On getting back to work and the importance of focus

This fall was a weird one for me.

I was injured or sick for most of running season, and dealing with that just left me drained heading into ski season. While I was still training, I didn't feel like an athlete.

I had come to grips a long time ago that my college experience was abnormal at best, both in academics and athletics. But now, with my college career ending in a mere five months, reality is starting to unwind.

I've been an athlete my entire life, from racing NHARA and BWL races as an Alpine skier, to six years of lacrosse, ski jumping, and now my ninth season of Nordic racing, I am realizing how fortunate I have been to be able to compete for most of my life.

This year marks what may be my last season of competitive Nordic skiing for a while. Graduation is looming, and as fun as it is, the job market has a much stronger pull than running around the northeast chasing snow.

This doesn't mean I'm hanging up my skis for good. Wherever I end up I hope to still be able to ski and continue training, but my days of high stakes weekend racing may be on sabbatical.

Back to this season though.

My end goal for this year is to have a solid place in the top 30 in the EISA by the end of carnival season. Last year I finally broke into the NCAA points, but still a top 30 eluded me. After this fall and early winter, hopefully I can make it happen.

The season starts tomorrow at St. Lawrence.