The Aspen Giant Slalom was a rough ride… The thin snow cover made the already challenging terrain even more pronounced, and snow conditions on the course were bumpy and rattley. Those of us starting toward the back of the pack were at particular odds considering only five girls who started outside the top thirty moved into the top thirty for second run. I skied well, but not fast—once again making the mistake of holding onto my edges too long. I was one of six U.S. women who didn’t qualify for second run.

I had high hopes for this weekend. I scored my first World Cup points on the Aspen race hill two years ago, and I won a Noram Super G there as well. It’s a difficult, technical hill—one that has catered to my strengths in the past. As my pole vault coach would attest, I am traditionally a “slow starter,” taking a long time to warm up prior to competition. Being denied a single warm-up run the morning of the race (because the only run on the mountain with enough snow on it was the race hill) was especially challenging for me. My first run of the day was my race run.

The race is slated to air on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) on December 4th, at 10 pm EST. I encourage anyone to watch the race, although I do not guarantee that they will show my run. Click here to view the U.S. Ski Team website article about the Aspen GS race (http://www.usskiteam.com/PublishingFolder/2504.htm) which includes a crazy photo of me.

I now head north to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada where I will race World Cup Downhill and Super G next weekend. On December 6th I fly to Europe where I will live, travel, train, and compete until March!