Well Lake Louise has come and gone. It was a completely different experience this year compared to last season. I did not show up wide-eyed and nervous. I knew what to expect and came in with a game plan. The whole time in Lake Louise I wanted to remain focused on what I needed to do to succeed rather than everything else going on.
Last year the race organizers had pumped the hill full of water and it felt like an ice skating rink. This year they didn’t add any water to the track. Our first day there when we were supposed to have the first downhill training run we woke up to lots of snow; nearly a foot by morning. Before even leaving the hotel we got word that the training run had been cancelled. I used the day off to rest from all of the travelling I had been doing leading up to my arrival in Lake Louise, I was glad to have a day off and relax.
It snowed through the day and into the night. When we woke up on the second day the snow was letting up and the sun was trying to poke its head through the clouds. With somewhere between 18 and 24 inches of snow falling, I was not very optimistic of our chance for getting a training run off. After a two-hour delay in the schedule we were told that training would happen. The snow was surely soft, but the race crew did a great job getting the downhill track in good shape.
I did not have huge expectations for the downhill training runs. As always, I used them for additional speed training. It was the first time I have put downhill skis on in nearly two months, since Chile. It was good to feel the snow out and get used to high speed.
The day before the super g race I enjoyed a nice quiet day that consisted of some rest, a little aerobic workout, and some ski prep. If I have spent some time on the race trail I prefer to take the day before a race off and relax.
The morning of the sg race I woke up to some nasty weather. It was not very cold, but it was windy and snowing. The falling snow was the type that pelts you in the face. When you ski in it you feel like you were standing in front of a sandblaster. We were informed right away that they might move the race start down lower on the mountain to avoid some of the gusty wind. During inspection many people were very pessimistic about the likelihood of the race happening. It is difficult, but you have to prepare yourself as if the race will happen until it is actually cancelled.
In the end everything went off as scheduled. The start was lowered to get out of the worst of the wind, but the wind was still a factor in the first few gates. The snow was very soft from the warm temperatures and all of the freshly fallen snow over the week, so it was going to get bumpy. After seeing the soft snow and turny nature of the course I made a last minute decision and swapped out my race skis for an older softer pair that works great in those conditions.
When I got to the start for my run the wind was very gusty and it was constantly changing from one racer to the next. As I got into the starting gate they had what started out as a four minute TV break that turned into about 10 minutes for course repair. I was glad that they smoothed everything out and was ready to go, focused on my skiing and only that. About 20 seconds into my run I was flagged. In speed races they have flag zones where if someone is waving a yellow flag you are supposed to stop. It is for safety, if a racer has crashed or there is a problem it is possible to stop before getting into trouble.
I found out that right below where I stopped a course worker had fallen and was in the course. I was frustrated that after a long hold something like this had happened, but I did get a free snowmobile ride out of it. With the soft snow I wanted to get right back on the course as soon as possible. Three racers later I was back in the starting gate.
I was able to use running part of the course to my advantage and skied to top 20 seconds much more aggressively than I did the first time around. My run was not clean by any means, but it was aggressive and I executed what I had planned on. On a couple occasions I got bounced and rattled around. One time in particular on the flats that caused me to scrub speed. I crossed the finish line in 29th place. After 50 racers it was a solid showing. I just hoped that it would hold up for a top 30 finish.
Standing in the finish I waited. I was faster than the racers following me and thought that I might hang on. Then something changed. The wind at the start died down and the visibility continued to improve. Racers at end were coming down very fast, some even finishing in the top 15. By the end, I had been bumped back to 36th. It was a very close race; I was only three-tenths of a second behind 30th place and one second behind 9th place.
I had wanted to finish in the top 30 and that result would have earned me a start this week in Beaver Creek, but I cannot beat myself up over what I cannot control. I had stuck to my game plan and executed it so I am happy. Being able to show up at the next level and focus only on what I need to is a huge jump forward for me. Although I do not get to race in Beaver Creek the doors to another start for me are not closed. I am in Canmore, Alberta now; training for the upcoming NorAms races where with a win or two I can get another crack at the World Cup.