Training Log Archive: biggins

Into Geneva, then up to the Jura to check out the race area and try to find bib pickup. Involved a bit of wandering around to different towns, but we found it eventually.

Also, apparently whatever French words get translated into "low snow conditions" don't actually mean low... That'd be the finish arena. Of a ski race.

Found all my registration stuff and then up to some ski trails above Lac des Rousses, where I got in a good ski and Carol went for a run. Trails were actually pretty nice, a lot like old hard east coast dirty snow. But everything was covered.

And I rule at learning to drive a standard. Uphill. In the dark. On twisty roads in the Alps. Fortunately its 45 degrees so its not like there's any ice on the roads. And at least the kind french drivers are sympathetic and patient when I stall on the uphill traffic lights, for three green cycles in a row.

Nice and fast, ice over soft corn, so it was pretty effortless.

Now down to Reno tonight for the start of Winter Adventure #4. Flying out to France in the morning for the Transjurassienne, previously 76km of hilly skate awesomenitude, recently demoted to 42km of weak sauce. I blame the French.

ha. You know its gonna be a good adventure when I get stranded somewhere before I even leave. I got Jonis to drive me down to Reno tonight so I could crash the night in a cheap casino and fly out in the morning. We did make it out of California, but then stopped for gas and his truck wouldn't start again. Fortunately it was really really cold out and there was nobody around and the gas station lights turned off automatically at 9. Some random guy showed up at some point with jumper cables, but a Camry isn't big enough to jump a pickup truck, so that didn't help so much. But AAA showed up after an hour or three in a semi jumper and we were merrily on our way.

On a happy note, my $26 casino hotel room is bigger than my house, and has more furniture too. And also 50 lanes of 24/7 bowling just downstairs.

C • Bowling 3

dpod. Finally got cold again, 15 overnight, and only a little warmer when I went out and crazy windy. Skipped the last bit up to the ridgeline since it was already cold and biting halfway up.

And oh look, its three months into ski season, time to start destroying all my gear. Those neat Leki poles I got, wait lemme check, only six weeks and 800 km ago? Yeah done. That cute little gimmicky quick release strap ripped through on the uphill today. Good thing the cord was reinforced with two strands of fishing line in the middle. I finished the ski with the palm strap wedged into the pole notch, which worked for pushing, but any time the tip got stuck in the ice the pole would rip out of my hand and I'd have to turn around and go back to get it. Awesome. What'd you do Leki, outsource your testing department to Rossi's qc team of 100lb high school kids?

C • I should learn to ski, if a... 12

I did nothing today except dump dad at the airport and then nap. It was pretty sweet.

yesterday pics from the relay

tahoe ski-o #7: Auburn
Mass start 2-person/4-leg sprint relay set by Dad. I helped out enough that I didn't race, so I spent most of the time inside the timing hut helping to calm down Rosemary as she tried to run the timing for a relay using decidedly non-relay SI software. Went out afterwards and skied the two long legs, but the snow had slushed out a lot by then, so a few parts were pretty slow.
leg1 and leg3

C • relays in OE 5