Alaskan Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) flashes her trademark wide smile and notes, “It's in my blood” as she explains how an aunt (Betsy Haines) was a 1980 Olympic cross country skier, and an uncle was an Olympian, too (John Haines, '76). Randall, 23 and a two-time Olympian – and a junior at Alaska Pacific University (with a business major), comes into the 2007 season with confidence from last winter when she produced the best U.S. women's Olympic cross country result in history, i.e., ninth in the sprint; a week after the Games of Torino ended, she came up with the alltime best U.S. women's World Cup performance, finishing fifth in a night sprint in Borlange, Sweden. In her first season on the U.S. Ski Team, Randall is looking to carry the momentum into the winter, do well on the World Cup and do well at the World Championships. She assessed things with USSA Senior Correspondent Paul Robbins on the eve of the World Cup season, which opens Saturday and Sunday on the banks of the Rhine in Dusseldorf, Germany.
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<p>USSA: This is your first preseason with the Ski Team. How's it gone?</p>
<p>KR: It's been a little bit tricky because I find I do really well when I stay home and have a consistent training environment. But I trained with the team in May and June in Park City, and I went back for one more round of testing before they [went] to Europe for the opening races…I'll join them next month when the schedule resumes.</p>
<p>But, it's been fun. I've enjoyed working with everybody and the new staff. I think I've had a good balance of training with the Ski Team and training with my club [Alaska Pacific University Nordic]. We had a great camp up on the Eagle Glacier while the team was in New Zealand; the weather wasn't perfect, but the skiing was good, and it was good to get back on skis.</p>
<p>USSA: Are you ready for a winter that's going to be spent mostly in Europe and then in Japan for the World Championships ([Feb. 22-March 4]?</p>
<p>KR: I'm psyched. I can't wait for it to start. I decided not to do Dusseldorf, but the others [Andy Newell – Shaftsbury, VT; Torin Koos – Leavenworth, WA; and Chris Cook, Rhinelander, WI] will race in Dusseldorf, then stay, then go to Ramsau [Austria] for some training before our camp in Sweden. …It's definitely be a new experience for me because I haven't raced overseas before Christmas.</p>
<p>USSA: On your Web site (www.kikkan.com), you referred to Beckie Scott (Canadian Olympic champion and wife of U.S. coach and three-time Olympian Justin Wadsworth) talking about what it takes to be a North American racer. That indicates the obvious distinction between here and what the Europeans face. How subtle is it?</p>
<p>KR: It's huge, and it played a lot into my decision not to go to Dusseldorf. The Europeans go out, get on a plane or a car, race, go home – all in a week. For me, Dusseldorf would have meant another four weeks in Europe. That's a huge difference, having to monitor my training to make sure it's just right. It's hard not having a home base on the road because you have to have the confidence you belong over there. You have to know that just because you prepared differently doesn't mean you'll be any less successful.</p>
<p>USSA: You need to have confidence in yourself and in the fact you've trained properly so you're ready for anything?</p>
<p>KR: You need that confidence. …It's no secret if you have confidence, you can race better, too. I think the key to the North American thing is having a good season of preparation. Then you know you've done you homework and, yeah, you're ready for the test.</p>
<p>USSA: You had an outrageous winter a year ago – three gold medals at nationals, then the best results from an American woman in Olympic cross country racing and then in the World Cup. How do you explain that?</p>
<p>KR: I hit a new level of fitness last year and then came through with some good results. I gained a huge amount of confidence. Having that solid base of fitness was great.</p>
<p>USSA: True, but your next race will be eight months after your last one. About 250 days. How do you lug that confidence from early April into December?</p>
<p>KR: You have to be patient, and you have to understand the need for patience. I'm gonna go into it and give it the best I can. If the results don't come, I won't be troubled and I'll go out and give it my best again. This is a new experience for me, racing in Europe in December…</p>
<p>I think it's good to go over initially and get your butt kicked, get your fire stirred up a little, then go back when you're ready. I wasn't at that level after the 2002 Olympics. Now, I'm ready. After 2002 I wanted nothing more than to be right in there. It was tough for a coupla years to know I'll have my time, I have to put in my work, race Europa Cups and get some confidence there, and build up to the level where I felt I belong. It's worthwhile to be patient and then be ready to go when you get that oportunity. It takes 10 years to make that happen….10 years – that's patience.</p>
<p>USSA: At nationals at Soldier Hollow last season, Liz Stephen (Montpelier, VT), now one of your teammates, said she and Morgan Arritola would be looking to you to provide some leadership for these next women coming along. You still ready to give them that leadership?</p>
<p>KR: I am. I am. And I'll be ready when they're training harder and doing well. I'll be excited to see them hit their markers and then join me on the World Cup. I'll be super excited to when they make it to the World Cup level so we can race as a team. But I have to remind them to be patient, too. They didn't make the Olympic Team, but they've got the fire…</p>
<p>We didn't get much of a chance to discuss things during the camps I went to, but sometimes that's just getting used to your teammates and getting comfortable. I think they're watching what's going on and sorting out some of their own things. But I'm an open book. They can always ask…and I hope they will.</p>
<p>USSA: The World Championships are in Sapporo, which hosted the 1972 Olympics. Have you ever been to that side of the Pacific?</p>
<p>KR: No, and you know I was wondering whether I should go to Europe and race after nationals or should I go home, rest, train and just fly over from Alaska because that would be a quicker trip than going from Europe. And I'd be more rested. I think I'll make that decision after we see how the first World Cups go before Christmas.</p>
<p>USSA: Getting back to your thoughts on patience, is that how you seem to have such a relentlessly positive outlook, always seem to have that sunshine smile and keep motoring forward?</p>
<p>KR: I think it's an easier way to get thought things. You should know you'll inevitably have down times, so don't swell on it. You can't let life get you down. It's a mixtures of influences – my dad's motto is ‘A Randall never gives up.' That's pretty positive, kind of ‘Okay, this was tough but what do we learn from it and let's move forward, let's move on.'</p>
<p>I've never had anyone who's been hard on me. I think I put the most pressure on myself. You know, I think it's easier to move past the hard times if you celebrate the good times. Last year was a really good time.</p>
<p>Source: USSA</p>
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