Earlier this month, I raced at Junior Nationals for the second time. This year, the event took place in Lake Placid, New York and lasted a week. There were a variety of different races that challenged the athletes at one of the more difficult venues. As racers, we had the opportunity to race at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, which was the same place that olympians skied in the 1980 Olympics. Despite the incredible shortage of snow this past winter, there was relatively good snow coverage and the majority of the trails were a part of the race course. During the week, there were a total of 4 races: we started with a 7.5k, then a 1.3k sprint, then a 10k, and finally a 3k mixed gender relay. As a nordic skier, it’s important to be well rounded in both classic and skate disciplines, as well as sprints and distance racing. This allows you to perform well in any type of race.
My journey to Lake Placid started at 4 a.m. on the morning of March 8. I slowly made my way to MSP, with almost 100 pounds of luggage in tow. Ski bags are not particularly fun to travel with and it was a struggle. Once at the airport, I met up with the rest of the Midwest ski team. In total, there were around 60 athletes ranging from eighth grade to sophomores in college. The flight to New York was not particularly long, especially with a layover in Chicago, but the lines and travel time from Albany to Lake Placid made for an exhausting travel day. After a relatively smooth morning, we were bound to hit a roadblock. Sure enough, the airline had left a quarter of our luggage in Chicago! Fortunately, they were all delivered to our hotel shortly after we arrived.
After two quick training days, it was already time for the first day of racing. The race was a 7k skate that was raced on a two lap, 3.75k course. I was feeling the usual pre-race jitters, however they were heightened due to how long it’s been since I last raced. Fortunately, as soon as I started, my nerves faded and I settled into the rhythm of racing.
The weather over the course of the week was sporadic and unpredictable. For our first race there was a blizzard. We skied over four inches of powder while ice shards pelleted our faces. As the week progressed, the weather took a drastic turn. By the last race, we were skiing in t-shirts over thick slush. Overall, the weather was a challenging factor to manage, but made us all better skiers in the long run.
The week of racing wrapped up with a closing ceremony and a banquet. The banquet had numerous activities including rock climbing, Just Dance, karaoke and more. It was the best way to conclude a challenging week and give the different regions the opportunity to get to know each other. It was fun to return to Junior Nationals for the second time, having some experience under my belt. I felt more relaxed going into races and had a relative understanding of the way things worked. This was the best way to end my senior season: racing in a beautiful place with some of my closest friends.
