Following US nationals, I took some much needed time off to enjoy winter in the mountains with friends and people that are important to me. I also transitioned my training to be more marathon focused, as all of my races from here on are over 30k. The first of these races was the Noquemanon in Marquette, MI: a 50k classic race that descends from the hills of the UP to Lake Superior (legitimately right up to the shoreline). The point to point course was very cool, with many views, lake crossings, fun downhill sections, and local fans at every road crossing. I skied the whole race head to head with my teammate/coach, Brian. I did everything I could to break away from him early in the race, with two large pushes before the halfway point that almost made me bonk in the process. Unsuccessful in my early efforts, Brian's experience with the course got the best of me in the end. O nly 5K from the finish, I made the mistake of letting him take the lead on a tricky hill, and he made a cheeky move to break away. The trail was considerably worse past this very point, which prevented me from being able to put power down and catch back up - although I tried as hard as I could to do so. I completely believe I could have won the race, but it wasn't my day to do so. Next weekend at the Seeley Hills Classic, I will likely have more challengers than Brian to deal with, and the game will continue to change.
No pictures from the weekend yet, besides this podium shot with our cowbells (Each Midwestern marathon has their special prize item). It's always nice to stand on a podium and get paid, regardless of how important the race is. The Noque's logo shape on the sign outlines the course profile - to give a sense of what the race was like.
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