Check out some older updates

• Fifty Finished and now on to the World Cup Finals
  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!".
  Written on Tuesday, 13 March 2012 19:45 Read more...
• Holmenkollen 50km Tomorrow
  "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…
  Written on Friday, 09 March 2012 17:26
• In Europe for the Final Stretch
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 05:15 Read more...
• Whistler Once Again
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 14 January 2012 02:08
• Round 2 - Rossland: My Sprinting Made an Appearance...
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 21 December 2011 22:45 Read more...
• First Ever NorAm Win and off to Rossland...
  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,…
  Written on Tuesday, 13 December 2011 22:54 Read more...
• Kuusamo Mini-Tour
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 03 December 2011 02:55
• Things are Getting Slow-Moed in Östersund...
  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…
  Written on Friday, 18 November 2011 14:51
• And We're Off...
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 13 November 2011 19:50
• Östersund
  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…
  Written on Friday, 11 November 2011 16:48
• New Website, Europe, and News
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 08 November 2011 22:04
• Get Your Fall On
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 22:28
• The Semi Déjà-vu Camp
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 28 June 2011 17:16
• Habitat for Humanity
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 05 June 2011 18:15 Read more...
• Dreaming of a White [May]
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 26 April 2011 18:15
• Canmore Nationals
  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…
  Written on Thursday, 24 March 2011 18:15 Read more...
• It's a Canada Winter Games Update
  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.  
  Written on Wednesday, 09 March 2011 19:45 Read more...
• 5th
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 29 January 2011 09:22 Read more...
• Otepaa World Cup
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 25 January 2011 18:15 Read more...
• Sovereign Lakes Recap
  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.  
  Written on Thursday, 16 December 2010 07:00 Read more...
• This was me a Decade Ago...
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 11 December 2010 07:00
• A Kevin Sandau 2010 - 2011 Season Preview
  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.  
  Written on Saturday, 04 December 2010 01:13 Read more...
• Photo's from Hoth
  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.
  Written on Sunday, 24 October 2010 07:00 Read more...
• It's a Miracle!
  This commercial isn't exactly new, but a very important message can be taken from it.    
  Written on Monday, 18 October 2010 07:00
• Jasper: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.
  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.
  Written on Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:00 Read more...
• Reminiscing on a "not-so-summer-like" Summer
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 18 September 2010 07:00 Read more...
• New Denver and Stuff
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 11 July 2010 07:00 Read more...
• The 'March-April-May Update' in one
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 15 June 2010 07:00 Read more...
• Updates from U23 - #4 - 30km Pursuit Photo Update
  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 -…
  Written on Monday, 01 February 2010 07:00 Read more...
• Updates from U23 - #3 - Lucky 13th in the 15km Classic
  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…
  Written on Thursday, 28 January 2010 07:00 Read more...
• Updates from U23 - #2 - Italy, Stomach Bugs, and Some
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 24 January 2010 05:00 Read more...
• Updates from U23 - #1 - Willkommen nach Deutschland
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 16 January 2010 21:20 Read more...
• To Sum Things Up...
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 10 January 2010 07:00 Read more...
• A Weekend to Remember
  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…
  Written on Tuesday, 15 December 2009 07:00
• October 9th, 2009: The Nine Gun Salute
  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.
  Written on Friday, 09 October 2009 13:21
• Whistler Camp with a slice of Crankworx
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 02 September 2009 07:00
• It's Update Time
  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…
  Written on Thursday, 30 July 2009 07:00
• A KooK's Eye View - Part 1
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 11 April 2009 07:00
• Recount gives Foothills Nordic Justice
  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.…
  Written on Tuesday, 24 March 2009 07:00
• Volume 1 : Part 4
  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…
  Written on Thursday, 05 March 2009 01:23
• Volume 1 : Part 3
  Liberec, the self proclaimed city of white snow track, has more than lived up it’s name. Every morning has greeted us with grey skies and snow, sometimes big white fluffy flakes, sometimes sharp little ice daggers. Combine this with temperatures around 0 degrees and things begin to get interesting. Glazed tracks, soft tracks, powder, ice, we have had it all in the span of half an hour. To say waxing has been tricky would be…
  Written on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 17:08
• Schilpario, Schilpario, Schilpario
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 07:00
• Fünf (and the typical sprint)
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 15 February 2009 07:00
• Volume 1 : Part 2
  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…
  Written on Friday, 13 February 2009 07:00
• Bad Goisern Austria
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 11 February 2009 07:00
• The Butler Chronicles
  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…
  Written on Wednesday, 04 February 2009 07:00
• OPA
  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…
  Written on Monday, 02 February 2009 07:00
• My best NorAm Result Ever! ...in a sprint...
  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…
  Written on Saturday, 24 January 2009 07:00
• Post U23-Trials Update
  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…
  Written on Friday, 09 January 2009 03:34 Read more...
• The "Official" Launch of Sandau.ca
  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…
  Written on Sunday, 23 November 2008 07:00
• The McMurtry Report
  That was a quickie. I can vividly remember the first races of the season in Silverstar as if it was yesterday, and now I'm looking at my calendar planning my upcoming time off in April (which will consist of making some serious coin so I can continue to live the "extravagant" skier lifestyle). It's sad in a way, athletes "endure" seven months of training only to be rewarded with four months of the good stuff.…
  Written on Thursday, 06 March 2008 00:00
• Wicked Sweet Cool... I'm not doing the relay...
  So it looks like I won't be doing the team relay. Apparently 5km is referred to as a sprint instead of a distance race these days. My mistake, the course is 3.3km, as there is the assumption here that the race finishes at the top of an arbitrary hill and the gradual stuff after that means jack. The Canmore world cup wasn't 15km, it was 7.5km, all uphill. The 5km course profile, with my added…
  Written on Thursday, 28 February 2008 00:00
• WJC 10km + 20km Update
  Well two races under my belt, and I have to say I'm pretty happy with the results so far. The weather here in Malles is exceptionally warm, but the snow in Schlinig (where the trails are) is doing a good job of sticking around. Because I can't really sprint worth a damn, I took Saturdays sprint off and focused on Monday's 10km classic individual race. So far this year 10km hasn't really been my thing;…
  Written on Wednesday, 27 February 2008 00:00
• Welcome to Livigno
  So far so good. After a long day (or two?) of traveling we finally made it to our first stop, the alpine town of Livigno, Italy. As my first international flight, the experience was interesting to say the least. After our airplane was delayed on the tarmac due to an aggressive passenger in Calgary, we landed in Frankfurt with a little under half an hour until our connecting flight to Munich left. I was pretty…
  Written on Tuesday, 19 February 2008 00:00
• Pre-Italia Departure
  It's finally go time. After having to hang around Canmore a little longer, World Junior Champs is less than a week away. I was looking forward to Poland but having the competition in Italy now makes the trip a little sweeter. Nothing like going to a boot shaped country that makes plenty of novelty comfort foods. Packing always seems to be a nerve racking experience for me, gotta triple check everything, and a few things…
  Written on Thursday, 14 February 2008 00:00