March 4th, 2008
Hey! I finally got this blog together, and just in time for some exciting stuff. I bought a new VW camper last week in Tucson and drove it straight to the Rendezvous 50K in West Yellowstone. After some scary loan check stuff and some time with a nice but stubborn seller, there was barely enough time for 7 hours of sleep and burritos at the Aphton gas station before starting the race. One piece of advice about racing - gas station burritos, of the breakfast variety or not, are *never* a good idea before a race. I’ve never been more uncomfortable in an event before, but by the second half I was feeling a lot better, and started to put the hurt on and ended up with a good result. Following about 15 minutes of kissing the ground in the finish chute and a nap in the EuroVan, I busted up to Bozeman to hang out with friends that were up there for some regional races.
After two days home in Jackson Hole to get some work done and ski the sick pow pow with some Alaska buddies, I headed out to Reno for the great race. What an event! If you like going uncomfortably fast for about 20K and using your tuck muscles more than your breathing muscles, this race is for you! My Buddy Lee and I sported the Team OIA suits and finished strongly after the pack of factory skiers with a full-on knock-kneed and white-knuckle side-by-side gaper-style finish. Awesome!!
So after some sad good-byes to good friends I’m writing this from a Battle Mountain, NV casino/restaurant, and back on the road to Jackson Hole. The local Sandbag Series final 10K is this Saturday and I’ll be looking forward to hammering with my JHole training buddy Erich Wilbrecht one last time before some Colorado Sun and Tele-skiing fun in Crested Butte for Saint Paddy’s Day. Keep it real folks! I hope you enjoy the blog! P.S. I can’t stop listening to Ramble On by Led Zeppelin. Still Awesome!
Tags: eurovan, great ski race, rendezvouz, reno
March 6th, 2008 at 12:53 am
HEY Patrick Kidd…Uncle Chris and I soooooooooooooo badly want to be you! Thanks for including us w/ the blog site. We love being able to follow how you’re doing.
After being bombarded by many grad schools the past 3 weeks, Danny made his decision and is heading to Florida State in the fall…freeeeeeeeee!!! Take care and keep sending us pics. Your racing/driving/living in the Euro/eating out of gas stations sound like a kick in the ass! xoxo
March 6th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Hey Pat!
It’s fun to follow what in the world you’re doing. So, I thought I had to tell you a funny thought: I recently heard that Govenor Palin is 7 months pregnant and is due in May…I was wondering if a former govenor of any state has ever had a baby in office and then I found myself saying “only in alaska.” What if she sported our ski suits? haha, next year she could do the ski for women, and be sooo awesome!
Hey, wanna drive to Whistler for some skirace spectating and spring skiing? Your van might really like it!
March 7th, 2008 at 1:10 am
I have no connections in Juneau with the Republican crowd and I am not sure you or the rest of the OIA folks want an OIA Lycra stretched around a Republican belly but it would be a cool photo to have an OIA Lycra top stretched around the pregnant belly of a sitting Guv, eh?
Speaking of which, I am all about getting OIA lycra on my aged butt to wear at the USAT&F national championships in Spokane in early August when I go down there to win the age group nat’l title 10K race. How much beer do I have to drink in how few seconds to earn OIA colors? BTW, I did a sub 17 5K at an all-comers meet last week so I’m not smokin’ weed or blowing BS here.
March 7th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Keep rocking Pat! Thought of you during the tour of Anchorage last week. Miss you, but was glad to NOT have you breaking my pole! Lots of OIA suits in the Tour! I took mine to the front of the 25 km classic. Don’t get pregnant in your ski suit or run for governor, whatever Kristy and Brad say. Happy trails!
March 8th, 2008 at 3:39 am
Patrick, I am happy to see you are still following your
dream. Take care and remember that I love you.
Grandma Belgard
March 8th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Good thing you’re down there, because the snow in the Chugach is super-deep, super-unstable, and superduper-dangerous; you’re safer down there skiing that light Rocky Mountain pow. But you might want to find your way up here for some great May skiing, cause there’s gonna be plenty of snow! I’m looking forward to following your blog, mostly to see if you can find a rollerski adventure that tops the training we did in Black Rock City, Nevada last August/September.