Michelle, what all did you do to get to the Olympic Trials?

[Merrily]

Congratulations on sailing in the recent Olympic Trials, Michelle!

Please tell us what you had to do to get there. What events did you sail? How did you train? Exercise? Food? Coaching? I bet a lot of people are interested in this. I know I'm interested in how you went about it.

 

[Michelle]

Hi Merrily,

(Warning this got long-winded!)

I qualified at the NA Women's Radial Champs in Ft Lauderdale, right after OCR. At the time I wasn't thinking about the Trials but once I heard I qualified it lit a fire under my butt to try and improve my sailing game. The biggest thing I needed to do to improve my performance in radials was to lose weight. I didn't lose as much as I wanted to by Oct, but I did lose 20 pounds by eating better and reducing the amount of alcohol and sweets I consumed, and I tried to get some form of exercise every day, whether a good sailing practice, a trip to the gym, or a 5k Everglades slog in water up to my knees. I need to take up bicycling, but I am too afraid to ride around here with no bike lanes and maniac drivers so I might get a stationary bike.

I didn't get a lot of coaching this year, but I did work with Kurt Taulbee at Sailfit for a couple days this summer and then I spent all August up in the NE racing, doing the D12 Radial Grand Prix, Buzzards Bay, US Nationals and CORK. I had to go back to work for Sept but I tried to get out a couple days a week for intense practice although our weather wasn't too good. I practiced in a fullrig at this time to try and get stronger and improve my boathandling in windier conditions.

During the Trials I was happy with my staying power over such a long series. I was still hyper and bouncing off the walls by the end of the 4th day, and didn't start to feel really tired until the 7th day, which is also when it got considerably colder (40's and low 50's compared to the 70's and 80's earlier). We usually sailed 2 races a day of about an hour each. I had some decent first beats and rounded in 4th for my best one. My downwind speed was not up to par and I lost a lot on the offwind legs. I lost less when the waves were surfable and the wind came up until things got too rough and I started to sail controlled and slow to avoid capsizing in the strange wave patterns that would form. I was basically treating the Trials as a practice for the Laser Masters Worlds in Australia in Feb, which is another long event where it should be windy and wavy, with serious competition. Between now and then I want to focus on downwind sailing in the open ocean so I will probably start sailing out of Ft Lauderdale.

 

[Merrily]

Your game has improved tremendously since Masters MWE two years ago when we met. I'm hoping to make some regattas this year myself. I only sailed in one this past season--the one at my club that I put on. I know I've still got a big learning curve, but I'm starting to understand my mistakes. I don't believe that I'll be doing any 5K Everglade slogs, but I do put a bicycle on a training stand. You're right, it's nuts out there.

So Aussies, look for Michelle in February!