22nd January: Today I raced my first cross country race in France, in the French Alps. Nice feeling to wake up surrounded by mountains and with Mont Blanc in the distance. Day started early in the wax room with the Italians in the corner raising clouds of white smoke as if electing a new pope instead of fluorinating their skis like mad dentists.

Woke up with a pain down the back of my left thigh which didn’t go away and during the race it made for heavy weather, especially on the uphill sections of which there were many. Was feeling very tired, probably the travel and the altitude (1500m). Haven’t gone so much skating this year so I feel it. The Nepalese Sherpa Dachhiri was in front of me all the way and despite my best efforts I never caught him. He’s improved a lot recently and is planning to do the 50 km in Torino like my Algerian skier friend, Nourredine. He’s a long distant hill runner and has won many races in France, even running for 21 hours non-stop! I wasn’t quite last today, had a guy from Monaco behind me. Well tomorrow I’m looking forward to the classic race, though it’s a mass start so I’ll have be sandwiched in between the seniors and juniors. Will just have to hang on in there I suppose.

In the evening went for a wee ski tour and run with Nourredine. Came across a house that had dumped a massive avalanche of snow off its roof so anyone that was walking under it would have been buried outright, pancake skier glacee.

Took a long bath and some ibuprofan to help the thigh. Then dinner, a small glass of langudoc wine which was nice to savour and then more waxing. Will use powder wax tomorrow, the expensive stuff. 50 grams costs well over €125 and it’s only enough for about 4 pairs of skis. Best not spill it!