Adam Kates

Coming soon!

Meet You Half Way, Part II
Monday, November 14, 2005

In 1999, Brady and I were both named to the Canadian Junior National Team. We were also accepted to Lakehead University and the National Team Development Centre (both in Thunder Bay). Along with then teammate Eric Potter, Brady and I moved into an off campus basement apartment. That year, we continued to train together and were both fortunate to qualify for the World Junior Championships. We would also each took home a gold medal in what were to be the final two races of our junior career (Brady won one and I won the other). I think that in those last two races we were equally as happy to watch each other cross the line first as we were to accomplish the feat ourselves.

It is said that all good things must come to an end. Sadly, after our first year of University, Brady chose to devote himself to excelling in Lakehead’s challenging business program while I optioned to keep pushing towards a degree whilst continuing to pursue my athletic goals. In those five years since Brady has stopped skiing competitively, I have had the good fortune of being on National Teams and Training Centers and have raced and trained in the company of some of the fastest male skiers that Canada has ever produced. There have been some great sessions, some amazing camps and some extremely positive experiences however, none of these ever came close to being as productive a partnership as the one that Brady and I had during our time racing and training in Sault Ste. Marie.

This year, as a member of the Exel Racing Team I have been training primarily in Sault Ste. Marie and have been doing the majority of my workouts alone. There have been many long and lonely workouts throughout much of this training year. Recently however I have had some welcome company. Brady has dusted of his rollerskis, laced up his vintage running shoes and has been a welcome training partner, providing both company and added motivation to get out the door and get the job done. For me, fall is the most difficult time of year to get motivated to train. Pole tips slip more than they stick while rollerskiing, hands get cold and numb when running and the summer wardrobe of shorts and no shirt is necessarily replaced by tights and long sleeves (for those of you who know me well, you know that wearing a shirt while training is not typically my favourite thing). Brady has been on a serious job hunt as of late and since landing a position that begins in mid-November the familiar figure that I used to see rollerskiing or running towards me every morning when I was a junior racer is once again making regular appearances on the roads and trails of Sault Ste. Marie. He was up for a 3.5 hour skate rollerski on Monday. He was worthy competition for a session of 5*3 minute ski bounding intervals on Wednesday. He easily hung in for 7 hours of a 10 hour training weekend and on today’s 5*5 minute uphill rollerski intervals he showed, after almost 5 years away from any serious training, the natural talent that he possesses. As a fulltime working man living out of Sault Ste. Marie and as a part time coach of the Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club I am sure that by the time March rolls around, Brady will be in amazing shape…the only question is….will I be able to convince him to ski on our club relay team at the National Championships in Thunder Bay? I guess only time will tell, but I have a feeling that if he decides to participate that he will definitely turn some heads.

I could go on forever about the times that Brady and I have had together, about the races that we have raced, about the close finishes and especially about the mischief we have gotten into together, but it’s late and I have to get to bed…I have to wake up early tomorrow…I’m meeting Brady half way.

See you Playa’s on the Flip……