The Canadian National Championships in Callahan Valley came to a close during the last week of March. Which marked the end of a long and interesting season.
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
"The Alberta World Cup Academy, which was officially announced on March 15, today introduced the athletes and coaching staff who will drive the vision as members of the 2008-09 ski team.
