Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Back to ski track, to ski around in big circles, because it snowed. No traffic going out, took longer to dig the car free than to actually drive out the Pike. Weston somehow managed to find some dirt in two feet of snow (some from wind, some from going around corners too fast and tilling down, some from who the eff knows) but it was mostly pretty good. Soft, but firming up real fast as the sun went down.

Race was a single lap around as much of the flats as we could ski. Getting dark, but easy enough to see the snow. Not clear how hard people were going, but no one pushed up Mount Weston, which was fine, since the snow was kind of sketchy.

Out on the flats, I had a strategy. Get towards the front of the pack for the first leg back in to the wind. Draft down that stretch and then, near the end, attack, and attempt to gap. This went swimmingly, with about 100m to go I was in second behind a junior, attacked, and pulled him and myself about 30m up on the field going with the wind again. We maintained the gap back through the wind and in to the lights. The course was not well marked, so we went left for moar skiing, down the hill beside Mount Foljms. Skating to maintain speed I caught an edge in a groomer track—good job, Weston, putting a nice divot between the lanes—and went down hard. Nothing broken, but hard enough to turtle and then the pack came by, about six seconds behind.

So a good tactical race, but I went from being 6 seconds up on the pack to 6 seconds down. Oh well.

Cool down. Getting dark and icy. Then waiting forever for food, and such a bizarre combination of food. But food, which I like.

C • Bizarre combo 3