Witness the Fitness: Cashe Game Trail Race

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Today I had the pleasure or running The Cashe Game Trail Race with Pat, Taylor, and Yara. The course is 18k of epic terrain climbing over 1,300 feet in Cashe Creek Canyon before dropping 1,500 feet down in adjacent Game Creek Canyon. It is by far my favorite running race and is pure bliss for me. I wasn’t able to get any pictures as we were running like bats out of hell the entire time but instead I am going to link the songs that were stuck in my head through out the race.

The first is Witness the Fitness by Roots Manuva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y94oPOE-Ro0. This songs chorus seems very appropriate for how I have changed my philosophy towards ski training since joining the UW team. I am entering my 5^th year of full time ski training and for the fist time ever I have done no interval or speed training during the early summer months. After 4 seasons of varying results in interval focused programs I am very interested to see what an over distance focus does for me as a skier. Today was the first real barometer to see how it is going. I have come to know quite a few people in the trail racing scene here in Jackson over the years (this was my third consecutive year doing this race alone). As I went to the start line teammates and friends old and new surrounded me. Even a former ski coach of mine was racing. As the gun went off, I was all smiles. This was a change from the more serious approach I had taken the last 2 years.  During the fist few miles of hill climb I settled into the zone. I get to run with a former cross country team mate, Sawer Thomas (Yara’s little bro), who was great to pace off of.  I have never had such a bast hill climbing before. We passed a few people and came to the steepest part of the course. We power walked up the steep trail littered in loose rocks aiming to catch the group of five in front of us which I later found out was the second pack.  Sawer dropped me there but the group was still in my sights and I powered on. Upon cresting the hill and and the course high point the world seemed to slow.

The song in my head changed to the epic electronic remix “Help Me loose My Mind” originally by: Disclosure and remixed by: Mazde. Enjoy! (Free Legal Download) https://soundcloud.com/mazde/disclosure-help-me-loose-my-mind-mazde-remix  I have always struggled with the downhill section of this course. It is steep and treacherous and it has been known to trip up people sometimes throwing them violently off the trail. Today was different and I made up my mind that I was going to slay this dragon! A few seconds into the downhill I experienced one of the coolest things in all of endurance sports: the second wind. The suddenly I was sprinting as fast I could and the thought crossed my mind I am a mother f*****g stallion! I started eating up terrain like none other and caught the group in front of me and passed them. We ran though the most gorgeous field of chest high wild flowers. In that moment nothing could stop me. There is nothing quite like the feeling of bone jarring flight that comes with steep downhill trail racing. It’s not smooth as skiing downhill. Knowing a single misplaced step could send you careening into the bushes is exhilaration and the amount of focus you have to put in is tremendous. I could feel the energy of the racers around me and the air was almost electric. The last part of the race enters a down flat that is brutal with legs that feel like lead but a good test of your endurance and I still felt like I was flying. Crossing the finish like I looked at my time. It was 20 seconds faster than last year. Heart rate stats were just as impressive with a in race max of 213 bpm and an average of 202 bpm sustained over an hour and twenty minutes. To put it in perspective I had done over 20 speed sessions prior to this race last year.

After the race we went to Nora’s and got huevos rancheros and biscuits and gravy, yum :). It was a perfect summer morning spent with awesome people. No complaints here in Jackson.

Summer Loving

"I think I have an iron allergy, everytime I lift weights I get swole!" Thank you ten pm sidewalk chalk artists around Prexy's pasture... this quote is a gem.

Tonight was really fun! We celebrated Ferne's birthday with orgasmic vegetables, and delicious chicken and mushrooms. We also had fresh salad from ACRES, quinoa, and banana bread for dessert.

After dinner, we took CLIFFORD for a drive with some Aerosmith's Dude Looks Like a Lady blasting. Viatly was worried about where we might me going, but danced for us anyway. (Kyle can you post a picture of CLIFFORD in action?). Note that the first song that came on the radio in Clifford was We Are the Champions. I think it is a sign for the coming year!

Then, we watched The Great Race (Ferne's choice), which was fantastic. We laughed the whole way through the first half (we had to stop at intermission because it is a long movie).

I am getting excited for recovery week to be over, so we can get out on the trails for OD runs and adventuring! I think the Rawah Wilderness is next on the agenda for this weekend.

Also, here is a little music from Grease to get you going...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKPYe53h78

Jackson Camp!

I have been hoping for an amazing post from an athlete but I'll get the ball rolling on this myself.

The Jackson Camp ROCKED!!!!

Thanks so much to Yara & Sam for organizing and even more to their parents for hosting not only the athletes but feeding us for two dinners! The food and the company was stupendous and we really couldn't afford a camp in that area without the support of the families!

We started with a bang on a fantastic run up Phillips ridge! So beautiful with the wildflowers and the views!

View from Phillips Ridge

That afternoon the athletes all took a ride down the Snake River on a variety of floating devices. A great time was had by all, even Willie! We then spent the evening at the Wiswell house, lovely time and great food!

Our own personal flag!

The next morning we did the most beautiful rollerski I have ever done on the bike path from Moose to Lake Jenny and back! It was almost surreal watching the team ski with the backdrop of the Grand!

The Majestics and the Majestics!

That afternoon the athletes went swimming and cliff jumping and that evening we had another fantastic dinner at the Thomas household.

Sunset at the Thomas house

The next morning was a choose your own adventure with the coaches doing a bike ride from Jackson to Jenny lake, 40 miles, and the athletes doing an awesome hike along a ridge with amazing views!

It was wonderful to see our Jackson athletes and connect with them as well as Nathan, who met us from Idaho!

We really couldn't have had a camp that was more fun, more productive and in a more beautiful place!

The Sugar Goblin

So this was supposed to be the original post but somehow Vitamin D took over my train of thought.... Anyway... sugar.. since this is training oriented I'll start there.

1)If you are sick more you can't train as effectively... and being sick is depressing.... and not fun... and actually don't train when you are sick, unless it is super chill and your are not that sick.
2) High sugar diet=More sick

There, now that you are convinced I will delve into better evidence on why to ease up on the sugar...

Remember Vitamin D and how it helps out your innate immunity? Sugar does the opposite... In the previous post I described how cells of the adaptive immune system can specifically recognized a specific pathogen. The innate immune system can't do that... It's why you get vaccinated so when some boss pathogen that you were vaccinated against busts past your innate immune system the adaptive is there to exploit its weaknesses since it "knows" it (has a receptor that will bind specifically to it). The innate does however have a general array of receptors that recognize "PAMPs" or Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns. PAMPs are general proteins found on the surface of many types of pathogens. So while not very specific and so not quite as effective as killing the bad guys, innate immune cells can still stop an invading virus or bacteria in it's tracks by binding to a PAMP.

One such receptor that binds to a PAMP is the Mannose-binding lectin (MBL). In the linked study(http://file.scirp.org/Html/7716.html), it was found that dietary sugar down-regalutes this MBL/PAMP invader halting mechanism!!!!

In another study... (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2509/abstract), it was found that sugars can even inhibit the method by which macrophages (part of innate immunity) kill an engulfed pathogen. They can't form a reactive oxygen species so pretty much your internal lazer gun is out of batteries (don't take my word for that and instead look at this graphic...http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/92/9/3007)


So you get the idea.. I'm sure there are numerous other articles that look into that. It also doesn't mean cut out sugar totally though because without it your brain wouldn't work and yes your immune system wouldn't work. How much then? I don't know, I'll leave that to your own research and good judgement, aka processed food prob not the best).

Vita-man D versus the Sugar Goblin(arriving in next post)

So the last time you heard about how Vitamin D was good for you probs wasn't too long ago but it's time again for another refreshing dip back into the benefits...

Observe the below diagram carefully...


 If you noticed a large amount of white blobs and black text your on the right track...

To the right are your white blood cells, they act as your first line of defense against things that make you sick (your innate immunity).. to the left are some more white blood cells BUT these little buddies are special... they are part of your adaptive immune system. Specifically, these "T-helper" cells release lots of chemical messengers that tells your T "killer" cells and B cells(release antibody that mark a bad guy for destruction) to get on their job!

In the diagram above, the study says that the in response to Vitamin D, the white blood cells on the left (WBDs) are down-regulated (suppressed), and the ones on the right are up-regulated (more grow). So GREAT! Vitamin D means your line of defense gets more foot soldiers!

BUT WAIT! I said the ones on the left are suppressed? Isn't that bad if they help kill foreign invaders?

 The catch is: ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY!!!! remember that the cells on the right are part of that INNATE IMMUNITY but not the ones on the left... Adaptive immunity is uber effective in killing invaders because it will specifically recognize a foreign pathogen (vaccines prime this adaptive immunity!) but it can also be destructive.... IF an adaptive immune system cell mistakenly recognizes a cell in your own body as non-self, you have an autoimmune disease!! This = BAD...

Thus there are two take-home messages...
1) Everything in balance (referring to adaptive immunity)
2)Vitamin D not only means enhanced innate immunity BUT less likely to get an autoimmune disease

Be a STRONG skier!

We have lots of questions about strength for skiers so we decided to put together this quick video explaining why we do what we do for our training program.

 Enjoy!

 

Threshold Thursday!

Below are two posts by Coach Rachel about lactate threshold. Enjoy!

Lactate Threshold
Happy Threshold Thursday! 
There has been a lot of talk over the last couple of weeks about Lactate Threshold. For those of you who are a bit new to this, lactate threshold or LT refers to the intensity of exercise at which there is a sudden increase in blood lactate (Roberts and Robergs, 1997). Interestingly lactate is actually not the problem but instead protons that accumulate when your body must meet certain energy needs anaerobically. Lactate is actually the buffer but is therefore also an indicator of anaerobic metabolism. 

I wanted to share a recent study with you regarding lactate clearance. As we all know, the key to increasing your performance is MAXIMIZING RECOVERY and for a very long time researchers have not been able to figure out how best to clear lactate after a hard workout. This new article reports faster lactate clearance for active recovery vs. passive (finally a reason for that dreaded cool down). Active recovery at 60-100% seemed to clear lactate most effectively. And of course, the faster we recover, the faster we can train again.

LASTLY, today I contacted Dr. Smith about the possibility of getting some physical tests: LT, VO2max and DEXA. That being said, we would REALLY like for all of you to be consistently completing medals tests before you become infatuated with physical tests. I will keep you posted as to what Dr. Smith says.

One final parting note!! I have noticed just how jazzed everyone is on training. Please remember that another one of those am I getting a positive response to training things is whether you are able to do each workout at your best. If you're being subpar in a workout, it probably means your doing too much.

I am so impressed with your AWESOME, INSPIRATIONAL TRAINING 

Robergs, R.A., & Roberts, S. 1997. Exercise Physiology: Exercise, performance, and clinical applications. St Louis, MO: Mosby.

It's Threshold Thursday!

On this Threshold Thursday I have been pondering an article that Kyle and I discussed a year or so ago. It was a study done in male Junior skiers in Estonia. I will upload this article for all of you to read but the primary data collected were Heart Rate and Blood Lactate during a mixed summer training session. Twelve strength exercises were done and then afterward, the skiers ran a 1500 meter at anaerobic threshold. The data show that although heart rates were relatively similar during the strength exercises and the run, blood lactate levels were substantially different. In the run, they were only around 2-2.7 mmol/L. However, in the strength exercises they were high (between 5.0 and 6.1 mmol/L). The authors of the article are wordy with their possible conclusions, and I would love for all of you to read the article. However, one conclusion that struck me is that we may not be aware of the extent of blood lactate accumulation when we do strength and our Heart Rate monitors are underestimating our lactate levels. So, what are your thoughts on helping our bodies recover from max strength then? Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Nurmekivi et al. (2008) Biology of Sport, Metabolic Effect of Stength Endurance Exercise complex in Young Cross-country Skiers. 25. 297-306.

Tour De Wyoming Film

Hello again!

As promised I have attached the link to the Tour De Wyoming safety video that Kyle and I filmed and edited right here. Even if your aren't participating in the tour, the safety tips that are in the film are mostly universal, so using it as a safety tool for commuters and riders alike would be great! I hope you enjoy it, tell your commuter friends to check it out! Thanks and cheers,

Taylor

Summer Thus Far

Greetings!

I hope those of you that will read this are having a great summer regardless of what it has transpired so far. Laradise has certainly upheld its title these last few months! Though I have not spent much time here the last two months due to birthdays, weddings, triathlons, mountain bike races, and family time, the time that I have spent here has been superb. 

The intense tornado of classes, homework, studying and tests have left just a handful of us here for the summer to train and study. It seems odd not having our large team together 24/7, but I am getting used to the intimacy of our small summer training group. The training sessions have also been excellent and with our Jackson camp coming upon us quickly, trail races and triathlons around the state and Colorado, it doesn't seem like the training will become any less enjoyable. I am finding it hard to believe summer is already half over, but that fact alone is a great excuse to get out and enjoy what little time we have left before the whirlwind starts up again. Having such an physically demanding schedule, your body starts to become more and more tired, but on the contrary the soul and spirit becomes even more alive and rejuvenated. One would be crazy to complain about living a life like this. During training sessions I have more than enough time to think about life and figure out all of its complications and wonders. When I'm not training, I day dream about my next adventure and what it will bring. Having the time to really train and enjoy summer has been such a blessing and I am thankful for that each and every day.

I recently finished a project for the Tour De Wyoming committee. They were gracious enough to donate to us a generous sum of money to help us get through the ski season. As a trade, we were asked to film and edit a safety video to help them keep the tour riders safe and aware throughout their tour across the state. Kyle and I were able to work in tandem allowing us to get the project done with great success. Hopefully it will help the tour participants to remain safe while they ride while meeting or exceeding the tour committee's expectations. My next post will include a link to the video if you wish to watch it.

Well you don't have to suffer through any more of my rambling, that is it for now. I am hoping to work on and post a few more projects here before too long so you should see some more posts from me eventually. Also, as the summer progresses I will be trying to post pictures of our latest and greatest adventures so you too might be motivated to get out and enjoy what amazing things life has to offer. Until next time, keep living life to the fullest and make life happen!

Cheers,
Taylor

Step After Step on the Sagebrush Steppe

Morning. Low clouds.  Misty mountains. Sunrise. SAGEBRUSH.  Most people would look out on the high desert of northwest Wyoming and say, "There ain't nothin' but sagebrush out there."  THEY would be wrong.  There are prairie dogs, golden eagles, horned lizards, the cutest baby pronghorns, night hawks, badgers, horses, beetles, and a man in a brown-and-gold plaid shirt pacing back and forth.  That would be me.  I have been conducting prairie dog surveys for almost a week now, and have been hiking transects through the sagebrush for a solid seven to eight hours a day, minus a short lunch break or a rerouting of the GPS. Not what most people would think of as summer ski training. But, at the end of the day, I can barely take the last step...so it has to be doing something.  That and a few strength sessions in the hotel workout-room will be my training for the next four days, followed by a deer GPS collar chasing session in the mountains, and the UW ski camp in Jackson.
  As I look out the window at the Wind River Mountains of all of the hiking in the mountains that I will do this summer.

For now, my feet will be firmly planted in the sagebrush steppe.  Actually they will be planted thousands of times...step, after step, after step, after step.....

Random Summer Training? and fluffy snow

A randomly generated bunch of short vids from the past.... http://youtu.be/vJp2eWBA5EY

Cheyenn Tri

The sun rose slowly above Turtle Rock as we drove to Cheyenne for the Triathlon on Saturday morning. What a beautiful way to start the day!!!!

The Tri was on the Air Force base, which added some interesting issues for the day. We were told to go to Gate 2 but they didn't know anything about us there so we had to go to Gate 1 to the VVC to get a VP, or something to that effect.

When we arrived at the VVC it became clear that we were going to struggle to get to the race in time. It was supposed to start at 7am and at 6:30 only a few of us had even began getting our visitors passes. These passes consisted of background check, fingerprints, photos and a lot of typing and printing.

Rachel, Becca and I got to the start at about 6:45 and still have to unload and setup. Rachel and Becca were in the first wave and it was a rush!

They made the start but neither of them had any idea where they were going on the bike, which was a problem since Rachel left the transition area first! Rachel had multiple problems, first the brake was on for the first half the race and then she got lost... She was chased down by a private in a car and got back on track but it was a major problem. Becca faired much better and had a great race!

Elise, Sindre, Taylor, Kristy and I all started in the 3rd wave and Kyle in the 4th. It was still a little interesting to find the bike course but I LOVED it! So interesting, beautiful and variable. Fairly often bike courses are out and back but this one wound around everywhere!

Everyone raced so fast and well! It was exciting to watch them all crank around the course. Both Taylor and Kyle got a little lost on the bike and Kyle got a flat at the end of the bike!

We all had a fantastic time and are looking forward to the Riverside Tri in Casper next weekend!

SUMMER 2014

Summer in Laramie has been amazing so far. The weather has been in the 60's and 70's with awesome afternoon rain storms almost every day. Practices are carrying on as usual. Mondays are an OD workout or recovery day, Tuesday and Thursday are strength and yoga, Wednesday is a fantastic OD, and of course Friday morning BREAKFAST CLUB. I have heard rumors of new Breakfast Club shirts!

I think the highlight of training so far was crust skiing in the Snowies. There is still snow up there, but I have not been up for many weeks. We had one really amazing crust ski day toward the end that included some upside down yoga poses. I still get chills when I think of how beautiful Med Bow peak looked upside down!

Last weekend was the first triathlon, but I will let someone else who actually did it tell that story. I was on the mend after appendicitis a couple of weeks ago. I mostly recovered now, but am going to sit the Casper triathlon out to be safe. Mason and I (and I hope others) are headed up to Arlington for a day this weekend for a run up Rock Creek and to check out the site I adopted for surveying amphibinas this summer. I am excited to see if the snow is gone and if the mating has begun.

We are also getting stoked for a trip to Jackson Hole over the 4th of July. We will finally get to hang out with Yara and Sam. Hopefully the Sprinter (its going to need a name) will be here in time for the adventure.

That's all for now! Please post about your adventures.

LETS KEEP 365 STOKED GOING.

Trentino

 The following link is for a Glimpse of Trentino
The travel, competition, and scenery

ItalyTrip

Having had the chance to rest on the travel to Italy I can take away from the experience a more refined perception of place and a greater knowledge of competition. In the same way that living in Wyoming after being an East Coastie inspired me through such a drastic change in landscape one of my favorite parts of traveling to this part of Italy was being immersed in the giant canyons that clawed their way into sheer rock faces of the Dolomites and the little towns that dotted their way up along the valleys. As in the Western States I knew that I could stay here simply to explore.
    Another part of the travel that I thought to be fascinating though simple was the similarity in the nature of interactions with people from so many places all over the world. The humorous stories of the Kazakhstan Hockey team from an Italian Attaché, two Finnish skiiers trying to explain their schooling, and the witty remarks from the Great Britain Women’s Hockey Team inquiring a Canadian Biathlete about exactly what his sport entailed. Human nature was so similar across cultures often incorporating extended bouts of humor. While the language barrier turned some exchanges into hand gestures the majority of athletes and Italians spoke English which made for an ease of communicating and gave me incentive to learn before I travel next time the language of the area that I would be traveling to.
     The knowledge I took back from the competition part of the experience was invaluable. Being part of competition represented by all parts of the world at such an elite level radiated a mesh of cultures that combined to create a global nordic culture. In this I found the familiar  mindset of a racer amidst methodical warm-ups and the intense focus on performance. I took back things I know I have to work on like tempo, power in double poling and ankle bend along with a better understanding of how to prepare my body for transitioning into racing. I also was reminded, however, of the transient nature of a race. How this experience was intertwining itself into the future goals of the other athletes I could only conjecture. I often wondered at how a race might feel if it determined support in life. Skiing as a job I could see as being quite stressful if performance was on the struggle bus.
    As I had known before this trip, the greatest part was experiencing it with a wonderful group of people. In a way it reminded me of the importance of new experiences in building long standing relations with others that often constitute an individual’s satisfaction with their current position in their life. In this case, I know that the novelty of this trip will always be maintained in the memories that I shared with this group in the solitude found among the valleys of Trentino and the thrill of racing that the wildly fun Lago di Tesero nordic venue brought.

WUG Reflections

We are relaxing at our house in Bozeman, MT. The boys bounce a lacrosse ball in the next room and the faint smell of wax is in the air as people finish grooming their skate skis for tomorrow's battle. The sun sets on the huge peaks above us that have survived another day of avalanche blasting. The wind howls outside, causing us to hide within this building that quickly became home.

Just two weeks ago we exchanged white elephant gifts in Florence, hugged coaches goodbye, and made the mad dash back to the U.S. The travel seems like a dream now though the feeling of the return is fresh in my mind. I find home coming uncomfortable. I suddenly remember the life that is my reality, the good and the bad, the triumphs and fears, the responsibilities. All of these things mix with the experience. This return was even stranger as I returned to my first alternate reality, college, and then my second, back home with my family. I found myself dreaming of the Italian trails and wishing for another chance on the course as I skied my home trails again. As required, I had memorized the Val di Fiemme trails, making it even easier to mentally remain in Italy. 

Today the women battled a 5k classic and the men battled a 10k classic in Bozeman. I say battle because it was. We may have left Italy, but we did not leave the challenging competition. It was an honor as usual to start a race with these D1 women. They are so strong and skilled in their art: each movement of the leg, a powerful pendulum and each strike of the arm drives the momentum infinitely forward. I am again reminded of my vulnerability and of the weaknesses in my ski technique. My mind fights to stay positive as we all line up behind the start line. Electronics wrapped around our ankles and bib adorned, we challenge ourselves once again against the elite.

Italy sticks with me now as an amazing chance at international competition. But more than that, the desire to keep improving and keep pushing into the next level is strong and it will be hard to smother. Elise’s amazing performances continue to give me hope that we are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Just waiting now for the alignment of my health, strength, and desire. Meanwhile, I will be visualizing the trails of the Val di Fiemme.  

Example of Solid Leadership

 
The following is a product of Sierra's idea, filming and superb leadership on the team...
Thank you Sierra,
Thanksgiving Talent Show

Also substantiation for the idea that yes, we have important life skills other than skiing... like dancing.. and singing out of tune..

What the results don't show

Our careers as a coaches have been very traditionally successful. We have coached state and national champion teams and individuals. We have coached at numerous national and international events. We have have seen athletes come and go, both the winners and the beginners. While it's fun to coach the winners and great to have a winning team the thing we love most about coaching is often what the results don't show.

The World University Games is a good example of this. Our athletes are not standing on the podium in the stadium but they are certainly standing tall in our hearts.

The results don't show Willie smiling as he starts skating in the skiathlon the last part of one of the best races of his career.

The results don't show Sierra flying up the hill in the sprint nor gliding past the Italian athlete in the finishing stretch looking every bit of the world class athlete that she has become.

The results don't show the sheer joy in Taylor as he finishes the first round of the sprint relay nor the grit and determination that took him through to the finish of the 30km.

The results don't show Elise in the freestyle as she methodically takes down women with FIS points 4 times better than hers nor.

The results don't show Britta as she makes up 2 minutes to catch the Chinese racers in the relay nor her smile at the finish.

The results don't show Catherine's poise as she just skied stronger and stronger in the race to the finish nor her face when her legs are numb and she can hardly move them in the he 15km and I say I'm OK with her stopping and she says, "I'm NOT!"

The results don't show the heart and soul that Sarah puts into everything she does, both in her power on the course and her support off.

The results don't show Pat as he accelerates through the 10km, skiing better and faster at the end than the beginning nor the sheer will that gets him around the final lap of the 30km.

The results don't show Kyle's good tactics as he sits in a tuck gliding beside a skier who is skating nor his strength as he powers up the hill.

The results certainly don't show Nathan, who had bronchitis before we left, had to go to the hospital here in Italy and still managed to finish the 10km skate on nothing but desire.

The results don't show Sindre as he dedicates his summer and fall to improving and strains every muscle flying into the finish, nor his willingness to jump into the relay. 

The results don't show Sam as he fights through his newly discovered asthma to ski solid in the 10km after having to stop with an asthma attack in the skiathlon.

The results don't show Bridget, after a good day in the 5km, tough out a really rough race the opening leg of the relay, so tough that she ended up in the infirmary after the race.

The results also don't show the amazing work that goes behind the racing. Hours spent by Shanna & Anna (the Shananigans) waxing, brushing, scraping and doing it all again and again and again. Nor do they show Dick & Evelyn running all over the Dolomites looking for a specific type of klister or a wax remover.

The results only show who skied the fastest on that particular day and not the hundreds of stories,  hours of training and sheer heart that typify this team.

We have never been so proud as we are tonight, after the final race of the Games. We look forward to the rest of the season with these phenomenal young people!

Do Not Get Stuck In A Routine

For most people today was probably just another day. Finding a routine seems to be almost second nature to us as humans, which I think is the cause of most of false perceptions of boring lives. It is easy for us to lose track of the important things in life when we are finding routines in everything we do. If I look closely and get stuck in a routine, I find myself lost and searching for something more. We must be careful not to get stuck in a rut otherwise we lose sight of all the wonderful things we experience. Since we have been here it seems as though all of us have found our own unique daily routines, myself included.

Wake-up.
Eat. 
Pack and get ready for the day. 
Ride the bus to the venue.
Ski.
Eat.
Ride the bus back to the hotel.
Shower.
Wait for food (they eat late here).
Eat again.
Sleep.
Repeat.

This has been my routine for the majority of the days since I have been here. Of course there have been a few variations, but as a whole this is has described most of my days. I have found myself lost and searching for more. Wait, WHAT!?!?! How is that possible? I'm in Italy skiing with some of my best friends, representing the United States of America, something I have dreamed about doing since I was a child. Looking back on all that has happened the last week and a half I feel so honored to be here. Every day has been one amazing day after another, filled with unimaginable experiences. Yesterday Sam and I had the opportunity to ski from the venue all the way to the end of the Marcialonga trail which ends roughly a mile from our hotel where from which we walked back to the hotel. I have always enjoyed being able to travel from one place to another powered solely by the human body especially when it involves skiing. Being able to get from the hotel to the venue without having to use any cars or other modes of modern transportation is unbelievably satisfying (not to mention skiing under the moonlight for about half of the way up). Today we were also able to walk to the trail and ski back down to the race venue. Mountains with peaks veiled behind a wall of fog and clouds is an excellent background to any skiing experience, especially today's.
Watching the girls race today in the 3x5K relay was so much fun. Standing on the world cup venue enjoying the company of my men's team will never get old. I am proud to call both the men and women on our team my teammates. We are all so unique and full of different specialties and diversity it amazes me how talented we all are. I am grateful for every opportunity that I have been given. Thank you to all of those who have been supportive to myself and our team, we wouldn't be here without the endless support that we have been given.

With all the excitement that has been going on I refuse to get stuck in a routine, tomorrow will be yet another amazing day here in Pradazzo and I hope yours is just as well!!

Ski Jumping

After a short jog east up the valley to watch ski jumping last night it was decided amongst the jogees (willie, pat, nathan and I) that ski jumping would most likely not be a part of our future aspirations. Sledding down the bottom part however proved tempting idea. *Provided below is a reference picture to exhibit my artistic talent in realism.

The Monster Inside

The gun goes off and the race begins. The competition is fierce but so am I and I know deep down I can do battle with this course and this field of incredible skiers. But after a few minutes into the race the pack is slowly but surly slipping out of my grasp. I keep hearing this wheezing from the racer behind me. The world slows down and the small fear in the back of my head slowly grows into a giant monster chasing me around the course. I outrun it for a little while but eventually it catches me and attacks. I suddenly feel like I have swallowed to big of a bit of food and it just wont move out of my windpipe. The wheezing is louder but the racer is still behind me and I know I can still beat him. Coming into the stadium the world starts to fade around the edges. In a moment of clarity and acceptance I know the wheezing racer is really me and that something is terribly wrong. The coaches appear in the distance and I make heartbreaking decision to drop out of a race for the first time in my life. There in Rachel’s arms breathing but not really getting any air I accept my fate and that I have full blown, real life, asthma. Sarah hands me an inhaler and I accept it desperate to breath again. The feeling of getting that first breath was like being woken up from a deep sleep with a cold bucket of water. The next few hours were mostly a blur of pain, anger, sadness, and finally, acceptance. As confirmed by doctors that night and the next day I have asthma and will have to start taking medicine to get better again.  They upside is that I can and will get better and will be able to race again. Racing is one of the greatest joys in my life and to be racing internationally has been a dream of mine for years now. Yet hear I am, competing against some of the best in the world. To say the least I am not at my best but in the past few days I have come to realize I can still live this dream. And I have.  Five days after the asthma attack I completed my first international race on the beautiful course here at Val Di Fiemme. It wasn’t my best and I still had some problems breathing but it was infinitely better than the skiathalon. I have begun down the road to recovery and I now know deep down that I can beat the monster inside of me. 

Although having this experience here has been a challenge I am loving the time spent with the team spent here in Italy. Skiing here has been a jaw dropping experience every time I am out on the course and I can't imagine dong anything better!

A few of the photos from the day in Trento

Ancient ruins and stunning architecture

To enter the church

Hand written!

Secret passageway in the church walls!

Cheese!!!!!

Elise bought a yummy sweet tomato-like fruit!

One of many dogs in poof coats..

Waitin' for the bus back to Predazzo

Collision. Impact. Chance.

Collision. Impact. Chance. Sometimes I look at life like a massive web of interconnected lines and stories with criss-crossing intersections, some of which pass by each other smoothly and others that completely change the course of another life. Being here and experiencing Italy made me realize that standing on the start line of today’s race was a result of those moments. You see, I’m not supposed to be here. As of July I wasn’t even going to be skiing this year, I wasn’t going to be at UW, I wasn’t supposed to be on the WUG team, I wasn’t going to be on a ski team at all after several life transitions. But here I am!  Breath in. Breath out. Every sinew of my being is present in this moment as I realize the magnitude of the events and impacts that occurred to bring me to this red line that I’m about to cross at the start of the women’s 5k freestyle. Five four three two one, and our legs know exactly how to carry out the job for which we have trained them for so long. All the overwhelming feelings fade away when the only task in the moment is to embrace the pain that strains against the gravity of the hill. All of the built up anxiety is thrust into every new stride.

            There is never a more beautiful sound that the voices of my wonderful teammates and beautiful coaches who scream their hearts out as if to transfer more energy to us with every cheer. We Americans are by far the loudest people in the entire valley. The fact that each and every one of them has impacted me over the time that I have known them makes their presence even more motivating. I can’t imagine having two more inspirational women than Christi and Rachael pour their hearts and souls into my racing experience and the personal development of every one of their athletes. The chances that I have been given overwhelm me. I can only hope I can have the courage to take full advantage of the impacts, and end up completely spent in a gasping heap on the finish line knowing that the job was done fully well. Being content in knowing that I have nothing left to give is the best feeling in the world. Collisions, impacts, chances: make the most of the moments you’re given.

Pre-race jidders

This is a picture of our wonderful coaches waiting for the race to start. Today is the 5k skate! The pre-race routine has consists of Bridget, Sarah, and I laying around with lots of water, electrolytes, and pump up music (Enya). The course today will wind around two different 2.5K laps with lots of fun hills. My goal for the race will be to keep my tempo snappy. The sun is shining and I feel good and ready!

Sprint Relay

Today was the third race for the World University Games here in Trentino Italy. It has been an amazing journey watching fellow teammates racing, prepping for and racing our own individual races, and of course the year-round training. Watching and competing has been such an amazing experience. Being able to watch the different countries and my own friends competing has been more exciting than I could have ever asked for. Today was a very unique experience, combining both competing, and watching my teammates race all in one. Because of the nature of relays, we were able to race, tag-off, watch our relay partner race. We were to each do three laps each, alternating ever-other one. We had two teams competing in the mixed team sprints (one male and one female racer), and I was fortunate enough to be on one of those teams.

                                                                  The Race:

Heart pounding. Adrenalin pumping. Breathing heavy. Looking down at my skis as I slide them back and forth (in true Nordic fashion) to try to calm myself down. I am lined up with nineteen other guys all waiting for the sound of the start gun to fire.  From the back of the pack I look up, only to see the massive field of men from all over the world with our 1.2 kilometer sprint course is the backdrop.
Everyone begins to settle as the count to the start begins. Breath-by-breath the seconds fly by. There is not a sound coming from the stadium filled with people. No breeze, nothing but the cool air touching my face. The steam from my breath floating up into the sky. Pure serenity. BANG. All hell breaks loose. Simultaneously all of the men begin the race, getting faster and faster all through the start lanes. Skis, poles, arms and legs now up to full speed. Trying to slow my breath and relax into the quickened pace we come the the first rolling hill on the course. Still in the back, I manage to work my way up into the group passing two men as we crest. Getting to the backside over the roller, we all settle into a tuck. Breathing heavily now to recover as much as possible before the big hill. This hill has been ascended by countless racers, many of which have been world cup skiers and Olympians (whom I have watch countless times on this very hill on you-tube). It is now our turn to climb. Standing up and breaking into the hill with as much momentum as possible, I am able to maintain most of my speed. Calm, cool, and relaxed I work my way further towards the front of the pack. Pole, glide, pole, glide all the way to the top. Legs aching, lungs burning, the pack has slowly spread by the top. Feeling exhausted, the downhill tuck is nothing short of painful, filled with desperate grasps for air. Coming into the corner leading to the next up-hill my breath calms and I am prepared to hit the hill hard. Coming out of the tuck and "throwing the hammer down" I pass one of the many guys in front of me. On the the next down hill I tuck in for more grasps for air. Coming back over the other side of the rolling hill, I hold my momentum as best as possible before the last flat to the tag zone. Keeping my distance in front of those who were behind me I sped through the flats and into the tag. Searching for my partner as I skied into the tag zone I finally spotted her. Elise began moving down the track as I quickly tagged her with sheer exhaustion. Elise flew out of the gate to continue the race. And just like that, the first of my three laps were done.

As I watched Elise burn through the course, I couldn't help but give hugs to my two amazing coaches from all the excitement. I didn't need to say anything for them to know how great it was out there, I could tell they knew. I too could tell how excited they were for me, glowing even brighter than  they usually do. Smiles beaming we were all feeding off of each-others excitement. Oddly enough, even though it was only a third of the actual race, it was an experience that I will never forget and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

And the stadium!

PicTour

Mountains down near Trento

Wooo fans!!

Women's Pursuit

WUG so far...

Surreal, is a word that I have been using the most to describe my experiences here in Italy. I been trying to suck in everything from the sight of some of the world cup skiers to the odd smell that hits your nose getting off the bus. It really doesn't feel real sometimes. On the classic sprint day, it was weird to think that all the training I have been doing is going to be used in 1.8 km. I wasn't expecting much I just wanted to do my best and represent USA. The lap went so fast, it didn't seem like I had time to think. I wont forget when I was heading toward the finish line and I could hear the commentators voice. It give me an extra burst of energy. I took a spill before the finish line, it was disappointing at first but I knew that I gave it my all. I felt really proud of my teammates as they give everything even though we don't expect move on to the rounds/finals. The only really easy part of the experience will be to remember this for a long time. The excitement is rising for the 10km on tuesday!

Mixed Team Sprints

The Pirates of the Caribbean theme song led the men out of the start gate for the team sprints today. Kyle and I watched from the biathlon range as Taylor and Elise crushed it on each lap of their sprint. It was eerie seeing what I would be doing in just a few minutes...watching coaches rub down our muscles and our skis, offering encouraging words, and giving us a homemade concoction of orange juice and tea. It was a fantastic race. I like the idea of needing a fast woman and man to work together. I like that the men start and the women finish it up. You have to really trust one another and give them the best position you can for the rest of the race.  The sprints felt really good today especially with the entire team on the big hill screaming for me. The best part was the quick uphill right after the big downhill. It felt really powerful and fun.
After the race, Kyle and Taylor and I skied the Marcialonga east. It was really beautiful at night with the towns all lit up and the final sprint announcements in the background.
It was a beautiful day! On to exploring Trento tomorrow.

casa per la settimana

WUG - Italy Adventure

Italy is amazing!! The Hotel Bellaria in the small town of Predazzo, which is 5km from the ski venue and 70km from Trento, and it has been a fantastic home for us. We take public transit to and from the venue and to other sport events throughout the valley. We have had two competitions so far, the skiathlon and classic sprints. Tomorrow is the team sprint where one male and one female from each team comprise a racing team and trade off sprinting 1.2 km with skate technique. Elise and Taylor will be one team, and Kyle and I will be the other team.

A couple of personal highlights from the trip so far:

At the end of the skiathlon, one of the volunteers saw me carrying my two pairs of skis in my hands and a cup of tea in my mouth. He stuck out a finger and helped pour the cup of tea into my mouth and allowed me to finish it. What a great volunteer!!!

At the end of the women's skiathlon, the Australian women were very impressed with our team cheering for them!

For the finals of the sprints today, I stood next to a local couple who were cheering for their son's best friend. He ended up falling during the final, but they cheered him all the way home. They were curious about Wyoming and whether or not you can ski through Yellowstone.

The kick wax for the classic sprints.

The night ski on our training day Friday on a short trail along the river. The town on the neighboring hill were lighting up the hillside and the moon took care of lighting our trail. Then we moved onto the sprint course to preview. It was really exciting previewing the course at night with all of the other racers, the smell of wax and excitement filling the air.

Late night pizza with the girls and hot vino!