Champ!

Last night I got my first National Championship since 2006! I knew when I won my last one that any win could be your last so to get back on top after a rough couple years feels super good.

I was the 4th starter in the "A" seed so I knew that there were a lot of fast guys behind me so there wouldn't be much information to get from the time checks out there. I just had to ski as fast as possible and hope my time would hold up. After I finished I heard how many guys were not far back after the halfway and I started to get real nervous, even a little queasy. Finally I heard the announcement that I was the National Champ and it was all smiles!

This past week I have been really nervous about this first race because my body has felt awful. Just sluggish and tired since last Sunday... Finally after a few days up here with some tune up workouts and some solid couch time my body finally started to come around the morning of the race. Still I had no idea if I would be able to ski fast or not. Out on the course I had no clue what I had, I was just going as fast as I could with what my body could do. Fortunately it was enough.

Yesterday was a sweet day for APU with 3 on the National Championship podium. Becca Rorbaugh, 2nd US and Brent Knight, 3rd US. First time on the podium for both of them.

Now it's a couple days recovery and get ready for Friday nights pursuit.

50

Today was a solid effort. I managed to stay out of trouble early and pick my way up thru the field once again and was sitting comfortably in 15th at 15k and was right in the lead pack at 25k. Then I hit a little rough patch. I was able to work thru it until about 30k when I started to run out of gas and had to let the lead group go. I really had no idea whether there was 10, 15, or 20k still to go I just knew I had to try and hang on to the other guys who were around me. That worked for a while but there was just nothing left in the tank...

The course today held up really well thanks to a massive salting effort by the race crew. The area by the wax cabins has rivers of mud so to race on hard, fast, snow when it hasn't been below freezing for a few days was so nice compared to the alternative.

The wax crew did a sweet job once again and I big thanks to the whole staff this week! Those guys do amazing work.

Leaving World in 2005, I wanted to be in the fight the next year. 2006, the same. 2007, the same. This year I was finally in the fight and it makes ski racing over here so much cooler! I still have the last third of the race to work on but to be in the mix with the best guys in the world the week has been a huge confidence boost and I cannot wait until next year in Whistler!

I leave Tuesday to go back home and will be racing the Tour of Anchorage on Sunday if I can stay heathly on the travel home. I have been the question from some of the other skiers if I am heading up to Lahti, Finland for next weeks World Cups. It would be great to get some more chances over the next few weeks but I am really looking forward to getting back to my girls in Anchorage.