Another season begins!
The first weekend of NorAm races of the 2013/14 season took place this past weekend in Silverstar, British Columbia. The NorAm series has 2 stops in BC before Christmas and then a weekend in Canmore that also serves as Trials for any remaining Olympic spots and other European tours.
Unfortunately this weekend coincided with an extreme cold snap that had set into the western part of the country. With temperatures hovering around the legal limit of holding a race, I opted to skip the distance race and save my lungs and energy for a slightly warmer sprint day.
Sprint day was still brutally cold. It was one of those days that you wear multiple Buffs and you want to breath through something to warm the air a little before it hits your lungs. The perfect day for a Polar Buff… which I call the -20 Buff!
I felt like my body took a little extra time to warm up in the cold. With each heat I felt a little warmer and more ready to actually race. In my semi final, I realized the importance of lane selection in the finishing straight as there was fresh snow falling and some lanes were not being used and accumulating snow. Part of the fun of sprint racing is that it is tactical and sometimes these casual observations are what makes the final difference. After ending my semi-final stuck in a slow track full of snow, trying to make it into the final, I realized which tracks were more used and faster for the final.
I should add here, that I have an amazing wax team mostly made of parent volunteers from our club. Our skis were awesome and they definitely gave me a noticeable edge heading into the final climb of the course. After that I was able to pick the best track heading into the finish. Which all adds up to my first NorAm Podium of the season. YAY!
Thanks to all the volunteers at Sovereign Lakes for braving the cold to host this race. Us athletes only have to show up for our race, but the volunteers are out there all day.
Next stop on the NorAm circuit this weekend, a skate sprint and a classic distance 10km in Rossland, BC.
You can check zone4.ca for live timing and results.
Until next time stay warm!
