I hope I have time later to include a more thorough race report here, it was eventful, but unfortunately now's not the time. In summary though, I ended up finishing in a good 6th place after feeling like I couldn't possibly even finish, a result that I'm pretty proud of. It was a PVR sort of race (personal victory result) in which I was encouraged by those little victories throughout, and not my final placing. Cross-country is not like a bike race where you feel as though you always have at least a remote shot at the podium and so you are let down by just about anything else. At the start of yesterdays ski race I would have been uber happy about a top 10-12th place finish.
I can tell I'm going to be sore after this one! Guess I don't have to worry about recovering for my next ski... probably won't be until next November!
d's race report:
As i hurried up towards the hut to register and gear-up a mere 20-minutes from the race start, I came across Madshus rep Peter Hale who asked me how things were going: i mentioned my lack of wax on the skis, and within 5-minutes I was set up in the latest hot-off-the-press Madshus race boots and was shoved off to register while Peter waxed up a set of Hypersonic's for me. Peter handed me the skis on my way to the start line with barely minutes to spare. As we 50+ racers stood ready at the start line the announcer discussed the race particulars and I re-adjusted my boot laces. with 1-minute to go I still had both boots open and was lacing them up, and Peter was trying to help me as I nervously fuddled with the laces in my ski gloves. i zipped up the last boot and slipped my glove into my pole strap just as the announcer counted down from 3-2-1... we were off!
Pic: This pic must have been snapped seconds before the race: thats me on the far left in the seond row, and thats Peter bending down to rebuckle my boot with less than 5-seconds to go.
I hadn't warmed up but the incredible wax on the skis had my gliding right up into the racers in front of me: i'd never had too good a wax before! i was able to double-pole in the tracks the first 3-km while everyone else skated and jockeyed for position, and this helped me to warm up enough by the time we hit the hills.
The race was five 10-km loops. It was a large 20+ lead pack for the first two laps and it was paired down to just 8 of us sometime during lap 3. at one point i looked back and was surprised to see nobody, and then i prepared for the attacks which i expected to soon come. Sure enough, midway through lap 3 i noticed a good sized gap opening up between the two guys in front of me but i expected it to be quickly closed. then i heard the gasp which meant this guy was cooked, but by the time i got around him the gap had grown. i spent half a lap chasing the duo ahead of me and watched as the lead group of 4 quickly pulled away.
in lap 4 i caught the two before me and led one of them into the final climbs. it was between the two of us for 5th and 6th and i did the bulk of the leading up the climbs, but he jumped me on a hill and it was then i realized that it would be hard to pass him for the finish. after a sharp corner 100-yards from the line i made a move to the inside but he cut me off, so I moved outside and he drifted out... my ski simultaneously caught a track and his ski and i went down, easily giving him the vee and i limped in slowly in 6th place.
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