Conference Meet and JNQs

Lots of racing this weekend, in fact, I had 4 races in 3 days. And I had my best race on the last day! Kind of funny, huh?!
Best Overall JNQ results yet!!!

Conference was a blast, and the temperatures definitely prepared me for this weekend. On Friday it was around 30-40 and Saturday was even higher than that! My teammates raced well, and we ended up winning the Championship!!!  It was our first year in our new conference and it was so much fun being able to start out with that!
Our Photoshoot

Conference Champions!

Pep-talking

The Team!!
I raced well, and was happy how I did. Elm Creek is such a fast course, quick tempo (which is my favorite!) works really well on the course.
I swear this was the only time I wasn't smiling!


Saturday.... was a whole different ball game. I love mass starts. And I love classic skiing. The funny thing is, I have a hard time with both of them. My classic skiing has defiantly improved, especially with all the hard work I put in this summer. But I'm not use to mass starts. I am best at an individual start race, where you are racing against the clock, pushing yourself, and imagining your competition just a step ahead of you on every hill, turn, and straightaway.  Mass starts are complicated, pole breaking monsters (in my non-experienced opinion). But I love them because they bring out the worst and the best in you. I always learn the most in a mass start about myself and about the way I ski (and can/should ski). With the few mass starts I have done, I feel like they have taught me so much than a good individual mass start race would ever. 
Once I focused on my technique and stopped scrambling, I actually went  a lot faster. It wasn't enough to save what had already been lost, but I managed a reasonable result, and learned just a little bit more about skiing in a mass start
Sunday was much cooler, and the water that had turned the tracks into a lake the day before was now an ice rink. Wirth's quick steep hills are always a joy for me and my quick tempo and I pulled off the best JNQ overall result yet!!! I had super fast skis, lots of people cheering me on, and I was on my home course! I started out really early, so after my race I was able to cheer on my teammates who were still racing! It was a lot of fun and really brought a happy end to a long weekend! 
Highland's Pink Socks!

Having a good race!

With Downtown Minneapolis in the background!
And finally here is a short video of the JNQ races my dad put together! It shows the classic mass start, and then some pictures (you'll probably recognize from up above) from the skate race today! This week will mainly be recovery, but next week we have sections and then..... STATE!!!!


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