RELAY!

Our Ladies Relay Team! (me, Kikkan, Mo and Caitlin)

30K today, should be awesome!  More later.

Podium Shot

One of the best ones taken!  Kikkan and her husband Jeff who is here waxing for the Australians and got to witness her incredible performance yesterday.  These guys have two of the best smiles in XC skiing.

(Photo courtesy of Garrott Kuzzy)

HISTORY!

KIKKAN RANDALL MADE HISTORY A FEW MINUTES AGO FINISHING 2nd IN THE SKATE SPRINT!  IT IS THE BEST FINISH FOR AN AMERICAN EVER.  I WILL POST PICTURES FROM THE AWARDS CEREMONY TONIGHT.  HIGH FIVE YOUR FRIENDS AND EVEN PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW TODAY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING, HOLY CRAP THIS IS COOL.  GO USA.

Sprinting

Sprint day today.  It is snowing like mad and it a bit windy, so tactics could play a big role in the heats this afternoon.  The sprinters have been sitting around for a week now and are antsy as hell to get out there.  Today they get to do that.  More later, but here are some photos from the week, some are courtesy of Torin Koos and Garrott Kuzzy.

Torin Koos in our ice bath/trash can filled with snow and icy water.

The drive from Italy to Czech.

One of the guards outside our wax cabin.  

These guys are on duty 24/7 and it is not 

nice weather to be standing around all day in.

Kris Freeman on the big screen after his 4th place finish in the 15K classic.

     Andy Newell in the ice bath.  All in.

Deep Purple

Sometimes you can pick a color or a shade that describes a feeling or a stage in your life.  Sometimes it is based on a mood, sometimes it describes the weather, or an activity.  Last night, it came in the sound of a band.  Deep Purple, otherwise known as the band who played "Smoke on the Water", performed at the Nordic World Championships opening ceremonies, and let me tell you, here in Czech, they are still HUGE!  People stormed the towards the stage, pumping fists and listening to the sounds that brought them back to their glory days, the 70's.  It's always fun to see what music does for people.  Like colors, it can bring them back to a time or place that they had forgotten about, a song that reminded them of a time in their lives when things were different, or a person who made them smile, a trip they went on.  Deep Purple did that for many last night.  

Today is the first day of racing at the World Championships.  The women are kicking it off with a 10K classic and tomorrow the men will race a 15K, also classic.  On the women's side we are racing 4: Morgan Arritola, Kikkan Randall, Laura Valaas and Morgan Smyth (who won the qualification race yesterday!).  I am not racing today, but will be in the 15K pursuit on Saturday.  The venue has been windy and snowy every day we have been there, making for drifting, slow snow on parts of the course.  I am about to go out and watch the race, so I will update later with pictures and results, etc.   

RAMSAU

I have spent the last few days in Ramsau, Austria, staying at an incredibly clean and inviting guesthouse.  I am now off to Italy, where internet is always impossible to come by, to race a world cup this weekend, and then will drive to Czech for World Champs.  Hopefully internet will be available there.  If not, www.fis-ski.com will have results and live timing if you are into it. Thank you all for your incredible support of me.  I would not be able to do any of this without you.