December 1, 2005 – Right now I am struggling with what I should write about. What do the majority of Haywood Report readers want to hear about? I think I will tell you about some of my teammates and some of what I saw in the last week.

I roomed with Chris Jeffries for the past two weeks which is nothing abnormal. In any given year I will spend over two months with this guy in very close quarters. I find him an easy guy to live with and have grown to appreciate his quirks. When he stares off into space in the early morning I now wonder where his thoughts might be taking him. I used to think to a “happy place” filled with all his pleasures and fantasies but now I believe he has actually learned to get some extra sleep in while performing necessary morning activities like eating breakfast. Judging by how fast he sprinted this past weekend it must be working for him!

Devon Kershaw has always been a bright light in our team. His spontaneity makes for very unique conversations and interesting training sessions. I must say I enjoy his company and like the aggression he brings to racing. Unfortunately he is nursing an injured rib and shoulder presently but he will be back soon enough to bring another level of racing to the table. Devon has some serious speed for sprinting but also the endurance to make a great distance skier.

Last year I spent a lot of time at the pre-Christmas World Cups and I couldn’t have done it without Sara Renner. Sara and I fed off each other’s company during that cold and dark racing period. We were north of the Arctic Circle and the sun made an appearance for roughly thirty minutes and the temperature was an average of minus fifteen. Not only did I enjoy her company then but also this summer during training session. With the lack of training partners Sara became one of the ‘boyz’ so to speak. She would take out roller skis that would roll a little faster to enable her to do intervals with the men. Her presence added a new side to our training that brought new challenges to the workouts. I never thought that I could be out double poled by a woman…well I now know what it feels like. It was a good summer of training and I like our new training partner.

It was because of Milaine Theriault that I had more time doing intervals with Sara. Milaine has been working through a long injury to her back this summer. Injuries for athletes are the worst thing that can happen to us. When I sprained my ankle and it was sore for a week I was pissed off and grumpy. To be in Milaine’s situation it is hard for me to imagine the frustration. It was good to have her back in the team at the camp in Silver Star. She is getting better and I know she is eager to race again.

Dan Roycroft is the strong silent type on our team whom we are constantly trying to fully figure out. He sticks to his guns and trains with confidence each day and I admire that. Dan knows what he needs in each training day and he listens to his body. This is something all athletes could learn from. Also if you ever need a well grounded opinion, Dan is your guy.

I have seen some impressive racing in my life and I know what Beckie Scott can do is impressive to say the least. She will come to a race fresh off the plane and throw down. This takes talent to constantly have the speed needed to take on the world at the drop of a hat. Beckie is also taking on the dopers of the world on the political side. With her fighting for a clean playing field we may one day race a competitors who do it our way.

Lastly, the gear guy…Drew Goldsack. Whatever you may need Drew can get it for you on E-Bay. This is the guy I go to if I need to borrow a socket set or an electric buffer for my car and should my bumper fall off on the way over, Drew will order me a new one online. Thanks for always helping me out Drew!

Who am I? You may never know! If I do my job right you may find out one day!! I am looking forward to racing with my team at the Olympics.