Tyson Flaharty

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Besh Cups 1 and 2...

This past weekend Anchorage recently held the first two races in the Besh Cup series. Besh Cups are how Alaskan juniors qualify for Junior Nationals and Arctic Winter Games. On Saturday we had a skate sprint on marginal conditions, the rocks even ruined a few rock skis. It was not ideal, but when is it ever really perfect for what you want. Anchorage made it happen even though the snow was so thin, which is great.

We were using the new sprint loop that will be used at the Junior Olympics in Anchorage later this winter, and it was sweet. It is a hilly course that makes for a great competition. It starts on a gradual downhill into the first steep hill which slows you down a bit. Then it drops very fast back down to the stadium. After reentering the stadium it just loops around the south side and under the new bridge. It then finishes with a uphill to the line...very sweet and makes for some good races.

As for my race, I qualified 3rd behind Anders Haugen (APU/ Rossignol) and Vahur Tepan (UAF), and James Southam (APU/ Rossignol) was just behind me. I felt very good. I was skiing well for sure. I felt I could put down some very good power and go fast when I wanted to...so it was a good start. Then came my quarterfinal heat. I felt great and I was able to gap the others in my heat on the first hill. I was able to hold my lead to the finish without too much effort. Everything was still feeling good. About ten minutes later I had my semifinal heat where I got boxed out a little bit at the start and was starting to not feel so good. I ended up 5th in that heat. Not so good. I was starting to feel a little light-headed and nauseous at the start line. I did not feel like I was ready to race. By the time we started the B-Final, I was ready to be done for the day. When I was racing I felt like I had lost a whole gear that I was able to use earlier in the day. I was also feeling a lot of fatigue in my body. In the end I finished 11th, so not what I was looking for. After talking with Erik we decided I would not be racing on sunday and just let my body recover for nationals. I seem to feeling some fatigue from the last month of traveling and racing and I might have caught some kind of virus that knocked a few other people out at the same time. Who knows....I know that I will be rested and ready for nationals when that time comes next week.

Sunday the 15k mass start skate race happened with Marius Korthouer from UAF taking the win with James Southam and Brent Knight in second and third just a couple of seconds back. It looked like a very exciting race with many skiers breaking poles and destroying skis on the deteriorating course. I was not around in time to watch the womens race. Just check out Cross Country Alaska web site to see full results.......and now some pics from the last week or so and Besh Cups....

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