Well, my first cross country ski race of the season has come and gone. Woke up at 5:00 am on Saturday for the drive down to Traverse City and the North American VASA race. Keri joined me for the racing, and Sarah tagged along to supply logistical support. By the time Keri and I signed in, picked up our race packets, and put kick wax on our skis we had about five minutes to get the start line. On the bright side, this doesn't allow you any time to get nervous. At the same time, it doesn't allow you any time to warm up. Oh well, we'll just have to leave a little earlier next year. Despite the rushing around, things went better than expected and I achieved my best racing result ever (biking or skiing). I was second in my age group (30-39) for the 27k classic race. However, I did pay a large toll as my body felt like complete crap for the whole rest of the day and evening. Sunday morning I woke up feeling suprisingly good, and so Sarah and I met up with the Middle Village Ski Club in the afternoon for a little tour. I've got two weeks off of racing now to train, recover, and work on my technique. Then it's three weekends of racing in a row. I'm really hoping that this all pays off when I start up on the bike again, and I have every reason to believe that it will. I'm feeling fit and really looking to make some big strides on the bike this year, so watch out. Today's inspirational thought: Body mind and spirit. Go hard when you feel good Go easy when you are fatigued