Most bobsled tracks around the world take about a minute to get down. For some reason, waiting for the sled before you to finish takes FOR-EV-ER!! It's pretty much the longest minute you'll ever experience, lucky me, I get to go through it 4 times a week. WOO HOO! J Once the team ahead of us finishes and the clock stops, the Start Official gives us the thumbs up and the coaches move the sled into the start position. My coaches have the wonderful job of holding the 500lb. sled off the ice until the timing clock is ready. The reason they do that is to keep the runners from getting too cold by resting on the ice. The warmer the runners, the faster the sled will go: Hence the reason for the temperature testing.

               

How do they move a 500lb. sled around the start area so easily? Well, it is turned on its side, onto the "bunks" or "bumpers" as they have been popularly named.  When it is like this, it can be moved just about anywhere like a boat on water. It moves really easy.  No need to worry about the details, there will be an official USA Bobsled Sled Moving Clinic held in October if you would like to attend; personally, I would recommend you skip that part of bobsledding, it is extremely boring....... Ignorance is bliss right?

As I was saying, when the sled is moved into the start area, and the officials give the go ahead, it is put it into position and locked into the start grooves. There are two grooves cut in the ice that the sled sits in for the first 50m. This is the moment, when it all becomes real.  It's the time when I think to myself, "Ok, this is it. This is what you've been training for. Let's do it!!" 

 

Once the sled settles into the start, the 60 second countdown begins. Every team gets 60 seconds to prepare for the run. The catch is, you have to cross the first timing eye before the clock hits a big fat ZERO; the first timing eye is 15 meters away. So you have to give yourself a few seconds to get there. It's just another piece of the puzzle.

At this point I take the protective covers off of my spikes, and put them in the sled underneath my seat.  Just so you know, I'm the only one in the sled that has an actual seat; the other three guys have to suck it up. Hey, it's only a minute, and if I do my job it will be less than that, so relax, they're grown men, they can handle it.

               

Anyway, I have a seat because I need something to support me while I sit in an upright position. It's definitely a good thing because I'm the only one who has to actually see where we are going; 5 G's do not take kindly to those trying to hold themselves up without support. Think about this for a sec. I weigh 100kg, which is 220lbs. When I go through a curve I weigh about 1100lbs. Your body is not built to handle that. Here's an even weirder thought. As we all learned in the movie, 'Jerry McGuire', the human head weighs eight pounds. Well, add four more pounds on top of that from your helmet. You now have a 12 pound head; under 5 G's your head alone weighs 60lbs. I dare you to hang 60lbs. off of your head. It's not easy.  Now you know why I have a seat. Without it I won't be able to keep myself upright; let alone try to steer this out of control beast traveling 90mph.