12.29.02-12.31.02

 

Presque Isle, Maine

 

JOQ Races

 

            We left Gilford, NH at about 7:00 am on December 29th and drove for 8 hours until we got to Presque Isle where the first thing we did was check out the race facilities.  The building for the race center was really nice and was brand new.  Then we got back in the car and drove for another half and hour until we got to the barracks at the Heaven, on an old military base! Kat and I were told not to touch the windows because they might crumble!  Kat and I roomed together where our room had a sink, a refrigerator that didn't work, two beds, a chair that was about to fall apart, and a table.  There was light and a heater, there was also hot water in the shower.  When Alexei got there we went to a church where they served us dinner.  We had to be in bed by 9:30 OR ELSE!!!  But in the morning Alexei told us that we were going to sit outside for 15 minutes at 6:00am, did we do that, no, we went running!!!  At about 10:00am we arrived at the skiing center in Presque Isle and had practice, Kat, Irene, and I skied together for about 2 hours.  The course at Presque Isle seems like it wouldn't have any hills, oh but it does!!! We ate lunch at the church again and then went back to the barracks and slept until 2:00pm and went running for 30 minutes.  That night we went back to the skiing center and I watched everyone do his or her sprints.  Kat made the second round but then Hannah stepped on her pole and it broke.  Again we ate dinner at the church.  The next morning, Velo, (Dorkas's dog) found a huge empty Gatorade bottle and was carrying it around at 5:30 am banging it against everyone's door, it was very cute!!!  We then went running for a few minutes and then started to get ready for the big race that day.  My race went pretty good, 11th, and I watched all of the other races because they went right after mine.  We got our things out of the barracks and got in the car and drove from about 2pm until 11pm!  What a way to bring in the New Year!

 

 

3.26.02

 Middle School Championship

From a racer’s view

 

By Sara Ellen Godek

 

            The day was beautiful and the team got out of school after first period. We all met at the bus pull around and Monica was late, so was I. We loaded the bus and sat in the back. Monica and I took pictures of “before the race” and of Alexei reading the newspaper. That was funny. The road to the Sandwich cross-country trails was bumpy and you would jump out of your seat when you went over a bump.

            When we got there Didi, Lizzy, Alex, Ian, Monica, Karianne, and I went to preview the relay course. Alex and Ian would be on a mixed team and Lizzy would also be on a mixed team. That left Didi, Karianne, Monica, and I to race for our school as a team. I raced first and got us off to a good start. We were skating and when I came in to the last corner and I thought I would run into Didi because I had to tag her. Didi was slower and put us behind and Didi tagged Karianne. Karianne didn’t get us ahead but then Karianne tagged Monica and Monica got us into second place.

            We ate lunch and then got ready for our race. It was a classical race and it went off in heats of five girls every thirty seconds. Monica was in the first heat and I was in the third heat with Anna-Maria and she was just a little faster than me and I stayed behind her the whole time. The race was a mess up because they forgot to tell people where to go so some girls skied 1k, 4k, or 5k. The boys’ race was right after our mess up race so the girls would go again after the boys. Alex did well but his ankle was hurting because of skiing classical and Ian did well too. We (the girls) rested awhile while the boys finished. Finally we got to race once again. This time the course was very well marked and since we had raced a 4k before that race the officials cut the course down to 3k. I again stayed behind Anna-Maria for the whole race. Towards the end of the race I was going slow and now I know where I could have done better and faster.

            After the race we had a scavenger hunt to do. That was to find officials and get a sticker from them. We did this because we had to wait for the race results to come in. Everyone waited, and waited. The boys’ times were up first and Alex got 4th and Ian got 15th. The times of the girls’ race were slow in being posted and everyone thought that maybe that they had screwed up the girls’ times and we would have to race the race all over again. Finally the times were posted and Monica came in 1st, I came in 5th, Karianne was 20th, Didi was 21st, and Lizzy came in 28th. I have a feeling that Didi and Lizzy will do a whole lot better next year because this was only their first year and they did phenomenal. I hope that next year I’ll get maybe second or first but we’ll see. Overall the Gilford girls got 2nd place as a team. That was exciting and we got a trophy sort of thing that said we were the 2nd place girls’ team in New Hampshire. We want to hang it up in the school for everyone to see.

            Thanks Alexei for waxing our skis and helping us at practice! You were the best coach! Everything was so much fun, I can’t wait until next year!