Back in This!
Hi Folks, This is my 1st post, as a master biathlete. My name is Sean and I wear many hats: husband, father, employee, dog owner, soccer referee, volunteer firefighter and biathlon enthusiast. I work pretty hard and, as my wife would say "you want to be good at it." I try very hard not to take myself to seriously. However, I'm human and judge myself harshly.
I moved up to MN years ago. I was living in Texas and collecting an abundance of burnt orange memorabilia. Then, I got a call from a headhunter. I ended up moving to SE MN. I met my wife on eharmony (I know, right?!) and we decided to move further north in MN. This is where I discovered winter. And ohhh, Duluth can have winters in a fierce way. But I digress....
A few years ago, I decided to do something, anything, to get out of the house during the winter months. I looked up community education and found classes regarding how to Cross Country Ski. Just a few nights, learning to ski with other adults who had no idea about the work and joy of XC Skiing. We took lessons at Snowflake Nordic Ski Center; 4 separate lessons of less than 2 hours. And yes, falling down without injury was practiced. For the uninitiated, you have NO idea how fast 'skinny skis' can go or how fast it seems you are going. It's downright terrifying.
Well, after one session, I saw these young ones skiing toward the lodge carrying cases on on their backs. I inquired about the A-shaped cases and found that they were rifles! The coach came into the lodge, after the arrival of the athletes and I asked about them. He told me about biathlon and invited me to come out to the range to experience it. I thought "What the hell?" Two days later, he had me use a club rifle, stabilized on a wooden scaffold support, to shoot at biathon targets. I was hooked! I've been doing biathlon since then. The difference is, this year, I am really dedicating time to training. In the last 3 years, I 've noticed that I am learning how to ski better, but haven't put things together to raise my competitive level. Finishing last is okay, if you have given your best. I have yet to give my best effort. Soooooo, time to get crackin' on it.
