The Birkie foundation has done quite a job developing the trails around Mt. Telemark since I last skied them. The trails I raced on in high school (which were awesome!) seem to be retired, while the new ones provide more challenges, as they are packed with steep climbs and restless descents. After three days of racing I walked away without any grand successes, but certainly with more information on what I need to work on before nationals.
I finished 25th in the skate mass start 15k. Not the most competitive result, but I'm very encouraged by how comfortably I skied the race. In the 30k at nationals, if I can make sure to be there for the lead pack breakaway, I'm certain that I can ski with the group, and stick with it through the end. The extra 15k should help me with this.
Saturday's classic sprint was a frustrating experience. Confusion over qualifier results kept me from knowing whether or not I had made the heats up to the last minute. In the final results, I was listed as 31st, one spot away from continuing. I'm not certain anyone really knows who finished where, but next time I will try to keep away from the being on that edge.
The final classic 15k really brought out some weaknesses as fatigue set in. Although I finished 26th (comparable to all of the recent distances races), I was unable to claim the free speed where it was available on course. These tricky spots are usually work in my favor, but I didn't have it in me to take advantage of them. I hope that with a little more strength maintenance, I can to pick this back up.
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