Men's Pursuit. Last day, BYE Vancouver!!

Coming into the exchange pit...


SWITCH...


And heading back out, all in about 5 seconds. Crazyness.



So. Today was my last day up at the World Olympic Park, and what a day it was. Janelle and I started it off with a ski in 12 degree weather... tank tops were the only thing that made the heat bearable. Since we were skiing reasonably early in the morning, we got the heat without the slushy, deep, heavy snow, which was a definite plus. My nose got a sunburn though. Once our lovely ski was done, we took the klister off our skis, a task that we had been postponing all week. After a quick lunch, the race finally started. Today was the 30k pursuit, a 15k leg of both classic and skate. I’m sure most of you saw it, so I won’t go into too much detail, but to sum it up, it was awesome. The Canadians did so well, and that was reflected in the stadium’s energy. People were SO LOUD. There were two giant cowbells in the Swiss cheering squad, a trumpet somewhere near the Norwegians, whistles in the Canada section and loud cheers filling the rest of the stadium. And of course, energy spreads, and so soon everyone around you is shifting from foot to foot, completely absorbed in the atmosphere around them. I really liked how the race was a longer distance than the previous ones, you don’t miss the race just by blinking and you had time to really get into it. And again, we did so well, it was hard to not be super high-strung the whole time. Forerunning is still fun, although I’m getting a little worn out, as is the rest of the group, I think. It shows in our postrunning... we started out the week skiing 7.5k loops, now we cut off at about 400 meters. Not that I mind terribly, I’ve been getting in plenty of good training. I’m just not a huge fan of skiing, stopping, skiing, stopping and skiing again. You build up some crazy acid in the legs doing that.

So this was my last forerunning race, and what a race it was. I’ll be leaving here with another life changing experience courtesy by skiing under my belt, hopefully with many more to follow. I am so grateful that I was chosen to take part in these incredible events; I will remember them for a long time. The motivation provided is incredible. Being an Olympic athlete seems so much more attainable when you spend 2 weeks around them constantly. But you also see what kind of a commitment it is. You see their constant focus, on and off the trails, their determination to get everything just so, so that they can go out and have the best race of their lives. I have been immersed in so much race preparation, it is unbelievable. I have watched the same people test skis for DAYS, I have seen skiers out skiing the course, completely 100% zoned out to the world around them, preparing to race. I even skied past some Swiss guy in the middle of the woods doing tai-chi followed by a short sprint and then repeating this, over and over and over. The Olympics are like some super intricate watch, ticking away for 18 days with the whole world watching. TV viewers, spectators and most volunteers only get to see the pretty numbers on the front, or perhaps help wind it up just a bit, doing their part. I feel like I was given the chance to dance around the inner gears, trying not to jam anything up, while trying to stick my nose in as many places as possible and see everything I could and how it all worked and fit together. I don’t know who gave us the privilege to do this, to eat with the athletes, walk in the waxing zone, or watch from a place that was off limits to even the national team coaches, but whoever it was, thank you so, so, so much.

People always asked if I was going to win a gold medal when they heard I was going to the Olympics. And then I would have to explain, ever so patiently, that no, I wasn’t even racing, that I was forerunning, which then leads to me trying to explain exactly what a forerunner is, etc. Basically, no matter how the conversation meanders, it always seemed to end with the other person throwing me a wry smile and a “Well, if not this time, maybe the next, or the next.” I usually write this off with a laugh, but really, it would be the coolest thing ever, and there is always a tiny bit of me going “YES, YES, YES” . All of these athletes winning medals were once 17 and watching the games from their couches. It’s all about motivation, it got them here, and although there is always a chance it will run out, or be directed elsewhere, as long as momentum carries through, there is really no reason to believe that it can’t be done eventually. If my eyes can tear up watching opening ceremonies on TV where the torch doesn’t rise and a hockey player carries a sputtering flame through the rain in a pickup truck, then I can’t even imagine how great it must feel for the athletes taking part, or even winning medals. This is the kind of legacy the Olympics leave behind, this inspiration to overcome bumps in the road, to strive for excellence and bathe in the glory that is sport and the games, and I am sure that every other aspiring athlete feels the same.

My bag is packed, my skis are travel waxed, my seats are booked and I’m going home. Bye Vancouver 2010, I’ll miss you.

Michelle


Janelle pulling her very best Canadian tourist look






Back of the stands


Some of the countries' wax cabins


Our home away from home away from home for the past two weeks... this and the wax trailer











Ice Inukshuks by the finish line

Day 11: Some Classy Shopping in Squamish

Not too much to report today. I opted for a day of rest and recovery, slept in till 10 and then set out to enjoy the sights in Squamish. We quickly came to the conclusion that Squamish the place of cheap everything. Their main street’s biggest attractions include the Lucky Loonie, Liquidation World, several second hand clothing stores and some department store that was really a pimped out Dollorama. And I admit it, we visited them all. We were on a bit of a mission to find a Canadian flag, but no one had any idea where to find one. My most impressive buy of the day was a Panini and gelato, which were amazing. My knee has been bugging me quite a bit these last few days. Skiing is almost 100% fine, but walking is... unpleasant. So I called it a day after Main Street was done and headed back to the inn for yet another night of Olympic sport watching. On tonight’s menu: Figure skating, skeleton and men’s hockey. Very exciting, hockey was fun, we’re surrounded by some pretty intense hockey fans here. Apparently Petra Majdic, the bronze medallist from yesterday’s sprint race, raced all of her races with four cracked ribs and a punctured lung. That’s quals, quarters, semis and finals, FOUR races, and a podium to top it all off with a punctured lung?!? Either the media is upset that the luge drama has been set aside and have decided to pump up the ratings, or this woman is superhuman. I mean, not to sound like a whiner, but cross-country skiing is HARD, you kind of need your lungs. Form your own opinion, here’s the link:

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Olympic+cross+country+Slovenia+Petra+Majdic+determination+grit+wins+bronze/2583221/story.html

The end of my trip is fast approaching; I’m trying to suck as much olympicness out of everything as possible. Two weeks has flown by, and it’s hard to believe that in three days I’ll be sitting in chemistry, learning about chemical equilibrium, or something along those lines. Sigh.
Anyways, time for bed, sorry I wasn’t more interesting today.
Michelle :)

Day 10: Like beasts on a mission... dont get in the way

Men's Final

Today was great. Another early start, we left the hotel at 6:15 to be exact. I am now an expert at sleeping on buses; I can be out in a matter of minutes. I was sitting next to one of the snowmobile camera guys who drives the fancy camera at the pace of the race. He recognized me from one of the media tests we did last week, and we had a chat about how one of his coworkers had crashed one last year at the World Cup. When I asked him, out of honest curiosity, whether his friend had been fired for driving such a pricy piece of equipment into a snow bank, he was quick to tell me, in a voice significantly less loud and me-like, that no, his friend still had a job, and was sitting right behind me. I blame my red face on the heat in the bus, but I was pretty embarrassed. Moral of the story, don’t ask questions about camera mess-ups in a bus full of media.

When we arrived at WOP around 8, there were already people filing into the stadium. Sprints are a big deal, and everything is so close, that it can really be anyone’s race, which added to the already excited and vibrant atmosphere that we have been in the middle of since the beginning of the week. Ski testing is a big deal for us. Obviously not as big a deal as it is for the racers, but we really can’t be slippy at all. One of our jobs, technically, as forerunners, is to ski in and improve the general state of the course. Granted, in rock hard, icy tracks like there were today, there wasn’t really much we could do to make it better, and so our job title was slightly different... whatever you do, don’t make it worse, or heads will roll. So basically, it was preferable to be on walking-up-a-vertical-wall-like-spiderman-but-with-skis-on-feet-instead-of-webs-on-hands sticky klister, than to herringbone and be dismembered by groomers who have been on dusk till dawn schedules trying to get the course just so. They did an amazing job, by the way.

And so once our skis were coated with a generous layer of klister (all the way past my hard wax zone and into my glide zone, actually), we were ready. We headed to the stadium, and were off. The course was a gong-show before the races even started. Half of it was in the shade, while the rest was sitting in the bright 60 sun, and everything in between was corners scraped down to ice. But we made it through, thankfully with no falls, and headed straight to our awesome spot in the stadium. No sooner than we had all picked a spot to perch on the fence, we were back on our feet, the qualifiers had begun. Our Canadians did alright, with 4 of the 8 of them qualifying for the heats (top 30). The crowds were super into it, which made it all even better, with little Norway and Canada competing for the most sound wave occupancy. I think Norway won, it helps when your athletes are all crazy fast.
After quals it we beelined it to the athlete’s lounge, and took in the sites over our bowls of broccoli soup. All the athletes we had just watched move like beasts on a mission were resting, talking on their cell phones, changing, eating and watching other events on the tv. Watching them go through their normal habits, it would be hard to know that there were Olympic medals on the line. But if you looked closer, there were for sure some stressed out vibes going around the room. Many athletes were on their own at tables or in corners, alone with their thoughts and strategies.

Once the heats started, everything kinda became a blur. One heat to the next, we saw some skiers get an inch closer to their Olympic dream, while others gave that inch and lost a mile. Of course, then there were the finals. They were incredible, so many people cheering for so few. I think that that’s the biggest revelation for today, if you will. An Olympic gold is not just an athlete’s dream, but the dream of their country, their coaches, their wax techs, their cheering squad. The accomplishment of one person means so much to so many more. Today I got to witness the power of sport, the reason people keep showing up, century after century, to run around in circles and hit things with sticks. It can all be wrapped up in the look on some Russian technician’s (coach’s? Dunno, doesn’t matter) face as he watched two of his people cross the line almost simultaneously to take first and second and shouted GOLD, at the top of his lungs. Bash the Russians if you want, but that was quite a moment.

After the races I got a bit of a training ski in, the sun was shining and freckles have exploded all over my face, except for my forehead of course, because obviously contrast is so in this season. We went on an awesome ski, getting onto some different trails than what we’ve been on recently, thanks to our tour guide, Thomsen, who lives around here and was able to provide us with some variety.

All in all, awesome day.

That’s all folks!!

Michelle :)


















Women's final


The new female Olympic Sprint Champion

Day 9: Training and Biathlon

As much crowd as my camera could fit

Today was pretty relaxed; we got to sleep in all the way up to 7!! Once we got to WOP, we jumped on skis and got an hour and a half of solid training in. We were on hairies again, and although the snow was sluggish, the grip was infallible, quite a nice treat after the classic conditions last time. Everything seemed kind of slow after the last couple days of chaos, because there were no ski jumping or Nordic events going on at all. After our ski, we decided to book it over to the biathlon pursuit race. And then we found the crowds. Crazy masses of Germans, Norwegians everywhere, everybody singing their national anthems (I’m assuming, I couldn’t understand anything), waving flags and pumping the air in random, sporadic doses. Every time someone would shoot, the whole crowd would erupt in either cheers or groans, varying with the outcome. The whole atmosphere was nice, but the results was that we could hardly see the stadium, and a view of the big screen was only available when you followed the gap between the people in front of you, as they did the same with the people in front of them. So basically, a lot of shuffling was involved. We were eventually able to squeeze our way onto a hill, which offered a much better view.

Of course, the big news in biathlon was our athlete Leguellec being started 30 seconds early, which means although he was skiing near the leaders, he was really back 30 seconds. If that doesn’t mess with your head in an Olympic race, I don’t know what would. Apparently there were mistakes made in the women’s race as well, earlier in the morning, and so they switched the starters to avoid more mistakes being made. I guess it didn’t exactly work...
Tomorrow is SPRINTS, I am so excited, they are for sure going to be the highlight of this week. Everything should be mucho fantastic, AND, to top it all off, they are calling for nice weather for the next FOUR DAYS. Whoda thunk it?

That’s all folks!!

Michelle :)

PS I know (now) that the names written beneath my pictures from yesterday's blog are a little mixed up. And yes, I am aware of the irony, considering I was flaunting my newfound ski expertise in that same blog. So yes, my apologies.

Day 8: YAHYAHYAH

Today was the first legit cross-country race, a women's 10k and men's 15k individual skate race. We got out to an early start, leaving the hotel at 6:15 in the morning. It was decided that the girls would take care of forerunning for the women's race, and the guys for the men's. When we finished forerunning for the women, no one kicked us out so we got to watch from right in the middle of the stadium, within 5m of the start line, lap lane and finish lane. It was really cool, being right in the middle of the warm-up area and right next to the starting line up. We have a skiing pool going, and it makes it a lot more interesting, having people to cheer for, AND I am finally getting my ski education. I am officially an expert on who is who, who is good and who is doped. (or strongly, strongly suspected to be)The men's race was so cool, once we found a spot to watch from. We walked around the track FOREVER, but it was packed with crazy europeans and their cowbells screaming at the top of their lungs 20 minutes before the race even started. So we headed to the stadium bleachers, and landed ourselves some sweet seats next to Judy and Brad. We were also lucky enough to be sitting behind Dario Cologna's (the winner) parents. His mom was all choked up, and his dad was hollering at the big screen, and telling anyone who glanced over to see what he was shouting about "thats my son, he's my son". So cute, so awesome, they made me want to cry. It pretty much made my day. As for the other sports, it's awesome being able to pick a spot on the couch and watch the Olympics with people who are just as into sports and competition as I am, people who are just as inspired by these people who have worked hard and are finally getting what they deserve... a shot at gold, a chance to leave behind a legacy.

The only small downside to all of this excitement is that getting any kind of work done is next to impossible. And so, school may be a bit stressful when I get home. But really, I only have to last a week until march break... and then another couple more until nationals... oh dear.

So everybody should keep their fingers crossed for more golds, more excitement and more supportive teachers for Michelle :)

And that's all folks

Michelle :)


Nordic Combined results from yesterday


C. Kalla.


Wish I could see the number... Its some Norwegian chicka anyways...


One of the media hotspots. They had NOTHING on our seats. We're spoiled :)


A Norway cheering squad. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if someone told me they outnumbered the Canadian spectators today.


M. Bjoergen


M. Bjoergen






Madeleine Williams, our only Canadian woman racing today


SkyCam... Apparently they're worth a million dollars each


SkyCam




Crazy German Vikings... for the record, they provided and insisted on the clown nose :)


Stadium






Finish Line

Day 7: First day of forerunning, Nordic Combined.

Hey!

We got to have a bit of a sleep in this morning, we were fore-running for Nordic combined this morning and they had to do the whole jumping portion before we even got on the trails. Nordic Combined is a pretty cool idea. Basically, the skiers ski jump, and the farther they go, the bigger a head start they get in the cross-country segment of the race. This is super cool to watch, it is essentially a huge chase, with the finish coming down to a sprint between many, because the best jumpers aren't usually the best skiers. They were skiing a 10, but with 2.5k loops, and so we were only really skiing 5k officially, 2.5 before and another 2.5 after. We managed to get an hour and a bit of training in. It was a nice day, but of course the skies opened up for long enough to get us all good and soaked before retreating over the mountains. But no complaints, I feel like we haven't seen the sun in forever. Fore-running was so cool!! You don't have to work super hard, because the most important thing is to ski as a group, but you get to ski in front of a HUGE crowd, with nothing to focus their excited energy on before the race but you. Kinda stressful, but crazy amazing, cameras flashing and people cheering from all directions, all along the way. Granted, this was probably more to push off the post-race stress/boredom, but still, we can pretend.

One other amazing thing about fore-running. Seeing as we are the last people on course before the race and the first on after it, we get awesome spots, with the start line on our left and the finish line on our right, about 3m from each, right in the middle of it. The atmosphere is incredible, you could almost see the excitement. And this was for Nordic combined, i mean, who even knows what it is? The first cross-country race is tomorrow, women's 10k and men's 15k skate. SO FREAKING PUMPED. Its is going to be incredible, and, to make it even sweeter, they have decided that only the girls will forerun for the women's race and only the guys for the guys race, which means that we (the ladies) will see the entire guy's race, awesome.

I should go to bed, we have a 5:30 start tomorrow morning, as busing takes FOREVER. Also, no pictures, I'll post them tomorrow, we went to see valentine's day tonight, i guess this is what happens.

Goodnight!!

Michelle :)

Day 6: Rest and Relaxation

Today was an off day, so we took the chance to get a bit of training in on our own terms, without some course official or tv crew telling us what to do. We got a chance to check out some more ski jumping, it helps that the jumps are about 10 steps from the wax room. Getting out and actually skiing was a bit of a production, as most people, myself included, kept changing their minds about what worked better with the snow conditions, hairies or klister. Really, both were bad, and the whole team, with the exception of rebecca, who could be skiing on sheer ice and still be convinced that her hairies will work, was experiencing a bit of a grass is always greener phenomena, whatever we had, we wanted something else, grasping at any small chance that we wouldn't get stuck skiing our shoulders to death for 2 hours. Anyways, the point is, all this set us behind schedual, except rebecca, who was on hairies which were, we eventually agreed on, the skis to go with. Note to self: Do what Rebecca does, always. Check. Because of this, we didnt have time to fit in all our training and make it to the women's biathlon, which was happeningjust down the road. Its kinda sad that people from all over the world made it to this race and I couldn't pull it together to walk 300m and get there in time.
We did catch a bunch of it on the tv in the athletes lounge, which was pretty cool. All the different countries xc skiers were, obviously, cheering for their biathlon counterparts, and it made for some interesting spectating. The cheers and curses in what seemed like a million languages somewhat made up for the lack of being there.

One plus for today... the groomers worked their magic overnight and the trails are a million times better than yesterday. I dont know where all the slush went, but we spent the morning gliding over smooth, hard, fast and clean trails, a 150% improvement sine yesterday.

After biathlon, we headed out to whistler to shop and soak up the olympic spirit, which we are a bit isolated from in our hotel. It is so pretty at night! All the trees are lit p with tiny LED lights, reminders of the opening ceremonies.

As for other sports, we got to see Jenn Heil put on another great performance in Moguls. I know that she, and perhaps other canadians are a little disapointed that she won't be bringing home our first gold, but really, the olympics are just another race. I think the public is a bit too side blinded by these events, and fail to see and acknowledge the countless (well, you could probably count them, but still) world cup medals, many of which were gold, she picked up during her season. These races host the exact same people, and it isn't right that people be disapointed in her after she has so well represented our country all through this winter, and many before that. And so, bravo Jenn, way to bring in canada's first bling!

Tomorrow is the first real forerunning we'll be doing, leading out and finishing up the nordic combined 10k. Should be great, and I'll try and do my homework and figure out who is who before tomorrow.

Thats all folks!!

Michelle :)


The ski jump stadium. PACKED. Joe Bieden was there, so mucho police.


More ski testing. They NEVER STOP.


Yes, another set-up-for-silly-tourists-so-that-they-will-come-in-to-take-a-picture-and-end-up-spending-money-in-our-store picture. Sorry. BUT,I didnt end up buying anything. SO, i guess I got a free bobsleigh ride. HAH.


The Cana-duh guys. They were pretty good at hockey for guys on stilts. And their, duh, "post-game interviews" duh, were pretty, duh, funny. For about 10 seconds. Then they started sounding like legit hocky players talking about "giving 110%" and "gettin it all together", so we made a break for it.


Whistler Live Stage. We're going to see Bedouin Soundclash here tomorrow, free tickets!!


A monument set up in memory of the Georgian Slider. Apparently his country is building a luge run in his hometown in his memory meant to encourage more little kids to take up the sport. Something seems a bit off here...


Marching band we saw in Whistler. They we're so cool, so good, most of them my ageish. Really glad we bumped into them, it added a lot to the day.