November 27, 2008 (Kuusamo, Finland) – As athletes we like things to be predictable and controlled because that is the easiest situation in which to perform. Yet, in a sport like cross-country skiing, things are almost never predictable and controlled, and in order to be successful I’ve found, you have to be able to deal with whatever comes!

A few weeks ago I caught a flu bug while traveling back from a training camp in Canada. For a few days I didn’t do much besides sleep. While it’s never ideal to be sick, sometimes it happens, and so, instead of fretting about it, I focused on taking good care of myself to get healthy as soon as possible. A week later most of the symptoms had cleared and mentally, I was ready to get back on the horse. I trained easy for a couple of days but was anxious to start doing intervals again.

When I finally did get to do my first intensity session, I was surprised to still feel totally tired, heavy and wiped out. Being sick had felt like a rest week with low training volume, but it was far from it. The virus definitely knocked me down a few pegs and I was amazed how long it took me to feel normal again. With the season only a few weeks away, there was definitely some underlying concern that I wasn’t ready for the racing to start. I almost felt out of shape at times, and it would have been easy to get totally bogged down with the pressure and doubt. Thankfully, with the help of my coach (Erik Flora) and my husband, I was able to remain confident in my preparation and continued training hard. Even though I didn’t feel like a rock star, I could tell the body was coming back around and would be ready to go for the first race. Sometimes you just have to believe!

Near the end of last week, I wrapped up my final few training sessions with my APU team, packed my bags, and headed off to Europe for the start of the World Cup season. My travel over to Finland went pretty smooth, despite a gnarly snow storm in Helsinki and fully packed flights all the way.

Upon arrival in Kuusamo, Finland, I was dismayed to find that my ski bag had not made the full trip and was stuck in Amsterdam until further notice. The airport clerk assured me my ski bag would be on the next flight to Kuusamo the following day. It wasn’t ideal, but I figured I could manage for one day.

Unfortunately that “one day” turned into several and I didn’t manage to get my ski bag until today, Thursday. And even this morning, when I happily bounced over to the hotel desk to claim my ski bag, said to have been delivered by the airline, I was horrified to find only my ski pole tube with a baggage claim tag and no skis. Luckily, I was notified an hour later that my ski bag had been delivered to the US wax techs by the Fischer team who had accidentally picked up my bag at the airport thinking it was theirs. In the mean time I had made do with borrowed skis, boots and poles.

Now that I have all my gear, I am ready to race. Cross-country skiing must have one of the longest off-seasons and after seven months of training, I can’t wait to see what my body can do. This season begins with a new significance as it is my first real races since my blood clot incident. While my health is now back to 100%, I have a greater appreciation for simply being able to race and I’m intent not to take my opportunities for granted.

Wish me luck in this weekend’s classic sprint and 10km classic. I look forward to sharing the stories with you next week! Stayed tuned to skitrax.com for all the results and stories as the 2009 World Cup season unfolds!