Zoe

The not really final countdown

So I wish I could say something like "I gave my all in the last interval session of the year" but it might not be my last. While Middlebury wraps up the college season, if a race comes up in the next few weeks before spring break I might do it. I am going to start running for track next week, but will probably keep skiing a bit to break up the boring winter running.

Yesterday went well though, which of all things was frustrating. 4 by 2 minute classic intervals. Felt great. But I was sick. I don't know I wasn't even going to do the workout because of my sore throat and cough but jumped into the first one and felt good. Stuck with it and now I am feeling much better so I just don't know anymore.

The senior countdown is weird though. Everyone else has the number of days and everything in their head. I didn't even know what month it was when I was filling out paperwork today, let alone what day it was. So as much as these little mile markers are supposed to mean something in my senior season (ski-son) I could care less. As much as the last four years have meant to me, in the long run four years doesn't mean much. I gave it my best, but thats not the end of me, no way.

That hurt

So after another "well I feeling better on the second lap" weekend we were driving home today and I had a few too many cups of coffee and had to go potty. One of the times we stopped was as close to peeing my pants I have come in a while. When Ethan finally pulled over I ran out and relieved myself on a snowbank. As I am standing there looking at the woods, Pepper comes around the corner of the van and chucks a snowball at me (and my little buddy) and I almost pass out.

Well I thought it was a funny story.

And I can't classic sprint very well.

It's pretty crazy that next weekend is my last college races ever. I'm gonna miss it. Today as cold as it was, I got to hangout with my best friends and eat some great food (Thanks to Knut's parents for dinner last night too!). The last Four years have been pretty awesome, and while the last two have been tough, there isn't too much I would have changed, well except making a quick pit stop at the bathroom at Trapps before I warmed up that one time... Anyway, it's been fun. One more week of ski training to go, gonna make the most of it.

Slu Bandits

It was a little bit colder than normal yesterday for the teams intervals and everyone seems to wear bandannas now to cover up their mouths to keep the lungs warm, we looked like a bunch of outlaws. What I don't get is that we (as a team) have been skiing really well all fall and winter and nothing good seems to come of it. I very well know that their are ups and downs in ski racing and that you can do everything perfect and it might now work. But it gets to a point. This weekend was tough for sluski. Our top finisher was 44th on Friday. yikes. Saturday was a little better but I know that Knowles can and has skied way higher than that. As for me it was the same sorta flat feeling in both races. No blowup or equipment malfunction, just blah.

Williams is this weekend.... last year I crashed 5 times in the skate race and in one of them I crashed into a hillside. I also crashed in the sprint. haha I am actually laughing right now because I want to say "well I hope to do better" but it can't get much worse than crashing in front of a bunch of hot girls.

Which brings me to my next point. Thank you hot girls for cheering for me on Saturday. Yes I know, I used to do this ski racing thing a lot better, but you're still there, cheering. And I keep saying the same thing, damn that girl is hot.

Too bad you hot girls broke my heart and didn't give me a flippin' Carni Crush. I watched in disbelief as Pepper the rat boy got one of the hottest/dirtiest/disturbing poems I have ever heard. For those of you who don't know, Carni Crush is every year at Dartmouth when you choose an unsuspecting person to be your crush and try to say the most inappropriate things possible in front of their parents. Anyway I didn't get any so I was bitter all day long.

The only exciting thing that has been going on in my life is that the Westminster dog show has been on for the last two nights and I have been glued to the TV yelling "Thats the dog! Thats the dog!" as I make my plans to be an independent man child next year.




This was the teams favorite last night. Its a NEOPOLITAN MASTIFF Matty couldn't stop laughing when he saw it.







My favorite was the Pharaoh Hound. Since I am broke and I have nowhere to live I should probably get a dog.


SO my life has been centered around riding in a van playing solitaire on my Ipod and watching dog shows... wow.

Everyday I'm Hustlin'

Last couple of weeks have been pretty good. The rest week has been a good addition to the EISA schedule. Got a good training week in and raced the Higley Hustle on Sunday... What's the Higley Hustle you ask? oh you know, only the BEST race of all time. It was at the place that we train at and the whole team did the race. It was pretty much a SLU Clarkson TT. And we DOMINATED. hahaha we were doing tele turns down the first few hill talking the whole time. The woods were a bit thin so we skied the pine needles on on rock skis. A few of the Clarkson guys tired to take down sluski, but it didn't work. I think we swept the top 7 or something. Pepper and I put the hammer down on the last few kilos for one of the slowest finishes of all time.

Last week we did some speed work and I started feeling a bit more snappy. The races at Trapps were sweet! Staying on sight was probably the most pimp thing ever. Out the front door after gourmet breakfast made things pretty awesome. The mass start was tough for me, I don't get off the line very well. One the EISA website you can see the video of about a k in... I was tenth to last. Worked my way back up though even after some idiots skied nearly killed me in some really bad pass attempts. Anyway I felt better than I have all year, I am hoping that with 10k more of racing I can move up even more.

And the skate sprint was... um well it was a sprint. I can't blame the wind, or the soft snow, everyone else had that. I just need to work on the sprinting. Beano and I were in the same consolation round, it was pretty epic. haha he ended up winning our duel.

Sunday's OD was solid. Had a good ski, solid snow and everyone was having fun before Super Sunday, Super Funday. The Pats lost and all my Giants friends in the room rubbed it in but it was a good weekend.

Looks like we aren't racing at Oak Hill for the 4th year in a row so I am not sure where we are going to be this weekend but I am feeling good.

I look good doing it

So I held off from writing about the weekend because it was another set of let downs.

I totally blew in the 10k skate to my worse carnival finish ever(which used to be a stronger event for me) worked into an ok pace in the 20k classic and thought I was doing a lot better than I ended up. Again good skis. Again feeling good warming up and in training. I dunno.

Stuck around Placid for Saturday night with a really messed up back (from classic race) to watch World Cup Aerials, which were actually really sweet. Got to hangout with the alpiners and the lady friend. Woke up Sunday morning in horrible pain with my shooting pains in my back. Laid around on the heat pad on Sunday and watched some football. Took Monday off as well. Tuesday I can honestly say that the whole team skied as easily and as smart as we have all year. A lot of the guys are having the same problem finding race form. We have all took a step back to look at our training (which has been great) and see how we were going to make it work.

For the first time this season I really felt like crap training and was wondering what the hell I am doing. I am hitting the wall. I have worked through the tough times with no problem through my roller coaster "career" but the low blows have really taken their toll. I woke up super achy this morning and exhausted. Today I was supposed to do intervals up opted for an easy ski instead hoping that I can turn the corner for intervals on Friday. I shuffled around today stopping every few minutes to be pissed, but it was too nice out at the Higley flow. Cold, clear, new snow over pine needles and dirt. hahah but seriously it was nice out there.

To get my chi or che or whatever its called, in line we re arranged the room tonight. I am proud to say that I have come out of the closet! (why does that sound funny?) haha I made the closet my office with a desk and everything!

So yeah the only good thing so far this race season has been the sweet pictures (except of the guy with ears on his hat passing me, and the one of me slipping on classic skis). Every time I have races poorly I have done something stupid. I painted my toenails (thanks Sophie...), pierced my ear, grew a moustache, all in the hope to force myself into race form, rather than look as good as a model. Now I look like a metrosexual pirate.

Also I have no clue what I am going to do with my life next year... yikes. One more semester, four more carnivals, 8 races (one of them being a sprint) and my best hope of a good results at the Dartmouth 20k has been switched to a mass start classic race. Bummer. Well that's enough bitching for now. Happier things to come I hope.

Wheels keep rolling

Canton to Calais, to Burke, to Manchester, to Calais, to Stowe, to Canton, to Michigan, to Canton, to Rumford, to Canton... All in the last month. lots of bad weather, fast food, bad drivers (Kalie Dunn), bad results. I'm not sick of it yet.

Another off day again Yesterday. Good skis and kick though. Feeling a lot better though, glimmers of hope. The team is struggling with me though.

Back at school now, only sports teams are here. We had an awesome day of training in Rumford with blue skis and firm snow. Pepper was throwing 360s over everything and we straightlined some sweet backcountry lines. I love skiing at Rumford. Anyway training here this week before our carnival. Rest day tomorrow. Trying to makes the pieces fit.

bad yet again

Well not really just me this time either. Most of the team tanked today and we were cleanly beaten. This is coming off easily the best Fall of training that we have had since I have been here. It doesn't add up. I am struggling to find daylight after the last few weeks. There are no excuses. I have had good skis, I am healthy again, tons of rest, tons of sleep... I don't know whats going on. I feel flat, my tempo is slow. blah. Training I feel great, snappy, peppy, full of energy. I guess its just not clicking in races. This is the worse string of results I have had since I have been in college by far. My first weekend of racing in college started here at Black Mountain. I was 10th. Today I was 35th.

Freshman year I would have been throwing wax benches and pouting. This year it doesn't even phase me. I have gained control reaction but lack whatever it was that made me ski like a mad man before.

It's frustrating. I don't know there have been tons of funny things I wish I could write about, epic adventures on the road. I don't know maybe I will do it tomorrow.

blah

so this is a quick one while I have internet. We are back in Canton for a night after a horrible drive through Canadian fog and rain. The races were pretty bad. I dunno I wasn't snappy didn't feel very good, just not good. Not much else to say. I was going to do the team sprint but the kid from western state that I was supposed to race with left early so I just trained. Had some ok intervals today in soft snow on the drive back. Headed to Rumford tomorrow. A bigger update soon.

Well I dunno

So as we were driving back to the hotel this afternoon I realized that I have done worse at Nationals every year since my freshman year... Not that I have gotten that much slower, just not as fast. or something. I dunno. 116th today in a hilly 10k skate, which used to be my bread and butter. I have no excuses, I just felt really flat and awkward.

Christmas break was really fun, didn't get in the greatest training but rested up well. Did a lot of bird hunting. Didn't get any birds. Got in a few good skis with Isaac at the end of break then met up with Kalie for the drive to SLU where we stayed at Ethan's. Got up early and started the drive to Michigan, made pretty good time even though it was a bit boring.

Felt good yesterday when I was training so I don't know what is up, it was my first race of the year so maybe I just need to race more. I don't know.

Anyway Sac raced pretty well a bit ahead of me. Vargo wasn't too happy with his race even though I Ethan said he was skiing well, it's clear he is in damn good shape so SLUski is looking forward to throwing down hopefully in the coming days. Kalie raced well on the girls side and Robin is a bit sick so she didn't race. Anyway that about it, I am exhausted and hungry, I will write something witty once I pull it together.