If you ski or ride, you know something can go drastically wrong in a split second, and the way you react can either make or (literally) break you. Those concerns are amplified exponentially for people like Vail’s Lindsey Vonn, a world-class ski racer who hurtles down mountains at roughly 70 miles per hour. At a recent downhill event in Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, Vonn was making her way through one of the course’s most difficult sections when her weight-bearing ski lost its edge (see video below). Typically, such a fall at that pace would send a skier to the fence at an unbelievable speed, ensuring a devastating injury. But Vonn fought it off and almost immediately bounced back up and finished the race, taking second place. She tells Wired magazine that “pure instinct” saved her, and she credits a new “reflex training” regimen she employed this summer, which focuses on enhancing reaction time through a series of workouts like cone drills, knee-high hurdles, and explosive power workouts.

Meanwhile, other Colorado skiers are making headlines this week, too. Steamboat’s Taylor Fletcher took third place at the Utah Continental Cup over the weekend, coming from as far back as 23rd place (via Steamboat Today). And Steamboat’s Chris Davenport, a world-class back country skier, debuted his new book, 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America, a collection of what he and his friends consider to be the best back country spots, Steamboat Today also points out.