When racing a full World Cup schedule, one of the biggest challenges is finding the right balance of rest, racing, and training. Most weeks require me to make an evaluation of my fatigue level and then decide if that week I need rest to get ready for the next race or do some training to fine tune the body for the next race. This is not a strong point of mine as I like to push until I break. It has been one of the hardest adaptations in becoming a World Cup skier, racing some 40 races a winter. Luckily after the tour, I had a solid 4 weeks with only one race allowing me time to rest, reset, and get some training in.
First stop was Seiser Alm, a resort village on top of a mountain in Italy. It was an ideal place to get in some much needed rest, enjoy some sunshine, amazing food, and catch up life. The snow was thin but we were able to ski on a scratchy 20k for some easy recovery sessions.
Next, I fired up my body a little and got ready for a 10k skate in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. With a little natural snow and a lot of snow farming, we were able to race on a solid 5km loop, a rarity these days it seems. Race day brought cold temperatures and falling snow, making for a slow feeling race, but some strong results. I finished in 28th, with 3 teammates ahead of me, including Jessie in 3rd! I was happy with the how the race went and am looking to continue in this direction as the we move on.
Last stop, Sjusjoen, Norway. Winter found Norway over the last month and we were greeted by lots of snow and hundreds of kilometers of trails. Much of the team came to Sjusjoen to enjoy a week off from racing and prep for Period 3. With still 2 weeks until my next race, I was able to do a full week of normal training, something I haven't been able to do since I left Anchorage and a week of recovery and race prep. With so many trails and such good conditions, it has been delightful to head out from our cabins, explore the trails, get lost, and just enjoy skiing. Often, it is easy to get caught up in the details of racing and forget why you are doing this. A week like this allows you time to remember how much fun skiing is and how joyful it is to be doing what we are doing. My next race is this Sunday, the famed Holmenkollen 30km.
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| Sledding in Seiser Alm |
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| Up high in the mountains |
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| Sledding-Our favorite afternoon activity |
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| Our hotel surrounded by mountains |
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| Happy to be in Seiser Alm |
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| Fireworks at the podium ceremony in Nove Mesto |
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| Racing in Nove Mesto (Ian Harvey Photo) |
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| Winter! |
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| Happy for winter and skiing |
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| Enjoying long skis with APU teammates (Reese Photo) |
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| Our cabin during sunset |
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| Liz and I out for a long one |
