On the Road Again...

After a nice few weeks in Sun Valley, we are on the road again. Last week we had the excitement of hosting the Boulder Mountain Tour in town. With over 800 racers in town, the place was a zoo! The Festival kicked off with a sprint relay in downtown Ketchum. Spectators lined the course and cheered as the racing took place. I teamed up with Colin Rodgers and we managed to sneak away with a close 3rd place finish.

Number 3 must have been "my number" because I ended up 3rd in the 32k tour as well. Although a little disappointed with the result, each year my result gets a little better.

Podium picture: 1st place, Sylvan Ellefson, Evelyn Dong. 2nd place, Chelsea Holmes, Leif Zimmerman. 3rd place, Brian Fletcher, Nicole De Yong

I am currently in Aspen, Colorado. After a long 12 hour drive, we made it to the beautiful, sunny valley last week. The Super Tour circuit and the college circuit joined forces and raced a 5/10k classic race on Saturday and a 21k skate race, known as the Owl Creek Chase, on Sunday. Racing at 8,000-9,000 feet is always a bit challenging, but good none the less.

We are enjoying the next few days here before we head our next stop: Madison, Wisconsin.

Stay posted! More updates and pictures to come!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Recharging

Well I have to say its been nice to be home, in one place, for the past couple weeks. Days have been filled with training, resting, a little work and of course some play.

After recharging in one place for a while, my schedule for the second half of the season is slowly coming together. I am looking forward to the Boulder Mountain Tour, which takes place right here in Sun Valley next weekend! The Tour is in its 36th year and this race is just as big of a deal as the American Birkebiner...well, at least for those that live here. It is a 32k skate race that begins at Galena Lodge and takes you down the Harriman Trail, through the Boulder Mountains and ends at the SNRA. While the total elevation is a net loss, it is a tough race with very little rest and recovery.

After the Boulder I will travel to Aspen, Colorado to take up a couple Super Tour races, a 5k classic and a 21k skate. The 21k Owl Creek Chase is on the opposite side of the spectrum compared to the Boulder. Instead of a net loss in elevation there is a huge net gain, bringing you all the way up to over 9,000 ft. whoa! Gotta get pumped for that one.

The following week will bring me to the Midwest where I will race another weekend of Super Tour races in Madison, Wisconsin. These races are fun and unique because they take place in the middle of downtown, around the capitol square. I will race a classic sprint and a 7.5k skate criterium, which will be a new racing format for me.

And then...its the BIRKE!!! Yep, already getting the Birke fever! This 52k race from Telemark to Hayward, Wisconsin is America's largest cross-country ski race with over 7,000 racers!!!! It is definitely quite the scene with so many people, but fun to race in such a huge race.

That is the plan through February and then it will be time to recharge again and get ready for U.S. Long-Distance Nationals and the Super Tour Finals which are being hosted right here in Sun Valley the end of March! Lots of excitement for this valley...looking forward to it!

Until next time!

U.S. Nationals Update

Wow, it has been way too long since my last post! My apologies! It has been a busy few weeks of traveling, racing and more traveling! As you probably recall from my last post, we had U.S. Nationals in Rumford, Maine the beginning of the month. It was a crazy and somewhat challenging week given the very little amount of snow! We arrived to 32 degrees with brown grass, dirt and twigs everywhere! "Hhmmm, maybe it is somehow just magically snowy up at the race venue" I thought to myself. That was not the case however.

The first training day was a bare...dirt, rocks, twigs everywhere! Disappointingly I ruined my skis. The forecast called for warmer temperatures and rain on race day. Ug! That turned out to be true, but the race was still a go! We raced the classic sprint in probably the worst conditions I have ever skied in. Despite the conditions, racers still had their game face on...it was time to put uncontrollable variables aside and just race as hard as you could. I skied a strong qualifier but missed advancing to the semis by less than a hair in a photo finish. My day ended short, but I immediately put that performance aside and focused on preparing for the races in the days to come.

As a result of the lack of snow, organizers decided to postpone the distance classic race by a day to give organizers more time to create a 2.5k loop with man-made snow. Luckly temperatures dropped into the 20's and they were able to make snow. The organizers and volunteers did a good job of preparing a 2.5k loop. Thanks for all your hard work!

The classic race resumed on Wednesday. I unfortunately woke up with a bit of a cold and very low energy. I completed my warm-up and decided to give the race a go...four times around the 2.5k loop. I managed to ski the first lap in control, but going into the second lap my entire body felt like lead...I had no energy whatsoever. What do I do? Fight the fatigue? drop out of the race? I expressed how i was feeling to my coach and he recommended that I save my energy for the 20k race the following day. And that is what I did...half way through the race, I decided to drop out. Definitely not an easy thing to do. I've only dropped out once in my entire ski career and it is not a good feeling! I quickly put that disappointing performance behind me and once again started preparing for the next race.

Dropping out of the Wednesday's classic race definitely fueled the fire for Thursday's 20k skate race. Still not feeling 100% I went into the race with a completely focused attitude. My plan was to ski the first couple laps controlled and work into it each additional lap (7 laps total). I kept a consistent pace throughout the race and skied almost the entire race with another skier, exchanging leads. I ended up 9th overall, just 4 seconds out of 7th! Overall I was pleased with the effort but bummed to miss 7th by such a small margin.

Giving it everything in the 20k skate

Three races down, one to go! The last race was the skate sprint. I skied a solid prelim, qualifying in 8th place. I went into the quarterfinal 100% determined to advance to the semis, which I hadn't done yet this season. I charged off the start in the lead. I managed to maintain my lead as I hammered up the hill and down into the final 200 meters. I won my quarterfinal, finally making it into the semis! I was feeling strong and once again went into the semis ready to charge. All was well until the final 100 meters...I was fighting for third place when it came down to a lunge to the finish! Yet again, it was a photo finish. I ended up getting the short end of the stick and missed qualifying for the A-final. Instead I was in the B-final. I had lost a bit of steam from the previous efforts but managed to finish 9th.

Leading the charge in the quarterfinals

The conditions in Maine were definitely challenging! We can only hope for better next year! Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for making it possible!

Once again, I had the privilege of helping with Fast and Female in Bethel, Maine. It was a very successful event with over 130 girls attending! It was a day filled with skiing, lunch, dance and yoga! I had fun with a group of 30 girls, ages 9-10. Our group name was "The Green Goblins."

Great group of girls out to have some fun! Thanks to all the supporters and organizers

The Green Goblin Girls!

I am currently back in Ketchum, recovering, training and getting ready for the second half of the season.

Thanks for checking in!
More later!

Kicking off the Season in B.C.

After a three hour van drive, three plane rides, two nights and a lot of lost sleep, Colin and I finally made it to Vermont yesterday. Traveling during the holidays is always a gamble, but I was hopeful we wouldn't run into any weather or mechanical delays...unfortunately, that did not happen. Needless to say, it is nice to finally be here and unlike the people in front of us who were trying to fly to London and couldn't get a flight until December 31st, we were only delayed one day and will be able to enjoy Christmas with family.

The racing season kicked off for me in the last two weeks. The first weekend we raced in Silver Star British Columbia. I have now been there a handful of times and it never gets old! There is always an abundant amount of snow, good ski conditions, and the beauty of being able to step out of the front door to ski. The first race began with a classic sprint. I felt a bit slow off the line but was able to post a decent time to qualify in the middle of the pack with a 13th place finish. Going into my quarterfinal, I felt good and strong. I put myself in a good position but was not able to sustain my pace up the final hill loosing a place. I ended up 13th overall.

The next day was a 10/15k skate. We woke up to a foot of soft, new snow. These conditions are some of the toughest to race in. The snow was so soft that the groomers were not able to pack it down before the race began. Instead it made for a very slow long race. While I felt a bit bogged down with all the snow I reminded myself that everyone was battling the same conditions and feelings. It was not my best result, but I hung int here and ended up 13th.

A couple days later we made our way to Rossland, B.C. about a 3 hour drive. We arrived to quite the opposite of what we found in Silver Star...icey and glazed ski trails. They did a good job of grooming and mixing up the snow to make it skiable. Friday marked the start of a three day mini tour with a skate sprint race. It was a very fast course! I qualified 13th. I was skiing a great quarterfinal round, positioning myself in second place to advance to the semis, when on the last hairpin turn, a girl crashed in front of me and I was unable to get around her without getting tangled up. Bummer! During the time of the tangle-up, the other skiers got around us and our day of racing was cut short.

With the unfortunate sequence of events the previous day, I was psyched and ready to ski fast the next day in the 5k skate. I went out fast and tried to maintain a high tempo and speed the entire race...5k is a short race! I received some good splits along the way but knew that there were some fast skiers behind me. I ended up 9th... a result I was satisfied with (at least I didn't end up 13th like several of the previous races!)

The final day of the tour ended with a 10k pursuit classic race. This means that our combined times from the previous two days were added up to determine our start time for the classic race. I began 1:30 minutes behind the first starter. I bolted out of the start and caught the racer in front of me within the first 1/2 kilometer. At about 2.5 kilometers, I was feeling a bit heavy and bogged down...maybe I was a bit too excited at the start and started too fast? A pack of skiers from behind caught up to me and I tired to hang. I hung for a couple kilometers until a couple of them took off and I as left skiing with one other girl. We skied the entire second lap together. I began to feel a bit better toward the end, so I tired to gap the skier in the last 1/2 kilometer, but was unable to drop her. It came down to a sprint in the last 100 meters. Unfortunately, I did not have the strength in my arms to beat her in the double pole sprint...guess what place I ended up? Yep, 13th! Maybe if I knew I was racing for 12th place I could have mustered up the strength to not get 13th.

Hopefully, I have put all the 13th place finishes of the year behind me! I am spending Christmas in Vermont before I head to Rumford, Maine for US Nationals late next week. Getting psyched and ready...all for now!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

Home Sweet Home

I arrived in Anchorage two weeks ago and was very excited to be home! From what I had heard, there was plenty of snow on the ground and the skiing was great! Well little did I know, I arrived just in time for a record breaking and unprecedented ice storm! As I was driving home from the airport at 2 am I asked my sister, "how can it be 24 degrees and raining?" I was perplexed.

I woke up later that morning and the roads were a complete sheet of ice! School was canceled, cars were in the ditch, people were falling on the ice...it was a mess! I was quite tired from traveling so I didn't plan on training much that day. I kept hoping the rain would stop and turn to snow...but that did not happen. Unfortunately the next two days was much of the same! I didn't loose hope, but I was beginning to wonder what I was going to do if I had to put up with the ucky weather the entire time I was home. The conditions outside were much to treacherous to do any activity, even walk! I took advantage of the indoor running track and even did some speed intervals, and I began to take a liking to swimming once again.

The forecast called for "snow likely" on thanksgiving day. I went to bed the night before just praying there would be snow when I woke up...and sure enough, there was!!!! I woke up to a winter wonderland and it continued to snow all day long. It felt more like Christmas to me than thanksgiving. I was sure thankful for the 8-10 inches of snow!

The skiing since then has been wonderful! It has been nice to catch up with friends and family. I am headed to Silver Star on Wednesday to prepare for the races this coming weekend. They will mark my first races of the season! I am feeling excited and ready. I will keep you posted on how they go!

A Recognition for Change

In order to be the best athlete you can be, it is important to listen to your body, your mind, and your heart. It is easy to get caught up in the daily or yearly training plan and do what you are “supposed” to do, but if your body isn’t responding, or if you mind isn’t in it, or if your heart isn’t there, you will not achieve what you are set out to do.

I came to this realization a couple months ago and recognized that I was going through the motions day in and day out but I wasn’t physically or mentally in the game. Instead of just grinding through it, I accepted the fact that something had to change. Since then, I’ve switched up a few things such as my training plan- listening more to my body and doing workouts suited to the way my body is feeling. I’ve also worked on finding balance in my life- between training, work, and rest. And lastly, I’ve opted out of some training camps to get a change of pace. Things are starting to come around with these few adjustments. I am enjoying skiing, especially now that we are on snow, and my body is responding.

So, instead of riding in a van to West Yellowstone for the first races of the season, and not to mention the 7^th year in a row, I am on a plane headed to Alaska. I plan to get a couple more weeks of training in before I kick off the race season in Silver Star, B.C. As I was packing today, I forgot what it felt like to pack for two months. No matter how hard I try, I never seem to be able to pack “light.” My bags always end up 50 pounds even! I guess it’s hard to pack light when you have 12 pairs of skis in your bag. Aawww, the joys of being a ski racer!

The Season is Just Around the Corner

Since my last post two weeks ago, I was able to get in a good week of on-snow ski training! The skiing, only 15 miles north of town, was absolutely wonderful! Ten inches of fresh groomed trails. The good skiing lasted about a week until some warmer weather rolled in and melted south facing sections of the trail. As of Thursday, it was still skiable but several sections were a bit bare. However, it snowed again last night and there is more snow in the forecast. It is definitely nice to have some early snow and to be able to transition from dryland roller-skiing to real skiing with plenty of time before the first races of the season.

Nice freshly groomed trails!

A big smile on my face for the first ski of the season!

The Community School cross-country running season wrapped up last weekend with several successful performances in Soda Spring, Idaho. The girls ran their way to a team first place finish in the small school division, with Annie Pokorny leading the team with a 4th place finish. The boys team, led by Max Crissman finished 4th place. Congratulations to both teams!

The girls, 1A state champions!

That is all for now, but I will keep you posted as the season hastily approaches!

Cheers!