Bronze wraps up the week!

BC finished the week strong with a gold medal in the women's relay and a bronze for the men's side! Alberta had a favored team, winning by a comfortable 15 seconds( in the 4X 5km) and I was in a sprint finish for 2nd with Quebec in the anchor leg. I skied the last leg with Etienne Richard and passed the line a second behind him. It was a nice way to finish the week on the podium with team mates Matt Wylie, Joey Burton and Geoffrey Richards. I was upset to lose a position in the final meters but was happy to start my leg with less pressure knowing I was on the podium. It keeps me hungry and every mistake has a lesson! 

Results below!

http://cg2011.gems.pro/Result/Event_TI_R_S.aspx?Event_GUID=4b4390cc-2e34-4f33-ad91-1e04d95ea39f&SetLanguage=en-CA&SetLanguage=en-CA

VM Men's 30 Km Pursuit Holmenkollen 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywWegiPbd8E&feature=player_embedded#at=76

Petter Northug's Finish!

Sprint Results

http://cg2011.gems.pro/Result/Event_TI_I_S.aspx?Event_GUID=9cfbedb1-59a5-44b1-ba7f-70300280a57f&SetLanguage=en-CA&SetLanguage=en-CA

Canada Winter Games

Results from the 10km Mens Skate race: http://cg2011.gems.pro/Result/Event_TI_I_O.aspx?Event_GUID=81c4885f-68a4-4d82-8594-a11787c2b6cd&SetLanguage=en-CA&SetLanguage=en-CA

Kick it like the Schleck brothers

Watch this before going riding this spring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw2ef1DD5C8&feature=related

Lake Placid North American Cup #6/ European Championship Trials

Qualifying for the European Championships (Ridnaun, Italy) has been my goal all year! The team selection was this weekend in Lake Placid, New York and was based on two races (sprint/pursuit). I relied completely on my skiing to carry me through some "rough" shooting and finish 3rd qualified, behind National Team members Marc-andre Bedard and Tyson Smith. The tour includes:
1. European Championships U26, Ridnaun, ITA., Feb.21-27
2. Alpen Cup, ITA, March 4-6
3. IBU Cup #8, Annecy, FRA, March 10-13

It would be my first senior tour with the Canadian Team and would be an amazing opportunity to perform at an international level. It would be the highest level I have competed at and would give me a good indication of the level I am aiming to reach. I'm skiing well and if I had my best races on the tour, I could be eligible for national team carding ($$$)! Everything seems perfect right? Unfortunately, the tour came with a $5500 team fees. This was a deciding factor in my heart breaking decision that I couldn't afford to attend. I hope to never use money as an excuse again, especially if it means turning down an international opportunity to perform! The costs of daily living, eating, training, and equipment are all an athletes responsibility. I receive less than a thousand dollars a year from my National sport organization which is even more than most athletes. I think its unrealistic for a 21-year-old full-time athlete to write a five thousand dollar check and not be worried about finances! This decision has increased my bitter-ness towards how sport is so insignificant in Canada and how expensive it is to reach your goals!

For the rest of the season I have Halifax 2011 Canada Winter Games, Cross Country Nationals (Canmore), Biathlon Nationals (Charlo, NB) and Biathlon North American Championships (Callaghan Valley, BC) in my schedule. I am excited to ski as fast as I can and leave all the money problems behind!

Check out the results from this weekend and leave a comment if you have an opinion!!

Overall Trial Results: http://nybiathlon.org/blog/?p=781
Pursuit Results: http://nybiathlon.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/noram6-pursuit1.pdf

Top 10 Results from Lake Placid IBU Cup Trials

Senior Men
Name/PS/Finish Time
1. Nathan Smith (0,0) 0:28:45
2. Marc-andre Bedard (0,1) 0:28:55
3. Russell Currier (1, 2) 0:30:12
4. Wynn Roberts (0, 2) 0:30:23
5. Tyson Smith (0, 0) 0:30:31
6. Zachary Hall (1, 1) 0:30:31
7. Matt Neumann (1, 2) 0:30:42
8. Beau Thompson (1, 2) 0:31:52
9. Joel Pacas (1, 2) 0:31:53
10. Patrick Cote (0, 3) 0:32:48

Calforex/Noram #3 Canmore

My first official biathlon race of the season! January 8th and 9th. I had a 3rd place finish in Saturday's 10km Mens Sprint and a 2nd place finish in Sunday's 12.5km Mens Pursuit. I had satisfactory races with medium shooting (77%) and medium skiing. I felt I gave a huge effort in my skiing but just wasn't going as fast as I can. It was enough to make some prize money and keep me hungry for the next Biathlon race IBU Cup Trials/Noram #5 in Lake Placid, New York (January 29th/30th).

Sprint Results: http://www.biathloncanada.ca/dbfiles/1361.pdf
Pursuit Results: http://www.biathloncanada.ca/dbfiles/1363.pdf
Photo credit to Sylvain Beaudry

A New Beginning

I’ve been cut down and grown more in the last four months than the last 20 years of my life. I wouldn’t be able to create what has happened since I moved to Canmore, but the New Year has started and so have more growing and more goals. Since the day I first shot a gun 11 years ago, I’ve had to work to move ahead. I’ve endlessly prayed that money or speed or skills would fall into my lap, but I’ve grown to realize, if you want it, YOU have to earn it, and it feels so much better than been given to you. I am chasing my dreams and personal goals, but I also rely on a supporting structure of my parents, friends, supporters and sponsors. I had a good start to the season but I’m using the New Year as a platform to start over. For 2011 I’m trying a new mindset of no excuses. No matter what surrounds me, I’m in charge of my emotions, decisions, reactions and training. There are things you can’t control and it took me 21 years to realize (start to realize) that you actually can’t control them. For 2011 I’m concerning myself with my training, my goals, my health and my happiness.

I’m pursuing the New Year with few result oriented goals, but a sharp image of where I want to go. I have IBU Cup Trials in Lake Placid, Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Canadian National Biathlon Championships in New Brunswick and Canadian Nation Cross country Championships here in Canmore just to name a few. I am focusing on technical aspects of my skiing and shooting as well as some shooting percentage goals. I am confident the results will follow. My big goal (the reason I continue to put up with minimal income, freezing hands, sore muscles, burning lungs and horrible weather) is still the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi Russia.


Cheers and Happy New Year!

New Boots for the New Year!

2010 ESK Elite Carbon Skate and the ECL Elite Carbon Classic

Ive been skiing on Alpina for three years and 2010/2011 will be my first year sponsored! A big thank you for their support and I look forward to trying out the new boots! check them out at www.alpinasports.com!

Haywood NorAm Mini Tour Results

The end of 2010 finished for me with the Haywood NorAm Mini Tour in Rossland, BC. I am U23 and the results from Friday and Sunday were also Canada Winter Games trials for me. I knew my ability coming into this season and I knew I wasn't in contention for the podium. I was capable of a top 30 overall result but in the back of my mind I was really hoping to test my limits this weekend and have at least one all-out race. The tour opened with a 1.6km Sprint Qualification (Skate) on Friday with the top 30 finishers qualifying for heats and time bonuses. 1st place received a 60 second bonus in the overall tour with 30th earining 2. I had 49th qualifying time which was a disappointment but also gave me the afternoon to re-focus for the next two days. Saturday was my best chance for a good result and maybe make up some time in the overall tour with one of my favorite: a 10km skate. The snow was hard packed and the skiing was really quick for everyone. I finished in 22:55.7 (27th) which, combined with the sprint time, put me in 28th overall. Sunday's 15km classic was a pursuit start and I was starting 2:04 behind the leader. It hurt during the race and it hurts to write it almost a week later but the race wound out where I was on the final lap skiing with 30th and 31st. The feeling of getting dropped, gradually on a long rolling climb is the worst feeling in racing. Ive felt it in cycling, Ive felt it in running, and Ive felt it in skiing! It makes your heart hurt and leaves you so hungry for a re-match... I ended up after the weekend in 32nd. I qualified for Canada Games for Team BC but the last lap on Sunday will stay with me for the rest of the season.

Ill be back in Canmore on the 27th preparing for NorAm #3 (Biathlon) and the second IBU Cup Trials in Lake Placid all in January. I'm taking a brief break before Christmas to clear my mind and come back for the new year fresh and motivated!

Results after Day 2: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?id=3266&cmd=viewcat&catid=2

Overall Tour results: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=3279&cat=556

Thanks for following!

Photo credit to Jesse Winter (http://www.jessewinterphotography.com)

Powder, powder, powder

100% real snow! I love Silver Star and this time was no exception. This weekend was my first time skiing on REAL snow this year. Soft snow meant an instant change to a delicate, technique-focused type of skiing which favored patience (and small skiers). I didn't mind at all, but it was an extreme contrast to Canmore's rock hard, always fast, perfectly groomed Olympic trails which I started the season on. 

Saturday was  the Haywood NorAm Teck Sprints (Classic technique). It was my first classic sprint ever and easily the fastest Ive ever went on classic skis. I had a qualifying time of 3:57.342 which put me 10 seconds behind qualifying for the heats (top 30) and 25 seconds behind the leader Drew Goldsack. Sooo lots of room for improvement. I was 53rd out of 76 open men starters. I had no expectations coming in and now I have a level to work from. 

Sunday was the Haywood Noram Interval Start (15km skate). It snowed at least 15cm on Sunday morning so the course was as soft as possible. I had an early start position which was a physical advantage because I had a fresh course. By the second lap that advantage was completely gone. The obvious disadvantage to starting first is skiing on your own with no information on the other 85 starters. I improved to 27th (3:08.57 behind the leader- Lars Flora).

It was a super fun week of racing and been in the mountains, and I have three more chances this weekend to hurt myself a little harder. I am in Rossland for the second Haywood Noram starting friday...my only goal to push my limit a little bit farther. Cheers and check out the results below!

photo credit to Jesse Winter (http://www.jessewinterphotography.com/)

Saturday qualifiers: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=3235&cat=1572

Skate distance: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=3237&cat=1492

Alberta Cup Kickstart

The 2010/2011 season has officially begun! The weekend included a skate sprint (1km) on Saturday and a 9km classic race this morning. The skate sprints were short and sweet and I was eliminated first heat/quarterfinals. I had 22nd qualifying time and ended up 19th overall. It wasn't an ideal course for me,  but it was fun and fast. Saturday's total racing time: 4 minutes.

Sunday treated me a little better. I think I surprised everyone, including myself, considering it was my first classic race since a 5km BC Cup race in 2006. It was an easy course to ski, but a hard course to race. With perfect -12 (approx) temperatures and hard-as-rock snow everyone was going fast so for me it came down to bringing my speed with me in transitions and been really precise and focused for all three laps. The results were all really tight which meant every stride mattered. It was a great day and I gave it all I could have expected. I finished 13th in the open men, 1:27 behind the winner.

Here are the results:
Saturday: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=3203&cat=497
Sunday: http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=3205&cat=2920

I'm starting to get excited about the next two weekends where Ill be racing in Vernon followed by Rossland. I have a shot at qualifying for the BC Canada Winter Games Team in Rossland and Silverstar is one of my favorite places in the world! Lots of excitement in the next bit and I look forward to keeping you updated!