April 28 Update

Good Morning,

Ok, The past few mornings I have not gone for my run!! I have been going after work though. I personally like mixing up my routine. Also want to do some cycling as well as running. If any of you have bad knees or ankles cycling is the way to go. At least 40 minutes per ride. When you do your first rides it is a good idea to stay on flat terrain and "spin". Gear your bike to an easy gear and "spin". Higher repetitions! For the first 2 wekes or so. Build your endurance.

Still doing situps everyday. Just over 100 per day. I do not take any breaks for that amount.

Makaiya has started soccer. On Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ballet on Monday.

Tajanna is inanother play at school. She has one of the main roles. She has bee putting alot of her freee time into that. She has also told me she wants to come with me to Japan in the future. After she graduates from High school. She loves Japan! She once told me if she could be a different race for a day she would want to be " Japanese"!

Chrissy is Good! She has been exercising quite a bit and lost 20 pounds over the winter! I am very proud of her! Also watching what she is eating. She has helped me out installing kitchens the past few days. That was fun! She was very helpfull. Today she is preparing for a garage sale we are doing on Saturday. My Mom , brothers family and mine are doing it. What you do at a garage sale is put all the things you do not want any more. Usually in your driveway in front of your garage. People drive around on the weekend searching through many garage sales looking for bargins. Many times the things that are put out should be just thrown in the garbage. But sometimes there are good things. I will let you know how it goes.

Hope you have a good day.

Doug

April 25 update

Hello Everyone,

I am back installing kitchens . It is so busy in Kelowna now. Many homes and new condos are being built. I have many companys asking me to install for them. I am helping my father inlaw now though. He has 3 kitchens waiting for me.

Last week Chrissy and I went for a run along a beautifull creek. It is called Mission creek. Anyway, we drove our car to the location and went for our run. When we got back someone threw a big rock through our back passenger side window. They searched through the car and stole Chrissy's purse, that she hid under the seat. Needless to say Chrissy was very upset. we had to pay $300 to fix the window. The next day Chrissy did have someone call in saying they found her purse. All of her I.D. was in it so she was lucky in the that respect. The lesson for us is to never leave any valuables in the car.

Time to go. Must instal those kitchens!

Doug

April 19 update

Hi everyone,

It was a hot day here in Kelowna 19 degres C!

Since I have been back in Kelowna I have been running before work in the morning around 40 minutes with stretching after. My pace when I run is so I am able to talk if I have too. Chrissy is also running with me. I run faster than her but often run back to her from certain mark points along the run. I want to be stronger for next season. You guys are getting too fast and may catch me soon!!! Well, and the season is long and I do not have many days off so the stronger I am the better. My focus now is to strengthen my lung capacity and heart. Longer runs and bike rides! I am also doing at least 100 situps of different types every day. Must Have a strong stomach and back for phase 3 of the turn.

I love ski racing for how it helps motivate me to be healthy! Mentally , physicaly, spititually , Lots of challenge and friends! Lets push to challenge ourselves I all areas! 30 to 40 minutes per day can make a huge difference!

You can all do it! Good luck.

Bye for now.

Doug

April 17 update

Hi again,

Just a little diagram to show you the need to prepare in as many areas as possible! I like how it shows the need to keep all gears well maintained for the best overal performance!!

Bye for now !

Doug

April 17 update

Hi everyone,

I made it to Sun Peaks today. I did ski on the slope the Austrian team trains on . It had a varity of slopes and angles. Very good for variation training. I was told the hill usually opens around the 16th of November so it maybe a new great location for our early season training. One slope that they have snow making on was long with flat to medium terrian. Great for what we need! I am very excited about the possibility of skiing there this upcoming Fall. I just have to find suitable accomidations for us. There is also a flight that goes from Vancouver to Kamloops. It is around a 45 minute drive from Kamloops to the ski hill. I will give you more information once I fet more details. Enjoy the pictures! Again the ski Hill name is Sun Peaks. The owner is from Japan. Nippon Cable.

Bye for now.

Doug

More pictures

April 16 Update

Hello everyone,

Happy Easter! I had a few days up at Big White. My home ski hill! We had winter like conditions. New snow and cold temperatures. Great way to finish the season! It was great to ski with Makaiya and Chrissy! As well as with the rest ofmy family!

Yes, we celerbrated Easter at Big White. Easter is the day that Christ came back to earth. Or came back from death. In Canada we also have easter sunday the day the easter rabbit comes and hides chocolate and candy for all of the childeren. Hope you enjoy the pictures. I also made a slide tunnel for the kids to play in. It took some work but was fun for the kids.

I hoope the weather is good so I can go to Sun Peaks tomorrow.

Bye for now!

Doug

April 12 Update

Hello!!

Here is some exciting news I am not sure if all of you are aware of. Before I left for Canada I did a radio shbow on a local FM station in Tokyo. FM 72.9 mhz. A very successfull man Named Kouno San asked me to speak with him. It was for 1 hour and was a grat way to Promote , Accel Ski, Hotel Zonntaggu, Sugadaira, Team Rush, And Seikei University. It was a great experience. Taka Kurosaki Translated for me. Thanks for helping!

Actually a big thank you to all of you that help Accel!!! By helping set courses, side sslipping courses, carrying gates, wrenches, drills bags and so on! All things that I notice and appreciate from those of you that put in suchb an effort to work as a team!! Thanks again!

Bye for now!

Doug

April 11 Update

Hi Everyone,

Day 2 in Kelowna and already getting ready for my next work. Had a busy day getting things prepared.

I am going to Sun Peaks tomorrow to see how the ski hill, runs are layed out. It is around 2.5 hours from Kelowna. It maybe the next place we try for the Fall camps. Hope we can have better training and have a better chance to prepare for the next season. It would be great to watch the Austrians train . The Austrian National ski will be there before the World Cup races in North America. I will let you kow how it goes tomorrow.

Check the pictures out and see if you reckonize where it is taken.

Bye for now!

Doug

April 10 Update

Hello Everyone,

I have made it back to Kelowna safely. Chrissy picked me up from Vancouver airport. Just Chrissy, the Kids stayed in Kelowna or up at my home ski hill. Chrissy and I had a weekend in Vancouver just the 2 of us.

I am in Kelowna now. I am so happy to see my girls!!! I have a little time off before I start my cabinetry installs. I will prepare this week. Prepare my tools and do many other things that have been neglected.

I do plan to do a little skiing before the upcoming weekend. My whole family planning to come up to the ski hill to stay at my moms place. I think 16 of us or so.

I feel we all had a great year in many different areas. Great job you guys! Great results from races, improvements in training, basic skill, skiing more aggressive line, race preparation and so on.

I know we can all do more to improve in many areas though and in my next blog I will show you some different ones.

Bye for now!

All the Best

Doug

Feb,20 update

Hi Everyone,

So far the season has gone by so fast! It has been very busy here at Sugadaira. I am very happy about that cause I get to see you all so often!

I feel the biggest change this year has been in how we are skiing our line! Many of you have had big break throughs in that area. Of course our technique is also vital to ski such a line. Which brings me to the next point. It is great to see some of you taking time to do free skiing to work on basic areas. I wish more of you would take time to do that for yourselves. Doing a varity of different skiing would help your overall performance. Powder skiing , bump skiing jumping. Please be carefull though if it is a first time trying any of these. Doing the varity of skiing will help you adapt when you have to during training or in a race.

I hope to see you soon!

Best Regards

Doug

Jan, 23 update

Hello everyone,

Another busy weekend has come and gone. The training that we covered was a mix of 1st phase, 3rd phase training and line. Many of you have been catching bits and pieces of all and are getting that much closer to your full potential!

Today we trained 1st phase and line on # 3. The line that we skied seemed very low to the people that skied but found thye were able to stay in the course. We of course need to maintain a good position to ski such a line but I feel many of you are ready to do so.

I am enjoying this season very much! I am so impressed with how you are all so dedicate. I will strive to do my best to help you all!

Bye for now

Doug

Jan, 3 update

Hello !!

Sorry for the passing between messages!! It has been very busy here from Christmas through the New year. I willl have more time from now to update my blog.

I feel it has been a good start to the season because I have seen good increases in basic skill from many of our ski racers! I am still as conmitted as ever to help all of you reach your goals in ski racing. I am sorry sometimes that some of you find it hard to understand me because of how I word my advice. I will do my best to help all of you understand what it is you need to immagine and to do.

I hope to see you all very soon!

Bye for now !

Doug

Jan, 3 update

Hello !!

Sorry for the passing between messages!! It has been very busy here from Christmas through the New year. I willl have more time from now to update my blog.

I feel it has been a good start to the season because I have seen good increases in basic skill from many of our ski racers! I am still as conmitted as ever to help all of you reach your goals in ski racing. I am sorry sometimes that some of you find it hard to understand me because of how I word my advice. I will do my best to help all of you understand what it is you need to immagine and to do.

I hope to see you all very soon!

Bye for now !

Doug

Dec, 9 Update

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it has been so ong since my last message. I have ben so sick with a cold and trying to ready myself for my trip to Japan.

Oh, I am in Japan and Will see you all soon at Zonntaggu. Of course this weekend we will work on the basics. Stance, alignment , and balance!

See you soon!

Doug

Nov, 27 Update

Hello Everyone,

Sorry I have not updated in a while! It has been a busy Camp here in Banff. I have not hada PC to use as well.

The main point we have been working on here is of course basic skills. Stance, position and knee drive. I am looking forward to doing the same in Japan with all of you.

Hopefully more soon!

Doug

November 9 update

Hi everyone,

The new Accel GS panels look great! We will ahve them on both. #7 and #3 !!

More soon!

Doug

Nov, 6 update

Hello everyone,

It was a good weekend! Still very cool! Snow is still flying in the hills.

The photo is of a large sleeper truck. Many trucks are of this size in Canada ans the US! Truckers can pull over and sleep anywhere. Much ,much larger than trucks in Japan. Of course the roads are much wider here. In the counrty and cities.

Makaiya was eating a Maki roll. Maki was eating a Maki. Ha HA!

More soon!

Doug

Nov,3 Update

Hello Everyone,

Winter is here!!!!!! It has been snowing in the mountains and the forcast is for more!

Great news for those of you that are coming for the Canada camp this year!

More soon!

Best Regards

Doug

Oct, 31 Update

It's Hallowenn!!!

Most kids go out dressed up and say "trick or treat" at each house and the people give the kids some kind of candy or Chocolate. We have too much ! TJ and Makaiya both dressed up! It was fun.

Enjoy the photos!

Doug