Tuesday Night World Champs
I made my traditional jump back into ski racing before actually having any kind of fitness, just like every year, on Tuesday night. It was my 6th time on skis for the year, but more importantly, my first change to repay ROOMMATE CARY for abusing me all cross season.
I strategically lined up deep in the field, to intentionally miss the front group, and thus not taste my lunch until at least the ten minute mark. And it totally worked! After a few minutes things settled out, my equipment was intact, and all the fast guys were cleanly up the trail. But not Cary.
I caught onto Cary and Luke's group and pretended I wasn't winded by making a joke about it being the washed-up-college-skier group. Then I went to the FRONT because I was so STOKED to be skiing NON-TERRIBLY.
I believe this dispatched Luke. However, someone was very audibly skiing close behind me... one guess who it was.
Jamie Doucett was out on the course blinding people with his flash, but also taking some really nice night pics:
I told him that I wasn't going to be able to bridge to the next group (which was kind of a lie) and he told me he couldn't help (which was also a lie), because half a lap later he came around and started dragging us across the gap to Terry and an unknown junior skier.
I sat on, because I'm "tactical" like that.
With half a lap to go, we made contact and I slingshotted like a jerk from the back to the front. I noticed that I now had a cramp in my stomach, which was going to make the final 2 minutes a little grosser than usual. But I kept the lead (and my lunch down) to cross the line in 8th.
The times on the results are VERY suspect, because they make it look like I was only 5 seconds behind the main group of guys I race with when I'm in shape. And I have a lot of trouble believing I'm anywhere near in shape...
But man, don't you hate guys who talk about how out of shape they are, when they totally aren't? Guess I better shut up until I see how this weekend's race goes. Maybe two months of partying actually is a viable way to peak.
But I doubt it.
I strategically lined up deep in the field, to intentionally miss the front group, and thus not taste my lunch until at least the ten minute mark. And it totally worked! After a few minutes things settled out, my equipment was intact, and all the fast guys were cleanly up the trail. But not Cary.
I caught onto Cary and Luke's group and pretended I wasn't winded by making a joke about it being the washed-up-college-skier group. Then I went to the FRONT because I was so STOKED to be skiing NON-TERRIBLY.
I believe this dispatched Luke. However, someone was very audibly skiing close behind me... one guess who it was.
Jamie Doucett was out on the course blinding people with his flash, but also taking some really nice night pics:
Yup... that's Cary behind me
I told him that I wasn't going to be able to bridge to the next group (which was kind of a lie) and he told me he couldn't help (which was also a lie), because half a lap later he came around and started dragging us across the gap to Terry and an unknown junior skier.
I sat on, because I'm "tactical" like that.
With half a lap to go, we made contact and I slingshotted like a jerk from the back to the front. I noticed that I now had a cramp in my stomach, which was going to make the final 2 minutes a little grosser than usual. But I kept the lead (and my lunch down) to cross the line in 8th.
The times on the results are VERY suspect, because they make it look like I was only 5 seconds behind the main group of guys I race with when I'm in shape. And I have a lot of trouble believing I'm anywhere near in shape...
But man, don't you hate guys who talk about how out of shape they are, when they totally aren't? Guess I better shut up until I see how this weekend's race goes. Maybe two months of partying actually is a viable way to peak.
But I doubt it.
Comments
Pro move is to sneak a quick look back when you're tucking down a hill.