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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: 2016 US Biathlon National Rollerski Championships

  • 2016 USBA Rollerski Nationals Photo Gallery

    2016 USBA Rollerski Nationals Photo Gallery

    A select group of top U.S. biathletes and more than 60 juniors made the trek to the military base in Jericho, Vt., for the 2016 US Biathlon National Rollerski Championships and North American Rollerski Biathlon Championships last weekend, weathering hot and humid temperatures over two days of racing.

    US Biathlon Chief of Sport Bernd Eisenbichler wrote in an email that he was pleased with the turnout at the Ethan Allen Firing Range, especially among the younger athletes. On Sunday, 15 men raced the elite mass start, and 10 women raced the women’s mass start. The rest of the field competed in pursuits, separated into various age categories for ages 14 and up.

    While US Biathlon veteran A-team members Susan Dunklee, Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey notched wins, Eisenbichler noted a number of observations about their performances.

    “Tim and Lowell showed a high level … and showed that they are overall well ahead of everybody else,” he wrote. “Shooting was challenging for them as well as for everybody else through the weather conditions, as when you stopped the whole body felt like [it was going] to explode…but both had also some very good stages!”

    He added that Dunklee was skiing at a high level, but struggled on the range a bit in the sprint (with four penalties) because of the weather and a few adjustments she was working on.

    “The mass start was better in that regard,” Eisenbichler wrote.

    In terms of developing male skiers, he pointed out Jake Brown, a former Northern Michigan University skier who started biathlon this past June, and Paul Schommer, who picked up the sport two summers ago. In the mass start, Brown placed third and Schommer was fourth.

    “They worked hard to get where they are right now,” Eisenbichler wrote. “Still a lot to work on, but on the right way.”

    Max Durtschi and Alex Howe were sick leading up to the races, which affected their results, he added. Absent from Jericho were national-team members Leif Nordgren and Sean Doherty, who are in Europe for a seven-week camp. They’re currently in Östersund, Sweden, and will meet up with the rest of the team in Ruhpolding, Germany, on Aug. 22 for a three-week camp in Ruhpolding and Oberhof, Germany.

    On the women’s side, Eisenbichler highlighted Clare Egan (second in the mass start and third in the sprint) and Joanne Reid (second in the sprint and third in the mass start).

    “Joanne had very good shooting in the Sprint and both days [skiing] was solid and showed that she made very good progress in [biathlon],” he said of Reid, who’s entering her second year of biathlon. “With good focused work and more daily based coaching in the fall (she had to spend some periods back in Colorado for some studies in the spring), [she] will be on the right path for the start of the season.”

    Several cross-country skiers came out as well, including Hallie Grossman, Liz Guiney and Kaitlynn Miller. “We hope that a few of them will pursue [biathlon] intensively in the future,” Eisenbichler said.

  • Wednesday Workout: USBA Camp Strength Stations (and Shooting)

    Wednesday Workout: USBA Camp Strength Stations (and Shooting)

    Last week, more than 100 athletes from the U.S., Canada and Sweden came out for the US Biathlon Association’s (USBA) annual development camp in Jericho, Vt. It was one of US Biathlon’s largest and best-attended camps yet, according to national-team assistant coach Erik Lewish.

    “The camp is a great experience for biathletes from all over North America to get together for a week of training and educational sessions that culminate with the North American Summer Biathlon Championships at the end of the week on Saturday and Sunday,” Lewish wrote in an email.

    Those championships took place last weekend on Aug. 13-14.

    In the week leading up to the races, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) visited the camp to present on True Sport “and what to expect when one makes it to a high enough level that they are in the registered testing pool,” Lewish explained. “Our Head Development coach Jean Paquet took the athletes on a course scan of the roller loop and talked about ski technique and how to really ‘attack’ a course. Andrea Burke (formerly Henkel) gave a great motivational/inspirational presentation about her time as an athlete. Overall it is a great chance for the athletes to learn about the sport and hone their individual skills before competing in the continental championships.”

    The Monday before the championships, camp participants did an eight-station strength workout that involved some partnering up.

    Lewish explained that the workout was jointly created by himself, Paquet and Kari Korpela, the biathlon coach for the Sollefteå Skidgymnasium in Sweden.

    “The whole workout took about 1.5 hours from warm up to cool down,” Lewish wrote. “This was the second session of the day, after a long, easy roller ski in the morning.”

    The Workout: Biathlon Strength Stations (and Shooting)

    Warmup: 15-20 minutes of running

    First 20-Minute Set:

    – 40 seconds of each station/exercise followed by 1 single shot on the range, then 40 seconds of the next station/exercise

    Second Set:

    – Reload rifle magazine and do some longer bouts: 4 minutes of 40 seconds on/20 off at a station, then move onto the next exercise. After 4 minutes, take 5 shots on the range and return to next station. Repeat for a total of four shooting bouts (shooting order: prone, prone, standing, standing).

    The Stations:

    1. TRX leg crunches: Start in a pushup position with your feet in the straps of a TRX Suspension Trainer.  Lift your hips and pull your knees into your chest.

    2. Ab Roller: Start on your knees and roll out as far as you can while bracing your core, pause at the farthest point and then return to the starting position.

    3. V-Sits: Start lying down flat with your hands above your head. Bring your legs and torso up together and touch your toes at the top.

    4. Partner Burpees: Standard burpee done in sync with a partner. High five at the top of the jump for added fun!

    5. Under-Overs: One person jumps over and crawls under the other person.

    6. Human Rock Climbing: One person starts on the back of the other and tries to climb 360 degrees around the other person without touching the ground.

    7. Tricep Dips: Sit on a chair, holding the edge with both hands, knuckles pointing forward.  Straighten your arms to raise your body and extend legs straight out with heels on the ground (or on another ch. Bend at your elbows to lower your entire body while keeping your legs straight. Hold at the bottom for a moment without touching ground.

    8. Single-Leg Plyo-Jumps:  Jumps done side-side to mimic skate skiing with a small hop in between before transferring to the other side.

    Cool down: 15-20 min. run