By The 2017 European Solheim Cup Captain, Annika…
I hope you have had a great holiday season with friends and family. We enjoyed our annual Tahoe trip. There was a fair amount of snow when we arrived, so we got in some quality skiing plus other family activities like skating, bowling and just vegging in front of the TV. Then, two days before we headed back to Orlando, the region was bombarded with snow, and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t stopped since. The Tahoe area has received a record 10 feet of snow in 10 days: incredible! It’s setting up for a great ski season and I’m looking forward to enjoying the tail end of it during the kids’ spring break.
2017 is off to a fast start. This is when many of us do resolutions to either improve ourselves or to help others. My husband, Mike, and I decided to do a “mini cleanse” this month. It’s been an interesting challenge, with new recipes and new ingredients at meal time. I am sure our taste buds will change accordingly. After only 12 days I’ve noticed what foods and tastes I really like and miss more than others…
On another note, the road to Des Moines is getting shorter, as we’re now eight months away from the Solheim Cup. My work load is increasing as I dive further into planning and scheduling. I’m hoping to visit several LPGA tournaments over the next few months, as well as an LET event when its season starts in the spring.
Also in the works in the near future are a few Team Europe gatherings. It’s always nice getting players together to do some fun activities and team-bonding challenges. I might even cook for them (if they let me)!
This time of year most players are feeling fresh after some time off. They’ve begun practicing on their games and going to the gym to work on their endurance, flexibility and strength. I remember getting itchy to touch a club by the third week of January. Having that desire and excitement is always healthy and goes to show the body and mind need to take a break once in a while. I always make the comparison to our cell phones – we use them daily and eventually the batteries run out.
The same with our bodies: it’s important to recharge so we come out stronger than before. The balance between training, competition and rest is extremely important. Of course that ratio varies from player to player, so it’s imperative to find the best mix for oneself early in the year. Once the season kicks off, it gets much harder to devote the time necessary to find the right blend.
Annika
ANNIKA “share my passion”
