Italy Part 1

Hello! 

I was asked recently to summarize my :"skimo" journey.   After some thought, I replied, "I have grown alongside the sport." Many decades later, starting as a child in Oz and eyeing soccer as my pursuit, I am now a "senior women' ski mountaineer athlete, living in Colorado, representing my beloved first country during their summer. That's life, and shows how global things are these days.

True to the nature of traveling, it was not easy to get to this part of the world. Speaking to life circumstances before, and during the traveling. So much has come together for this trip and dream to happen. Hard to pick a time when it all started. I mean, we could go back to my University days when I was learning this sport with borrowed and improvised gear. But that would take too long. The point is that it has been a journey. And I feel grateful to be on this adventure. Thank you all for your help.  

Leaving Tim and the boys at home for this chapter in the story was hard. Ever since the 1st week in January, someone in the household has been sick- tummy bugs, coughs, Strep throat (me), and to top it off, Tim hurt his knee 4 weeks ago backcountry skiing. At first we thought it was a full tear. After an MRI and a 2nd opinion from of of the world's top orthopedic drs, it is looking like he strained 3 ligaments but they should heal over the next month or two. 

All this stress and uncertainty was tough leading up to my last test race before leaving for Europe. I raced the US National Champs teams race with a new male friend from CB. We did well, but I was running on fumes. After the race I had the worst 'bonk', as in I was so long on blood sugar that I collapsed. 

Made the 4hr drive home solo and then promptly got sick afterwards. 

Moving on, and always learning, I took the next week easy and came back to race fitness with a threshold 20K skate ski test race before leaving on Feb 12. 

Fortunately my flights and connections were mostly smooth. I say mostly because I was not able to sleep on the flights, then got my rental car without having pre-loaded driving directions to my first nights' accommodation.  Stubbornly, I thought, this would be a "fun" challenge, and thought I would just find a sim card in the first town I drove through.  While I accomplished the first goal of buying lunch at the supermarket, the Sim I bought could only be activated with wifi. Chicken and the egg issue.  I did manage to make my way around one-lane roads and small, picturesque towns in my rental 5-speed manual car.  Looking for signs in Italian with no help from a map or Siri.  No small feat. 

In the end I stumbled along and finally found the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Gavirate, just around the lake from Varese. I was so exhausted but frustrated and with pent up energy.  The AIS reception had rental bikes so off I went around Largo di Varese (40K). What a way to see a new area and breathe in the fresh and spring-like smells.

That night after finally going to my room, I met Phil my Aussie Teammate. He has been competing on the World Cup nordic circuit for many years. This year he is adding skimo to his athletic resume. So impressive, that he is traveling though Europe, racing every weekend in either nordic or skimo. 

Fast forward a few days.  After driving the long way through Switzerland on Tuesday, we arrived Tues evening. Wednesday we pre-skied the course. Yesterday was the Individual race. 4 climbs, 4 descents and some really tough conditions.  While I felt strong, I could not turn over fast enough. As a nordic skier, I felt like the snow would have warranted klister for kick wax, and in skimo world, ski crampons. 

Survival skiing for sure, did not feel like I was really racing. Once I got to the feed zone and the 1st booter, I thought to myself, I can race now, the snow is good. I think I picked up some time, but could not close the gap on the Italian ahead of me. I did get away a bit from a Spanish gal. All things told, I raced alright, but felt disappointed at the finish line.  I think each athlete finishing is a huge accomplishment so we should be recognized. My name was not even announced. 

Moving on, today as the 'rest day' i have focused on my equipment, my body and my mind.  I am working on making connections with other nations and folks in this small niche (and let's just say exclusive) sport. I know it is important for me to be here. As an ambassador for Australia, but also as a mom of two, a worker/citizen and one that is not a professional racer with a coaching and waxing team.

Keeping on, head up, shoulders back (Hips forward!:). 

Here we go! 

 

Here's a reminder to live your dreams and not be afraid to slip and stumble and ask for help along the way. 

--

Love Life,

Kate Zander

is going to be where the sprint course and 1/2 of the mixed relay take place! Steep and slick! 

 In my hotel apartment.  Lots of time and money has gone into my equipment over the years.  One of the biggest barriers to entry in the sport is getting hands on the gear. Like one needs to have an equipment manager, like Tim, who is looking for deals. Otherwise you can expect to pay multiple thousands of dollars just to get started, which i understand, is a bit elitist. For me, I started with the cross country and backcountry gear I had at the time and slowly made incremental gains each season. Buying and selling gear, with attainable upgrades.  Not easy. This photo represents a journey to me.

I met two of the local organizers, who are from the nearby valley. They were carrying up ropes to set in the last decent in the couloir. Ironically, to me, this was the easiest part of the skiing, because the snow was actually good. Chalky and powdery, more like Colorado. The next day, race day, Angelica was in charge of the medical response and 40+ volunteers from Search and Rescue. While I didn't exactly find the skiing ''fun'', I did feel safer with all the course personnel. 

Course preview day, Wednesday, was SO HOT! Like summer in Colorado.   The heat caused parts of the course to melt out and "open up", like places along the creek, but the course staff flagged places and kept the race course the same, to their credit! 

We came down this ramp, below the ice fall. It got so skied out that it was rutted, like a luge.

Transition from skin to ski, going down towards the bridge. 

Martello Biathlon Center. Where the sprints and mixed team relay 

Looking back at the 2nd and 3rd climbs and descents.

Phil with eyes on the 2nd (for the men's climb). It was closed for preview and the next day, apparently skinned and skied like a sheet of ice.

Phil pausing for a pickie. In the middle of the shot is the 2/3rd climb. Going through the ribbon/gap with a skin to boot to skin to the small col center of pic close ridge. 

Missing the family at home. Unfortunately both boys got my strep throat so they have missed school this week and made things harder for solo parent Tim. 

Our accommodations while in Martello

Close to Milan, the European Training Center is a hub of activity and training, as well as a home away from home for athletes

Feeling at home at the ETC

When I was lost in Varese (30min from Milan) I went to a local community college, thinking I could get free wifi. Not quite, but I got a hand drawn map and verbal directions. When does that happen anymore?

 Heading off on the journey. On the airport shuttle from the car to the airport, step 2 out of many.