ERIN TRIBE: First 2 Races at U23 World Championships

Hmmm, how to begin? I'm sitting here with mixed emotions on my first two races of the Under 23 World Championships. This is my first time competing at these championships and it has been a gigantic learning experience. A good one, but a lot to take in. To be honest, it's hard to say if I believe I would have been ready for it before now. The fields are unbelievably competitive, with Olympians and World Cup competitors at the top of the list.... and some are younger than me! It's another world over here, but.... I think I like it. Along with trying to absorb everything, without looking like a deer caught in the headlights, you have to focus on trying to perform at your best. I've been looking forward to this event all year, and regardless of the result, I find myself so happy to have this opportunity.

Day 1- 10 km Skate - individual start

My international debut, haha, sounds intimidating... but I handled myself and my emotions pretty well. I was able to eat breakfast just fine and didn't get the stomach jibblies until about 3 minutes before the start. I remembered at that point what my coach mentioned the night before, "just take a deep breath, close your eyes, and get ready to ski." This calming effect helped a lot and then it was time to go. The course was a flowing, yet demanding 3.3km (x3) with fast downhills and a long stadium to lap through. I started the race a bit conservatively in order to pace well throughout the race. My first lap felt like a solid set up for the rest of the race and I had really fast skis which helped in the confidence department. Mid-way through the second lap, on a rather steep climb I began to feel "the burn." Luckily a bit of downhill followed for most of the rest of the lap so I tried to shake it out and prepare for the last lap. Heading up the first hill in lap three, I just couldn't find that next gear. I felt like I had one pace for the whole race, and that's all my body was going to give me. So when I wanted to go, I couldn't generate anymore speed. It was a tough day but not overly disappointing... just nothing spectacular. I finished in 36th. For not really knowing what to expect or having any set expectations, it wasn't too bad. Regardless of my race, we had a lot of success as a team. Emily Nishikawa was 16th, Michael Somppi in 13th, and Kevin Sandau in 5th. It was pretty exciting to watch everyone feed off their success. Yeahhh Team!

Day 2 - Classic Sprint (1.2km)

Hmmm today was tough on a few fronts. The course itself was not overall too hilly, but had a lot of double poling sections and a long finishing stretch. I wasn't nervous at all today. Not a lick of nerves, which I guess isn't that weird since I don't have a real issue with them normally... but just watching sprint racing on television makes me nervous and excited. I felt so ready to go and ski and pump out a solid qualifier. Our skis were fast from the wax tecs and they did a great job, but MY skis were having their own issues. Once I got out there I had a lot of trouble kicking them. I was spinning my wheels a little bit and when I crossed the line the screen infront of me said 28th place. Okay - so I'm in if no more than 2 people cross the line faster than me. Well, I ended up 31st and it's the top 30 who move on. So close! But just not fast enough. I was 1.54 sec out of the heats. I was hoping to qualify and I spent most of the afternoon reflecting on it. I have one more race at this event, on Monday, the pursuit, so one more opportunity to leave everything on the trail. We'll see what happens.

Until then, here are some pictures in random order.