Quite a bit has happened since my last blog!span style=”” /spanTo catch you up to date, I will continue where I left off… p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Monday, January 5/b- Temperatures warmed up to -3 F and we were able to race the 5k skate.span style=”” /spanWith built up excitement and energy from the previous two days of not racing, I bolted out that start gate.span style=”” /spanA 5k race is short and I pushed every part of the course.span style=”” /spanI ended up in 12supth/sup place, just 4 seconds from 10supth/sup!/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p b style=””Tuesday, January 6/b- Woke up to another day of subzero weather!span style=”” /spanThe race got delayed two times.span style=”” /spanI began my warm-up and soon found out that they canceled the race.span style=”” /spanAnother day gone!span style=”” /spanDue to the cold weather, I chose to run indoors on the treadmill.span style=”” /spanIt was a good little L3 workout and it felt good to run.br /br /p class=”MsoNormal”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_PdTRbCBI/AAAAAAAAAN8/MeILJ5Xykf0/s1600-h/IMG_0073%5B1%5D”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_PdTRbCBI/AAAAAAAAAN8/MeILJ5Xykf0/s400/IMG_0073%5B1%5D” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291676189480126482″ border=”0″ //a/pdiv style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-style: italic;”Kate Arduer and Laura Valaas waiting to hear if the race is on./spanbr //divdiv style=”text-align: center;” /divp class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/pb style=””Wednesday, January /bspan style=”font-weight: bold;”7-/spanb style=”” /bEven colder today…-18 F at my house this morning!span style=”” /spanRaces were canceled and this time I didn’t even have to go out to the race venue.span style=”” /spanI ran on an indoor track at the “Dome.”span style=”” /spanMy workout included a 1x5min L3 with 6×15 sec speeds.span style=”” /spanFeeling ready to go!br /br /p class=”MsoNormal”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_OQE35ohI/AAAAAAAAANk/tU3AJ28nl0U/s1600-h/IMG_0082%5B1%5D”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_OQE35ohI/AAAAAAAAANk/tU3AJ28nl0U/s400/IMG_0082%5B1%5D” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291674862765056530″ border=”0″ //a/pp style=”text-align: center;” class=”MsoNormal”span style=”font-style: italic;”The dome has 4 soccer fields and has the largest indoor track in North America./spanbr //p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Thursday, January 8- /bWoke up to a -12 F…knew there was a possibility of racing!span style=”” /spanWent out to Kincaid at st1:time minute=”30″ hour=”12″12:30pm/st1:time and heard the word that the race was on!span style=”” /spanI immediately was in race mode and began my warm-up.span style=”” /spanAlong with a temperature of -3 today, there was a wind chill which created a temperature of -25 F!!!span style=”” /spanBrrr, it was cold!span style=”” /spanI completed the qualifying found feeling like I had gone slow.span style=”” /spanWithout knowing where I ended up, I began my cool-down.span style=”” /spanWhen I returned to the stadium, my name was posted in 7supth/sup!span style=”” /spanI was very pleased and figured that if I felt slow and got 7supth/sup, then I could got fast in the rounds.span style=”” /spanI ended up 9supth/sup overall.span style=”” /spanI was pleased with my result…I wasn’t expecting that in a classic sprint of all races!span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”That evening the pre-olympic world cup team was announced.span style=”” /spanI was not sure if I made it, but was excited to hear my name announced!span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Friday, January 9- /bWoke up and didn’t have to mentally and physically prepare of a race!span style=”” /spanI enjoyed an easy distance ski on some of my favorite trails at Kincaid.span style=”” /spanFriday evening I helped out with an event called Fast and Female.span style=”” /spanThis event was for 9-19 year old girls and it included a ski session from elite female skiers, snacks, inspirational speeches, videos and autograph signing.span style=”” /spanIt was a huge success!span style=”” /spanThere were over 160 girl participants./pa onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_OoOmS-EI/AAAAAAAAANs/Dp_nUof2xIk/s1600-h/fast-female-0065.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_OoOmS-EI/AAAAAAAAANs/Dp_nUof2xIk/s400/fast-female-0065.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291675277692434498″ border=”0″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-style: italic;”All 160 Fast and Female participants and the 25 elite female skiers who volunteered./spanbr //divp class=”MsoNormal”br //pp class=”MsoNormal”span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_O9–q9jI/AAAAAAAAAN0/svv9DfSrYHQ/s1600-h/IMG_0094%5B1%5D”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/SW_O9–q9jI/AAAAAAAAAN0/svv9DfSrYHQ/s400/IMG_0094%5B1%5D” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291675651456824882″ border=”0″ //a/pp style=”text-align: center;” class=”MsoNormal”span style=”font-style: italic;”Posing for a picture with Jamie and Annie./spanb style=””br //b/pp class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Saturday, January 10- /bI raced in the 10k classic UAA invitational at Kincaid.span style=”” /spanI felt pretty sore and tired going into the race but thought I might be able to ski it off…that did not happen.span style=”” /spanI finished 10supth/sup despite feeling flat and tired.span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Sunday, January 11- /bTook today pretty easy.span style=”” /spanI still felt a little tired and sore from the races.span style=”” /spanResting up for next week!/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Monday, January 12-/b It finally warmed up to above zero!span style=”” /spanIt’s 13 F today!span style=”” /spanI went for an easy distance ski./p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Tuesday, January 13- /bLeft Anchorage and flew to Whistler.span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Wednesday, January 14- /bI was informed that I get to race the pursuit race as well as the classic sprint this weekend at the World Cups in Whistler.span style=”” /spanYay!span style=”” /spanI skied the pursuit course and included some speeds.span style=”” /spanI am feeling good and I’m very excited to be here!span style=”” /spanIt is sunny and 32 degrees!span style=”” /span/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”b style=””Thursday, January 15- /bTested skis at the venue…it is full on klister conditions.span style=”” /spanGetting ready to race tomorrow!/p p class=”MsoNormal”o:p /o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”Tomorrow I race in the classic sprint race.span style=”” /spanI am very excited to race in my first world cup and I am aiming for a top-30 tomorrow! o:p/o:p/pdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5903545846797966075-5380359009028953124?l=in-the-arena-nicole.blogspot.com’//div
