FasterSkier

Category: XCFeeds

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

  • Olympic Day at the Olympic Training Center

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/TCkvT4lYdpI/AAAAAAAAA_s/nNJWlAvXFS8/s1600/514029_1.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 188px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/TCkvT4lYdpI/AAAAAAAAA_s/nNJWlAvXFS8/s320/514029_1.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487969639580858002″ //aspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); “”Nick Fairall, right, a member of the U.S. Men’s Ski Jumping Team, and Olympic biathlete Haley Johnson lead a tour of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Lake Placid Olympic Training Center on Saturday. Tours of the facility were offered as part of Olympic Day, a free event that gave children the chance to try Olympic sports like bobsled, luge and biathalon. Olympic Day also featured autograph sessions with luge, bobsled, skeleton, biathalon, ski jumping and freestyle athletes, raffles and live music.” span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: x-small;”(Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)/span/spandivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); “br //span/divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); “span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”font-size: small;”[June 28 front page of the /span

  • PNSA Junior Camp

    My dryland season job this year is perhaps the best I’ve had yet: junior coach. Three days a week I get to spend a few hours training with the Methow’s up and coming teenage athletes as we run and rollerski and bag peaks in the North Cascades. This past week the Methow hosted the first PNSA junior camp of the year. Ben Husaby brought his Bend Nordic Team group up and led the camp based on his long-standing “Trout Lake model” of training camps: four big-volume days of training, a rollerski time trial and a final BIG day in the mountains. The weather in the valley really worked for us, shifting from rain to sun mid-way through Wednesday and staying beautiful all weekend.br /br /I managed to snap some good shots of our hike on Sunday. We started at the Cedar Creek trailhead and veered off onto the Mudhole Lake trail which shot straight up a ridgeline adjacent to the creek trail, then continued on up until we reached the top of an unnamed peak which overlooks Silver Star peak, Kangaroo and Snagtooth Ridge, and the western depths of the North Cascades. A BEAUTIFUL day allowed for almost seven hours of mountain adventuring, leaving the athletes (and me) tired and happy as we jogged back into the trailhead.br /br /A day off today, and I return to the business of my own training tomorrow. Scott’s in Europe, Erik’s in Alaska, Torin’s in Bend and I’m in the valley; the MOD squad is spread across the globe but we’re putting in the time – stay tuned!br /br /Some pictures from yesterday’s epic:br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV1ZedY3I/AAAAAAAAAcE/GwnxgzgYMIs/s1600/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+004.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV1ZedY3I/AAAAAAAAAcE/GwnxgzgYMIs/s320/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+004.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487941628043551602″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Ascending the trail at 7am – steep!br /br //span/divbr /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV2AjajaI/AAAAAAAAAcM/9ytOPKURyU8/s1600/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+012.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV2AjajaI/AAAAAAAAAcM/9ytOPKURyU8/s320/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+012.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487941638533320098″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Our objective in the distancebr //span/divbr /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV3DmT0SI/AAAAAAAAAcU/axIbH3kQVaM/s1600/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+020.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV3DmT0SI/AAAAAAAAAcU/axIbH3kQVaM/s320/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+020.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487941656530637090″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”The final scree-scramble to the summitbr //span/divbr /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV3la0yoI/AAAAAAAAAcc/JXSctnXqPRM/s1600/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+024.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Mg2hQbkHkNs/TCkV3la0yoI/AAAAAAAAAcc/JXSctnXqPRM/s320/Methow+PNSA+Camp+2010+024.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487941665609271938″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”The boys on top of the peak – Kangaroo Ridge as the backdropbr //span/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-4204841767672069937?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • EqPB: Test Run

    Last week I ranted a bit about the inadequacies of F-factors<1.  We looked at the results from interval vs. mass start races and determined that they do indeed produce different distributions of percent back’s (PB’s).  Specifically, the results of a mass start race are more likely to be bunched closely near the top, meaning the top skiers are more likely to finish closer to the winner.  This leads to many more low FIS points than you’d see in a typical interval start race.  Here’s the graph from that post summarizing these different distributions:Recall that FIS’s F-factor solution to this problem is to scale all mass start points up by a factor of 1.75, effectively expanding the blue curves above to the right.  This resulted in the following distributions:We noted that nothing really has been solved here.  There is still a huge difference in the points assigned between interval and mass start races.

    Additionally, we noted that we’ve actually created a second problem.  Mass start races still produce more low PB’s than distance races, but they also now produce more high PB’s as well.  This led me to speculate that fast skiers are likely to benefit from skiing in mass start races while slower skiers are now actively being penalized for it.

    I suggested a very simple solution: curve the mass start PB’s to the interval start distribution.  The resulting mass start PB’s I called Equivalent Percent Back (EqPB).  Now I thought I’d actually take them for a spin and see what happens.

    In my previous post I also speculated that how noticeable the differences between mass/interval start points are will depend strongly on the scale of our data analysis. Namely, large scale analyses that aggregate data over many athletes or nations are not likely to see much difference, but if we drill down to specific athletes and small numbers of races the effects may be large.

    To start, let’s look at the differences that pop up when ranking skiers based on their five best races from the 2009-2010 season (click on image for larger version):This is a bumps plot (or parallel coordinates plot) and show the change in the average of each athlete’s best five races using the old original points and my new points based upon EqPB<2.  Obviously, there’s a lot of overplotting here obscuring people’s names, but let’s just focus on the lines for a moment.  Notice any general trends?

    Switching to points based on EqPB tends to improve the average for slower skiers (at least up to a point; I haven’t shown every skier, obviously) while tending to inflate the average for faster skiers.  Just as I predicted above, this matches who was benefiting from the mass start races.

    Here’s a smaller version of the same plot, zooming in a bit so that the names of many of the top skiers can be seen more clearly:But this is just the average of the raw points.  How much does it change the actual ordering of athletes?  This is somewhat tough to see given how dense the names and lines are plotted, so let’s look at another set of plots that just show the athlete’s ranks based upon the average of their best five races:The changes in ordering among the athletes is somewhat less dramatic, though still noticeable.  Remarkably, the top ten women remain completely unchanged, and none of the other changes involve a move of more than 5 places or so.  We see more shifts in the men’s rankings, but the biggest change isn’t more than 10 places.

    This is roughly what I expected: when comparing individual athletes using fairly small numbers of races (5) the percent back differences between mass start and interval start races can have a significant effect on how we perceive people’s performances.  Next up we’ll need to confirm that switching to EqPB has less of an effect when examining data that is aggregated over larger numbers of athletes or nations…


    1. The scaling factor FIS uses to adjust FIS points depending on whether the race was an interval or mass start. <↩
    2. Marit Bjoergen and Justyna Kowalczyk tied for first in both cases.  Names without lines indicate that they experienced a change that took them outside the plotting region in the other column.  Athletes with fewer than five races are omitted. <↩


  • Freaking Deerflies

    Yesterday we began with an OD skate rollerski. It is awesome to ski up here because the scenery is so very beautiful. We were videoed doing V2 and then V1 and we will watch the video today. After another delicious lunch we were able to relax for 3 hours before our next workout. In the afternoon we did a combi workout of d-pole and running. It was another very enjoyable workout. The road is gradual down on the way out and gradual up on the way back with some steeper hills. At the end of the ski we were videoed and last night we went over our d-pole technique. Then we switched into our running shoes and ran back to the COC on the road, it was a really nice recovery run!br /Today we did level 3 ski walking intervals on the hill next to the Craftsbury Green Team’s house. It was an awesome workout and everyone enjoyed it. We then jogged back to the center and took a nice long swim in the lake. This afternoon we are going to watch the skate video from yesterday and then we are going to do a run or games and strength. So far the camp has been delightful and the quote of the day is “freaking deerflies.” I will get some pictures up later today!br /Isabeldiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-7683132142917994993?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Maine Camp TT Video

    divbr //divdivWe found a great 2kish skate loop with a tough V1 climb, and a nice mellow downhill. We sent the J3’s 1 lap, J2/girls 2 laps and Nick our new PG got a nice 4 lap effort./divdivbr //divdivbr //divdivbr //divdivobject width=”320″ height=”266″ class=”BLOG_video_class” id=”BLOG_video-189fc972a116c285″ classid=”clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/get_player”param name=”bgcolor” value=”#FFFFFF”param name=”allowfullscreen” value=”true”param name=”flashvars” value=”flvurl=http%3A%2F%2Fv23.nonxt3.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D189fc972a116c285%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1283289830%26sparams%3Did%252Citag%252Cip%252Cipbits%252Cexpire%26signature%3D22AEF1804995F56A9BA02B474FA8371EB05A2E21.2CC8505D9AEA3A424391E47D6A118902858F25A7%26key%3Dck1amp;iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D189fc972a116c285%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DYRl0AlNdfKa7m-DzSWeg7YnJRTAamp;autoplay=0amp;ps=blogger”embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/get_player”width=”320″ height=”266″ bgcolor=”#FFFFFF”flashvars=”flvurl=http%3A%2F%2Fv23.nonxt3.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D189fc972a116c285%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1283289830%26sparams%3Did%252Citag%252Cip%252Cipbits%252Cexpire%26signature%3D22AEF1804995F56A9BA02B474FA8371EB05A2E21.2CC8505D9AEA3A424391E47D6A118902858F25A7%26key%3Dck1iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D189fc972a116c285%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DYRl0AlNdfKa7m-DzSWeg7YnJRTAautoplay=0ps=blogger”allowFullScreen=”true” //object/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-1079463147764602557?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • June…AK Style

    It’s hard to believe that June has come and is nearly gone already. Highlights from the past 30 days include skiing on Eagle glacier, coaching the Junior athletes at the Girdwood “Death” Camp, racing up Bird Ridge, and ski-touring above Prince William Sound. The name of the game up at the Thomas training facility on Eagle was: eat, ski, eat, sleep, eat, ski, eat, sleep, repeat. For those of you

  • June…AK Style

    It’s hard to believe that June has come and is nearly gone already. Highlights from the past 30 days include skiing on Eagle glacier, coaching the Junior athletes at the Girdwood “Death” Camp, racing up Bird Ridge, and ski-touring above Prince William Sound. The name of the game up at the Thomas training facility on Eagle was: eat, ski, eat, sleep, eat, ski, eat, sleep, repeat. For those of you

  • Maine Camp Wrap

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfVDMWKnAI/AAAAAAAADGA/wHpcIlkZgrw/s1600/IMG_4922.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 208px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfVDMWKnAI/AAAAAAAADGA/wHpcIlkZgrw/s400/IMG_4922.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487588921804758018″ //aThank you Peter and Ruth Hall for hosting us at our Maine camp. We had a great time roller skiing, running, kayaking, beaching and eating delicious meals!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUvo4CbnI/AAAAAAAADF4/xrpOXn8lKzM/s1600/IMG_4923.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 201px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUvo4CbnI/AAAAAAAADF4/xrpOXn8lKzM/s400/IMG_4923.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487588585865637490″ //aWe finished the camp with some classical technique drills and a scenic 2-2 1/2 hr distance workout. Peter took the older kids on a tour of the local roads while Ruth skied with the J3’s. A great time was had by all. THANK YOU HALLS!!!!!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUbGaAckI/AAAAAAAADFw/oAc0daPkiFg/s1600/IMG_4924.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUbGaAckI/AAAAAAAADFw/oAc0daPkiFg/s400/IMG_4924.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487588233015489090″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUGc3tGyI/AAAAAAAADFo/QqRruonkQ7U/s1600/IMG_4926.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCfUGc3tGyI/AAAAAAAADFo/QqRruonkQ7U/s400/IMG_4926.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487587878268377890″ //adiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-7818372510151334597?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • The World Cup couldn’t be a stronger example of sport brining the world togther. (Click here)

  • Just past Solstice…

    First and foremost, happy 60th Birthday to my Mom, Chris! br /br /div class=”separator” style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”

  • Ummm, yeah, Fasterskier?   Why are you reporting results with a…

    img src=”http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4nnzlLx4I1qzt3xbo1_500.jpg”/br/br/pUmmm, yeah, Fasterskier?   Why are you reporting results with a guy named strongPetter Skin City/strong in the sprint mix?  Is it because there is actually a guy named Skin City? 

  • Summer Escapades: adventures and NTG

  • Time Trial, Dog Show, Birthday Party, Beach Fun and Lobster

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaxxRcsP-I/AAAAAAAADFg/CP-gghne3EE/s1600/IMG_4870.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/TCaxxRcsP-I/AAAAAAAADFg/CP-gghne3EE/s400/IMG_4870.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487268656052977634″ //aYup, we had another full day at our Maine camp. Here are the kids checking out the Dog Show after finishing their time trial.br /We skied a 2.3-3 km loop that included a good uphill, a gentle down and some nice flat terrain. After a good warm up, the J3’s did 1 lap hard, the older girls and Tyler did two laps and Nick did 4 laps. The goal was to work on technique and pacing and give a good hard effort. The workout went well and the coaches with happy with the effort we saw.br /Here are the lap times:br /Nick: 8:22, 8:30, 8:52, 8:50br /Cam 8:24, 8:27br /Mackenzie 10:26br /Issy P 8:29, 8:51br /Tess 12:45br /Tyler 8:15, 7:55br /Hallie 9:28, 9:31br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaxMr8hLyI/AAAAAAAADFY/CUfzlmRmgjI/s1600/IMG_4874.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/TCaxMr8hLyI/AAAAAAAADFY/CUfzlmRmgjI/s400/IMG_4874.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487268027510632226″ //aThe traveling locker room.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaww6h36oI/AAAAAAAADFQ/0nW88CkwChk/s1600/IMG_4875.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/TCaww6h36oI/AAAAAAAADFQ/0nW88CkwChk/s400/IMG_4875.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487267550389070466″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCawIUnk7xI/AAAAAAAADFI/0pgxukSi-JI/s1600/IMG_4882.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/TCawIUnk7xI/AAAAAAAADFI/0pgxukSi-JI/s400/IMG_4882.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266853017677586″ //aBirthday girl Mackenzie R celebrates in style after the morning time trial.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCavtTuVrrI/AAAAAAAADFA/UWdw5HI4MBs/s1600/IMG_4886.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/TCavtTuVrrI/AAAAAAAADFA/UWdw5HI4MBs/s400/IMG_4886.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487266388921134770″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCauU1b8ZBI/AAAAAAAADE4/ZSdIzPqCfns/s1600/IMG_4894.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/TCauU1b8ZBI/AAAAAAAADE4/ZSdIzPqCfns/s400/IMG_4894.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487264868962427922″ //aThis afternoon we went to Small Point beach for some relaxation, skim boarding, frisbee and swimming. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the beach time.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCauDkXngWI/AAAAAAAADEw/0m7KQ1wgREo/s1600/IMG_4903.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/TCauDkXngWI/AAAAAAAADEw/0m7KQ1wgREo/s400/IMG_4903.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487264572323103074″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCatsa688zI/AAAAAAAADEo/8QJndwdvPLM/s1600/IMG_4905.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/TCatsa688zI/AAAAAAAADEo/8QJndwdvPLM/s400/IMG_4905.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487264174649963314″ //aIssy and Tess with the house where Poppet is staying in the background.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCatRUnQQTI/AAAAAAAADEg/NwKokQr4iYY/s1600/IMG_4907.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/TCatRUnQQTI/AAAAAAAADEg/NwKokQr4iYY/s400/IMG_4907.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487263709100261682″ //aSome of the girls were brave enough to ride the waves.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaswMKRKsI/AAAAAAAADEY/CMP53y_mYDc/s1600/IMG_4917.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/TCaswMKRKsI/AAAAAAAADEY/CMP53y_mYDc/s400/IMG_4917.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487263139895519938″ //aWe finished the day with a great lobster dinner.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-3256702773217768352?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Take it, it’s Yours

    Yesterday afternoon we arrived at Craftsbury for the REG camp, we have had a great time and the facility is awesome. Our first workout was an easy jog on the nordic trails and then that night we played a fun name game to get to know each other. This morning we had a mountain run, it was pretty brutal, but we survived and some of the SMS kids posted great times! In the afternoon we played a fun game of soccer during the second half of America’s game against Ghana and then we did circuit strength. The food at Craftsbury is amazing and we are all having a fabulous time, here are some quotes from the SMS kids.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaOK6SaJ0I/AAAAAAAADEQ/C5NUJ29ovoI/s1600/100_6365.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/TCaOK6SaJ0I/AAAAAAAADEQ/C5NUJ29ovoI/s400/100_6365.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487229514093832002″ //abr /Rachel, Gage and Lizzie are relaxing after dinner. Gage’s favorite quote of the day from Isabel is “You know he was wearing the puma shirt with the cougar on the front.” Rachel’s says her “arms and legs are feeling a bit sore from strength and the run, but she is feeling recovered from the homemade blueberry ice cream at dinner.”br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/TCaKkgh3acI/AAAAAAAADEI/Uh5cxnG-PUg/s1600/100_6368.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/TCaKkgh3acI/AAAAAAAADEI/Uh5cxnG-PUg/s400/100_6368.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487225555809429954″ //abr /Paddy’s summary of the day is that it was a quality run and he is pumped to rollerski tomorrow. And the title of this blog comes from Austin Caldwell’s inspirational quote for Heather during the run: “Take it, it’s yours!”br /By Isabeldiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-4039069147426856073?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • School’s out for SUMMER!

    Well we got no choice, All the girls and boys, Makin all that noise, ‘Cause they found new toys, Well we can’t salute ya, Can’t find a flag, If that don’t suit ya, Thats a drag. School’s out for summer, School’s out forever, Schools been blown to pieces!

    Just like the great Alice Cooper song “School is out for Summer”. Everyone is finally done with school even our youngsters who just finished 8th grade! Practice has been going great and we have been able to get some great work done. Even though school just finished Stefan already had
    to leave for Colorado and the Air Force Academy. He will be greatly missed and was an important part of the foundation that has helped shape the program in to what it is today. We all wish him the best of luck and look forward to skiing with him when he comes home on break this winter.


    Last week we got through our first real interval sessions of the summer. We spent the first three weeks getting use to being back on our skis, and focusing on technique and base fitness. The weather has been great and the kids have really been getting after it.


    This summer is already been amazing! Just seeing over 20 kids on roller-skis all working together in Rochester is awesome and is still just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to roller-skiing we have been making our way to the local alpine resort for some ski walking sessions. We have also found time to play as well. There is nothing better than a cold swim after a hot hard workout.




    Don’t forget to enjoy it and get your Twerk ON !!

  • School’s out for SUMMER!

    Well we got no choice, All the girls and boys, Makin all that noise, ‘Cause they found new toys, Well we can’t salute ya, Can’t find a flag, If that don’t suit ya, Thats a drag. School’s out for summer, School’s out forever, Schools been blown to pieces!

    Just like the great Alice Cooper song “School is out for Summer”. Everyone is finally done with school even our youngsters who just finished 8th grade! Practice has been going great and we have been able to get some great work done. Even though school just finished Stefan already had
    to leave for Colorado and the Air Force Academy. He will be greatly missed and was an important part of the foundation that has helped shape the program in to what it is today. We all wish him the best of luck and look forward to skiing with him when he comes home on break this winter.


    Last week we got through our first real interval sessions of the summer. We spent the first three weeks getting use to being back on our skis, and focusing on technique and base fitness. The weather has been great and the kids have really been getting after it.


    This summer is already been amazing! Just seeing over 20 kids on roller-skis all working together in Rochester is awesome and is still just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to roller-skiing we have been making our way to the local alpine resort for some ski walking sessions. We have also found time to play as well. There is nothing better than a cold swim after a hot hard workout.




    Don’t forget to enjoy it and get your Twerk ON !!

  • School’s out for SUMMER!

    Well we got no choice, All the girls and boys, Makin all that noise, ‘Cause they found new toys, Well we can’t salute ya, Can’t find a flag, If that don’t suit ya, Thats a drag. School’s out for summer, School’s out forever, Schools been blown to pieces!

    Just like the great Alice Cooper song “School is out for Summer”. Everyone is finally done with school even our youngsters who just finished 8th grade! Practice has been going great and we have been able to get some great work done. Even though school just finished Stefan already had
    to leave for Colorado and the Air Force Academy. He will be greatly missed and was an important part of the foundation that has helped shape the program in to what it is today. We all wish him the best of luck and look forward to skiing with him when he comes home on break this winter.


    Last week we got through our first real interval sessions of the summer. We spent the first three weeks getting use to being back on our skis, and focusing on technique and base fitness. The weather has been great and the kids have really been getting after it.


    This summer is already been amazing! Just seeing over 20 kids on roller-skis all working together in Rochester is awesome and is still just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to roller-skiing we have been making our way to the local alpine resort for some ski walking sessions. We have also found time to play as well. There is nothing better than a cold swim after a hot hard workout.




    Don’t forget to enjoy it and get your Twerk ON !!

  • School’s out for SUMMER!

    Well we got no choice, All the girls and boys, Makin all that noise, ‘Cause they found new toys, Well we can’t salute ya, Can’t find a flag, If that don’t suit ya, Thats a drag. School’s out for summer, School’s out forever, Schools been blown to pieces!

    Just like the great Alice Cooper song “School is out for Summer”. Everyone is finally done with school even our youngsters who just finished 8th grade! Practice has been going great and we have been able to get some great work done. Even though school just finished Stefan already had
    to leave for Colorado and the Air Force Academy. He will be greatly missed and was an important part of the foundation that has helped shape the program in to what it is today. We all wish him the best of luck and look forward to skiing with him when he comes home on break this winter.


    Last week we got through our first real interval sessions of the summer. We spent the first three weeks getting use to being back on our skis, and focusing on technique and base fitness. The weather has been great and the kids have really been getting after it.


    This summer is already been amazing! Just seeing over 20 kids on roller-skis all working together in Rochester is awesome and is still just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to roller-skiing we have been making our way to the local alpine resort for some ski walking sessions. We have also found time to play as well. There is nothing better than a cold swim after a hot hard workout.




    Don’t forget to enjoy it and get your Twerk ON !!

  • “Community, Sport, Environment”

    div style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/TCYjQxW5llI/AAAAAAAAA_k/jXE9jiybRkA/s1600/IMG_1292.JPG”/aJune 25 – TEKO Socks Blog:

  • Late night outings. (What did you do at 11pm last night?)…

    object type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” width=”400″ height=”300″ data=”http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12832339server=vimeo.comfullscreen=1show_title=1show_byline=0show_portrait=0color=00ADEF”param name=”quality” value=”best” /param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always” /param name=”allowfullscreen” value=”true” /param name=”scale” value=”showAll” /param name=”movie” value=”http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12832339server=vimeo.comfullscreen=1show_title=1show_byline=0show_portrait=0color=00ADEF” /embed src=”http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=12832339server=www.vimeo.comshow_title=1show_byline=0show_portrait=0color=00ADEFfullscreen=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowscriptaccess=”always” width=”400″ height=”300″/embed/objectbr/br/pLate night outings. (What did you do at 11pm last night?) (viaMattizle)/p