[Disclaimer: This is not me venting; having a pity party;
throwing a tantrum. This is me cluing in those who follow my racing as to why I've been absent from the results for a while now. I hate to put so much "me" and "I" into a piece, but this is a retrospective, and it's been as useful for me to write as I hope it will be entertaining and an insight into my life for you.]
With a solid year of training in the bank, and some personal bests in the early race season, I couldn't help but founder at the big dance. The reason was pretty clear by the time I was on the flight home, but for a week and a half at US Nationals in Michigan, I was just trying to pull my head out of--well you know--and race. After all, there were points, dollars, and World Champs on the line, BUT... I was sick. Finishing six minutes back in the first race should have been sign enough to get ona plane immediately, but nerves and environmental factors made it difficult to exercise good logic, and I stayed and raced the entire series--poorly.
A week of couch surfing, raw garlic, and tea later and I thought I was good to go. The next target: Five races in ten days in Craftsbury, Vermont. Things were going great. I had done the training I needed to and the intensity workouts were even starting to feel good again, then BAM-- long travel day to Vermont; shades came down; head filled with mucus again. I tried to fake it-- act excited-- race, but from my first surly interaction with Will I could tell I was still off form. After finishing almost five minutes back in a thirty-kilometer race, I decided to pull the plug and seek medical attention. About a week ago, I finished my first ten-day course of antibiotics and thought I'd be ready to start training up for Spring Series in the end of March, but after a few workouts I could tell that things were still off. Thinking I had just pushed a little too hard coming off antibiotics, I gave a full week to let things work themselves out before heading back to the doctor. The diagnosis: I've still got a sinus infection, and I'm on another two weeks of antibiotics. Then I should be good to go, but that only leaves five days between finishing antibiotics and traveling to altitude to acclimate for Spring Series, so I'm a bit nervous that I won't have time to do any high-end training. Makes me wish I had rested an extra five days when I first got sick and kicked it! Oh well, it is what it is, and I'm glad to (hopefully; finally) be down the path to recovery.
This season has led me to pondering. Does life give us lemons and that's just the way it is, or does life give us lemons because we don't assert ourselves to stop it? I've met athletes for whom failure is simply out of the question; they take control of their careers. They control all that they can to create an environment in which they can and mostly do succeed. I've also met athletes who resign themselves and their careers to the universal forces and hope for the best--sometimes it works. Much of the time I think I fall somewhere on the latter end of that spectrum, thinking that things will go my way as long as I do all the work and stay relaxed. On the other hand, trying to control everything could be stressful, and that extra stress might amplify small fluctuations into bigger issues. It would seem then that the best place to find success would be somewhere in the middle where we make the changes we need to make, when and if we need to make them, and don't sweat the things we can't change. I, more than some, can be pretty bullheaded. From my childhood I learned how to do things myself -- the result of being the middle child with a father busy running a small business; figure it out by myself now, or wait 'til 5-o'clock for help. This engrained mentality can be a blessing, helping me get out the door and train, but it can also be a pitfall. I can easily convince myself that I'm doing it right, just because I don't see any major problems, though in reality I could be doing it a lot better. Sometimes I need to wait 'til 5 and ask for help.
Well, now on to the real body of this post: Things about this season that have been fun and exciting.
On November 2nd, we got a few inches of snow and I groomed out a 2km track. Pretty rough, but a nice opportunity to get our legs back underneath us. W/ Casey Smith
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| Photo: B. Halligan |
Before taking off for the fall I got the chance to practice my carpentry with some odd angles.
I tried out the new "Lumbersexual" look
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| Photo: O. Bermejo |
I went to North Haven for the Lobster Roll (rollerski race) with these goons. W/ (L-R) Kelsey, "Special-D" RamsAy, "Heavy-K", "Whodat", Bri, and "Bro-mar"
The next day I paddled the 'Skog with Will, Sarah, and their friend Eric McNett
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| Photo: W. Sweetser |
Another day later, I traveled out to Canmore with the biathlon team for a few weeks of on-snow training. Thanks to Seth Hubbard for having me along.
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| Photo: S. Hubbard |
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| Photo: S. Hubbard |
It was a fun change to travel with a different group! W/ (L-R) Kat, Kelsey, and Brian
One night, some drunk dude busted into our condo at 2am, opened the fridge and passed out on our floor. I thought it was a roommate sleepwalking, so I took a picture from my bed in the loft. Then I saw the picture and was like whoa, now I gotta go wake this guy up?
The Canadian Rockys are pretty amazing.
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| Photo: K. Dickinson |
Then it was off to West Yellowstone, MT for the first SuperTour races of the season. I was 5th in the sprint, made a tactical error to miss the podium! The distance race wasn't quite as hot.
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| Photo: B. Gregg |
Then up to Bozeman for the second weekend of races.
I had a decent sprint, leading my semi for the first half, then finishing 5th for 10th place over all. Distance race: no comment
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| Photo: W. Sweetser |
Met up with these fella's. Braeden Becker and Sam Wood, both Mainers doing a post-grad year with Sun Valley
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| Photo: B. Stewart |
Husaby. Looking awesome, as always. Coach of Dakota Blackhorse-Von Jess from Bend, OR
If you wanna make good skis, you gotta look good doing it
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| Photo: W. Sweetser |
The next weekend, I was starting to feel on form with a 2nd and 5th place finish in the Nor/Am cup, Rossland, BC. Having awesome skis didn't hurt either!
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| Photo: J. Bender |
I headed home to get some training in before US Nationals. And the training was good!
Got me a Christmas tree the old fashioned way
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| Photo: H Mac |
Had a few great skis with this crew over Christmas: Lance, Will, Sarah, and Lilly
Not a terrible view from my bedroom window
Beckwith of GMVS, rocking the wool pant-cowboy boot combo at Nationals. A+
Our digs in Callumet, MI. It pretty much looked like this every day we were there -- grey and snowing
Nationals didn't go so hot, that's why there's no picture, so I came home to get healthy. Got a chance to take care of my two favorite goons, Castor and Pollux, while Will was away.
On my way to Craftsbury, I got to stop in at home and do a little skiing at Titcomb hill.
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| Photo: G. Naranja |
And got to ski with good ol' Mt. Blue High!
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| Photo: B. Davis |
Craftsbury was where I realized I still wasn't healthy. This is me suffering through the 30km. Hips back, arms in.
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| Photo: W. Sweetser |
Drinking mad tea though
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| Photo: W. Sweetser |
After a very short stay in Craftsbury I came home for medical attention... and greenhouse clearing.
Owning an unheated greenhouse is sweet for 3 months a year. April, half of May, half of September, and October. Other than that its either decent out or too cold anyways, plus you've gotta clear off 100+" of snow a year.
While on the DL, I went home to catch up with friends. I met up with Cam Woodworth, who recently finished at Dartmouth for a ski at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center
Also got to do a little tele skiing with my buddy Adam.
Will ran a two day recovery camp for kids preparing for championship events in the next few weeks. I helped out, teaching the kids what little I know about skate technique and big event preparation. Supper time at the Sweetnic's
Probably the most excited I've been since getting sick was watching this guy in his first FIS World Cup rounds at World Champs in Falun! So proud to know Dakota Blackhorse-Von Jess
Photo: Shamelessly bootlegged
And now here I am -- I think this photo sums it up well: foggy eyes, puffy cheeks, and skiing like a granny. Oh well. Here's to the up and up!
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