We didn't race today until 13:25 and when I heard that I was sure that we were in for another slush-fest for the team sprint. More so because they were running team sprints all day starting at 9AM. Yikes. Happily, it was slightly colder today and the course held up fantastically so we had much firmer tracks than I had dared to hope for. When I tested my race skis I sent them back to Gibbs to take off some of the klister. Then to the start. Since this was a low-key race for the week with people racing for their club teams they weren't allowing coaches and wax techs in the start area to do touch-ups on skis between our laps. Not gonna lie, that made me a little uncomfortable (especially when it started snowing before the final and we couldn't ski the course to test out our skis beforehand). I've gotten spoiled. It makes sense though and is a good way to level the playing field for all the teams who don't have someone to fix their skis for them. And it makes the stadium way less hectic. Actually, it wasn't until I actually got out to the start lane that I realized just how spoiled I'd actually become-- I had to pry the snow out of my own boots!? How arduous! Usually I pick my foot up behind me and Bertrand or Grover knocks out the snow with a screw driver. It does make me feel like a horse except that I don't need my fetlock squeezed to get me to pick up my foot, I'll do it on my own volition. I do think that I hoof pick would do the job way better than a screw driver. The point of this story is that I got the snow out of my boots and clipped in but I think I made our starter a little nervous since I was strapping on my poles well after the 30second warning when we were supposed to be still and ready to start.

Anyway. We started and Kikkan and I quickly pulled away from the rest of the field to win our semi. Same in the final. Neither of us fell over, our skis were fast and the kick was great, our hand-offs got better each time, and I only stabbed Kikkan in the foot with my pole once. Finally, we pulled it together for a team sprint!

There was one faux-pas on my part today. Every lap I'd been taking the third (from the left) track up the first steep hill so I could stride it since they wiped out the two inside lanes. By the final that track had gotten a little sugary and cut out and I skied up it my first two laps anyway but for the third lap I decided to stay to the inside and forgo the track. Awful idea. I completely lost my rhythm and momentum, had to switch to herring bone and ended up slipping for several strides once I got back in the track. It was not pretty. Worse, it wasn't fast.

My dad asked, bluntly, if we were a "spoiler" or if we were exciting. I hope we weren't spoiling the race. It doesn't cross my mind NOT to race when there's the opportunity-- when I registered I just checked every race offered (although there's a good chance I won't start the 30k on Sunday) without even really looking at what the schedule was. I came to Callaghan Valley to race and I think that every race, especially on the future Olympic courses, is valuable. What do you think? Is there a point when you shouldn't race if you think your probability of winning is too high? Should you consider the impact your racing might have on others or only its effect on yourself? Canada- does it spoil your Nationals to have foreigners competing?