Let the Race(s) begin!

Conference meet, Elm Creek

This week was the start of the end of the season with the Conference race on Wednesday, January 28th, and the Section race on Monday, February 2nd.  Let's just say it was an exciting week.

Our Conference meet got moved to Elm Creek Park due to bad snow conditions.  Elm is a pretty flat course that tends to consist of a lot (I mean a lot) of double poling.  Most of the boys used skate poles and some even skate skis.  I opted for the longer skate poles, but kept my kick on classic skis for the race.  That made kick double poling and striding interesting to say the least.

 

Striding with skate poles.

Photo: Julie Kautzer 

 

Also notice the biathlon straps.  They weren't ideal but I used them for both races because right before my first race the basket fell off of my Start skate poles.  It was my fault because I didn't use enough glue when putting the new baskets on.

We classic-ed first in hopes of having a track.  I felt pretty good during the race and ended up winning the morning by a little over 2 minutes.  My goal going in was to win each race by at least 2 minutes, as my season best was winning by 1 minute 30 seconds. That put me in a good position for my afternoon pursuit*, in which I extended my lead to 4 minutes and 20 seconds. However, my teammate Charlie Brown had the second best skate time and was only 1:55 back.  I felt really good in the race and had a ton of fun watching and helping my teammates after their finish.  They really pushed themselves to the max!!!

 

 Flying snow while hop-skating the wall.

Photo: Julie Kautzer

 

The All-Conference group including 4 BSM skiers: 

Charlie Brown, Rachel Conley, myself, and Mae Fullerton.

Photo: Julie Kautzer

 

My friend, waterski coach, and mentor Debbie came out to watch my race.

It really meant a lot to me and I'm glad she faced the cold.

Photo: Julie Kautzer

 

BSM girls post race.

Photo: Julie Kautzer

 

BSM All-Conference: Charlie, Rachel, me, Mae.

Photo: Corrina Conley

 

Notice Tracy behind the guy in the blue (my coach Carl).

We won the meet, but not the Conference Championship due to the way the races points are structured to weigh the entire season. 

Photo: Julie Kautzer 

In addition to 4 All-Conference girls, we had other good results for the BSM squad: 

Boys All Conference: Clyde Selke and Matt Paal

Boys Honorable Mention: Keelan Gorman and Matt Lynch

Girls Honorable Mention skiers: Claudia and Sophie! 

So proud of all of them!

Section meet, Theodore Wirth

Sections is a party.  It may not feel like it when your heart rate is pounding a million beat a minute and the lactic acid is pooling in your legs as you drag yourself past the 4K mark, but it is truly a celebration of all the training you have put in all season.  My coach had us go into the race with this mindset, rather than a results goal, and I think it was hugely successful.  We had goals in mind, but having fun on our skis was more important.

Similarly, last year I had a bad strategy for my first race.  My plan was to see how hard I could push my body.  On the start line Carl told me to go have some fun, so I instantly changed my plan and had a much better race.  Again in the afternoon, he decided my race strategy: play PacMan with the other skiers, and it worked.  How could envisioning "om nom nom nom" the whole race not help?

Anyways, back to the present... I started out my classic morning race 30 seconds ahead of my teammate Hannah who won the Section meet last year.  I knew she would be chasing me, so I tried to utilize a strategy I learned at the U16 camp this summer: pretend (and believe-that's the key) that there is a lion/tiger/bear/other-scary-creature chasing you, and ski faster than that animal.  Apparently some Norwegian skiers use that strategy so it must work.  Anyways, I ended up 4 seconds behind Hannah, who won. 

In the afternoon we had the Skate pursuit*.  I caught up to Hannah and just stuck with her as best I could, waiting till close to the finish to make my move.  From time trials this summer I know Hannah knows my race strategies too well to try a mid-race burst to snatch the lead.

 

 Photo: Skinnyski

 I stayed with Hannah for the most part, but in this picture close to the beginning of the second lap I had lost a little mental focus and almost let her go.  I don't know where I found the will to catch back up. 

Photo: Skinnyski

This is a picture of when I made my move to take the lead.  My coach and I planned for this move to be one hill closer to the finish, but I saw an opportunity and felt good so took it. 

 

Photo: Skinnyski

Yes my eyes are closed.  This is my favorite downhill on the course and I always sprint it in practice to practice speed and because I like going downhills (I should have done Alpine), so was comfortable hitting it at a full on sprint.

 

Photo: Skinnyski

Another fun hill.  From the times up the waterfall at Mount Itasca 

(... and the Hyland Wall... and the Wirth wall...) 

I learned how to hop skate well this season, pictured here.  

Note my BSM teammate Claudia in the foreground. 

 

Photo: Skinnyski

This picture I love for 2 reasons.  

1: my parents are both taking pictures in the background. 

2: more importantly, my coach was happy that I won, despite the fact that he made the bet that if I win or the team qualifies for state he would let us die his hair red.  I think he didn't actually expect me to win, but his hair will be red starting next week for the State meet!!! 

  

 Photo: Mindy Benton

Here's a finish line picture of most of the first finisher and therefore state qualifiers, many of which are my friends.

A note: I apologize to anyone I yelled at during the race.  Usually I try to yell a nice, "On your left," but this race I knew both Hannah and I would be coming through really close, and I didn't want to get tripped or trip anyone, so yelled, "MOVE!!!!!!!"  I'm sorry!

 

 Photo: Skinnyski

My teammate and friend Hannah.  She's one of my favorite people to hang out with, train with, and race against.

One of the most exciting parts of the day was cheering for the boys race.  Before the race our coach gave a speech to the girls about being the "dark horse" and potentially taking 2nd and making it to state.  That didn't quite happen, but the real dark horses were Matt Paal and Clyde Selke!!! They surprised everyone with what I like to call a bubble race! I've been there multiple times qualifying for state, nationals, and worlds, and needless to say it's a stressful but exciting place to be.  Bubble skiing means that you are teetering on the edge between qualifying or not.  Both boys were on that bubble, and Matt was able to pop the bubble and qualify for state!!! I believe he is the 2nd junior boy from BSM to ever qualify for state, coming from what I'm told is one of the hardest sections in the state.  Clyde was super close, but not quite.  He has 3 more years though! 

* Definition of Pursuit for non-skiers: It is a 2 part race.  The times from the first race determine the start order and timing of the second race, so the order across the finish line is the overall rank of skiers.  For example: if I ski 45 seconds slower than the winner of the first race, I would start the second 45 seconds after the winner starts.  If I pass her and finish first, I would be the winner because I would have overcome the amount of time behind her I was.