While cleaning out my room I uncovered something I haven't seen for quite some time. Rolled up and hidden away in the back of my closet was an old caricature of myself from when I was 12.
Drawn on a school trip to Quebec, the photo is a great (or very poor) representation of what I looked like a decade ago. Seen below is myself with the apparent need to use the washroom, lips bigger than Angelina, and of course some cookies.
Ahh, the younger years.
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Norway's gotta be one of the best places to race in the world. Besides the pretty spectacular ski trails around Oslo and at Holmenkollen, it seems like Norwegian spectators have a soft spot for Canadians. From start to finish on Saturday's 50km at Holmenkollen Park, there was no end to the shouts, "Go Canada Go!". 
"Yikes." - that's how last weekends 30km skiathlon in Lahti, Finland can be summed up for me. After catching a cold in the final few days in Seizer Alm, my energy levels took a steep dive and remained low long after I got over the sore throat and runny. Upon arriving in Finland and skiing on the race trails, my body felt like dial-up internet yearning for some DSL. Come race day I was playing everything… 
I’m back in Europe - Italy to be exact. After wrapping up the Canadian NorAm Circuit last week, I grabbed the FIS Regional spot, giving me starts in all the March World Cups, including the Finals in Sweden. Rewind back to my last update, I had just finished racing at Callaghan Valley near Whistler and was in tight contention for this trip to Europe. Using the best of 8 races, it was a battle royale… 
Racing has started up again for 2012, and I'm back in Whistler for what seems like the millionth time for some NorAm races. It took awhile for me find my legs in yesterday's 30km, but by the time I transitioned to skate, things were looking better and I was able to grab the win. Taking a turn at the front in the skate leg, thanks to Angus Cockney for the photos Brent McMurtry… 
The racing is over and after hanging around in Rossland for a couple days, it's back home for me for some good ol’ Christmas time. Greyhound could be a bit more reliable with their bus service as I'm stuck in Revelstoke for the time being, but it's given me some time to do some computer jamming and whip out an update. This past weekend's NorAm's were a bag full of firsts for me, particularly in… 
The straggling bits of jet lag have passed and the racing season in Canada is in full swing. Upon returning back home from Europe, I had a week and a half of Canmore time before packing up my bag again and returning to the road. This time Sovereign Lakes and Rossland NorAms. Already having more than a few races in the bank this season, I was excited for the 15km classic race at Sovereign,… 
It seems like my brain is starting to function again after a few rough days of jet lag. I'm back in the snowy homeland after my three week stint in what could almost be described as Europe during the spring. Kuusamo, Finland was my last stop on the trip with some world cup mini-tour action. In the end I finished 73rd, jumbled back in the pack but gained some good insight and experience in my… 
It's my final few days here in Östersund before boarding a plane and heading to Kuusamo for the final and most important stretch of my trip; the World Cup mini-tour. Today there was a race organized with some of the local clubs and us because our original races in Roveniemi were canceled. I ended up 3rd in the men's 12km classic race, just 9 seconds from the win. It was a nice change of pace… 
The season is officially a go. All things considered, yesterdays 15km skate race wasn't too bad despite finishing in the 50's and just under 2 minutes back. It was a pretty windy course with just a couple short hills (not the best for me) but things generally pick up after a few races in Europe. (Photo: Erik Wickström - www.erikwickstrom.se) I'm back in Östersund where the skiing is now a 5km loop with some pretty… 
The first few days in Europe have been nail biting to say the least. Getting off the plane in Östersund, Sweden felt more like a mild April day in Canmore rather than the cold weather I was hoping for. Not a good feeling when I left some pretty good snow conditions back home. The teams home for the first few days was Camp Södergren, where some saved snow from last winter was made into a… 
Drum roll please! I had been thinking and talking (albeit quietly) about redesigning my website over the past year, and after months of going back and forth within HTML's and CSS's, it's finally ready for prime time. With my new site design comes a much easier and quicker way of posting updates, so I'm looking forward to keeping it updated more often. I just arrived in Östersund, Sweden as part of Cross Country Canada's "Convergence… 
Jeeze, summers all wrapped up? It seems like my 2011 summer was just like last year; trip up to the Haig Glacier (albeit this time with the National Ski Team), trip to Whistler and plenty of training around Canmore. Maybe that's why I'm having this "just like yesterday" feeling. Because of the synchronicity of summer, my efforts to write a unique summer update this year were in vain. I took to micro-blogging in 140… 
It was back to BC for our yearly "four-day stint in a small town with a long ride" camp, this time in Kaslo, just an arms length away from New Denver. Of the places I've been to (which is a considerably short list), Kaslo probably has the most ice cream shops per capita, counting four shops within a block of each other. But that's not the reason for staying there. On the plan: the… 
Last week (well more like a week and a half ago) a bunch of athletes and staff from the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary got together to help volunteer for Habitat in Humanity as part of the new "Sport Inspires" initiative. I was fortunate enough to grab a spot and help out with the project; a set of condos going up in Cochrane. Not really knowing what to expect, I drove out on a particularly rainy… ![Dreaming of a White [May]](http://www.sandau.ca/media/k2/items/cache/19f9cefdfb07230a68581d617885a3af_S.jpg)
My bad. Looks like my wish of being able to ski up at the Canmore Nordic Centre year round has a fighting chance. Waking up this morning I didn't think the snow fall warning for the Bow Valley area had too much merit, but I guess the +20cm dump was to make up for the lackluster snow we had in November and December. Looks like its time to put back the bike (seems like that… 
After a small bout of internet darkness in Sun Valley, I'm back in the 21st century and can now throw my 2011 Nationals update up. National Championships is a touchy subject for me. No matter what sort of preparation, or what sort of shape I'm in, I can never seem to pull together a great Nationals. My team-mates and race-mates talk about how they've go more national medals than bad Adam Sandler flicks, and… 
The 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax Nova Scotia are all wrapped up, and I would say they were pretty comparable to those held in Whitehorse back in 2007. That's a pretty good thing when Whitehorse was a truly unforgettable experience. 
Finishing 5th (and only ~15 seconds from a medal) in Thursday's skate race still hasn't really sunk in yet. I was walking into the race with a Top-10 goal for that day, but I never really expected to be so close to the podium. With a conservative start to the race, I was skiing comfortably in 6th for the first lap and was able to gradually push the speed. I crossed the line in 3rd… 
How many days have I been in Europe? It seems like after a full day and a half of traveling overseas my ability to keep track of time and days has diminished. I guess today would mark my eighth day in Europe and sixth in Otepää, Estonia, the site for the Under-23 Championships and two World Cups this past weekend. The trip started in sunless and foggy Vierumaki, Finland, our staging area for the first… 
Well the first set of NorAm races are finished, and it’s time to get ready for next weekend. The back-to-back racing at Sovereign Lakes, BC this past weekend definetely had its ups, along with things that could have gone better. 
While cleaning out my room I uncovered something I haven't seen for quite some time. Rolled up and hidden away in the back of my closet was an old caricature of myself from when I was 12. Drawn on a school trip to Quebec, the photo is a great (or very poor) representation of what I looked like a decade ago. Seen below is myself with the apparent need to use the washroom, lips… 
The racing season is soon upon me. Actually less than 24 hours away, with my first two races of the season here in Canmore. After winning both AWCA hosted time trials last weekend, my eagerness to start racing is at an all time high. Below is what my winter season is shaping up to be. 
Last week the team and I went up to the Haig Glacier for some fall skiing. The weather was great for the most part, and the skiing just like mid-winter. Photo's below: The run up into the Haig camp seemed a lot more like fall than last time I ran up. 
This commercial isn't exactly new, but a very important message can be taken from it. 
There's always a back up plan. With Monday's planned Haig Glacier camp delayed until next week due to some unforeseen groomer problems, myself and the rest of my "Haig-Bound" teammates tagged along with the younger AWCA athletes for a three day camp in Jasper, Alberta. Monday started off the camp with a five-hour skate roller ski up the Icefields Parkway, just ending short of the Columbia Icefields. 
As we enter mid-September, we usually start saying farewell to summer and welcome the onslaught of fall. If you lived in Canmore for the past four months, you said goodbye to spring and quickly welcomed fall without embracing arms. With more rain than sun this year, summer in Canmore was a distant memory of the past. Training in cooler temperatures and rain isn't always a bad thing, but it really makes those sunny hot days stand… 
Summer is in full stride now and training seems to be as normal as ever (which for me, is a good thing). The end of June brought with it the typical testing regime that I experience every summer to gage my fitness. Spread out over the week was a V02 max at the TCR Sport Lab in Calgary, uphill skate time trial, and double pole test. Breathing through a tube while already oxygen deprived… 
Note: For those that don’t like reading, or can’t, your best bet is to just skip ahead to the pictures and enjoy. Or wait until this update is Podcasted onto iTunes by Morgan Freeman. It’s been 134 days since I last touched Sandau.ca (well unless you count Twitter, than it’s only been a couple hours), and much has happened since my last race at Under-23 Champs in Germany. Here’s a month-by-month run down… 
Deja what? After racing to a 13th place finish in the 15km classic event it seems like a repeat was in order. Another 13th place finish, this time in the 30km pursuit. The race consisted of a frustrating bumper-to-bumper classic leg, with heavy snow preventing the pack from dispersing. After the exchange things started to get a bit more spread out and I found my way in the second chase group with positions 7th -… 
I have to say there isn't much more I could have done today, ending the day in 13th at my first Under-23 Championship race. Fresh snow in the morning made for softer conditions, very different from the Canmore like conditions we had yesterday. Although it felt like I started the race quicker than I normally do (and I know usually I'm a bit of a slow starter) I was surprised when I was getting splits… 
The past week here in Europe has definitely had its up’s and down’s for everyone. Last weekend we got our first look at a stomach bug that will eventually consume half the team within the week. Jess, my roommate and AWCA teammate, was the first person on the trip to be claimed victim to what we referred as the “Zombie Disease”. Although we have no proof that Zombiefication is a result from this bug, the… 
After some 30+ hours of flying, waiting and driving, the U23/World Junior team has made its way to Hinterzarten, Germany. Or at least close by. We are now on our third day here in Germany and are starting to find our groove with sleep and time change. The trails here offer some great climbs, and are made to resemble four lane highways, something even Canmore can't compete in. Apparently there are over 90km of recreational… 
2010 is here and so far it's been an exciting winter. The week after the races at Sovereign Lake I took on my first 50km at the Canmore Nordic Centre, the conclusion to the Olympic Trials. This entailed 10 laps of the Olympic 5km course, which is known for its tear inducing climbs. To make things even more exciting, it was an individual start, which meant for a lot of people (like me) most of… 
Well that must have been one of my best weekends ever. In sort of all regards. The first Nor-Am races of the season at Sovereign Lakes were also the first set of the Olympic trials for Team Canada. Win the race, (and presumably) go to the Olympics. For me though, this was just another race, no form of selection or politics, just a a good old fashioned "give her all you got in preperation for… 
Wow: It's only the 9th of October and Canmore skipped fall for some early winter action. With a snowfall, -18 degree weather and the Nordic Centre blowing snow, these sure are exciting times. Check out the photo's posted at Sandau.ca/photo to see whats up. 
Nothing like capping off three hard weeks of training, half of that spent in possibly the most expensive place in the world. Or at least in my limited travels. The Academy just got back from our training camp in Whistler, which seems to have gone pretty well. There was a bit of worrisome thought towards the fires going on around Lillooet and training in smoke (something I’m not too big on), but a full day… 
Woops, sort of let laziness take the better part of me. It’s been since May from the time when I had anything worth updating about. Things have been slow. Training is normal, and life is same old. I keep trying to rack my brain for some sort of update, but let’s face it; winter is just a more exciting time to unleash my thoughts. I almost had an update for June, something about the Stanley… 
Welcome to my first installment of “A KooK’s Eye View”, a critical look at current affairs and the issues affecting our daily lives through imagery. The inaugural issue demonstrates the pointless connection between GT'ing down the Grassi Lakes hiking trail by night and Nintendo's Mario Kart, and it's meaningless realization that we can draw upon its inequitable result. The beginning trek up the racecourse. The blinding flash forces Jess and myself to squander in… 
Calgary based club victorious with 8th consecutive aggregate championship after the biggest recount since the 2000 Presidential Election Pete Norwood - Associated Press – Foothills Nordic Ski Club head coach Chris Jeffries can sleep easy tonight. After a tense two days of recounting and waiting, Cross Country Canada has admitted to wrongfully awarding the Nakkertok Ski Club from Cantley, Quebec the 2009 Club Aggregate title, and has rightfully bestowed Foothills Nordic with the coveted honor.… 
That’s it that’s all. With the conclusion of the 50k my first world championships has come to an end. 50k. It even takes a long time too say. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. I had a whole week after the pursuit, to squirm, fidget, dread and yes even make excuses. But the 50k was my self proclaimed man challenge and I was finishing no matter what. Turns out all the dramatics… 
I have now returned to the comfort of Canmore after my 2 week trip in Europe. After the races in Zwiesel , we traveled to Schilpario, Italy which is surrounded by some of the best mountain views. Schilpario it turns out, has left me sort of bittersweet. Schilpario, Italy was good on the eyes. The last three races in Italy consisted of a classic sprint, 10km classic, and 15km skate. It was 3… 
Some pretty exciting racing this weekend in Zwiesel Germany which apparently is the glass blowing capital of the world. Saturday was the 15km classic race which I finished 5th. (I must explain why I claim fünf (5th) and not 6th. Graeme Killick finished ahead of me, but because he was an Under-20 racer they excluded him in the Open Men awards, so I got a fünf place trophy. On the FIS site they include all… 
Today is a sad day… it’s our last day in Livigno. Even though this is my second trip to Livingo, the effect is the still the same, awe struck, star struck, mind bottling. Call it what you will, Livigno, in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the world. Nestled deep in the Italian alps, there are perfectly groomed trails winding alongside the town and through out the valley. At 1800m we are… 
Three days of travel and I am now in Bad Goisern Austria. I had been really dreading the travel here, in particular my flight with Air Canada, but surprisingly it was very pain free. My check in lady was probably the nicest employee working with Air Canada and seemed like she gave a hoot about athletes and the 2010 Olympics. She asked me quite a few question related to my skiing and I made my… 
Hello. My name is Chris Butler, long time dedicated fan of Sandau.ca and member of the AWCA. Recently this illustrious site contacted me for exclusive coverage of the World Senior Champs in Liberec Czech Republic. Tickled pink with this distinct recognition I quickly jumped at the opportunity, wanting desperately to be associated with this up and coming site. Journalism is unchartered water for me, so bear with me. My fabulous accounts may be an little… 
It's off to Europe for me. I have qualified for some OPA racing in Germany and Italy which will occupy me for the most of February. Leaving on the 5th, I have some long travels ahead, flying to Toronto, then to Frankfurt, and then connecting to Lyon, where I hope to rest for a couple days rather than driving 9 hours to Zwiesel Germany where my first races will be. But who knows. My biggest… 
What an exciting day I had today, marking my best result in a NorAm race to date, a respectable 7th. No, this wasn’t in a 30km, or 15km or even a 10km race; this race was just over one kilometer. The NorAm’s are in Rossland BC this weekend and today’s was a free sprint. My goal for today: try to actually qualify and have a decent quarterfinal. Well I did myself one more, finishing seventh… 
Bon, je me suis désole. Cètte ans jai regardé a fait la compétition dans le France. Mes 6 éns de l’emersion French ettre tûte de la fruit. Mon dieut… 
Back in January 08 when I launched Sandau.ca, I put up a nice big picture of me eating a smore that read, "A work in progress". Now whether you thought that implied the site was an ongoing project or just I as an individual, I must apologize for one thing. Rather than "A work in progress" it should have read "A long work in progress". Since its debut in mid-February, my website has been plagued… 
