Training Log Archive: biggins

C • Brrr 2

Last organized training was a sprint race through one of the marsh mazes. It was supposed to be yesterday instead of the line-o, but the Norwegians wanted to do it hard so we swapped it to today. It was pretty cold this morning (-12 at the car), so we rewaxed, then headed out to the remote start. They regroomed it all yesterday, so the tracks were pretty solid, but a crust over lots of new fluff.

So the first control went ok, then while going up a little hill I poled right on top of my ski, which basically pushed it straight back and kicked my legs out from under me. Instant face plant. Fortunately I managed to get up before anyone else came by and saw that. I blew the route choice going to #2, I was trying to just go roughly straight through the maze until I came out to the big trail, but got roughly straight to the side. So I cut back in at the other side in the wrong spot and had some bonus bumps to go over to get to the control. Then all good until #6, which I got to and discovered I had no map anymore. I guess it came out while I was dodging through some of the pine branches that overhang the trail, so I backtracked for a minute until I found it lying on the middle of the trail about to be run over by Alex. Then it was all good through the last control, which was a dogleg, so going to the finish I saw Ali and was trying to stay ahead of her. But its not a proper ski-o adventure unless I destroy something expensive, so one of the poles went through the crust, caught on a branch, and broke the bottom two feet off. I single sticked the last couple hundred meters to the finish, which fortunately was fairly flat, though I did get passed by Ali on the one small bump.

Alex and Ali went back for another lap of the sprint race, so I no-poled the big trail around the perimeter of the sprint area, then found Alex and we no-poled back to the hut for lunch.

Got the backup poles, and headed out again for another shot at the sprint. The backup poles are a lot weaker than the real ones were, so I can't dp anywhere near as hard since they flex so much, so I was taking it easy. But very smooth on the navigation until 8 where I miscounted a turn and did a bonus loop in the wrong direction.

Did the first four controls again, but this time with the camera stuck onto the front of the map holder harness, to see if I could get some sexy first person ski-o video. It sortof worked, though a little nauseous because of the constant double pole up and down of the chest.