Nor-Ams Trip Day 11

Continuing with the never-ending Nor-Am trip...  

Here is a video of a Mass Start from Thursday.  This is the Open Men division which started about 20 minutes before we did.  These guys don't waste any time getting off the line...  check it out.  (22 sec.)

The 15km skate was always going to be trouble for me....  As a relatively new racer (1 year now), I still have a lot to learn in the technique department.  Little (or large) imperfections repeated on every stride for 15km cost a lot in the energy department.  It is also impossible to "muscle out" 15km in a fast time - like you can in a sprint.

Early season races don't help either as a new racer - I was trying to remind myself of everything I learnt in my first season.

Soooo..... it was a b*tch.  I'm talking REALLY hard work.  I didn't feel much rhythm or flow which is a sure sign things aren't going well.  The biggest problem showed up in my lower back - where I was experiencing a lot of muscle soreness.  I expect that as my technique improves this will not happen as much.  Fingers crossed.

Final analysis:  This is the hardest hour (approx.) of work I have put into any sport any time anywhere.

Tomorrow is a 10km Classic NIGHT RACE.  It should be quite a bit of fun (in that "hurts like hell" kind of way.)

We trained on the course in the dark tonight and it was BEAUTIFUL.  It was completely peaceful and the snow was coming down hard - light and silky snow, the kind we never see on the coast.  I felt pretty great out there and really found my love for the sport again - that love was temporarily on life support after Thursday's outing!

Here are a few pictures from the past day or two and tonight's training (click to enlarge):

Moments before the men's mass start.  It was silent in the stadium waiting for the gun.

The stadium on a blue sky day.  No problems with snow now as you can see....

Check out the snow coming down....  it was pretty cool to be out in the dark with only a few lights and snow falling hard.

Mike and I - Mike is sporting the Ontario Team jacket (I heard someone say the logo looks like a diagram of the female reproductive organs - but I totally disagree....)

Jerry and I - this part of the trail is right after a completely dark downhill with a sweeping 90 degree corner.  Pretty exciting!

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