so, not terrible, not terrible. 150 skiers, mass start (there was a 2nd wave too, and a 3rd, high school race behind that). I was jammed, and skiing 18 abreast in a trail groomed into a single lane jeep road... ok, that's hyperbole, but you get the idea... got to the part where we descend 200 meters in like 4 km (trust me it's pretty steep) and i'm doing fine, and then a guy comes by me dressed in a fake muscle suit and a minotaur hat. now, i had skied this section before, and i knew to take it easy, w/ a sharp turn coming, going about 50 km/h or so, i knew i should slow down, but i wait too long... i mean, shit, a CARTOON has just passed me, so i'm running up on him and another guy, i try to speed check and blammo i'm down... i try to roll off to the right, and i get one sweet matrix move in, but an out of control skier (a kid i know) doesn't hit me (thanks matrix move) but i look up, and there's a 6 inch long stick fluttering down in front of me.
i suddenly realize that it's not a stick, it's a chunk out of my, uh, you would think ridiculously expensive, pole. so i hop up, collect the parts (shafts are 100, whole poles, like 150) and keep going. 3 or 4 km later it flattens out, and i get a pole from a course monitor.
it's about (no kidding) 25cm shorter, and it's for the wrong hand... but, i keep going, and about 7km later including a big hill, i see a friend of mine, and he gives me his pole (it's only 3 inches shorter than mine, and the correct hand (left)). i figure i'd lost as much as 6-10 minutes in this time, and i go on to ski pretty well.
i finished in 2 hours, 54th out of 130 or so... if it had been 8 minutes, i'd have been around 30th, which is wish in one hand and you know what in the other territory, of course... but i learned a ton about pacing, as i reached that, 'sometimes you got to say what the eff' stage and worked well...
so it was fun. replaced the shaft after i got home,, bought some groceries, and now i'm resting up for a big evening of nothing. there's a banquet, but i don't have the stomach to go see someone else win a pair of poles in a raffle with a number one off from mine.
tommorrow, probably go ski the course backwards, or just go ski easy for a couple hours.
so, felt good. if i could have said what i'd like to ski the race in, 1:45. If i'd ski'd it in 1:50, that would have been super. i'm excited though. with no taper (yet) my times are improving rapidly, a reflection of somewhat improved technique. so, while vancouver in 2010 is not likely (that's understatement), my main goal, improvement, is being met.
7 comments:
Why are you on Ultimate Talk? I know that you are not writing "for" ultimate talk but you keep getting my hopes up about a new utimate related post when i check U.T. Your posts continually disapoint my need for a ultimate strategy fix.
You sound like a cool guy but if you could write SOMETHING, ANTHING about ultimate I would undertand your presence on ultitalk.
dear dude, i assume that is not your name, but since you don't sign one, i made up a funny one. ok, it's not that funny. but anonymous attacks are stupid. see, i actually exist as a human being outside you own particular view of the universe. you should actually sign your post, even if it's 'blaine from seattle'. that said, i posted again, dealing specifically with frisbee shit. enjoy. I'm an ASEP certified coach (meaning i'm certified, for what it's worth, to coach a varsity sport in Oregon), and I coach literally every day of the year, whether it's cross country, cross country skiing, or ultimate. The XC team I asst coach for is generally a top 5 team for either guys are girls. The nordic team is the best in the state: but i'm not the talented coach. The frisbee team muddles along, top 6, even though we only play from march on. In the summer, I run pick-up ultimate games, and every other day fun runs.. I've been playing ultimate for 16 years. I've been to 3 college nationals (quarters levels), 6 club nationals (quater and semi finishes), and 3 club worlds (best finish bronze). so maybe idris (lost in the finals), and jim (rode paul gref to finals) would be better sources of information. but since i'm technically 'certified' or whatever in nutrition, and training, and coaching, and shit... i put something together for you. I also have very specific thoughts on offensive structure (simple is better), defensive tactics (multiple looks, but simple fundementals), and overall seasonal goals... i threw something together for you.
let me know if it meets your needs. in the mean time: continue your pattern of anonymous posting. i find that to be an excellent offensive strategy.
oh, apologies. you are stephen from wherever. so it is not true that you posted totally anon. my apologies. ignore the irritation, and enjoy the pearl.
I’m sorry if I mad you mad (obvious I did). I was somewhat joking
Your most recent post is awesome, I totally respect your knowledge and if you are going to write such high quality ultimate entries periodically, I guess you can keep your spot on ulti talk. (Joking, again).
Thanks for the sweet post and good luck with all your coaching,
Stephen Hubbard
2nd year UCSD
yah i figured as much... i just like the whole 'ignore the man behind the curtain' persona once in a while. ultimate in ultimate season.
I used to agree with Stephen, but I found myself reading your posts nonetheless. And I think I figured out why. It's really interesting reading about someone who is in much much better shape in his (I assume) late thirties/early forties than most everyone on the planet. Truly awe-inspiring.
hah! around here, i'm dull normal. and i'm not that old. that would be like alex, or jim. the geri-pals. see it's like being a flinstone kid, but... whatever...
now here's where alex starts talking about the time he got the layout block on me. which i'm pretty sure was on another team mate of mine with blonde curly hair.
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