| Haliburton Invitation and OUAA Races - REPORT AND PICS |
| Thursday, 26 January 2006 | |
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The following is a report by Team NSXC Ottawa Contingent
Member For various reasons (i.e. work schedule, thesis completion, and bridesmaid duties), my first race of the season was (finally!) this past weekend at the Haliburton Invitational/first OUA qualifier. Although I am no longer part of the University ski circuit (not paying enough tuition this year!), I felt that this race would provide some good competition for me to test my beginning of the season racing prowess. Despite a week of nasty weather, the trails were in pretty good shape with only a few flowing creeks showing in places. SATURDAY: Also because of the weather, however, waxing proved to be a little tricky for the classic race on Saturday. Thanks to our super wax-tech (Andrew), who sacrificed some of his pre-race rest/warm-up for preparing the team skis, good grip was efficiently obtained for all. Well, maybe I should only speak for myself: I had good grip! (I’d report the wax used, but these kind of things are team secrets best left unpublished). Other teams were not so fortunate, as was evident by either supreme snow build-up in the grip zone or the absolute lack of any grip at all. In terms of the race itself, the course did not necessarily favour my racing style of relying only on good technique for optimal results. No, this course was more of a “muscle-it-through†type with a lot of seemingly continuous climbing and little rest (although the positive side was that there was very little double-poling!). Higher up on the course the conditions were soft, making it even more difficult to get into a good rhythm. Despite all those excuses, I was quite happy with my performance: about the same time behind as my best races last year. Things can only get better with more racing (and the interval work I plan to do between races… I emphasize the “plan†in that last sentence). SUNDAY: As for Sunday’s skating race, things started off well. During the previous evening’s waxing session, we were entertained with some good (?) karaoke from the adjoining bar. No team members participated, however, as mental focus was being maintained for the next day’s battle. Trail conditions hardened up somewhat as the temperature dropped over night. On a similar course to the day before, I was also happy with my performance, but again suffered from being unable to find a good rhythm (you think that listening to karaoke would help with that!). But again, more racing should fix that! Overall, I really enjoyed racing in Haliburton. Thanks to Blake Paton and Co. for the great work in organizing the race. Special thanks for letting us know where the “hidden†snack bar with the good food was…. the cookies were good and I understand so was the chili, but you’ll have ask the other two team members about that. The course is just as difficult as I remember from my previous experiences racing there, but I am looking forward to returning sometime in the future to race again! As for the other two team members (the two A’s: Andrew and Aaron): they looked strong and performed well. On Saturday Andrew showed some real nimbleness on the downhill into the stadium (voted most likely not to fall) while Aaron competed very well for his third time classic skiing this year (You should definitely ask about his second lap time on Sunday!). Brief Report by Overall the weekend went very well. Saturday Stephanie was our chief wax tester. After about 5 different combos we settled on a wax which she claimed worked well. I began my warmup with 15 minutes to go. I couldn’t believe she thought this wax was good!! I had no grip at all in the stadium and up the first hill. Luckily I’ve learned a lesson about these conditions in the past. The tracks and snow in the stadium is almost never the same as it is out on course. Luckily I resisted waxing warmer (my skis would have iced up in a big way out on course). The course had little to no track by the time the men raced. Basically it was a herringbone and occasional double pole race. Considering the tough conditions and the amount of classic skiing he’s done this year I thought Aaron had a great race. Stephanie was showing some good speed out there and had a very good race as well. Sunday went well for Stephanie but Aaron and I both suffered a bit on the longer course. I felt very strong for the first 9 km but faded a bit after that. I regained a bit of form towards the end but had lost too much time on the flatter, softer part of the course after the climbs. Great weekend of racing though, Haliburton is always a fun place to ski.
RESULTS: Saturday 5 km Classic Open Women (19+) 56 Competitors
Sunday 8 km Classic Open Women (19+) Competitors 16 km Skate Open Men (19+) 59 Competitors  Aaron starting the classic race  Andrew starting the classic race  Andrew on course classic  Aaron out on course classic  Charles heading up the hill  Aaron starting the skate race  Andrew starting skate race  Steph starting the skate race  Steph finishing up the skate race  Steph kicking it home skate race
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Last weekend team members participated in the Haliburton
Invitational / OUAA qualifier race. The weather was unseasonably warm on Friday
which led right into an overnight and morning snowfall of about 15 – 20 cm and
temperatures just below zero. For those who know classic races these are just
about the worst conditions you can hope for! Despite the soft conditions all
the team members raced very well. Sunday’s longer skate races took place under
perfect weather conditions. Read On for the full story… | < Prev | Next > |
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