Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Hola! I'm here in Palma de Mallorca, Spain getting ready to sail the Princess Sofia Regatta. I've been here for about a week training and I have learned so much. I can't even describe how happy I am with my sailing. Compared to this time last year, I have improved so much. Luther and I have done a lot of training and I am so excited to see the results. This actually brings me to now…how I'm feeling going into this event: Completely motivated, pumped, focused etc.

In January I sat down with Luther, Leandro, Chris, and Kenneth and completely committed my whole being for the Olympics. We talked about what we thought it would take to achieve my goals. Since that discussion I have based my whole life around what I can do to improve my body, mind, and sailing. I dedicate every day, minute, and second to my commitment to my dream. This is a huge reason as to why I am excited for this event. I am ready to learn new things and see my progression so I know what I need to work on for the future.

Please watch the results at:
http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/

Olivia Lives Benefit

In 2011 I made a pledge that I would donate a percentage of my sailing bonus money to an organization that Olivia's mother designated. She chose the Sarcoma Foundation of America. This was a perfect choice because it will help aid in research for sarcoma. So many children are afflicted with this horrible illness and unfortunately many do not make it through. 

I am extremely fortunate with the life I have. I have a loving family, a great job, amazing friends and most of all I'm healthy. I believe that it is very important to give back to those who aren't as fortunate. Olivia changed me in many ways. She taught me to live, love and appreciate the life I have. She also taught me the lesson on how important it is to help others. Even when Olivia was extremely ill she was still strong for herself, family and friends. She was selfless, courageous and loving. Olivia will always remain in my heart…I sail for many reasons and one of them is for her. 

I find myself looking to Olivia for strength when times are tough, but I also celebrate with her. I sail with OliviaLives.com on my boom and when I am racing I constantly look at that sticker to motivate me. It represents Olivia's strength and love, but it also represents all the children that are battling cancer. I think of them and try to push myself just a little bit harder. I know that every time I podium I will hopefully be helping the Sarcoma Foundation get one step closer to curing this illness. 

Life is short and sweet, but for some its not as long and is filled with hardships. I feel it's important to give a little light for some who's world can be filled with darkness. I will continue my 2011 pledge into 2012 and hopefully I beat my 2011 donation. 

Check out www.olivialives.com for our 2012 programs and perhaps you may find an event that you would like to participate in. If so then the contact information is on the website.

Photos from the Benefit are at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100688113032811.2751242.5034252&type=1

2011 ISAF World Championships

We did it!!!!!! Zach and I have qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Team! How exciting is this?! My brother and I representing our country, sponsors, family, team, and yacht club together at the same venue! This has been a long time coming for us two.....

So, lets go back about a month. I headed off to Colorado Springs and trained at our Olympic Training Center for over two weeks. The gym training was extremely demanding, but I had hopes of being physically prepared for a breezy event in Perth. I gained some weight, increased my strength and improved my endurance. I wanted to be in a mindset for the month of November of doing all that I could to have a good worlds.

The training turned out to be amazing and as it looks right now, I will be spending a few weeks there in the upcoming year. I had a great time with the trainers and being around like minded people. I arrived in Australia in the best shape of my life and mentally ready to take on anything.

Luther and I have discussed certain goals that he wanted me to try out at the event. I had one of the strongest qualifying series that I have ever opened an event in. I was fifth going into the Gold Series. I had a strong opening series in the Gold Fleet when we were on the outer course...then we changed areas. I unfortunately struggled with our new course area. I was not able to figure out the proper tactics and strategy around a rock jetty that was in the area. Our last two races of the Gold Series and Medal Race were on this course. SO, I never got the hang of this area, but my scores from the previous racing were so strong that it enabled me to finish third overall.

Now I am in Sydney, Australia with my family. We are all on cloud 9 because of the qualification for my brother and I. Our plan is to tour around the city then head off to the Barrier Reef. We thought that we should take the opportunity to see the country!

It's time for a much needed break and....yippeeee, I'm so excited for it!

Here are some photos from the Worlds:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100588242693771.2735736.5034252&type=1

Video that shows the team members who have so far qualified for the 2012 US Sailing Olympic Team  (it includes my brother and I)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZCnHLip15M

Interview of me after the Medal Race...sometimes luck is all you need!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws_xjpB5q8U

Video of a race I won at the 2011 ISAF Worlds
http://freezone.iinet.net.au/channels/freezone/sport/perth-sailing/?player=video/10552

Big news as well! Zach and I have currently made headlines in www.si.com/olympics, Tampa Tribune, www.espn.com/olympics WOW what an honor!

Pan American Games and November

I brought home a Bronze for the USA at the Pan American Games. I am very proud that I was able to win the medal for the States. It is also nice to add this to my resume of things that I have done in my sailing career. As I sit and write this I am thinking back of my 2010 season and I have to say that I am extremely proud of what I have been achieving! Lots of improvements in my sailing/weight, psyche, medals, charity (Olivia Lives) etc.

Well, let me tell you about my trip to Mexico (Pan American Games).....it starts with one word: FUN! I had an amazing time competing at the event. I thought that it was very important to have an event where I was more relaxed and focused more on enjoying myself. It has been a very long year with lots of events and I just wanted to go to Mexico and compete with a different mindset. I believe this has rejuvenated my sailing, thus enabling me to be motivated for my upcoming training in Clearwater and Colorado Springs. 

I thought Florida had the most extreme humidity, but Mexico has taken it to a whole new level. It was incredibly hot and humid down there. I had to focus on staying hydrated which was actually a very difficult task. I felt like every ounce of liquid I consumed wasn't being absorbed!

The sailing conditions in Mexico were very difficult. It was a max of five knots. I kept thinking to myself, "I sure am happy that I gained weight for Perth! haha." That was the opposite of what I needed in Mexico! I was definitely pushed by all of the competitors to step up my speed and thinking (tactics and strategy) in light air. I started off the event just okay, but I quickly changed some things around and started to see an improvement. I feel that at the event I learned a lot about sea breezes. The wind would  begin to fill while we were sailing out and it would not be finished by the time we began racing. This created an unstable racing condition with lots of shifts and changes taking place while racing. Sometimes the changes would be quick or veeerrrryyyy slow! I feel I learned so much and I am very excited to show and talk to Luther about the event. I think we are going to take my sailing to a new level because of the additions that we are going to add to my tactical process. VERY VERY EXCITING!

A third thing that was really fun about Mexico was speaking Spanish. I studied the language for a few years in school and could feel all of my lessons coming back. It has inspired me to become fluent in the language. When I came home I bought some books and audio to aid me in my studies. 

So whats the plan for the future? Isabella Bertold (Canada) and coach Luther are coming to Clearwater tomorrow. We are going to do a training camp for the next week. I hope to get some long hours on the water and work on the things that I noticed in Mexico. Im expecting us to be doing 2-3 sessions of working out and sailing a day. It's time to amp things up because Worlds is approaching quickly. 

On November 7 I am traveling out to Colorado Springs to get pounded by the trainers. I will be living in the Olympic Training Center for 2 weeks. I am worried that there won't be enough wind in Clearwater which would reduce my hiking endurance. So, I feel that focusing on working out and pushing myself beyond my limits on land will have a positive impact on my hiking fitness. I also want to be in a focused atmosphere where all I think about is training, sailing and improvement. Honestly, when Monday comes around I am going to be a focused, robot, extreme, motivated, disciplined Sailor Paige. I have very high goals set for Worlds and I know that to achieve them I need to start buckling down even more. Luther and I have been working very hard for a long time. We have had some very intense training which has prepared me to endure and raise my level of intensity this month in preparation for Worlds.  When the event comes around I will be 100% prepared and confident in the sailor we have created. 

Annapolis Boat Show with Sperry Top-Siders, Sunsail and USSTAG Training Camp in Colorado Springs

Hello!!!

It's been a super busy last few weeks. When I came home from San Francisco I focused solely on my fitness. I was in the gym, on my bike (mountain biking) and rock climbing everyday. I believe it is very important to take time outside of sailing to do other activities. My current love is indoor rock climbing, mountain biking and windsurfing. It's nice to get away and be competitive in another sports.

I saw a huge increase in strength and cardio, but I realized that I didn't take enough time to rest. I was so excited to be home that I forgot my body was pretty tired from the time in San Fran. This is one that that I am going to work on....relaxing!

You can view photos of the rock climbing here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100449768312541.2714592.5034252&type=1

Last Tuesday I headed off to the Annapolis Boat Show with my brother Zach to meet up with Sperry Top-Siders. We went there to help open a new Sperry store in downtown Annapolis and to introduce the new Seahiker with grip x3. It is a boot that many of the top sailors around the world have been developing with Sperry. Sperry created an amazing boot, but then asked some of the top sailors around the world on how they can improve it. I call it the new "Superboot" because it has been made to perfection.

Anyways, Annapolis was beautiful. Zach and I had a great time walking around the boat show and meeting up with different suppliers/sponsors of ours. I met my friends from Harken and got to have a nice catch up with them. Also, while I was there I was signed by Sunsail and will now be part of the team that my brother has been representing for the last few years. I am very excited about this new partnership and look forward to a successful future with them.

You can view photos from Annapolis here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100449783951201.2714596.5034252&type=3

After Annapolis, Zach and I headed off to Colorado Springs to meet up with the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics for a training camp at the US Olympic Complex. I always enjoy these camps because it brings our team together so we can workout, learn and build on our friendships. Physically the camp is very demanding, but it shows areas of our bodies that are weak/strong and things we need to go home and work on.

I learned a large amount of information based on nutrition, media, and training. We had some excellent talks that flooded us with facts and techniques that we could apply to our campaign and bodies. It has motivated me to take my nutrition to the next level. I realized how much of an affect timing, the amount and what I eat will have on my body. I want to promote the maximum amount of muscle growth, so I realized I need to be more diligent.

Photos from our training camp can be viewed here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100449811730531.2714600.5034252&type=1

I am only home for one day before I head off to the Pan American Games in Mexico. I am very excited to be competing in the event, but I will be honest and say that I am a little tired of traveling. I am away a lot, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. It will be fun to be compete in the event, but the main focus is to defend my title! I will write later on with more details of the event!

I wanted to give a HUGE thanks to all of my sponsors and suppliers. Without them and the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics then none of this would be possible!

San Francisco Training

Hello Hello!

I just got back from an amazing two weeks of training in San Francisco. It was sooooooo windy there! We had an average of 18-25 knots everyday. We chose this location because Luther and I felt that it would be good training for the ISAF Worlds in Perth, Australia. I know the Worlds are a long way out, but this training gave us a good foundation on things I needed to work on and where I am with my fitness and weight.

The training camp consisted of Luther, myself, Tania (Mexico), and Isabella (Canada). We also had up and coming sailors Christine, Mitchell and Drake join us for a few days. We all have our own specialties so it made conditions ideal for us to learn off one another.

This training camp was extremely demanding physically and mentally. Sailing over a two week period in 18+ knots can become very draining. My goal for the camp was to push myself until the breaking point. I gave 100% everyday on the water. I knew that the harder I worked the better I would do in Perth.

I learned a lot at this camp, but most important I saw that all of the pain, work in the gym, protein shakes galore and food I ate to gain my weight has paid off. It has taken me over two years to gain 22 pounds and I am starting to see results. It all started with the windy day in England. I had some great results in the breeze and since then I have seen improvements. In San Fran, I felt stronger, more powerful and my endurance was better. I feel in complete control of the boat in hiking conditions. I don't struggle anymore when Luther tells me to add something new to my technique. When December comes I am going to be rock solid in my mind and body so I can bring my A game to the Worlds. Luther and I feel I am on the right track and in time I will be 100% ready.

I am currently back in Clearwater, Florida for a little bit of R&R. I am back to my weight/cardio training program, but I have added some fun activities to do rather then sailing. My brother and I went rock climbing on Sunday and will go back Friday night. I am also going to do lots of biking and get out on my windsurfer (if the wind is up). I believe it is important to do other sports besides sailing because it keeps me fresh and wanting to return back to my boat. It also doesn't hurt that you get a workout doing them too.

My life gets very busy next week. I am off to work with Sperry Topsiders and then head to Colorado Springs for a fitness camp with the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics. When I return home I will have one day until I leave for Mexico to compete in the Pan American Games. I will write later with the website and details. The Pan Am Games are every four years and the last time I competed in them was 2007. We were in Rio de Janeiro and I managed to claim the Gold medal. So, I'm going to Mexico to defend my title!

I will take photos of the US Olympic Training facility so you can see what it looks like!

To see photos from the training in San Fran please visit the link:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.210865642313416.56467.134272439972737&type=1

Conclusion Pre-Olympics

Bronze it is!!!!!!!!!!!

I, along with my coach, family and team are soooooo excited about getting a bronze at this event. It's not just the medal that means a lot, it's the fact that I finally had my breakthrough in Weymouth. I have had many mental challenges with this sailing area. I was facing many set backs and constantly fighting the feeling of being disheartened. I felt like I would make progress in one area then find out I was weak in another. It seemed that it was just one thing after another. I kept telling myself to keep strong because I was so close to crossing the line from unlucky to knowing/understanding how to sail here. This is one area where my coach Luther has made a huge impact on me. When he noticed I was feeling a little down he would keep encouraging me, put me back to work, do the task again until I understood, or state the positive out of the situation. This has definitely been a team success because I couldn't of done it without him.

I started the week off just okay. I had many opportunities to have good results, but I would make a tactical error. The tactics are completely different compared to North America. I have had to make some major adjustments with the way I see things and how I would react to them. These type of conditions have always been a weak area of my sailing, so I am really happy to see I am finally conquering them. I believe this Olympics is a huge test for me. It is pushing me both physically and mentally, so if I were to win a Gold next year then it would mean so much more.

Anyways, I did a lot of analyzing of the area, races, my decisions and forced myself to admit and face my mistakes. If I want to learn then I can't run or make excuses for myself. Towards the end of the week I started to feel more and more confident on how to get upwind and in the last few races we saw a major improvement in my tactics.

Going into the last two races I had a 1-4 point lead on the three boats behind me. The forecast was calling for big breeze (18-25) which had me really strung out. Krystal (Aus), Annalise (Ire), and Sari (Fin) all are very impressive in the breeze. Besides Marit (Ned) and Evi (Bel) these three girls are some of my biggest competitors in the wind. The night before I was internally upset that it would be so windy. About 25% of me was wondering how I was going to beat them. After I talked to a friend from home and my brother Zachary, I told myself it was time to stop wondering/doubting and just get to it. I accepted the feelings and let myself realize that this was how I felt...I wasn't going to box it up or push it down (that usually spells disaster).

I believe the crucial part is how you act after the realization of your emotions/thinking. What am I going to do about it? Let them consume me or will I change the way I think and re-act? I believe strongly that we create our own suffering within our minds. So I said, "Paige this is enough," I can't control how others sail/act, but I can control Paige. I went out sailing the next day confident in what I had learned, my fitness, my own sailing abilities and I gave everything I had. I didn't doubt my decisions or how I was hiking upwind. I finished the day with a 1, 1 and had a 30 sec and 1 minute lead in the two races.  Those results guaranteed me a bronze and a chance at the silver!

The medal race was so fun! Evi (Bel) and I started out match racing. A foul was called and I managed to position her on the line where I wanted her to start. Evi is a fast sailor and managed to come back which took away my opportunity at a silver. O well! There are more events!

I go home on Monday and I can't wait! I get ten days off where I don't have to sail, train in the gym or be diligent with my eating..........it only took 8 months for me to finally get away from any training. haha. I am taking complete advantage of this opportunity! What should I do??? Lay on the beach one day? Fish with Zach the other?  = )

PS Check out my facebook Paige Railey 2012 to see photos from the event.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.187163551350292.50770.134272439972737