I have a quick second to post some photos and to write a quick blog entry so here goes. First off, we are having a BLAST up here! We have been skiing, I have been training and skiing, and everyone is generally happy! We had a quick bout of the flu that went through mom and Annie, but they are now on the mend. Jeremy Wright Snowshoe Champs were CRAZY. Like I thought, everyone came out with their A game and it was tough competition, to put it lightly. The course was awesome and started at the top of the strawberry lift at Beaver Creek. It was defintely a "high altitude" race and you could feel how thin the air was. We had great weather, blue skies, light whispy clouds and in the 40's. The dash for cash was once again a total riot. I got second this time, and boy, I was close...but just not quite there! After a teary moment of silence for Jeremy Wright (avid snowshoer, died in Afganistan) we were off.

The race started uphill and went up up up for some time. I just wasn't feeling it. Last week I had to take Sunday/Monday/Tuesday off due to illness, but I'm not sure if that was it. My legs were heavy, and I felt sluggish. I had to remind myself several times that it was 100% okay to treat this as a training run. Once I believed myslef, I calmed down. Somedays you just don't have it. So I tried to enjoy the course which had a nice mix of powder and groomed trails. Around mile 3 I started to feel better, like I had a little more in me, like I could actually start racing. So I picked it up. I started making up the huge gap that had developed between me and the lady in front of me. I continued to feel better and better and by mile 5 I was racing hard. I passed several people and was able to stay strong. Coming over the last hill my dad was there taking photos. I totally would have walked that hill, but he was there, so I ran it. Boy was I pooped. The finish was downhill and I was really glad for that.

I finished in the 8th place overall for the women. I am happy with that given the way my race went. Steve had some really kind words after the race, and I know in my heart that this is where I need to be right now. It's easy to want to enter the 5K and win and get to stand on the podium, rather than race a race that is twice as hard and not come close to the podium. But racing the with the top of the top is what makes you strong, both in body, and in mind. I was not trained or tapered for this race. They are just strength training exercises, and they will make me a stronger triathlete. So, as I told Steve yesterday "I will keep on keeping on".

I hope that some day Beaver Creek hosts the USSSA Championships b/c it would be the IDEAL location for a Championship race, as it was on Sunday!

We hosted lunch back at out condo after the race. We had lots of friends and teammates over and I had a blast! Massive amounts of Pasta, salad and cookies were eaten, and the company couldn't have been better.

I am hoping to blog at least once more, but since we don't have internet in the condo it makes it a little tough! Dad, Vahid and I have been skiing with the helmet-cam and we got a GREAT clip of dad and I crashing one after another that I am definitely going to post soon.

Here are a few pictures from Sunday. Here is me coming up the last hill.

Here is Troy, Annie and I after the race.

Here is Jon, Beth, Me and Jewles after the race.

Here is Amy on the lift on the way back down.

I LOVE this shot of my dad that I took. We never have pictures of him b/c he is usually the photographer!

Lastly here is an awesome shot that I took when I was on the lift coming back down. My dad was skiing under the lift and I got this awesome photo. I should totally be a sports photographer...not!