It was a very exciting day of racing where Holly Brooks and I had a photo finish for 2nd place in the final heat before we collapsed in exhaustion.
cropped400%25.BMP)
Placing is determined by who's toe crosses the line, regardless of who's head or body crosses first. I am the skier on the top part of the screen and it looks like I have room for improvement on my finishing lunge! Something you may not know is that Taz, my teammate, in addition to being a ski racing machine might actually possess some fortune telling powers too! Several nights before our SilverStar sprint she relayed a dream she had where I raced to 2nd place behind Dasha Gaiazova of the Canadian National Team. She joked in the days leading up to the race that I needed to hold up my end of the deal and race to the silver medal position in the SilverStar sprint. So we made a pact-- I would get 2nd.
Even though this sounds like a silly dream I mention it because the feeling I had when Taz shared this with me is that she believed in my ability to race to the podium in field stacked with the North American Olympic hopefuls. Racing with confidence and believing in myself and my ability is a piece of the racing puzzle that I have waivered in so far this season. My coach Erik also gave me encouragement prior to the race, convincing me that my fitness is there, I just need to race more aggressively and confidently in order to perform closer to my potential.
So, in the heats I made sure I was focused and racing with a mission in mind-- of getting 2nd place-- and I made sure to get out of the start quickly and hop in behind Dasha to hold on for dear life. I stayed in 2nd position until Holly came up along side me to give me a run for my money in the finishing stretch.
After the race it was announced that I took second although once the videos were reviewed it was determined by the awards ceremony that I was actually third. Either way it was a performance I can be proud of and the best part was feeling like my family, friends, teammates/coaches, and even other competitors were proud and happy for me too. Additionally, this race was a mental break through for me and I learned a lot about how I can better approach heats in a sprint with a stacked field.
It was a phenomenal day for the Americans-- especially the APU ladies! I think all of the sprint training we do together throughout the year helps us feel comfortable and relaxed when we get to race head-to-head in the heats.We are currently in Canmore, AB getting ready to race in two classic sprints that will serve as the final Olympic qualifiers for the Canadians. I've decided that rather than being focused on finishing second, I should focus on the win. Heck, why not? There's nothing to lose!
