Sunday's Skate

Day Two:
10km Skate

While many of the very busy student-skiers left after Saturday’s race, the minimally less busy student-skiers stuck it out for Sunday’s race. Saturday wrapped up for the UW team at Dick and Evelyn’s house with some delicious food. While some choose to rest/study after the race, others, including myself, went to the Leadville aquatic center and played an intense two hour game of water basketball preceded and followed by the Kinner belly flop and the wannabes. After the active recovery, the team spent the evening at Dick and Evelyn’s eating delicious tacos and enchiladas with green chili, studying, waxing and watching Love Actually. An early bed was followed by an early morning.
After eating some biscuits and gravy, cereal for the weaker stomachs, we packed up the beds and the van and set out for the race. We got to the race just in time to hear about the thirty minute delay, not surprising. After a good lying down with the feet up under the hanging rack of rental skis, Justin and I set out on our new Rachel approved warm up. When we got back from our warm up we were treated to amazingly waxed skis. I got up to the start area feeling much better than I did on Saturday and after letting a few ghosts go before me I started my race. Within a few seconds the guy in the Rossi suit dominated me. But unlike Saturday, I did not get passed again until Zenya passed me on my second lap up the Lazy Giant (as I just named the long gradual uphill). I was only passed by four skiers on the same lap as me and six skiers altogether. It was a great improvement over Saturday when I was tracked four times on one corner. Christi summed up my race the best, she said I looked toasted and then ok at different stages of the race and that’s exactly how it felt. It was not great but it was a serious improvement over Saturday, at least I made Sunday’s results (I hope). After the race, we packed up the van again and set off toward Laramie and lots of studying. The ride home was uneventful, except for the endless laughter! All in all, a great first weekend of racing and I couldn’t be happier that it is out of the way.