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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: Brian Gregg ITA

  • Let the Race Season Begin

    This weekend the domestic race scene kicks off with the West Yellowstone Super Tour.  After 6 months of preparation and training it is exciting to have the opportunity to show off the hard work.  I actually ski more on roller skis, but the feeling of gliding on snow is hard to beat.  Snow skiing requires more maintenance than roller skiing.  I travel with 15 pairs of skis that all have unique characteristics.  The bases of the skis are ground with a special structure to match different snow types.  Ski speed makes a big difference over the course of a race so I make sure to take good care of them.  I wax them every time I ski on them.  
    To say thank you to out sponsors Toko and Nordic Ultratune, the MOD Squad gave a free Toko clinic for locals to learn the latest on waxing techniques. 

    Toko Waxes keep me gliding and kicking all season long.  Thanks Toko.
    November and December mean darkness settles in before the completion of the second workout of the day.  Now I can train day or night with this new headlamp.  With 350 lumens the light is nearly as bright as a car headlight.

    The day before we left for Montana we woke up to fresh snow at the Yurt.

    Excited to meet up with my CXC Teammates for some early season skiing 
    at Bohart Ranch in Bozeman, MT.

    We are now in West Yellowstone and watching the forecast intently for more snow.  There is skiing up high, but it is pretty thin.  I unfortunately caught a cold so am sitting tight and resting.  Hopefully I will feel good enough to ski tomorrow.

  • Weekend Coaching in Chicago

    As a student of the sport of cross country skiing it is fun to switch roles sometimes and share my knowledge with others.  This year marked the 5th year I have made the trip to Chicago for a weekend clinic with some of the most dedicated and passionate skiers in the country.  Chicago doesn’t get a lot of snow in the winter and so the local season is short.  The community is awesome and the lack of snow doesn’t scare them.  We had over 35 passionate athletes come out to learn and improve over the weekend.

    The Illinois Nordic community had a great showing for the King Keyser/CXC Clinic this weekend
    Splitting in to small groups to give more one on one time to everyone

    Working on the basics without skis

    Creating more challenging terrain by pulling other skiers and dragging a tire.
    Training can be creative.

    Chicago does food right and we enjoyed a Saturday evening together swapping stories from last year as we get excited for the 2012/2013 winter to begin.

  • Driveway Butte Hill Climb

    Last weekend was the 7th annual Driveway Butte Hill Climb in Mazama, WA.  This annual event has been an small informal test for the MV Nordic Team, MOD and locals.  The race is about 2 miles (perhaps a bit more) and gaind 1,900′.  This year Sam and Alison Naney took charge of organizing the event as a fundraiser for Jim and Jan Erickson.  Jim and Jan were road biking in Italy this spring when the tour group came around a corner at the same time as a group of motorcyclists.  The motorcyclists were in the opposite lane and the group collided.  Numerous people were injured but Jim took it the worst.  Together he and Jan have battled challenge after challenge as well as set back after set back with Jim’s injuries.  Sadly, Jim passed away this week.  A witty and charming friend to all who lived life to the fullest, we will all miss you Jim. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimandjanerickson/mystory


    Jim showing my brother and I how to ski a few years ago on a tour up Delancy Ridge (you can kind of see us trying not to fall in the background)
    I met Jim through skiing as a junior on the Methow Valley Nordic Team.  Jim’s wit and humor make him instantly likeable and we became friends.  In the Spring my favorite thing to do on the weekends was to go up on Washington Pass and ski with my Dad and Jim.  We had a lot of fun adventures together.  When I was 15 Jim gave me his old rock climbing rack which gave my brother and I a chance to explore the mountains further.  While I was in highschool Jim and Jan moved over to the Valley full time and Jim took an opening as the high school Math teacher.  I remember thinking that it was going to be strange to have my friend as my teacher.  Jim has to be about 40 years older than me but I never really thought about that when we were out in the mountains.  While in school, Jim was Mr. Erickson or Mr. E.  We had suffered a few years of poor Math teachers at Liberty Bell High School and Jim really turned things around.  He made Math fun and put 100% into it.  He is the best Math teacher I imagine I will ever have.  Everyday our homework, quiz’s or tests from the day before were waiting for us on our desks as we came in to class, corrected and any errors were pointed out.  In one year we pretty much covered Algebra, Trignometry, Geometry and started on Pre-calculus.  I still can’t believe the math that Jim could do in his head it made me break up my relationship with a calculator and really get my mind working. Jim has the ability to make anything fun and to relate most anything back to Math.  Jim helped me write my first computer program to help me qualify for Junior Noationals.  Back then the team was chosen based on percentage back from the top 3 in a JOQ.  I still enjoy calculating the FIS and USSA points from ski races today.   It is my goal that someday my work with ITA will have as profound long lasting affect on someone similar to what Jim’s life has had on me.
    The race happened to be on the second day of hunting season and in addition to the runners about 20 horses all made the big climb.  Thankfully they headed up a bit earlier than us because the trail really wasn’t wide enough for easy passing.  Mud and horses on a trail can be a damaging combination but there were times where it seemed like they had kicked perfect steps for us.
    Caitlin baked some delicious brownie cupcakes to celebrate Claire’s 15th birthday and the race
    Coach Scott and I with the prize for a new course record

    My training this year has been quite different than in the past and I literally have been holed up in a small yurt training mostly by my self.  We chose this race early in the year to use as a marker of my fitness and preparation for the season.  My goal going in to the race was to go under 25 minutes based on times from felllow ITA athlete Torin Koos in 2010 and Erik Bjornsen, although Erik’s times are from his high school days.

    The evening before the race Caitlin and I went for a recovery run and to preview the course.   We also wanted to stash a bag of warm dry clothes at the top.  After a month of bluebird skies the weather for the day of the race was foretasted to be pretty nasty. It can be challenging to judge time and distance on an all uphill course because a mile might take as long as 12 minutes. Running at a constant easy pace we took splits along the way so that we would know about how far we were from the finish at any given point during the race.  It took 45 minutes to get to the top and so in honor of Jim we used math to determine the splits we would need to reach our goal times.   Working with Scott this year has been fantastic and I look forward to racing on snow in a little over a month.  Scott was pretty awesome on Sunday hiking about halfway up the muddy course to cheer and observe.  He had to use crutches as he is recovering from knee surgery.  For a small little race on the worst day of weather in 4 months we had a good showing.  
    Thanks Sam and Alison of Methow Endurance for a wonderful event and raising $500 for Jim

  • Big Foot

    The smoke continues to haunt the Valley so we took Highway 20 about 40 miles west this morning.  When we leave Mazama and head up the Pass in to the Mountains there is a good 70 miles before the next town or services.  This area is pretty much all National Forest, National Park or National Recreation Area.  I remember reading Pete Vordenberg’s book growing up and he talked about a crazy friend of his who spent his summers scouring the Pacific Northwest for the elusive Big Foot.  Those guys were training further south in Trout Lake, WA and I wonder if he ever made it North in search of the big hairy guy.
    Ready to Roll

    Almost every long ski we have done this year we have had the good fortune of vehicle support for dry clothes, spare gear and ride back down the mountain.  Thank you to everyone who has supported our skis over the years.  Today was an early morning and we were self supported.  I brought my bike to set up a shuttle, but we decided to take our chances with hitch hiking from the top.  Many times this has worked quite well, but every so often drivers just think you are an Alien with sticks and drive on by.  The unknown at the end of the ski can lead to some poor recovery.  We made sure to ski with plenty of water, clothes and food to make the wait as comfortable as possible.  Days like today really help make me appreciate the countless times: Scott, Igor, Andy, Mom, Dad, Chad, Alieta and others have run support. The pack wasn’t too heavy though and I think the extra training weight is good for us.  Some day we will race the Norweigian Birkebeiner and be ready to roll.  Plus, I have found that Solomon makes a fantastic ultra light backpack.  The pack is made for running so it is ergonomically designed for activity and adjustable it almost every way imaginable.  I have used it with a CamelBak for most of the summer because it allows me the luxury of drinking without having to stop.

    Caitlin heading up the North Cascades Scenic Highway
    We skied the first kilometer together because we thought we might have seen some strange tracks crossing the road while we were driving.
    Big Foot?
    Kuzzy often recommended to visualize  ‘skiing like Big Foot’ while working on classic technique.  It works particularly well while tracking him.

    Caitlin enjoying a good homemade turkey sandwich and dry clothes after a great ski.

    Sometimes things really work out well and as I reached Rainy Pass I took my skis off as a train of cars approached from the other side and stuck my thumb out.  They all drove right on by.  A bit further down the road a car  near one of the trailheads a car did pull off the side of the road.  I walked towards it knowing that once I expained my situation surely I could get a ride back down the mountain.  As I got closer I recognized that the person was my good childhood friend Leah.  She was heading up to run the Maple/Heather Pass loop but offered us to use her car for the shuttle.  Huge thanks to you Leah.  We had to be a bit creative because of the smoke in the Valley, but the day worked out pretty well.  Now it is time for a little strength session indoors.

  • CXC September Man Camp

    September Camp at Telemark started with a huge bowl of fresh blueberries, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, coffee, juice and just the boys.

    Eric, Karl and Adam and I haven been enjoying a small camp here at Telemark Lodge this week with Igor, Andy, and Kyle (Team Physio).  We have had some pretty large camps this year which have been great, but it is nice to have a small group.  It is also great to have almost a 1:1 coach to athlete ratio.

    Cool weather has allowed for great training and recovery.

    Classic Speed Session– few skiers in the country have the double pole finishing speed of Karl and it was great to try and hang on to him during our classic speed session.  Igor had us do the majority of the speeds with weights on our write.  They didn’t feel like much when you put them on, but you felt like a rockstar when you took them off for the final few of the set.
    note: Video plays on Eric’s new blog www.BootsSkisPoles.com
    Skate Intervals- I have logged a lot of time climbing up OO in the past 6 years.  I would even wager that I have gone up and down it on roller skis more than anyone else (although I believe the Team FAST skiers should hold that honor soon).   The pavement was getting pretty bad and this summer the county repaved it.  Sadly the shoulder is even smaller than before, but it is one smooth ride which is nice.  The pavement made a one minute difference in interval speed according to my training logs.
     Mt. Telemark Bounding Intervals-  Igor mowed out a loop on Mt. Telemark which makes you wonder if you really are in the Midwest.  With a wonderful mix of steep and gradual ups you are either climbing or descending the entire 20 minute loop.
     
    My Roomate is pretty chill, although he needs to pick up his boots and helmet. (yeah he is a boy dog so he can come to Man Camp).

    Video Review
    Man Camp has been fun and we have two more days to go.  I enjoy hanging with the boys but I am looking forward to seeing the Mrs. on Wednesday.     

  • The Adventure Continues

    Ships across the ocean.
    Ships across the sea.
    Captain, Captain.
    You can’t catch me!

    Ships Across the Ocean is the favorite game of the summer.  After several weeks in the 90F range we have been blessed with some cool weather in Minneapolis which makes playing outside even more fun. My main goal with my project at the Club is to encourage a healthy lifestyle through exercise.  The best kind of exercise is just having fun, where you don’t even realize you are giving your body a good workout.
    I came to the Club last week to find about 30 kids sitting in the bleachers with nothing to do.  It has been a busy summer at the Club and we have been short staffed. When I come it means a group can go outside.  Who has the best juke, shakes and moves? 
    Who likes roller skiing?

    Partnering up to learn to roller ski.  It takes guts to try something new.  Most likely you will start out and not be very good, but the struggle is usually worth it.
    What started as one week of Adventure Camp has grown to three separate one week camps for the Boys and Girls Club.  Nice work crew making a good impression. 
    At the end of her first day on roller skis Emily made it don the big hill on her own.  I missed the time trial on Thursday morning but I suspect she had one of the top times.  

  • Adventure Camp

    One of the highlights of my summer has been taking a van full of kids from the Boys and Girls Club to Wirth Park for Loppet Adventure Camp.  The City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation made this partnership possible.  The logistics weren’t easy but with a bike, running shoes, and one van we were able to make it all happen.

    Adventure Camp is a full and active day.  With temperatures in the 90s we enjoyed visiting the well for a nice cold drink.

    Eric and Kendal visiting Nesse the (friendly) monster in Wirth Lake.

    Working on the basics on Day 1 of roller skiing.
    It is incredible to watch how fast these young athletes learn.  The first day was pretty ugly and frustrating for most, but by the end of the week the kids were full on skiing.  Fun to watch the struggle and triumph.  At the end of the week we held a roller ski race and some impressive times were posted. Competition is even more fun when we can compare ourselves to the best athletes in the world contesting in London.

    The Concept 2 Ski Erg turned a rainy day into a fun day.  Plus it was fun to see how much power your arms can generate, yes they aren’t just for balance.

    Getting the hang of things and able to ski down the big hill, but taking a quick break before heading back up.

  • LCO Club Reunion

    With the CXC Team training camps based out of Telemark Lodge in northern Wisconsin it makes it pretty convenient to catch up with my Hayward family and friends while in town.  Hayward was home for a good six years and although I live in Minneapolis it still feels like I am home.  In many ways things are the same, but the most fun change to see is with the kids.  The last time I saw the LCO Boys and Girls Crew was February for the Birkie.

    Snack time at The Club, Enjoying milk, apples and PBnJ in the shade.

     I had a very proud moment when I drove up to the Club and climbed out of the car.  A young boy wearing a Boys and Girls Club t-shirt sat at the picnic tables watching me.  As I approached he yelled out ‘Hey Brian, How’s it going?’  He then came up to me and shook my hand.  ‘I have a summer job now, I work at The Club’.  TJ told me about how he know works with the younger kids at the Club.  I met TJ my first day at the Club when he was a wild little 10 year old. It is really great to see him grow up and mature and be a responsible teen.  His ride pulled up and he said goodbye.

    I came in to the Club and to my surprise found all of the kids watching one of two movies.  In all my time at the Club I had never seen the kids not moving around, but with no A/C and warm weather on a Friday I could understand.

    I sort of snuck in to the dark teen center and it didn’t take long for the kids to start whispering and word to spread that ‘Brian is here.’  Some of the kids I did not recognize but over half of them I knew well.

    Who want’s to go to the Park?
    Lava Tag, our favorite game.

    Climbing and Team Work to get to the top. Jasper, Savannah, Aaron, Kiara, and Indanis.

    One of my favorite activities growing up was climbing and I encourage the kids to climb as well. There is always a risk of falling and getting hurt, but I think it is important for the kids to learn to climb and fall when they are young so that they are able to do so safely when they are older.  The group loves the Giant Spinning Tree that the park added two years ago.  My only rule is that if you want to ride on top you have to be able to climb up there on your own or with the assistance of a friend.  Not only does this save me from the constant task of lifting up kids, it is great to watch them learn to work together to accomplish a common goal.  The best life lessons can come through the simplest of tasks.

  • Summertime

    I have had an extended Spring this year enjoying cool weather for my training camp out in Washington State.  The thermometer read 38F when I woke up to head to the airport, with 104F outside in Denver during my layover it became obvious that the heat of summer is now on.

    Enjoying a final run in the Mountains before coming home to Minnesota.

     Minneapolis welcomed me back with some wonderful 80F days.  After so many cool days I enjoyed the heat of the sun and we spent most of the day outside at the Boys and Girls Club.

    Staying cool in the Gym at the Boys and Girls Club.

     We had a great game of basketball at the Club this week.  With the warm temperatures we had an unusually small group.  We played 5 on 5 with ten year olds, tweens (11-12), and teens.  Often times it is hard for the younger players to get much ball time.  Xavier impressed us all by sinking all most ever three he shot.  Pretty cool for a kid who is less than four feet tall.

    Guest Coaching with the advanced crew of the City of Lakes Loppett Nordic Ski  Club.
    Muscular Endurance Intervals with 15lbs extra weight

  • The Plan for 2012

    “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” –Albert Einstein

    In order to continue to improve it is important to make changes.  I am really excited about my training and preparation for the 2012/2013 season.  The last two seasons were good, but my goals in skiing are still much higher and I have several steps to climb. After a lot of thinking, planning and coordinating this year with Caitlin, myself and my coaches we have developed a plan I am really excited about.
    I will continue racing with CXC.  Additionally I will be coordinating my individual training and technique with my former high school coach Scott Johnston.  My CXC teammates, coaches, administration and I have worked out the details and are being supportive and understanding in coordinating this partnership.
    Our wonderful little house in Minneapolis is all fixed up (for the most part) and will continue to be our home base.  Caitlin and I had a great time working on the house and enjoying a stable schedule throughout the spring.  Last year I felt that i was constantly on the road and on the move, in a new location every 10 days.  I enjoy traveling but the stress this added to my body and training was counter-productive.  This year I will continue to make training camps part of my schedule however the blocks of training will be longer in order to limit travel days.  
    For most of the early summer I have returned to my hometown of Winthrop, WA to work with Scott.   I have watched Scott work with a number of athletes over the past few years and am very impressed by their improvements technically and on the result sheet.  
    Sam and I working on coordination and power  Photo: Scott Johnston
    Scott takes a very scientific approach to training and we have been monitoring our speed and intensity closely through GPS pace, heart rate and lactate.  I am training nearly every day with Scott and Sam Naney (MOD Squad).  With just Sam and I training together our coach to athlete ratio is fantastic and we both get a lot of individual attention.  Scott’s coaching style is very hands on and individual and requires a small group.  For Sam and me, our individual strengths complement well with opportunities for the other to improve.  We are able to push each other and are making notable improvements.  Sam and I grew up together in the Methow Valley and it is great to be training together again.  Although similar the training is different for me and I think today is the first time in four weeks that I have not been sore.  My past training has been good but my body has been getting used to it.  It is fun to be doing something different and shocking the body a bit.
    Thankfully I have the best wife in the world who is understanding of me being away for such a long period of time.  She is a smart girl and signed up for a 5 week intensive Human Anatomy course at Normandale College to keep her occupied for the summer.  Regardless I am super excited for Caitlin to come out to WA for our friends Sam and Alison’s wedding next weekend.  
    We will return to the Midwest together for a week at home before heading to CXC Training camp at Telemark Resort, WI.  The CXC team is in June Training Camp at Telemark right now and this year marks the first time I have missed a camp since joining the team seven years ago.  I am excited to see my CXC teammates in July.   

  • Heading West for Snow

    It has been a long time since Minneapolis felt like winter, but believe it or no there is plenty of snow still around out West.  After enjoying a wonderful warm spring, I returned to my home state of Washington to find some late season snow and skiing.  Washington holds the record for the largest snow pack in the United States with over 1100 inches recorded on Mt. Baker.

    6,5000′ of elevation and there is still plenty of snow
    Although I am excited to be back in the mountains and training on snow I really miss everyone back at the Boys and Girls Club.  I do have some great memories from the week leading up to my trip out west.  
    Taji getting a little air on the pump track.  The regular mountain bike trails were closed all week because of the rain so we went to the ‘secret’ Wirth extension trails and played around on the jumps.  
    Getting ready to divide into teams for two-hand touch football
    Two Hand Touch
    Final ski race of the season: May 27th, 2012
    I am working with my my high school coach, Scott Johnston this year as part of a more hands on individual approach to training.  Training is going really well and I am really excited for this season.  We are monitoring speed, heart rate, lactates and distances in almost every workout and the progress has been fun to experience.  It is a big sacrifice on my part since I am away from Caitlin and our home in Minneapolis.  Life is good, but it will be fun to be back at the Club in late June.

  • Sunflower Relay

    My favorite mug growing up was a small hand made one with ‘Sun Flower Iron 1st Place’ painted on it.  The Sun Flower Relay and Iron event is a running race from Mazama to Twisp through the front country during the peak of the arrowleaf balsamroot or ‘sunflowers’.  This is one of the first races I ever entered.  The race used to have two classifications iron and team.  Traditional teams were required to have at least one runner under 14 and one runner over 50.  This means you are a pretty hot commodity if you are either younger or older and are fast.
    Brian Alex
    Catching up with friends before the race start Photo: Stephen Mitchelle
    Planning out my ski training and travel for this summer I realized that logisitically everything would work out to do the Sunflower Relay this year.  The event has grown to a full marathon distance and to include open teams of any age and makeup.  My friends Sam and Alison were kind enough to add me on to their team.  Thank you to the new outdoor store in Mazama, The Goats Beard for sponsoring us.
    DSC 1686
    Photo: Stephen Mitchelle
    Saturday’s race is the first time I have alllowed myself to go hard since the end of ski season and it felt great.  
    Going fast feels so much better than going slow and I have been doing a lot of easy training to build up my base.
    DSC 1716
    Photo: Stephen Mitchelle
    Alison flew out on the course and we did way better than I anticipated.  Unfortunatly Sam had some back issues and decbe smartt and sit out the race so as not to hinder our ski training.  Alison (his Fiance) picked up the slack and ran well over half of the race.   
    brian alison
    Photo: Chad Gregg
    We set a new course record (albeit only the second year on the longer course)
    More importantly I got a mug to match my dad’s.  Although one of these years I will have to race the event as an iron competitor.
    photo 5
    Early season running races can make you pretty sore. Not to mention multiple leg relay races.  Getting right iin the car after racing had me pretty worried but amazingly I felt great.  I had no cramping and felt that my final leg was better than my first.  When I got in the car I hooked up my Contour machine.  This is an electronic stimulation machine that has been proven to help increase blood flow and recovery.  I have been using it the second half of the winter between races and am a real fan.  QBP is the wholesaler for them, ask your local shop if they carry them.  I know Gear West has a few.
    Thank you to Stephen Mitchelle for the fantastic photos.  Capturing how beautiful of a day it was on Saturday is no small feat.  

  • Will you take us outside?

    “Will you take us outside?” is my favorite question to hear when I walk in the door at the Boys and Girls Club. 

     Freeze Tag
    The Club didn’t receive some of the funding we were expecting so we have been short staffed this week as the regular staff is taking turns with unpaid days off. Thankfully the weather has been nice and we have been able to get outside and organize some great games.
    Spring time also means dinner outside on the patio.  
    Mr Greene makes the best grilled chicken I have ever had in my life.
    Kickball: I think this photo demonstrates the importance of having good mentors as you are growing up.  Remember that you are always making an impression on others even if you can’t see it.

    After several ‘classroom’ sessions of talking about goals and healthy lifestyle the teens and I were able to get out and enjoy some Mountain Biking.
    Jasmine on a mountain bike for the first time

    A perfect day
    Thanks to Trips for Kids and the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation for providing the bikes and the experience.  Tomorrow we are going mountain biking again and everyone is fired up.

  • The Spring Routine

    The past three weeks have marked the most amount of time I have spent in one place for the past year.  I enjoy the excitement of travel, but it has been nice to have a standard routine.  After taking a good week off from training I have been easing back in to activity with a nice morning workout followed by some sort of house project and planning for this next training and racing season.
    The weather has been fantastic all spring in Minneapolis and I have been able to make the quick 2 mile ride to the Boys and Girls Club.  The opportunity to spend a few hours with the kids every day has been huge in building their trust.  I remember the change in the kids at the LCO Boys and Girls Club in Hayward after being able to spend consistent time with them and it is fun to watch the trust grow with the North Minneapolis kids.
    Kendral working on his homework packet of the week.
    Our focus this week in Power Hour has been reading retention.  In addition to regular reading we are asking the kids to tell me of Mr. Vain what they read.

    I have also started a new program called Triple Play where we focus on a healthy eating and lifestyle.  We are learning about nutrition and how to read labels on food.  We are also learning some of the major muscled in the body and how to strengthen them.  Several of the teens in the program have the desire and potential to play professional basketball.  We have talked about how most pro-basketball players play in college and the importance of being an all-around athlete. 

    We have also talked about the importance of getting 1 hour of exercise a day, regardless of whether you want to be a pro athlete.  Plus, you are never to old to jump around and have fun.

  • Recharging the Batteries

    The 2012 ski season came to a close with the 50km National Championships in Craftsbury, Vermont.  The organizing committee and hosts, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center did an amazing job making the event happen.  When we arrived in Vermont we were greeted with temperatures in the upper 70s and the prognosis for the week was looking grim.  It is impressive to see what can happen when a community comes together.  The organizers focused on defending a short course of snow by trucking snow on to the trail from two incredibly large stockpiles of man-made snow.  
    We raced 33 laps of the 1.5km course for the 50k.  The lead pack was quite large until about 8km to go which made for pretty exciting skiing.   I finished 11th which I felt pretty good about after struggling at the beginning of the week.  After a surprise second place in the hill climb up Jay Peak I was hoping that the longer slower pace of the 50km would treat me better but I think that I am pretty worn out after the year.

    One of my favorite things to do after the ski season is to experience something totally different.  It was quite the shock to leave simple Vermont and head to the Big Apple.  I am not much of a big city person but it is fun to experience a completely different lifestyle.  Plus it was great to take advantage of being on the East Coast to visit family.
    Tara (my Sister), Caitlin and Simon enjoying $1 slices of pizza.  Perhaps the best deal in New York City.

    The New York City girls (Caitlin Grandma, Mother, and Caitlin)
    We arrived back in Minneapolis for the Easter weekend.  I am looking forward to being home and in one place for a while.  The Minneapolis schools all had Spring Break this week and the kids were excited to have us back in the ‘hood.’  I am not sure where they all came from but at one point there were 15 kids working and playing in the backyard.  Check out Cailtin’s blog for some great pictures on the garden project http://in-the-arena-ccompton.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-time-garden-time.html  

  • EurOPA Finals in Italy

    The final few weeks of the ski racing season are mostly racing with not much training.  With 8 races over 16 days the goal is to rest and recover.  Usually we don’t get much opportunity to explore the places we travel to for races but with a bit more down time this week I enjoyed exploring a bit of beautiful northern Italy.  Toblach, Italy  has been an annual host to World Cups for the past few years.  I remember checking the place out in 2009 when my teamate Garrott came over to compete in the World Cup Finals.  
    The stadium, note the hill created by going over the race builting.  Pretty awesome and that hill is legit.  Also pretty nice to have carpet laid over the mud for the 2 minute walk from the hotel to the venue.

    Clarke Sullivan has joined the wax crew here for the Finals.  We had to wax outside and without power for the first days but these guys are on top of it.  It wasn’t too rough considering temperatures were in the sixties.

    Race course for the weekend. 

    Tad and I testing out our Salomon skis.  

    Most of the racing in the US is on cold dry snow so it has been fun to test out my warmer skis.

    The mountains are amazing here, but the most beautiful thing just arrived in Toblach.  
    Caitlin has had a tough trip to Europe.  Chipping a tooth her first day to Switzerland and suffering a concussion in the Engadin.  She is playing it safe and will not be racing this weekend.  We are both sad that she won’t be racing but it is great to have her here.  She has done a fantastic job supporting the group taking video of the races for technique analysis, giving splits, and cheering everyone on.

  • European Racing


    The transition to Europe went really smoothly for me.  The 7 hour time difference from Minneapolis can mess with your body, but I seem to have handled it easily.  I met up with a large group of Americans coming from the World Junior/U23 Championships in Ezerum, Turkey.  My good friend, climbing partner, and college teammate Casey Fagerquist is the wax technician for the trip.  Plus my former Coach, Bryan Fish is the head coach for the trip so it is great to be working with familiar friends.  

    Tad (Birkie Champion) and I out for a classic ski on our first day in Europe.  We are fierce competitors but also good friends
    Our first set of races were Swiss Cups in Feutersoey, SUI.  The field were small but there were a few very fast guys.  Remo Fischer the World Cup veteran from Switzerland won both races.  Remo and Tad caught me in the skate race but I was able to hang on to them for a short while to finish 4th.   The weather was pretty unreal with highs near 60 degrees all week.  Thankfully there was over three feet of snow throughout the valley.
    After our week in Switzerland we drove 9 hours to Rogla, Slovenia.  This weekend we will race the OPA cup. These races are very competitive and are just a small step below the World Cup.
    Tad and I are in bunkbeds in what is described as a bungalow.  The room is tiny, but we have everything we need.  The rooms have a kitchen, table, shower and bathroom and are not much larger than 10′ x 16.’
    Temperatures are just below freezing and we had great skiing this morning.  We had a relaxed start to let things soften up a bit.  It is cool to ski many of the same hills that I have seen on televison watching the annual World Cups in Rogla.  
    Fish and Casey are taking extremely good care of us over here.  This morning they wouldn’t even let me scrape or wax my own skis.  It is serious business over here.  

    Tomorrow we race 10km Freestyle, this is a great race for me and my focus for the weekend.

  • The Best Race of the Year

    Saturday I had my best race of the year so far in the ‘greatest show on snow,’ the 39th American Birkebeiner.  The race had a deep field with 14 foreigners from Sweeden, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, Canad and Frace joining the Americans at the line. After 5 years of living in the Hayward/Cable area I know the trail perhaps better than any other elite racer and the race really holds a great importance to me.  
    I have gained some wisdom during my first 5 Birkebeiners and focused on conserving my energy for the first half of the race.  Two guys broke off the front only 10km into the race and built up a lead of over one minute.  It made me pretty nervous to be so far back.  I wanted to go to the front of the pack and try to catch the two guys up front but in the past I have worked hard at the front only to have many others sit and draft behind me and out sprint me in the final meters to the finish.  I went to the front and made one strong pull for about 3 minutes before drifting back into the pack.  It was obvious after my pull that it was way harder to be at the front.  
    At 34 kilometers, two other Americans, Matt Liebsch and Tad Elliott came to the front and I prepared for their attack.  Our comfortable pace disappeared and our group of 12 skiers stretched out as everyone tried to hang on.  We were flying, in a few minutes we went from not being able to see the leaders to being right next to them.  The pace slowed and everyone tried to recover from the attack.  
    At 39 kilometers the trail gains elevation the a series of rolling climbs.  About halfway through the climbs Tad Elliot attacked again and this time no one could stay with him.  In a matter of seconds he had a gap and things got craze.  At some point Matt Liebsch fell into Lars Flora, somehow I just managed to avoid those guys but Tad was off the front.  
    I still felt great and I looked around for someone else int he field who might be able to help me catch Tad.  One of the Frenchmen made a few surges and I began to question whether I had the strength to break away from the field.  I decided to wait to make my move on the final climb at 45km.  
    At 45km I went to the front and went as hard as I could.  I could tell there was one skier right on my tail but I forced myself to not look back.  When we made it to the top of the climb I finally looked and saw Lars Flora.  I asked him to take a pull, but he said he was spent.  I really wanted him to pull, but he had been at the front for most of the race and had certainly done his share of work.  I continued to try to push the pace. The pack was only about 20 meters behind.  Finally as we entered the final downhill Matt Liebsch pulled through.  I rested as best I could behind him.
    The pack behind us was right there so I came through to make another pull as we skied on to Lake Hayward.  After a few minutes I saw that our group of 3 had grown to 6 but we had gaped everyone else.  I relaxed and drifted to the back to prepare for the final sprint on Main Street.  
    Everything felt as thous we were in slow motion.  We came off the lake on to main street and I went to pass the other skiers.  The snow was softer than I expected and my legs screamed as the muscled attempted to cramp and shut down.  With only 20m to go I felt myself starting to fall apart and I became worried I might fall.  I focused on the image I had rehearsed in my mind so many times before and threw my foot forward.  I earned third place by just two tenths of a second.  
    Caitlin (2nd) and Me (3rd), a good Birkebeiner for the Gregg’s

    I have spent the last 4 weeks putting in a training block and preparing for the Birkebeiner.  Last weekend in Madison I got my beaten pretty bad so it was very good for my confidence to be right in the mix on Saturday.  Tomorrow I fly to Germany for 3 weeks of racing in middle Europe. I started saving and planning for this trip last year and am excited for the opportunity to race against the next level up of competition.

  • Green Grass and Skiing

     It is the heart of February and the snow in the yard is almost entirely gone and I swear the grass is starting to look green.  It is a strange feeling for me to walk outside and cross the grass on my way to go skiing.  For the first time in my life I actually put on my roller skis in February.  Thankfully there are still places to find great skiing in the Twin Cities Metro.

    Last winter was ideal for cross country skiers in the Midwest with several feet of snow and trails ‘groomed’ or ‘skied in’ all over the city.  We are very fortunate that one of these areas is Theodore Wirth Park which is literally out our back door.  A few years ago the park put in an artificial snow making system and have been able to produce a 3.1km loop.  Sometimes there are things beyond your control and you simply have to make do with what you got.   The loop takes about 10 minutes skiing easy.  One advantage of the repetitions of the laps is that you can get really good at skiing the different sections of the course.

    Another option for Metro skiing is at the downhill ski areas prior to their opening for alpine skiing.  The lifts open at 10am so you need to get up early to cross country ski.  This past week was a beautiful one with the sun rising into clear blue skies each morning as the full moon set to the east.

    On top of the hill with downtown Minneapolis in the background.
    It has been fun to train and race at home for the past two weeks.   The neighborhood kids have been excited to have us back in town and to follow the races.

    We have also been playing my favorite card game Nickel.  
    The game is similar to Rummy and requires some simple math and the calculation of odds.

    Not much snow this winter, yet it is still awesome!

  • Tour de Twin Cities

    Today concluded the Tour de Twin Cities a series of 5 Super Tour races right out our back door.  Three races were contested at Wirth which really is right out our back door.   On a good snow year it is faster to ski to the venue than it is to drive from our house to the race trails at Wirth.  The final two races were held just 30 minutes across town at Green Acres Park.

    One joy I have in ski racing is getting to know my competitors.  As a Minneapolis native Caitlin and I really took the initiative to welcome the skiers from out of A to the Twin Cities.  A big thanks to the Handlers, Carters and Kuzzy’s for hosting skiers and to the many others who offered to host.  
    Leading the train in the 15km Freestyle Race at Wirth Park
    Caitlin and I hosted my good friend Sam Naney in the basement of our little house.  Sam and I grew up  together in the Methow Valley and have been neck and neck in races since we first toed the line together as 10 year-olds.  It has been fun to live and train with Sam these past weeks.  My cooking skills haven’t grown much since my J3 years, but Sam has come in to his own as an excellent cook.  Sam had some great races throughout this week culminating in his first Super Tour distance podium in today’s 20km Freestyle.  Recently Sam has been known as a strong sprinter so it is cool to see him establishing his strengths as a distance racer as well.  Nice work, buddy.  
    My first year as a Minneapolis resident worked out well and I started the series off with two solid 4th place races.  Unfortunately I struggled in the latter races to match my performances from earlier in the week.  I still felt good in the races, but didn’t have the snap to match the pace of some of the other guys.  My desire to win is strong, but it is also good to see my friends do well.  Congratulations in particular to Sam, Brent and Matt today.
    Thank you to the organizers and volunteers for a great week of racing.  It has been an exciting week and I am ready for bed and a day off.  Check out this video of the crash at the start of Saturday’s 10k Classic race.