Europe

A month of racing in Europe, 12 races including 2 world cups, a grand course race and a world championship my body's systems have been tested.  At times I ponder my sanity "why would I inflict this upon myself" "this is fundamentally crazy" but then the light shines in and I realize it just fits.  My soul yearns for the challenge of pushing harder and longer and these are the perfect playing grounds.  Its a special place set up by organizers and military where everyone inadvertently creates an opportunity to test and push there limit.

Racing in very cold wet and windy conditions

 The competition in these races is fierce leaving even the best athletes (some of the highest ever recorded V02 max) fighting for podium.  This is likely why athletes like Kilian Jornet still compete as its a challenge that when met allows you the ultimate potential for moving fast in the mountains.

Killian at the 2013 individual world championships one of the top endurance athletes in the world.

Every one has life ambitions whether that be gardening or becoming a politician you have to put in the time to reach your full potential.  Moving towards skimountaineering from another sport is much like moving from pianio to the chello.  One has the basic frame work to excel giving a good jump on what some say takes 10,000 hours or ten years to reach the cutting edge.  In order to build a world champion the best chance is to start young so that there mastery comes in there physiological peak.  This however does not allways hold true and its inspiring to see older athletes come out of the wood work and become world champions especially with a weight of 82kg.   It just goes to show that sure there are ideals but these ideals only create a psychological barrier waiting to be crushed by some one like William Bon Mardion.

William Bon Mardion standing tall above Matheo and Killian with an extra 25kgs (55lbs) of body weight and 4-7 years.

Three years ago many would have doubted his true potential but there is a take home message - your true potential can only be unlocked by you and no matter your age shape or size the potential while unknown to the world awaits.  It might not bring you to be a world champion but the happiness from achieving it can make you feel like one.

For me Ski mountaineering remains a challenge to reach my potential and a vehicle for moving fast and efficient in the mountains.  The placing at races and more importantly time off the leaders gives a gauge to my progress.  

Starting our for the Relay. I'm the red and florescent green.

Its been 5 years now and there have been steady increases however the biggest was in 2011/12.  This year has seen increases and some good placings but living in Europe I have learnt allot about what it takes to reach higher and higher levels.  Its exitting and motivating to think about whats possible but also hard to not get to distracted by the many other great avenue's in life!  Luckily the work put into Skimo racing can be translated...

into great views

 taking naps,

 and dressing up like santa claws in a skin suit with a harness and via ferrata

ho ho ho

 Ohh and there might be a few other things.... I can leave that up to your imagination.

Now with lots of ideas to report on, amazing aesthetic couloir skiing and some more free time it should equal more blog posts!

Twitter feed always has updates.

A Thousand words

Ever since I read "The Short History of Nearly Everything" I have wanted to witness for my self the massive caldera of a supervolcano. Last weekend I found my self standing in spandex with 100 other racers getting ready to race up the southern flanks of Yellowstone's caldera in Jackson Hole Wy. Although scientist's have measured the earths gravitational forces to be weaker in and around Yellowstone it didn't seem to help on the first climb! Greg Ruckman an Olympic rower and top notch Nordic skier set a cracking pace that had us all wondering if this could go on for 8000 feet. Getting a feel for the pace I decided to fall back a little and conserve some energy for the later parts of the race.

After a couple smaller climbs and descents over a couple ridges I found my self in second pacing off Brendon French. He reminds me of a terminator showing no signs of breathing or distress as he powers on ahead. On our way to Corbetts couloir Pete Swenson and Luke Nelson took the lead, Luke with a quick transition and fast pace lead the way up to the top. Once on top all I could think of was how the heck I could get off this mountain as fast as possible! I knew 4 thousand feet of variable skiing was going to take its toll but at this point in the race the first to the last assent was going to have an very valuable edge.

Skiing fast I found myself first to the bottom so I took some extra time to make sure I had good skins for the last technical assent and once again the 4 of us headed up separated by only seconds. Polls punching through and skins slipping it was a tedious technical assent and at times I would look back wondering if the others were having as much trouble. Feeling surprisingly good I just put my head down trying not to think of the terminator hot on my heals. Maybe out of fear of having to race the last descent I found my self with just enough of a cushion to take the win. The awards ceremony was very well done with copious amounts of prizes. Pete Swenson gave a great speech on the future of the sport comparing it to the NORBA in 1982 and then we were all off to get some rest to race the next day in Targhee.

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