Thunder Bay, Austria, Czech Republic and Nakkertok

The last month has been busy. Just over a month ago I was in Thunder Bay getting ready to race trials for the under 23 world championships. Since then I have qualified for the trip been to Europe trained in Austria Raced in the Czech Republic Travelled back to Canada and raced Eastern Canadian Championships at my home club before coming back to Canmore where I am now writing this.

Thunder Bay

Trials for me got off to a rough start. With the lack of snow in Thunder Bay the courses were modified. The classic course which lacked significant climbs meant that a large pack stayed together until the exchange. I was lacking something on the day and finished a disappointing 20^th.   

30km Pursuit
Photo: Martin Kaiser

The sprint day was much better. Classic sprints are my best event and after a disappointing pursuit this was by far my best chance of making it to Worlds. I had a decent qualifier and made it without a problem into the final where I skied to second. This was only my second Nor Am podium and being the top U23 on the day meant that I had guaranteed myself a spot at the Under 23 world championships in Liberec.

Semi-final
Photo: Martin Kaiser

Second Nor Am podium of the season (and my life) and a ticket to the Czech  Republic
Photo: Martin Kaiser

The day after the sprint was the 15km skate. This is generally my least favorite event, but even so I was disappointed with the result. I started much to slow and although I felt better than in the pursuit I finished the day a disappointing 29^th.

Starting the 15km skate as you can tell by the way Colin is warped up it was pretty cold with the temperature only just above the legal racing limit.
Photo: Martin Kaiser

With the last of the trial races completed I was off to Canmore for a few days of training before heading to Austria for the pre worlds training camp. I was confident before heading over to the Czech Republic. Although my distance racing in Thunder Bay was not great I felt I could achieve a good result in the sprint in Liberec.

Our pre worlds training camp was in Ramsau, a town which hosted the World senior Championships in 1999 and is famous for the Dachstein glacier where many of the best skiers in the world put in hours on snow during the summer.  I had actually been to Ramsau before having been there for a training camp with the Quebec ski team two years ago.

This is actually from the Czech Republic. The courses were closed one day so we went skiing in the mountains around the city. We weren't the only ones. As it turns out skiing is pretty big there. Here me and Colin (taking the Picture) tried to escape the crowds by skiing on a smaller trail. 
Photo: Colin Abbott

We didn't have much time to get used to our surroundings in Ramsau since we were only there for a few days before heading to Liberec.

This was my first time in the Czech Republic. Unlike the last two time I had been to Worlds (Juniors) all the teams this time were staying in the same Hotel where everyone was eating the same food from the same cafeteria. The Hotel itself (called hotel Babylon and supposedly themed on the ancient middle eastern city) was pretty unusual. It was in a part of the city, which although wasn't far from downtown, was surrounded by industrial buildings. The Hotel featured an indoor shopping Centre, water park,  mini amusement park with bumper cars and palm trees as part of the décor. All these attractions under one roof made me think of a cruise ship even though I have never been on a cruise ship and this experience made me want even less to ever go on one.

Hotel Babylon décor 

The race venue which was built for the 2009 World Championships  was somewhat anticlimactic. Here is what I mean. When Canada was selected to host the 2010 Olympics the government spent millions building a state of the art facility which includes a new 13km long paved two lane road into the venue a day lodge, recreational trails through Callaghan country as well as the over 10km of race trails which were cut through the forest and were designed to showcase Canada’s wilderness to the world. The Czech’s had a slightly different idea when it came to building their venue for the World Championships. Vesec (the name of the venue) was built in a park on the outskirts of Liberec (for those from near Ottawa think Mooney’s Bay but with bigger hills). The venue has no recreational trails and features only one permanent building (a race office/timing hut). The road in is only 200m long but is single lane and unpaved. The trails essentially snake their way around fielded areas and I would imagine they would not be distinguishable from the surrounding landscape during the summer. When we arrived in Liberec thanks to warm weather before we got there the organizers only had 1.5km of trails open. While we were there they were essentially building the trail system, sometimes only opening a new part of trail the day before we raced.

Russell getting his cheer on during the juniors relay

The sprint was the first race and the one I had been most anticipating. In fact I had been thinking about this race for the better part of two years. Unfortunately when it came to racing the qualifier I was flat. I tried my best but just felt like I couldn't dig deep. I felt like I had nothing to give. I ended up 39^th and just like that the race I had been most looking forward to was done. To say I was disappointed would be a huge understatement. I almost couldn't believe it. Qualifiers are the weaker part of my sprinting, but here I was with a great opportunity to get some international results on what was a perfect course for me and I wasn't able to race the way I felt like I could.

Not the day I was hoping for in the sprint
Photo:CCC

The next race was no better. In the 15km skate I never found my rhythm and felt totally drained of energy.

All of this meant that I wasn't exactly full of confidence heading into the 30km pursuit (the last of our races). I hadn't had a good distance race since before Christmas and a 30km on what was a very hard course seemed like an unlikely way to turn things around. The pursuit, in the end would prove to be something of a turnaround. In classic I tried to ski efficiently and stay out of trouble and before I knew it I was changing over to skate in a position to fight for a top 30. Unfortunately the skate leg would prove my undoing. I skied as long as I could with the group I had been with in classic but began to suffer in the last 5km. I ended up 47^th and although this was not an amazing result it was better than my recent distance races and at the very least was a step in the right direction.    

As you can tell I had lots of support out on course during the pursuit
Photo:CCC

After our races were done we spent one night in Prague (which is pretty amazing) before travelling back to Canada.

View of Prague during the day

Prague at night

After racing in the Czech coming back to Canada and racing at Nakkertok (my home club) was a welcome change. Its always nice to be able to stay at home for racing in the middle of the season.

The first race (we raced three days in a row in a mini tour format)  was a classic sprint. I had a great qualifier  putting me in second before the rounds. In my quarter-final and semifinal I felt great and made it to the final without any trouble. In the final I pushed hard on the climbs trying gain some sort of advantage before the finish. I came into the final straight in first, but ran out of gas in the last 15 meters and had to settle for second again. Normaly I would be really happy with second and I was but since I felt so good on the day and since it was on my home course I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

Sprint finish. It was a pretty close race
Photo: Bernard Pigeon

The next two races would prove to be pretty good. Although I have to say I was pretty tired from travelling and racing. I managed to not loose too much time in the 15km skate and skied well in the 30km classic to finish 10^th overall in the minitour. 

That's all for now thanks for reading
Patrick

30km pursuit start at Nakkertok is always a fun race
Photo:Jo-Ann Holden
http://musicianonskis.ca/blog/

World Cups

The season has started races have been raced and results have been posted. The first weekend of December saw many of Canada’s top skiers arrive in Canmore for the seasons first set of NorAm races. These races were of a special importance given that they were being used as qualifying races for domestic spots at the Canadian world cups. It is fairly unusual for the first races of the year to be so important so the nerves were extra high going into these first big tests of the season.

Racing got underway with a skate sprint on December 1^st. I had a subpar qualifier, but still made it into the heats (my qualifiers in skate sprints seem to still need some work).  My quarterfinal however went much better. I skied a good tactical race and crossed the line second managing to beat one of the Swiss National Sprint team skiers who were using the race as a tune up for the Quebec world cups. Despite my best efforts I was unable to repeat this in my semifinal and ended up in the B-final where I used what energy I had left to finish 3^rd putting me in ninth on the day and as fifth Canadian. This was good enough to guarantee me starts in all the sprint races in the Canadian world cups. However with the next days 15km individual classic race there was no time to let the prospect of starting my first world cup sink in.

Sprint days are perhaps the most tiring races there are in skiing after Saturdays race my body felt like a wreck. My legs and lungs were sore I had a headache. Four times sprinting around Canmore’s relatively short but difficult sprint course had really taken a lot out of me.  As a result the next morning it was difficult to get my head in the right place before going out and racing four times around Canmore’s notoriously difficult 3.75km course (which is actually just over 4km long). After testing skis and attempting to gain some focus by doing more intensity than normal during my warm up I was off.

I started steady focusing on skiing well and being efficient. I was surprised how good I felt and lap after lap I tried to lift my pace. On the last lap I got a split telling me I was in 10^th place and skiing to a possible distance world cup start. Over the final few kilometers I gave it everything I had. I finished in 10^th securing the last domestic spot for the distance races at the Canadian world cups!

Skiing into the top ten for the second day in a row in Canmore.
Photo courtesy of Stoneham Ski Apparel  http://stonehamski.ca/

With this result however came a difficult decision. With the prospect of doing all three world Cup races in Canmore something had to give. Although it would have been tremendous to race my first world cup on the streets of downtown Quebec I had to be honest with myself. If I was going to race all three races in Canmore I was going to need to come into those races as well prepared and rested as possible. Flying across the country for a four day period where I would have to train on foot and deal with time change did not fit into my plans. So as the entire ski community turned its attention on Quebec City I was off to Silver Star BC to train and race in perfect conditions at the second set of NorAm’s.

After qualifying for the Canadian World Cups I quickly came to the realization that racing them is a rather intimidating prospect. Going into the 15km classic mass start at Sovereign Lakes I had no lack of motivation since I wanted to prove (mostly to myself) that I deserved my starts in the distance world cups.

The pack after two laps during the 15km classic in Sovereign Lakes (I'm Number 20)
Photo Credit: Angus Cockney

After a bad start that saw me get tangled up a couple of times I was well back heading up the first climb. I worked hard to get myself through the field. By half way through the first lap I was at the front of the pack. I stayed there and was surprised that as the pack got whittled down I was able to stay with the front. At the start of the third lap, Jens Eriksson, one of the Swedish skiers using the NorAm as a tune up race for the World Cups, made his move. I tried to respond but soon I was all out and losing more time to him. Eventually four of us formed a chase group and it came down to a sprint finish for second where I was able to beat my teammates to the line. I was super happy. One of my goals for this season had been to podium on the NorAm circuit, but I have to admit I did not see it happening in Silver Star, or in a distance race at all for that matter. 

Sprinting to my first NorAm podium in Sovereign Lakes
Photo courtesy of Cross Country Canada

So with that done, it was on to the world cups. With my Second place in Sovereign Lakes My confidence was high and I couldn’t wait to race my first World Cups

The day of the first world cup in Canmore I woke up to blue sky’s and perfect skiing conditions. I felt good and much less nervous than I thought I was going to be. The race started off well climbing the wall (Canmore’s biggest and most intimidating hill) for the first time the pack was tightly bunched and the pace seemed reasonable. That’s the thing about racing in Canmore the courses are so hard that you don’t need to go fast for you to be working hard you just sort of ski at a certain speed and the courses are so hilly and so steep that before you know it you are working right at your max. This is what happened to me. Before I knew it I was getting distanced by skiers. I felt like I had no energy and couldn’t hold my technique together or kick my skis properly. I went through the race attempting to stay focused and stay with any skier who was passing me. I crossed the line exhausted in 58^th position. I didn't have any expectations heading into the race , yet I was disappointed nonetheless. After my race in Silver Star my first World Cup was something of a reality check

On to Saturday’s skate sprint. Skate sprint qualifiers have been something of a weak point for me the past couple of years. I can never seem to find that perfect balance between being powerful and fast. My first world cup was no different though I was skiing well on the gradual climbing parts of the course I was in full “egg beater mode” (lots of movement not a whole lot of speed) on the steeper climbs. I ended up 58^th again. I took some consolation in the fact that it was a better qualifier than the NorAm cup two weeks earlier.Though my day of racing was done after less than three minutes this wasn't the case for two of my teammates. I have to say it was pretty inspiring to see Phil Widmer and Jesse Cockney Both ski into the top 15. I train with these guys every day and it was pretty exciting to see their hard work pay off.

Jesse Cockney showing everyone how its done. He turned heads in the skiing world with his  9th place  during the Canmore World Cups

World Cup Sprint 
Photo courtesy of Stoneham Ski Apparel

With the sprint done I immediately turned my focus to preparing for the next days 30km pursuit. Unfortunately however it was not to be. I woke up with a headache and sore throat. I did my normal pre race routine hoping I would feel better but when I got to the race site and talked with my coach’s we decided that with U23 trials so close It wouldn't be a good idea to dig myself into too deep of a hole. Though I did not race I was again inspired to see another great performance from one of my teammates Graham Nishikawa who finished 15^th in the pursuit. He has been knocking on the door for a great World Cup result for a few seasons and it was great to see him do so well at the highest level.

The pursuit in Canmore concluded the pre-Christmas races for this season. I have to say overall I have to be happy with how things went. I qualified for and raced my first World Cups and got my first NorAm podium. Even though I didn't get any great results from my first set of World Cup races it was still a great experience. I was great to see Canada put on such an awesome show for the world. I have to thank all the volunteers in Canmore and Quebec for making it possible. 

A Beautiful Sport

When you are training every day it is perhaps normal to fall into a bit of a routine. Perhaps too often getting out of the door to go training can become something of a chore. Skiing at its core and in its most simple form is done in the wilderness far away from everyday nuisances. The ideal image of cross-country skiers is that of a small group of people deep in the woods in some beautiful part of the world.

Of course when you are racing this ideal image rarely corresponds to the actual day to day training. For nearly a month I have been skiing most days on a loop of manmade snow less than 2km long. It took about 6 minutes on the first day of skiing to completely explore the boundaries and outer reaches of this loop. Since then I have been around it hundreds of times in both classic and skate, both counter clockwise and clockwise (although mostly the latter).  Not only have I done hundreds of loops I have often done these loops in the company of hundreds of people (ok I might be exaggerating here), but the loop does get quite crowded. This year skiers have travelled to Canmore from all over to enjoy this early season snow.

At its peak there were at least four local clubs and half a dozen teams from across North America training on this one loop. Skiing on frozen Thunder often resembles more closely a morning rush hour commute than the idyllic image of a cross-country skiing. With everyone going at different speeds you are constantly moving out of the way of skiers doing intervals, sprints or time trials or working your way around people if you are doing intensity yourself. The truth is if this was the everyday image of skiing that I had grown up with I’m not sure I would have fallen in love with the sport. Still the competitive side of skiing has kept me motivated and if I’m honest more than happy skiing on this short loop for nearly a month. The everyday competitive drive is more than enough to keep me walking up to the Nordic Centre with my boots in my backpack and my skis and poles in my hands every morning. Since many of the people reading this are still in rollerski season I am certainly in no position to complain.

The last week has brought the first blast of sustained winter to Canmore (we had a week long taster in October). This has brought enough snowfall to Lake Louise for us to enjoy our first all-natural skiing experience of the winter. On Sunday I woke up to blue skies and minus fifteen degree weather. Our team made our way to Lake Louise for the second time this year. About an hour in to my three hour ski I noticed something. This was the first time I had checked my watch since we had started skiing. Not only was this the first time I had checked my watch a part of me was disappointed that I only had two more hours left of skiing. This was the last day of a twenty plus hour week and by all means I should have been tired, and wanting to get the ski over with. I was tired, but I didn’t necessarily want to be done skiing. It was a beautiful day the sun had warmed the temperature to a pleasant minus ten. The snow was cold enough to get more than enough grip with a couple of layers of blue wax and the unglazed track meant that you didn’t have to re-wax once during a three hour ski. The conditions were perfect. This was a better reminder than any of just how beautiful of a sport skiing is and although the desire to perform is more than enough to motivate every day it’s the days like this that made me enjoy skiing in the first place.     

The Winsport frozen thunder classic sprint brought an even more competitive field this year with many  on the top Americans as well as Canadians in attendance. Although I fell in my semi-final I still had a great day finishing in 7th (as the second Canadian)
I'm number 13 on the right
Photo:© Craig Douce
Another pic of the frozen thunder sprint
Photo:© Craig Douce

With a month to go until the world cup visits Canmore and less than three weeks to go before trials to decide who gets the precious Canadian spots the excitement is starting to build around Canmore.
I, like many will be hoping to be able to race at these home world cups.

That's all for now

Patrick

  

Long Summer Days

Summer has come to what seems to have been a very abrupt end here in the Bow Valley. It seems as though only a couple of days ago I was training in Whitefish Montana enjoying life on a lake and temperatures in the 30's during the afternoons. I guess it was only a week ago. Now, my last 4 training sessions have been done wearing tights and this morning there was snow in the mountains above Canmore.

Don’t get me wrong it has been a beautiful summer in Canmore. We have had more than our fair share of warm sunny days. I am not lamenting the arrival of fall either. I love fall, although that’s mostly because it is followed by winter. In some ways I am even happy that fall has come early (I realize this is probably not the case for most people reading this). Summer, at least for me, can be a difficult time for ski training. The excitement of the spring and getting back into training and getting to know your new teammates is gone. You settle into a rhythm and train every day. The winter however is a long way off and sometimes it’s easy to lose track of what you are working towards. I don’t know what others think, but going for a rollerski in the middle of July when its 30 degrees out is not always very inspirational. Luckily even in the middle of the summer there are short term goals to work towards. Whether this is a running race, a rollerski time trial or even just trying to get stronger in the Gym these are the things that, at least for me, keep me going during the long summer days. 

Summer can often feel difficult for skiers, yet come the end of august (sometimes even earlier) it seems as though you turn a corner. The ski season is still a long way off yet it starts to feel closer also you start noticing the small differences from the year before. You notice that you are maybe a little stronger, that you may ski a little better. I know it’s only the beginning of September and most people still have some summer to get through, yet the ski season is getting closer. It’s now less than 100 days until the Canadian World Cups and less than 90 until my first race. Just the thought of the ski season approaching is more than enough to get me out of bed in the morning. So with the end of summer comes renewed motivation. You are always training with your goals in mind, yet the closer you get to the ski season the more real they feel. Yes I know I might be getting ahead of myself a bit here, but I figure if it gets you motivated to train everyday then it cant be a bad thing.     

Beautiful day of training in Whitefish Montana. We were there for 10 days for some of the hardest training this year.
Photo credit: Stefan Kuhn (I think)

Pretty awesome group to train with. At the top of Big Mountain (yes its actually called that) during our Whitefish camp.
Photo credit: Stefan Kuhn

This was one of the most fun training sessions  this year. We rollerskied up the road on the left . Which  is appropriately named the road to the sun (in glacier National Park) and ran along this hiking trail in the opposite direction. Here Kevin is showing us how to properly wear bright spandex shorts.
Photo credit: Jess Cockney

Not sure what I'm doing in this picture, but this is later on the same day at a very European-esque chalet along the trail.
Photo credit: Jess Cockney

A good way to end a hot training session.
Photo Credit: Jess Cockney

This picture was taken yesterday during the final day of training of our three week block. It was a cold September day in   k-country just outside of Canmore and was therefore a great opportunity to wear even more neon yellow training gear.
Photo credit: Stefan Kuhn

That's all for now

Patrick