Year 2002
After efforts of previous year I limited my skiing to Australia. First important event was ski rogaining in Falls Creek. This time my partner was Judy Herkes, great skier, rogainer, orienteerer. No wonder we came second overall, next only to a couple of young athletes involved in competitive sports.
Week later I snow camped at Mt Stirling and did some training there for Razorback Rush. I was very worried. While I had no problem with going up the mountain on touring skis, I was unable to make it on skating skis without stopping many times. After few energetic steps uphill, I felt very strong pain in my muscles and had to stop for a while. In my opinion, it was effect of 3 years of cholesterol lowering drugs which have devastating effect on human muscles.
The race took place next weekend. It was a comedy of errors. Start was somewhere in the middle of nowhere and number of skiers, including myself, could not find the place. Eventually we got there late and terribly tired after quite long and sharp climb. Organizers delayed start waiting for us. The course was very demanding - climbing to the top of the mountain and downhill ride back - repeated two times. I was so exhausted that I asked for shifting me to a shorter distance of one loop of the course. It was the same torture as a week before, and even more as I tried to keep pace with other competitors. After the race, there was no shelter and I had no clothes for change, and I was too tired to ski immediately down. As a result I caught terrible cold, which kept me in bed for few days. Then I found on internet the race results. Organizers forgot to shift me to the shorter distance and I was declared as taker of the second place.
Week before Hoppet I participated in the Rocky Valley Rush, this time on classical skis. I was still weak after the Mt Stirling race. And there was a bad news - this was the last race.
And finally Hoppet. On the proper course, in good weather. And I had company of Ania (her first Hoppet), Michael and my son in law - Peter. I did not mind that they all finished well ahead of me.
And finally - Hotham to Falls. And again, as Rocky Valley Rush, it was the last race. What a pity, that professional skiers are so tied by their training and competition schedule, that they cannot participate in citizen races.
At least we were compensated by beautiful weather and race on the proper course. Ania and Peter accompanied me.