2009 September

pAfter overcoming financial and geographical difficultly to get to New Zealand, it did not disappoint. Sitting here in Canmore, back after a three-week foray, I am very pleased with what I accomplished. This was my first time to New Zealand and I was treated to very scenic, switch backing trails at the Snow Farm, near Wanaka. The camp was all encompassing, including two races, intensity, distance and strength training.  I was able to get in great quality skiing in a variety of snow and weather conditions and left with some energy to spare./p pBeing back in Canmore has been vegetative due in part to the jetlag and mild sickness I picked up on the plane ride home. This past week has felt like a haze, with the only injunction from the cloudiness being coffee. Every afternoon the espresso machine hisses like a geyser. I am already nearly blind from the morning caffeine, but it is hard to say no./p pThe only hiccup in the mind-numbingly relaxed week in Canmore was my Macroeconomics final. Even though I was studying all week, I could tell not much was getting in; on exam day my hunch was validated. Wow. My mental capacity reached an all time low, when under Name, I wrote: name./p pHopefully the brain fog is over now.  I am excited to hit the road on Monday back to Quebec for the fall training block. I will be making my annual pilgrimage to Ramsau, Austria for two more weeks of skiing on September 23./p