Transitions

Transitions can be a tricky time. Take offs and landings (aviation) and induction and emergence (anesthesia) typically bring increased risk. In cross country ski racing, well executed technique transitions between different terrain types can win you extra seconds and even races.

This autumn I was given the opportunity to take an exciting job in the medical simulation field; this saw me move across Canada from Toronto to Calgary. I packed up carefully selected belongings into my Toyota Matrix and made the long drive by myself in 4 days.

I am pleased to report that this transition has gone very well for me. Things have been busy, so it has taken me some time to get back to updating this website. Below I have a few pictures from the last few months. There are also five new articles below this one – happy browsing!

The fall colours marked the beginning of the transition period.

I had a really good summer of training with my coach Petr Jakl and the Lifeski Academy.
The chilly weather was upon us – I should have worn gloves during this race!

I made the drive across Canada during the transition from fall to winter. Luckily I avoided any really nasty weather. Most days were grey like this.

Stunning landscapes along the shores of Lake Superior – which I didn’t quite manage to capture in this picture.

In early December I traveled to Arizona for some training for my new job. I managed to make a stop in Montana along the way to compete in the US Super Tour season opener in West Yellowstone. This was a fascinating place to visit, it felt very remote, and I saw some bison and big horn sheep. Even the racing at high altitude went decently well.

Rendezvous Ski Trails entrance in the town of West Yellowstone. Some racers were skiing right along the roads from their hotels to get here.

In Montana, the least expensive rental vehicle was an enormous truck!

Blue skies on the way back to Bozeman to catch my flight to Arizona.

Arriving in Arizona was certainly a transition to a new climate – and not an entirely unwelcome one either! Due to some scheduling mishaps I ended up working at night, but this gave me the chance to visit the town of Sedona with a coworker. I was certainly impressed with the spectacular rock formations.