Howdy,

Well I would like to apologize to everyone for the earlier post which was written under my name.  As most of you who know me could quickly figure out, I did not write that.  Someone apparently was able to access my account, change the password and email contact so that I had no way to sign on (apparently someone now has the email address  bentrueskis54 at gmail.com. … weird, huh?).  

So yeah, now that that mess is behind us…

I just finished up my last collegiate cross-country running season on the 23rd of November out in Terre Haute, Indiana.  Overall I think that my season went extremely well, just unfortunate that things didn’t click when they mattered most out in Indiana at the NCAA championships.  To say it was a disappointing finish would be an understatement.  It felt like I simply ran out of fuel after working myself up into the top twenty in the middle of the race.  One minute I felt great, in control, and completely relaxed and the next I was struggling to keep my body upright.  But besides the one hiccup, there were definite highlights throughout the season, proving that I am where I want to be and steadily improving, despite what my NCAA result.

After taking some time off over thanksgiving break -relaxing at home in Maine and stuffing myself full of turkey and pumpkin pie -I am now ready to jump into the ski season.  This year the transition from running to skiing was a bit abnormal and very laid back.  After taking five days completely off, I returned to easy running, delaying the start of ski training until this Wednesday when the entire Dartmouth ski team will leave for a training camp in Mount St. Anne, Quebec. <more on my transition can be found in a podcast I recently conducted with RunningTimes.com>  

After slogging through my final exams this past week, and pulling my first (and hopefully last) all-nighter, I am excited to finally get back on skis.  This season should be a memorable one to say the least, as it will be my last season of competitive skiing.  After much thought I have decided that I will retire from the sport of skiing after the 2009 season to pursue a career in professional running.  I am grateful to have had the privilege of attending Dartmouth College, which provided me the rare opportunity to complete in both sports and allow me to figure out what I was destined to do.  My decision in this will not alter my focus, determination or commitment during my final year of skiing, but only make me appreciate the hard work even more.  Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement over the past few years as I have struggled with choosing my path.  Come March, I am now ready to “throw all the eggs into one basket” and fully devote myself to something that I love.  Thank you all, it has been a pleasure sharing the trails with you.

Until then,

Ben