Category: XCFeeds
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Vasaloppet Oppet Spar
Sweden’s Vasaloppet is considered the largest Nordic race in the world. The big deal is the 90K classic mass start at the end of the week. But there are several races over the week leading up to that, including the world’s largest female-only race, a team relay, a half distance classic, a half distance skate and two days of Oppet Spar, or open track. This year’s Vasa week will draw more than 57,000 skiers.
The Oppet Spar can be a tour or a race, depending upon your approach. Several U.S. skiers who were in the region for the Masters World Cup stayed a few extra days to experience the Sunday Oppet Spar, along with a little more than 8,000 other skiers.
Skiers can start anytime between 7 A.M. and 8 A.M. There are cutoff times at each feed station. A chip keeps track of your time.
There is endless sport drink, water, blueberry soup, bullion, coffee and bread at the feed stations. Yes, you will get sick of them all.
Crowds? You bet. Many times I headed up the middle or off the side to pass large groups. If you need practice on changing track, the Oppet Spar gives you several hours to perfect it.
I can’t imagine a more pleasant long tour of the Swedish countryside. I did the Vasaloppet as a tour, stopping whenever I felt like it to take photos, talk to people or soak in the surroundings. At each feed station I waited for my wife to catch up. Sometimes I would go hard between feed stations. Mostly I didn’t.
With the right outlook, there were places that you could revel in the chance to be skiing across Sweden, be overwhelmed by the simple rolling hills, the trees covered with snow, and the celebration of being part of such a group of folks who love to be outside in the winter.
A volunteer handing out bread. The feed stations could be very frustrating if you were hoping to get through them in a hurry. But if that was your goal, you were probably in the wrong place.
The terrain will feel very familiar to anyone who has skied in the glacial morraines of Michigan or Wisconsin.
If you like to classic ski and are up for a bit of a challenge, the Vasaloppet should be on your list. -
Vasaloppet Oppet Spar
Sweden’s Vasaloppet is considered the largest Nordic race in the world. The big deal is the 90K classic mass start at the end of the week. But there are several races over the week leading up to that, including the world’s largest female-only race, a team relay, a half distance classic, a half distance skate and two days of Oppet Spar, or open track. This year’s Vasa week will draw more than 57,000 skiers.
The Oppet Spar can be a tour or a race, depending upon your approach. Several U.S. skiers who were in the region for the Masters World Cup stayed a few extra days to experience the Sunday Oppet Spar, along with a little more than 8,000 other skiers.Skiers can start anytime between 7 A.M. and 8 A.M. There are cutoff times at each feed station. A chip keeps track of your time.
There is endless sport drink, water, blueberry soup, bullion, coffee and bread at the feed stations. Yes, you will get sick of them all.
Crowds? You bet. Many times I headed up the middle or off the side to pass large groups. If you need practice on changing track, the Oppet Spar gives you several hours to perfect it.
I can’t imagine a more pleasant long tour of the Swedish countryside. I did the Vasaloppet as a tour, stopping whenever I felt like it to take photos, talk to people or soak in the surroundings. At each feed station I waited for my wife to catch up. Sometimes I would go hard between feed stations. Mostly I didn’t.
With the right outlook, there were places that you could revel in the chance to be skiing across Sweden, be overwhelmed by the simple rolling hills, the trees covered with snow, and the celebration of being part of such a group of folks who love to be outside in the winter.
A volunteer handing out bread. The feed stations could be very frustrating if you were hoping to get through them in a hurry. But if that was your goal, you were probably in the wrong place.
The terrain will feel very familiar to anyone who has skied in the glacial morraines of Michigan or Wisconsin.
If you like to classic ski and are up for a bit of a challenge, the Vasaloppet should be on your list. -
“I’m finding it hard to call Presque Isle anything but Presquizzle.”
“I’m finding it hard to call Presque Isle anything but Presquizzle.”br/br/ – emOverheard at this year’s Junior Nationals./em
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Olympic views
Its been a week since I arrived back in Placid and I am finally sitting down to sort through some photos from the past two weeks. br /br /I am psyched to be staying stateside for the remainder of the season; its been a long and tiring year for me and I am just really glad to be home. Next week I will travel up to northern Maine for US Biathlon Nationals and US National Distance Championships (30/50km) /USSA SuperTour Finals. All races will take place in Fort Kent and Madawaska. Snow is low, but it will be a fun way to end the year. br /br /Below is a bit of a scrambled montage of my final week at the Olympics (starting from when I arrived home). Once our Relay ended (two weeks ago!) I got down to Vancouver to check out the Olympic Cauldron, women’s 5000m speedskating final, and downtown Vancouver. Back up in Whistler I was also able to take in our men’s relay, Billy D’s gold medal event, the women’s 30km, men’s slalom and the USA/Canada gold medal hockey game all before Closing Ceremonies which in a very Canadian way brought an end to the Games. br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIqfQEnjI/AAAAAAAAA5c/-DHvHCAOurA/s1600-h/IMG_0960.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIqfQEnjI/AAAAAAAAA5c/-DHvHCAOurA/s320/IMG_0960.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831800364342834″ //abr /This is what happens when I get back home after being on the road for 3 1/2 months.br /br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIpyZTWFI/AAAAAAAAA5U/vS-o54FVRyA/s1600-h/IMG_0945.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIpyZTWFI/AAAAAAAAA5U/vS-o54FVRyA/s320/IMG_0945.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831788323461202″ //abr /My self, Liz Stephen, Kikkan Randall and Simi Hamilton after Closing Ceremonies- these guys hopped a plane to Finland for a week of World Cup racing the following morning.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIptHXEAI/AAAAAAAAA5M/wpgxbSKNAis/s1600-h/IMG_0939.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cIptHXEAI/AAAAAAAAA5M/wpgxbSKNAis/s320/IMG_0939.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446831786906030082″ //abr /Canadian Carnival at the Ceremonies. When we got to our seats after walking in everyone discovered their pair of moose antlers and promptly put them on to the dismay of the volunteers who painstakingly tried to get us to use our props at the right time. This was actually the time we were supposed to be wearing them. br /br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBMI2MsiI/AAAAAAAAA5E/PNJAqrF5P80/s1600-h/IMG_0927.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBMI2MsiI/AAAAAAAAA5E/PNJAqrF5P80/s320/IMG_0927.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446823582372770338″ //abr /You can’t seem him, but thats Neil singing next to the flame and the rings. I wish he played longer. Long may we run….br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLxdLv0I/AAAAAAAAA48/BMYa-axJqbQ/s1600-h/IMG_0893.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLxdLv0I/AAAAAAAAA48/BMYa-axJqbQ/s320/IMG_0893.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446823576093835074″ //abr /Bill Demong holding our flag during Closing (sorry my camera skills were not on, I was a bit distracted and in awe of it all).br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLu0j6QI/AAAAAAAAA40/MNskXxr8Jl0/s1600-h/IMG_0873.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLu0j6QI/AAAAAAAAA40/MNskXxr8Jl0/s320/IMG_0873.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446823575386581250″ //abr /Jeremy and I primping our driver’s hats before Closing.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLMizvYI/AAAAAAAAA4s/QqNIIsHOzaA/s1600-h/IMG_0878.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBLMizvYI/AAAAAAAAA4s/QqNIIsHOzaA/s320/IMG_0878.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446823566185315714″ //abr /Team USA bedecked in Polo; if you lost your crew it was kind of hard to spot them again.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBKxk-GVI/AAAAAAAAA4k/iWxvv2FfBQo/s1600-h/IMG_0883.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5cBKxk-GVI/AAAAAAAAA4k/iWxvv2FfBQo/s320/IMG_0883.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446823558946625874″ //abr /Teammate, Lanny and I walking in.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-cYAGtDI/AAAAAAAAA4c/l3br-QJa-B4/s1600-h/IMG_0811.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-cYAGtDI/AAAAAAAAA4c/l3br-QJa-B4/s320/IMG_0811.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446820562783876146″ //abr /What was one of the sweetest things of the Olympics? This. We got to check in our multiple pieces of very heavy, very large luggage with United at the Athlete’s Village. They set up a temporary check-in for us to make checking in to the small Vancouver airport the next morning easier. They even told us to arrive 4 hours before our flight! I talked to one alpine skier and he hauled a whopping 17 bags through! br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-cFvtXqI/AAAAAAAAA4U/ArYFO5NlEm0/s1600-h/IMG_0817.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-cFvtXqI/AAAAAAAAA4U/ArYFO5NlEm0/s320/IMG_0817.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446820557883268770″ //abr /The boys standing proud before the USA/Canada game.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-bTeCNwI/AAAAAAAAA4M/7HWfa-kX59M/s1600-h/IMG_0822.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-bTeCNwI/AAAAAAAAA4M/7HWfa-kX59M/s320/IMG_0822.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446820544387364610″ //abr /Jeremy sporting his 1980 Lake Placid jersey.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-awymYHI/AAAAAAAAA4E/9wHPIuJgbXU/s1600-h/IMG_0824.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-awymYHI/AAAAAAAAA4E/9wHPIuJgbXU/s320/IMG_0824.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446820535078379634″ //abr /One small contingent of Americans….br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-ablXVqI/AAAAAAAAA38/H_R7l5DG2gM/s1600-h/IMG_0859.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5b-ablXVqI/AAAAAAAAA38/H_R7l5DG2gM/s320/IMG_0859.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446820529385723554″ //abr /…among a sea of red. Hats of to Canada – they played an excellent game.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qat4-qOdI/AAAAAAAAA30/KXsUgXDAwwA/s1600-h/IMG_0724.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qat4-qOdI/AAAAAAAAA30/KXsUgXDAwwA/s320/IMG_0724.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446007225089407442″ //abr /Our hallway by the end of the Games in the Whistler Athletes Village. The biathlon, ski jumping, combined, and xc teams all stayed on this one floor.br /br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qatckml0I/AAAAAAAAA3s/B6KG7AxjuZg/s1600-h/IMG_0710.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qatckml0I/AAAAAAAAA3s/B6KG7AxjuZg/s320/IMG_0710.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446007217463924546″ //abr /Should have zoomed in, but here is Tim being cheered on by Ed, our team doctor and token course supporter, during the Relay.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QashkEfBI/AAAAAAAAA3k/biyhetJj1fI/s1600-h/IMG_0666.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QashkEfBI/AAAAAAAAA3k/biyhetJj1fI/s320/IMG_0666.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446007201623997458″ //abr /A commemorative 2010 nordic coin.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QasUpXw1I/AAAAAAAAA3c/1Z_k0e-pHcM/s1600-h/IMG_0653.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QasUpXw1I/AAAAAAAAA3c/1Z_k0e-pHcM/s320/IMG_0653.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446007198156571474″ //abr /I made it to the Olympic Cauldron just after dusk. This humble glass torch is memorable and I think this waterfront park will be neat to visit again someday.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qar7A0sVI/AAAAAAAAA3U/t5e5HJBFKdU/s1600-h/IMG_0527.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5Qar7A0sVI/AAAAAAAAA3U/t5e5HJBFKdU/s320/IMG_0527.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446007191275614546″ //abr /My view at the women’s 5000m Final in the Richmond Oval. An American is racing on the right side.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVlI-QyEI/AAAAAAAAA3M/rB5XFoUApec/s1600-h/IMG_0454.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVlI-QyEI/AAAAAAAAA3M/rB5XFoUApec/s320/IMG_0454.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446001577205745730″ //abr /Canadian Pride.br /br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVk9WNIpI/AAAAAAAAA3E/xFuG16KIpaA/s1600-h/IMG_0437.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVk9WNIpI/AAAAAAAAA3E/xFuG16KIpaA/s320/IMG_0437.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446001574084944530″ //abr /The Vancouver Athletes Village.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVkU7LTYI/AAAAAAAAA28/uYSI0wrI66U/s1600-h/IMG_0450.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVkU7LTYI/AAAAAAAAA28/uYSI0wrI66U/s320/IMG_0450.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446001563234160002″ //abr /Soda bottles – General Waste – Compostables – Plastics. The Europeans were a bit slow to catch on, but I hope this system, which is prevalent all throughout the city caught on to all Olympians.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVkJvqzfI/AAAAAAAAA20/M17bapk0ihA/s1600-h/IMG_0678.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVkJvqzfI/AAAAAAAAA20/M17bapk0ihA/s320/IMG_0678.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446001560233102834″ //abr /The 2010 Vancouver Nordic poster.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVjp5Ng5I/AAAAAAAAA2s/7LT6lWNxbxE/s1600-h/IMG_0676.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S5QVjp5Ng5I/AAAAAAAAA2s/7LT6lWNxbxE/s320/IMG_0676.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446001551683191698″ //abr /The 2010 Vancouver Biathlon Poster.br /br /I had a lot of friends and family in Vancouver, and not only can you check Kara’s site
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A Good Day for Team USA
With 17 US skiers competing in the La Feclaz OPA race, we showed our colors well today in the 5/10k mass-start skate race…yes, it was a mass start! We woke up to some flurrying snowflakes, but it didn’t accumulate to much. When we arrived at the venue 1 1/2 hours before the race, all the girls in the car looked at each other, wondering if we were even in the right place. There were very few signs of a race, very few people and the course wasn’t even set up yet! As we sat in the car waiting to start our warm-up, we watched volunteers set up the course and began to see more and more people arrive. That relieved our worries.br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_obdaTCI/AAAAAAAAAlU/vwg8pMpJfp0/s1600-h/Europe+2010+076.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_obdaTCI/AAAAAAAAAlU/vwg8pMpJfp0/s320/Europe+2010+076.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445907075707849762″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Half of the crewbr /br //span/divAt race time, 33 women lined up at the start. Last night in our team meeting, we discussed the importance of standing your ground and defending your space. I knew that tip was going to be key to my success today. Within a couple of kilometers, girls were getting tangled up, loosing poles and falling. I tried my best not to get caught up in that mess and not to get pushed around. Whenever there was an opening to pass, I took advantage of it. I knew this race was going to be a good race for points…I kept that in my head as I was racing in a cluster of 10 girls and reminded myself that every second counts. I sprinted to the finish with a pack of girls and ended up 11th. How they figured out who got which place, I’m not sure, but I am happy with my result.br /br /The men’s race was fun to watch as well! There was a lot of the same racing tactics and tangling going on. Our men skied strong and represented well. Here is a list of the results for the US team:br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_ov_P4fI/AAAAAAAAAlc/b2FBE75Ugbk/s1600-h/Europe+2010+070.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_ov_P4fI/AAAAAAAAAlc/b2FBE75Ugbk/s320/Europe+2010+070.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445907081218482674″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Line of men as they climb a hillbr //span/divspan style=”font-style: italic;”span style=”font-weight: bold;”5K Womenbr /10. Caitlin Compton 15:01.7br /11. Nicole De Yong 15:02.0br /14. Sadie Bjornsen 15:03.0br /19. Taz Mannix 15:17.3br /22. Katie Ronsee 15:28.9br /25. Becca Rorabaugh 15:35.1br /br /10k Menbr //span/spanspan style=”font-style: italic;”span style=”font-weight: bold;”12. Brian Gregg 22:08.8br /13. Mikey Sinnott 22:12.8br /20. Mike Hinckley 22:18.4br /22. Noah Hoffman 22:19.0br /31. Sylvan Ellefson 22:57.1br /34. Marshall Greene 23:03.7br /36. Brayton Osgood 23:05.6br /47. Sam Naney 23:48.8br /53. Peter Kling 24:38.3br //span/spanbr /Clink
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A Good Day for Team USA
With 17 US skiers competing in the La Feclaz OPA race, we showed our colors well today in the 5/10k mass-start skate race…yes, it was a mass start! We woke up to some flurrying snowflakes, but it didn’t accumulate to much. When we arrived at the venue 1 1/2 hours before the race, all the girls in the car looked at each other, wondering if we were even in the right place. There were very few signs of a race, very few people and the course wasn’t even set up yet! As we sat in the car waiting to start our warm-up, we watched volunteers set up the course and began to see more and more people arrive. That relieved our worries.br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_obdaTCI/AAAAAAAAAlU/vwg8pMpJfp0/s1600-h/Europe+2010+076.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_obdaTCI/AAAAAAAAAlU/vwg8pMpJfp0/s320/Europe+2010+076.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445907075707849762″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Half of the crewbr /br //span/divAt race time, 33 women lined up at the start. Last night in our team meeting, we discussed the importance of standing your ground and defending your space. I knew that tip was going to be key to my success today. Within a couple of kilometers, girls were getting tangled up, loosing poles and falling. I tried my best not to get caught up in that mess and not to get pushed around. Whenever there was an opening to pass, I took advantage of it. I knew this race was going to be a good race for points…I kept that in my head as I was racing in a cluster of 10 girls and reminded myself that every second counts. I sprinted to the finish with a pack of girls and ended up 11th. How they figured out who got which place, I’m not sure, but I am happy with my result.br /br /The men’s race was fun to watch as well! There was a lot of the same racing tactics and tangling going on. Our men skied strong and represented well. Here is a list of the results for the US team:br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_ov_P4fI/AAAAAAAAAlc/b2FBE75Ugbk/s1600-h/Europe+2010+070.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S5O_ov_P4fI/AAAAAAAAAlc/b2FBE75Ugbk/s320/Europe+2010+070.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445907081218482674″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”font-style: italic;”Line of men as they climb a hillbr //span/divspan style=”font-style: italic;”span style=”font-weight: bold;”5K Womenbr /10. Caitlin Compton 15:01.7br /11. Nicole De Yong 15:02.0br /14. Sadie Bjornsen 15:03.0br /19. Taz Mannix 15:17.3br /22. Katie Ronsee 15:28.9br /25. Becca Rorabaugh 15:35.1br /br /10k Menbr //span/spanspan style=”font-style: italic;”span style=”font-weight: bold;”12. Brian Gregg 22:08.8br /13. Mikey Sinnott 22:12.8br /20. Mike Hinckley 22:18.4br /22. Noah Hoffman 22:19.0br /31. Sylvan Ellefson 22:57.1br /34. Marshall Greene 23:03.7br /36. Brayton Osgood 23:05.6br /47. Sam Naney 23:48.8br /53. Peter Kling 24:38.3br //span/spanbr /Clink
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La Feclaz- woman team sprint
!–StartFragment– p class=”MsoNormal”Different time, different format. That is how I would describe last night’s team sprint. For some reason the French decided it would be interesting to see who could sprint the fastest during the time of day that most athletes would be in bed sleeping. The schedule of events yesterday kicked off with the first quarterfinals being at 7:00 PM and races continuing until men’s finals at 10:15. After all was said and done I watched the Germans cross the line in first at 10:40 PM! /p p class=”MsoNormal” o:p/o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”I have been racing the OPA circuit for the past four weeks, so it has been great to meet up with a group of about 15 athletes and four coaches earlier on this week. It makes racing a lot more enjoyable when you have a team around you, especially in a sprint race when the more cheering you get, the faster you seem to go. Because the senior women’s field only had 9 teams starting, we got to skip over quarterfinals and only had to race finals for the evening. The US started two teams, Caitlin Compton and Nicole Deyong partnered up and Katie Ronsse and I partnered up as well. /p p class=”MsoNormal” o:p/o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”At 8:15, the start of our race, it was cold, dark, and windy, but there was no lack of energy. Lots of spectators and lots of athletes made for quite the exciting atmosphere. The race was held right in the heart of the small town of La Feclaz, with the finishing stretch right in the center. Right from the gun, the group took off with a charge, instantly breaking the nine teams apart into smaller groups. Both US teams took the first lap a little more relaxed, falling back a bit but deciding it was better to ski into the race and attack when the rest were fading and getting tired. The next two legs both teams slowly moved up through the field picking off what we could. Arriving here a couple of days prior to this race made it a bit more difficult for some of the girls- but they put in a hard fight. Katie and I have been here a while, so we had a bit of an advantage. Needless to say these European skiers are strong girls and you have to really work to ski with them! Katie and I ended up crossed the line in sixth and the other US team shortly behind in 8supth/sup./p p class=”MsoNormal” o:p/o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”With such a late start it was a bit of a balancing act trying to decide when to eat dinner, where to warm up, and what to do all day for preparation. With an 8:15 PM start do you do a workout in the morning? Do you eat a spaghetti dinner at 7:00 when it is served, with a possible outcome of having it come back up during your race? Nobody really knew, which made it all the more fun. /p p class=”MsoNormal” o:p/o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”The best part of the night’s adventures was warming up for the race. It was dark out, and the only area lit was the sprint course, which you couldn’t ski on. Which left you with the only option of going out on the trails and skiing in the dark. With no headlamps, this turned into quite the adventure. Luckily the past couple of days I have been skiing on these trails so I know the general flow of them- but every once in a while you would unexpectedly come to the end of a trail, or find the track had ended and you had somehow veered quite far off path. The best part is you couldn’t really see people coming until you were right on them. At one point I came within inches of slamming into some person when I was booking it down a hill back towards the stadium. With so many athletes out there I can guarantee there were some unexpected collisions last night. The good news is, it was dark out so you would never know whom you ran into. You might be able to tell which nationality they were, based on which curse word they yelled or how they apologized. /p p class=”MsoNormal” o:p/o:p/p p class=”MsoNormal”Tomorrow is a 5/10K mass start skate race. Stay tuned! /p !–EndFragment–div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-830798618495065248?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Lessons 1,2,3
pThe first race I did this season was the 20k Elk River race in late December. There had been a couple earlier races I could have done but didn’t feel mentally ready to do one. The season can get really long and I thought it was better to pace myself. I figured I needed to race at least once before TC Champs and the Elk River race was the last one before it. 20k is a bit longer than I would’ve like for a first race but the timing was right. My only thought for the race was to just get one under my belt and see how it felt. I purposely didn’t think about who else was there or what place I might get or anything like that. I just wanted to ski my race, so that’s what I did. This is not the same as ignoring other racers. You still need to pay attention to what they are doing and how you might strategize things, but if they are going to fast for you, let them go. If they are going to slow for you, drop them. If they are going a nice pace, work with them and see if you can use the pack to ski faster. So that’s lesson #1: pay attention to others and strategize, but ski your own race. You can’t control how others ski and you shouldn’t let them control you./p pThe second race was the TC Champs 15k classic at Battle Creek. I planned to ski my own race again, and I did, but I was a little excited and went out too fast. I was leading for the first 1k when I tripped myself up around a corner and went down on my butt. Many people went by and I dropped way back. Then I settled down and found my pace. I was able to catch a couple people on my second lap but could’ve done better if I’d been smarter at the start. So that was lesson #2: keep yourself under control at the start, it’s better to finish strong than to suffer much of the race after starting too hard./p pThe third race was the TC Champs 10k skate at Theo Wirth for the pursuit start. I was only a few seconds behind Kim Rudd and Kathleen DeWahl was right behind me. It didn’t take us long to catch Kim and the three of us skied the entire race together, which was great. I felt good and it was fun to have a nice group. Kim and Kathleen dropped me at the very end but I still had a very nice race. The three of us had the fastest times of the day and I’m sure it’s because we were pushing each other. So that was lesson #3: find a nice group to ski with if you can since you tend to ski faster in a group./p pStay tuned; more lessons coming soon!/p div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1572647974447867713-2268510936973111587?l=vakavaraceteam.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Re-Loppet
I have a lot of respect for the word “Epic.” It’s not a word I will throw around lightly. While today was certainly not epic, it was a big day and a great way to kick off my training for the US National Championship 50km skate in Fort Kent, Maine at the end of this month.
Since arriving home, I’ve been out on the Wirth trails pretty much every day–simply enjoying the spring-like conditions here in Minneapolis. The day started with a jog from my folks house to the trail, skis and poles in hand, boots slipping down the ice over the cold morning asphalt. My old high school teammate and college competitor Matt Schadow was ready to go when I arrived at the Par 3 lot after a brisk ski across Wirth Lake to make it there on time.
We got in a solid ski around the entire Loppet trail to the interstate and back to the Chalet. Schadow had to roll out to watch Megan and others dive into a frozen Lake Calhoun as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics. I picked up the Three Musketeers: Jim, Skip, and Jim for a tour around the City of Lakes Loppet trail as part of the “Re-Loppet.”
(Nobody told me that t-shirts over long underwear were required team attire!).
Skip was psyched to see the ducks heading back North and taking advantage of the open water in a Wirth Pond. Definitely an early sign of spring, but something tells me winter’s not over yet. . .
Of course, Loppet Director John Munger and wife Diane had kids in-tow (literally) for the Re-Loppet. What a great resistance workout! I think Lauren liked the practice for water skiing this summer too. . .
Fortunately, the Three Musketeers are really good at drafting, almost like those ducks we saw in the sky all day, so we flew across Cedar Lake effortlessly. Somehow, nobody even got their poles stepped on. What teamwork!
We ended the first half of our workout at Old Chicago in Uptown, where we were treated to pizza by the Loppet Foundation. Afterwards, we declined the free bus ride back to the start in favor of a retour ski back home.
Some cyclists record “chamois time,” time spent in their bike shorts, as training in their log. If I were to log “boot time” for the workout today, I’d be over 7 hours–just shy of a full 9-5. A long day and a lot of fun, but not quite Epic.
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Beautiful Weather for NE J2 Champs
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5MBec5r54I/AAAAAAAACho/jYoX5Ow_3Oo/s1600-h/IMG_3179.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/S5MBec5r54I/AAAAAAAACho/jYoX5Ow_3Oo/s400/IMG_3179.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445697997086910338″ //aThe New England J2 Championships are being held this weekend in Jackson NH. The weather has been great for spectacting and coaching…blue bird sky and temps in the high 40’s. The Championships are run on a State vs State format. Each State can have 20 boys and 20 girls and everyone scores for their team. This year, in addition to the teams from NE and NY, there are two teams from Canada and teams from Sun Valley and PNSA. br /The weekend started off with a 5 km skate race Friday afternoon. This morning there was a 5 km classic race and this afternoon was a classic sprint. The event ends with mixed medley relay tomorrow morning.br /With great weather and over 200 competitors, everyone is having fun and the event is continuing to be very successful.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5MAD4a9FkI/AAAAAAAAChg/Fzi8LqLj2Lo/s1600-h/IMG_3181.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/S5MAD4a9FkI/AAAAAAAAChg/Fzi8LqLj2Lo/s400/IMG_3181.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445696441106110018″ //aMac, hitting one of the bigger hills.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L-fT2rVUI/AAAAAAAAChY/amVWZrNWCXU/s1600-h/IMG_3175.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/S5L-fT2rVUI/AAAAAAAAChY/amVWZrNWCXU/s400/IMG_3175.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445694713303356738″ //aThe teams from VT and Massachusettes are staying in the hotel in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge it and you’ll get a good look at the hotel).br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L9Aq_hi2I/AAAAAAAAChQ/B27L1BIAIqg/s1600-h/IMG_3172.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/S5L9Aq_hi2I/AAAAAAAAChQ/B27L1BIAIqg/s400/IMG_3172.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445693087426906978″ //aNo one complained about waxing outside!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L7okatILI/AAAAAAAAChI/dp2MKj1rhmk/s1600-h/IMG_3185.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/S5L7okatILI/AAAAAAAAChI/dp2MKj1rhmk/s400/IMG_3185.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445691573833375922″ //aFun in the Sun for Noah and the VT girls.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L6Y6SJ0_I/AAAAAAAAChA/xR8QEn2mlH4/s1600-h/IMG_3190.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/S5L6Y6SJ0_I/AAAAAAAAChA/xR8QEn2mlH4/s400/IMG_3190.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445690205313553394″ //aSome of the Sun Valley girls get together befor their race.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L4Py8tBYI/AAAAAAAACg4/w8hWpoVtqoE/s1600-h/IMG_3193.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/S5L4Py8tBYI/AAAAAAAACg4/w8hWpoVtqoE/s400/IMG_3193.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445687849702458754″ //aStart of the sprint race. Each race has a wave start with one skier form each State. The competetion this year is quite close, Vt has a small lead over Maine and New Hampshire with Mass., NY and the guests from Idaho, Canada and Washington State all doing well.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/S5L26YEKVOI/AAAAAAAACgw/R7PvutRjWCs/s1600-h/IMG_3205.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/S5L26YEKVOI/AAAAAAAACgw/R7PvutRjWCs/s400/IMG_3205.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445686382197101794″ //abr /The Mt Washington Hotel. Nice day eh???div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-2339972422242461795?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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2011 Madshus Nanosonic Tested
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S5IjYx8eTzI/AAAAAAAAAcc/2Ka7qMNmjuU/s1600-h/nano-tip.JPG” target=”_blank”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S5IjYx8eTzI/AAAAAAAAAcc/2Ka7qMNmjuU/s320/nano-tip.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445453808075165490″ border=”0″ //aspan style=”;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;” by Mark Waechter,
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Presque Isle and Truckee are virtually identical.
img src=”http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyv6aosRhW1qzt3xbo1_500.jpg”/br/br/pPresque Isle and Truckee are ivirtually/i identical./p
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YdBR2KPksBA/S5PVq52326I/AAAAAAAAAEs/ZJaNA9cRhJM/s1600-h/vl_first+hill.jpg")
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