March 6, 2009
Yoga a new part of the regime with Worlds looming
With the World Championships, the premier event of the skating season, right around the corner, all of the world's elite skaters are in their last couple weeks of preparation.
For me, this year holds heightened importance as it is the year before the 2010 Olympic season. All eyes will be on this 2009 Championships, looking for the faces and favorites of the Vancouver Olympics.
The more personal reason that this Championship is so exciting for me is because it is in Los Angeles, my hometown. I always love performing at Staples Center, and the opportunity to have my friends and family cheering me on will make it an unforgettable experience.
After competing at the Four Continents Championship in February, and a couple weeks of touring with Smuckers Stars on Ice, I decided to find the quietest place I could to prepare for the Worlds: Richmond Hill, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. I have spent this week training and fine tuning with Lori Nichol. It has been an extremely productive week of training, and adding some yoga to my training day has helped me stay centered.
I've been through so much diversity in my skating career, and I've always found that staying calm is the best way to stay confident. I still have two weeks to drill my technique, but as I return to my home training base, Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, I have a strong sense of mental preparedness.
I am going to spend the next couple weeks slipping back into my L.A. groove. Morning bike rides to Joan's on Third for breakfast, training all day, Yoga at sunset, and relaxing dinner with friends. I love Los Angeles!
Written for the Los Angeles Times' The Fabulous Forum blog.
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Spectacular blends Beijing stars, Vancouver hopefuls
As we get closer to the start of the 2009 skating season, all sights are set on the biggest skating event of the skating year, the U.S. championships.
It is an especially pertinent event, as we are just about one year away from the Olympic flame being passed to Vancouver for the XXI Winter Games. The competition in Cleveland will set the United States' 2009 World Team. And the 2009 World Championships to be held in Los Angeles will determine the number of entries each country will get for the Vancouver Games.
And, for me, as a proud Angeleno, the 2009 World Championships is particularly relevant because it will be held at my favorite building in the world, Staples Center.
In preparation for these events, I've intensified my training considerably. I have added an hour to my daily regimen and started more dance training to enhance my on-ice presentation. Coming into this event as the two-time and defending champion, I know what it will take to battle the eager challengers. I am pushing myself to my physical limit to gain strength and confidence.
Before leaving for Rapid City, I was running through my program at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo for about seven hours a day. I'm practicing my routine with and without a quadruple jump, and will make the call during the competition on whether or not to incorporate the jump.
As intense as my training has been, I find it's important to break up the daily grind. I found time for a very fun and special charity event for The Make a Difference Network hosted by Jessica Biel. I also participated in the Live Positively Holiday Parade presented by Coca-Cola held in downtown Los Angeles. I got to ride in a car with up-and-coming vocalist Paula DeAnda. I'm also very excited to be performing in the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular. The show features amazing Olympic star power along with live music performed by Raven Symone.
The show combines Olympic figure skaters Joannie Rochette, Todd Eldredge, Tanith Belbin and myself with Beijing Olympics stars Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin. And a live musical act makes this one of the most unique shows of the year. We have all become good friends and are eager for audiences to see our collaboration on this project.
We cheered on the gymnasts in Beijing as they walked away with several gold, silver, and bronze medals. They are talking about coming to Cleveland to cheer us on at the U.S. Championships, and to Los Angeles to support us at the World Championships. The gymnasts have brought to our attention how cold our training conditions are, and suggested that we try switching sports so we can train in shorts, or at least only one layer!
Written for the Los Angeles Times' The Fabulous Forum blog.
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