Nygren

With snow equipment like this on the streets of West Yellowstone, Mt it is easy to understand why West is the place to be for great early season snow.  We have been out here for over two weeks now and the skiing has been nothing short of perfect the whole time.

The first races of the season are behind us and we are leaving West Yellowstone tomorrow for Bozeman where the Supertour will pickup Saturday with a skate sprint in the morning and  a 10k skate in the afternoon.  Sunday racing will continue with a 20K classic mass start.  With skiing so good here in West Yellowstone it is a little tough to leave.  Bozeman has precious little snow but the race organizer announced today that the races will go off as scheduled.  Hopefully a few inches will accumulate between now and then so condition are solid.

Two great weeks on snow have provided an amazing opportunity to get a feel for our new Salomon skis.  The new soft ground skate skis are really smooth in new snow and feel great on climbs.  I also pickup a pair of stiff 52Kg classic klister skis that I am extremely excited about.  They have an amazingly stiff, high camber but when I roll onto the ball of my foot they close perfectly.  I can not wait to test them out in full on klister conditions.

OUCH! I felt like I took a blowtorch to my lungs today. Today’s 10km skate (15km for the guys…sorry dudes…) was really hard. It was snowing on and off all morning, but the tough course with a lot of gradual climbs and no really good recovery spots in altitude was an even bigger challenge than the weather. That said, I wouldn’t want to be a wax tech on days like today!

The CXC women had a pretty good day, and although the guys didn’t have the day they’d hoped for, there’s still another race tomorrow! Results are linked HERE.

I took it out way to hard on the first lap despite my attempts to be smooth and smart with pacing. My technique really started falling apart on the second lap and for the last 6km of the race I could taste nothing but iron. Yuck! I just kept telling myself “you WANTED to race today…you signed on for this…and started too fast, so now you have to finish it!” I’m still really happy with the day because I learned more about how to pace longer races in altitude, so next year I’ll approach the 10 km with a more reserved pace.

After the race, my cool-down largely consisted of jogging up and down the race course sidelines, cheering. I love that part. An aweful lot. I’ve been told it’s not the very smartest in terms of saving energy (multiple times…), but it’s still early season racing! So it’s still time to have fun and chill out in the woods in a snowstorm cheering on athletes in spandex.

Sourced from: CXC Elite Team Blog

OUCH! I felt like I took a blowtorch to my lungs today. Today’s 10km skate (15km for the guys…sorry dudes…) was really hard. It was snowing on and off all morning, but the tough course with a lot of gradual climbs and no really good recovery spots in altitude was an even bigger challenge than the weather. That said, I wouldn’t want to be a wax tech on days like today!

The CXC women had a pretty good day, and although the guys didn’t have the day they’d hoped for, there’s still another race tomorrow! Results are linked HERE.

I took it out way to hard on the first lap despite my attempts to be smooth and smart with pacing. My technique really started falling apart on the second lap and for the last 6km of the race I could taste nothing but iron. Yuck! I just kept telling myself “you WANTED to race today…you signed on for this…and started too fast, so now you have to finish it!” I’m still really happy with the day because I learned more about how to pace longer races in altitude, so next year I’ll approach the 10 km with a more reserved pace.

After the race, my cool-down largely consisted of jogging up and down the race course sidelines, cheering. I love that part. An aweful lot. I’ve been told it’s not the very smartest in terms of saving energy (multiple times…), but it’s still early season racing! So it’s still time to have fun and chill out in the woods in a snowstorm cheering on athletes in spandex.

By Jennie Bender

Some overstated facts about this trip that I will repeat:

• Yes, the excitement of snow is high here in West Yellowstone, Montana

• Yes, there is a TON of snow, nahnahniebooboo (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nahnahnybooboo&defid=2129249)

• Yes, at times you can cut the pre-season intensity lingering in the air with a butter knife

• And  Yes, the demographics here are probably 99% Caucasian, and 75% Midwesterners.

Everyone is eager for this winter wonderland. The team arrived on Tuesday before the herds moved in, reminding me of how desolate and wild West Yellowstone really is when it’s not during a “season” of some sort. The main ones seem to be huntin’ season, snowmobilin’ season, hiking season, bears eating hikers season, and nordic skier season. The locals look at us like we’re nuts as we walk and jog down the middle of the one-car-an-hour road in our bright colors, shiny puffy coats, and spandex. The CXC team is staying in a house this year on a road named Firehole Ave, across from Geyser  and Ol’Faithful Street. Gotta love it. As we walk the 7-10 minutes to Rendezvous trails, other skiers appear out of random houses and old hotels to join the mass like a sea of fish.

Despite my love for hugs as I re-discover my seasonal ski friends, lately I have had the most fun skiing by myself with my iPod through the woods. It’s only then, when I can truly look around at the untouched snow laden trees and remember why these two boards keep me on them. The world looks brighter when it’s covered with a blanket of powder…ok mostly because it reflects the sun, but I’m trying to be poetic here.

By the way, West Yellowstone moves snow like a boss..

The first races were today. As much as I like sprinting, these first races are the splinter under your finger nail sprints. There was a classic qualifier at 9am, and a skate qualifier at 10am. Not only are these first races at altitude, but they have massive attitude. It’s basically a mini hill climb sprint, with just enough time in-between to let your lungs stop bleeding.

Thanks to Salomon and the coaches, the skis felt good. However, my second place classic finish was bitter sweet due to my pole basket coming off two feet after I started. I used extra glue too! There was definitely some time lost getting a new pole, but I still feel like I had a good race. It’s no secret that I am more of a power skier, so the skate hill climb sprint made me feel more like Gumbi (the uncoordinated green stretchy toy) than tinker bell. Oh well, you’ll have that. Many, many more races ahead!

A few great pictures from Toko’s Ian Harvey here: http://tokous.com/Event%20Reports/US%20Nationals%202011%20Skate%20Sprint.htm

Results here: http://summittiming.com/races/race_results.php

Taken by Jason Cork

Hi Everyone,

2 weeks away from my first races of the season! I’m getting pretty excited!

The last few weeks I have spent training in Canmore, pulling everything together from the last 6 months of training. I have been skiing on snow since arriving back from Park City, and it just keeps getting better and better!

Here are a couple photos from the “Frozen Thunder” classic sprint race held on October 27th:

Devon Kershaw took the win on the mens side, followed closely by Jess Cockney

Skiing in Lake Louise (about an hour drive away) started in early November with about 20km of groomed trails. It was a nice break from the 2.5km loop at the Canmore Nordic Centre and made those long distance days a little bit more enjoyable. A week ago my friend Amanda Ammar and I teamed up do a mini training camp out there. It was perfect weather and the snow just kept coming.

Final preparations for the ski season are underway for me during the next couple weeks. This includes lots of intensity, time trails and rest to get my body ready to ski fast. My first races will be a skate sprint, and a classic distance held here in Canmore on Dec 3/4 weekend. Then off to BC to join up with the CXC team and compete in the Norams for the rest of December.

(Carolyn Ocariz) Last week I had the privilege to join Hayward’s New Moon ski shop for their ladies night to kick of the cross-country ski season.  The evening was filled with friends, treats, prizes, equipment fittings, and a bunch of great deals. It was a wonderful opportunity for women to come together and ask questions about gear and products for the upcoming ski season, while enjoying each other’s company.  New Moon also provided discounts off of purchases with a donation to the Hayward Area Food Shelf for their Thanksgiving baskets. They will also be putting on another ladies night in the beginning of spring to kick off the biking season!!

Ladies night at New Moon

Boot fitting at ladies night.

Trying out the New Moon ski suit

Here’s the official update from West Yellowstone: BRING A PUFFY JACKET because it’s COLD out here! Or at least a weight vest, and put hand warmers in the pockets. Seriously, I’m not kidding.

(on my website I have a short video…taken by Cork, so you know it’s good http://www.jessiediggins.com)

But gliding out on the perfectly groomed trails, with bomber kick thanks to some Toko green….it’s days like today that remind me why I love this sport so much! So here’s the snow report: it’s really good right now, so good that I’ve been skiing on my good skis. Most of the trails are groomed, and the tracks are perfect right now. According to the weather report, we’re getting some amount of snow every day and there’s a storm coming in Friday. So if you’re driving out soon….bring tall boots and warm clothes!

This year the CXC team is staying in this awesome little house in town. It’s really nice to be living together, and have our own kitchen! Not to mention communication on training times and team meetings are much, much easier.

Every year, I really look forward to my first week out at West Yellowstone. Basically, it’s just a big training and socializing week! With skiing every morning and afternoon and seeing most of my buddies out on the trails…it’s paradise for an athlete. Today we did our first classic ski, and after a little struggling up the hills (rollerskis are SO nice sometimes!) the technique snapped back into place and the long boards no longer felt so awkward. I’m really looking forward to some great training!

Also, for those of you participating in/watching the National Nordic Foundation Drive for 25…it was a success! 526 donors nation-wide, 22,841 dollars raised to help send junior athetes to Europe to gain critical experience! Thanks so much to those involved, at any level!

            This past weekend I left Hayward and traveled to the Chicagoland area for a Salomon Superfit at King Keyser ski shop in Hinsdale. Going down there I really had no idea what to expect, but after spending a few days there I was really impressed with the shop as well as the training possibilities in the surrounding area.

            Along with helping out at the store all weekend, my teammate Benjamin Lannin and I were able to participate in a few different workouts. On Saturday morning, we joined a group of master skiers for a skate roll at Waterfall Glen Park. The cool thing about this park is that it has a ten mile loop consisting of crushed limestone. With the use of aero rollerskis, the trail had a very smooth, snow-like feel to it. If you are ever in the area I recommend trying out this little diamond in the rough.

            On Sunday morning a few hearty individuals came out for a dryland clinic that focused on hip position and weight transfer. Although we had a wide range of skiing experience, I was really stoked with how well each skier progressed throughout the morning. I look forward to seeing these fast masters at the Birkie this winter!

            It is always so cool to see a devoted nordic crowd like this one make skiing work in an area not typically known for their skiing opportunities. I just want to give a big thanks to Rick, Jim, and all the other King Keyser staffers for a great event. Here are a few photos.

The shop loaded up for the weekend

Big wheels make for a smooth ride

Erg runner-up Chuck Zagozdon putting the hammer down

By Santi Ocariz

On the last day of camp vacation out in Utah several of us had the opportunity to accompany fellow friend and ski enthusiast Dave Knoop on a Nordic Dave adventure.  This was the last hurrah for camp out in Utah and a great time to fulfill the need for summer adventure.  Dave, Waylon, Carolyn, Jennie, and I hiked into the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City and fulfilled our desire to get some scrambling style mountain climbing in.

The mountain from a distance

Waylon striking a pose at the top

Dave and Waylon at the top

The awesome day was just the refresher needed before returning to the Midwest for the “fall crunch” as I like to call it.  Mid October/Early November presents the largest training volumes of the year in accompaniment with work, ski and race preparations, family visits, ski clinics, working at Super Fit clinics around the Midwest, and of course some random fun activities.

Getting together with the family to cheer for my sisters and their team at the sectional cross country meet.

Halloween fun! (yes we went trick-or-treating)

The really exciting part of the “fall crunch” is the anticipation that there are just a few more weeks left until  the race season begins!