When we first skied on the Callaghan trails the officials were already out and skiers from other countries were already milling around the trails and wax trailers. Usually, at this point on the World Cup I start getting nervous. I start worrying about how fast I am or how fast I'm not. I get super intimidated by all the other athletes who seem to know exactly what they're doing and have important training and ski testing sessions to accomplish.

I was surprised to notice halfway through my ski that I didn't have any of my usual inclination to hide on the remotest trails of Callaghan's extensive trail system. Other athletes were out training, wax techs were out testing, people in "Whistler Olympic Park" jackets were out stringing out wires to power the video cameras and zooming around on snowmobiles. I finally feel comfortable with all of the hub-bub of World Cup races. I haven't stopped being excited about World Cup races, I've just stopped being intimidated by them.

Labels: 2010 Venue