Thank goodness we're finally past the summer solstice, the days are getting shorter and surely snowfall and ski racing can't be far away. No doubt you're all busy with your dry land training programs. Hopefully some of you are planning a trip to a Pratte camp in Zermatt, Colorado or Sun Peaks. Now, I'm delighted to announce a bonus GDHL contribution to your racing preparation.

In the last issue of this newsletter, I introduced Sally Belanger (disrespectfully aka Sally the Ass Teacher), who has helped me and others learn how to better activate lazy muscles and improve their athletic performance. Some of you have mentioned that you long knew I was a lazy ass and were just too polite to say so before I came out. Others have suggested that a bit more work would be in order. In any event, Sally's exercises aren't strenous, but are highly effective in, for example, getting your glutes to work so that you stay out of the back seat and in a position to turn much more quickly. Conversely, Lori Kirwan, whose group exercise classes I attend almost daily, is all about action and sweat. So what could be better than bringing these two together?

Lori is the group exercise director at Hard Candy Fitness in Toronto, as well as teaching at the Adelaide Club. She has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and I have never met anyone more devoted to anything than Lori is to running exercise classes. And they are awesome! Lori has agreed to open the doors of Hard Candy for a special GDHL training day with Sally as a guest instructor. It is tentatively set for 1:45 pm on Saturday, 17 October. Lori has said you can come early and participate in her regularly scheduled classes at HC. These include the Tornado circuit class at 10 am, Hard Drive cycling at 11 am and Electric Yoga with a live DJ in a nicely heated studio from noon to 1:30. Lori will also design a special exercise class for us, which will likely feature a combination of core work, plyometrics and stretching. (One of the other HC instructors may lead it, given how much else Lori does every week.) And to top it all off, Sally will lead a session in which she will explain the work she does for athletes of all kinds and give us some exercises to work on.

We'll confirm all of the details in the fall, but mark your calendars and let us know what you think. Tell us if you're coming, or if we've forgotten some conflicting event. These are top notch experts and it'll be well worth your while. Lori's class will be tough, but if you can't do it, should you really be racing gravity down an icy slope? And if Sally can unlock some unused power for you, I assure you it will be a revelation! If you can't wait until October, click on the link above for HC, or visit Sally's website.

Since You're Here

Click here for the Wall Street Journal's explanation of why skiing is the secret to Novak Djokovic's success as a tennis player.

And more analysis of Ted Ligety skiing GS

Here's a nice compilation of people you know from Alpine Canada.

Finally, here is an hour long video of Candide Thovex free skiing. The first nine minutes, after you get past the bears and mountain goats, are jaw dropping. And HD!

Enjoy the summer and train safely!

Cheers,

James Mathers