I get excited about strange things sometimes. You would think I'd be really excited about the races this weekend, and I am, but races happen every weekend so it's not a novel excitement. Now I am excited about my new shoes. I decided I needed some black closed-toe shoes that were cheap, small to pack & light enough to carry around the world. So I went down to the dance store in Madison yesterday and bought black ballet slipper! I think it is brilliant, and while I may not start a fad of wearing dance shoes as street shoes, at least I have some unusual and rockin' footwear.

the other trend I'd like to claim (if anyone else ever decides to do this too) is classic racing in skiathlon boots. I've been doing it for two years now, but no one else seems to think it is as brilliant as I do. Anyway, on to actual skiing.

We had a race fatality on the CXC Team this morning. The course here is almost flat with one abrupt up-flat-down where they built a bridge that we have to ski over. Since almost everything is doublepole except this bridge which is too steep to stride so you have to herringbone it, most people raced on skate skis today. The hazard is, as you can imagine, switching from a fast double pole into a running herringbone without letting your skis glide. It's tricky. Kuzzy didn't quite manage it and got disqualified this morning. Sucks, but that's racing. The other three of us are moving on to the heats this afternoon: Cook (4), Valaas (1), Compton (5). I'm expecting the course to have turned into a huge sugar sink by then and make things a little messier than this morning.