which was the closest Nordic area to Lewiston with any snow. Skiing on the Great Glen trails is always kind of a treat for me. They are an old stomping ground of mine, from back when I raced in windpants and a t-shirt, so there's the nostalgia factor. Also, the trails are pretty nice for such a small nordic center: very nicely maintained in the summer, and well groomed, despite the fact that they don't have a Piston Bully. The trails this weekend were hardpacked, coarse snow. The granulated stuff that you expect in New England after one of these rain/snow type storms. Conditions weren't at all bad though, and the skating was fast and fun.The actual race is another matter entirely. The conditions better than last year, when the race trail deteriorated throughout the day and we were pretty much skiing that beautiful Granite State bedrock by nightfall. However, the race organizers seem to be dead set on making the results of the race as arbitrary as possible. First, the course is very short -- 400meters long -- and two laps of it are still less than a kilometer. This is exacerbated by the fact that for one round of heats they shorten the race to one lap. Second, it is so narrow that there are very few places where passing is at all possible. Finally, they don't do a qualifier, but instead just put everyone randomly into heats. The first and second place skiers from the each of the first round heats advance to the third round, while third and fourth place skiers move to the second round. This sounds fair, right? If you get first or second you get a by! Not quite true, because the first place skier from each heat in BOTH the third round AND the second round advance to the fourth round, meaning that those who do badly in the first round have an easier path to get to the fourth round. This silliness is compounded by the fact that the second and third round heats are shortened to one lap to save time. The course is so narrow and so short that, in the words of coach, "the first guy to get to that first corner is the winner." The Great Glen Sprints is a contest of 25 meters.
But, it was fun; especially for me since I did terribly the first round, and as such made it all the way to the final (while many better sprinters than I were eliminated in the "lightning round" of the third round heats). Also Kirsten Gill had a great race, getting second overall and winning a sweet ski suit. Mostly this race just gets the engine revving for the real thing that starts up in a week or two. Everyone is excited, and the weather is starting to look favorable for some significant snow for New England! This week is finals and then the team is off to Sugarloaf for winter camp.
See you out there!
-Sam eb
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