LOST!!!

So I receive a phone call this evening while sipping a glass of wine with the Inn keepers, "Hi there I am Constable. so-and so, I am calling to inform you your bag has been reported stolen from the Air Carrier Desk"

Ouch! my duffel bag with what I soon tallied up to be well over $5000.00 of equipment, clothes and basically everything I own...gone. So if anyone knows any loop holes in the system please feel free to email me help @ chriswerrell@gmail.com fortunately I have a great friend, Brian Mckeever who is sending out some emergency clothes for me to get by!!!

Despite missing all that stuff I am in good spirits and still looking forward to the races to come! thanks to all that reads and keep up with me just thought you might like to know that little tidbit of info.

until next time! take care ! I'll keep you updated on my lost bag!


Chris

Post Christmas

I am now sitting in a loft in an inn(haha that sounds funny in an inn)in a small town north of Toronto named Duntroon. in the same clothes I left Burns Lake in a day ago...not because I chose to but because my bags didn't make the flight from P.G to Vancouver last night. So early this morning I awoke for my 7:00am departure...still no bags. Now I can honestly admit I am used to airlines losing my bag (usually happens every 3rd flight with me!) and I don't feel as bad because the reason my ski bag didn't make the plane was due to there being not enough room ( 2 motorized wheelchairs had priority) so I can live with that I don't need my skis as bad as someone may need that chair!

The one thing that makes me a bit mad is that the airline forgot to take my duffel bag off the plane before it left for Edmonton from Vancouver... ah well.

Anyway enough about my delayed bag misfortunes. I had an amazing Christmas at home with my family. All my brothers were there and of course Mom, Dad and Santa Claus spoiled us beyond belief. I was fortunate to find a brand new Espresso Machine under the tree to help give me a bit of an extra boost around the trails (Thanks Mom and Dad!!!) I also received many other amazing gifts!!! Thanks to my family for a great Christmas and a break from the first part of the racing season.

As I head into the second half of the race season and some of the biggest races of my season this weekend I have a new attitude, focus and rested up body (forced to take some extra time off getting sick over Christmas). I was fortunate to race a race at home, yesterday in fact before rushing home to get changed and race to the airport! It is very special to get to race at my home club, where I started to race over 10 years ago now...wow that is a while now!


The course was one of the hardest I have ever raced! the 7.5 km used in the National Championships in1996. What a burner of a race, I am glad I got the bad one out before trials I was blowing cobwebs out the whole way. My legs were burning along with my lungs and arms. it was a tough mental battle!

So as soon as I get my clothes bag and ski bag I will be testing and preparing for the U23 world championship trials here in Duntroon Ontario.

I will keep you updated on the status of my bag and how the week unravels!


Chris

Canmore NorAm's

Photo: Zach Caldwell

I just finished my first full weekend of racing here in Canmore Alberta. This past weekend started off with a continuous pursuit (which I didn't race) on thursday, a Free style sprint on Saturday, and finished with a 10 km Classic race on sunday. Thursday I found myself busier than I would have been if I raced, I opted to help out with Amy wax testing. It was a pretty relaxed morning we started around 7:45 am and had found the wax shortly after that.

Saturday morning came, I felt very confident and relaxed. I had chosen my skis the day before and skied the course many times so there was no stress on the equipment side. I arrived to the race site about an hour before my start, discussed a little strategy with Zach(Amy's Husband) and Amy. Began my warm up about 40 mins before my start and was off to the races. I took off the line exploding from one ski to the other down the straight stretch and cutting a hard right at the end of the stadium. I blasted up the first hill and over the top into a tuck. I then climbed up the last hill before descending into the stadium, at this point I could start to feel my legs turning to stone. As I rounded the last 180 degree corner I started to dig deep before tucking into the stadium. I hit the final stretch and can describe it in one word...helpless. All my leg muscles had lactated up hard and I was losing second after second. I came in a disappointing 23rd place a little over 8 seconds off the lead.

When you have a set back like this it is important to re-focus because the real race is yet to come, the "Heats", where they group 30 skiers based off the Qualifier into 5 groups of 6 skiers.
from there the top 2 skiers from each heat move on with the exception of the 2 fastest skiers behind the top 2 (hope that makes sense) also known as the lucky loser.

My first heat came and my first heat went, leaving me behind. My body physically could not do it today, I brought my "A" game mentally but physically my fellow racers had the advantage over me. So I took an easy cool down and headed home for the day...disappointed and beat.

The next morning I woke up feeling like I had just been hit my a truck, sore and tired but still determined to race my heart out in the 10 km classic. I skied a conservative race which was smart because I still died hard. If I had gone out super hard I think I would have been alot worse off. I feel as though I skied with good technique and little snap, which will come with more racing and intensity. I will get a good dose of that this weekend in Val Cartier, Quebec. Thursday I sprint, saturday I race a 20 km pursuit, and sunday another classic 10 km.
Very busy schedule before I head into my Christmas break and return to Burns Lake to do some final preparations before heading out east, again, to race the U23 trials.

I will try to keep you updated as much as possible while I am on the road so lets hope for wireless internet!


Thanks to everyone keeping up with me and to all my supporters, listed to the right of my Blog.
I hope to see everyone when I am home, preferably on the trails!


Cheers

Chris

One down...Rest of the season to go...

It is always nice to get that first race under your belt. For me the Classic sprint race on Sunday was a decent starting point. I found weaknesses and I found strengths. I finished the qualifier strong; qualifying 9th, an ok start but nothing to write home about. I know there would be alot of people who would be happier than anything to be in my position. I think that one of the things that makes me a great athlete is the fact that I am not happy in second place. I strive for greatness, not good enough-ness. My quarter final went well I skied a relaxed third position up to the final 200 meters, then turning on the after burners to ski a relaxed 2nd in to qualify me for the semi finals. The Semi-final I had was a tough one, I believe i was ranked 5th of the 6 of us in that heat. This didn't concern me, just the fresh snow that decided to fall did. That heat took off hard, I relaxed into 3rd, sliding down to 4th then 5th up the second climb. I then picked up the tempo grabbing back onto the group but only to slightly lose out of the A-final, I will give props to the guys slightly ahead of me in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, all world class sprinters. I finished 4th of 6 and was headed to the B-final, fighting for 7th-12th. I as the snow got heavier and heavier, it was obvious that Dave Nighbor, who decided to double pole the course on Skate Skis, had the fastest skis of the day. Bang!!! the gun goes off and the B final starts I settle into 4th...fighting to stay there, I am now running on fumes, which is not that typical for me. Generally I get stronger as the heats go on. I find myself slowly falling off the group of four ahead of me and slightly pulling ahead of 6th. I finish the race exhausted and disappointed.
Going into the first race I was confident in myself and knew it wasn't going to be a cake walk. I also know that I will be stronger and faster in the races this coming weekend In Canmore AB. starting with a Free Sprint on Saturday, and 10km Classic on Sunday. I am fortunate to have a mini fan club known as Mom and Dad, coming in to cheer me on which is always a special deal because they very rarely get to see me race with my hectic race schedule.
Until Next Time!!!
keep 'em pointed straight on the down hills!


Chris