Over the summer, Brady and Ian spent four weeks training with the candidate team at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. Being promoted to the next level means more intensive training, including a greater emphasis on cardio. Every morning started off with a run (usually 2.7 miles around Mirror Lake) and they frequently hit the water afterward for paddleboard training. (Water temperature on this day: 69 degrees. Brrr!)
How do you practice sliding in the middle of summer? On wheels! During summer training, a course is set using cones on a downhill slope (frequently the biathlon course at Mount Van Hoevenberg) for the athletes to navigate on wheeled sleds. While not a substitute for time on an ice track, wheels training helps athletes hone their positioning and steering skills at slower speeds. (Most athletes get their first taste of luge by sliding on wheels at a Slider Search!)
The team took a break from training to take part in Lake Placid’s Independence Day festivities:
Flat ice training is another way luge athletes can practice during the summer months. The team spent some early mornings at the local ice rink (home to the legendary 1980 Winter Olympics “Miracle on Ice” hockey game) working on the paddling technique used in luge starts.
The team practices pulling starts at USA Luge’s headquarters, which features a refrigerated start facility with two 230-foot ice ramps with four different angles. The athletes practice pulling off the handles, paddling down the ramp, and settling on the sled. This building is also home to the workshop where new sleds are fabricated; during the summer, everyone gets fitted for their new ride for the upcoming season.
Summer training also features plenty of workouts and physical fitness testing:
