So now what?

So now what? That is the question I have been getting lately. Starting in 2005 I have been a part of every major championships. Some have gone pretty well for myself others have been disasters but now those days are done. Weird to write. 

 When I got home last week it was a really odd feeling. All that I have been working for and trying to do has come to an end. I really don't know where this season went wrong. Training was on pace or ahead of last year, interval times were the same or better as well. I am fit, it just never came together... There are a lot of little things I can point to but who knows... I do know that I had some pretty nasty allergies that I was dealing with in Rumford and was able to fight thru them in the 15k but my 30k still confounds me. 

The week after Nationals was one of my hardest as a skier. I have always known that I could never give the Ski Team the choice not to take me and I knew I gave them a good one this time. Still I held out hope that they might take me to World Champs. That my 15k in Rumford would be enough after being the top American guy at the Olympics to get me there. When I got the call and found out that I didn't make the team it hit me harder than I was expecting. I knew I probably wasn't going to make it but to hear it was not going to happen was giant kick in the gut. I tried to rally for the classic race in Placid a few days later but one lap into the race I hit a patch of ice on a downhill and fell. From there the race just unravelled. I needed a break then I needed a plan. 

It was so nice to finally come home after two months on the road and be able to step away from skiing. Wake up that first morning and have my girls around. To be able to relax and not talk about skiing, play with my daughter, hang out with my wife and just live.

Over the next few days I thought about going to Europe to do some World Loppet's, the Vasaloppet and the Norwegian Birkebeiner are two that I have always wanted to do. Norwegian Nationals was also a possiblity. In the end I knew that I wanted to win the 50k Championship and those didn't set me up well for that. I also have wanted to make a run at the American Birkebeiner. So those are the two big dates on my calendar along with some racing here at home that fit well with preparing for those. It is not what I had in mind coming into the season but given my options I am really excited about the possibilities and the process.

I still have my moments of frustration but now that I have a plan and have started to implement it, the freedom I have to train and race has been enjoyable. For years I have envied top runners who get to pick a race and train just for that. Now I have that chance. One week back training I already feel like I am is as good of shape as I ever have. Drives me nuts because I would love to see what I could do against the best in the World but fun because, well, it's always fun to be in great shape and to be able to use that shape to hopefully make some money is even better. 

Next up for me is Pia's Classic. A 30k classic at Kincaid. After that a few weeks of just training before a tune up 30k before I head south to the Birkie. 

I feel so lucky to have been able to put everything I could into ski racing and grateful to all those who have helped make this journey possible. 

James

Leaving West

West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10... In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

Another breakthrough day for an APU'er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He's been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can't wait to get there. 

Photos by Ian Harvey

West Skate 15k

The first distance race of the year went off today in West Yellowstone, MT. After a great day for APU in yesterdays sprint today was another one with Kate Fitzgerald leading the way getting her first ever win! A great example of someone who just trains well year after year and believes in themselves. Could not be happier for her.

As for my race, today was a good start. I was maybe too jacked up out of the start and started a little too fast and could not hang on. Up here if you go out too fast it comes back to bite hard. Also a pretty typical West Yellowstone result. My best results ever here were a few 4th places when I came to altitude well ahead of time. Outside of that the middle of the top 10 is where I tend to start. Onward and upward!

Crushed

Today was a time trial with the Canadians. It didn't go very well.

My day...

I was pretty bummed until I remembered that last year in October I was almost 3 minutes back in an APU time trial and the season was still okay. Onward and upward.

So long Eagle

I have just returned from my final training camp at Eagle Glacier. Looking back at my logs I have been up there for 33 camps starting in 1993 when Jack Novak, who was up with us for this camp, was one year old. It was a solid week with 24 hours of training that was interrupted by one day of a stomach bug that knocked me out hard. I bounced back well though and finished the week strong.

The first time I was up there was the summer before my junior year of high school and my high school coach John Clark who ran the only summer training program around at the time took a group of us up. I remember the groomer wasn't working so he took a mattress spring out and dragged it around by himself to make a 1 or 2 kilometer loop. Hard core! It has changed a lot since then but it is still the same amazing setting on a glacier 30 minutes from my house. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend so much time up there doing what I love.