Back on the ice today! Yay!

We spent a wonderful and relaxing day in Colorado Springs yesterday. We woke up and went for a run in shorts and singlets. The weather was so beautiful; it was great to get out and do some fitness. Everyone felt surprisingly well for the high altitude. After grocery shopping and eating some much needed lunch, we rested and waited around until Briar returned from the doctor. So just to update everyone: Last week in MN, Briar's knee was hurting her and eventually it swelled up and she couldn't walk on it without severe pain. Eventually she went to the doctor in TRF and had an x-ray but was told she would need an MRI. Yesterday she went to visit a doctor and got an MRI. Much to Briar and the team's relief, she was told that nothing was pulled or torn in her knee but because of the trauma to the knee, fluid built up around the knee cap which made it difficult and painful for her bend and walk. She will be receiving intense physical therapy everyday until the competition, and the doctors believe she will be just fine to compete. Fingers crossed for Briar to heal! After only 2 days off the ice, we are excited to get back on the ice tonight for training at the World Arena.

Arrival in Colorado Springs!

After a long long long long (12 hours) layover in Salt Lake City yesterday, we have been welcomed in Colorado Springs with beautiful weather! We took a tour in SLC and went to the site of the 2002 Olympics where they held Nordic ski jump and we saw the combination track used for bobsled, luge, and skeleton. Unfortunately we were a week too late to meet all the athletes and get to try the bobsled for ourselves. We are now getting prepared to go for a run (in shorts and singlets!!!) and see what this high altitude is all about!

We will miss TRF!!!

Today was our final training session at The Ralph:( We are truly going to miss the wonderful hospitality of everyone in Thief River Falls. Fire On Ice would like to extend a warm and very much appreciated Thank you to everyone in TRF for all you did to make us feel at home, and a special thank you to TRF Figure Skating Club, Dale and The Ralph Engelstad Arena staff, home-stay families (Novaks, Bricksons, Hodgsons, Idlands, Holmers, Semankos, and Petersons), and the entire town of TRF for all the support! We came in as strangers and left as family and we will never forgot you.

After another road trip, we have made it to Fargo for the night and will be preparing for a very early flight to Colorado Springs.

A final day of adventure!

We have been taking it slow these last couple days with training, but they have still been absolutely wonderful. Yesterday we finally got to sleep in and then went for a nice run outside on the back country roads outside of town. I never thought I'd see a team from the city running on gravel roads in the middle of no where. We are definitely enjoying the fresh air outside and not having to worry about rush hour on our way to the rink. Although we think we may have hit rush hour last night on our way to training, but that only meant about 10 cars lined up at the traffic light and only an extra 2 minutes to get to the rink;) We went to the fire station yesterday to take a picture with the fire trucks and crew. They were so wonderful and even let us turn on the sirens. We had training early this morning so that we could finish up before the hockey tournament started. Although it was an early early morning, we were rewarded with a free pancake and sausage breakfast that the farmers and radio station were hosting at the rink. Phoebe and Kristina were interviewed on the radio this morning at the breakfast. The remainder of today is a day of rest and activities. Some of the team is taking advantage of their last chance to experience all the small town adventures - the shooting range and 4-wheeling!

Fire On Ice in Thief River Falls newspaper

The team made the front page of the newspaper in Thief River Falls. We have had such a great time here, and it will be hard to leave this "home away from home."

Team Australia autographing programs for our new fans.
Mini-Prowlers synchro team with Team Australia. We love our new little synchro friends!