I have to say I was fairly pleased with my results at Nationals. Going into them I was pretty pessimistic, considering my first intensity back on skis (after spraining my ankle) happened only a week before the Championships started. I did everything I could in that last week leading up, and kept my mind positive and ready for anything.
The first race was tough. And I think I speak for 99% of the skiers who raced that day. It was a waxing nightmare. With temperatures hovering around 0°C, and the weather switching from dumping snow to bright and sunny every 15min. All you could do was take a gamble at which waxing technique was going to work for you. Unfortunately I made the wrong decision and had absolutely no grip. I bombed the race and finished near the end of the pack.
Glad to say, the next race went a lot better. It was a three-lap skate race with a total distance of 10km. I went out feeling strong and managed to finish in 12th place. I then went on to place 11th in the skate sprints, and 9th in the 15km classic. Not bad! It was a steady improvement throughout the week. And most importantly I proved to myself that I could bounce back and compete with the field after spraining my ankle and not racing for two straight months.
It was also a great experience to race on the trails of the 2010 Olympics for the first time. And let me tell you, they are tough! But none the less it was a great venue and was well organized with many hard working volunteers. I look forward to many more races there in the future.
The following week finished the year off with a fantastic day of helping out Fast and Female. An organization led by Olympic Gold medalist Chandra Crawford, where we teach a bunch of young girls how to improve and have fun in the sport of cross-country skiing. After that, I spent the rest of the week tearing up the slopes at Whistler Blackcomb with my fellow teammates. It was a great week with lots of fresh powder!
I am happy to say I am home now for a long awaited month of REST. And by the time May 1st rolls around I will be ready to tackle yet another exciting season of training and racing!
Callahan Valley
Me, after the 15km classic
Whistler ski hill
