By: Jessie Diggins

Every once in a while, I think it’s important to push out of my comfort zone and try something new. Something scary. Something that will potentially push my heart rate to zone 4 from anxiety. (Kidding….sort of). And the past few days I’ve been amazed at the range of things that can challenge me – from being one of the new kids on the team worried about fitting in, to learning a new sport.

Yesterday I went for my second-ever mountain bike ride! I was super nervous since the only other real mountain biking I’ve ever done was an epic failure for me – within 5 minutes I had hit a tree, had blood dripping off my hand, and was ready to go home except I had another 2.5 hours of riding to get down to the cars. ICK. But I decided that, dang it, I really need to learn how to get coordinated and MAN UP a little. So I joined the group ride, and although I was downright horrible when we started, by the end I was gaining confidence and was actually enjoying myself! Of course, true to my typical workout schedule, I took a few crashes, but this time I won’t have scars to tell the story (thank goodness). It also helped that Matt, Liz and the rest of the team were super encouraging and patient, and never made me feel dumb for asking things like “which brake should I use - front or back”? It’s always awesome to have good teammates and coaches that create an environment where you feel safe to branch out and try new things. So I can honestly say that I am looking forward to the next ride, and maybe I’ll even try to go over a jump – who knows?

But the biggest challenge I’ve faced this week? Simply facing my first day on the US Ski Team and being the new kid. Not that being the youngest on the team is ever a problem – in fact, it’s pretty sweet having all the older athletes to look up to. I have a lot of mentors and big sister substitutes, and I don’t think they even know how much I look to them for guidance. However, my first official day on the US team was super scary for me because I wasn’t sure I was going to fit in. I forgot my boots, and ended up classic skiing in skate boots, and had trouble keeping up with the group at level 1!

That little voice in my head that says “You Can’t” was super loud and I was pretty certain the other athletes weren’t going to like me. But then I had to stop and think, “What if they DO?” I’m pretty much always optimistic (to a fault, even) but I think that it’s important to always view the glass as half full. You never know what’s going to happen, and here I was shutting myself down before the workout was half over. So I started thinking positive thoughts, even if they were just words (I started listing every synonym for “happy” that I could think of) and after a few minutes I felt better and was able to open up more. Because all the girls on this team are totally AWESOME (and the guys too)! They’re passionate, hard workers but also normal people with hobbies, music preferences, favorite tv shows, goals and dreams. And I’m excited to get to know them better!

So if there’s one thing I’ve learned this camp that I really want to take home with me, it’s to always look on the positive side, keep asking “what if things DO turn out right?” and remember to stay open to new things.

Sourced from: CXC Team Vertical Limit Blog

By: Jessie Diggins

I’d never been to Washington before, and I’m trying to figure out why I haven’t come sooner! It’s absolutely beautiful here with rows upon rows of apple and pear trees growing in the valley next to the river, and the mountains towering in the background. And good thing it’s so scenic, because I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately!

But you know what? It was, without a doubt, worth the trip to be there at Brian Gregg and Caitlin Compton’s wedding! I am so happy for them and the joy on their faces was totally infectious. It was definitely the prettiest wedding I’ve ever seen. We hiked a mile up into the mountains and they were married under an arch made of skis and flowers, on a lookout over the valley. And as they walked down the aisle, the sun came out. So beautiful!

I left Minnesota Saturday morning, and got to Seattle where I met up with Kay Wilson and her granddaughter. We had some time to kill before Scott Wilson’s plane landed, so we took the lightrail to downtown Seattle and went 520 ft into the air to the top of the space needle. The 360-degree view was amazing and we could see all the way to Mount Rainier!

Then I rode with the Wilson’s up to Winthrop Washington, where I stayed in a trailer at Chad Gregg’s house (Brian’s identical twin brother). Chad lives in this super-cool yurt! I’d never seen one before and I think it would be pretty fun to live in. After the wedding, Eric Bjornsen and I rode down to Weatchee with the Owen family, and got a ride to the airport the next morning with them. So clearly, there were a LOT of people that were amazing and generous in sharing their homes and cars and I couldn’t have gone to the wedding without their help – thanks guys!!!

So now it’s on to Bend, Oregon, where I’ll join up with the US Ski Team and other elite athletes for an on-snow training camp. I’ve never been to Bend before, but I’m pretty excited since I’ve only heard good things!

Sourced from: CXC Team Vertical Limit Blog

By: Jessie Diggins

Sourced from: CXC Team Vertical Limit Blog

By: Jessie Diggins

Ever pay close attention to how a horror movie begins? A happy little group of people are hanging out in some deserted hotel, totally oblivious to creepy signs like bats flying around, leaks, hidden stairways…and then as soon as they go to sleep, the ax murderer comes out and there you go. So right now, I’m basically waiting for the dude with the chainsaw.

I’m currently staying at the totally empty Telemark resort as it undergoes construction and remodeling, in preparation to house CXC team athletes. But we’re having a mini-camp now even though the construction isn’t yet finished. And it’s super-duper fun being the only ones in the hotel, but at the same time, it’s also unbelievably CREEPY! There’s echos and this dead, empty feel and I will NOT walk down a dark hallway by myself! That said, I’m super excited for our first CXC camp of the year – it’s just a short four day camp to plan out the year, do some testing and technique work, but a camp is a camp to me and it’s always great to get together with my teammates. But don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love having the hotel to ourselves. We roamed the hotel last night, popping wheelies in wheelchairs and exploring on the scooter I stole from my sister (she still doesn’t know, don’t tell her)!

It’s cool to see the hotel undergoing construction because it’s always neat to get the before and after picture. And they’re planning to create a sweet strength room, PT room, offices and the athletes will have the option of living in some of the rooms upstairs. I know there’s been some questions roaming around – people wondering if it’s actually happening, if the construction has been started yet. Well, I’ve seen it and it’s definitely happening! Cool beans.

I spoke to the part-owner, Rick, about what Telemark is going to look like in the future, and the big plans being made for the resort. And I think it’s going to be sweet! There is already a golf course and a frisbee golf course (which has hosted multiple world championships). The lodge rooms are being redone and should be finished by next year’s birkie. There are already snowguns here and if it’s cold enough, they can be making snow by Halloween. There are weddings held here in the summer and the owner plans to put in more horseback riding and a mountain bike training area on the ski slopes. They’re planning to put in Wi-fi that reaches all the trails, so people can use their ipods to navigate and figure out where they are on a map. And one of the coolest parts? Up to two miles of “human propelled monorail” with 90 degree banked turns on a suspended track through the woods. Basically, you get on a bike in a car and depending on your biking skills you could get going up to 45 mph. So yep, I’m super stoked for what Telemark could become! There’s some pretty big dreams getting laid out and some huge plans being made, and I’m hoping they all work out!

Sourced from: CXC Team Vertical Limit Blog