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a href=http://www.beccarorabaugh.com/Becca_Rorabaugh/Blog/Entries/2011/2/1_Otep%C3%A4%C3%A4_wrap_up_files/DSC00960.jpgimg src=http://www.beccarorabaugh.com/Becca_Rorabaugh/Blog/Media/object001_4.jpg style=float:left; padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:10px; width:216px; height:123px;//a[5k from the Waide Hotel, Estonia] Well, we’re on the road again. Today we are driving from Estonia to Latvia, and so far the only thing that I know about Latvia is that it has a reputation for being a car-jacking mecca. With such a fabulous reputation, I can’t wait to go and check it out myself! The wax team did a midnight drive into Latvia and reported that it was like Estonia, only a little sketchier and poorer. br/br/[2k past the border crossing into Latvia] Okay, now we just crossed the border. The only things that I have noted in the five minutes that we have been here is that the roads are a little rougher, and there was some kind of industrial plant about 1k past the border crossing. Some of the buildings looked a little more run down, but the terrain and weather is identical to Estonia. There are small rolling hills, and the weather is grey and snowy.br/br/Here are a few notes about my second two races at u23s:br/ - The classic sprint was vaguely embarrassing because I didn’t qualify in a forty person field, but I felt great so it gave me hope for my body coming around in other races. I know that a 400m double pole race is not currently my forté, but it’s still disappointing. br/ - Contrary to what the results may imply, I thought I had a good pursuit. I fell twice, went the wrong way in the exchange, and had trouble finding my kick in the classic leg, but I had a great skate leg and I think that I had my toughest mental race of the year. I felt strong climbing in a skate race, and had solid movements the whole way. That really gives me hope that things are finally coming around, but I guess we will find out tomorrow!br/br/[In the hotel in Madona, Latvia] Now we are in the hotel here and it’s gorgeous! It’s very scandinavian in decoration and has some amazing wooden staircases. The rooms are light with a lot of wood and the whole place just feels airy, spacious, and very nice. This is not what I was expecting in Latvia, and I wish we were here for more than a couple days! Tomorrow we have a skate sprint, and the next day we have a 10k skate race. The following day, Friday the 4th, we will drive back up to Estonia and settle into a place in Jõulumäe for two days of racing there. I am looking at 7 races in 11 days here, and I am only three races in! I am stoked that my racing might be finally coming around this year, and can’t wait to test it out here in Latvia.br/br/[Post ski in Madona, Latvia] So far I have been incredibly impressed with Latvia. We went to lunch at a rundown-looking place, and it turned out to be very polished and well-decorated inside. The food was excellent, and the kids who were eating there were cute, curious, and liked to practice their english. The theme we have noticed thus far is that places look look a bit dilapidated on the outside, giving them a sketchy first impression, when the inside is very nicely painted and decorated. Our hotel seemed to have more ambient natural light on the inside than the weather had outside when we arrived, which is quite a feat of decorating!