Canadian NorAm Recap

It’s hard to believe we are half way through December and Christmas is fast approaching! After spending two solid weeks in Silver Star, I now have 7 races under my belt and the season is officially on.

View of Silver Star Ski Resort

The first weekend in Silver Star started with a skate sprint. I had a slow start but managed to squeak into the quarterfinals. My body felt flat and slow but I tried to push as hard as I could. The next day was a 10k skate. I didn’t feel great but kept a steady pace throughout the race. After getting passed by Milaine Theriault and Caitlin Compton within the first 2k, I felt a little discouraged but kept pushing. I finished the race disappointed with my effort but soon found out that I placed 14th. That was a lot better than I expected! Knowing that I didn’t feel my best but managed to get in the top 15 lifted my spirits.

After four days of rest, I found myself warming up again, this time for a 15k skate mass-start. This was the race I was most excited for! I went into the race mentally ready to push my body as hard as I could. The lead pack of girls stuck together well into 5k and then started to break up. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hang with the lead group but I managed to stay with the second pack. Going into the second 7.5k loop, I was leading the pack. I had fast skis and had no problems keeping up and passing on the down hills. I worked the uphill and put a gap on the group of girls I was skiing with in the last 1k. It was a steady climb to the finish and I skied to the point of having blurry vision and wheezing in my lungs. It came down to a sprint at the finish and I gave it everything I had…just enough to nip my competitor at the finish line. I finished 11th and was pleased with my effort.

The coaches hard at work!

Only seventeen hours later, I was back at the venue warming-up for the classic sprint.Whew! I felt tired. My legs felt heavy and slow from the race the day before. Trying not to think about the way my body felt, I started the prelims and skied as hard as I could. I finished 23rd…good enough to qualify for the quarterfinals. But once again, I did not have the quickness and pop to advance to the semi-finals. Disappointed with my race, I finished a good cool-down to get the lactic acid out of my legs and tried to begin my recovery to prepare for the race the next day.

View of stadium during the classic sprint race...kinda nasty!

Rumors of a cold front moving through the area and temperatures getting down to -20 C raised the question as to whether or not the race was going to happen. One hour before the race started, (we raced at 5pm, in the dark) it was decided that the race was officially on. Alright, one more time! I began my warm-up in -16 C degrees and in the pitch dark. There were areas of the course where there were NO lights and of course it had to be on the sweeping down hill. After some slight confusion as to how to get to the start line, I got there with only a few seconds to spare. I was off! On the first lap of the 3 lap course, I felt like I was hammering. I didn’t now if I really was skiing fast or if it was just the sensation of racing at night, in the dark. I received splits that I was 7th overall. I kept a steady pace the next 2 laps and finished 9th , 4th American. Whew, I could feel the lungs burn and I could taste the lactic acid after the race. Despite the frigid temperatures, I skied a good cool-down and cheered the guys on. After getting numb fingers and a super cold nose, I tired to pack up as quickly as possible and head back to the house to warm-up.

Sunset coming down from the race venue

The next morning we began our 17 hour drive back to Sun Valley. It took us two days, but we made it. I am currently in Ketchum, getting ready to head to Alaska early next week. U.S. Nationals are just around the corner and I am feeling more and more ready as the time approaches. Stay tuned for updates on the races. Have a Merry Christmas!

A very tired Mikey Sinnott on the van ride home.