FasterSkier

Category: XCFeeds

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

  • Last one!

    TTstart

    On Sunday, we had our last rollerski time trial of the year (fingers crossed, though, that we won’t have a surprise one in December or anything). It wasn’t our last time trial – there will be plenty on snow – and it wasn’t our last rollerski. But it was our last time going as hard as we could from the village of Craftsbury through East Craftsbury and up to the top of Johnson’s Hill.

    Rejoice!

    Luckily, it was a nice day, too, so we could be pretty cheerful. I asked Pepa to take pictures, and she captured Hannah Miller’s genuine smile:

    hannah miller

    As well as Matt’s, which appeared a bit more forced.

    matt smile

    Anyway, after a nice warmup, off we went. I know that I had a little extra motivation knowing that is was the last time I had to ski up that darn hill. It was also nice that Pepa let us do a mass start, which we’ve requested a few times before to no avail.

    Hooray for the end of dryland training!

    TToffwego

  • Morning Specific Strength and Speed

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2TJbk0D1I/AAAAAAAAE2o/x7i1SBfVK50/s1600/IMG_8934.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2TJbk0D1I/AAAAAAAAE2o/x7i1SBfVK50/s400/IMG_8934.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529737707711106898″ //aHere are some pictures from our morning workout. It was too dark for the auto focus to work at the start, but by 7 the sun had come up.br /We worked on technique, speed and specific strength.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2SG-Q1mpI/AAAAAAAAE2Y/ZRMLrYlazFc/s1600/IMG_8937.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2SG-Q1mpI/AAAAAAAAE2Y/ZRMLrYlazFc/s400/IMG_8937.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529736565971327634″ //aBungee races.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2RWYLj52I/AAAAAAAAE2Q/Cn2dNRZ2mfI/s1600/IMG_8942.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 370px; height: 400px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2RWYLj52I/AAAAAAAAE2Q/Cn2dNRZ2mfI/s400/IMG_8942.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529735731114927970″ //aTess is in a good position here, but her core isn’t quite strong enough and she is about to collapse a little. We are asking her to bend at the elbows more to create more power.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2RIiXnOHI/AAAAAAAAE2I/sQVPvQ6pOAo/s1600/IMG_8950.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2RIiXnOHI/AAAAAAAAE2I/sQVPvQ6pOAo/s400/IMG_8950.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529735493331662962″ //aIssy P shows how to get forward!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2QERK24kI/AAAAAAAAE1o/4PJsDjH7fcM/s1600/IMG_8953.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 358px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2QERK24kI/AAAAAAAAE1o/4PJsDjH7fcM/s400/IMG_8953.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529734320483656258″ //aHeather is working on getting up higher (straighter legs). This looks good.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2Pa9aqNnI/AAAAAAAAE1Q/XqVbRDgjYdM/s1600/IMG_8956.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 391px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TL2Pa9aqNnI/AAAAAAAAE1Q/XqVbRDgjYdM/s400/IMG_8956.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529733610806589042″ //aHallie is getting it!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-6816997083165250914?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Glide Wax App for iPhone

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  • A Shout Out to Johnny Klister!

  • Grouse!

    How do you end a successful rest week?  Go grouse hunting.  It’s harder for me to keep my training down on an easy week than it is to hit big hours on a big week.  The past week was nice and relaxed.  I took advantage of my time “off” to spend more time working at New Moon, roofing with Donovan, night riding with the local crew, and capped it off with a morning of grouse hunting on the Little Siberia trails with Mark and Pam.

  • The US Ski Team Ain’t the Only Ones Training Hard! [update + pics]

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Wxxu6EbI/AAAAAAAAARg/cEcuKole3M0/s1600/team-mad-river.jpg”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Wxxu6EbI/AAAAAAAAARg/cEcuKole3M0/s400/team-mad-river.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529882436877029810″ border=”0″ //abr /div style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-size:85%;”The Crew warming up with snowy Mad River Glen in the background. Tuesday PM, 10/19./spanbr //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4WtRNsAAI/AAAAAAAAARY/efoFcX_Vq64/s1600/loots-rski2.jpg”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4WtRNsAAI/AAAAAAAAARY/efoFcX_Vq64/s400/loots-rski2.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529882359428284418″ border=”0″ //abr /div style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-size:85%;”Lüthi doing her workout: 1×10′ L3 + 4×4′ L4. Tuesday PM 10/19./spanbr //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4WjnwMvRI/AAAAAAAAARQ/EOJAnjWOG6I/s1600/hans-kaitlin-wup.jpg”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4WjnwMvRI/AAAAAAAAARQ/EOJAnjWOG6I/s400/hans-kaitlin-wup.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529882193679924498″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-size:85%;”Hans and Kaitlin warming up and enjoying the last of the Fall colors. Tuesday 10/19./spanbr //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qw8DHO2I/AAAAAAAAARI/mnIh1B2eEcQ/s1600/IMG_4119.JPG”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qw8DHO2I/AAAAAAAAARI/mnIh1B2eEcQ/s400/IMG_4119.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529875825396497250″ border=”0″ //abr /span style=”font-size:85%;”Hans working on one of our drills. Monday AM, 10/18./spanbr //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qoeb4K5I/AAAAAAAAARA/pnEMqk95AVQ/s1600/IMG_4118.JPG”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qoeb4K5I/AAAAAAAAARA/pnEMqk95AVQ/s400/IMG_4118.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529875680008350610″ border=”0″ //abr /div style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-size:85%;”Heidz and Lüthi working. Monday AM, 10/18./spanbr //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qb2Gq4vI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/GeJf_I797NA/s1600/IMG_4105.JPG”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4Qb2Gq4vI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/GeJf_I797NA/s400/IMG_4105.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529875463023551218″ border=”0″ //abr /div style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-size:85%;”Fall foliage as promised…App Gap Double-Pole, Tuesday 10/12./spanbr //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4QMx-QfwI/AAAAAAAAAQw/4XN6pbMwcg0/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG”img style=”display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cBFLp0vFuic/TL4QMx-QfwI/AAAAAAAAAQw/4XN6pbMwcg0/s400/IMG_4102.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529875204216487682″ border=”0″ //abr /div style=”text-align: center;”span style=”font-size:85%;”that is App Gap in the distance. Simple workout: Double pole from here to there! Tuesday 10/12./spanbr /br /br //divLast week we did an L3 workout that I used to do as a kid in Upstate New York: go to a local alpine mountain and hike up and down with poles. Go moderately hard, and go for a while. It is a little more controlled than that, but the idea is the same.br /br /Wednesday: 2-3 times 20′ L3 ski walking at Sugarbush. My men Hans, Jackson, and Devlin each did 3 laps while Fitzy did 2. Check out Hans’ progression over the past few months:br /styletable { }.font5 { color: windowtext; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana; }td { padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-left: 1px; color: windowtext; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: bottom; border: medium none; white-space: nowrap; }.xl24 { }.xl25 { }ruby { }rt { color: windowtext; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana; display: none; }/style table style=”border-collapse: collapse;” border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″ width=”323″ col style=”” width=”110″ col style=”” width=”56″ col style=”” width=”47″ col style=”” width=”60″ col style=”” width=”50″ tbodytr height=”13″ td height=”13″ width=”110″Hans Halvorsen/td td class=”xl24″ align=”right” width=”56″6/22/10/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right” width=”47″20:11/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right” width=”60″20:21/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right” width=”50″20:26/td /tr tr height=”13″ td height=”13″Hans Halvorsen/td td class=”xl24″ align=”right”7/10/10/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”18:05/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”18:40/td tdbr //td /tr tr height=”13″ td height=”13″Hans Halvorsen/td td class=”xl24″ align=”right”9/8/10/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”17:30/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”17:30/td tdbr //td /tr tr height=”13″ td height=”13″Hans Halvorsen/td td class=”xl24″ align=”right”10/13/10/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”21:45/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”17:28/td td class=”xl25″ align=”right”17:12/td /tr /tbody/tablebr /Thursday we started lifting some heavier weights.br /br /But Friday was the day that the magic happened: L4 running intervals, above current 3km race pace. Gals = 5 x 1000m, Guys = 5 x 1200m. Torrential downpour. Temperature below 40* F. An inch of standing water covering much of the cinder track. And the crew dominated that workout. Everybody hit their times. Everybody was focused. And everybody was ready to get the F out of dodge as soon as they crossed the finish of their last interval!br /br /Sunday AM was a long foot workout on their own.br /br /This morning we watched rollerski video from the past week, and then lifted some more moderately heavy weights. This afternoon we played some soccer.br /br /Tomorrow we continue with an intensity week: L4 skate intervals.br /br /It is going to be a hard week, but it is worth it when we are looking up at the snow on Sugarbush and Mad River Glen. We even had some snow falling on campus this morning. Before we know it, we’ll be making tracks around the Rendezvous Ski Trails in West Yellowstone Montana!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1847564486460994594-6325031663228911406?l=gmvsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Best Young Distance Skiers: 2009-2010

    “Young” is a relative term, of course, which becomes clearer to me with each passing year.  But there are successful cross-country skiers over quite a wide age range, so it might be fun to focus in on some of the younger ones.  They are likely the names we’ll be seeing over and over down the line.

    I have very arbitrarily picked the age of 24 as my cutoff.  So this will include skiers who were 24 or younger during the 2009-2010 season.  (Keep in mind, though, that I’m calculating people’s ages by simply subtracting their year of birth from the year the race took place in.  So if you happen to know some of these people’s actual birthdays, you might notice some ages are off by a year.)

    The following plots are in the same style as my end of year ranking graphs.  I’ve lowered the requirements slightly so that a skier only needs to have done four races to be included, but other than that the method of construction is identical.  So the error bars here represent the variation (FIS points) in each skier’s best four races last season.

    Of course, some “young” skiers are also the best skiers in the world these days.  (Marcus Hellner just missed my age cutoff.)  So setting Northug and Cologna aside for the moment, we’ve got the well known up and coming Frenchman Manificat, followed by Canadian phenom Alex Harvey.

    One thing that stands out to me is that the Kazakh’s have quite a few fast young skiers in the pipeline.  It will be interesting to see how they develop over the next 4-5 years.  Another thing I notice is that aside from Northug, Ole-Marius Bach is the only Norwegian here.  This may reflect the Norwegian men’s reputed lack of depth in distance skiing these days, but of course we’re potentially ignoring some genuinely fast skiers who did fewer than four World Cups last season, so maybe not.

    Now for the women:

    Once again, let’s set aside Kalla, Haag and maybe Johaug for the moment.  (I didn’t realize Johaug was so young!)  Certainly no lack of young Norwegians on the women’s side, eh?  A handful of 20 year olds stand out here, at least compared to the men.  Is it easier for women to break into the World Cup scene at a younger age?  Might that be a physiological thing or simply a numbers game stemming from there being more male xc skiers?

    Related posts:

    1. <Skiing Performance and Age
    2. <How Well Prepared Are World Cup Rookies? (Part 1a: Distance)
    3. <Most Improved: Women’s Distance


  • Registration Meeting for the 2010-2011 Season

    Time to register your skier for the upcoming MVNT season! The Registration Meeting for new skiers and returning skiers, of elementary school age is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd @ 5pm @ the MV Elementary School!! We will meet to share plans for the upcoming season, answer questions, hand out the new SmartWool Team Hats and get excited for Nordic Skiing!!

  • Registration Meeting for the 2010-2011 Season

    Time to register your skier for the upcoming MVNT season! The Registration Meeting for new skiers and returning skiers, of elementary school age is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd @ 5pm @ the MV Elementary School!! We will meet to share plans for the upcoming season, answer questions, hand out the new SmartWool Team Hats and get excited for Nordic Skiing!!

  • Registration Meeting for the 2010-2011 Season

    Time to register your skier for the upcoming MVNT season! The Registration Meeting for new skiers and returning skiers, of elementary school age is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd @ 5pm @ the MV Elementary School!! We will meet to share plans for the upcoming season, answer questions, hand out the new SmartWool Team Hats and get excited for Nordic Skiing!!

  • Registration Meeting for the 2010-2011 Season

    Time to register your skier for the upcoming MVNT season! The Registration Meeting for new skiers and returning skiers, of elementary school age is WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd @ 5pm @ the MV Elementary School!! We will meet to share plans for the upcoming season, answer questions, hand out the new SmartWool Team Hats and get excited for Nordic Skiing!!

  • Mono…continued.

    Mono truly is the annoying person who won’t leave the party and is ruining everyone’s good time. As much as I’d like to write about something a bit more exciting and, wonder of wonders, something specific to skiing or training, I’m at a loss currently. But in the last few weeks since I received the diagnosis of this really frustrating virus I’ve scoured the internet for information on mono, for testimonials and stories of other athletes who have contracted it and dealt with it. How long was recovery? Are there remedies that alleviate the effects? Can/should I exercise? Fortunately I have a great doctor in Joe Jensen and a really intelligent consulting physician/athlete in Jeff Clarke and both have been invaluable in helping me understand what’s going on and what I can do. So right now I’ll post in the hope that if someone else out there has mono and is searching for answers or commiseration, they might find some here.br /br /But first, a few snapshots of what my days have been like:br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”

  • Balance, imbalance, and everything in between….

    I am sure that anyone that strives for success in anything suffers with the issue of balance….. there are always questions of how much, when, why…  Or, if you’re me, the habit of taking on many different projects.  I think that many Nordic skiers, by nature, tend to be over achievers. When I was a ski coach for West High School my team consistently had one of, if not the highest GPA of all high school sports.  There is something to be said for associating endurance sports with people that like to work hard – and can push through pain. The ability to suffer says a lot about the human condition – and, the people that choose to partake in those particular sports.  Nordic skiers are generally tough mentally and physically.  

    With only 5 short weeks until my first race in West Yellowstone I find myself thinking about the concept of balance more and more.  Perhaps what I struggle with most are the expectations from others.  For example, friends want to socialize till the wee hours of night, people expect your attendance at parties.  At the same time they also want you to win races.  Last year, I won a free season’s pass to Alyeska Ski Resort and there were a handful of people that one day would encourage me to go tele skiing (or give me a hard time because I didn’t….) and the next day supported my bid to make the Olympic team.  From personal experience I can tell you – you have to make choices. At some point, you have to prioritize and you can’t do EVERYTHING in a society that wants you too. 
    The first tracks of the year aren’t far away
    Anyone that’s been around skiing long enough has heard of the three “S’s”….. School, Skiing, and Social.  Many coaches have told many athletes, “you can attempt to do all three and be mediocre at all three. Or, you can choose two and do them well.”  Now that I am a college graduate (and have been since 2004) there are even more aspects of life to juggle.  I struggle with my own balances between being a professional athlete, working part time as a coach, reaching out to my community, taking a graduate level class, being a good wife, a responsible home owner AND attempting to maintain social contacts and friends.  It’s a lot.  In addition to that is the requirement to get the rest your body needs when you’re training hard – and the rest your body needs to fight off sickness.

    My coach, (and also my boss!) Erik Flora sent an incredibly wise and telling email to our team this weekend.  Race season is right around the corner and it’s time to buckle down!  See what he had to say.  It’s TRUE.
    “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it” George Halas
    It is time to prep for race season. This period helps to set up the body for the specific demands of racing. It is an important  period to move at race speeds. To do this well, the body needs to be ready for each interval and speed session. There is a time of year for everything as a ski racer. The spring is for laying back, partying, staying up late, being busy, and cross training. October-November is time to ready for racing by being smart about life and training. The focus is race speed. Make sure to organize your life to get a minimum of 8 hrs of sleep and a nap at mid-day, be mindful of good sports nutrition,  extra clothes at training, and train to have success. Now is the time.

  • Nature’s Playground


  • Nature’s Playground


  • Sprinting and Running. Raining and Snowing.

    The unseasonably beautiful weather during the Lake Placid camp broke hard on Thursday night and the blue skies and warm days turned to the more typical cold, cold October rain.  Our last two workouts in the Adirondacks were a classic sprint simulation on Friday and a long OD run on Saturday.  They were also two of the coldest training sessions that I can remember.

    During the sprint on Friday I went through my entire training wardrobe trying to stay warm.  Along with the USST, NEG, Sun Valley, Vail, and the NENSA crew, we ran a classic sprint from prelim to finals.  The mildly uncomfortable 40 degree rain turned to extremely uncomfortable 32 degree rain and then finally snow by the time we were warming down.  Staying warm was basically an impossibility, no matter how many times I changed into dry clothes between heats.

    Dylan coming through one of many puddles on the sprint course. (Photo: Topher Sabot)

    Dylan coming through one of many puddles on the sprint course. (Photo: Topher Sabot)

    The rain aside, it was a good day.  Dylan and Pat both looked really strong in their heats, and despite a crash in my semifinal, I felt good all day long as well.  It was fun to mix it up with the National Team boys and build a little confidence before heading to Europe after a secluded summer in Craftsbury.

    Tim chasing up the finish hill in the quarters. (Vordenberg)

    Tim chasing up the finish hill in the quarters. (Vordenberg)

    Saturday we headed out for a long run in Keene Valley.  Simi, the brothers Rodgers, and the rest of the Sun Valley crew and I opted out of the rollerski and decided to brave whatever the Nor’Easter had left behind up high.  It proved to be too much for us to finish the original loop we had planned out over Wolfjaws, Hedgehog and Rooster Comb back into Keene Valley.  Instead, we hit about 18″ of snow at around 3000′ and it took over two hours to bag the first peak.  We opted to turn around at the top and it still took over 3 hours to get back to the car. Unfortunately we didn’t get any pics from this one- it was full on winter up there, but we were also full on freezing and didn’t stop for much on the way down.

    A huge thanks to the McClelland family for hosting me and Sylvan during the camp and also feeding a handful of hungry skiers after a long run, not to mention having the sauna burning hot when we got back.  I’m home in Craftsbury now for a week and then it’s across the pond to Finland for first snow and the season opening races.

    Patty crushing his heat. (Sabot)

    Patty crushing his heat. (Sabot)

  • Records Fall in 47th Annual Stella Memorial Hill Climb

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/TLvA0XoC77I/AAAAAAAAAbI/-t2i5kW4S7o/s1600/stellamemorial.jpg”img style=”float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/TLvA0XoC77I/AAAAAAAAAbI/-t2i5kW4S7o/s400/stellamemorial.jpg” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529224973455126450″ //abr /br /With nine Olympiads represented by the twenty-four athletes who toed the line for the 47th Annual Driveway Butte Hill Climb, one knew the competition promised to be fierce in the steep four mile switchback singletrack hill climb up the inappropriately named Driveway Butte, situated in the mountains just east of the North Cascades National Park. br /br /Whether it was because he slept through his alarm, or motivated by the six-pack of Stella Artois awaiting the winner of the race, Torin Koos posted a record run of 25:32, slicing two minutes off Erik BabyFace Bjornsen’s top time, the hill climb’s winner the previous three editions.br /br /Following close behind pitted a battle royale of Chris Flash Clark and Laura Squeeky McCabe, with Flash pulling away by sixteen seconds in the final half mile. br /br /Sammy Boy country-boys-can-survive Naney must have been doing something right as summer junior coach of the Methow Valley Nordic Team, seeing as fifteen-year old Nina Darling Ekblad also sliced two minutes off another Bjornsen’s record, this one held by Sweet Sadie B’s junior women’s standard. Also of note, fifteen-year old Jake The Snake Harrop ran the second fastest junior men’s time recorded, crossing the line in 34:02. br /br /Full Results:br /Organizer, PaceSetter, Course Cutter, And Timer Scotty J. 35:26br /Torin 25:35br /Flash 28:24br /Laura 28:46br /Erik 28:53br /Leslie 30:04br /Heather 30:40br /Brent 31:24br /Brian 32:10br /Betsy 33:56br /Jake 34:02br /Steve 34:50br /Robert 34:59br /Jim K 35:21br /Julie 35:55br /AndyK 36:14br /Chad 36:33br /Hans 37:03br /MarkL 37:15br /Nina 37:34br /Ginny 37:49br /Jan 42:24br /ROlfe 42:33br /JaneP 43:35br /Sage 47:36br /Bryce 50:45div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-6811545036365788883?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Lake Placid Camp Ends With Distance Ski

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuUi4nVkPI/AAAAAAAAE1A/w07LeA0LMxU/s1600/IMG_8906.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 193px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuUi4nVkPI/AAAAAAAAE1A/w07LeA0LMxU/s400/IMG_8906.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529176294561255666″ //aThis morning we worked on classic technique and speed during a distance roller ski. Many of the USST skiers had left, but we had a group of NEG, NENSA and Sun Valley athletes take advantage of the chance to work with USST coach Bryan Fish.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuTygUHoSI/AAAAAAAAE04/rFKXTahIuoM/s1600/IMG_8909.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 232px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuTygUHoSI/AAAAAAAAE04/rFKXTahIuoM/s400/IMG_8909.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529175463404478754″ //aIf you click on this picture (or any picture) it will get bigger and you can see that there is still a bunch of snow left in the high peaks after Friday’s snowstorm.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuTEWtf1pI/AAAAAAAAE0w/25uRYQp8AdI/s1600/IMG_8915.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuTEWtf1pI/AAAAAAAAE0w/25uRYQp8AdI/s400/IMG_8915.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529174670552585874″ //aBryan set up some cones and had the skiers run into a ski. This drill helps create a quick kick and a total weight shift.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuShZz3qPI/AAAAAAAAE0o/DwfIPTQlioU/s1600/IMG_8918.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuShZz3qPI/AAAAAAAAE0o/DwfIPTQlioU/s400/IMG_8918.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529174070089197810″ //aHeather gets in her first ski of the year and finds out that roller skis don’t work too well in the heavy white stuff.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuP69XBNMI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/RQgcIqH5Nzs/s1600/IMG_8926.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuP69XBNMI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/RQgcIqH5Nzs/s400/IMG_8926.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529171210593711298″ //aWe ended the morning with some double pole speeds. Heather is getting after it here, but it looks a little as if she is getting up by lifting her shoulders instead of with an aggressive forward arm swing.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuQ1IfWgeI/AAAAAAAAE0g/0Tf3RgfXBEw/s1600/IMG_8925.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuQ1IfWgeI/AAAAAAAAE0g/0Tf3RgfXBEw/s400/IMG_8925.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529172210013864418″ //aIzzy looks pretty good, but she should have her hips a bit further forward. br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuQRUUX1xI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/93Cc4KDig4o/s1600/IMG_8924.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLuQRUUX1xI/AAAAAAAAE0Y/93Cc4KDig4o/s400/IMG_8924.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529171594713749266″ //aAustin looks good. His body is straighter and further forward so he will get more poling power.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-5487885792280633492?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • A View of the Process

  • Lake Placid OD

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtPylgQVCI/AAAAAAAAE0I/3J3cZQ_7p3A/s1600/IMG_8850.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtPylgQVCI/AAAAAAAAE0I/3J3cZQ_7p3A/s400/IMG_8850.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529100698006869026″ //aThe group gets their instructions for Saturday’s 3 hour skate OD. br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtPDNFZ6sI/AAAAAAAAE0A/Y0a5C7sRn-M/s1600/IMG_8855.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 333px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtPDNFZ6sI/AAAAAAAAE0A/Y0a5C7sRn-M/s400/IMG_8855.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529099883997948610″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtOzTb5rpI/AAAAAAAAEz4/x5ON_vN88SU/s1600/IMG_8857.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 226px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtOzTb5rpI/AAAAAAAAEz4/x5ON_vN88SU/s400/IMG_8857.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529099610825010834″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtOUEXVaJI/AAAAAAAAEzw/hNKMSmzpMu4/s1600/IMG_8862.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtOUEXVaJI/AAAAAAAAEzw/hNKMSmzpMu4/s400/IMG_8862.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529099074203379858″ //aCaitlin leads Gage, Izzy, Sophie and friends.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtN3fHdO8I/AAAAAAAAEzo/In_bPtNCZm8/s1600/IMG_8871.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 206px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtN3fHdO8I/AAAAAAAAEzo/In_bPtNCZm8/s400/IMG_8871.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529098583168334786″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtNdenIAoI/AAAAAAAAEzg/91vZ0YemxaY/s1600/IMG_8872.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtNdenIAoI/AAAAAAAAEzg/91vZ0YemxaY/s400/IMG_8872.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529098136356127362″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtMqbF9FlI/AAAAAAAAEzY/OFEZwHS7P88/s1600/IMG_8876.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 216px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtMqbF9FlI/AAAAAAAAEzY/OFEZwHS7P88/s400/IMG_8876.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529097259238364754″ //aMorgan and Heather.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtLpJ03GNI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/5sY89AZQWy4/s1600/IMG_8883.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtLpJ03GNI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/5sY89AZQWy4/s400/IMG_8883.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529096137911769298″ //aOne of the best things about this camp is that the athletes have a chance to ski with people from other programs. Above and below, Morgan, Erika and Sophie go stride for stride up a long hill.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtLM020W4I/AAAAAAAAEzI/uWsoEU8mEp4/s1600/IMG_8884.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtLM020W4I/AAAAAAAAEzI/uWsoEU8mEp4/s400/IMG_8884.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529095651246496642″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtKl1cyrtI/AAAAAAAAEzA/kib65tWS4CA/s1600/IMG_8885.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtKl1cyrtI/AAAAAAAAEzA/kib65tWS4CA/s400/IMG_8885.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529094981390872274″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJ8QqNqKI/AAAAAAAAEy4/YIPd08seWPU/s1600/IMG_8894.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJ8QqNqKI/AAAAAAAAEy4/YIPd08seWPU/s400/IMG_8894.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529094267140417698″ //aTeam SMS, Newell, O’Brien, Caldwell.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJjYRreaI/AAAAAAAAEyw/L49dak5efzU/s1600/IMG_8895.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJjYRreaI/AAAAAAAAEyw/L49dak5efzU/s400/IMG_8895.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529093839688268194″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJEfC9MxI/AAAAAAAAEyo/2GeuIHtg8hU/s1600/IMG_8898.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtJEfC9MxI/AAAAAAAAEyo/2GeuIHtg8hU/s400/IMG_8898.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529093308929618706″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtIVh8BtZI/AAAAAAAAEyg/r4ehvvx6FOU/s1600/IMG_8897.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TLtIVh8BtZI/AAAAAAAAEyg/r4ehvvx6FOU/s400/IMG_8897.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529092502252008850″ //abr /It was grey and cool today, but it felt downright balmy after yesterday!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-2732852114649661918?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div