Hello, Mariah here! Last weekend the BSF Pro team participated in more Supertour races. We were in Lake Placid, New York and had a classic sprint on Saturday followed by a 10k skate race on Sunday. The winter really showed up and we were all bundled up for the week, skiing in cold negative degrees. Races were delayed and the sprint day was condensed in order to make the most of the warmest possible hours of the days!
The racing weekend began with a Classic sprint. The heats were condensed due to the cold forecast. As a team I think the BSF Pro team showed up relatively well. The cold didn’t get in the way for 3 of our teammates to make it into the extended podium. Logan, Lauren, and Erika all placed in the top 6 for the most notable results of the day.
Sunday’s race was a 10k mass start skate for both men and women, as USSA is trying out gender equality racing by having men and women compete the same distances. The best results for our team that day were 4th places by both Erika and Finn. I didn’t quite have the race I was hoping for, but am looking forward to reset and try again for the upcoming three-day weekend of racing though. I have raced in Craftsbury once before for Senior Nationals a few years ago and remember the courses being fast and fun
After the races the BSF Pro team drove from Lake Placid, New York to Craftsbury, Vermont which took about 3 hours. All in all the team vibes are high and there seems to be good momentum going. The team seems to be in good shape and I think everyone is looking forward to another weekend of racing. There will be a skate sprint on Friday, 10k classic distance race Saturday (for both men and women), and a 7.5k skate (also for both men and women) pursuit race on Sunday. Additionally the weather forecast should not be as cold as it was last weekend in Lake Placid! The day after we arrived Andy took us on a scenic distance ski through the Craftsbury country land. It was very nice to have a warm sunny day for the first time since we had flown out :)
On a broader note, the Olympics are kicking off in Beijing tomorrow! It is going to be awesome to see so many familiar faces in the Olympics this year. I have always especially liked watching the opening ceremony and can’t wait to see what it will be this year.
