FasterSkier

Category: XCFeeds

A collection of live feeds from cross-country ski blogs around the web.

  • Leaving West

    West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10… In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

    Another breakthrough day for an APU’er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He’s been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

    Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can’t wait to get there. 

     

    Photos by Ian Harvey

  • Leaving West

    West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10… In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

    Another breakthrough day for an APU’er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He’s been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

    Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can’t wait to get there. 

     

    Photos by Ian Harvey

  • Leaving West

    West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10… In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

    Another breakthrough day for an APU’er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He’s been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

    Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can’t wait to get there. 

     

    Photos by Ian Harvey

  • Leaving West

    West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10… In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

    Another breakthrough day for an APU’er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He’s been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

    Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can’t wait to get there. 

     

    Photos by Ian Harvey

  • Leaving West

    West is done. I finished off the three days of racing with another 7th place finish. No matter what my fitness I always seem to be in the middle part of the top 10… In Saturdays 10k I went for the opposite tactics from Friday when I went out too hard and blew up. The plan was to ski conservatively for the first 3k and then pick up the pace. I did just that and almost got caught by Lars who started 30 seconds behind me but once I picked it up I skied a pretty solid last 7k but I think I started a little too slow and had a hard time getting going as fast as I needed too ending up only 6 seconds out of 2nd and 25 out of the win. 

    Another breakthrough day for an APU’er as Bart Dengel had his first podium in a distance race with a 2nd place. He’s been a great training partner the past few years and to see his results match his training is good to see. Atta boy!

    Tomorrow morning we head off too Silver Star, BC for a training break before racing again in two weeks. One of my favorite places to ski and I can’t wait to get there. 

     

    Photos by Ian Harvey

  • Cold in Ostersund

    This is a picture of the ski tracks from our hotel here in Ostersund.

    I think the potato count is officially over 30 now, not that I am keeping track anymore…  Besides the lack of culinary variety, everything is going pretty well here.

    Winter is definitely in full force here and the temperatures have continued to drop over the last week.  The past few days of training have been right around the -4F (-20C) legal limit for racing and it looks like it will remain the same for the first races.  Normally before a race the talk is all about how to ski a certain hill or the correct approach to the range, but this time it is all about keeping warm.  I still have not found a good solution for my hands and it has made for some tough shooting.  At times I have not been able to feel the trigger at all and I have had a really hard time loading the rifle because I literally cannot feel my hands.  Tomorrow I will try some new gloves and I am hopeful that will help.  Either way, I won’t be the only one dealing with these issues come race day…

    Only a few more days to go!

  • Race Snapshots: Kuusamo 10/15km Freestyle

    Use some caution interpreting these, due to the unusual race circumstances today.  These graphs apply only to today’s freestyle portion of the Kuusamo races, and each skier’s percent back (and hence their FIS points) can be influenced by the race tactics on the course, since we were dealing with a pursuit-style start and people were largely jockeying for position in the overall classification I think.

    For example, skiers with no one near them (front or back) may have little incentive to push hard, so they’re results here may look bad.

    This is a curious race format, since as far as I can tell FIS awarded WC points (and separate FIS points) for the results of just today’s freestyle portion, as well as the overall results of all three days.  (What the FIS points mean for the combined results, I’m not sure.  It includes a sprint qualifier!)  So technically, everyone ought to have had plenty of motivation to push hard regardless of their position on the course today, but human psychology is a funny thing.

    Anyway, just wanted to warn you.

    As usual, the (very large) full versions are below the fold, and you need to click on them for the full size.

    Related posts:

    1. <Race Summaries: Introduction
    2. <Trends In Race Times
    3. <Race Snapshot: Gällivare


  • -22C is cold.

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    Awoke to a veritable heatwave here in Ostersund: -17C (1.4F). Last night, training temps bottomed out at -21C (-6F), which felt very cold and made shooting a little more challenging than normal. I took a few pics after training this morning in the two or three hours of sunlight that flirted with the tops of the trees. I don’t think the light actually ever made it down on to the tracks. Enjoy.

  • -22C is cold.

    < <

    Awoke to a veritable heatwave here in Ostersund: -17C (1.4F). Last night, training temps bottomed out at -21C (-6F), which felt very cold and made shooting a little more challenging than normal. I took a few pics after training this morning in the two or three hours of sunlight that flirted with the tops of the trees. I don’t think the light actually ever made it down on to the tracks. Enjoy.

  • -22C is cold.

    < <

    Awoke to a veritable heatwave here in Ostersund: -17C (1.4F). Last night, training temps bottomed out at -21C (-6F), which felt very cold and made shooting a little more challenging than normal. I took a few pics after training this morning in the two or three hours of sunlight that flirted with the tops of the trees. I don’t think the light actually ever made it down on to the tracks. Enjoy.

  • ADK Daily Enterprise: NYSEF is looking for Volunteers

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  • Pictures with no words





  • Pictures with no words





  • Filling in the gaps

    As we work our way into the racing season, our hours of training start to decrease slowly and the intensity levels rise. This creates an influx of free time, especially while at a training camp or while racing. A big part of being able to perform at a high level regularly is making sure you are getting enough rest in between workouts and races. We all stretch, dryfire, sleep and practice other good recovery activities we are also often left with hours of the day that need to be filled with activities that promote recovery without having to work for it. The last couple weeks here in Canmore have given us a good taste of that time for the first time this year. And from my observations, this team has been pretty darn creative with their time.
    In addition to the normal movie watching and book reading, our group here in Canmore has really made the most of our recovery time. All of the females of the team have committed quite strongly to what the European call “fancy work”, also known as knitting. I think we could keep just about any knitting store in business for quite some time with this crew. Eileen especially, will make sure that there will not be a cold head in the house with her exceptionally fast hat knitting cadence. I try to keep up but just can’t hold the pace for long without messing something up.
    I was impressed at the fore thought of the team as well with three of us each bringing our own separate game of Banana Grams. We put two of the games together to make one epic game. It turned out to be a pretty long one but also a good one. A travel size game of Monopoly, in both English AND French!, was purchased during one of the very frigid days we encountered during our stay. I steered clear of these grueling and what sounded like, very cut throat games.
    And last, but by no means least, I contributed to our “after school activities” with my putter and golf balls. Yes, I traveled all the way out here with a golfing putter in along with my skis. Having a father that is as dedicated to the game of golf as I am to biathlon, I have made and heard many comparisons between the two, especially between shooting and putting. I decided that it might be fun to bring a putter with me this winter and practice a bit of putting here and there. It is as much of a mind game as shooting is and kind of fun to do at the same time. It also can become a great source of entertainment amongst the team.
    So while we are working very hard out on the ski trail and shooting range every morning and afternoon, we are also working hard in a different kind of manner when we are settled into our rooms.
    Wishing you all a snow covered December!
    -BethAnn

  • Filling in the gaps

    As we work our way into the racing season, our hours of training start to decrease slowly and the intensity levels rise. This creates an influx of free time, especially while at a training camp or while racing. A big part of being able to perform at a high level regularly is making sure you are getting enough rest in between workouts and races. We all stretch, dryfire, sleep and practice other good recovery activities we are also often left with hours of the day that need to be filled with activities that promote recovery without having to work for it. The last couple weeks here in Canmore have given us a good taste of that time for the first time this year. And from my observations, this team has been pretty darn creative with their time.
    In addition to the normal movie watching and book reading, our group here in Canmore has really made the most of our recovery time. All of the females of the team have committed quite strongly to what the European call “fancy work”, also known as knitting. I think we could keep just about any knitting store in business for quite some time with this crew. Eileen especially, will make sure that there will not be a cold head in the house with her exceptionally fast hat knitting cadence. I try to keep up but just can’t hold the pace for long without messing something up.
    I was impressed at the fore thought of the team as well with three of us each bringing our own separate game of Banana Grams. We put two of the games together to make one epic game. It turned out to be a pretty long one but also a good one. A travel size game of Monopoly, in both English AND French!, was purchased during one of the very frigid days we encountered during our stay. I steered clear of these grueling and what sounded like, very cut throat games.
    And last, but by no means least, I contributed to our “after school activities” with my putter and golf balls. Yes, I traveled all the way out here with a golfing putter in along with my skis. Having a father that is as dedicated to the game of golf as I am to biathlon, I have made and heard many comparisons between the two, especially between shooting and putting. I decided that it might be fun to bring a putter with me this winter and practice a bit of putting here and there. It is as much of a mind game as shooting is and kind of fun to do at the same time. It also can become a great source of entertainment amongst the team.
    So while we are working very hard out on the ski trail and shooting range every morning and afternoon, we are also working hard in a different kind of manner when we are settled into our rooms.
    Wishing you all a snow covered December!
    -BethAnn

  • Filling in the gaps

    As we work our way into the racing season, our hours of training start to decrease slowly and the intensity levels rise. This creates an influx of free time, especially while at a training camp or while racing. A big part of being able to perform at a high level regularly is making sure you are getting enough rest in between workouts and races. We all stretch, dryfire, sleep and practice other good recovery activities we are also often left with hours of the day that need to be filled with activities that promote recovery without having to work for it. The last couple weeks here in Canmore have given us a good taste of that time for the first time this year. And from my observations, this team has been pretty darn creative with their time.
    In addition to the normal movie watching and book reading, our group here in Canmore has really made the most of our recovery time. All of the females of the team have committed quite strongly to what the European call “fancy work”, also known as knitting. I think we could keep just about any knitting store in business for quite some time with this crew. Eileen especially, will make sure that there will not be a cold head in the house with her exceptionally fast hat knitting cadence. I try to keep up but just can’t hold the pace for long without messing something up.
    I was impressed at the fore thought of the team as well with three of us each bringing our own separate game of Banana Grams. We put two of the games together to make one epic game. It turned out to be a pretty long one but also a good one. A travel size game of Monopoly, in both English AND French!, was purchased during one of the very frigid days we encountered during our stay. I steered clear of these grueling and what sounded like, very cut throat games.
    And last, but by no means least, I contributed to our “after school activities” with my putter and golf balls. Yes, I traveled all the way out here with a golfing putter in along with my skis. Having a father that is as dedicated to the game of golf as I am to biathlon, I have made and heard many comparisons between the two, especially between shooting and putting. I decided that it might be fun to bring a putter with me this winter and practice a bit of putting here and there. It is as much of a mind game as shooting is and kind of fun to do at the same time. It also can become a great source of entertainment amongst the team.
    So while we are working very hard out on the ski trail and shooting range every morning and afternoon, we are also working hard in a different kind of manner when we are settled into our rooms.
    Wishing you all a snow covered December!
    -BethAnn

  • Filling in the gaps

    As we work our way into the racing season, our hours of training start to decrease slowly and the intensity levels rise. This creates an influx of free time, especially while at a training camp or while racing. A big part of being able to perform at a high level regularly is making sure you are getting enough rest in between workouts and races. We all stretch, dryfire, sleep and practice other good recovery activities we are also often left with hours of the day that need to be filled with activities that promote recovery without having to work for it. The last couple weeks here in Canmore have given us a good taste of that time for the first time this year. And from my observations, this team has been pretty darn creative with their time.
    In addition to the normal movie watching and book reading, our group here in Canmore has really made the most of our recovery time. All of the females of the team have committed quite strongly to what the European call “fancy work”, also known as knitting. I think we could keep just about any knitting store in business for quite some time with this crew. Eileen especially, will make sure that there will not be a cold head in the house with her exceptionally fast hat knitting cadence. I try to keep up but just can’t hold the pace for long without messing something up.
    I was impressed at the fore thought of the team as well with three of us each bringing our own separate game of Banana Grams. We put two of the games together to make one epic game. It turned out to be a pretty long one but also a good one. A travel size game of Monopoly, in both English AND French!, was purchased during one of the very frigid days we encountered during our stay. I steered clear of these grueling and what sounded like, very cut throat games.
    And last, but by no means least, I contributed to our “after school activities” with my putter and golf balls. Yes, I traveled all the way out here with a golfing putter in along with my skis. Having a father that is as dedicated to the game of golf as I am to biathlon, I have made and heard many comparisons between the two, especially between shooting and putting. I decided that it might be fun to bring a putter with me this winter and practice a bit of putting here and there. It is as much of a mind game as shooting is and kind of fun to do at the same time. It also can become a great source of entertainment amongst the team.
    So while we are working very hard out on the ski trail and shooting range every morning and afternoon, we are also working hard in a different kind of manner when we are settled into our rooms.
    Wishing you all a snow covered December!
    -BethAnn

  • Filling in the gaps

    As we work our way into the racing season, our hours of training start to decrease slowly and the intensity levels rise. This creates an influx of free time, especially while at a training camp or while racing. A big part of being able to perform at a high level regularly is making sure you are getting enough rest in between workouts and races. We all stretch, dryfire, sleep and practice other good recovery activities we are also often left with hours of the day that need to be filled with activities that promote recovery without having to work for it. The last couple weeks here in Canmore have given us a good taste of that time for the first time this year. And from my observations, this team has been pretty darn creative with their time.
    In addition to the normal movie watching and book reading, our group here in Canmore has really made the most of our recovery time. All of the females of the team have committed quite strongly to what the European call “fancy work”, also known as knitting. I think we could keep just about any knitting store in business for quite some time with this crew. Eileen especially, will make sure that there will not be a cold head in the house with her exceptionally fast hat knitting cadence. I try to keep up but just can’t hold the pace for long without messing something up.
    I was impressed at the fore thought of the team as well with three of us each bringing our own separate game of Banana Grams. We put two of the games together to make one epic game. It turned out to be a pretty long one but also a good one. A travel size game of Monopoly, in both English AND French!, was purchased during one of the very frigid days we encountered during our stay. I steered clear of these grueling and what sounded like, very cut throat games.
    And last, but by no means least, I contributed to our “after school activities” with my putter and golf balls. Yes, I traveled all the way out here with a golfing putter in along with my skis. Having a father that is as dedicated to the game of golf as I am to biathlon, I have made and heard many comparisons between the two, especially between shooting and putting. I decided that it might be fun to bring a putter with me this winter and practice a bit of putting here and there. It is as much of a mind game as shooting is and kind of fun to do at the same time. It also can become a great source of entertainment amongst the team.
    So while we are working very hard out on the ski trail and shooting range every morning and afternoon, we are also working hard in a different kind of manner when we are settled into our rooms.
    Wishing you all a snow covered December!
    -BethAnn

  • TRAIL REPORT: Elm Creek Opens This Weekend!

  • First VT Ski!!

    Although we’ve been on snow in Finland for the last month, there’s still nothing quite like that hard-earned first Vermont ski.  Like most of my First Skis and many of my Last Skis growing up, this one was on the “secret trail.”  Not that  its really much of a secret, but it doesn’t get much traffic.  Probably because you have to hike up Mt. Mansfield for 30-40 minutes to get there, and its not even 1k of skiing.  Located in a shady little shelf under the cliffs, the “secret trail” has a remarkable ability to collect and retain snow, and its actually relatively flat and skiable.  It had a pretty good crusty base under the fresh snow, which was nice. I didn’t have too much time to ski, since I didn’t bring my skis up the first time (a mistake! always bring the skis up Mansfield!) and had to make a second trip with skis, but really the hiking was the workout, and the 15 minutes of skiing was just for fun!

    IMG_4083

    Trina and Dave Hosmer were there skiing laps too!

    Trina and Dave Hosmer were there skiing laps too!