European Champs, part 3

What did I tell last time?.D since I wrote here last time had passed only 10 days.. but I've been "working" and running around the clock since then so excuse me for late updating:)



European Championships in Otepää ended with sprint and pursuit races in the lovely weather! Sunshine and minusgrades made me smile, although my own races were far away from satisfying level! In Sprint i got 1+1 penalties and ended up to the place 34.. my uncourageous skiing didn't bring me up on the lists. But there were at least one good point in that race, the last loop was fastest and only there I could try a bit harder skiing^^' you know, lactat can kill... 0_o

Anyways after three races I was already exhausted.. I was back to the hotel not earlier than 5pm. And what says our "genious" teamleaders (Not my own coach!!) "Everybody must be at the stadium for medalceremony at 7pm! wise move.. after race no time for rest, no finnish on the podium and outside -9!! great! And no other athletes from other countries there if not necessary!! I was refusing this foolish order but went with the others.. No wondering about the effects to Sunday! Other nice business from this armyleader. Come to knock our roomdoor at 7.30 am, when knowing we have a race in the afternoon..just saying " oh girls did I wake you up? lunch starts at 11am.bye!.. " If we had already known... Cause we didn't have any properly teammeeting either! we just found out the facts ourselves!! And just finally to mention, our leaders didn't understand a word in the teammeetings^^' LOL. I just say a word: disaster.

So on Sunday we had pursuit. I just have the same speed all the races! you know.. I could have skied 10 races one after another without a pause^^' anyways shooting was okey, except first standing! I thought I would be going to the place 11.. but they showed me the place 30!! last time they didn't fill it.. so from this steep small downhill I had to break fast to the last place and I think that scrambled my mind. Summa summarum, at least I got a lot of experience in these competitions. What i needed most was my relaxed skiing! these 100 weeks in the freaking cold weather didn't help either.. Anyways.. Now I'm on the road again:) unfortunately there are only few races left...




We left the city straight after pursuit so there were hardly no time for farewells.. pity! damn coaches! Luckily I saw a couple of mates here again in Kontiolahti World Cup..:) I missed some athlete's party, though.)

that's the next subject,) oh mann....

European champs, part 2

Greetings from the lovely sunshine!!! I just ended my best classic training this year! -3 and the superior tracks:) loving it!

What comes to the relay yesterday it was a pretty much fighting from the last place. Even though with better shooting we could have managed to reach even better places. This young team will get a new chance, though...

So penaltyqueens skied 5 times 150meters extra loop what doesn't really help when we loose already in skiing!! I myself managed to drop all the targets, using 5 reservbullets to hit my 2 misses^^ What comes to the weatherconditions it was snowing but temperature falling to -3c. Skiing is all the same! where the relaxed good technik? where's the hard-pushing girl what we've seen earlier this winter? dunno, only thing what I can do for the rest of the races is to focus my mind on shooting and not trying to try more what I can..

So tomorrow off we go for Sprint and then probably pursuit!.) Yesterday there were athelete's party, but for me it was only a small visit to the local pub and then I went quite early to the bed^^' good girl!

Finland got 4th place in mixed relay! Congrats.! My perfect-shootiing little brother skied the second fastest legtime and was amazing! :)) Proud of him, and also others in the team..!

Wish me luck, now's the time for the last chance to show....

..

European Champs in Otepää!

Here we are again!!:) Since end of July there's a lot of snow and the city looks a bit different, quite sleepy actually!
We travelled by bus all day on saturday to get to Helsinki and then continuing to Tallin and Otepää in the afternoon on Sunday. Luckily we got the best hotel in the town and at least food is something eatable.. (compared to some previous meals during the years.D)

Day 1.
Anyways racing started on Tuesday with Individual race. It's been snowing/raining already a couple of days, temperature just above +0 c! In the morning before start it was also windy and the new snow falling made a light "glue" under the skies^^' But I felt better than last weekend in -20c!:) So startnumber 3 and off we go. In zeroing the wind was calming down a bit and also snowing seemed to stop. Well, during the next 15 minutes it started to snow heavily.. and it got thicker all the time during the race. The tracks were soft and not really helping my poor skiing. It was like a repris from Hochfilzen. Only the tracks were not yellow ones.D

I shot 1+1+2+2 which was absolutely too much! For me it was like a lottery on the shooting range when the wind was blowing strongly. I ended up to the place 40 what in this case didn't satisfy me, nor my coach. And if I would try to not to fall down in the biggest downhill on the last loop helps a lot to get better placements^^'
It didn't prevent the top girls to make a good performances, though! Congrats German team!! Klasse!
So what can I do... More training. My season will be pretty much over after these champs so I'll try to show my best in tomorrow's relay and the weekend's races. Sprint and pursuit will be also on the program..:)

The weather getting colder and they have even forecasted some sun to the weekend so I'm excited!.) Thumbs up again.. I haven't lost my hope^^')

Oh it's time for Olympics!

Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler are now in the world's spotlight. It's been nice to watch races (especially biathlon and cross-country). We've seen some nice surprises and also bad presentations. Luckily Svendsen, Fourcade, Ferry and Neuner didn't let me down.:)) Congrats.. Maybe after four years you'll see me 5 circles on the chest.) From the finnish viewpoint the Olympic games has been worse than ever before. Weather, snow, skies etc.. Maybe we should really have hired a psychologist...

I had my own games at the weekend, Open Biathlon Nordic Games in Hämeenlinna. How nice to get some dear biathlon concurrents from Sweden and Estonia!:) What comes to the races it was so horrible freezing weather. -19c (official temperature^^') plus biting wind 10m/s didn't not really give a chance to all to compete. All the competitions should have been canceled, but no way, of course they had to arrange races to get the money and fame^^ So Friday evening we had relay where I was in the 2nd team, getting the place 3 after the victorious swedish girls! Grattis! They really did good performances and showed to our 1st team, including 2 worldcupskiers, how to shoot!
On Saturday the weather looked sunny and great, but it was still windy and I got my nose and toes frozen. (The nose was the only thing what you could see under the buffs, tapes and hats:D)
1+1 and I was 3rd, 30seconds behind Sarianna. My riffle has still problems in the extreme cold weathers, co-operation is just temporary. Unfortunately, every raceday I had to use some reserve bullets to make five shots, my bolt spitting my bullets away one by one...^^/ this cost a lot of time.. And may have cost also the world cup place!!
On Sunday Elisabeth and Carro managed to catch the podium place after our outstanding winner, Teija!! I ended up to the place 5 with 2+1 penalties, skiing pretty good compared to the others. (not including Teija:D)

So why we really did 3 races? We wanted to have some good races before the headgoal of the season, European Championships in Otepää, Estonia. There were only a few things good to tell from the competitions, though. I'm really getting pissed off when the temperature is all the time below -20 and when it's not so it's snowing like hell and blowing it against your face^^ So the Preparation to the big champs hasn't been the perfect one. We'll see what happens. Anyways I'm more than glad to get out of the city and country! Otepää has either never let me down..

When it's cold you just can't train very well. So I was hardworking and managed to do my Bachelor Degree- exams, including 20 pages shit about swedish grammar:D I'll probably get my "papers" out in May. I still have to do a couple of small "things" with sportmedicin... Anyways, I'll be ready to do something else. I'm planning to take a year off in Austria or Germany, or maybe moving back to Östersund. (At least I know how to train there and have already friends there:)) Only "preventing" thing might be my coach Anatoly who just said he'll be here in Finland until next Olympic Games in Sochi 2014! We'll see. I'll be thinking about the oppoturnities...At least I'll be abroad, trainingcamps and so on.. as much as i can. Oberhof, September and then Ramsau here I come!:))

Then some bad and good news! I won't be skiing in the next world Cup in Kontiolahti. The big bosses had been again doing some random drawing.. never explaining where is the qualification race and when or what's the deciding "thing". Anyways, seems like Finnish champs were not. Maybe the first (and only the first) race in Hämeenlinna was the "one". At least that's the only race where I've lost during the last month to Sarianna... I must say that I'm pissed off about the way how they make the decisions..but my chance will still come. Fuck off! I'll kick my ass off in Otepää, for sure!! Anyways, you will see me working in the world cup as a Chief of Attasees!! Hopefully it's a nice job. Otherwise I'll take a snowboard and flight to Austria and never come back!

Then the good ones.. You will see at least one Toivanen racing in Kontiolahti! My gorgeous little brother Ahti managed to beat every single men in Hämeenlinna and so he got a place in the World Cup!!! Awesome! Thumbs up!:))) He will probably ski also in Holmenkollen.. Maybe I'll join him to Norway and watch the races and so on;)

So next week I'll be in Estonia:)) I've always liked the place.I haven't been there in the winter, though. After that week only working in the WC I'll perhaps head to Sweden and to swedish Champions in Lima and continue to Östersund to celebrate Easter!!:))

Now time for OS again. Men's relay...:) Hopefully some of my secret favourites will be in the front line;)

adios

Finnish Champs, Frozen and Happy Ending:)

Maybe you could even see it? Me smiling wider than Grand Canyon:D

We had Finnish Champs this weekend in Kauhajoki, a small city on the other side of Finland!
On Friday I woke up 6 am to get into the car... and starting the 7-hours-journey! Zeroing starting at 3 pm, so we had hardly any extra time to go^^' Eh, stupid minds.. Better to get there day before, but never mind, we got there early enough and the sprint race was first in the program!:)

I must say that Kontiolahti is too perfect place for training, cause in Kauhajoki the matts were slippery and icy, shooting race full of "wholes" and some extra "stuff" on the tracks was not really good for my skies^^ Anyways, we did zeroing in the daylight, and the sprint race was later in the evening, starting 5.15 pm so that it really was dark, and the lights on the range were really poor. What comes to the weather it was as chilly as it can be on my scale. -16 c degrees and mild wind (getting harder in the evening..^) aren't really my favourites..

The courses were not so difficult so the only "differing" thing between the best girls was just shooting! Well, I shot horrible 3+1 penalties. Compared to Maija who won the race with fast and perfect shooting, I did have really problems with my shooting and specially with my riffle! It didn't want to co-operate with me that day, throwing out my bullets one by one so that my standing took nearly one minut!^/ Pity, cause I lost only 1 minut to the leader although I had 4 penalties more!

Well, Pursuit next day went a "BIT" better. From the place 6 I lightly moved upwards on the list.. shooting 0+0 on prone stages then two misses on the first standing and finally the last shooting zero!!:)) Well, that's how it should be. That's the normal me, and that's what I can!! Well, The sprint winner just ended her one penalty loop(of total 3 in pursuit) when I rushed out from the shooting range. To the final loop together, skiing in the lead and taking the last "sprint" to the finish!:D yeee. 5 seconds ahead. I was happy. My first never ever personal gold medal in senior class!!:)) Last year I got my first junior gold but now it was already senior... step by step I will be going to the top. Hoping to catch the world's bests after a couple of years:)

I had to admit that the race would've been a bit different if our best biathletes would have been there. Top three women are still in World Cup Anterselva so we had only a fight of the "fourth".. who knows how they had managed here in Finland..

So The first and the last Finnish Champs this year!! Olympics are now in February so I have barely any races^^ If you didn't already know so Finland will have only one woman and one man in Vancouver.. Pity, cause Finland has 5+5 places!! And not filling the places, I think it's just stupid. "Money, money, money..." or whatever would be the reason.. (Okey we should be only skiing and shooting better, simple thing^^')

Now I'll fix my school things, do my candidate exams- thing (B-level?) and train for the European Champs, hold in the beginning of March in Estonia!:) I was also planning to compete in IBU-cups in the Alps, but my coach thinks it's wiser to stay at home^^ (dunno why he still thinks I'm getting into troubles abroad or something!?:D)

back to the roots.. back to the books. and the training. Thumbs up for the ladies and gentlemans in Vancouver. So many of them I already know.. amazing!:) Luckily Sochi is only 4 years to go..

"We are the kings and queens of Promise, We are the Phantoms of ourselves, Maybe the children of a lesser god , between heaven and hell..." =good song:)

hugs/ Lara CrAft

Funnies and bunnies of the year^^'

A month passed without a sign of living, don't worry it means only that I've been quite busy..(or lazy.D)
After arriving home for Christmas I got sick and missed a few days of training.. and that's why New Year was also quite peaceful. Symphony concert a la J. Strauss and listening to Wiener Walz was just a comfortable way of welcoming the new decade. and above all I was planning to race the day after the new year's day so there were no point for harsh celebrating!.D
Temperatures has been down already a long time and also the q-races were just inside the limits, only "-20" on the startline. Stupid or not, I wanted to start! (not having any fever, though like in Canmore!!)

So considering the fact that I was not the topfit, I still ended up in sprint as 2nd with one penalty and only 9 seconds after my dear teammate Sarkku! well, that was enough anyways. She got the tickets to Oberhof and Ruhpolding. But Maybe it was only good for me to stay home and train.. don't want to be embrassed again when not being the absolut fit^^ I have time to come there! Beware Germany!,)

I've been at school a little bit, doing all the great exams what I should have done in Dec...:D Thus far, I've survived good enough! and passed:D that's enough. In addition to reading for the school, I've been training alone, well, basic training.. That's all good on the way to the European Champs in March!:) I did actually one race here in Finland last weekend, shooting 0002(best shoot this year!)... pity, that the all the best girls are in Germany and not even competing in Finnish Champs this weekend! I'll let you know the results later then.:)

In the end I was thinking about the higlights of the year 2009!!

January.. My first and last junior World Champs. Journey to Canada and all the new friends I got from there... I'll never forget!:))

February I got my only sight of my swedish dear friends, when racing in the juniorlandskamp. The absolut MISS of the year is of course Sweden and Östersund. fyy, va jag saknar dit..:))

March was the month to get the first gold medal in Finnish Champs in the W21!:) Before that I had a lovely IBU-cup trip to Italy, and I got my first Sponsor from Germany! danke schön Firmengruppe Steinbach!:))

April is the month of recovering (and partying at the university(!!?):p
1st of May was my lucky day and the week before..<3. In the beginning of the month I had a nice journey to Tenerife! No more english breakfast, plz;)!

June.. the Midsummer's day!! no more words:D
July trainingcamp in Estonia Otepää! As lovely as always.. It was already 6 th summer in a row!!:)
August was full of summer biathlon races.. more medals:) and the lovely summer heat weathers:)) (already waiting for..^^')

September; beginning of the schoolyear. Summer biathlon World Champs in Oberhof was the top!:)) getting the places 7th and 9th...:) And not forgetting the wonderful trainingcamp in Ramsau, two weeks!! continuing until 11th of October:) and I got to know one very special person, really worth of missing some teammeetings:)) Next year I'll be skiing on the glacier!!:)

November is always the hectic start of the season and this year I also started very well so that..
In December I had my first World Cup race in Hochfilzen!! and then the last but hopefully last sight to Austria was made in Obertilliach... Unfortunately the things didn't work out as I wanted. Well, Christmas comes always to the end and new friends what I've got on the journies saves the year:)
Absolut lovely song of the year: Oasis - Wonderwall

Then .. thankyou, sorry and cheers!! and now the new year!!:) What it will bring.. We'll see!:) Hopefully a lot of traveling and new friends.. and Of course seeing the old ones first!:)) Sweden is the first desire, then Europe.. everywhere:))

See ya!:) xxx

To the world and finally back home for Christmas!.)

I spent our Independence day in a hotel room of Helsinki airport planning to be home after a week's journey. After all what I had been thinking about before the trip turned out to be something very different..

The first world cup ever for me, place: Hochfilzen, time: 11th of December 2009, race; sprint 7,5km women. Oh dear, at the first sight everything there in this big circus seemed to be like the same as I'm used to see in Junior WorldChamps and in many other competitions. BUT somewhere in my little mind I made it absolutely too big! Well, that's the excuse what I made myself of my abnormal performance on the shooting range and on the tracks.. and what comes to the weather.. well, you saw it. but It's the same for everyone.. Others handle it only better than some others! So shame on me! Luckily I can only get better now, and there will be more oppoturnities, I'm sure!!:)

As Raphael Poiree said in IBU-cup athlete's party: "Don't worry dear girl, I was also a total shit at the first time in WC! What you need is experience.." So he's right, I hope:) Now head up and to the new races..

The relay in Hochfilzen went a bit better for me. no penalties, and that weather really was much more enjoyable:) At the weekend there were approximately 13 000 spectators per day. I refused to look at the crowd before start.. afterwards it was only funny to see so much people crowded to a tiny stadion:D so we were 16th in the relay. Pity, we can do better, but that was that day's prestation.. maybe next time relayteam will be luckier!

After races in Hochfilzen I made a quick desicion to travel to Ibu-cup in Obertilliach. I just didn't want to go home yet after such a week. I do like Austria.. so one week more in the Alps! yes, my pleasure. My german sponsor Manuel Steinbach drove me there (on the way to Pokljuka). The sun welcomed me to the town, such nice views!:)) I stayed in Obertilliach with four other finns coming straight from ibu-cup in Ridnaun. Well, I survived this week well.. Living together had also it's "other" sides, though.

What comes to the competitions, the sprint on Friday was a sign of better days on the shooting range, only one penalty. In a such cold day with -16c and high altitude I was a bit scared of skiing (too) fast so I didn't get any good placement. In Pursuit I was nearly doing the normal-me, fortunately.) I got up 10 places with 3 penalties, and skiing past a japan girl on the last course;DD whoo, so place 36. After this race I can be comfortable with myself.. Getting better, and the goal is in March and European Champs..: ) Looking forward to go to Estonia!

I stayed in Obertilliach alone two more days by training and enjoying the sun and awesome landscapes.) Two hours skiing in the sunshine without taking the same track twice was sooo brilliant!! Only the minus grades getting below 15 were not good to my freezing toes^^ At least I had a peaceful time there. Missing some friend(s), though.



After leaving Obertilliach it took only two days to get home. At first the ride(with Steinbach) to München, and lunch in Salzburg took a half day. Then the flight to Copenhagen was late, and the another plane in Copenhagen never started. An engineproblem forced us to stay overnight in the airport hotel. Well at 3 am I was sleeping after waiting for 3 hours in a queue to the new check-in arrangements, then waiting 1 hour to get taxi who wants to take me and my skies in!!:DD Unbelievable..

Luckily I met one finnish girl on the flight and we could survive together from all this SAS shit. I met also one nice guy at the airport hotel, he helped us with the baggage.. and turned out to be a finnish personaltrainer- guy, only living in Schwitzerland! cool! what a coinsidence!:) Thanks Heidi and Tommi!! The journey without them would have been very miserable history...

So home for Christmas. I did it!:) Now it's time for relaxing and some good traininghours here in Kontiolahti, not forgetting mum's tasty christmasfood and all the family gathering together:)
Next races are after two weeks so a short break during the season is always welcomed:))
Gingerbread and glühwein.. mmms:P and It's really snowing!!

Merry Christmas for everyone!:) God Jul! S Razhdestvom! Frohe Weihnachten! Joyeux Noël! Feliz Navidad!


hugs, Laura