16/1/11 Back on the wagon
So I didn't do so well with updating the blog after my last post, but I'm back at it with all kinds of exciting stuff going on at Nordic Nuts HQ. First a quick update on the last 10 months or so. I raced my bike. A lot. Like 30 times. I had some good rides and some not so good rides and it was one heck of a good time. By the end of bike season in mid-November, I was feeling pretty burned out, so I decided to take a breather before ramping up ski season. I really haven't started training hard and I've been feeling much peppier after a couple of months off. I've also been feeling fired up to actually update this thing recently, so I'm going to do my best to update semi-regularly.
Now seemed like a fitting time to bust out with an update since I just did the Seeley Classic which I've been skiing in for like ever. It is one of my favorite events of the year and I went down without having done a single hard effort since my last 'cross race this fall or much ski training at all. I ended up skiing on a brand new pair of Fischers that I had been out on exactly once. This is not something that would have flown back in my "serious" days especially when my rusty but trusty ARCs felt about as good. But I went on them with one coat of Rex blue glider and had as good skis as anyone near me in the race. Conditions were pretty much perfect classic conditions. I skied most of the first (easier) half with the women's winner, Katherine Himes, which was a nice time. She was skiing a smooth race which reminded me to do the same. After the turn around we started heading back uphill and I was in trouble pretty quickly. I didn't really explode and mostly just stayed on top of my technique and such through the completion of the race. It was nice to get the first race of the year in and find out where my neglect of training has gotten me. I think that if I put in a few quality weeks and get some decent training I should be ready for the Birkie and the end of the season races.
The end of the season is particularly interesting this year as I'm heading straight from the Birkie to Oslo to watch Worlds at Holmenkollen. I'm sure that will be a crazy experience. From Oslo I'm jetting down to to Bieg Piastow and the Engadin with Swank and Tyler Kjorstad. It should be a killer time followed by a couple weeks of just chillin' in Europe. I'm hoping to have very regular postings from over there, maybe some pictures, etc.
That's enough for now. Out.

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My disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are mine and mine alone and they do not reflect the position of Gonzaga University, if they did, you would be hearing as much about their nordic ski team as their men's basketball team. :)