1st place - C1W (I was the only one in the class)
2nd place - K1W overall (1st in my age group)
On Thursday and Friday, I only trained in my kayak. I never quite got comfortable on the larger drops, and I assumed I'd swim out of my C1 at least once. I thought I would put it off until the milder Buttercup race on Sunday.
Then, Friday night, I had a thought. I was paddling way out on the reservoir, chilling out with the loons and watching the sunset. Registration was closed, and no other women had registered for C1! If I could just make it down the course, I would win the event. I had nothing to loose. If I swam, so be it.
The next morning, I spoke with the race director, Randy, and added C1 to my registration. I am so glad that I did. This felt like my first "real" slalom race. Big, pushy water, really amazing athletes, sexy new composite boats. I am so glad that I pushed myself -- it means I will be one step father along when I get to Golden in a couple of weeks.
Everyday got better -- over the weekend, the water somehow morphed from terrifying to exhilarating; the gates went from impossible to wonderfully challenging. At the Buttercup race on Sunday, Hailey (an amazing 13 year-old from Wisconsin) had a great run in her glass C1, and in our excitement we decided to run C2. We borrowed Pete and Susan's glass C2 and headed back up to the top. We splashed, laughed, and dug deep all the way down the course. Again, I find myself more focused when I am in a boat with another paddler than when I am alone. We cleaned the final drop easily (something I was never able to do in my glass C1) and paddled backwards across the finish line after blowing the last upstream gate. It was a fun run, and we were the only C2W all weekend!
I am inspired. I want this.
A few pictures:
My blue helmet cleans gate 20
Hailey heads towards an upstream gate
The Saint Louis River is a stunning place to paddle
The blue C2 was a little fiesty
The bruising on my right foot showed up again
The UMD training site was a great resource and made me quite jealous
My sleek's toothy grin launched down the river
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