Bouncing back. It is something I have had the opportunity to do many times (maybe because I like kangaroos a lot???).Life as an athlete is full of ups and downs. It looks and feels a little like this…Things I have learned about the bumps in the road…1.) Things WILL get better. After a few weeks, I could not imagine getting better and being able to train or race anytime soon, even when people told me that it will get better. They were right.2) PATIENCE. 2 days is about how long it takes a cross-country skier to go crazy if they don’t train. Now imagine a few months of restricted training. Without patience, you may manage to drive yourself insane before you are healthy again. Also, patience is the key to a smart recovery.3) You will come out stronger in the end. I have heard this many many times from people (maybe one too many times). Believe it or not, there is always something to gain, whether it is a positive change in technique, gained experience, or a lesson learned. In the long run, it will make you tougher.4) You will have learned. In retrospect, things can seem very obvious and it is easy to see where things went wrong, especially for those who fill out a training log.5) Listen to your body. The human body is pretty smart. It is not making a part of your body hurt for fun; your body is telling you something is off, so listen!I feel like I have reached the point, physically and mentally, where I am bouncing back with full force.This may be partially due to the fact that I will be skiing on SNOW in 10 days!!! But it is mostly due to the fact that I jumped into a skate sprint simulation yesterday! Sprinting is one of my favorite things to do. I was really excited to be at the point where I could skate at almost full force, going head to head with my teammates in heats. I missed the rush of pulling a risky move (passing right before a 180 degree turn) in a crowded heat. I even felt like my technique felt the best it has been, with the mental technique queue being “ski like you are a spring”, which Matt Whitcomb told me. I guess I should bounce through this week with all of this “bouncing” momentum.The sky on fire.With one solid week in left Vermont, there is a lot to be done. I most likely won’t be returning to Stratton for 2 months so I have to pack for our move into the new house in Stratton, for home, and for life on the road. With snow 10 short days away, it is time to prep my freshly ground skis from Caldwell Sport!WINTER IS COMING! GET PSYCHED!-JKern