Sara Hewitt: Back on Track

I am sorry for the lack of updates lately. Ever since the end of trials I have had a million thoughts running through my mind, as it has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster.

A couple weeks ago I competed in some more NorAm races in Rossland, BC. I wasn’t as focused as I would have liked to be during these races, and my results definitely reflected that. I finished 12th spot for both the sprint and 10km classic race.

I arrived back in Canmore frustrated and a little unmotivated. But my urge to keep racing was still strong, and I was itching to get back on course.

So last Tuesday, within a time frame of 3 hours, I went from having the idea of flying to Ottawa to compete in the Eastern Canadian Skis Championships the following weekend; to registering myself and booking a flight. With the help of some fellow racers (Tasha Betcherman and Dan Roycroft) and the generosity of the Highlands Nordic Ski Club (a small club from near Collingwood, ON) I was able to compete this past weekend.

The race was held in the Gatineau Park, and I can assure you there was definitely no shortage of snow. The first race was a 15km mass start classic. The course did not favor my type of racing, as it was fairly flat with very little climbing. This being the case, I decided that I would go as hard as I could off the start and try to gain all my time on the climb in the first 5km. Turns out it worked. I skied away from the group at about 2km and kept my lead for the remainder of the race and crossed the finish line is 1st place!

The next day was a 10km individual skate. Again, with the flats not being my strong point, I pushed as hard as I could on every hill. Unfortunately I just missed first place by 5 sec and had to settle for 2nd.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend. I also feel like my motivation is starting to come back. I will take a couple weeks to get some base training back into my system and then compete in my next race at the Western Canadian Ski Championships near the end of February.

Competing in the 10km classic in Rossland BC