Category: XCFeeds

A collection of live feeds from cross-country ski blogs around the web.
  • Volume Week Day 5

    This morning we continued our volume week with a 100 km bike ride. Matt picked out a great loop that started and ended in Manchester and the weather was perfect. After all of the training over the last 4 days, a nice 3 1/2 hour ride was a great way to finish things off.

    Mackenzie and Sverre did a shorter 2 hour bike because of their ages 🙂
    The lead group starts up the rte 7 valley.
    Temps were in the upper 40’s when we started, but they quickly rose into the mid 60’s.
    Cruising through town.
    Hamish stops for a snack.
    Liz, Tess and Kate are all smiles with another beautiful day.
    Color “pop”.
    Calvin refuels.
    The group heads up to Danby Four Corners.
    Our route took us over some nice back roads in the Danby, Pawlet, Rupert area.
    Mollie and Anika work the big uphill.
    Tyler nears the top on the Rupert Mountain Road.
    Tess, above, and Issy, below, with legs burning.

    Ahhhh..the reward 🙂
  • Volume Week Day 5

    This morning we continued our volume week with a 100 km bike ride. Matt picked out a great loop that started and ended in Manchester and the weather was perfect. After all of the training over the last 4 days, a nice 3 1/2 hour ride was a great way to finish things off.

    Mackenzie and Sverre did a shorter 2 hour bike because of their ages 🙂
    The lead group starts up the rte 7 valley.
    Temps were in the upper 40’s when we started, but they quickly rose into the mid 60’s.
    Cruising through town.
    Hamish stops for a snack.
    Liz, Tess and Kate are all smiles with another beautiful day.
    Color “pop”.
    Calvin refuels.
    The group heads up to Danby Four Corners.
    Our route took us over some nice back roads in the Danby, Pawlet, Rupert area.
    Mollie and Anika work the big uphill.
    Tyler nears the top on the Rupert Mountain Road.
    Tess, above, and Issy, below, with legs burning.

    Ahhhh..the reward 🙂
  • Good Young Finnish Women

    A companion post to my previous entry looking at some of the Finnish men. I’m using a sort of cohort style plot. They compare each athlete’s FIS points (similar to, but not exactly, what FIS uses for their rankings) to those of athletes who have gone on to finish in the top ten in a WC, WSC or OWG event. There’s obviously a range of FIS points in that group, hence the varying shades of gray in the plot.

    I just grabbed five (young-ish) Finnish women who had particularly good points last season, first looking at folks with good distance results( click through for full version):

    No surprise to see Lahteenmaki there, and Kerttu Niskanen is another name I know fairly well. As for the sprinters:

    Again, Lahteenmaki and Niskanen seem very promising, and maybe Maria Grundvall as well. Although I’m skeptical of how useful FIS points really are for measuring sprinting potential.

    Related posts:

    1. <WSC Women’s 10km Classic Recap
    2. <Top Female Juniors
    3. <Who’s Producing Fast Young Female Skiers?


  • Good Young Finnish Women

    A companion post to my previous entry looking at some of the Finnish men. I’m using a sort of cohort style plot. They compare each athlete’s FIS points (similar to, but not exactly, what FIS uses for their rankings) to those of athletes who have gone on to finish in the top ten in a WC, WSC or OWG event. There’s obviously a range of FIS points in that group, hence the varying shades of gray in the plot.

    I just grabbed five (young-ish) Finnish women who had particularly good points last season, first looking at folks with good distance results( click through for full version):

    No surprise to see Lahteenmaki there, and Kerttu Niskanen is another name I know fairly well. As for the sprinters:

    Again, Lahteenmaki and Niskanen seem very promising, and maybe Maria Grundvall as well. Although I’m skeptical of how useful FIS points really are for measuring sprinting potential.

    Related posts:

    1. <WSC Women’s 10km Classic Recap
    2. <Top Female Juniors
    3. <Who’s Producing Fast Young Female Skiers?


  • White Mtn Trip – More Photos

    More pictures from our trip to New Hampshire. To see even more pictures, check out the gallery of photos from this week’s practices. Check back for more photos this fall.
    Brooke, Kate, Tess, Mackenzie.
    Calvin, Mac, Gino, Charlie, & Murph.
    Issy.
    Tess and Mackenzie.
    Paddy, Hamish, Calvin, Mac (hiding a few more boys) – cruising in a pack.
    Tyler skied off the front of the pack and crushed both sides of the Kanc.
    Boys head out from the end of Passaconway Road to start their trip up the eastern side of the Kanc.
    Team shot at the bridge.
    Tess. : )
    The coaches weren’t the only people taking pictures of the team! Lots of tourists found our skiers just as bright as the foliage. : )
    Calvin, Gino, Charlie.
    Brooke.
    Mollie.
    Charlie.
    Hamish, Gino, Calvin.
    Team shot at the top!
    Franconia Ridge Hike – view from Mt. Liberty (Mt. Washington is the highest point in the distance.)

    Quick snack break on Liberty.
    Hamish, Mac, Paddy, Calvin.
    Boys pose a quick shot before getting back on the trail.
    Charlie, Tyler, Hamish, Calvin on top of Mt. Lincoln.
  • White Mtn Trip – More Photos

    More pictures from our trip to New Hampshire. To see even more pictures, check out the gallery of photos from this week’s practices. Check back for more photos this fall.
    Brooke, Kate, Tess, Mackenzie.
    Calvin, Mac, Gino, Charlie, & Murph.
    Issy.
    Tess and Mackenzie.
    Paddy, Hamish, Calvin, Mac (hiding a few more boys) – cruising in a pack.
    Tyler skied off the front of the pack and crushed both sides of the Kanc.
    Boys head out from the end of Passaconway Road to start their trip up the eastern side of the Kanc.
    Team shot at the bridge.
    Tess. : )
    The coaches weren’t the only people taking pictures of the team! Lots of tourists found our skiers just as bright as the foliage. : )
    Calvin, Gino, Charlie.
    Brooke.
    Mollie.
    Charlie.
    Hamish, Gino, Calvin.
    Team shot at the top!
    Franconia Ridge Hike – view from Mt. Liberty (Mt. Washington is the highest point in the distance.)

    Quick snack break on Liberty.
    Hamish, Mac, Paddy, Calvin.
    Boys pose a quick shot before getting back on the trail.
    Charlie, Tyler, Hamish, Calvin on top of Mt. Lincoln.
  • Bald Mountain Ridge Crust Skiing

    Bald Mountain Ridge north of Wasilla, Alaska in the Talkeena Mountains can be tough to get to during crust skiing season. I had wanted to ski this area for a long time. I finally managed to get up on the ridge when the crust skiing was good.

  • White Mtn. Trip

    We just returned from two days in the White Mtns. Yesterday we roller skied up both sides of the Kankamagus highway. It was a great workout with everyone getting in 35-45 km of gradual and steep uphill.
    The boys head up the south side from Lincoln.
    Tess and Mackenzie.
    Around the horse-shoe bend 3 km from the top (the last 8 km are 7% grade).
    Kate, Brooke, Mollie and ?? near the top.
    The boys at the top of the first climb. The south side is the easier side..only 18 km long.
    After a quick lunch, we drove over the top and down to the Passaconway road and then skied back up from there (26 km).

    We had a mix of clouds and sun, but the foliage was nice.
    Mollie towards the top of the north side.
    Gino, Hamish and Calvin heading for home
    Tyler was on a mission, he charged up both sides.

    Issy and Anika skied strong.
    Calvin.
    View from the top.
    Charlie and “Murph” at the top.
    After the ski, we drove 25 minutes to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. As dinner time rolled around, the weather cleared and cooled.
    Dinner time!
    We lit a nice fire downstairs and the team “bonded”…(Charlie told stories).
    Today dawned clear and cool. A perfect day to hike the Franconia Ridge. The boys started up Flume, then hiked over Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette before descending to the finish. (Liz went with the boys and will probably add some photos).

    Matt and Mollie biked the 60+ miles down to Hanover.
    The girls pulled Sverre up Falling Waters, across the ridge and down the Bridle Path trail.
    Here are Flume and Liberty (picture taken from Haystack).
    I have never seen such a clear day on the ridge. Temps in the valley were high 40’s, temps on the ridge around 30..with a stiff wind.. but..it made for a spectacular day!
    Girls, with Lincoln in the background.
    Mackenzie, Tess and Brooke rest on top of Lafayette ( with Washington in the background).
    Heading down… that lake is 3000 feet down…
    Looking down at the Greenleaf Hut and across at the side of Cannon.
    After a rest at the Greenleaf Hut, we were all smiles (ridge in the background).
    What a day! Everyone has now gotten in a solid 12-14 hours of training this week. Tomorrow we will be doing a 3 hr bike ride in the Manchester area. Should be another great day!
  • White Mtn. Trip

    We just returned from two days in the White Mtns. Yesterday we roller skied up both sides of the Kankamagus highway. It was a great workout with everyone getting in 35-45 km of gradual and steep uphill.
    The boys head up the south side from Lincoln.
    Tess and Mackenzie.
    Around the horse-shoe bend 3 km from the top (the last 8 km are 7% grade).
    Kate, Brooke, Mollie and ?? near the top.
    The boys at the top of the first climb. The south side is the easier side..only 18 km long.
    After a quick lunch, we drove over the top and down to the Passaconway road and then skied back up from there (26 km).

    We had a mix of clouds and sun, but the foliage was nice.
    Mollie towards the top of the north side.
    Gino, Hamish and Calvin heading for home
    Tyler was on a mission, he charged up both sides.

    Issy and Anika skied strong.
    Calvin.
    View from the top.
    Charlie and “Murph” at the top.
    After the ski, we drove 25 minutes to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. As dinner time rolled around, the weather cleared and cooled.
    Dinner time!
    We lit a nice fire downstairs and the team “bonded”…(Charlie told stories).
    Today dawned clear and cool. A perfect day to hike the Franconia Ridge. The boys started up Flume, then hiked over Liberty, Little Haystack, Lincoln and Lafayette before descending to the finish. (Liz went with the boys and will probably add some photos).

    Matt and Mollie biked the 60+ miles down to Hanover.
    The girls pulled Sverre up Falling Waters, across the ridge and down the Bridle Path trail.
    Here are Flume and Liberty (picture taken from Haystack).
    I have never seen such a clear day on the ridge. Temps in the valley were high 40’s, temps on the ridge around 30..with a stiff wind.. but..it made for a spectacular day!
    Girls, with Lincoln in the background.
    Mackenzie, Tess and Brooke rest on top of Lafayette ( with Washington in the background).
    Heading down… that lake is 3000 feet down…
    Looking down at the Greenleaf Hut and across at the side of Cannon.
    After a rest at the Greenleaf Hut, we were all smiles (ridge in the background).
    What a day! Everyone has now gotten in a solid 12-14 hours of training this week. Tomorrow we will be doing a 3 hr bike ride in the Manchester area. Should be another great day!
  • US Nationals Simulation Week: Day 2

    Once the rain cleared it turned into a beautiful fall day here in Waitsfield. We took to the streets for our second day of US Nationals simulation, a sprint workout on skate roller skis. 
    As it turned out, not everyone was skating today. Heidi was on classic skis and Hans gave his sore back a rest, doing the workout on foot. Nonetheless, we had some serious head-to-head competition: intensity was high!
    We worked on some starts before the real deal to practice getting out of the gate. Hans bursts out of the blocks in preparation for a fast workout.
     Coach Beckwith works with MK on her sprint start: what’s the best way to get up to speed?
    Hans and Ryley take a moment to pose for the camera before going head to head in a practice start.
     First: the prologue.
    After they threw down some fast times in qualification, the skiers were reverse seeded: if everyone skied the same pace they did in the prologue we would have a five-way tie for first place. This sets up some pretty cool head-to-head racing.
     
    Seeding was updated after each heat: here MK waits in the gate for her A-Final start.
     Ryley gets going.
    Hans ran a slightly shorter course and managed to win every heat: his final heat was 30 seconds faster than his first, with consistent improvement each time.
    Fitzy guts it out on the penultimate climb. The course starts on a gradual uphill, does some technical winding through the Sugarbush parking lot, then pitches up to the finish.
    It was an unconventional A-Final, with three skaters, a classic skier, and a runner. Hans was too fast to even make it into this picture.
    A celebratory selfie.
    The team recovers after a hotly contested final heat. Coach Beckwith walks around with a cone on his head.
    Today is strength, tomorrow is our final test of the week, a classic TT in East Warren. 
    We’re having an awesome week so far, with hard efforts and fast times all over the place. Time to get some rest and then get after it again.

  • US Nationals Simulation Week: Day 2

    Once the rain cleared it turned into a beautiful fall day here in Waitsfield. We took to the streets for our second day of US Nationals simulation, a sprint workout on skate roller skis. 
    As it turned out, not everyone was skating today. Heidi was on classic skis and Hans gave his sore back a rest, doing the workout on foot. Nonetheless, we had some serious head-to-head competition: intensity was high!
    We worked on some starts before the real deal to practice getting out of the gate. Hans bursts out of the blocks in preparation for a fast workout.
     Coach Beckwith works with MK on her sprint start: what’s the best way to get up to speed?
    Hans and Ryley take a moment to pose for the camera before going head to head in a practice start.
     First: the prologue.
    After they threw down some fast times in qualification, the skiers were reverse seeded: if everyone skied the same pace they did in the prologue we would have a five-way tie for first place. This sets up some pretty cool head-to-head racing.
     
    Seeding was updated after each heat: here MK waits in the gate for her A-Final start.
     Ryley gets going.
    Hans ran a slightly shorter course and managed to win every heat: his final heat was 30 seconds faster than his first, with consistent improvement each time.
    Fitzy guts it out on the penultimate climb. The course starts on a gradual uphill, does some technical winding through the Sugarbush parking lot, then pitches up to the finish.
    It was an unconventional A-Final, with three skaters, a classic skier, and a runner. Hans was too fast to even make it into this picture.
    A celebratory selfie.
    The team recovers after a hotly contested final heat. Coach Beckwith walks around with a cone on his head.
    Today is strength, tomorrow is our final test of the week, a classic TT in East Warren. 
    We’re having an awesome week so far, with hard efforts and fast times all over the place. Time to get some rest and then get after it again.

  • US Nationals Simulation Week: Day 2

    Once the rain cleared it turned into a beautiful fall day here in Waitsfield. We took to the streets for our second day of US Nationals simulation, a sprint workout on skate roller skis. 
    As it turned out, not everyone was skating today. Heidi was on classic skis and Hans gave his sore back a rest, doing the workout on foot. Nonetheless, we had some serious head-to-head competition: intensity was high!
    We worked on some starts before the real deal to practice getting out of the gate. Hans bursts out of the blocks in preparation for a fast workout.
     Coach Beckwith works with MK on her sprint start: what’s the best way to get up to speed?
    Hans and Ryley take a moment to pose for the camera before going head to head in a practice start.
     First: the prologue.
    After they threw down some fast times in qualification, the skiers were reverse seeded: if everyone skied the same pace they did in the prologue we would have a five-way tie for first place. This sets up some pretty cool head-to-head racing.
     
    Seeding was updated after each heat: here MK waits in the gate for her A-Final start.
     Ryley gets going.
    Hans ran a slightly shorter course and managed to win every heat: his final heat was 30 seconds faster than his first, with consistent improvement each time.
    Fitzy guts it out on the penultimate climb. The course starts on a gradual uphill, does some technical winding through the Sugarbush parking lot, then pitches up to the finish.
    It was an unconventional A-Final, with three skaters, a classic skier, and a runner. Hans was too fast to even make it into this picture.
    A celebratory selfie.
    The team recovers after a hotly contested final heat. Coach Beckwith walks around with a cone on his head.
    Today is strength, tomorrow is our final test of the week, a classic TT in East Warren. 
    We’re having an awesome week so far, with hard efforts and fast times all over the place. Time to get some rest and then get after it again.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.

  • All Abuzz about Fairbanks!

    I am just so psyched! Not because I am sick and resting right now (that really stinks, although it means I have a lot of energy with which to be psyched)… but I am so excited about planning some really sweet events in Fairbanks! This October 27-30 there is going to be all kinds of skier activity in my hometown, and I am getting to focus my excess sick-skier energy into the planning process.

    First, a short history:
    Back in the day, all of North America’s fastest skiers would come up to Fairbanks for training and racing early in the year. Because of our early snow and reliably cold temperatures, Fairbanks was the place to be! However, times have changed. Now international competitors head to the world cup in early November, and everyone else races domestically in West Yellowstone. The little ski festival is no longer in Fairbanks.

    Now the exciting part:
    This year Challenge Life, an organization that organizes kids’ sports camps in Alaska, has put together a new kind of early-season ski festival. In three busy days Challenge Life offers a full training camp for high-school skiers complete with meals, coaching, seminars, a banquet, and even a costume party Halloween dance. Athletes that come from out of town will be put up in the Hampton Inn just 10 minutes from the trails, and can expect to pay around $200 for the whole camp, meals and housing included. The cost of the actual camp including tuition, lunches and dinners is $150. That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me! If I was in high school I would be extremely excited about this, it will be a great chance to learn from fellow competitors and spend some time on snow early in the season. Not to mention stay in a hotel and goof off with some fun skiers! There will also be APU Elite team skiers in Fairbanks training, so the camp participants will be training alongside some high-caliber athletes. Jan Buron, Erik Flora, Kikkan Randall, and Pete Leonard will all be present and coaching, so we know that the workouts will be totally top-notch.

    What more could you ask for? Training twice a day, learning about skiing, hanging out with awesome skiers, and a costume party… I mean seriously. Sorry, this has turned into a little bit of a sales pitch, but after all the time that I have spent planning and getting excited about this, I can’t help myself. It’s going to be so fun! If you are in high school, coach high school, or have kids in high school, 1st Tracks Team Ski Camp is something you should seriously consider. The brochure can be downloaded here. To sign up just print the registration page and mail it in, or contact me.

    And the other exciting part:
    If you or your daughters are not quite in high school, there is something awesome for you too. I am putting together a Fast and Female event on Sunday, October 30th from 2-5pm at Birch Hill, and would like to invite all girls from 9-19 for a fantastic afternoon! We’re going to have some fun on skis, then have some healthy snacks and do a little bit of yoga, then chat with some Olympians. Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks will both be in Fairbanks training, so I asked them to hang out with the Fast and Female of Fairbanks, before they head off to race in Europe for a few months. If anyone has some awesome things to teach a group of active girls, it’s those ladies. I learn new things from them every time I train with them, which is most of the summer!

    Why am I so darn excited?
    I don’t know. Obviously I love skiing, and I love Fairbanks, so that correlation is easy. Other than that, I love planning and feeling productive. It’s nice to spend some time focused on making something happen, and watch it develop into something real. Yesterday I was putting a poster up in AMH to advertise the Challenge Life camp, and a woman saw it. As she walked out the door she said “Oh! That’s the camp my daughter is going to!”, and I almost did a little dance right there. The challenge of bringing Anchoragites to Fairbanks is a bit daunting because they tend to be entrenched, they worry about it being cold and dark, and it’s not terribly convenient to drive seven hours. In reality it’s not much colder and darker than Anchorage, and seven hours isn’t that bad when you get to ski groomed trails for two and a half days… but I digress. The point is that just hearing a mom mention it, to know that people are talking about it and are interested, it’s exhilarating! I might get to make a difference in their lives, and help them have a good ski season… and that’s a great feeling.