Not happy as a clam...

3.30am morning of the second competition. I woke up dreaming that I was drunk and needed to puke. No, this wasn’t a dream, I am awake, but wait - I still need to puke?? Irony or premonition? It was only at dinner the night before I was wondering how catastrophic it would be if something in the meal (all the athletes were eating at the same restaurant) created everyone to be sick!

So after painfully losing some much needed dinner in the early hours of the morning I retreated sorrowfully to the couch. When my alarm buzzed and I came to – I felt awful! Almost hungover without any good memories from the night before!! Over breakfast, a slowly consumed glass of OJ my coach questioned if I should compete but that was a no brainer and I contemplated a new game plan for today’s competition. Luckily one of the girls on the US offered to introduce me to their team doctor where I had a few words, given some good advice for getting through the day and felt lucky for having such a considerate friend around. Training was painful. The nerves of competition were gone however a fear of throwing up somewhere untimely (like in the start gate) was present instead. One run in training and I was shattered. The aches had set in like the flu and everything hurt. I was utterly miserable. With plans of increasing the aggression in yesterday’s performance still there but a body refusing to participate there was a huge battle of tensions.

The result was the same – another 18th place, but much of my skiing was a huge step on yesterday’s. My jump scores were much higher, time faster but there was a pretty big boo boo half way down which was very disappointing. Interesting placing the same as yesterday but having such different feelings about it. Late afternoon and solids are back on the menu. By dinner salad and tea seems appealing but unfortunately the party of the circuit will not be attended by KT. Everyone heads off to the live band and famous after party in Åre, and I home. And so another World Cup came to a close.