Seniors Issy and Calvin raced at the New England High School Cross Country Running Championships in Rhode Island yesterday and both did well! Issy finished 59th in 19:43 (12th Vermont girl) and Calvin finished 74th in 16:54 (8th Vermont boy). Great job to both! Complete results here. Thanks to Herve Pelletier for the pictures!
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xk6nYmqnUQE/Tr_-jLOrhsI/AAAAAAAAC5c/WCfS0enRFRs/s1600/Issy2_DSC0451.jpg")
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aYXYhKXe4xI/Tr_-iWXXPMI/AAAAAAAAC5U/vT1njFOBizo/s1600/Issy1_DSC0481.jpg")
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A79-TY8Quf0/Tr_-hxpsBUI/AAAAAAAAC5E/LeKWz5AvZyY/s1600/Calvin2_DSC0636.jpg")
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yyttcERMCug/Tr_-hUZLTQI/AAAAAAAAC44/LSjvgygK2jI/s1600/Calvin1_DSC0649.jpg")
Seniors Issy and Calvin raced at the New England High School Cross Country Running Championships in Rhode Island yesterday and both did well! Issy finished 59th in 19:43 (12th Vermont girl) and Calvin finished 74th in 16:54 (8th Vermont boy). Great job to both! Complete results here. Thanks to Herve Pelletier for the pictures!
Seniors Issy and Calvin raced at the New England High School Cross Country Running Championships in Rhode Island yesterday and both did well! Issy finished 59th in 19:43 (12th Vermont girl) and Calvin finished 74th in 16:54 (8th Vermont boy). Great job to both! Complete results here. Thanks to Herve Pelletier for the pictures!
It’s hard to believe that the racing season has already started, but after three back-to-back days of racing, it definitely feels like it has! Of course, it’s still mid-November and we still have another month until we’ll race back home, so these are definitely races and results to be taken pretty lightly. But with a deep, highly competitive international field of racers fired up for the season to begin, there’s definitely a contagious energy around these races. When I was racing today, Clare cheered me on by screaming “every second counts!” and it couldn’t have been more true–in these races, every second could easily be 5 places. Thats crazy! And it’s also definitely very motivating.
I won’t go into results in detail or anything, but I think the team had some pretty solid results and we’re where we need to be at this time of the year. And we’re also real easy to spot in our new suits, too!!
We’ve been taking our recovery at least as seriously as our racing in the last few days. I’d say the recovery might even be at the level of extreme– and it’s certainly helping to keep us entertained! Here are some pictures of “the two R’s.”
Clare tucking down the final hill in the skate race
Tim coming through on a lap
Pat getting cheered on and video taped
Dylan striding in behind someone
Leg elevation–part of our recovery repertoire.
Icebath! This was the coldest water I've ever been in, and I definitely squealed non-stop for the first minute or so. In this picture you can also see my new fur coat (fake, of course) that I picked up from the thrift store here in Muonio for 5 euro. It's quite warm! I had to do a little photoshopping to get all three of us in one picture–we didn't have anyone to take a picture of all of us!
This one of Ida also captures the ice that was on the shore of the river. When I got out, my toes were blocks of ice and my legs felt sooo weird. Are ice baths actually good for you?
It’s hard to believe that the racing season has already started, but after three back-to-back days of racing, it definitely feels like it has! Of course, it’s still mid-November and we still have another month until we’ll race back home, so these are definitely races and results to be taken pretty lightly. But with a deep, highly competitive international field of racers fired up for the season to begin, there’s definitely a contagious energy around these races. When I was racing today, Clare cheered me on by screaming “every second counts!” and it couldn’t have been more true–in these races, every second could easily be 5 places. Thats crazy! And it’s also definitely very motivating.
I won’t go into results in detail or anything, but I think the team had some pretty solid results and we’re where we need to be at this time of the year. And we’re also real easy to spot in our new suits, too!!
We’ve been taking our recovery at least as seriously as our racing in the last few days. I’d say the recovery might even be at the level of extreme– and it’s certainly helping to keep us entertained! Here are some pictures of “the two R’s.”
Clare tucking down the final hill in the skate race
Tim coming through on a lap
Pat getting cheered on and video taped
Dylan striding in behind someone
Leg elevation–part of our recovery repertoire.
Icebath! This was the coldest water I've ever been in, and I definitely squealed non-stop for the first minute or so. In this picture you can also see my new fur coat (fake, of course) that I picked up from the thrift store here in Muonio for 5 euro. It's quite warm! I had to do a little photoshopping to get all three of us in one picture–we didn't have anyone to take a picture of all of us!
This one of Ida also captures the ice that was on the shore of the river. When I got out, my toes were blocks of ice and my legs felt sooo weird. Are ice baths actually good for you?
It’s hard to believe that the racing season has already started, but after three back-to-back days of racing, it definitely feels like it has! Of course, it’s still mid-November and we still have another month until we’ll race back home, so these are definitely races and results to be taken pretty lightly. But with a deep, highly competitive international field of racers fired up for the season to begin, there’s definitely a contagious energy around these races. When I was racing today, Clare cheered me on by screaming “every second counts!” and it couldn’t have been more true–in these races, every second could easily be 5 places. Thats crazy! And it’s also definitely very motivating.
I won’t go into results in detail or anything, but I think the team had some pretty solid results and we’re where we need to be at this time of the year. And we’re also real easy to spot in our new suits, too!!
We’ve been taking our recovery at least as seriously as our racing in the last few days. I’d say the recovery might even be at the level of extreme– and it’s certainly helping to keep us entertained! Here are some pictures of “the two R’s.”
Clare tucking down the final hill in the skate race
Tim coming through on a lap
Pat getting cheered on and video taped
Dylan striding in behind someone
Leg elevation–part of our recovery repertoire.
Icebath! This was the coldest water I've ever been in, and I definitely squealed non-stop for the first minute or so. In this picture you can also see my new fur coat (fake, of course) that I picked up from the thrift store here in Muonio for 5 euro. It's quite warm! I had to do a little photoshopping to get all three of us in one picture–we didn't have anyone to take a picture of all of us!
This one of Ida also captures the ice that was on the shore of the river. When I got out, my toes were blocks of ice and my legs felt sooo weird. Are ice baths actually good for you?
It’s been a few months since the Nordic Commentary Project moved ahead, but with both winter and the World Cup just a few weeks away (though not necessarily in the same places), it’s time to start posting again. I have a long piece in the works, but I thought I’d start off slow by linking to a fantastic collection of 1970s nordic-skiing ads like these. I love the color schemes!
It’s been a few months since the Nordic Commentary Project moved ahead, but with both winter and the World Cup just a few weeks away (though not necessarily in the same places), it’s time to start posting again. I have a long piece in the works, but I thought I’d start off slow by linking to a fantastic collection of 1970s nordic-skiing ads like these. I love the color schemes!
It’s been a few months since the Nordic Commentary Project moved ahead, but with both winter and the World Cup just a few weeks away (though not necessarily in the same places), it’s time to start posting again. I have a long piece in the works, but I thought I’d start off slow by linking to a fantastic collection of 1970s nordic-skiing ads like these. I love the color schemes!
Finally got first tracks today on Washington Pass – the weather has been teetering right on the brink of winter, with temps in the teens at night and 30s during the days, but little precipitation until now. The mountains got about 10″ yesterday, enough for Scott to take the snowmobile and chain-link fence up to the Overlook road yesterday to groom our traditional first-of-the-year 1km loop.
It’s a tremendously welcome change from rollerskiing, and very apt timing. Tomorrow I am leaving for Silver Star to train at altitude for a week before heading to West Yellowstone, so these few workouts that I get on snow will allow me to get the snow legs under me a bit. Also, it affords me the opportunity to test out my new Madshus gear.
I’m working in close concert with Peter Hale and Mark Waechter at Nordic Ultratune to put together a great quiver of Madshus skis, and this week I’ll be testing different flexes and cambers to decide which pair gets a coveted spot in the ski bag. Working with Mark in these circumstances is the best an athlete can hope for; he’s got a great stock of race-quality skis so between him and Peter’s selections I’m confident I’ll have some great boards!
I’ll put up some more updates from my solo training camp in Silver Star. 11 days until the opening Super Tour races in West Yellowstone!
Finally got first tracks today on Washington Pass – the weather has been teetering right on the brink of winter, with temps in the teens at night and 30s during the days, but little precipitation until now. The mountains got about 10″ yesterday, enough for Scott to take the snowmobile and chain-link fence up to the Overlook road yesterday to groom our traditional first-of-the-year 1km loop.
It’s a tremendously welcome change from rollerskiing, and very apt timing. Tomorrow I am leaving for Silver Star to train at altitude for a week before heading to West Yellowstone, so these few workouts that I get on snow will allow me to get the snow legs under me a bit. Also, it affords me the opportunity to test out my new Madshus gear.
I’m working in close concert with Peter Hale and Mark Waechter at Nordic Ultratune to put together a great quiver of Madshus skis, and this week I’ll be testing different flexes and cambers to decide which pair gets a coveted spot in the ski bag. Working with Mark in these circumstances is the best an athlete can hope for; he’s got a great stock of race-quality skis so between him and Peter’s selections I’m confident I’ll have some great boards!
I’ll put up some more updates from my solo training camp in Silver Star. 11 days until the opening Super Tour races in West Yellowstone!
Finally got first tracks today on Washington Pass – the weather has been teetering right on the brink of winter, with temps in the teens at night and 30s during the days, but little precipitation until now. The mountains got about 10″ yesterday, enough for Scott to take the snowmobile and chain-link fence up to the Overlook road yesterday to groom our traditional first-of-the-year 1km loop.
It’s a tremendously welcome change from rollerskiing, and very apt timing. Tomorrow I am leaving for Silver Star to train at altitude for a week before heading to West Yellowstone, so these few workouts that I get on snow will allow me to get the snow legs under me a bit. Also, it affords me the opportunity to test out my new Madshus gear.
I’m working in close concert with Peter Hale and Mark Waechter at Nordic Ultratune to put together a great quiver of Madshus skis, and this week I’ll be testing different flexes and cambers to decide which pair gets a coveted spot in the ski bag. Working with Mark in these circumstances is the best an athlete can hope for; he’s got a great stock of race-quality skis so between him and Peter’s selections I’m confident I’ll have some great boards!
I’ll put up some more updates from my solo training camp in Silver Star. 11 days until the opening Super Tour races in West Yellowstone!
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sv7rVmjAHbA/Tr7aW_-CJnI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/yIYHuOzPpr4/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG")
We had an excellent sprint practice this morning. It was a good way to kick off our simulation of Nationals week. We have been doing this for 4-5 years now and we find that it is a good way to practice and gain confidence for the “real” National Championships week.
Today we had 2 different courses for our sprint practice. We started with an uphill prelim and heat and ended with a pretty flat prelim and heat. As always, ski speeds differ and you can’t put too much on the results, but you can see how each skier did alone (prelim) vs in a group (heat) and how they held up through the four races.
After the uphill prelim we broke everyone into groups of 4 or 5 for their heats (based on prelim times). Here are the times for the uphill sprints:
Paddy 3:05, 3:21
Nick 3:11, 3:29
Hamish 3:17, 3:23
Mac 3:19, 3:30
Gino 3:21, 3:23
Tyler 3:21, 3:23.5
Charlie 3:26, 3:22
Koby 3:35, 3:49
Brooke 4:02, 4:09
Heidi 4:13, 4:13
Katharine 4:19, 4:11
Mollie 4:25, 4:24
Kate 4:37, 4:41
Russell 4:46, 4:57
Helena 5:02, 5:02
Tess 5:28, DNF
Pippin 5:31, DNF
Alex 5:41, 5:58
The flatter course was run the same way, but we only had 2 heats instead of 4 for the finals. Here are the times based in order of prelim times.
Paddy 2:53, 2:55
Gino 3:00, 2:52
Nick 3:01, 2:54
Hamish 3:08, 3:00
Charlie 3:08, 3:04
Tyler 3:12, 3:03
Mac 3:19, 3:09
Koby 3:32, 3:21
Brooke 3:32, 3:22
Heidi 3:38, 3:32
Katharine 3:55, 3:52
Mollie 4:02, 3:50
Kate 4:15, 4:08
Helena 4:28, 4:19
Russell 4:32, 4:24
Pippin 5:00, DNS
Alex 5:28, 5:31
Job well done!
Missing from this list are Corky (recovering from mono so he did leg speeds), Anika (resting her calves so she did some tough upper body specific strength), ‘Kenzie (home recovering from a cold), Skyler (recovering from a car mishap), Issy and Calvin (running in the NE Championships in RI…more from them later).
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAFiVZzh17A/Tr7aWSNAqGI/AAAAAAAAC4M/FTrzX0cbbps/s1600/DSC_0091.JPG")
Anika on classic skis today.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHV3zQram-Y/Tr7aVarXPRI/AAAAAAAAC4A/zLC9LkG3210/s1600/DSC_0099.JPG")
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfO9DW8lyGc/Tr7aUzUqWiI/AAAAAAAAC30/Fk8gkWnyQYo/s1600/DSC_0113.JPG")
Paddy on course.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NkQO7w788dQ/Tr7aUvsVEFI/AAAAAAAAC3o/XMKJMnM4izo/s1600/DSC_0120.JPG")
Murph.![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcEBcCMEQlw/Tr7ZeB2GP_I/AAAAAAAAC3c/MBqFI3ndm2w/s1600/DSC_0132.JPG")
Gino.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1eIwCzixxoo/Tr7ZdsbW5TI/AAAAAAAAC3Q/1ezeU8PQ5hw/s1600/DSC_0141.JPG")
Hamish.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p-q9fdgFa0k/Tr7ZdAT3nWI/AAAAAAAAC3E/cziEZrZppA4/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG")
Charlie.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPUmwIpWV-s/Tr7ZcmdStpI/AAAAAAAAC24/MjfEDXMRO5Y/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG")
Tyler.![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ5qxsYB0iU/Tr7ZcAwqH_I/AAAAAAAAC2s/g5b30q7IVzY/s1600/DSC_0152.JPG")
Mac.![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZzpJwkDho4/Tr7YveJAWJI/AAAAAAAAC2g/QIOjouxK8_Y/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG")
Koby.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkseE13QNXs/Tr7Yuo1qRWI/AAAAAAAAC2U/oAjLa1h1pGQ/s1600/DSC_0175.JPG")
Brooke.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlNTWK6jN5s/Tr7YuSSviOI/AAAAAAAAC2I/q0Nglo0oCyY/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG")
Russell.![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-daPWYevf30Y/Tr7Ytv2qvNI/AAAAAAAAC18/5C8aJPXJNco/s1600/DSC_0191.JPG")
Mollie.![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4yj9e_LrPs8/Tr7YtDkeHdI/AAAAAAAAC1w/gSAXyx3Hw5k/s1600/DSC_0389.JPG")
Kate.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qyPgarxOuR4/Tr7X5WZmoSI/AAAAAAAAC1g/UkQL3pis0ac/s1600/DSC_0204.JPG")
Katherine.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m7ShwKsoQFM/Tr7X4-Is4WI/AAAAAAAAC1U/DHisp0MEglg/s1600/DSC_0214.JPG")
Pip.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aM2qvA08BhM/Tr7X4opJ6AI/AAAAAAAAC1I/BmGZoGW5uWA/s1600/DSC_0219.JPG")
Helena.![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fZTiQz4RkbU/Tr7X3khk6gI/AAAAAAAAC08/5Z9PnOfQyVE/s1600/DSC_0226.JPG")
Alex.![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vZcoVVhtHsc/Tr7X3UE8VJI/AAAAAAAAC0w/6y3oJr7CeNU/s1600/DSC_0296.JPG")
Tess.
We had an excellent sprint practice this morning. It was a good way to kick off our simulation of Nationals week. We have been doing this for 4-5 years now and we find that it is a good way to practice and gain confidence for the “real” National Championships week.
Today we had 2 different courses for our sprint practice. We started with an uphill prelim and heat and ended with a pretty flat prelim and heat. As always, ski speeds differ and you can’t put too much on the results, but you can see how each skier did alone (prelim) vs in a group (heat) and how they held up through the four races.
After the uphill prelim we broke everyone into groups of 4 or 5 for their heats (based on prelim times). Here are the times for the uphill sprints:
Paddy 3:05, 3:21
Nick 3:11, 3:29
Hamish 3:17, 3:23
Mac 3:19, 3:30
Gino 3:21, 3:23
Tyler 3:21, 3:23.5
Charlie 3:26, 3:22
Koby 3:35, 3:49
Brooke 4:02, 4:09
Heidi 4:13, 4:13
Katharine 4:19, 4:11
Mollie 4:25, 4:24
Kate 4:37, 4:41
Russell 4:46, 4:57
Helena 5:02, 5:02
Tess 5:28, DNF
Pippin 5:31, DNF
Alex 5:41, 5:58
The flatter course was run the same way, but we only had 2 heats instead of 4 for the finals. Here are the times based in order of prelim times.
Paddy 2:53, 2:55
Gino 3:00, 2:52
Nick 3:01, 2:54
Hamish 3:08, 3:00
Charlie 3:08, 3:04
Tyler 3:12, 3:03
Mac 3:19, 3:09
Koby 3:32, 3:21
Brooke 3:32, 3:22
Heidi 3:38, 3:32
Katharine 3:55, 3:52
Mollie 4:02, 3:50
Kate 4:15, 4:08
Helena 4:28, 4:19
Russell 4:32, 4:24
Pippin 5:00, DNS
Alex 5:28, 5:31
Job well done!
Missing from this list are Corky (recovering from mono so he did leg speeds), Anika (resting her calves so she did some tough upper body specific strength), ‘Kenzie (home recovering from a cold), Skyler (recovering from a car mishap), Issy and Calvin (running in the NE Championships in RI…more from them later).
Anika on classic skis today.Paddy on course.Murph.Gino.Hamish.Charlie.Tyler.Mac.Koby.Brooke.Russell.Mollie.Kate.Katherine.Pip.Helena.Alex.Tess.We had an excellent sprint practice this morning. It was a good way to kick off our simulation of Nationals week. We have been doing this for 4-5 years now and we find that it is a good way to practice and gain confidence for the “real” National Championships week.
Today we had 2 different courses for our sprint practice. We started with an uphill prelim and heat and ended with a pretty flat prelim and heat. As always, ski speeds differ and you can’t put too much on the results, but you can see how each skier did alone (prelim) vs in a group (heat) and how they held up through the four races.
After the uphill prelim we broke everyone into groups of 4 or 5 for their heats (based on prelim times). Here are the times for the uphill sprints:
Paddy 3:05, 3:21
Nick 3:11, 3:29
Hamish 3:17, 3:23
Mac 3:19, 3:30
Gino 3:21, 3:23
Tyler 3:21, 3:23.5
Charlie 3:26, 3:22
Koby 3:35, 3:49
Brooke 4:02, 4:09
Heidi 4:13, 4:13
Katharine 4:19, 4:11
Mollie 4:25, 4:24
Kate 4:37, 4:41
Russell 4:46, 4:57
Helena 5:02, 5:02
Tess 5:28, DNF
Pippin 5:31, DNF
Alex 5:41, 5:58
The flatter course was run the same way, but we only had 2 heats instead of 4 for the finals. Here are the times based in order of prelim times.
Paddy 2:53, 2:55
Gino 3:00, 2:52
Nick 3:01, 2:54
Hamish 3:08, 3:00
Charlie 3:08, 3:04
Tyler 3:12, 3:03
Mac 3:19, 3:09
Koby 3:32, 3:21
Brooke 3:32, 3:22
Heidi 3:38, 3:32
Katharine 3:55, 3:52
Mollie 4:02, 3:50
Kate 4:15, 4:08
Helena 4:28, 4:19
Russell 4:32, 4:24
Pippin 5:00, DNS
Alex 5:28, 5:31
Job well done!
Missing from this list are Corky (recovering from mono so he did leg speeds), Anika (resting her calves so she did some tough upper body specific strength), ‘Kenzie (home recovering from a cold), Skyler (recovering from a car mishap), Issy and Calvin (running in the NE Championships in RI…more from them later).
Anika on classic skis today.Paddy on course.Murph.Gino.Hamish.Charlie.Tyler.Mac.Koby.Brooke.Russell.Mollie.Kate.Katherine.Pip.Helena.Alex.Tess.![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bgjk1U67bus/Tr1ut5E5mvI/AAAAAAAACiE/_fpeLjmrUpQ/s1600/IMG_0192.jpg") |
| MK refueling at the junction of the Jerusalem and Long Trail. |
Most of us woke up today sore from yesterday’s tough double session. Thursday morning we did running intervals with an emphasis on time progression through the intervals. The first set of four was approximately 1200 meters on wooded running trails and then we shifted to the track for a set of four 200’s. The kids did great work and improved their times from the end of September — spending some time in the pain cave in the process. The afternoon session started with soccer for warm-up and then a devilish (3 sets of 6 reps) strength session focused on the upper body. We concluded the set with 100m repeats on the SkiErg in prep for the World Champs this weekend. There was great comradery in the gym, with coaches, alum Preston Butler, and the team pushing each other to heavy metal music — something to do with this mornings soreness…
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GQhhgp0nHOk/Tr1vBQcY8uI/AAAAAAAACi8/18QM7-mkQ9s/s1600/IMG_0217.jpg") |
| Baby Gap Morning Light. |
In hopes of finding mental and physical relief yesterday’s intensity we loaded into the vans and headed to the hills. The goal was an adventurous distance session to round out our last volume week before heading to West Yellowstone. Maybe it was the great phenomenon of 1’s lined up on top of each other, or maybe it was just by chance, but there was a nice blanket of snow coating the mountains this morning. Above Mad River Glen we stashed bikes in my truck and shuttled to the west side of the Greens in the van, where we parked at the base of the Jerusalem Trail. We hiked and jogged upwards into increasing whiteness and reflected on the last year, Dev was quick to remind me that on this day (11/11/10) we had skinned and skied Mad River Glen, and the stark change in the weather over the past two days — we’d worked out in shorts and t-shirts in the past days.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gDXCX-mpxfo/Tr1vDwtKO5I/AAAAAAAACjE/YhlPlWlH7vY/s1600/IMG_0218.jpg") |
| Raf’s reflective-anti-hunter-garb was a hit with the kids. |
The cold air always feels nice and the new snow makes the heart of nordic skiers race — we couldn’t help push the pace a bit as we ascended to the ridge and the junction with the Long Trail. After 2.5 miles we were right up in winter and we took a left — to the north — and headed toward Mad River Glen. We left our bikes at the top of the Practice Slope so we could roll down Route 17 and return to school under our own power.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQws8P3xQcg/Tr1vG6dWAMI/AAAAAAAACjM/ceFsskWG3Lo/s1600/IMG_0219.jpg") |
| Dev and Ryley headed into the white. |
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_OZHJxRPKHQ/Tr1vJMcZO8I/AAAAAAAACjU/egd6TjOMa28/s1600/IMG_0221.jpg") |
| Atop the ridge, the sun was poking through the clouds, affording brilliant light contrast. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scPmC3_Yxq0/Tr1uruw7_YI/AAAAAAAACh8/TzLQ3c-8baY/s1600/IMG_0191.jpg") |
| A happy crew poses for the camera. |
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ohjsiufI38/Tr1uvhCYBvI/AAAAAAAACiM/AZj0zEmhkOc/s1600/IMG_0199.jpg")
We reached Mad River Glen and the Starks Nest where Coach Beckwith took advantage of some perfect snow angel conditions. Rafter stayed true to his desires of being as human-like as possible, “Dad, that looks like fun.”
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLqtuFnTWmE/Tr1uygPkzEI/AAAAAAAACiU/89075VN2s4M/s1600/IMG_0202.jpg") |
| Looking out the window of the Starks Nest down into the frosty Mad River Valley. |
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zutzM_S1wmo/Tr1u2lHhfjI/AAAAAAAACic/T1gXNMaVLQ8/s1600/IMG_0203.jpg") |
| The boys decided to take a run down Chute, while the girls opted for the work road which wraps around the mountain. |
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LH2vYt-iMeA/Tr1u6T_TEjI/AAAAAAAACis/mWwrBQOiQEk/s1600/IMG_0215.jpg")
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FcQtI58DIG8/Tr1u9LuLxxI/AAAAAAAACi0/s102egTomcs/s1600/IMG_0216.jpg") |
| MK and Heidi checking out the lifts. |
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gq3cVovcpIQ/Tr1vLns9CWI/AAAAAAAACjc/s_P24nWqCH4/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg")
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXj17ydHDos/Tr1vTpTw1DI/AAAAAAAACj0/lRxHpOozt1w/s1600/IMG_0225.jpg")
After lacing our way down the slopes and slip-sliding over the snow covered moss and grass we arrived at the bike stash spot just in time for the magical 111111111111 moment that was spent airborne (blog top photo). We changed into dry layers and prepared for a quick, but cold decent to the Valley floor and a hot lunch awaiting us at campus.
I don’t think any of us expected to be hiking in the snow today, but it was a welcome change from the third summer we experienced this week. We spent the morning with contagious smiles and wandering imaginations … what will this season bring, how lucky are we to live in this beautiful place, and how long till we can ski again in the VT?
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J8PI-ugECYE/Tr1vWSEFDSI/AAAAAAAACj8/T-xvTsyS6K0/s1600/IMG_0226.jpg")
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| MK refueling at the junction of the Jerusalem and Long Trail. |
Most of us woke up today sore from yesterday’s tough double session. Thursday morning we did running intervals with an emphasis on time progression through the intervals. The first set of four was approximately 1200 meters on wooded running trails and then we shifted to the track for a set of four 200’s. The kids did great work and improved their times from the end of September — spending some time in the pain cave in the process. The afternoon session started with soccer for warm-up and then a devilish (3 sets of 6 reps) strength session focused on the upper body. We concluded the set with 100m repeats on the SkiErg in prep for the World Champs this weekend. There was great comradery in the gym, with coaches, alum Preston Butler, and the team pushing each other to heavy metal music — something to do with this mornings soreness…
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| Baby Gap Morning Light. |
In hopes of finding mental and physical relief yesterday’s intensity we loaded into the vans and headed to the hills. The goal was an adventurous distance session to round out our last volume week before heading to West Yellowstone. Maybe it was the great phenomenon of 1’s lined up on top of each other, or maybe it was just by chance, but there was a nice blanket of snow coating the mountains this morning. Above Mad River Glen we stashed bikes in my truck and shuttled to the west side of the Greens in the van, where we parked at the base of the Jerusalem Trail. We hiked and jogged upwards into increasing whiteness and reflected on the last year, Dev was quick to remind me that on this day (11/11/10) we had skinned and skied Mad River Glen, and the stark change in the weather over the past two days — we’d worked out in shorts and t-shirts in the past days.
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| Raf’s reflective-anti-hunter-garb was a hit with the kids. |
The cold air always feels nice and the new snow makes the heart of nordic skiers race — we couldn’t help push the pace a bit as we ascended to the ridge and the junction with the Long Trail. After 2.5 miles we were right up in winter and we took a left — to the north — and headed toward Mad River Glen. We left our bikes at the top of the Practice Slope so we could roll down Route 17 and return to school under our own power.
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| Dev and Ryley headed into the white. |
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| Atop the ridge, the sun was poking through the clouds, affording brilliant light contrast. |
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| A happy crew poses for the camera. |
We reached Mad River Glen and the Starks Nest where Coach Beckwith took advantage of some perfect snow angel conditions. Rafter stayed true to his desires of being as human-like as possible, “Dad, that looks like fun.”
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| Looking out the window of the Starks Nest down into the frosty Mad River Valley. |
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| The boys decided to take a run down Chute, while the girls opted for the work road which wraps around the mountain. |
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| MK and Heidi checking out the lifts. |
After lacing our way down the slopes and slip-sliding over the snow covered moss and grass we arrived at the bike stash spot just in time for the magical 111111111111 moment that was spent airborne (blog top photo). We changed into dry layers and prepared for a quick, but cold decent to the Valley floor and a hot lunch awaiting us at campus.
I don’t think any of us expected to be hiking in the snow today, but it was a welcome change from the third summer we experienced this week. We spent the morning with contagious smiles and wandering imaginations … what will this season bring, how lucky are we to live in this beautiful place, and how long till we can ski again in the VT?
|
| MK refueling at the junction of the Jerusalem and Long Trail. |
Most of us woke up today sore from yesterday’s tough double session. Thursday morning we did running intervals with an emphasis on time progression through the intervals. The first set of four was approximately 1200 meters on wooded running trails and then we shifted to the track for a set of four 200’s. The kids did great work and improved their times from the end of September — spending some time in the pain cave in the process. The afternoon session started with soccer for warm-up and then a devilish (3 sets of 6 reps) strength session focused on the upper body. We concluded the set with 100m repeats on the SkiErg in prep for the World Champs this weekend. There was great comradery in the gym, with coaches, alum Preston Butler, and the team pushing each other to heavy metal music — something to do with this mornings soreness…
|
| Baby Gap Morning Light. |
In hopes of finding mental and physical relief yesterday’s intensity we loaded into the vans and headed to the hills. The goal was an adventurous distance session to round out our last volume week before heading to West Yellowstone. Maybe it was the great phenomenon of 1’s lined up on top of each other, or maybe it was just by chance, but there was a nice blanket of snow coating the mountains this morning. Above Mad River Glen we stashed bikes in my truck and shuttled to the west side of the Greens in the van, where we parked at the base of the Jerusalem Trail. We hiked and jogged upwards into increasing whiteness and reflected on the last year, Dev was quick to remind me that on this day (11/11/10) we had skinned and skied Mad River Glen, and the stark change in the weather over the past two days — we’d worked out in shorts and t-shirts in the past days.
|
| Raf’s reflective-anti-hunter-garb was a hit with the kids. |
The cold air always feels nice and the new snow makes the heart of nordic skiers race — we couldn’t help push the pace a bit as we ascended to the ridge and the junction with the Long Trail. After 2.5 miles we were right up in winter and we took a left — to the north — and headed toward Mad River Glen. We left our bikes at the top of the Practice Slope so we could roll down Route 17 and return to school under our own power.
|
| Dev and Ryley headed into the white. |
|
| Atop the ridge, the sun was poking through the clouds, affording brilliant light contrast. |
|
| A happy crew poses for the camera. |
We reached Mad River Glen and the Starks Nest where Coach Beckwith took advantage of some perfect snow angel conditions. Rafter stayed true to his desires of being as human-like as possible, “Dad, that looks like fun.”
|
| Looking out the window of the Starks Nest down into the frosty Mad River Valley. |
|
| The boys decided to take a run down Chute, while the girls opted for the work road which wraps around the mountain. |
|
| MK and Heidi checking out the lifts. |
After lacing our way down the slopes and slip-sliding over the snow covered moss and grass we arrived at the bike stash spot just in time for the magical 111111111111 moment that was spent airborne (blog top photo). We changed into dry layers and prepared for a quick, but cold decent to the Valley floor and a hot lunch awaiting us at campus.
I don’t think any of us expected to be hiking in the snow today, but it was a welcome change from the third summer we experienced this week. We spent the morning with contagious smiles and wandering imaginations … what will this season bring, how lucky are we to live in this beautiful place, and how long till we can ski again in the VT?
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WiRLF2Jq0i4/Tr1Bi3KXDKI/AAAAAAAACxo/oo5mzXhf3FE/s1600/Nov+11+Pictures+063.jpg")
This morning we did an easy run with some pick ups and a few loops through the agility ladder to wake up and get ready for tomorrow’s sprint practice. We warmed up on our trail below the school and then did some strides up on the soccer field – yet another beautiful morning in southern Vermont! Most everyone was out for the run today, with Mollie on rollerskis and Anika on the bike. Everyone had plenty of time before lunch to head into the gym for a short spin to cool down, stretch, and cold tub.
If you haven’t heard about the Drive for 25 yet, check it out and join us in supporting top developing skiers in the US and and help fund great camps, trips and races, like the J2 Elite Camp, the J1 Trip, World Juniors, etc. which many SMS alums and current skiers (and hopefully future skiers!) have attended. Donate $25 on Tuesday, November 15!
Finally, good luck to seniors Issy & Calvin who are running in the New England Championships tomorrow! ![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0jiTygAQ9VI/Tr1DjAXNkPI/AAAAAAAAC0Y/zJgmVOzkgq0/s1600/Nov+11+Pictures+005.jpg")
This morning we did an easy run with some pick ups and a few loops through the agility ladder to wake up and get ready for tomorrow’s sprint practice. We warmed up on our trail below the school and then did some strides up on the soccer field – yet another beautiful morning in southern Vermont! Most everyone was out for the run today, with Mollie on rollerskis and Anika on the bike. Everyone had plenty of time before lunch to head into the gym for a short spin to cool down, stretch, and cold tub.
If you haven’t heard about the Drive for 25 yet, check it out and join us in supporting top developing skiers in the US and and help fund great camps, trips and races, like the J2 Elite Camp, the J1 Trip, World Juniors, etc. which many SMS alums and current skiers (and hopefully future skiers!) have attended. Donate $25 on Tuesday, November 15!
Finally, good luck to seniors Issy & Calvin who are running in the New England Championships tomorrow!