FasterSkier

Tag: Justin Beckwith

  • Rochester Skate and DP

    The other day we headed over Granville Gulf to do a skate rollerski on easy terrain. The goal was to ski long and smooth and to get the feeling of going fast on skis. It is also always nice to get a change of scenery, and the beautiful stretch between Rochester and Hancock did not disappoint. We were joined on the road by David Sinclair, who is about to enter his junior year at Dartmouth. Pretty crazy that it’s been that long since he was at GMVS, but it is always awesome to have him around to show us what it’s all about.

    Sinner leads Dev and Ian past a barn on Rt. 100.

    After turning around, we transitioned to double pole to get in some specific strength. The girls gapped the boys for a while, and then we all skied together to the finish. Pretty sweet day all around.

    Heidi and Maddy double pole past another barn.

    This is a pretty sweet training group.

  • Sprint Simulation with Burke and Sinclair

  • GMVS Starts: Mad River Hike

    We celebrated the start of school with a hike up Mad River this week. It has been an unbelievable stretch of weather for training in the Valley and we have capitalized with some fun workouts all over the map. The feeling of Fall is starting to creep into the mornings and evenings here, and it’s amazing that we’re about to depart for Italy in just over a week! For now we’re enjoying the comforts of home and remembering that we don’t have to travel far to find a beautiful place outside.

    It’s a great crew this year: we are 5 skiers strong and will be joined by alums and guests on training camps and even at regular practice over the course of the year. We would of course like to officially welcome Maddy Pfeiffer, Ian Moore, and Elliot Ketchel to the team. With Devlin Shea and Heidi Halvorsen captaining the group we are set up for a great year full of success and fun! The pictures here are from our hike two days ago, but there are many more to come. Stay tuned for daily updates on training as well as retrospectives of our great summer camps from these past few months. We’re looking forward to another great year at GMVS!

    The theme of the hike turned out to be finding the primary colors in nature… kicked off when Elliot found these red mushrooms hiding under the roots of a tree above a riverbed.

    Elliot expresses his excitement at the first find! 

    Heidi, fresh off the NTG camp in Utah, and Maddy, a PG from New Hampshire, are sure to be excellent training partners this year.

    The same can be said for Dev and Ian Moore, who joins us as a junior from Maine.

    And Elliot will be with us the whole way, dazzling us with his local knowledge and inspiring us with his enthusiasm.

    The second primary color: a yellow iris carried up from where it had fallen off the stalk at the base lodge.

    Justin found a brown praying mantis blending into the grass. Nice eye!

    Elliot stands on his favorite rock at the halfway point.

    Up through the ferns.

    Justin takes a break with an overheated Rafter, who’s hanging out on the moss pillow.

    Looking back to campus from the top of the double. We could see the White Mountains in the distance.

    Camels Hump to the North.

    It won’t be long before these guys are humming up the line.

    The final color: a blue berry. But probably not one that Elliot wants to eat, even if it matches everything he’s wearing.

    A view from Campus in the morning: we’re settling into the routine here in Paradise. Stay tuned for frequent updates throughout the year!

  • Some Inspiration

    It’s hard to believe we are already in week two of school — but the weather has been great and we are training hard in preparation for our annual trip to Northern Italy.

    Check out the forecast, which is starting to look more and more favorable:
    http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Passo-Stelvio/6day/bot

    Tonight we are off to a Mad River Riders bike TT and Friday we are doing a Classic Sprint Simulation (if anyone out there can make it drop me a line).

    More pics to come soon from our last Skate Sprint.

    Dev takes a corner last year on the Stelvio.

  • Tour de Montagne Vert — Invite #4 Schedule

    Moore, Merrens, Halvorsen: Post-Double-Pole smiles from previous camp.


    Invite #4. GMVSxc tour de montagne vert

    3 event finale. Be the king or queen!

    World Cup Scoring.
    8/13
    9am Distance Run
    3pm DP Prologue – event #1 (handicapped from previous personal best)
    8/14
    8am Sprint Simulation – event #2 (reverse pursuit format–the winner of the A Final, 2, 3…)
    pm Hike/run with Boston xc running group
    Dinner and games 
    8/15
    7am LAMB RIDE. Event #3. Style, town line sprints, gaps, personal distance milestones, best dive into river…
    Spread the word. Let’s end the summer right!

  • INVITE SESSION #3 Schedule

    Here is the schedule of events:
    Monday-
    9am – depart school for distance run
    swim, lunch, rest
    3pm – 800m DP Test with speed warmup
    Tuesday-
    9am – depart for continuous effort bound run workout – 80+ mins
    swim, lunch, rest
    3pm – depart for distance classic up west side APP GAP with 2x :20 DP (KDP) Effort
    7pm dinner at Sunnyside
    Wednesday –
    9am – depart for skate time trial
    swim, goodbyes, depart

  • Great finish to Session 2

    We got up early today for a skate sprint simulations — special guests, the brothers (elder two) Hegman — showed up and duked it out with us.

  • Summer Session 2 Begins

    Yesterday we had a great day of training with over four hours of skiing.  The morning session was a pace workout on the Warren/Lincoln Gap 5km course.  We timed the first effort with a goal of threshold effort and nice, open motions — then we had a twenty minute break and they raced to the top in reverse pursuit order.  We had some fans in Warren as we raced around downtown and the new pavement on Lincoln was smooth as can be!  Great effort by all.  Times below:
                 Threshold:        Race:
    Hans     18:52                had to leave
    George 18:40                17:33
    Ian        18:31                17:24
    Heidi    20:16                20:28
    Maddy 19:35                18:42
    In the afternoon we skied south on one hundred where the kids were able to average about 6 minute miles for the first 5 miles.  We then turned west on 125, climbing up the Irene damaged/repaired Middlebury Gap.  We had a cool detour up and down the Texas Falls trail and checked out the cool gorge in there.  The skiers then continued up the gap, skating and concentrating on using muscles and not lungs to get them up the hill.  
    For a cool down we shuttled partway down the gap and let ’em run on some super sweet pavement — right through the Breadloaf fields and all the way to Ripton — again they were averaging really fast pace, probably close to 5 minute miles!
    Today we are doing a continuous effort at Trapps, running the race trails on foot and lightly bounding the uphills — come join the fun!

  • Invite Session #2

    Starts today!

    I’m sorry for some email glitches this week — hoping to be back on line this morning (since Tuesday).

    Second session schedule:
    Monday – 9am Depart for Lincoln Gap TT — 5km x 2 — classic
    2pm Depart for skate ski w/ specific strength

    Tuesday –
    8am – Run tbd (likely trapps)
    PM – Strength

    Wednesday – 9am Depart for Sprint Simulation — 1km x 4 (reverse seed starts)

  • A GMVS Retrospective: Summer Camp 2 Day 1

    It’s time to look back at some photos and thoughts from our second GMVS Summer camp, which was a ton of fun from the very beginning. The whole camp was held under sunny summer skies, with roller skiing, running, hiking, and more… and of course plenty of trips to the Valley’s various swimming holes! Day 1 was a long hike starting in Huntington.

    We climbed to the top of Camels Hump–no small feat in itself–then traversed some eight miles across the spine of the Green Mountains before descending off of Burnt Rock to Fayston. A pretty remarkable jaunt for sure! Most of the boys and some of the girls were determined to put the hammer down from the beginning, so I only have photos of them from the beginning of the hike and on the summit, but we had a fantastic day the whole way through.

    Our friend Jacob Myerson from CSU at the tip-top.

    Hans just summited Kilimanjaro but he came up Camels Hump anyway, helping to guide the top group with our camp stalwart Dylan Grald. Here Hans stands at the summit with some strong Ford Sayre boys, George Voigt and Sam Merrens.

    The whole gang at the top: skiers from Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and of course Vermont.

    We are lucky to have such an amazing hike right in our backyard, with views to the Champlain Valley and Lake Champlain, to the White Mountains, and to our own Mad River Valley just below.

  • **App Gap Challenge Results**

    APP GAP CHALLENGE – 7/3/12



    		Skate Classic Total
    1 Nate Latourette 18:46 15:43 34:29(2)
    2 Jacob Meyerson 01:18 17:38 42:56(11)
    3 Charlie Greenberg 21:37 16:05 37:42(8)
    4 Bill Harmeyer 22:30 16:30 39:00(9)
    5 Sam Merrens 20:35 14:52 35:27(3)
    6 George Voigt 21:17 15:33 36:50(4)
    7 Forrest Hamilton 21:52 15:39 37:31(6)
    8 Ian Moore 21:20 15:36 36:56(5)
    9 Henry Harmeyer 19:38 14:24 34:02(1)
    10 Devlin Shea 21:46 18:14 40:00(10)
    11 Hans Halvorsen 22:21 15:28 37:39(7)
    12 Alexandra Schaffner 19:09 02:31 45:40(10)
    13 Tatum Braun 19:40 02:30 46:10(11)
    14 Madi Schriefer 18:00 01:28 43:28(8)
    15 Cally Braun 15:23 19:07 34:30(4)
    16 Lauren Gillott 15:20 21:17 36:37(7)
    17 Julia Snyder 19:07 01:34 44:41(9)
    18 Charlotte Gross 14:11 20:00 34:11(3)
    19 Maddy Pfeifer 14:31 17:04 31:35(2)
    20 Elise Hardy 14:59 20:23 35:22(5)
    21 Rebecca Smith 15:21 20:04 35:25(6)
    22 Corrine Malcolm 11:13 15:24 26:37(1)

  • Day 2: Drills and Thrills at Sugarbush

    On day 2 of camp we cruised up to the Sugarbush South parking lot, a favorite spot to do agility work and drills on roller skis. 
    We always have a lot of fun up at Sugarbush, where the open spaces and zero traffic allow us to move freely on the perfect surface. 

    We did classic technique work, played a tag game with fuzzy green tails, and did some cornering agility while carrying tennis balls in frisbees. Pretty fun all around! A whole mess of photos is below. 

  • APP GAP CHALLENGE

  • GMVS Junior Summer Camp 1: Long Trail Hike

    It’s a GMVS Summer Camp tradition to start off the week with a long hike, and the weather was perfect for this jaunt along the Long Trail. Starting from the parking lot at Sugarbush South, we hiked up the steep ski slopes to the top of Castle Rock, then traversed North.

    The first of three summits was the hardest to obtain: Castle Rock is a tough hike (even though our local skiers Noah and Eliot claimed that the ski down is “boring”) and it took us a good hour and a lot of the water supply we carried to get up there.

    Once we made it to the top of the ridge, the views were incredible for the duration of the hike, with just enough clouds to make the sky interesting while keeping us in the sun the whole day.

    Smiles all around!

    The second summit was Sugarbush North, where we struggled to find the entrance to the Long Trail. Fortunately our guides Noah and Eliot were once again able to steer us in the right direction, and we bushwhacked twenty meters through the woods to get back on track. First, an amazing lookout from the top of North.

    Heading down the trail with the Champlain Valley and Lake Champlain in the background.

    We made it all the way over to the top of Mad River Glen, then crossed down under the lifts and met up with Justin and Rafter on the RAT trail to finish the day. A terrific start to camp with high spirits and enthusiasm for the outdoors the whole day: even on a 4-hour hike!

  • Summer Camp Starts With Fresh Weather

     As we head into our camp season we are grateful for our beautiful valley and humbled by the dynamic nature of recent summer weather systems.  Today we watched the radar closely and managed to have two safe and quality sessions on roller skis.  Yesterday the kids got to escape the heat of the valley as they ascended to the Green Mt Ridge to experience elevational cooling and a strong breeze.
     Afternoon session for Fast and Female gals: four miles gradual uphill.  First two miles on pavement and the finish on smooth dirt.  Cool temps and uplifting clouds.

     A few of the boys stepped it up to a 15km ski.  Dylan Grald led the boys over a cool loop: pavement, dirt, pavement, dirt.  Here is Ford Sayre skier, Adam Glueck, striding over the Mad River.

     Looking down over Phen Basin from Castlerock.
     Engulfed by the grass and experience: Mad River Glen.

     Very proud of our local skiers: Noah Eckstein, Elliot Ketchel, Maddy Strasser and Anneka Williams.  Noah and Elliot are learning amazing orienteering skills of their local hills — combining winter and  summer travels and learning a deep sense of place.
     Heading down Antelope.  
    More travels to come.  Don’t forget the APP GAP CHALLENGE.  July 3rd.  Cash Prize for setting new course record — ice cream party and awards for all!!

  • The Summer Sessions

    Today we had our first summer session — it is so nice to be in the laid back summer zone.

    Ian Moore, Devlin and Kaitlin took on the 800m uphill test (which might be 810m after review:)
    We took a swim in the Mad and I made a fun video to get ya all smiling.
    On a more spectacular note check out Hans on the lax field: GMVS Wins State D2 Championship.
    We train again on Wednesday and Thursday.
    Be well.

  • Invite Camps and Summer Training


    6/11 – Monday:
    9am 800m Plunkton Test. Strength.

    PM Recovery jog and swim

    6/13 – Wednesday:
    2pm Bike/Run (hike) adventure. Distance.

    6/14 – Thursday:
    9am 5/10km skate tt on East Warren/Plunkton roads


    A little update on training dates over the summer — I will be updating the blog with changes in schedule do to weather, etc, but please contact me if you would like more information about these sessions.
    We have a good group shaping up for the summer and we’d love to share the Mad River Valley with you.
    beck@gmvs.org


    Invite Camps:
    These camps are a grass roots experience with supervised training and transportation — we try and arrange home stays or students commute to and from home.  We can put together meals as a group and focus on some high level training during these periods, each session includes at least one Time Trial and often these are repeated through the summer to gauge fitness progress.  The cost of joining this program is $200 for the summer and the kids can make as many sessions as possible (if athletes are only able to attend a few sessions we treat that on a per case basis).
    Dates:
    June 7 — Classic Roll with DP intensity
    June 11, 13 – 4 — Skate TT and 800m Double Pole
    July 16 -18 — Classic TT and Sprint Simulation TT
    July 30 – August 1 — Skate TT and 800m Double Pole
    August 13 -15  — Including the LAMB Ride and Sprint Simulation TT
    In addition to organized training, GMVS Nordic also offers introductory rollerskiing sessions in partnership with NENSA.

  • Boom. Grad. Summer Time.

    Team celebrating the years with Hans and Kaitlin.
    Amazing last weeks of school with rafting, celebration, and some nice weather to boot.

    Looking forward to a super summer of training and on to ski season 2013!

    There are a few more spots available for summer camps, email beck@gmvs.org if you haven’t secured a spot.

    Check back for updates on invite sessions and happenings here in the Mad River Valley.

  • Bend Camp

    Reynolds, Sylvan, and Patty O.

    With summer arriving in VT this week, it’s hard to believe there is still full winter in Bend, OR.

    But it’s true.  I’ve spent the last 12 days skiing every morning up on Mt. Bachelor, about 30 minutes up into the Cascades from the town of Bend.  In that period of time, we’ve seen pretty much an entire range of skiing conditions from rock hard crust, soft slush, and over a foot of fresh snow just a few days ago.  But the best part is that spring/summer weather remains pretty consistent lower down in town, and Bend is home to some of the best mountain biking and running trails in the country.  You can get spoiled pretty quickly cruising on firm crust in the morning up high around Broken Top and the surrounding snowfields, and then ripping endless singletrack on the bike in the afternoon.

    For my own part it’s been a really productive camp.  There are a ton of athletes out here including some of teammates from Craftsbury, the USST, USBA, and Canadian National team, as well as a handful of folks from some other top domestic clubs.  I’ve been able to log some solid technique work on snow with some close friends and strong skiers while keeping in touch with dryland fitness and generally just enjoying general training in May.  What a place to spend the first couple weeks of the training season! 

    Good luck to the lacrosse teams and congratulations to all the seniors! 

    Best from Bend,
    -Tim

  • NENSA Coach of the Year.

    Thank you NENSA and all of the past present and future GMVS skiers for making me look good!

    APRIL 23, 2012

    NENSA Announces 2012 New England Coach of the Year

    Posted by: Janice Sibilia

    Summary:
    NENSA is pleased to announce Justin Beckwith as our 2012 New England Coach of the Year!
    Justin has been quietly managing the Green Mountain Valley School Nordic Program for several years now. He has coached GMVS athletes through successful junior careers and instills a love of skiing and outdoor adventure into them as well. A world class athlete himself, he knows what it takes to be a student of the sport and his program ensures that there is enough of a challenge intermixed with plenty of fun! Justin wrote via email:  “I've been really lucky to work with an impressive group of skiers over the past six years here in Waitsfield.  My goal as a coach is to make all around skiers and expose kids to adventures that create a passion for sport and competition.  Pursuing your dreams as a ski racer is an ultimate adventure and it is inspiring to help kids follow that path.  It has been awesome to watch our alums continue to ski and improve in college and beyond. 

    We've had five Junior National Champs and three athletes placed on the J1 Team since I've been at the Green Mountain Valley School.  We are really excited about our summer training programs with athletes like Tim Reynolds, David Sinclair, Dylan Grald and Heidi Halvorsen leading guests from throughout New England."

    Justin has been coaching at GMVS for 6 years, was J1 Scando trip leader in 2009, World Junior Coach in 2012 and the New England Team Wax Tech 2009-2012. For four straight years in a row, Justin has also managed the production of 55- 65 pairs of skis per race at Junior Nationals- this is no easy feat to keep the New England train rolling! His calmness through the inevitable storms of wax testing and making the right calls, consistently put out the best skis on the best skiers day in and day out during a busy week.
    Through all of this he stresses the team effort to make New England such a great ski community. In true spirit, Justin recaps his season on a recent blog post:

    ” Thanks for helping  make this winter a success for New England– the enthusiasm of the Nordic Community in our region overshadowed any lack of snow. It was a huge year of successes for Eastern Skiers from the BKL level,  at Junior Nationals and NCAA’s. I’m proud to be a part of this energy and I look forward to collaborating with many of you in the future.”

    We congratulate Justin and wish him much success as he continues to educate and challenge his skiers to even more success in the future.

    Coach of the year award history
    2012 – Justin Beckwith
    2011 – Sverre Caldwell
    2010 – Pepa Milochoeva
    2009 – Matt Boobar
    2008 – Eileen Carey
    2007 – Rob Bradlee