So here we are, 11 races into the season just in the start of the New Year. It feels like I have been in Norway for no time at all, but at the
same time, when I think about the rollerski race in Oslo, it feels like a
lifetime ago. It’s a really weird sensation. I left you all off last just
before the season opener in Beitostølen – and what a start that was.
I was lucky enough to race the same two race weekends last
year in Beito and in Gålā, so I had an idea what I was getting into; and even
more importantly, I had something to compare to. Last year these two race
weekends were such a shock to the system, I had no idea this level of skiing
existed asides from World Cup racing. This year I felt I was far more prepared
mentally. I understood that these are the best of the best. With just having
the fall here in Norway, I have already learned enough to take my skiing to
another level. The jump wasn’t insane, but I can confidently say that I have
improved a lot since last year.
Last year in the 15km classic in Beitostølen, I tied for 6th
last (135th), 7+ minutes back off the winner. This year, I cracked the top 100
in 97th position, 5 minutes back off of the winner. I know that 5
minutes is still a lot of time, and the result still isn’t flashy, but I have
to remember that this is against the best. I have to look at the time I closed
towards the top; in one year this is a huge improvement. I didn’t feel like
this race was anything special, it just felt like I went out and applied the
technique I have been working on, made sure I focused on finding seconds
through transitions, and of course just went as hard as I could.
Sometimes the gaps seems intimidating, it would make some people think that competing here is discouraging, but I actually have found it the opposite. Although racing back home is great for my confidence, racing here makes the long term goal seem so much more possible. I really believe that one day I can close this gap and compete with the best. Climbing the ladder to the top of cross country skiing is no easy task, and if I'm honest with myself I'm closer to the bottom than I am the top ... but I am on the ladder, that is what's important. One step at a time!
The classic sprint and skate race this weekend were not the
greatest demonstrations of improvement … still lots of room to improve there.
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| Maks and I at Beito |
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| Beito Camp with Team Asker |
After Beitostølen it was back to Asker for a few days before
heading to Gålå for a Norwegian Cup. Since last year, the course in Gålå really
has intimidated me. It consists of one really long gradual uphill, then after
is just flat in rolling (at least how I see it). It is not a typical course
that I feel confident on; I could use another hill or two… or 20. But I have
been working really hard the past few months on reshaping and improving my
double pole. While my double pole is still far from perfect, it is by far the
strongest it has ever been. This allows me to go into courses like this with
much more confidence.
The 15km skate race in Gålå didn’t go as I planned. My shape
felt solid, but it was a perfect race to remind me of my weaknesses. I clearly
was not working the flats and transitions effectively, and I paid the price.
This is one of the best things about being in Norway. If I have solid shape in
Canada, I can pretty much always pull off a decent result. Here, if I don’t
work thoroughly through the entirety of the course, I lose valuable seconds
every lap. So say I lose 10s per lap, that’s 30s by the end of the 15km, which
translates to 20-30 positions. Getting a reminder of this on the first race of
the weekend was perfect. I now had the chance to correct my mistakes for the
15km classic. To me, this 15km classic was a big step forward for me. I was
able to work through the entire course, despite there being so much fast double
pole sections. This was the first time ever I felt as though I wasn’t losing
time on flat sections. I am super excited about this. I ended up in 94th
position, 3:43 behind the leader. This is another big step up from last season.
It’s sort of funny being racing here in Norway, I find I have a new
appreciation and perspective on the sport. Racing towards a top 100 result on a
good day is a real turn around from going for gold every race back home. It is
humbling; I like it. I think it is exactly what I needed for this season. I
have found the past couple years I lost the pure essence of racing I used to
have, When I was a Junior Boy, I never really thought about results. I mean, of
course I wanted to do well, but when it came to race time it was just put the
bib on and go ski as fast as I can. Nothing else was going through my mind. My
two years as a Junior Man, I started to focus on results as I made my debut as
World Juniors and results became more relevant. I have nothing against chasing
results, but a part of me just misses the purest form of my style of racing,
which is just sending it. That is why being in Norway for my first year senior
is year is perfect. I still get shook sometimes over results, but it isn’t
super relevant because I am chasing down dozens of people in front of me, and
trying to hold off hundreds of people behind me. There isn’t really an external
pressure; it is everything I put on myself. I am purely focused on what I need
to do to race faster vs. being focused on what other people are doing.
After Gålå we has a few weeks back in Asker to rest and do
some training. The next race weekend was a Scandinavian Cup in Vuokatti,
Finland. This was a super cool experience to get to race amongst the best
domestic Scandinavians. Chasing, catching a ride after being passed, battling;
taking the chance to learn from every opportunity I could. If someone caught up
to me and passed me, I would latch and try to hold their stride for as long as
I could. I’d ask myself, “okay how are they gliding compared to me … how are
they transitioning from one skate, to offset, to one skate again … how can I be
the most efficient to hang onto their pace”. I feel like every race here I learn something
that I can build off of to become a better skier. That is pretty cool.
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| Norwegian Christmas in Sjusjøen! Thanks to the Wiik family for adopting me. |
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| Emil in Sjusjøen |
To this date in the season I have competed in 11 races
(3x3day race weekends + two local races). With this experience under my belt I
am feeling pretty confident going into the next set of races. Norwegian
Nationals kicks off here in two days, I am super excited for that. A few months
ago I had to make the decision whether to return to Canada for World U23
trials, or to stay here and continue racing in Norway. Evidently, I have chosen
to stay here, and I just want to address that. When I first came to Norway, my
plan was to return home for trials and go for U23s. But after I got here I
began to weigh the other option of staying here, and the more I thought about
it, the easier it became to decide. If I were to come home, the goal would be
to make the World U23 team (which I believe in good form I can make). So if I were
successful in obtaining my goal, I would qualify for Worlds, then I would
travel to Europe with the Canadian team for a few weeks and then compete at
Worlds in late January/early February. This would mean missing over a month of
training and racing here in Norway (and not to mention the extra cost). I figured I have invested in this year in Norway;
I should be making the most of it. So as much as it pains me to watch the
weekend at trials go by, wishing I was there, I feel as though it is best for
me to stick with my gut and keep on growing here. I will be back for Canadian
Nationals in March though, so everyone back home better be ready to throw down!
So now for me it is focusing on Norwegian Nationals and the
Norwegian and Scandinavian Cups to come. I am excited. I think I am ready to go
faster, much faster.
Thanks for reading!
Rj
