Let the Track & Field Season Begin!

     It’s been an incredibly long journey, but I’ve finally arrived in Fortaleza, Brazil…. Woo Woo!!! I have 2 competitions here in Brazil and I’m excited with no true clue as to what to expect.  After, my pride swallowing performance at Drake Relays, I’ve learned to check my overconfidence at the door.

     In truth, I am approaching this season like climbing the CN Tower Stairs.  To get to the Skywalk Level with the glass ceiling, I must climb step by step… one foot in front of the other… I can’t just fly to the top, it’s a upward progression – Kaizen!  Likewise to jump well I must master and consistently execute the various components.  While, indoors for me offered a solid start to the year, outdoors is a different beast.  It is much longer, the surface can be different and you are at the mercy of the elements/weather.  Moreover, it was just last June in Thessaloniki, Greece when I seriously injured my low back/glutes, eventually ending my season prematurely.  So, it really has been 2 years since I’ve had a solid outdoor season.  And like anything else, there is always someone there to replace you.  So, this season is a season of reaffirming my performances. 

    This year I have no plans to hold anything back.  I have a couple of large agenda items I need to take care of… Among them the Canadian Record – 1.98m, set in 1984 by Debbie Brill.  I’ve attempted and flirted with the Canadian Record far too many times.  In the past, perhaps my overwhelming respect for Debbie Brill may have shadowed my attempts.  I love what Debbie Brill has done but it’s time for that record to go!  I also have a score to settle at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.  The Commonwealth Games i(Melbourne, Australia, 2004)  resulted in a devastating and unexplainable no-height performance.  I’ve waited 4 years for this do-over! 

     But, achieving these objectives and others requires a process approach – building off each performance, no matter how small. Kaizen!  So, while Drake Relays may have been a failure to me, it also was a learning experience on overconfidence.   It’s all about climbing those stairs, step by step.

     Brazil marks the next series of steps in the beginnings of my climb this season.  Execution of certain key technical elements is my goal here in Brazil….trusting desirable outcomes/performances will follow.

Let the season begin!

Nicole

To follow my competition schedule and results visit my website.