FINALLY we made it to the first race of the season. We skied a 1.46km point to point prologue on the Volunteer Trail here in West Yellowstone. Because of the number of skiers they decided to close the course to all athletes today which meant that the course held up really well and stayed fast even by the time the women started after all the men had gone through. I think some of the firm corners surprised some people because several racers wiped out navigating the downhill corners. I, however, stayed on my feet, which is how I prefer to experience a race course. I still felt like I had my typical issue of not being super focused for the prelims but luckily my body knows more or less what it's supposed to be doing when there's a number pinned to a matching spandex outfit and I managed to pull off second place, even though Gaiazova completely dusted me. The girl has even longer legs than I do & I know she'll be a contender for the distance classic race on Saturday too. Shayla was close behind me, another beautiful classic skier who I would also be unsurprised to see win this weekend's classic race.
Happy, happy Thanksgiving on Thursday. I am feeling lucky that my parents & brother are here to share the holiday with me! (Sister is mia as she's opted out of the North American continent for the year.)
I tried to order something online. Which doesn't happen very often so you think they'd be grateful to get my business, small though it may be. On their billing address form they had a pull down list for your state. Alaska wasn't on it. I couldn't place my order because I couldn't enter a valid billing address. Disappointing.
West Yellowstone, however, is not at all disappointing. It is everything a ski week should be.
President Obama is visiting Anchorage Thursday morning. The FAA restricts flights around ANC to protect him, in this instance they're restricting a 30nm radius around ANC.
Just to give you an idea of the aviation scene around Anchorage, this is the list of impacted airports identified by the FAA:
==> IMPACTED AIRPORTS <==
Alaska Regional Hospital Heliport 2OK Merrill Field MRI Lake Hood Strip Z41 Lake Hood SPB LHD Ted Stevens Anchorage International ANC Campbell Lake SPB SPB 3C3 Goose Bay Z40 D&C Fire Lake Flying Club SPB D72 Birchwood BCV Brocker Lake SPB 6A7 Big Lake BGQ Jones Landing SPB L95 Blodget Lake SPB D75 Beaver Lake SPB D71 Hope 5HO Wasilla IYS Lake Lucille SPB 4A3 Seymour Lake SPB SPB 3A3 Visnaw Lake SPB T66 Wasilla Lake SPB 5L6 Bold A13 Island Lake SPB 29A Upper Wasilla Lake 3K9 Girdwood AQY Finger Lake SPB 99Z Nancy Lake SPB 78Z Niklason Lake SPB 4AK0 Butte Municipal AK1 Palmer Municipal PAQ Minuteman Lake SPB MFN
Someone explained what vacuum balls were to me a couple of weeks ago. (You put them in the vacuum after the filter so when the vacuum heats up they release a scent.) Now I've always been into vacuums. In college on year I even asked my parents for one for Christmas (my parents apparently decided that a vacuum was not an appropriate gift for a 20 year old). So ever since I found out about these vacuum balls I've wanted some. Haven't found any. I did, however, spill a package of crumbled blue cheese on the floor. Tried to vacuum it. Quickly aborted that idea. Not quickly enough. Now whenever I vacuum there's the odor of blue cheese.
I was on the erg (aka: rowing machine) for a strength warm up. Instead of a fan the machine had a fin enclosed in a cylindrical case half full of water. So when you rowed, there was the sound of oars through water. How cute is that?
I came back from a morning rollerski, took a shower, thought for a moment, and put on gym clothes in anticipation of the next workout. Is there something wrong with my life when my clothing selection alternates between different types of training clothes and doesn't include normal things like, say, jeans?
Laura Valaas
Becca Rorabaugh
Laura Valaas
Holly Brooks, Becca Rorabaugh, Laura Valaas, Katie Ronsse
Laura Valaas
