A look back - World Cup Season 19'

I know they said it would be hard. Actually, they didn’t expect much from me this season. As a newbie in the elite cat, what could I do? 

​I guess you’re always a little insecure before the world cup season starts, insecure about your level and state of mind. But when we came to the end of May and the wc season kicked off in Albstadt, I had built my confidence on my consistency throughout the winter/spring training and on my 2nd place in last year’s u23 wc overall. I knew I had what it takes to be a part of the top. But to do it? Oh, girl, that’s a different talk.

​So when I managed to perform at my very best in the two first races it felt unreal. Or at least it was a dream coming true. And another approval for myself; I got this. To come home with 10th and 5th place under the belt gave me a confidence boost and I used that energy to bring home the national title 3 weeks later. What a dream start to the 2019 season! Almost too good to be true, right? 

​And, oh yea, that was too good to be true, only one week after nationals I took a big hit on my left side, on a bike ride, which caused me a bad infection in a wound and left me struggling with my performance for the rest of the 2019 season. 

Being an athlete can be a rollercoaster-life and this was really a time where my carriages on the rail started to roll downwards.

Being an athlete can be a rollercoaster-life and this was really a time where my carriages on the rail started to roll downwards. Back then I didn’t think my infection was so bad, actually nobody thought it was that bad, but in the end, it took me 8 weeks before I started to feel like myself again. Quite sometime when you are in the middle of a race season. 
I mean I finished 5th in Nove Mesto and the next World Cup I did I was 50th. Just a little difference… 

​Coming from such a high to such a low takes some mental stress too. What da heck is happening to me? I don’t think it's much fun to get smoked every weekend and fighting for finishing the race when I’m used to be one of the girls who are apart of creating the race. But there was not much to do. I had to just let time heal me. And eventually, it did. But that eventually could have shown up a little earlier. There is a style of being fashionably late to parties and I feel like my body did that to me, just for the race-party instead. Now the season is pretty much over and I’m finally feeling good. Not cool to be late for that party. 

There is a style of being fashionably late to parties and I feel like my body did that to me, just for the race-party instead

​Cause yes I was there. To finish up my race season I did the World Championship and the last World Cup in Snowshoe. And honestly, I felt great out there. I’m might still a bit further back in the field, fighting around the 25-30th position, but I was competing. And it felt awesome. I had the energy to push and ride my bike good. Which was something I missed the weeks after the crash/injury. 

On a positive note from this season; 

1. I can see that when I race, I always race the absolute best I can on that day, when shape was there I went for 2 top tens (Alb+Nove), when I wasn’t 100% healthy I did 2 times 50th (Lenz+Val), and for the last two races I did 2 times top 30 (msa+sshoe). I’m consistent and I can trust myself when I’m on the start line, so if I can manage to stay out of trouble, I think I can do some awesome races for the future. 
2. Life hasn’t been too bad this summer, which must mean that something about the village around me is working well <3 
3. Motivation for 2020 is there 

/Malene