Cross Country Skiing update #1

Hey, this was what you meant by starting up our blog again right? Anyway, I wanted to update y'all on something I've been doing a lot of this winter, and yes, that actually is x-c skiing. To start off, I should say that my dad got me a new pair of waxable (read: racing, I can tell you more about that in a comment if you wish) skis for Christmas, and I'm joining him in 'the tour' of races in our area this year. There are three races, one of which we've already finished, and we've also been going out training pretty much as often as we can. Lemme break it down for ya.
The good news: Two Saturdays ago we did the Tryit (12.5km/~8mi.). There were I think 53 participants, some from out of state even, over a wide range of skill/experience and age, and also including both classical and skate skiing in one big crowd. If you're not familiar, skating is a different form of x-c skiing that is basically more efficient, much faster, and I think a bit tougher. My dad and I don't skate hardly at all, and for this race we weren't exactly competing against them, but the results were all lumped together (kind of frustrating). Anyway, long&short, for my first time out on race skis, it was sweet! I finished right behind my dad, and we're pretty sure we finished 1st and 2nd in the classical class :). I also got second in my age group, right behind someone who was skating. (I'm intentionally leaving out the fact that there were only 3 people in my age group, so that it looks like I did a lot awesomer) Given that I'd never even raced on skis before, it was really intense, and pretty fun, too. Of course, winning in our class probably helped a bit with that last part, but hey.
Okay, now the bad news. The next race is a 25k at the Olympic course in Lake Placid, with much more serious racers. We skied the first part of the course earlier this winter, and it basically goes up and down a mountain several times. My dad was actually thinking about asking if he/we could climb up our local downhill skiing hill on cross country skis just so we could work on our climbing for this race! Also, this,
(taken a few minutes ago) is where we had nearly a foot of snow yesterday, and where we would go out to train sometimes. It's been over 50 degrees today, and there are less than 2 weeks 'til the Lopet (the race in Lake Placid). But, it's supposed to turn colder again soon, and maybe we'll get enough snow to get out again before the week is over. Yesterday my dad gave me a course map for the Lopet to stare at and start getting psyched up, so hopefully we won't lose all the benefits of the training we've done so far.
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Hopefully you guys actually read this, and maybe some day you'll have posts of your own :)