In every Adventure there is risk

My dear, dear friends,

I have known you all for many years, many adventures and here upon us was another. In every Adventure there is risk. You all know I am not Risk Adverse….

The Risk – The strategy required me to ski through the worst conditions for 12-14 hrs in order to see if weather and snow would be on our side. Everything else, all the controllables were perfectly ready! What I needed to do was to sustain 14 km and hour for 12 hrs and hope that weather conditions would cool enough to speed the track.

No one here needs to read a novel on this, I know. But I wanted each of you to understand that I was not careless with your gift of time and support. I weighed the risks. I wanted, so wanted the forecast to be wrong. I had to weigh many outcomes, as we all do, as to why I wanted to try again this year versus another. I did not go to the start line to have you all do yet another round of exhausting support to practise… You my beloved community are volunteered and supported out!

I am sending this to you all at once however I send it to each unique drop of you. To send my gratitude, my love and most of all my respect for your time, your love and oh so much energy that you gave to me and this attempt… I just want to know ….. Where do people like you come from ….? Really… where do you come from! I hope these words are safe with you…

For weeks we have communicated with the groomers at the Nordic Center. Paul Ashton, leader of the team has been remarkable in his efforts. Paul you have always been a character of true support in this community and in this case went far beyond. He along with Chris filled, scrapped, set the best course, measured (like 3 different courses) and then again reset the course. You have pulled off a tough year up at NC and then to put so much into this. I sincerely applaud you and your team…. More Rum your way Sir!

On Wednesday night before the start Leighton and I evaluated the snow conditions. In one day our lap (3km) went from 9 + minutes to 11+ minutes. Leighton Poidevin at that time made the right decision to not start. As he said “Cyd, you and I do not need to practise 24hr events…. We need to break a world record”. He needed to be able to maintain 9+ min laps to achieve the record. I would need to achieve 10 minute laps. I said to Leighton I will decide later. I will come back at 11 pm that night, March 25. If the skies clear it may freeze enough. I will make a call at 8 am tomorrow. Leighton and I texted everyone to let them know our decisions.

11:00 pm March 25

The skies cleared and the stars came out… temperatures lowered…

I delayed my decision to the morning and told myself if I can do a 10 minute lap at 8am I will start.

6:15 am

After a sleepless night. (Always training J) I just wanted to know… I popped out of bed grabbed a tea at the place that has given me the best start to all my days. The Summit Café. I have been going there for 20 years since. Kevy first opened…..

6:45 am

Damn it… I did 10 minute laps. Easily. Crap Cyd …. Can you do this? …. I skied it 4 more times… because I lost my fricking phone…. But each lap was 10 minutes…. That was all I needed to maintain through the day and then if evening could bring cooler temps…. Cooler than forecasted… we can do this! Everything but the snow is on our side…..

Don’t get me wrong I love you all but my best friend in these circumstances is the snow!

8:00 am

I saw Leighton in the parking lot. He said what are you doing… and I said “Cape on…” He gave me an awesome “Yes!” and away we went…. It was a flurry to get resorted. I had put everything back early in evening and helping my daughter, Lauren, leaving on her first ever road trip to Moab. Georgia with Michael in Tofino surfing up a storm! (Way to go girls, how I love your strong sense of adventure)

10:01 am

Richard Borutova… once again has the course laid out and the timing equipment ready. Velíte můj obdiv a úctu, pane! (You command my admiration and respect, Sir!)

Start line…

1 minute late and for those who know me… that is an improvement J
Peter Elster is there from Czech…. Yes another skier! Way to go Peter! I think to myself he can do this… and I don’t even know him….

12:00 pm

Crazy Larry… you deserve an entire book all on your own … now this is real. Larry is here and if anyone can win the world on enthusiasm it is Larry!

Leighton although not going for record was right there… Unbelievable. Leighton skied in front of me lap after lap. I was quickly reminded of events and training that we had done in the past and where I would be looking at his butt for hours on end and his will would tow me up and down … always 6 iches behind his bike. Yes blind faith …. He has brought the best out in me many times and here he was again.

Can I ski at 14km/hr for 12 hours in these conditions is question?

2:00 pm ( 4hrs in )

The answer is yes I can ski at this pace for 12 + hours …. But what will the weather do…. ?

Leighton right there. Perfect temp and pace. Pole after pole. Few to no words hour after hour. All we have to do is bare through this time. Alicia Evans is there with all her experience!

Peter is still going… he is a good skier… His goal…. To ski 24hrs

4:00 pm ( 6hrs in )

Skis are being turned around… Guy on top of it all. I have one hot pair of Rossignol skis and poles… the others not working as well …. Decision to go with shorter poles. Quicker turn over…. This is a good decision. My mind can’t remember the person that so kindly said “Would you consider changing your pole length…” thank you mystery man!

The grooming. Just incredible… They are doing everything they can best ever! …. Come on snow be the best friend you are supposed to be!

But I can’t help but note that this is like skiing in white sand….. Heavy, wet white sand J

Body is good totally good! Mind is good over and over I think if the people that I hate and why! …. Kind of kidding but a little anger shows you have fight in you! I remember wanting to tell my girls how much I love them…

6:00 pm ( 8 Hrs in )

Heath McCroy my long and dear friend Heath. Are you insane! But there he was pulled right in. A master in just sign up for shit!

Conditions continuing to decline. Lakes appearing in new places, shear ice on the back side climb and then into snow that felt so deep it was sucking me into the center of the earth. Heavy slushy snow that you had to flick of your skis every 15 strides or so.

Community continues to stop in… and it really filled me up… Glenn Bleakney (Jocelyn & Dilan), Michael Lesley with his own children,

8:00 pm ( 10 hrs in )

Feeding is going the best I have had in 12 years…. Alicia and Guy have it dialed…. As the song goes “with a little help from my friends” …. Ahhh and then Lynda Davey 12 years deep in being a friend, a sister and supporter …. Pedals up with her foot in cast….. “Hey team has she had a pee yet…” she says without hesitation…. “Hmmm not yet hey … “and she was sucked back into support…J

Peter…. Steady he goes… Taking breaks but still going!

10:00 pm ( 12 hrs in )

I was still in the running. Just barely … all we need it to have the snow be my friend. What kept pulling me along was some areas were fast, the mass start area, the stadium, following the shadows of the trees (I know that sounds desperate but it is what was required) and ever so slightly I was gliding further down the back side …I told myself anyway … I swore I was leaving a wake in the water behind my skis J

Quick clothing change… I was scared to go inside…. I know what happens when you go inside… you may never come out….. But Julie promised me… so it was great…. We were out in no time…

More Community… Nevil Stow, Frank Kernick, Tanya McGarrigle, and more… in my head people are becoming unrecognizable and I remember wanting to thank each person so much but can’t put all the names and faces together.

11:00 pm ( 13hrs in )

I could feel the odd drop of water on my face… with a fatigued mind at this point I thought this is refreshing (Not in a ski race Cyd, not in a ski race!) At first I was hoping it was the splash of snow behind Heath’s poles in front of me… alas no it was rain…. I could only see this at night on the back side with my head lamp on … not great…. But okay, just keep going Cyd just keep going…. Just keep doing what we call the “24hr double pole survival technique”,

12:00 am ( 14 hrs in )

The snow is not cooling. In fact warmer. The small creeks of water that were flowing down the side were turning into rivers and for each hour that went by more rocks were coming through the ice climb on the back side. Another huge lake grows on the climb out of the stadium.

I have to evaluate the goals can I do a personal best, just get over 300 km?

Heath and Leighton incredibly have be changing in and out, skiing with me every step of the way!
You know when you have a Frank Kernick on the side line feeding you Rum and Coke… this could be good or really ugly!

2:00 am ( 16 hrs in )

I speak to the team… I have to reconcile. The only thing left is to finish 24 hrs. Damn it more practise!

No other word to describe my thoughts and I say it right there… this will be fucking brutal… no goal, no task for my will to attach and lock into. At this point my will and drive … the only thing that has carried me to the top of my “Everest’s” …. (And there has been a few) was throttling back.

This is not good. The snow, the snow has not become my friend yet. I say to Leighton it is time for him to go home. I will never forget the look on his face… but he kept skiing…. For me.

Peter taking maybe his 3rd or 4th break… but he is making is goal…. He can keep going

3:00 am ( 17 hrs in )

I consider taking break… this is very risky. It is a party killer. To stop… because you have to be able to pull yourself out again…. It is like taking a powerful drug and if the world record was right there…… it would be the right decision. And yet more amazing people came to support Vicki Young, Marty Avery and Dave Stark…

3:30 am ( 17.5 hrs in )

Kamila Borutova who has the record 333 km ( Fresh off Green Land Race) takes over for Leighton.
Finally the snow cools enough to gain momentum on back side but does not relieve the ice climb and deep soggy snow climb that has now become almost a walk with weaker legs…

4:00 am ( 18 hrs in )

The Hollows despair are right there…. Right on time… Julie Waldock has me ready like never before….

Neil Fox from Life Works. You remind me of operations all the hard work behind the scenes to make it happen …. Neil has never give up on me. Truly a phenomenal trainer. The depth and knowledge of his experience will take you anywhere you want to go…. Ask yourself where you want to go and he will get you there…. Just sign up (for shit! )

He asked me in the days before if there was one thing I wanted ….. And I said “tea and donut” at 4 am ish and there he was ….

4:30 am ( 18.5 hrs in )

I was skiing with Kamila. She asking “what do you want to Cyd… “Kamila the undying …. Committed…. “Cyd there is another year….. What do you want from this moment … this year…? “

My will … now gone. Why was I doing this and what is the statement I want to take from this that I will have to carry forever? Complete 24hrs with the worst amount of km I have ever had? Just say I skied 24hrs… or just say I stopped at 18hrs … everything was so well done …but the snow…. You are not my friend on this day…

I needed this to be a wise decision, the best decision….I stood at the end of the stadium… spoke with Guy. Please forgive my boldness to express, Guy… min kj…. I reached into your deep blue eyes…. something in your eyes took a thousand years to get here… a decision for “our” days ahead …. At this moment in time knowing one will never remember the pain or hardship. You only remember the goal …. And there was no goal to be had that I have not already achieved.

I stopped.

10:00 am ( 24hrs )

Peter Elster finished with 270km. He completed his goal. I congratulate you fellow skier. Truly, congratulations … you achieved your goal!
That day in Canmore temperatures + 18c. Nordic Center closed down for the year.

The goal of the record was clear however additional goals were …. To continue the event, Ski Fest, that Kamila and Richard Borutova started 5 years ago. As well they offered support to Leighton and me if we wanted to try for the World Record again this year and I was not certain this would be offered next year.

And snow … like all friends we can never give up on each other…. So the question is will you and I meet another time …. Will I be ready for you and will you be my friend….