Start to finish
The finish during the 5K race on Sunday at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
When we hit the mountain, it was 4 degrees. That's the coldest race day I could ever imagine, but if it's your first race of the season, you go for it.
That was the case for my daughter on Sunday at Prospect Mountain, a scenic area tucked into the southwest corner of the state in the small town of Woodford. It’s a nostalgic, old ski area that ran as a rope tow and a J-bar in its early days — and it’s still going, now as a cross-country skiing venue. This past weekend, it hosted part of the NENSA Vermont Cup series, including 5K and 10K courses — my daughter took part in the 5K.
COVID-19 protocols were strictly followed, as dozens of cross-country skiers from all over Vermont competed. Usually, my daughter would have skied in at least five races by now — but indeed, the pandemic has impacted all sports. On Sunday, the sun was gleaming in no small way, and the brilliant, snowy landscape gave us the gift of beautiful surroundings as everyone prepared to race. All of nature’s elements had something of light to them.
That day also gave me the gift of a parenting experience I hadn’t had very often. I had been to my daughter’s races before, but this one was different for me, and not just because of the arctic cold. It was the first time I got to see the process leading up to the starting line, beginning with seeing her wax her skis in the living room the night before, along with all the packing and preparations that go into a two-hour family drive. I saw her perseverance and dedication to her sport, from start to finish. It's a complete experience I didn't have when I was leading a newsroom in my former job, when family time was always short. I’d been to these races before, but I hadn’t fully appreciated how much work went into preparing for them. It was good to be present, even with the challenge of rising before 6 a.m. I was ready.
Part of being ready was turning the RAV4 into a ski lodge of sorts, because with the pandemic, there was no lodge available. We arrived at about 9 a.m., and my daughter went straight from the car into her course preview run, the sunlight beckoning, the cool, windy trail waiting. My wife and I went over to the start, to check out the angles for taking pictures and generally take a look around. A gentle slope would take the racers up into the 5K course, where some windy spots in the woods awaited them. Another slope on the opposite side would bring them down to the finish.
Cheering for our daughter as she double-poled her way out of the start, I felt proud to be there, witnessing the result of her months of work — after her first summer/fall stretch of nonstop training. Her passion for the sport showed then, and it glowed now, even amid such a challenging onslaught of cold. Her plan for pacing herself at different points of the course, was being put into practice, and years of learning put into action with each stride.
As the race ended, my daughter powered through the finish, making it a strong day of racing that was very much worth the wait. Make no mistake, she was very ready to throw on some layers not chilled by the air. One of them was her toasty, insulated reindeer onesie; it's a standby for races. As she headed off to "warm down", I put her cold jacket into one of our bags, as I had dozens of times. But this time, it was with a bit more focus, a bit more attention. I had gone through the whole process of a race day, during one of my daughter’s most challenging competitions. Start-to-finish is a concept in and of itself, and one that’s exemplified in a race. It’s a matter of starting strong, using your power wisely, and persevering through the elements, until the very end.
The power of perseverance enabled my daughter and her fellow racers to finish their course in single-digit temps, with wind. Such an accomplishment is its own reward, a harmonious blend of hard work and dedication yielding progress, something I was proud to witness. It showed me that the true power of any experience is seeing progress right before your eyes, and sharing the good it brings. Sunday was that kind of day, and I'm looking forward to more days like it — even if I have to bring my heaviest jacket along.
— Gareth Henderson
