Ruhpolding Week 1

This week's World Cup was supposed to take place in Oberhof, Germany, but it was relocated to Ruhpolding, Germany due to lack of snow. So now both World Cups 4 and 5 are in Ruhpolding and we have set up camp here for two weeks. There is a campground with a laundry machine next-door to our hotel, so as far as I am concerned we should stay here as long as possible. 

Ruhpolding biathlon venue

Christmas cookies of professional-bakery grade,
courtesy of our wax tech's girlfriend

See if you can find the German pun...it's a good one

Yesterday's sprint race was similar to my races in Hochfilzen and Pokljiuka-- I shot well and skied slowly. I missed 2 in all three races (1,1 in Hochfilzen; 2,0 in Pokljiuka; and 0,2 in Ruhpolding) so I have now achieved all three shooting combinations for a total of two misses, and am ready to move onto 1 miss! I am pushing hard on the course and working on the technique points that my coaches suggest, but I just don't have the energy, speed or power to compete with these women. We are trying to remedy as quickly as possible. I am hopeful that the key will just be to race more in order to shift out of third gear and into fifth. Unfortunately it is hard to race more when you don't qualify for the pursuit. Next week, though, I will have two opportunities to race-- an Individual 15k on Thursday and a team relay on Sunday. I have lots of training between now and then.

My college running coach hit the nail on the head!