one thing to work for the future in the mental-training sessions... (Hjälp Christoph!)

I, myself, planned to write here already during the training camp in Estonia when I was even dreaming about the texts to be written. I got too busy when I got back home, though. I wanted to write about the holy circle of sporty life; training, sleeping and eating. It was so easy to focus on these things at the tr.camp but now when I'm back home it's even complicated and hard to find time even to write this as my lazy ass is too tired^^)

I'll be writing about the holy triangle later, when I'm working on that theme in German to finish the final big task/course for the university and then becoming finally the Bachelor of Arts! So that will keep me busy when I'm not training, eating or taking a nap...

After the successful training camp in Otepää (except three days throwing-up everything^^/) I'm back at home and that will continue still a long time, I mean at least 5 days more:D  I have also been every weekend skiing up the hills or hiking in our nearest nationalpark, Koli, and it's been hard and also pleasant (in the freaky way) when the blood is really running in your veins! One weird thing is that I'm kind of avoiding the trainings in Kontiolahti. I started to "hate" that place after many unsuccessful races... But I'm working on it in my messy mind and I've been training there anyways!! HJÄLP Christoph! After the next month it will be already time for the first competitions I think.. and I want to show my progress!!!!

This summer is different cause I'll not compete at all in any Finnish Summer Championships. The cross-races passed without I even remembered when I had been dancing 2 days with Armin van Buuren and co. in Summer Sound festivals in Helsinki. After that I stayed in Lahti by my coach and I really forgot the races far away in the north-west. :D (Congratulations will go to double-gold-medalist Mari!) 1st of September we'll have rollerski-biathlon FM but I'll miss it too. I'll be with my boyfriend Sampsa in Hamburg and celebrate the daughter of my bf's ex-host family getting married. (simple?.D) So instead of climbing up the wall-uphill I'm wearing a long royal blue dress and having an easy and hopefully warm week in Germany!

Finland is offering at the moment a nice autumn weather with +12 c degrees and rain once in a while. At least there are no problems with heat and recovering, or eager to sunbath... :P Now I'll finish for this time and get jealous when Sweden, France, Austrian, Russian and Finland A-teams will enjoy the perfect days in Obertilliach;) I had to cancel my "trip" there cause it would have been too complicated to drive there from Hamburg and also too expensive for my wallet. Instead I'll be maybe in Ramsau in the beginning of October, and that will do it : ) Joy, joy, joy...Toi, toi, toi...

PS. Thank you all for your nice birthday wishes:)  kiitos, tack, spasibo, danke..

Full Focus

A few weeks ago I was watching at first time the finnish baseball game here in Joensuu. Or not. I came into the thoughts that this has happened even before and it was maybe year of 2000!! I was participating the summer sportcamp for the kids, and in the end of camp we were cheering for the local baseball players on the field. At that time it was really hard to pick up only one sportart for the camp as I wanted to choose dancing, floorball, swimming, skiing and all the possibilities:D Anyways I took biathlon. Just for the reason that my big brother did and I was sleeping in the same tent with him. He had just started some biathlon training with the same coach who would be coaching at the "trainingcamp" so it was an easy choice.:) I kind of fell in love in shooting with eko-rifles and the difficult combination of two different sportarts. Though, both were already familiar to me... somehow.

Next year I got my own secondhand rifle which actually worked well. I remember the scene of a warm summer evening before the first summer finnish champs when the head coach of finnish team Anatoly Khovantsev visited Kontiolahti stadium. I shot my first 50 points just at that time and it was surprising for him. Now over ten years later my super shooting will not amaze him anymore, he knows:D *gg*

So the year of 2001 was the first touch to the best wintersport ever! The fabulous trio of small devils (as we were called), Sarkku, Mari and me were invincible during the junior years. Our normal "suits" of the summer champs were brilliant, we had all red heads and once we even ran the victory in socks. ;)

Back to the current moment it's been a smoothy spring. First I was visiting the lovely city of Köln (Cologne). Strongmanrun in Nürburgring was just awesome even if it was cold and rainy day, but the spirit was impressive! And just to mention I beat our boys;) haha. They were complaining that my female figure made it easier to pass the track quicker... people got jammed before the barrels it was an hour before the boys got over the first barrel!!!

After Germany trip it's been full focus in the trainings. This is the first whole year with my current coach and it seems to be brighter than ever I hope so! First weeks have been full of power training in the gym and then rest of the time mainly running :P Unfortunately I got sick in the beginning of June after the Abitur- celebrations and maybe due to awful weathers. It's been mainly rainy and under +13 degrees. Good side of this is that you dont get burned or exhausted by the weather:D!! Positiv thinking remains...And now I'm fit again!:)

Our finnish Midsummer was calm and sunny. I "celebrated" it by sunbathing and swimming in the lake. I was even baking a delicious strawberry cake so that our visiting friends will get the taste of summer:p

On this Sunday I will travel to Otepää, Estonia once again. 8th or 9th year in a row will be now. The sportclub team gets smaller all the time and this year I don't have any of my age there as Sarianna will not be there anymore... Next year may be different then.

After two weeks in Estonia I'll be at home and then in the end of August we head to Germany again where a friend of ours will have wedding in Hamburg. In case we take our car there I'll be traveling with my boyfriend Sampsa down to Austria and train with the finnish A-team from 3rd to 13th od September!

So there are some goals to go. Now back to the track.. it means stretching:)

Enjoy the summer. See ya!