Shooting star^^

Salut!

It was bittersweet to write about staying home last time, but I was yelling too early!! Just in the same late evening I got call that I could be participating both the IBU-cups, replacing Sarianna. And after thinking a while and discussing with my coach I was already packing for the next journey!:) I prefered getting more races (cause it goes better and better all the time) than staying at home alone, when my both beloved men are also abroad!

So off we go back to the Alps. First to Italy and Forni Avoltri and next week at the highest high Haute-Maurienne! Well, as you know the finnish team, we have our own tiny accommodation, with own cars, own cooking, only one waxman, no massages etc. That all brings a little advantage compared to the other teams and it's a pity that you can't give your total best although you should be showing your best results that you get into World Cup!

Well, I did my best, especially on the shooting range! Second individual race this year and I managed to drop all the 20 targets first time ever! so 0+0+0+0 and no penaltyminutes so I was really happy to reach top 20! Though, there were also top 10 available...I lost 4 minutes to the french leader, mostly because fresh snow and my bad skies, but you can do nothing. The next day was even worse, my skiing was a bit more alert on the track but the skies were worse. I lost in this sprint over 4 minutes with only 1 standing penalty!! How fair, isn't it...

So after this week in Italy, living in a small apartment and having a very distracting atmosphere among us we continued a long journey to France! A lovely sun and perfect hard tracks were waiting for us. I was also accompanied by Sarianna (luckily and finally) so that there was more relieved atmosphere and I also got somebody (again) to sleep next to:D



Anyways, I did good job also there! I did an excellent hard classic training before the races on that high 1700 meters above the sealevel. And so I got a bit better glide for the first sprint and with perfect fast shooting on the range I ended up to the place 30! With my hurting spine and back I was still able to get the strong last loop, as I was a bit scared to give full blast on the first loop at that altitude. Anyways, feeling relieved. Good job and the better way to go:)

Pursuit race I started just behind one of the twin Hildebrands, just to notice they are not so fast as I had imagined.*grins* :D But the chilly day -15c in the morning was bit hard to start fast, as well as humidity was somewhere around 20%. Nirsknarsk says the skies.:D But without a small mistake in the prone my total shootingprocent during January would have been pure 100%!!!:))
In the first standing I was standing too long time and I lost crusial 3 hits. Anyways, total 5 penalties is too much and already tired body was happy to get back home!



So not bad two weeks for a "reservathlete"!! Shooting is brilliant, and I hope now after a few massages and good hometraining I'm able to give the best results in European Championships in Slovakia, Brezno-Osrblie. I'll be the only girl from Finland (!!!) and I'll travel there with two boys, without any coach or waxman! Our A-team headcoach promised something like co-operation with Austrians but who knows. I think some help is needed 0_o

After the ECH's week I'll be back at home, preparing for World Cup in Kontiolahti. Dunno yet if I'll be skiing, I wish so. BUT in case my face is not enough for the team I'll be the chief of attachees and chaperone, maybe even translator for the Teamcaptainmeetings. Anyways, I'll be there!! :)

Now I head to the gym. It's bit odd to sleep and train at home all alone. Yesterday evening I went to solarium and bought a fresh pineapple, just imagining I was laying on the beach of Koh Tao (Thailand) next to my boyfriend and chilling... It was only just a dream!

Merci! Salut à bientôt!:)

Home bittersweet Home

Happy Holidays afterwards, and so I'm already wishing happier new year 2012! Hopefully the bad things will stay in the passing year and the good things will follow to the next year!:)

That's the wish from my side, I'm glad that this year is going to end soon and the new experiences are waiting for me... and everybody! Santa Claus didn't visit us this year either but I was happy that he had brought also this year some nice presents!:D Headlamp and skibootdryers on the top of that. And my boyfriend got a book from his "german"family: "die spinnen, Die Finnen" so I think I'm going to read it at once!!:) Otherwise my Christmas went pretty much normally, including delicious eating, skiing and relaxing and this year even Christmaschurch on 25th! That's because I spent first time ever my Christmas' Eve somewhere else than by my parents'. i was by my bf's parents so that was certainly something new! It's nice and weird to see how Christmas' Eve is celebrated elsewhere!

Anyways, what happened earlier in this month made me feel a bit down. As you know I traveled up to the Alps to participate IBU-cup races in Ridnaun and Obertilliach. For me they turned out to be a disaster which seems to nearly cut my season short. We spent the first 5 days in Obertilliach where we were able to acclimate to the higher altitude and also train properly on the nice 5K's track! We got also more snow on the second day so it looked really nice after rain and darkness of the homeyards.



When we arrived to Ridnaun the problems started. A couple of us suffered from stomachproblems which affected more or less to the weekend's competitions. It was also a bit strange to live in a small apartment, 7 of us. Sometimes it's a small funny family and sometimes you wish you had some own space. On the raceday you try to be quiet while boys're sleeping. You wish:D
First in the program was individual race and 15K in +2 cloudy weather. i was feeling lazy and My body didn't have that much energy due to stomachproblems, so with 6 penalties and this skiing- you move nowhere. Head down and shoulders front, and shaking legs. Unsatisfied and sad.
In sprint however I managed to relax on the shootingrange and Igot a prefect shooting 0+0 at the first time since 2010. I felt a bit better than the previous day but it wasn't enough to get any good placement. 51th was far away from the result I know I can with that shooting.

The next problem arrived on Monday, and got really worse on Wednesday after mixrelay! Lugninfection... You're not welcome.!!! I still felt okey in my muscles on Wed so I decided to start. Also okey shooting sith 1 reservbullet in each shooting was good. I was quite fresh in skiing but my lugns were putting down the contract.. We end up to the place12th and we were happy to win Sweden and Switzerland:P

In this point of trip I ended up to the doctor and I didn't start anymore due to sickness. I came back home and heard the lovely news. I will not be starting in the World Cup, nor in IBU-cup... That's the result from the bad skiing, no matter the reasons to them, no matter if you were best woman in the sprint in Ridnaun, or sick. No excuses...
The fastest skier of us will ski World Cups in January, and the winner of the small national race here in Kontiolahti during December will have starts both in IBU-cups and finally in Antholz. And all these decisions I find a bit unfair, but You cannot do anything but ski faster. We don't count shootingtimes or hitprocent, nope. Even if we were biathletes. but all this aftertalk is pointless and will only waste my precious time.

So it's bittersweet to stay home now the whole January, skiing som xc-races perhaps and preparing to ECH's in Brezno-osrblie... If they ever send anybody there! My boyfriend will fly with his friends to Thailand fo three weeks and Ahti is flying to Germany and World Cup already on Sunday! He had by the way missluck during the world Cup in December, broken skipoles and not-firing bullets etc. Hopefully you all will keep the thumbs up for him and wish him luck..!:) At least one of our family is on G!!;)

Now I'm off to swim in the lake and have a small run before that. Yesterday we had a big storm here and lot of people are still running without electricity! We had sun and snow this morning and I liked skiing and shooting in the hard wind... nearly perfectly;D So my spirit's up. hopefully your thumbs too later in January..:)

ciaoooo

Rushing Hours^^'

Här befinner jag mig, i tåget på väg mot Helsingfors! Jag har precis genomfört mitt sista snöträningsläger i år i Vuokatti och nu åker jag till Ridnaun och Obertilliach. Skidskyttecirkus är däremot i Östersund där säsongen har börjat för några dagar sen! Ska hålla tummarna för min lillebror och alla andra kompisar som står på startlinjen.J

Who didn’t understand my Swedish I just told I’m right now on the way to Helsinki and tomorrow I’m already in Austria and Obertilliach! I just finished my last snow camp this year. In the meanwhile, the biathloncirkus has arrived to my “hometown” Östersund!! So let’s but the thumbs up for my little brother Ahti and other Finns and fellows. J

Two weeks ago when I was training again in Vuokatti I got some company from our A-team girls; Kaisa, Mari and Sanna, as well as Ahti. We were also accompanied by the Austrian, Belarus, Ukraine etc.biathlon teams! So it was pure traffic jam going on there. Everybody tried to find desperately some snow and Vuokatti was one of the best places in whole Europe! Except Kontiolahti, Vuokatti has been the only place for my trainingcamps this year and actually it has worked pretty well! It’s a bit miserable that our B-team hasn’t had any trainingcamps after September if we just don’t count this Muonio snowcamp, where Sarianna was the only girl to arrive. I decided to stay nearer to home and train in Vuokatti, as did also Kaisa and co.

It was quite quiet now at this time in Vuokatti and I was able to train as planned on the excellent tracks! Over two weeks ago I got a phone call from the coach that I won’t be skiing in the first IBU-cup and World Cups. So it meant only that I get more time for training (which is actually an excellent choice for me after this “puzzle- autumn”).

I’ll fly now on Sunday to München and then straight to Obertilliach. After a couple of days training there we head to Ridnaun for the second IBU-cup this year! And as likely it’s going to be my first real races this season. I haven’t had such a hurry with the races. I will get them enough during the long season I think so.:D And we have to remember World Champs are just in March!! Due to our poor money situation in our biathlon federation we have to pay all of the costs from the next two weeks, getting only IBU-moneyaid to get this all through! Well, I’m actually used to it, cause two years ago it was all the same shit^^’)

The first races in Kontiolahti went pretty bad actually. On Saturday I shot my first ever jackpot (5penalties from standing) and felt over 4 minutes behind Olympic Winner Kuzmina. In the pursuit I managed to normalize my doings and gathered only 3 penalties, having one of the best individual times of the day. I just got my new riffle and due to its short magazines, I needed to buy a new rifle stock too! So it’s been more difficult to find my normal positions and things^/

Now I’m off.J See you on the track, sooner or later. Arrivederci!!

- Laura

It's time for skies!

Privet!
That's the greeting I'm wishing with smile nearly every morning here in Kontiolahti! There are teams at least from Khanty-Mansiysk and St.Petersburg, and Kuzmina and co!:) But it's not too busy on the cooled skitrack and I'm able to do my trainings as planned. I spent two times one week training in Vuokatti. At the first time we had our "first and last" trainingcamp with B-team, that because all the previous camps have been partly only races and sometimes even we lived at home so so... Luckily our B-teamcoach took it all quite easy-going and I was able to adjust the program a little bit with my own coach:) This camp was really good break after the miscellaneous times with moving and stress^^



Last week I was once again in Vuokatti, training by my own. Half of the time having company of my boyfriend and half of the time alone.. Or how could I say; together with Belarus team and a lot of other skiers, starting their schoolbreak and autumnholidays by skiing outside on the 1,5k track! And when I arrived back home, Ahti also arrived from the superlong trainingcamp in Ruhpolding and Ramsau! It's been a bit worse conditions up on the glacier this year, but nevertheless; Ahti is really fit:D And he is already named to the Worldcup team to Östersund! On the girls side only Kaisa and Mari are sure for the big cup. So there are two places left and they will be decided after the qualiraces here in Kontiolahti 19 th of Nov.

Otherwise it's time to relax few days now, before we head to Muonio at 5th of November. There're supposed to be also German and swedish biathlon teams! That means the raceseason is starting soon when you see more and more biathletes training tiptop.^^' I'm excited and not at all nervous, I'm not worried if I'm not skiing in the first WorldCup. Of Course it would be great, especially when the first place Östersund is my second hometown (like I always say:)) and also I've heard there are many friends and fans coming around!:) But in the meanwhile it would be easy to ski in Ibu-cup when you know the places; Ridnaun and Obertilliach are both excellent for training and also situated at the higher altitude... Anyways, I accept every desicion where I'll be skiing or if I ski at all abroad! Who knows. My shape is getting better but it's hard to know where I stand, so in the middle of October:)

We were supposed to have a trainingcamp in Vuokatti, starting tomorrow but due to lack of money in our biathlonassociation we don't have it. (nor a-team!!!:o) But as I told you before I hope our next camp in Muonio will be there...

And in the end, The season is actually starting this sunday!! Cross-country Finnish cup starts on Saturday in Vuokatti, and I'll be skiing relay with Kontiolahti SportClub on Sunday together with Kaisa and Sarianna! so there we are, Saarinen, Lähteenmäki and co. Cool!! Let's see...

Otherwise I'm of to swim again to the lake with Sampo, Just 3 times in the sauna and then 4 times a small round in the lake;) refreshing and awesome!!

ps. Recommended book to read for German biathlonfans, or anybody who's interested in Finland from a viewpoint of a german man:) Wolfram Eilenberger- Finnen von Sinnen! geiles Buch-- er wird(oder hat schon) nach Finnland umziehen um eine Finnin zu heiraten und dann erzählt er auch wie viel die Finnen spinnen;)) *gg*

Behind the scenes?!

Hou!

Oh this time's passing so quickly! Sorry!=)

So how is it going over here? There's been a lot of things happening behind the scenes. I just wanted to show how it happens... the results are not always "just" what they show. How people usually do? -check out the results from the races and blame the losers and cheer for the winners. easy eh? Most of the time there are many unknown facts that should be considered before you cheer or blame..^^' I'm not talking just about me, but also about all the athletes!

Well, there really have been going on something. And in this case there are things like moving, packing, cleaning, racing, training, school, boyfriend, decorating, playing, worrying... eh demanding me just to take a nap! -But I don't have even time fot that!

After my big brother's wedding, it's been all but easy! I have to mention that my first (hopefully not the last) weddingday was memorable and lovely, but also causing very aching feet and also I got a flue! Next weekend after that we had finnish cross-biathlon champs, and it didn't really help my feeling in my body when I HAD to start in the races. Well, luckily I wasn't that bad and we took even the relay gold for Kontiolahti!
So let's count, one week sick and the next week I was kind of resting in Helsinki and then heading to Lahti where I was training with my personal coach! At this part I felt okey, but once again there were IBU-cup roller races coming...
So I think I was kind of healthy one week and of course you're supposed to do a lot of trainings, well due to that and all the other stressy things (like packing, cleaning up for the new address!!!) I started in rollerraces...

Everyone can check out the results, and think oh she's not doig very well... In the big new steap uphill I was nearly dead, and in addition to bad skiing I even shot 2 misses from standing. Somewhere between Otepää trainingraces and that day (5weeks) I had lost over 100seconds compared to my fellow Sarianna. 10seconds behind in Otepää and now we could be nearly counting hours^^D

My nervsystem was tired, so did my muscles, in that case you have no choice to take in some oxygen..^D Well, I skipped the pursuit day and continued my non-athletic lifestyle with packing and stressing. so on... And that means one week total stress with big packs and new address stuff. Luckily we got it finished before the Finnish roller-biathlon champs just during the next weekend! But there were no better way. One day during the previous week I realized I had to calm down and stop worrying about every single thing when I was crying all day along, even in the training...^^/

My new home is now here in the centrum of Joensuu, just a few steps away from university.. I'm living now in a huge 106m2 flat with my little brother and boyfriend. It's only ridiculous that both of them took this moving very calmly, and only I was affected so heavily.
But dont' worry now I'm doing a little bit better! Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to follow the A-team to Obertilliach trainingcamp, nor I have money for Ramsau sportcamp! This year our lovely association put so heavy costs for the camp that none of b-team can't afford it!

That means training days at home... that's a bit heavy for my bright head which loves Austria and the landscapes of Ramsau!

However, There were certainly some things going on here, and that's (hopefully) the reason for the poor races at this point of the season. Luckily I've still three months to go before the season starts.... in SWEDEN!!! o vad jag saknar ditåt!:)

I'll update later, now I head to dancelessons and wait for the coming sportcamp in Vuokatti!

Arrivederci!
GLG

Otepää, there and back again!

Tere!

Once again we've returned back home from sunny Otepää!! At this time the news- free traveling day was Friday, the day when there were these insane terrorattacks in Norway. I'm so upset how this was so raw! so sorry for the norwegians and fellows^^/

Well above that miserable story I heard also good news from Sweden! My good friend and my only finnish speaking teacher in Östersund Marko Laaksonen will be coaching the swedish biathlon women team=) And during this spring there were my ex-coach Johan Hagström doing this job! I'm so proud of them both. JEJEJJE=)

So we've just finished our trainingcamp in Otepää. 8th summer in a row!! So the landscapes are quite familiar to me:) Two weeks there is just enough, longer time would have driven us to madness I think^^' This year we had other schoolaccommodation, just in the middle of the town. Good sides were that there were gym and room for cycles and stuff. Otherwise, it was a bit bad choice. Estonian Rally circus arrived to the city at the 2nd weekend, and living just in the centrum wasn't very pleasant to sleep. and the hot nights were also prohibiting recovery... If you're sweating 24/7 you're not so fresh after two weeks trainingcamp with over 40 hours training and around 10hours pure shootingtraining^^D

Anatoly was the chef of the camp and I think we managed well also this year. I did a bit my own trainings, and actually I felt great! :o I was able to run properly first time after 9 weeks with my broken feet (hurted it during kick-boxing lesson^0) And due to massages and right training it was getting better all the time... Hopefully it will last the races during the next weekend, when we have Finnish Championships in Cross-Biathlon! This journey to Jalasjärvi is long, though. After that I'll perhaps continue to Lahti to my coach and to Helsinki with my boyfriend. So we'll see when I come back^^')

Tomorrow's the day when my big brother is getting married!!=) Seems like we'll have a warm sunny day coming, with a lot of happy things...:)) I'll be reading some poetry in the church and in the evening maybe singing. We'll have fun anyways;)
Now off to the city and enjoy the sunset in the summerheat... Tomorrow I'll be fine:P

xxx

ps. Thank you all for the nice birthdaywishes. As I told you earlier, now I'm wiser, sun-tanned and thinner. *grinning*hehe:D Danke schön, tack så mycket, bolshoe spasibo, jekuji =)

Breaking Silence!

I was just driving back home from training "deep in the swamp" when I heard this tragedy of one of the greatest cross-country skiers in Finland, Mika Myllylä. Ten years he had to to stand up to the critic and shit, having big private-, as well as alcoholproblems. I hope none of the athletes have to live the “post-sport- life” like that.

Anyways above all, I’m not dead (ironically) although I’ve been climbing up to the Vuokatinvaara in deadheat, trying Benji-jumping, and crowling in the mod… XD

Last time I wrote it was time for Off-season, now we’ve been training over two months since that! Trainingcamps in Åland and Vuokatti are well-done and now I’m just about to head to Otepää. And believe or not, it’s 8^th summer in a row when I’m doing this!! I bet this happens also next July and until death do us part… ^^'

Actually I started the trainingseason with lovely combined training and relaxing week in Crete! Swimming and running on the beach, but also biking to the nearest mountainpeak with my little brother included to the program. +27c degrees and sun made my smile wider and my skin browner:D Satisfying result!

After that I’ve been training mostly at home, only one “small” problem rolling in my head all the time. I don’t know who would be my coach!!!! And that’s more than a huge question cause now we’re talking about the years until Olympic Wintergames in 2015! As you may know our Anatoly came back to Kontiolahti, and I had been co-operating with my Norwegian coach since October. Then we also got a new A-team coach Mika Haapoja (my ex-coach before I moved to Östersund) . And how come, I had three eager coaches willing to coach me, but dunno how I came to the option that nobody expected! Somehow (and with help of my dearest..including phonecalls to all around the world..) Tomi Kuutti from Lahti (Also Kaisa’s and Mari’s ex-coach) is now supposed to bring something fresh to my body. I’m trusting now that this system will work and bring me a new level in my skiing. Shooting things I’m handling with Anatoly and co. So there shouldn’t be any problem. I have also started a new mental training program with Christoph Treier and I hope I’ll reach my goals easier when he’s around!:)

We have now a brandnew coachgroup, including also Kaisa’s personal coach Jarmo Punkkinen. Thus far everything seems okey and I hope it will be even better! We have more trainingcamps than ever before and that means only more days abroad… J Ruhpolding, Obertilliach, Ramsau, Vuokatti and Muonio, for A-team.. Maybe I’m coming along with them to some of the camps! In the meanwhile I’ll be training at home with Ahti and Anatoly, once in a while taking a tour to Lahti to my personalcoach. Who knows, maybe I’m also moving to that direction pretty soon. But about that and the reasons later then:D

So I’m heading to Lahti now and tomorrow morning to Otepää for two weeks. After that it’s time for the wedding of my big brother<3 That will be sensitive and great day. A relaxing day between the trainingcamps and Finnish Cross-Summerbiathlon Champs…

Returning here later ,I’m then one year older and one year wiser, happily and eager to see again the beloved ones.:)

Hugs xxx