Note from John

I hope all are taking a couple of easy days to recover from a volume week and a race on Wednesday. Getting out for a short easy ski Friday is a good idea.  It is important to ski easy but mix in a few short pick ups to keep the feel of race pace. Saturday looks to be sunny with a high of around 20F and overnight low in the mid teens so wax selection is similar to the last race. The venue is wide open so be prepared with full winter warm ups as it may be breezy. Try to plan ahead to keep from getting cold before or during the race.  A few ideas:

- a buff for neck

- light weight hat to have under race hat

- glove liners

- warmer mitts rather than race gloves

- good hydration before the race

- minimize standing still

- carry a back pack for extra gear

- hand and foot warmers

- additional layer under race suit

Also a good practice is to work back from your start time and establish a routine: a warm up with pick ups; remove warm ups; check gear and adjust clothing and get to the line up; keep moving even while in line w/o warm ups.  Generally a course preview is desirable for a short race and always look at the start and finish sections to be familiar with the best line and lanes for passing and also to know where you can prevent a skier from passing you.  After the race be sure to get in warm ups before you get cold, drink fluids and do a short post race ski to help prevent lactate from settling in tired muscles.

These early races are a good opportunity to experiment with pacing and different techniques. Almost always you want to get out fast and then settle to a pace you can hold vs. pushing the pace to the max at the start.  Another hint is to break the race into sections and focus on checking off each, then refocus as you move to the next section.

I was impressed with the team overall on Wednesday, even after a long week everyone raced hard and gave their all. Special props to Zoe on a gutsy win and all the girls for a team win to start the year in a good place - also Lily scored valuable points to seal the win. The boys also showed good form with a fine third against all our local competition. I will do a recap of the successful camp at Sugarloaf soon.

John

***Be sure and read the post below for info about the Telstar race***