2008 World Cup

10km Classic
Davos, Switzerland

It was good to get back on the classic skis this morning, ready to go for another race effort!  While the weather had been pretty nice all week, it decided to warm up and then snow just in time to create a major waxing headache.  When it’s close to freezing, with fresh snow, conditions can change in a matter of minutes and you can go from having the totally right wax to having the totally wrong wax!  It’s always a gamble.

Thankfully, the team of US waxers and coaches had already been out on the course testing by the time I arrived, and they had the wax pretty dialed in. I took a couple laps, testing two pairs of skis.  Pair #1 was fast, but pair #2 had better kick.  We tried adding more kick to pair #1 but I still felt more comfortable with stronger kick so I decided to race on pair #2.  My warm-up went well and I hustled down to the start with 10 minutes to go.  Just as I reached the stadium, I realized the snow had stopped.

Justin came down to the start with me and helped me scrape the snow out of my boots.  As I stood there waiting to go, bib #8, I noticed my binding wasn’t engaging properly.  I re-fastened it several times but I couldn’t get it to catch. I tried fixing it one more time, but it was my turn to be in the gate.  The clock counted down and I just had to go for it.

There was fresh snow in start track and over the first 100m my skis were grabbing and lurching.  It was a long 600m slightly gradual and very straight section to the first hill, mostly double-pole.  Coming into the first climb, I started striding but I could feel my binding clicking.  It was very distracting and for a few moments I panicked.  Then I just decided I would have to deal with it.  

My plan was to start conservatively and build into the pace.  So as I made my way around the first 3.3km lap I focused on skiing relaxed with good technique.  Since the snow had stopped, the track was starting to glaze over, and it took a really precise impulse to plant my wax on the snow.   I made my way up the big climbing section to the 2km mark without too many slips.  The course then mostly descended back toward the stadium.

As I came through the lap lane, I looked around to see if I could catch a ride with a skier coming out of the start.  Unfortunately I  between starters, and there was no one in immediate sight to latch on to.  So I put my head down and focused on double-poling with quick, powerful strokes.  Begin lap #2.

Entering the climbing section for the second time, I had finally caught up to bib #7, Chandra.  I cruised by midway up the hill and she jumped back in behind me.  As we made the descent, I got several little pushes on my poles to keep me in front.  The long downhill gave me a good rest and I sprinted up and over the two small rises in the stadium.

Going into lap number three I was again split between two starters, so I had to set my own pace.  I really worked the double-pole section and strided aggressively into the first rise.  The track had continued to glaze even more and it was necessary to herring-bone in a couple places.  

With 2km to go, I was becoming aware of a Swiss girl on my heels.  The fans were chanting for “Serina, Serina,” and I thought it was a girl that had started not too far behind me.  So I decided I was going to try to not let her catch me.  I hammered the next double-pole section and approached the climbing section for the last time.

At the top of the first steep, I heard “hup,” from behind.  So I pulled to the side as the Swiss girl came up to my left.  It wasn’t the Swiss girl I thought, but a faster one that was only on her first lap.  Finally, a red group skier to follow!  I jumped right back in the tracks and followed her up the hill.  She had a short gap on me but I was able to pull her back in.  I charged over the top of the hill with a spark of energy, thinking to myself, “Sweet, a ride all the way back to the stadium.”  But just as I was tucking myself in behind her on the S-turn section, she fell and I had to throw myself wide to miss going down.  Bummer, no more ride!

I stayed in the lowest tuck possible on the downhill back to the stadium.  As I entered the final 500m, I pretended I was at the end of a sprint and went as fast as I could.  When I hit the final stretch, the finish lanes were full of fresh snow and I had to really power my way to the line.  I threw my foot across at the last second and slid to a halt.  

The finish clock showed bib #8 in the lead.  Wait a second, that’s me!  Even though I had an early bib and I knew my leading time would probably not stand for long, it was still exciting to be the leader.  I got to sit momentarily in a fur lined chair in front of the TV cameras until bib #13 came in a took the lead away.  It was a fun minute or two!

On my way out of the finish shoot I was greeted by some excited US fans, one wearing an Alaska Grown sweatshirt!  It was fun to chat with them for a minute before heading off to pick-up my warm-ups.  By the time I started my cool-down, some of the top skiers were finishing.  I was excited to see that the winning time was only two minutes faster than mine instead of the usual three plus.  

When I finally got my hands on the official results I was surprised to see myself in 37th place, just 7% back from the winner.  The result was by far my best world cup distance result, and on a day when everything was less than perfect!  It’s too bad that there are now several weeks until my next distance race, I feel like I’m just getting going!

The Boys, after the race

Next week will be just a sprint race for me, although an exciting one!  We will head back to Rybinsk, Russia, where I recorded my first WC podium last year, for another skate sprint!  I am really excited to get back on the course (maybe made out of real snow this time!) and see if I can improve on my finish from last year!  Wish me luck!

Cheers,
Kikkan :)