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Ashley Farquharsonhas been luge racing for over a decade, so shes no stranger to the stress of competitions.
Sebastian Widmann / Amanda K Bailey
But this time was different.
And it was every weekend that I was feeling that way."
Farquharson, 22, got an early start training in winter sports.
When she was just 11, she began competing in luge after watching her older brother participate in it.
Now, Farquharson hopes her decade-long history with the sport will propel her to Olympic success.
Its such an experience-based sport, and a lot of it is confidence, she says.
It was so warm they couldnt keep ice on the track, she says.
That led to training cancellation after cancellation, she says.
It was like relearning the sport, she says.
That really set us back.
Through all of her training cycles and qualification circuits, Farquharson has learned a lot about herself.
My nighttime routine isnt set in stone…
I thrive with around seven or eight hours of sleep.
Then you come home and youre like, OK, its 10 p.m. now, Im still wired.
I have to do a lot of breathing to come down.
Ill sit on my bed and have a go at think about nothing for as long as I can.
I have to be veryaware of my breaththat helps me think about nothing.
…And travel makes a routine even harder.
We travel a lot, so Ive had some experience withjet lag.
Its hard because you have to cut yourself off at 20 to 40 minutes.
That night, Ill make myself stay up until 10 p.m. Youll sleep like a rock your first night.
I learned that I cant nap during day two or three or it will mess up my acclimation.
Day three is usually the worst for me.
If I feel like I cant sleep, Ill pop someUsana melatonin.
Usana Pure Rest
Amazon
My going-to-bed process starts with a skin-care routine.
First, I wash my face.
I have a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and some spot treatment stuff.
I like theArbonne SuperCalm Vegan Cleansing Milk.
AndCetaphil lotion, always.
I dont always do all of this, because I base it on what my skin needs that day.
On travel days, its greasy and dry, so I wont exfoliate that day because its already irritated.
I ensure the thermostat is set cool.
My ideal temperature for sleep is 67 or 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Food and drink factor in how I sleep.
I try not to eat much dairy in general because I find that it makes my skin break out.
Alcohol also affects you and how you enter REM sleep.
I also try not to drink any caffeine after 4 p.m. And I love coffee.
The general rule is that caffeine has a half-life of about six hours.
So I give a shot to stop at 4 p.m., so it doesnt mess with my sleep later.
I know what my body needs with travel.
I couldnt pinpoint what I needed at all.
Its going to be an adjustment to compete at the Olympics.
In Beijing, were going to race at 7:50 p.m..
In Utah, it will be like 4:50 a.m.
But I dont mind night races because I feel like the ice is much better then.
The test event in November was a night race and it was a lot of fun.
At the end of the day, the regulations due to COVID-19 make things very lonely.
The pandemic sucked and it still sucks.
My parents cant come to the Olympics.
I dont think theres a way to sugarcoat it.
There are just so many feelings.
My goal for Beijing is to have four clean, consistent runs that I can be proud of.
Im going in with no expectations for myself other than to slide the best that I can.
