Sven 30k

Feb. 22, 2011

     So it has definitely been a couple of weeks since my last post which described the questionable Pias classic for me. Its has a been a few weeks since and things are starting to get put back together. I was contemplating not racing the Sven earlier in the week because with all things considered, I wasn't sure if i could get my head completely in the game. Trying to regain balance in life is not an easy thing to accomplish at times and at this level of skiing it only provides more frustration if you cant get your head in the game and compete. I had had some pretty solid workouts over the past week and a half and for the most part was prepared, so in the end, i decided to race.
     Race day was about as good as it could get weather wise with temps hovering in the low teens and the snow being firm and cold. The snow wasnt particularly fast, but it is what it is. The start was as usual for an Anchorage cup race, fast, fun, and congested for the first couple of kilometers, but as the hills presented themselves, a group of about 5 of us broke away. At around the 16k mark as we exited the flatter terrain part of the single loop 30k, i made a long strong move heading into the hills than widdled us down to four. The snow being as it was, cold with sharp crystaline flakes, it was difficult to really break away. The line between going a solid level 3 pace and a pressing Level 4 pace was fairly thin. The four of us all tried at one point or another to crack one or more of the four skiers up front, but almost all ended realization that it was becoming almost impossible to ski away. Dylan Watts perhaps made the most aggressive move with about 4k to go giving himself a sold 30m cushion, but with one of the biggest climbs on the course still ahead, it may have been a touch early. We reeled him back in about half a kilometer later as we entered into the last 3k. With James Southam leading, I was getting frustrated with the more pedestrian-like pace he was setting, but like i said before, trying to ski away would have been nearly impossible. I decided to hold the second position knowing that it would eventually come to a sprint finish of some sort. Mark Iverson sat behind me and behind him recovering from his last attempt at breaking the field, Dylan Watts. The order stayed the same for the next couple of kilometers as we entered into the stadium. We ramped up our speed for the last 600m or so and i remained in second position. As we reentered the bottom side of the stadium and into the home stretch and went for it. James started off in the middle of the stretch and i veered to the right side to see if i could manage to get by him there. He ended up veering right and any momentum i had, if i could call it that, was done. Mark had moved up to my left side and was coming on strong. My legs were throbbing with lactic acid and i could not build anymore speed. Dylan, hanging in right behind Mark, eased up to my left and although i tried my very best, Dylan got me by a boot at the line. Someone had to be fourth. I had fun with the race and am glad that I raced.
     I still have some good racing coming up in March and Im looking forward to it. Every day seems to be better and a little more balanced. I am about to give my two cents again in regards to my life as an athlete, so if your bored by this, feel free to to pick up a more intriguing piece of literature.... such as an Archie comic or the Horoscopes.
     Balancing your life as an athlete is one of the more difficult things i deal with regularly. When you set tough goals for yourself as an athlete, it is easy to become single minded and to let most everything else become a second priority in your life. This has basically been my life for many years and it can get complicated. I have sacrificed or ignored a great many things in my life to avoid complicating my "quest for glory" and although they may or may not have been the best things to do, they were the paths I took. Thats life and you learn from things as you go. Hindsight is always 20/20, so its always good to look back and gather what useful information you can and apply it forward.
      For me, I am happy being a skier and a racer. It frustrates me to all levels, but in the end, i want nothing more than to be on the starting line waiting to see who has more guts. There are things though that i feel I must sacrifice from the single minded only one top priority way of thinking to help balance my life better and create a much more even keel for myself. There are many cool things I still need to partake in during my mid-late twenties that i have been avoiding and that i should do without fear of how it affects my ski training. There are some things I can simply not be lazy about and get done as they are presented. Adapting is key in life and sometimes those adaptations are hard, but generally, they are always worth it in the end.