Jit's Journal: Project 2010, part 1

Jit’s Journal: Project 2010, part 1How do I begin to describe what has been going on in the last couple of weeks? I guess the best way to summarize it would be: Project 2010. I rejoined my teammates In Park City, Utah, for some summer testing. I hate to say it, but I am not a big fan of the testing. I don’t mind the hard workouts, or the blood testing, but the needle pricks in the finger have got to stop. After my teammates and I got done with our battery of tests, it was down to business. For the next 10 days we would be pushing each other in the gym, on the ice and up a mountain.

The 2010 group is more than just the Europa Cup squad; it also includes guys on the World Cup squad. The object of the camp, besides conditioning, was to bring together the group of guys who will be the makeup of the next Olympic Winter Games in 2010. We wanted to create an environment that we can feed off each other to make us a strong team. After much discussion as a group, we decided on eight words that would be the definition of our team. You have to remember that ski racing is an individual sport for about two minutes, and after that it is you and your teammates traveling and doing practically everything together. We took those eight words and inscribed them on a 50-pound rock which as a team we would carry to the top of Kings Peak, the highest peak in Utah.

Most people don’t think too much about telephone poles – in fact they probably never do. But when you have been holding one above your head for an hour and a half, it’s hard to get it off your mind, especially when it is constantly hitting you in the head as you sprint down a field with it. Andy Walshe oversaw the total physical destruction of my teammates and me as he used his Navy Seal training on us one early morning. Though the experience was painful, the feeling of completing the exercise as an individual and a team was awesome.

When we weren’t in the gym or the field doing our workouts, it was hockey time. At times our aggressive play didn’t quite match our skating skills. This was apparent when Ted Ligety and Jimmy Cochran collided with Jake Zamansky as he was about to score a goal. All I can remember was seeing Jake five feet in the air and upside down. Jake suffered a concussion after landing on his head, but will be fine.

Hockey wasn’t the only thing that took a toll on our bodies. Someone decided that we should all take part in some summertime aerials. It was quite possibly the funniest part of the camp. The water-park staff should have seen it coming when we walked in with the video cameras. The belly flops, back flops and face slappers were in full effect. Members of the U.S. Freestyle Team would later say they have never seen a group of people so willing to throw caution to the wind. Marco Sullivan probably took the hardest crash of the day, earning him a solid black eye. Chris Beckmann packed it in on one of the trampolines, resulting in a cut across the face and kink in the neck. I’m not going to say I escaped unscathed either. After I attempted a triple back flip – OK maybe it was only a two and a half – I nearly broke my elbow. I’m fine, for those concerned.

Tune in next week, when you can read about the conclusion of the camp, including me and teammates summiting the tallest mountain in Utah. To be continued …

– Jit

Tim Jitloff was the 2005 Sprint / Ski Racing Junior of the Year. He will keep his online journal here all season. To read more athlete journals, or to hear industry insiders in their own words, click here.