Let the race's begin!

Racing started off with a bang for New England this past weekend at Trapp Family Lodge. Sprints on Saturday…which I opted out of to ski a day on the alpine side in the freshies.

Sunday we skied through six inches of fresh snow and challenging visibility in the 5 kilometer freestyle event at Trapp Family Lodge. Dartmouth’s Freshman, Sophie Caldwell (Peru, VT) had an impressive race on Sunday dominating the field through the tough conditions, she picked right up where she left off last season as the series winner. With Saturdays 2nd place finish behind UVM’s Jennie Bender and Sundays first place finish Sophie has jumped into an early lead for the series. It will be a great year for Dartmouth and will be nice to see where these young fast skiers go!

After I finished my race I left as soon as I could, not even waiting for the results to go back to Stowe for round two in the powder! My mind was somewhere else this weekend and that never gets good results. Though the thing that matters most is having fun!

Stowe 11/29/2008

 

Great day at the mountain today. 30 degrees, a little sun shine poking its way through the dark clouds, adding to the nice winter wonderland contrasts on the mountain.

Ethan Allen Biathlon Club

Today starts practice at the firing range in Jericho! They are on Tuesdays and Fridays from 4-6. If you would ever like to make it to practice to try out biathlon please email me at eabiathlon@gmail.org.

SNOW 10/22/2008

Growing Up

I have been ski racing now for a good part of my life. There have been a lot of great things that I have learned on the way…there are also many things I have learned about a dozen times, and every time I learn it, I vow to myself, that I will never make the same mistake again. Of course, if I followed my own advice I would never make the same mistake a dozen times. It is also apparent, with my repeated offenses of stupidity, that I am not learning a darn thing!

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, but unless you do EVERYTHING at 100% you will never reach your goals. Growing up my weakness was always equipment maintenance…I’d rather clean my house and refold all my cloths a 100 times over versus wax my skis, or clean & tune up my bike.

This past weekend I was reminded of my flaws while racing up Brandon Gap with a bunch of college youngsters. Girls that are about 10 years younger than myself, with their careers in either skiing or the work force ahead of them, some confused, and others with dreams bigger than the world.

I started to think of my UVM days, some of the best and hardest days of my life. As we started our race up the gap, I was reminded of all the mistakes I made growing up when both my pole tips came lose. For me that meant a long climb up the gap without poles! This made for a good long time to reflect while I watched a strong group of girls pull away from me…buh bye!

Of course I told myself…”I will never do this again; not check my equipment before the start of a race!” I should know this by now, and I think I have told this to myself about 4 dozen times.

Due to my hard headed, do what I want to, go day by day attitude…I tossed out a good opportunity for a great fall training session! All because I didn’t take five minutes to take care of my stuff…hopefully those other college girls noticed how I was wasting my time trying to ski up the hill and fool around with my poles every few seconds that they learned a lesson from me…do as I say, not as I do!

There is a lot more to racing well besides training well…taking care of your shit is a big part of being the best! Growing up, the girls that scared me the most while racing where the ones that did everything…not just the training but the equipment maintenance, the hard training, the resting…and funny thing…those where the girls that have made it to the Olympics.

So, if I am not going to learn my lesson, hopefully someone else will. To be the best you have to be on top of EVERYTHING! It’s ok to make mistakes but learn from those mistakes!

24 HOURS OF GREAT GLEN

Our team of very fast mt. bike chicks needs another expert female. Any one interested or know of someone that might want to race please let me know. There are money prizes and it's VERY fun!

MudDING

With my big nobby tires. Slipping in the mud, cruising over rocks, flying over wet roots with my fingers crossed, praying I don’t launch my face into a tree, and the best part…flying through the deep puddles.

Puddles so deep you close you eyes & grip you handle bars with all your might so you don’t endo yourself over your handle bars and end up flying in mid-air over the puddle, as your bike drowns in the puddle...hmmm would you call this a puddle or a pond?

Lots of rain in Vermont right now, and lots of rain means really fun, muddy bike racing. Can you imagine being 26, but acting like you are about 4? Playing in the mud, splashing in the puddles and coming home COVERED in mud! Good thing my mom didn’t see me ;-)

The worse the weather, the more fun I have with my training, and this summer has been just AMAZING in Vermont, which I like, but I also like the adventures of the wind, rain, sleet. Helps when I have to do the same thing everyday, it always gives me a second wind, something different to spice things up.

Yesterday was so muddy I was covered head to toe, my mouth was very gritty…cheap whitener!!! My eyes BURNED, I think there is still mud coming out of my eyes & ears today! I kept thinking to myself: “Sizzillin, don’t stop and keep it going” as I rode through the slick roots, rocks trying to maneuver myself on the tight, winding single track…keep pedaling!

When the weather gets bad get out there & train! Goin hard when the weather turns on!

Mt. Snow Mt. Bike National Championships

Photos & lots of them!



Last weekend I met my little Bella girls at Mt. Snow to watch our hometown star Lea Davison rock it on the trails. Above you can click the link to see more photos.

Climb To Mt. Top

Today I had my first roller ski race down in Rutland, Vermont. An 11k climb up to Mt. Top. To give you an idea it's a mass start race, where we have about 400 meters before we start climbing for a few k. The first climb was very nice, I had to put together a plan this year, there were a few girls in the race that are very strong skiers. I couldn't go out to hard risking bonking, so I jumped behind a very young & talented skier, Keely Levins for about 2 k. The group stayed together for a few K, until I decided it was time to spread out the field. For a little while I was worried I had made a move to soon.



My attack broke up the race and for a few k I skied on my own until Alex Jospe caught me. We skied together trying to fend of the other skiers, I felt very good on the flat section...than we reached the final 3k. The steepest 3k of my life...I put my head down and went. Many times I skied hard in fear that Alex was going to beat me, I could hear her poles gripping the pavement behind me, they always sounded like they were coming closer and closer. Than I saw the 200m sign and knew I could win this race. It was a good hard race with some very good girls there.



Below is video from the race. Very early on. We all look rested & relaxed!

errr...sorry it has taken me so long!

I know...I hear ya! It has been to long since my last post. It gets a little busy in the summertimes!
My days are amazing right now, CRAZY busy just the way I like it...though it truly is amazing that I keep anything together with all that I am doing! Sometimes I am reminded to jump about 5 miles up into there air to take a quick breather and see everything else that is going on around me...makes me feel a little better when i am overwhelmed. Just think how small each one of us is.
I am working hard at work, things here are going really well. Training is also going well, mondays I am taking off from training & putting in some extra hours at the office, while Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday I am off the wall busy with catamount outdoor center 5ks & mountain biking after work. On the weekend I live out every min. to the max with training & seeing my friends, until the most exciting part of my weekend begins...The Little Bella Mountain Bike Mentoring program for girls from 6-14. IT'S AMAZING...On that note, I have a little more work to do & will update more next week on the Little Bellas.

Made it in the paper

not for skiing or biking! For eating out...hahaha can you tell I was cold??????



http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BT&Dato=20080515&Kategori=MOMS&Lopenr=805150806&Ref=PH

zoom, zoom, zoom

ok...turn up your radio & blast! Rocking this! RAH! LOUDAH! I have been commuting to work the past few weeks, it's amazing what I hear. Either out the window by angry road raged rednecks, over dosed steroid meat heads & rich chicks on their cell phones doing everything besides driving a straight line. Of course I get a kick out of all of this because, really...let's think about this for a second...

My life rocks...in the fast lane, it's glamouris! No diamond rings, but hey, I got good friends that rock, all my adventures all around the world & of course I have one of the coolest jobs every...people would kill to work where I work. First class, in the fast lane.

So of course when I am being hollahed at hearing all these crazy things that I don't wanna, I just think about all the rocking I get to do & I have to laugh! Because really is it that lame for you that I ruin your day...because I am on the side of the road...hahahaha...muuuahahahahaha. Listen what I say:

LOOK AROUND...you see what I see?

Nothing...keep driving & rocking it to all your outragious music...turn up your radio, blast your sterio & RIDE! I never hear much you all hallah anyways!

& ANOTHER video!

I know, I have been on a video rampage! I'm "ramping" up for more writing! 2008/2009 season is about to start for me, I am ready to go! This spring I spent playing soccer, mt. biking, running, tennis, a little basketball a lot of alpine skiing & of course a little dancing along with A LOT of cooking! I have been a cooking machine the past few weeks, amazing how far I have come since I first started cooking in college! When of course my roommates would tell me it tasted great; but I knew the truth, I tasted it too!
Here is another video! Just FYI, it's close to the previous one, just has a few more pictures & a much better music selection in my mind ;-)

2008 Season movie!

End of season Movie, Country Music style! If you don't like Country music wait a few days & another movie will be up with better music selection. I buy music with my I-tunes but I can't use it in any other program :-( still trying to figure it out...in the mean time this is what I had to work with in Windows!

New Bike Frame

MAJOR thanks to the Davis's who got me this awesome SIX13 bike frame. I came home today & it was like Christmas! Very excited to get on this thing & do some base training...hollahh!

MTB season has started

Free Delivery - Trailer - Watch more Sports Videos


Nothing like some sweet mt. biking...Kevin remember when we tried to build a mt. bike park in our back yard? HAHA We worked all day on it for two weeks straight & never touched it again!

Rollerskiing

So Roller ski season is almost here! To all my friends who wonder why I never take them out for a roller ski this is why. No I am not in this video, but this is what happens if you have never been roller skiing before.

spring skiing...hollah

My Friend Dave rocking the tele skis!

A sweet view of the notch! 55 & sunny, it was some great skiing. My face & neck show it today...I have a serious sun burn with the sweet goggle tan lines!

Skiing Lookout...love spring skiing bumps.

ART

what do you do when you ski season is over? a little art!

p.s. I didn't spell my dogs name incorrectly. He is Oakly, not Oakley the shades!

still winter

Four to five feet of snow at Bolton. I ski past signs that are lower than my waist, in the summer they are over my head! What a great winter here in Vermont, which is good news for me...means I can put off roller skiing for a little & get in more time on snow. Ski when you can, but don't forget to slowly start running...don't want to jump into summer training & get an overuse injury!


It's very much still winter here in Vermont.

A Hard Week of WORKING

You know I am working really hard when things start getting messy!

Notice my apple, hmmm...it has 1 bite taken out of it! Race season is coming to an end so it's time to put work into overdrive. Also notice the paper towels, around the computer? Well I spilled some water...good thing my head is attached, otherwise I'd lose it!

Another Great Ski Day At Stowe!

skilauf rund um die welt: The Great American Birkie

This years American Birkie was the 3rd largest birkie ever, with 6,992 racers. It was also the 35th year of the famous grueling 51k race, the course starts off hard with a steep climb up a toll road for 5k, than it's rolling terrain with a few steep long climbs in the middle. I can't recall k for k anymore but I can recall the hardest steepest hill I have done in a long time, I will never forget this hill and I think the biggest reason for this is because it was at 41k. The last thing I wanted to do at 41k was go up hill.


A lot of people look at me like I have four heads when I tell them I am going to race the American Birkebeiner; there are several reasons for this of course, one being: "what the heck is that" and after I give them a discription they think I am nuts.

Today, the historic event of the rescue of Haakon Haakonsson is honoured in Norway by three annual sporting events, a run, a mountain bike race and a cross-country ski race, Birkebeinerrennet or the Birkebeiner Run. Common for these events is the requirement of carrying a heavy backpack weighing 3.5 kg as a remembrance of the child the Birkebeiners had to carry on their journey. The events are located in the Lillehammer and Rena area.

There are also sister cross-country ski races held in Hayward (USA), the American Birkebeiner, and in Edmonton (Canada). The difference is that We didn't carry a pack weighing 3.5 kg (thank goodness)!

This is the first official 50k that I have ever done, it was a great experience and I will do it again for sure. I was here last year but due to the lack of snow the race was shortened to half the distance.

This weekend!

No racing for me until Sunday :-( Been a little sick, gotta be smart so I don't kill myself. It's so hard to do the right thing when you really love to ski and race. I haven't skied since Tuesday, when I had to cut my workout in half!

Hopefully I feel good enough for Sundays race!

whoa...I'm Tired

This was a tough weekend! I started my travel and racing Saturday at 6am, the roads were ICY which meant a long drive to Craftsbury Marathon. We made sure to get there in time because the waxing conditions were not easy and a 50k with bad wax is just a nightmare!
Friday I woke up, and we had four inches of snow, I thought to myself that winter might be back in the east. But I was wrong by mid day it was sleeting or raining, by 4pm it was all rain. 20 degrees and raining to be exact and turning into ice instantly.
Before I woke up on Saturday the rain had changed back to snow and there was a 1 inch dusting on top of the ice. There was every condition none to man in the race: ice, slush, powder, dirty snow, wet snow, dry snow...you name it, we skied through it.
I ended up living my nightmare and missed my kick wax for the 50k, after about 8k I decided it would best to just ski the race for fun and call it a training day. I was slipping all over the place and figured the only way I am going to finish this race and live to see another day of classic skiing was to back off and take in the views. I had fun, even stopped along the way to eat some soup, still ended up 13th with the same time from last year; guess I can't complain!
The uphills were long with bad kick and the down hills where a disaster, just glazed over with ice. This is a bad combination with narrow winding trails through the woods. I managed to make it out without hitting any trees but I did land in a big pile up early in the race and later on during the race I went through a section and let my guard down when I found myself sliding on my stumach down the hill! WHOOPS...worst part was my hat fell off and I had to go back up the hill to get it! Lots of hard falls and I have the battle wounds to prove it.

On Sunday I woke up early to head down to Mt. Top ski area right outside of Rutland Vt. for Womans Ski day. I was there representing the Madshus racing team as a coach, I taught girls of all ages and abilities how to ski the up and down hills.
It was great, everyone was excited to be there and most everyone caught on really fast.
I would have to say the best part about womens ski day was the team relays at the end of the day (besides the great free lunch). I got to partner up with a 9 year old girl from NJ, it was her second time cross country skiing in her life. It was great, she didn't want to stop skiing. I know I was tired after a full day of being out side and skiing around, but this little girl just want to keep skiing. We ended up skiing one last loop together before I had to get ready to leave (for me leaving a ski race or skiing event takes at least an hour because I am too social...I guess I like to talk).

Team Today

photo essay of nationals

Peter Hale and I after the 10k classic race

Peter Hale and I discussing a few ski choice mistakes...argh

While stuck in WI I got to watch Anja's cat BEGGING to get inside.

MEOW!

COME ON!

This is WI! ugh!

Running in WI. with all the flying and magic!

WI. Endless entertainment!

Again, had to find something to do in WI.

ahhh...the house I stayed in in MI, just in case!

It was an all boys appt. one thing does not belong!

All boys, need i say more?

Didn't use the toilet in the shower

It was cold!

But I still had a lot of fun!

Hanging out with great skier/friend Anja!

Anja's parents took pictures and took good care of us while we were stuck in WI.