IN THE ARENA WITH KATE

MY LIFE: 30

2010-11-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Where the heck did I go? What am I up to? Will you see me in West, why wasn't I in Placid...? Haha, I am sure that no one is asking those questions, but just in case...

I have started a lululemon store! It is a showroom (read, boutique) actually. I am still living in Idaho and look forward to seeing lots of you at Spring Series (being held in Sun Valley this year). Don't worry, I still have a blog.

I was too rough on my body and burnt both ends... twice. It finally threw in the towel. After getting healthy and receiving a phone call from lululemon, here I am. Painting!

...and holding community events, taking classes and supporting the local athletes and instructors. Above, our little shop donated 50 yoga mats and held Snow Salutations to bring in a big winter. El Nina, you ask? Yeah, you can blame her on me!

Don't fret. I still get to wear spandex EVERY DAY! I work out, stretch (actually more than I did as a pro athlete) and am the luckiest kid in the world!

Come by and say hello the next time you find yourself in Idaho! My shop is in the Galleria Building, behind Sturdo's in Ketchum, Idaho (second floor).

katewhitcomb@yahoo.com will be my email forever and has been since the Internet was invented... yes, I am a master now so I can say things like that :)

I look forward to doing races this winter too so watch out! BMT, maybe with a side of the Engadin and Birkie... they say you never loose the fever!

Thank you Amory and ITA for all that you have enabled me to do. Brad and the 5th graders, who I will continue to visit as long as you still think I am cool. Of course to the ski community as well; what a family you are! I am so proud to be a cross-country skier and look forward to connecting with you all in the near future. Ed Hamel for being my first and most inspirational coach. My big brother Matt, for having hot friends (the REAL reason I loved Bill Koch Ski League) and the original gang of girls - Lindsey, Mariah, Amy, Holly, Abi... I love you girls. Bust Butt Ed on Bear Hill forever!

Kate out, but not far away. LIVE IT UP because today is not coming back. Not ever!

lululemon

2010-08-01T21:59:00.002-06:00

Ketchum, ID - Fresh back from a 4-day Seattle trip (get this, for work!) I am opening a lululemon showroom here in the Wood River Valley. The location is yet to be decided but I have been hitting the pavement and running up my phone bill in the search for a great spot.

Full-time lululemon is now my focus but skiing is still on my mind and schedule. I am incorporating more yoga, kettle bells, pilates and other group fitness into my routine these days due to lululemon. I have been loving every minute.

I won't be chasing the circuit this year but plan to do some of my favorite races like the Boulder Mountain Tour, Engadin and the American Birkebeiner to name a few.

If you know of anyone interested in working with lululemon and me (starting September/October), here in Ketchum, send them my way!

Thank you Chandra Crawford (Canadian National Team), for suggesting me to lululemon! I hope to see you this spring in Sun Valley for LDNs.

GRASS STAINS AND SPLINTERS

2010-07-13T17:12:00.011-06:00

Worthington, MA - I am at my folks house this week (sleeping a lot, playing in the woods and getting some dirt under my fingernails). I rehung the rope swing and got a few new calluses from putting it to good use with Lindsey (in the purple).

It has not been ALL fun and games though - I had a job interview, and have another scheduled for tomorrow. Okay, it HAS been all fun and games. It is very exciting, thinking of what you want to be when you grow up. It is even more exciting when you realize you are about to start doing it and in fact, don't have to grow up at all!

Who said you have to stop climbing trees and playing in the brook when you turn 30? I hope nobody, because I am not giving it up in 3 months!

My health continues to improve and I look forward to training again in August. Here is to living it up. Every. Single. Day.

Hanging the rope

REKLESS, PRAXIS & DRIED BLOOD

2010-07-01T22:39:00.005-06:00

Ketchum, ID – I caught (read killed) three mice yesterday behind the washing machine. They were so cute, until they ran across my bare foot while washing dishes. Then they were scary. They were scary, until they crept into my room at night. Then they were dead.

Some mice have also been chomping on my strawberries and peas, outside. I asked a neighbor if he had any tricks besides getting a cat – he said dried blood. I said yuck, but went to the garden store and sure enough, they sell it. I guess my garden is no longer vegetarian but then again, neither am I.

These are the kinds of things that I have found myself doing to avoid working out. I have been an athlete for so long, it is all that I know. Ski racing and training have been so much more than a job – it is my social life, my appetite and my sleeping pill. As I continue to take time off, in the hopes of kicking my immune system back into shape, I find myself lost and unsatisfied. What does one do when they don’t have to run for 3 hours in the morning and go to the gym for 2 hours in the afternoon?

I have been studying for the Praxis exams (I am also getting my Netflix money’s worth). I went to school to become an elementary educator (read 4th grade teacher) but I never put down the coin to attain the actual teaching license. 6 years later, I am freshening up on my Piaget and Vygotsky to turn my Vermont recommended license into an Idaho, for real one. Come August I am hoping to be training again and by September, maybe even teaching (and I don’t mean the volunteer kind, although I do love Brad and the kids).

Am I going to be a ski racer next year? Yes. I will always be a skier and even a racer. I am not going to do the circuit however. I am going to try to make some money for a change, get healthy, train on my own and focus more on community races, maybe a marathon or two, three or four also. Yes, I am going to be a master this fall. There, I said it.

I have some ideas and opportunities coming down the pipe too, so stay tuned. My mind changes, about what I want to be when I grow up, daily. For now, I am re-learning Bloom’s Taxonomy and hoping the mice leave me at least ONE strawberry this summer!

Oh, and I am going to a Reckless Kelly concert on Saturday (favorite song) and found some morel mushrooms. Have a great 4th everyone!

RUN, BIKE, HIKE & RODEO

2010-06-21T12:05:00.003-06:00

Ketcum, ID - I ran the Sawtooth Relay and then slept for 14 hours for the three nights following. I did the Wood River Cup short-track mountain bike race and then slept for 13 hours and woke with a cough. I went to the Mackay Rodeo and danced all night long with cowboys before promptly taking a 5-hour nap followed by a full night's sleep...

Sawtooth Relay, Team Heaven and Heli

I am clearly not listening to the obvious signs that my body is still under the weather but it is finally spring and there are so many fun things to do! I am going in for more blood work today to see if maybe I still have mono (since January) and booking a flight home, to sea-level, for some un-distracted R&R.

Enjoying the sun at the top of Dragon's Back, Ketchum

Pio Cabin - should have brought my skis

STILL SNOW[ING]

2010-06-09T17:49:00.002-06:00

Ketchum, ID - I tried to hike to Pioneer Cabin last week without luck. After struggling across the first snow-field, sinking up past my bare knees and keeping an eye on the dark clouds rolling ever closer, I called it a hike.

The final view on that jaunt is incredible and I was disappointed that I was unable to share it with my visiting friend. There is plenty to enjoy in the valley, regardless of the new snow in the mountains. Check here for the latest trail updates in the Wood River Valley.

Whoville from Dollar's backside

I competed in last weeks Wood River Cup, short-track mountain bike race but lost track of time this afternoon and have missed this evening's adventure. I will have to catch the train again next week. The Sawtooth Relay is coming up Saturday and my first leg, including 1,331" elevation gain over 5.35 miles, should be killer (hopefully not literally). Ending at 8,701" ain't no thang... right?

Last night's dinner included the first harvest of lettuce from my garden (Ketchum) so spring has sprung, regardless of the continued rain.

Living it up, Kate

T-SHIRTS & 5Ks!

2010-05-22T16:11:00.008-06:00

Hailey, ID - Girls on the run had their final 5k race today. They endured the wind and the cold with sporadic precipitation that ranged from sleet and snow to rain, interspersed with blasts of sun! Great job to all who participated - way to complete a great goal!

In other news, I continue to work with the 5th graders in Brad Stansberry's class at Hemingway Elementary. Last week brought ITA shirts to the entire gang. Always taking the opportunity to ham it up in front of the camera, proceed below for images from the past week.

A bit of logo posing

Pretty girls...

...and tough boys.

Hands in the air for "happy hair"

There always has to be a silly picture!

Adorned with "happy hair" from Goodie

Girls get beads for every kilometer they complete!

Although it is actually snowing outside, they say that spring is here (or was). Regardless, I have a bunch of fun stuff planned for this year so stay tuned. A potential weekly 5k, adventure races and training groups. Stay tuned and stay warm, burrrrr!

ELK

2010-05-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

Spring means lots of change. Flowers grow, we clean out our junk and have yard sales and SOME people, who hunt, give away their 2008 elk to make room for the 2010!

One persons left overs are my lunch for the next 2 months. Nice. When I lived in Maine, at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle, people use to drop food off to us. The pro athletes had been adopted by the community and we would come home from a 6 hour hike to find 50 lbs of potatoes on our doorstep, or a gallon of peanut butter. It was awesome. The Star City knew how to embrace it's athletes!

It has been 4 years since I have lived in Maine, but on my visit to Montana last week I was the grateful recipient of some elk burger meat. The stuff is so lean that you have to add an egg if you want it to be a paddy! So far I have made elk goulash with shepherd's pie on the to-do list for today.

Thank you to all who have supported me over the years. Mike and Jan, thank you for Saturday night! I am a lucky girl to have people who care for me.

Talking at Career Day, Potomac, MT 7th grade

APRIL

2010-04-26T09:46:00.003-06:00

Ketchum, ID - If spring has sprung, and my flowers are in bloom, then why is there snow in the forecast? Regardless of the weather, the town feels the season change and is gearing up for the next sport.

For me, spring means mountain biking, trail running, swimming and strength training. I ride for a local woman's team, Mud Honey and the trails are already clear down in Hailey! For a full report of local trail conditions for riding and running, check here.

More on my mind and lots of cool stuff starting up here in Idaho so stay tuned. Girls on the Run is in full swing and practicing for our 5k that will occur on May 22nd so mark your calendars for that one!

Tuesday
Night

Rain/Snow
Likely
Lo 27 °F

Wednesday

Chance
Rain/Snow
Hi 42 °F

Wednesday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 20 °F

Thursday

Chance
Rain/Snow
Hi 41 °F

Thursday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 24 °F

The frightful fate of my tulips and hyacinth

LOCAL 237

2010-04-12T06:40:00.004-06:00

There is still some great skiing to be had, here in Ketchum, Idaho! Hawaiian Nationals concluded the Sun Valley telemark series this weekend and the gang sent one of our finest back to work.

When you play as hard as people in this valley do, you either need to rely on multiple jobs or else have a fund of sorts. My buddies and I belong to that first group of workers and we play as hard as the next, if not harder... but work has its place too.

The gang takes a breather at Roundhouse, Bald Mtn.

I just dropped Kent at the airport, who played with us all winter long. He chooses to separate his work from play. Being part of Union 237 Boilermakers, Kent is about to start 8 weeks of 7-12s. Yeah, that is 12 hours/day, 7 days/week... for 56 days! Yikes.

Get it done Kent and then get back here to play!

Kent, Mike & Brian: recreating after recreation

I am one of the few who has been lucky enough to have a job that duels as play, and work is about to begin again. Although there is snow in the mountains, the bike paths are cleared to roll and the single track will be close behind. I am getting my personal trainers certification this spring, studying German and staying focused on living it up, every single day. I hope you guys are doing the same!

Kate and the boys: another great day in the mountains!

OPENING DAY

2010-04-04T21:22:00.004-06:00

Brie & me with Galena at our back

Spring has always been a time for change and a time for play. My flowers (now 4 inches tall) are somehow weathering the frost and snow each night and my legs (miraculously) are still supporting me after 6 days of skiing powder. I love life and I am living it up, happily!

Kate U's birthday cruise, Alturas Lake, ID

I still have the residue of sickness in my chest but my heart is happy and healthy! My car is still having trouble and I am flirting with sending Justy to car heaven (appropriate on this Easter Sunday). I am studying for my personal trainers certificate and look forward to regular scheduled training again soon. People in the Wood River Valley are already on their road bikes but I am sticking to the snow for now. That time will come and I can wait for it (translation: fair-weather biker).

This is Idaho. Yes please.

More regular updates to come. Happy Birthday little brother (yesterday), mom (Tuesday) and of course Go Sox!

SPRING FORWARD

2010-03-14T10:59:00.003-06:00

Spring has come with an hour lost - good thing I got a solid 10 hours sleep, regardless. Bad thing that my tulips, crocus and hyacinth have already started to come up (I told them not to). They now have 5 inches of snow over them.

Me and the boys (Cam, Billy, Kent, Brian & Mike)

I have had the chance this spring to get up on the hill with my buddies and spend some extra time with my 5th graders. I still have fatigue and a sporadic chest cough from my virus (2 months running) but I am okay with taking the extended break. After 6 solid years of ski training and racing, I need a bit more than 2 weeks off this spring.

I hiked powder yesterday with a girl friend (Kate Underwood) and am paying the price today (hence sleeping until 10 and waking up coughing again). I am hot tub bound with my pot of green tea to soak up some of this Sun Valley sun momentarily.

With the spring comes cleaning and maintaining. My car, Justy, is in the shop. Some water has leaked into the dash and has made some of the circuits wonky. I am not fixing that however - what I am fixing is the gas leak. Loose circuits don't play nice with gas leaks (that's the college education talking). So Justy (pictured below) is getting a new gas tank. Unfortunately they don't make a 7.5-gallon Justy tank from 1988 anymore (the nerve, I know) so he is getting a 5-gallon bladder. The 11-gallon, which would have been SWEET on our 52 mpg streak wouldn't fit. I will still be able to go over 250 miles on a tank and since Justy is a bit beyond long off-road adventures currently, I think we will be okay.

Kate + Justy forever: a portrait by brother Jake

I am also moving, as you know from my post previous. I have visited Aspen, Carbondale, Crested Butte and Boulder from Colorado; Bozeman, Livingston, Billings and Red Lodge (I love Red Lodge) from Montana. On my list of considerations are also the Burlington area of Vermont and... well, I am trying to narrow it down. Thank you for all of the suggestions (comments, emails and phone calls alike).

More to come as it becomes clear to me. Until then, enjoy everyday like it's your last - It's spring-time baby!

TOUR OF CO

2010-02-28T08:30:00.005-07:00

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado, I decided to make the trip regardless.

I coached, cheered and supported at xc and alpine events alike for the past two weeks with little improvement to the rumbling in my chest. I thought I was crawling out of the hole for the past few days - until this morning. Coming back to Ketchum, I have been notified of a virus that a large portion of the local population is housing. I talked to 4-weekers, 7, like myself and even heard wind of a 2-month tour of this thing. So I have something to look forward to, which is nice.

Crested Butte - Prader Cup athletes sporting new lids!

I am trying to take this downtime, not only as my body frantically waving the white flag for me to give it a break, but to find my next path. I am unsure if graduate school, work or a combo is in my future. One thing I am certain of is the need for a new location.

I heart Ketchum. I mean L-O-V-E it, for real. For the last 3 years, however I have been either sick or injured. I am taking it at face value that possibly the altitude is one too many stressors for my body to deal with. I am in search of lower ground.

Keeping warm and waiting for awards

Last week I scoped out Colorado. I was in Aspen, Carbondale, Crested Butte and Vail (all of which don't cure the altitude issue) as well as Boulder, which is currently front-running on movable places. Today I head to Montana.

Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are eastern states that I am considering. I flirted with Oregon for a moment but was hard pressed to find adequate schooling in acceptable proximity to snow, as I want to continue to train but take a break from chasing the circuit for a few years.

Feeling mildly lost, but excited about the possibilities, I will throw it out to you guys - Any ideas?

WATCHING THE OWL

2010-02-14T21:24:00.004-07:00

Aspen, CO - Although teammates and friends were out there chasing... today I was a spectator of the Owl Creek Chase marathon. The face of a happy skier, Christi Small of Carbondale, CO (left). Below, Teammates Nicole De Yong and Mikey Sinnott celebrate Nicole's victory!

Congratulations to the US Nordic Combiners today in BC as well as to Canada for their first GOLD!

A good looking men's podium this Saint Valentine's day

I am still down with my 2010 virus, btw. Tired, underweight and coughing, I am ready to admit that my season is officially over. So it goes, so it goes.

To all those racing in tomorrow's 10/15k skate in Whistler - get some! To my roommate on his first Olympic start (with many to come) do your bib proud!

XOXO kate

HORIZONTAL

2010-02-04T15:19:00.005-07:00

Ketchum, my own bed, Idaho - I got sick a while back (right after AK) and it hung on for a while. I would feel better and ski, get sick again and rest, repeat.

As the Boulder Mountain Tour gets closer, my hometown marathon here in Ketchum, I decided to go back to the doctor one last time to get a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to race.

15 minutes, 3 prescriptions and 4 rented movies later, I am back to being horizontal. The diagnosis is not good. If you can name it, I probably have it. My doctor stopped at bronchitis, walking pneumonia and a sinus infection. No wonder I have had to drag myself out of bed after sleeping 12+ hour each night. My body has officially thrown in the towel.

The crazy part is that besides ears that hurt and sleeping a lot, I don't feel that terrible. I am hoping to be back on my feet after all of these drugs kick into gear!

I took a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner last night with my Fischer rep, Brian. We almost ran over Marit Bjorgen with the horses (don't worry, we missed her). I guess the Norwegian team is skipping the World Cups, staying put and training for Vancouver. Good luck to the gang up in Canmore!

Until I have something more positive to report, be well!
`kate

VERTICAL

2010-01-18T11:14:00.002-07:00

My computer hard drive broke and I lost everything. Ever picture since moving to Idaho, every video, all of my music. I will chalk it up to an involuntary and early, yet probably necessary spring cleaning. It is what it is, so I won't dwell.

I did find two images from Fast and Female on my camera, so I guess I can't say that I don't have ANY images left.

Kikkan (shown below with the mic and pink head-band) put together a great day of skiing for over 300 Alaskan girls! I was lucky enough to be asked to help coach for the day and played tunnel tag for 2 hours, as the Fast and Female groups rotated through my station.

Kikkan, leading a post-ski Q&A

This is what PART of the gang looked like!

My season goals have changed. I did not make the Olympics or the Canadian world cups. With my best Super Tour finish being a 5th and National finish a 7th, it seems I did not have enough time after injury to recover fitness to the level necessary to attain my original goals. All is not lost, however. I have a full marathon season ahead, a local Nordic Festival in Ketchum and the chance to get up on the alpine hill a few days in the sun.

Still one of the luckiest kids in the world,
`Kate

The final day.

2010-01-07T23:00:00.002-07:00

Hey all, my computer is broken so this is the final update from the road (thanks for the use of your MacBook, Sim). I need to re-boot, says the World Wide Web, with one of the discs that I have at home. I am crossing my fingers that the blinking file folder with the question mark inside, that never goes away, will go away and return all of my files to where I left them...

In other news, it is warm in Alaska. We had lots of new snow during the mass start classic races, which made for some difficult waxing.

I usually force a positive update when I am feeling less than positive but I am over it. I have had a terrible season, a pathetic Nationals and I am going home salty - that is the truth. The broken computer just tops it.

Tomorrow is a new day however, another race and I will be charging. Fast and Female on Saturday will be SUPER fun too. Night.

NATIONAL CHAMPION!

2010-01-03T11:02:00.003-07:00

...at least my roommate is!

Simi, in the red and white suit, lead almost the entire race - from qualifier through the heats. Just in time for rent too!

Not a bad crowd for a XC race. Way to go AK!

Into the finish... WAY into it!

Here is a cool link to the weather at the race venue. 10/15k skate tomorrow. Weather could be vastly different from today so I won't waste my time testing skis. An easy classic around the course to recover and prepare is on my docket today. Until tomorrow, `kate

FROSTY

2010-01-01T23:51:00.003-07:00

We woke to some crazy hoar frost this morning. The temperatures continue to drop but have stayed well within the legal limit (picture below, I believe shows 6 F).

I made a clutch purchase this afternoon - toe warmers. AMH, the local ski store was closed but I found a 6-pack at REI for the bargain price of $8.99. My feet have taken a beating these last... oh, 20 years. Lets just say they chill easily.

Live results from Summit Timing can be found HERE, which is cool. Women start at 10am, heats at 1pm.

Athletes skiing into stadium. Board says 10:53 and yes, that is the sun rising.

POSTING

2009-12-31T10:09:00.002-07:00

I figured out how to delete all of the advertisements and financial opportunities that have been spammed onto my comments - You would think that they would realize US cross-country skiers are actually NOT interested in gainful employment, since we are XC skiers! Silly-heads. I will try to stay on top of deleting them as they are posted. How irritating.

The trails were great yesterday at Kincaid. Groomed and tracked with courses marked. Maps can be found on the event website, as well as other race information. When I know who is doing the actual timing, I will post a link to their sight too, as it will be updated before the event site is.

Moose count: 1

Dead plant count after 30 days on the road: Zero (believe it or not, that plant above is not dead, just mostly-dead). "There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive."

In an attempt to gain some real comments - a prize to the first person who can name who said the quote above and the movie (GREAT movie!)

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

2009-12-30T11:28:00.002-07:00

The song is by Europe, the location of THIS final countdown (National Championships: the final Olympic qualifier) is Anchorage, AK.

Last year it was cold. When I say cold, I must stress that last year's conditions redefined the word. It was so miserable that I have heard people (when talking about current circuit conditions) ask "is it Alaska cold, or just cold?"

Yeah, it was bad. Like can't breathe, most of the races were canceled, bad.

This year it is downright balmy. 18 degrees on my run yesterday (12 noon) and I am heading out to the venue to ski this morning - course conditions to come.

With almost 300 athletes already registered, it is going to be a good time. Sun Valley ODT is staying in a B&B with a dog named Cuddles who has massive dingle-berries. I can't imagine he gets many cuddles but I will let you know.

The week's schedule.

CA to USA

2009-12-20T23:38:00.002-07:00

Somewhere in the US - we just crossed the border. Yay, on our way home! Comfort Inn with Mikey and Reid, Trav and Rick in the room next door.

Better day today, I skied into it. Qualified 18th and ended up 9th. Not good points, not a great day but better. As long as I am winning by Nationals, things will go as I know they can. I need some low points - seriously low.

For now, I will sleep, rest and be ready to let the dog run come January! Night all, Kate

DAY 1 - CLASSIC SPRINT

2009-12-19T07:26:00.003-07:00

UPDATED: 6:30am - Morning run. It is WARM out there!
7:29am - Call from the coaches saying it is SO warm, we might need klister skis! 1:45 of ski testing yesterday, waxing and race preparation out the window. And so it goes. I love klister and I hope it goes there. If not today, most likely it will tomorrow.

We have heard forecasts from the teens to the forties so anything goes, here in Canmore, Alberta. Game continued...

11:11am - I start in the back, with the juniors because I don't have any points from last year. I started 4th from last today and passed 2 girls before I even got out of the stadium. To start with - that equals not fast. Another thing that equals not fast is when you are the only one herring boning up all of the hills. I was into it but things just didn't line up for me today.

The good news is that tomorrow we have the exact same race on the same course with the same technique. Believe me, my skis will be kicking up those hills tomorrow.

Most of the team plans to sit out the heats today since US qualification goes off of the prelim. We will all be ready for tomorrow.

Results will be HERE when they come up. I didn't stick around to see how I or anyone on the team placed. If I know before Zone4 posts, I will do another update.

A disappointing day for me but it is done. Fuel for the fire. `kate

BC TO AB

2009-12-15T13:15:00.004-07:00

The team left Silver Star, British Columbia Canada yesterday morning and made the crazy-beautiful drive to Canmore, Alberta.

One view from the back of the bus - not to shabby

I woke this morning to a small head-cold and an unplanned day off. I will be out skiing tomorrow if things don't get worse. For now, I am eating lots of Thyme, Cumin and heading for a nap.

Back in connection with the World Wide Web (aka, World Wide sans our last location) so check back soon.

WEST '09, concluded.

2009-11-30T19:06:00.003-07:00

Saturday's 15k classic

This first week of the season in West Yellowstone, MT didn't go as I had hoped. Top 30 in the 3 starts so far is not even close to where I need to and know I can be. I had a long ski alone in the sun today to think on it all, came to some good conclusions and this coming weekend is going to be better... good even!

The SVODT is staying in West until Thursday, when we will head up to Bozeman for a skate sprint and 10/15k classic race.

Great job to our US athletes in Europe - getting it done. Podium in your future Bird, we are all routing for you!

THE 4-8 MINUTE RACE

2009-11-25T12:36:00.002-07:00

West Yellowstone, MT - Today's race was a sprint. The unique part about it however, was that we only did the qualifier. In the Olympics, if you don't qualify in the top 30, your day will be finished. The best way to select the fastest Americans, that will make it into that top 30, is to give points to the qualification round. With more races this weekend, heats were not run.

Just over 4 minutes for the fastest and as long as 8 and a half for the back of the pack, there was no room for error today. My roommate was 2nd, GO SIMI! (Sorry, I had to get that out of the way.) The other half of our house (that would be me) didn't do so hot.

I don't have any sprint points from last year and so I started 256th, in the back of the pack. Consequently, I did quite a bit of passing, although it was more than my position that led to my 29th place finish. My skis were great (thanks to Mal, Ash & Trav) but my pace was more suited for a 5k.

First start in a year under the belt and I have my 5k pace down for Saturday's race. All is not lost. Here are the top finishers from today with full results available at Summit Timing.

Women:
1. Dasha Gaiazova, Canada
2. Laura Valaas, USA
3. Shayla Swanson, Canada
4. Holly Brooks, USA
5. Madeleine Williams, Canada

Men:
1. Garrott Kuzzy, USA
2. Simi Hamilton, USA
3. Sean Crooks, Canada
4. Drew Goldsack, Canada
5. Reid Pletcher, USA

2009-2010, SEASON START

2009-11-22T20:48:00.005-07:00

The birds fly south, the retired migrate to Florida and the skiers pack up their duffel bags to chase flakes in West Yellowstone, Montana. This is November; the season of location change.

Although my ski team comes darn close to immediate, it has been almost a decade since I have had Thanksgiving with my family. This year, we race on the eve of the feast as well as the two days following so the day of thanks will be filled with eating and resting!

Colin, Sophie, Mikey - North of Ketchum, the week before West

A year ago this Friday I raced the first event of the season and tore 2 and bulged 3 disks in my lower back. This time around, things will be better. The classic sprint on Wednesday is a qualifier (roughly a 1.5k race). Friday is a 5k skate with a 10k classic to follow on Saturday. These are three races that I am excited for, confident about and ready to do. Let the games begin.

Ferritin update: From 11 in September to 20 in October, I am now at 30! Continuing my treck back up to 60, where I was in '06, I am headed in the right direction. hopefully a really encouraging post to come on Wednesday! `kate

SHIFTING GEARS

2009-11-08T21:13:00.007-07:00

There are sports within skiing - alpine, telemark, cross-country, et cetera. Within cross-country skiing, there are techniques – classic and skate. Dissect the cross-country skate technique and you find gears – V1, V2, etc.

I was recently asked how V2 alternate fit in with the other gears. I believe the best way to relay my understanding is through both showing and telling (read and watch on):

V1 is a very powerful gear but not necessarily one that can be maintained at high speeds (sort of like first gear on a car); it is good for starting, getting up to speed, power, steep climbs, et cetera.

V2 comes next (second gear) and is still very powerful but can be used at a higher speed. In other words, once you get up to speed (or the terrain changes) to propel you past the efficiency of V1, you switch to V2.

When you have reached maximum speed with V2, V2 alternate (3^rd gear) is the next shift. V2 alternate still has a powerful pole-stroke but it is only on one side. The one-sided pole allows for more glide, a strong kick and consequently a technique maintained at even higher speeds (down a hill, on a fast flat, etc) than V2 allows.

4^th gear, one of my favorites, is the tuck skate. You can swing your arms or keep them tucked up depending on speed, wind and how comfortable you feel. It is the technique used when you are going too fast for V2 alternate but not fast enough for a straight tuck. It is a great technique for windy conditions, as it keeps your upper body compact while allowing a strong kick.

A straight tuck is 5^th gear.

Skate Gears - thanks for shooting Eric!

Many times it is NOT necessary to go through all of the gears; when driving a car, it is called speed shifting. While skiing, you might shift from V2 into a tuck, which skips V2 alt. and the tuck-skate. In an extreme case, you might be hammering over the crest of a hill in V1 and go straight into a tuck for a steep downhill (1^st to 5^th gear shift).

I think the most common technique to leave out is the tuck-skate (4^th gear). It is one of my favorite styles but I don’t see it used often. Maybe folks like to recover their legs on the downhill...? I prefer the speed and it flushes my legs better than getting into a tuck (unless I need to catch my breath).

Give transitioning from gear to gear a conscious effort. See if you tend to skip a gear, have a favorite or feel more comfortable in one opposed to another. Work on skiing to both sides (V1 to the right and to the left) and force yourself to practice the techniques, gears and sides that you are less comfortable and coordinated doing.

17 days until the first race of the season.

Living the dream,

`kate

SPEED - the workout

2009-10-26T18:40:00.000-06:00

I received a question about a specific speed workout via email recently. On paper, the workout looks like this: 3(6x30s) start, drop-in, transition speeds.

Many teams (including the USST and SV ODT) do this or a similar workout to reinforce technique, tempo and reaction time during specific parts of a race. It is a series of short sprints that practice taking off quickly, changing technique and tempo with an emphasis on speed.

We do each of the 3 specific intervals 6 times (3 sets of 6) and run each set to completion before starting the next. We take 3 minutes rest between each interval and 10 minutes rest between sets. Each interval is between 15 and 30 seconds and the entire workout takes about 2 hours.

Starts begin at a complete stop and often use a mock starting gate (complete with starting wand and exact world cup geometry). These speeds get the athlete use to reacting quickly to a gun or voice command, training fast-twitch muscles to go from zero to top speed as quick as possible. They are the shortest interval in this workout, around 15 seconds total. This video is cropped short but shows the actual start.

Kate Whitcomb - classic speed, starts

Drop-ins start by going down a slight hill, using gravity to help reach a higher speed than our own propulsion allows. Drop-ins reinforce technique at high speeds and teach one to ski at a faster speed than attainable without aid. The interval starts once you are up to speed, moving as fast as possible to keep the momentum. These can also be done by getting pulled up to speed (slightly more dangerous, perhaps) and should ideally be done on a nice stretch of road with little or no traffic.

Colin Rodgers - freestyle speed, drop-in

Transitions are speeds that have either a sharp enough corner or grade-change to force technique or tempo to adjust. In lake placid, the team went from a flat, double pole, into a steep enough hill to run (or stride), shown in Andy Newell's video. In Sun Valley, our transition course includes a sharp corner on a hill, which demands tempo and technique changes (as well as positioning when done as a group).

C. Rod, E. Fag & S. Ham - Freestyle speed, transition

I hope everyone is enjoying the cool fall weather. Temperatures have been ideal for training in Ketchum this week. Sun Valley has started blowing snow on Dollar mountain and there is some natural stuff on Baldy. I hiked through about a foot of snow yesterday, en route to Pioneer Cabin and ate some while running Baldy earlier in the week. Snow is here and West is just weeks away. Game on!

THE LAST 4

2009-10-14T09:13:00.005-06:00

Childhood bedroom, Worthington, MA - From intervals and lots of good food in Placid to easy running and story telling in Virginia (good food there too!) the last 4 weeks have contained lots of training, travel and laughs.

Starting with a week at my folks place in Worthington, MA, I jumped into a 5k running race with my dad. Some good sleep and sea-level interval training rounded out my first week.

Lake Placid brought some cooler weather and overcast. Nicole and I finished a distance run in sleet and rain and the group skied a section of the time trial in heavy wind and a bit of precipitation but we had dry pavement and good visibility during the roller ski workouts that involved highway skiing (which is when it is most needed).

I then shot down to VA to catch up with come college girl-friends. Thanks for putting us up and putting up with us Laura! Thanks for traveling with me Brie-Brie. I love you girls! Spring break in Idaho?

Now I am home, about to get a turkey sandwich for lunch, delivered bedside (thanks Dad) before heading out to do some specific strength on my roller skis (if you have not noticed, I love run-on sentences). Then it is back to Idaho for the final push before the first races.

The snow has already flown (my 5th graders had a snow day last week) but I won't put my roller skis away just yet. I hope everyone is enjoying the fall colors!

Afternoon hike with the girls (Brie, Kate, Laura), somewhere in VA

LP camp, headed out to ski - the sun joined us in the end

Easy f-roll sunflower ski, Worthington, MA

VERMONT

2009-10-08T13:21:00.002-06:00

Middlebury, VT - The Placid camp ended and I shot across the lake (no sign of Champ this time). I spent the night at a friends house (Thank you Jan & Brad!), popped in to see my College coaches (sorry to miss you Patty) and had lunch with my little bro by the river (I love you Jake!).

Less than 24 hours in the town I called home for 4 years. This weekend brings stretching, foam rolling and jogging for recovery then it is back to intervals on Monday.

Sorry for the short update - Pictures to come from LP camp and training at my folks.

SPEED

2009-10-05T19:38:00.003-06:00

Today was a snow-day, back home in Ketchum, Idaho! Here at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY however it was a great day to roll. Fed below, a video from Andy Newell's YouTube page consisting of video from yesterday and this morning's workouts. Thanks for the face-time Andy boy. I am in black spandex shorts, a florescent tank and helmet (like everyone else :)

Video by Andy Newell, xskifilms

Fe

2009-09-25T20:42:00.003-06:00

As a female, endurance athlete living at altitude, I have three strikes against me when it comes to Ferritin. A ferritin score indicates iron storage in the body. A normal range for Ferritin is between 8 and 250. For a healthy female athlete, I have been told I should shoot for 65 (20 being the ABSOLUTE lowest).

Iron is important because it is responsible for getting oxygen to my muscles and also for cell growth. A week ago, my Ferritin was at 11. Translation = I failed the test miserably!

I have blood work done at least once each year to keep me honest on just this sort of thing. With two months until the first races I won’t lie – this slip is not good. It makes me weak in my training and slow with recovery. I do have time, however to make amends.

Liver and onions, who knew that something so nasty looking, sounding and smelling could be half good. Okay, not quite half-good, but I will give it an honest 38% good. Liver is on the top of the list of iron-rich foods, lucky me. Oysters and beef round out the top three Heme (from animals) iron options. Soybeans, lentils and molasses are some of the highest Nonheme (from plant) choices.

Of course it is never as simple as just eating a steak - Iron bonds to Calcium, which inhibits the body from absorbing either element. There goes my refreshing glass of milk after dinner! Red wine contains tannins, which also decrease absorption (so that glass of red wine with red meat needs to be rethought too). Things like vitamin C and white wine help the body absorb iron but lets be honest, a glass of OJ just doesn’t cut it with steak!

I am at sea level this month, which will help me boost my Ferritin too (I hope). I will get re-tested upon my return home (October 15^th). Results from that to come – you can hardly stand the suspense, I know.

Thanks for reading,
Kate

BORN TO RUN

2009-09-13T22:05:00.001-06:00

Born to run, a claim that I would not make about myself (although I do enjoy it). I have always thought of myself as a Big Dog (a don't jump out of the truck, take it easy on the pavement sort of deal). Over the years, my ipod, new shoes and good friends have helped with motivation on long runs until now...

After reading Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run, I don’t know that I need them anymore. My last run was solo, without music, sans shoes and effortless. The shoeless part was only 10 minutes out of 90 but regardless; I have a new take on putting one foot in front of the other.

I usually prefer to relax with historical novels or straight up fantasy; leaving the training, nutrition and competition topics to real life. That said, this book covers all of the topics that I usually shy from AND, I loved it, recommend it and am writing about it. Translation: read it.

Christopher McDougall, a middle-aged guy trying to lose a few pounds by running a few miles each day, wondered why he kept getting injured. He went past drug cartel, into the canyons of Mexico in search of the secrets of the Raramuri tribe to find out.

Even if you are not a runner, this book speaks about the passion of doing something you love - about finding balance and having conviction. In fewer than 300 pages, this book had me (a self-motivated, lover of running and health conscious athlete) rethinking my nutrition, athletic equipment and gave me a mental overhaul. If nothing else, it is nice to hear another side of a much-discussed topic – running injuries.

As an aside I would like to note that Born to Run is my 7^th book completed since summer. It puts me exactly 6 books ahead of Simi, my roommate and competition in our reading club (and by club, I mean race). More to come on THAT in the future, I am sure.

WHISTLER CAMP

2009-08-29T15:25:00.007-06:00

WHISTLER - The Sun Valley Olympic Development Team (ODT) has made it to Whistler, BC, Canada. You can follow our tweets on Twitter, if you are ever in need of short one-liners about where the ODT is and what we have been up to. You can also check it here - see sidebar to the right, which now contains the direct feed.

After a long drive to Seattle, we picked up a ridiculously nice Explorer van from T-dub, one of the most generous dudes that I have the pleasure of knowing. Thank you Tony! From there to here, the drive was significantly nicer (a 30" flat-screen sometimes has that effect on a drive).

Today brought L3/4 classic intervals with it. We joined the USST and some inspiring juniors on the Olympic sprint course. My back feels strong and I was light and snappy today - a good session for sure. Stronger and closer, it is all I can ask.

5x6min later, Nicole, Colin and I sped up leg recovery for 12 minutes in the river. This afternoon brings a distance run (1.5 hours) and again, we will be ready! Each day, each workout, we must be stronger, more recovered, faster, quicker... closer to our goals. Every workout. Everyday.

Naptime.

SUMMER'S END

2009-08-26T11:07:00.008-06:00

KETCHUM - This summer started out with some bloody-hard training, literally! My 5th graders are on summer break, so I have not had the chance to visit regularly with them. I have seen them around town, however, and we have shared stories and scars of our adventures.

A German Shepard bit me in the face while on a run one night. The following day, I cheered one of my 5th graders on in a skateboard competition. He fell while attempting a new trick and we jumped into the river after to sooth our wounds and laugh the pain away.

I watched an uphill time trial that some of my ITA kids participated in. One boy was pretty upset with his final result so I went on a cool-down jog with him post finish. We talked about goals and how the most meaningful ones are not always so easily reached. I told him about a rock climb that I tried over a dozen times before making even the first move. In the end we both decided to keep at our goals, regardless of how many times we have to try.

Although I have not had a scheduled ITA community-project summer, I had some great opportunities to interact with my past and current ITA kiddos. Being an athlete isn’t 9-5 and good role models can’t punch out for the weekend. I trained hard to get closer to my goals this summer and tried to make sure that those around me made it through their own blood, sweat and fears to stay on track towards theirs. Ski racing might be an individual sport, but it takes a great community too. Thanks to all who have given me support through my first 3 years of living in the Wood River Valley!

Fall is here, by my calendar, and I start the drive towards to the 2010 Olympic venue tonight (literally). We are going there for a training camp. Figuratively, I started the drive towards Vancouver long ago. More from across the border...

DUFFEL USA

2009-08-23T18:06:00.006-06:00

KETCHUM - It is week 18 of 52, according to the average skier’s calendar (May 1st being the start of the new training year). Week 18 does not seem that far along but in reality, it is almost fall. Snow is around the corner!

I took it easy this past week after a 2-week volume block. My family was in town for the lull before the travel storm. Matt, my brother, and I joke about where we are from - Duffel bag, USA for me during the ski season and Duffel International for him.

Matt, Dad, me, Jake & Mom

Ski season means time spent on the road, living out of a Duffel bag. You pack for a race and wear the same things day after day for two weeks. You come home, empty the duffel into the laundry machine, take it out of the dryer and put it directly back in for another two-week racing adventure.

This year, I am REALLY excited to have a new house (aka, a new duffel bag). It is the Patagonia Stormfront 100, which is waterproof up to 6 feet! Why, you might ask, would a skier want a waterproof bag? Well, I will tell you, that we travel in a van with our skis and bags on top, open to the elements. I am hoping that the Stormfront 100 will not only be waterproof up to 6-feet, but also up to 90mph! Stay tuned for results and thank you George and Patagonia for the bag - It will be glorious to have dry clothing without having to worry about the tarp flying off the van roof… again.

Tomorrow I pack for the first chapter of this year’s Adventures in Duffel, USA. The Sun Valley ODT leaves for a Whistler training camp (Aug 26) - then home to Idaho for a bit before heading off to sea level camp at the OTC in Lake Placid (Sept 26). After the New York chapter, it is just a turn of the page before the first race in West Yellowstone (Nov. 25).

It is every day’s mission to better prepare me for the next. This is week 18. It is 14 weeks from West, 6 months from Vancouver… Today, I made myself stronger for tomorrow and tomorrow I will do the same.

Living the dream and giving my all, Kate

YOU ARE INVITED

2009-08-01T13:19:00.005-06:00

Come join Sun Valley's own 2010 Olympic hopefuls for a night of music, food and inspiration. Bryon Friedman, a former pro alpine racer, will be providing the majority of the auditory ambiance.

Bryon skied on the US Ski Team before a premature retirement due to a leg injury in 2005. As a National Champion and top 10 World Cup skier, we are lucky to have Bryon supporting our current dreamers and do-ers.

An acoustic/folk rock rhythm, his music can be listened to HERE. One of my favorite songs is Couple of Friends.

Ruben Macaya, SVSEF alpine director and former US Olympic team coach, will provide an Argentinean lamb dish.

August 16th, 5-9pm
Forest Service Park, Ketchum
Adults $25, Children (6-17) $15, Kids under 5 free
email karoline@svsef.org for purchasing information

Click on the image to see it full size (and be able to read it)

I hope to see you there!

PETTIT TO TIMP

2009-07-26T09:29:00.007-06:00

IDAHO/UTAH - Summer is in full swing, here in the Wood River Valley. The Olympic Development Team just got back from a week-long camp in Utah. Thank you Scott, Chris and the team at Soldier Hollow who let us monopolize the place for 5 days.

We spend our nights in the basement, strewn across the deck and lawns of the SoHo venue. We tried our best to play nice with the other residents, mainly earwigs, during the day - and by nice I mean ran from, cussed at and stomped on.

We played hard, slept like rocks, and smiled all-day everyday. We put in some solid hours of training and took advantage of the steep-grade roller ski trails. Video clips from technique to come in a future post.

Simi found dueling bananas in the same peel that Trav adopted and coddled the entire week. The affair concluded with a full-on photo shoot (evidence pictured).

We hiked Mount Timpanogos (11,749') and swam in the ice covered mountain pond on the way down (see video below). We glacided, made friends with some mountain goats, and thought of our teammate Willie, often.

After the hike, we hit up the 7 Peaks water park. I received a black-and-blue the size of a soft ball from the blue slide. Simi almost fell 25 feet after launching himself down the same blue slide and Trav beat me in a head-to-head race (our excuse to avoid doing the blue slide again).

Our return trip home was uneventful, although Sim's roller ski did fly off of the van on the Interstate at 80mph. No one was hurt and the ski was recovered, somehow undamaged.

Pettit Lake, thanks Sinnotts! and hiking Timp

All for now folks. Live your dreams, don't just visit them at night!

CITY OF ROCKS

2009-07-05T14:39:00.002-06:00

Earlier in the week, I headed to the City of Rocks with part of the team. It was a chance to get out of town before the 4th of July rush started and add some variation to strength.

We slept hard under the stars, ran long in the morning and climbed until dark. I think we fed the neighborhood chipmunks about as much as we fed ourselves (a lot!) and probably each came home with a few new smile lines. Good times, good training and good company.

I did make that jump, just not on camera. Promise! After the city, we returned home to an uphill running time trial, know as Harpers. One of our coaches, Chris Mallory, took some video:

For Mallory's update on Harpers, as well as future goings-on with the ODT, check out our team page on faster skier, or our SVSEF site.

This morning was our first public hike (images below). We headed from Lake Creek to the top of Fox Creek with ideal weather in tow. Thanks to all who showed. We look forward to an even bigger group next time! As always, click on the images to see them full sized.

Laugh hard and live your dreams,
Kate

More public hikes to come - maybe even a winter ski or two. Check back for dates.

RUNNING, RACING & MUSHROOMS

2009-06-21T12:03:00.008-06:00

I worked for 8 hours on Friday night, cocktailing in heels and a dress. I got off work at 1am and was packed and asleep by 2. After 4 hours of being dead to the world, I was up and running again. I headed north, to Stanley, for my second triathlon.

After having some beginners luck in last year's sprint, I decided to do the full Olympic distance.

The water temp was 52, as was the air. There were 51 kilometers to race and a light rain. I ended up 17th over all (3rd female) and my back survived a FREEZING cold 40k bike so I am thrilled.

My swim is my Achilles; something I will have to work on for next year. Thanks to teammate Sarah Groff for the wetsuit, I stayed warm during the first leg. Heat was not an issue however, it was pace. The 2nd place female beat me in the swim by over 6 minutes!

1 Trish Deim 2:19:59
2 Ashley Crawford 2:30:28
3 Kate Whitcomb 2:33:55

Thanks for all who offered advice and equipment! Each year I get things figured out a bit more. I had aero bars, a real wetsuit, zip ties for my shoes and endless advice from friends around the nation. You know who you are - thank you!

For full results: click here

In other news: I have gone on some great runs lately and our Harper's time trial is tomorrow (Monday, June 22nd). I am extremely sore from yesterday's effort but hope to get a PR regardless. Stay tuned.

Roommate, Monkey and Cmall, hit a burn section on our Pio Cabin run last week.

Miles, checking for Morel mushrooms (top secret location)!

Some little guys, making their place in the world. No morels yet...

THE FINAL 5

2009-05-18T13:58:00.004-06:00

Girls on the Run is an after-school program that teaches girls to be strong and confident. It gives a support system during a critical age of development, enabling young females to take control of their feelings and bodies, using running as an outlet.

This spring was my second season of being a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run. We train for 6 weeks in preparation for a 5k finale run. We meet twice a week to eat a healthy sack, run and play games. We work on critical skills such as cooperation, listening, and being a good friend during these sessions as well.

The following images are from the 5k, held at Heagle Park in Hailey, ID. Goodie was a sponsor, which was most apparent at the Happy Hair station. Girls (and coaches) painted, clipped, braided and wrapped their hair with all sorts of colorful accessories to celebrate the 5k run.

As far as my training is concerned I am still logging the long hours, living life and loving it. 2o hours this week, 24 next and my Sorrel is ready to eat in my garden. I am one of the luckiest kids in the world.

Sisters, Tara and Tess help each other get dolled up

Leaving my fate in the hands of one of the girls

Ella (GOTR) with brother Gill, one of my 5th graders

Danielle and Savannah strike a pose, just before the start

Alexa, women's winner, coming across the line

Alyssa, our first Ketchum GOTR finisher, bringing it home

Everyone was #1 on this day (notice the bibs)

101

2009-05-10T22:10:00.005-06:00

Ketchum, ID - My hundred and first post, with the new year well on its way. We are still grooming up past Galena (Horse Creek) and running in shorts down in town. The single-track is drying out, so there are new trails open each day. We had some solid rainy days, which has led to tons of flowers, buds on the trees and lots of green to come! I even got an afternoon of thunder, which is an eastern characteristic that I miss terribly.

I have been coaching Girls on the Run again this spring and our final 5k race is this coming Saturday, May 16th.

Other than getting dolled up for The Derby (Billy Cook, pictured, won big on Mind The Bird), I have been putting in some solid hours.

M - 4x4 L4 run intervals, strength
T - Easy 1:15 run + 1:15 spin
W - 2hr ski w/ video work, strength
H - 2:15 run
F - 3x7m L3 FS roll intervals, strength
S - Off
U - 2:30 run

Oh, and I planted my garden today, yay! Of course we leave for Bend Camp on the 19th, so it will probably die while I am away. No roommate yet to water the poor little guys. Stay tuned for their fate.

DAYS OF EVERYTHING

2009-04-26T00:05:00.006-06:00

CO Heidi to backcountry, ID

Like any job, cross-country skiers get their two weeks - ours are just two weeks of UN-paid vacation.

How are these two weeks different that the 351 other days of a pro-athlete's life?

They are not logged. I wake up and go for a run, I meet friends for coffee, I go for a backcountry ski and then bee-line it to a deck for lunch. I shoot to the gym and finish the day with a bike ride and some grilled food. I wear lots of sunscreen and still get burnt. I laugh more than I speak and I am going all day long. I sleep hard at night and I am thankful every minute.

These are the days of everything. You can do it all because there is not a race in the morning and there are no intervals at 7am. They are not days of slacking, in fact they are filled over the rim. I am healthy, I am able and these are my 2 weeks.

I am the luckiest kid ever and May first is on Friday. It might be the start of the weekend for most, but for me it is the begining of 2010. I have been sick and injured, broke and currently homeless but Vancouver is 10-months away. There are skeptics - but I am not one. The game has been on since I was 5 and it will not end today.

Living the dream,
Kate

EASTERN SPRING

2009-04-13T20:55:00.003-06:00

Spring in Vermont; something I miss terribly. I flew into Burlington for my "little" brother's birthday (little in age but 6'4" in height). We had some fun at his place in New Haven and I had the chance to catch up with some college friends.

After a few great days in the green mountain state, we headed home to surprise my folks and to catch up with our big brother (for my mother's birthday).

Happy Birthday Mom, and Jake!

Some of the highlights from the Vermont portion.

Training is going well, I am back in Idaho and my back is feeling roughly 75% these days (which is great)! I hope everyone has a good case of spring fever!

I have started coaching again (Girls on the Run) and training for the current year. The game is still on! More to come.

COUNTING TIME

2009-04-05T15:55:00.000-06:00

For those of you who keep a training log, you might be surprised to realize that not all athletes record every minute they train. Sometimes as little as half of a session might be logged – or none at all.

In a recent email correspondence with a friend, I mentioned that I don’t bike very much in a big volume week because it doesn’t count as full-time. This fueled the following dialogue:

If you ride constantly for an hour, why wouldn’t you log an hour?

When you go down a hill while skiing you are gliding. When in a tuck however, you are still required to use strength and balance. When on a bike, especially on a road bike, a downhill does not require as much. Biking is also non-weight bearing; your body does not have to hold itself up because you are on a seat. Both of these factors move biking further away from being applicable to cross training for XC, which is why many athletes count bike training as little as half-time.

It has been a long debate with coaches for me, since I feel as if I am in L4 every second of a mountain bike ride and most of my road rides are trying to catch the pack in front of me. I have long since given up the argument and simply count races at 75% time and rides at 50%. Some recovery spins (on a road bike), I don’t count as time at all but make sure to note the activity.

Are there other activities that you don’t count, or log only partially?

There is a debate on how to count strength in a log. Some athletes log half-time because you do an activity and then rest. Some count 70% or even full time because rest is necessary and maybe heart rate is still up... Our team brought up this question to our coach and we did a field test to figure it out.

Our coach took lactate tests throughout a strength workout, taking blood samples from all athletes during both rest and active times. 4-6mmols of blood lactate is typically L3 (threshold). This is the highest effort that your muscles can clear all lactic acid. Much higher and you start to feel “the burn” which is acid pooling in your muscles and you move into L4 (race pace).

Throughout this strength session, some of our readings got up into the 12mmols! Mine were between 6 and 8 and only lowered into the high 4s during rest periods. We determined that during that strength protocol, not only should we count the whole session (100% time), but consider it a hard workout. We would not want to schedule it just before an important race, for example.

Because of that test, I log my strength as full time, marking half in L1 and the other half as L3 (even though my lactates read into L4 at times).

As far as other activities counted as partial time, I always stop my watch when I stop to refuel or talk to a coach. The hike up Hyndman mentioned in a previous article was logged as 5 hours. That does not include lunch at the summit or swimming in the river.

Spenst usually takes about 45 minutes but I count it as 30. We do it as a group and sometimes I am waiting for my turn to jump hurdles and the like. I don’t get too carried away with starting and stopping my watch, I just estimate the on-time.

How would you count this?

I have not figured out how to count something like hot yoga or tele skiing. These are activities that are definitely not XC ski specific, but I do them so rarely that they really make me sore! Hot yoga might not be cardio, I will admit to that, but if it makes me unable to walk the next morning it has got to be some sort of strength. So far, I note that I did an activity like yoga but have not counted it in my overall total time.

Does this count?

Anyone out there have any insight? I realize that this article might be a bit controversial (especially saying that biking shouldn’t be counted 100%) so feel free to comment and get a discussion going. I think the most important thing when keeping a log of hours and activities is to keep it the same year to year. You will be comparing yourself to yourself more than to others in the end anyway.

Game on!

WAX MUSEUM

2009-03-15T18:42:00.004-06:00

My race year was a wash but... I am running and biking (adding skiing back in soon) and getting general fitness back up to par.

The upside of being hurt, is that it forced me to think about my future and gave me some extra time to spend with "my" kids.

The 5th graders recently did their annual Wax Museum. I am pictured with Pablo Picasso above, but Vikings, sport legends, family members and rock stars were all represented.

The students researched, wrote bios and created costumes and posters. The actual Wax Museum was the culmination of their research. Each student stood in front of their poster, in full costume and character. When other students and visitors came up to press their "push" button, the students would come alive, telling about their lives (and in some cases, their deaths).

After being interviewed by the internal Hemingway media, they were later broadcast throughout the school on TV.

I have been able to join the 5th graders for this kind of adventure rather than hear about it from the road - one of the silver specks that has lined my rain cloud this winter.

The road to achieving a goal can be a rocky one. It doesn't mean you can't get there; just that it isn't easy. Having the support of friends and family along the extra bumpy section this year has kept my hubcaps from falling off.

Thanks for having me in your class kids!

PT & RACING

2009-03-01T18:39:00.006-07:00

I am getting back into training with the help of Koth Physical Therapy (THANKS John!). Tomorrow is my first day back on skis, but I have not been staying away from skiing completely... I was out watching Western State Championships this morning where the best of the west put their game faces on.

SVSEF, receiving a team award

Maddy takes the podium!

I have a centralized bulge, one that does not require surgery or injections, YES! My race season, although never really getting started, is over. I am told, however that come May 1, I should be training with the team as an athlete at 100% so 2010 is not out of the picture.

The first thing that John and I tackled in PT was getting movement and feeling back into my arms and shoulders (an injury from jumping into swimming full throttle).

Cross-country skiers, regardless of swimming hours, could probably all use a good stretch across their front. Almost everything we do involves strengthening (aka tightening) our chests. That is one reason why we do so many upper back exercises in the gym (to balance things out). Here are a few stretches to get things started:

Corner stretch - stand in a corner or doorway and stretch forward, bringing shoulder blades together and feeling the stretch across the chest. Hold 3-4 times for 30 seconds.

Sleeper - lay on your side with your head supported. Your torso should be 90 degrees to the floor, your bottom arm, 90 degrees from your body and bent at 90 degrees. gently push your bottom arm towards the floor. Hold on each side, 3x20 seconds.

Foam roller - lay on your back with your arms out to the side. Relax and feel gravity pull your shoulders towards the floor. Rotate palms up and palms down a few times, holding for 20-30 seconds.

L4 - NOT INTERVALS

2009-02-15T21:30:00.004-07:00

I have a large bulge in my lower back (L4) and an appointment to see a back surgeon on Wednesday...

Chiropractor, Physical Therapists, Acupuncture and massage therapy - I have made my rounds and done everything that has been suggested since injuring my back in November.

November 11th - I took the day off and participated in a Hot Yoga class. My back was tender that night, which was expected after not doing Yoga for a while. The next morning I did some L3 intervals and my back was still sore. I coached a youth training practice and did some jumping drills with the kids before doing my own strength session - my back was stiff and felt like I slept on it funny the next morning.

Skip ahead a few weeks - I was still foam rolling, stretching and icing my tender back after workouts. Our first race in West was an 8k, mostly double pole race. My back was sore and stiff like everyone else’s after the effort so I did not think much of it. The following day was a 10k freestyle. I made sure to warm up well and my back seemed to loosen up a bit throughout the race.

Unsure if the pain was from racing or something more - I got in the van and headed up to British Columbia (a 16-hour drive) in pursuit of the next races. It is often hard to know when enough is enough… I had had enough.

I woke up in Canada hardly able to get out of bed (my back was in spasm) and I knew something was seriously wrong. I was given a few days off (and lots of muscle relaxants) before being put on a plane home.

I rested, I visited every specialist I knew in town, I stayed away from anything that hurt and I continued my training. I iced, I heated, I stretched, I rested and I saw little progress.

“These things take time,” they all said. I continued my training and rehab, keeping my spirits high as the season passed me by.

Alaska in January: Cold, postponed, cancelled and freezing, ouch, ouch, out of shape. My shoulders started to get shooting pains at night and became numb. The one race I did was a disappointment but I was confident I just needed to get in more starts and things would come back together.

As my teammates headed off to the World Cups, I headed home; more determined than ever. I saw March as having great potential and I was still undeterred. The travel home set me back and my arms got worse at night (staying numb until late afternoon some days).

Home again, home again, I ate the rest of my muscle relaxants - kept spirits high and saw more doctors. X-rays showed no structural damage so I kept on training as much as possible and icing nearly as many hours.

A month later (present time): My arms continue to be numb about 8-hours/day. The pain in my shoulders is enough to ensure I sleep terribly (if at all) at night. I cannot run or classic because of the back pain and the numb arms eliminate swimming and skating with poles…

After being optimistic for 3 months, I bight the bullet and make a thousand-dollar MRI appointment… I have a large bulge in my lower back (L4) and an appointment to see a back surgeon on Wednesday (just to talk options).

I wish I had been smart enough to get an MRI back in November but hindsight is 20-20, right?

I have not trained in the past two weeks outside of taking friend’s dogs for walks - I am still hopeful (believe it our not) and look forward to getting back into the game. I am not sure it is going to happen this season but I should know more on Wednesday.

I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's Day. This is part of the card I made for my 5th graders. The Special Olympics were held in Idaho this past week with Nordic and snowboard events taking place in Sun Valley. It was very inspiring!

Be well, more to come…

MAKING MEDIA

2009-02-02T12:45:00.007-07:00

My 5th graders made the Alpina dealer's catalog for 2009!

Dorcas Wonsavage, my Alpina rep and friend from back east, is great about sending stickers and tattoos for the students. I make sure to take lots of pictures and have parents sign photo release forms at the beginning of each year. Apparently the release forms were a good idea because they are now in a National Magazine (cover shown above)!

The elementary school has started their winter ski and board program on Friday's. The entire school goes skiing each week and since I am home, I get to go too.

My back has healed to the point of being able to ski freestyle although classic is still out of the question. The smallest thing can still set it off though, so I continue to be very careful about my daily activities.

With the increase of certain activities (skating, swimming, spinning) and the omition of others (running, classic skiing) my body is under a lot of stress. Skiing freestyle everyday really takes it out of my legs, where as swimming has pretty much shot my shoulders and rotator cuffs. I can't stand to be on my trainer for more than a few hours at a time - and ability to do strength is limited. My body is in desparate need of some varitey.

Robbie Durtschi, getting in some ks during our afternoon jaunt

Congratulations to teammates both abroad and stateside. I hope to be mixing it up with you guys come March.

NATURE VS. NURTURE

2009-01-31T12:53:00.002-07:00

One of my fellow ITA teammates has asked for some answers on developing athletic expertise in order to prepare for a lecture. I do not necessarily consider myself an expert on skiing, but am always willing to help out a fellow athlete.

1. What is the athletic background of your parents and family?
My mom (seen with little-me, left) has always been recreation only. My dad grew up racing motocross and got into skiing when he met my mom (the things boys do for girls). He now competes in local running and ski races.
My friends have always been split - some are athletic and some are not. Of course I have friends from sport but I find it refreshing to hang out with non athletes as much as possible. I can only handle just so many type A folks in one room!

2. When did you begin participating in your sport?
3 maybe? Fun competition started around age 5

1. What was your early experience with sport like?
Family activity and fun with friends; I didn't even realize I was training until I was 13.

2. How instrumental were parents and coaches in the early part of your development as an athlete?
SUPER important. My folks made it all possible and my coach (a friend's dad) gave us all the motivation, direction and discipline we needed. There would be a group of kids on a 3-hour run with intervals through the back-country every week but if you asked what we did that day, we would probably have said "played in the woods with some friends." We had no idea, only that we were having the time of our lives!

3. How were you introduced to your sport and how many other sports did you seriously participate in?
Introduced through my hometown - It was the thing to do for my generation of kid back then and there. Growing up in the same place now would be different since the snow has changed and the ski area is out of business. That planted the seed and I ran with it (got me into college, post grad career, etc.). I played soccer, kayaked, swam, road bikes (mtn and road), climbing, surfing, triathlon, running... I was serious about each one during their time but never longer than a year. Skiing is the one that has stuck with me (maybe because it brings in the rent.... sort of). I do many of them still to cross-train but all in order to improve my skiing.

4. Is your success a product of nature or nurture?
Both, but I think more nurture. My brothers (one older, one younger) are also skiers. My folks encouraged us and we had the same opportunities as far as coaching and equipment. We all even went to the same college... so we were all nurtured. Because of my nature however (a product of being nurtured) I am doing it now as a profession. My older brother coaches for the US Ski Team so he is still doing it as a career too. My little brother still participates but does not compete. Competition is definitely in my nature but who knows what I would have competed in if I were nurtured in a city with sisters...

5. Are you an expert in your field? (by your own definition)
I am sought out for lessons, advice and tips on ski training and racing - I think that I am an expert to those people. I do not have the knowledge to be a US Ski Team coach right now though so I am far from that caliber of expert.

HOME

2009-01-17T11:51:00.002-07:00

cruising around Billy's Bridge, north of Ketchum, ID

I am home, recovering and training. Things are progressing and the weather is perfect. Blah, blah, blah. The real news is up north, Whistler Olympic Park where the rest of my team is competing in the World Cups.

Yesterday was a classic individual sprint and COLIN WAS 27th!!! and scored his first WC points. Way to go Col!!! FULL RESULTS HERE Other US guys: Newell 7th (after a fall), Chris Cook 21st, Torin Koos 23rd, Kuzzy - although I was told DQed results show 29th.

Today is the 15/30k pursuit. WATCH IT LIVE on CBSsports.ca.
Tomorrow is the freestyle team sprint.

Good luck to all.

28 DEGREES

2009-01-08T23:55:00.004-07:00

...that is the temperature for tomorrow in Sun Valley - and I am going to be there!

I would be lying if I said it was easy to watch everyone race (or at least try to) all week. To watch warm-ups and finishes, team selections and victories - from the bench.

I am happy for them, but it does not mean I can't feel sad for me (just for a second).

I am not World Cup bound this year, but I get to head home and continue my training. There will be a time, and it will be this year, when I ski to my potential.

the stadium under lamp-light: classic sprint heats

the BC World Cup team (click on image for full size)

men's heat, heading under the bridge

another men's heat, lead by Mikey Sinnott, after the bridge

Sun Valley junior, Miles Havlick, skiing with the USST in his heat

Nicole DeYong, finishing up her qualification round

Colin Rodgers, taking his prelim out strong

Chris Freeman, qualification round (just out of the start)

That is all from Alaska folks. Hopefully when we are in Fairbanks this spring, the temperatures will be slightly warmer. Okay, who am I kidding - I am hoping for at least 30 degrees warmer!

Congratulations to all who made their goals and a HUGE THANKS to the volunteers and race organizers!

SAME 'OL SITUATION

2009-01-06T16:02:00.004-07:00

It was too cold to race today, again. Burrr, is all I have to say about that. It sounds like they are again, going to try to hold the classic sprint tomorrow (Wednesday). It is needed for qualifying athletes for the coming trips and competition teams so it takes priority at this point.

If you are in the area, try the Snow City Cafe on west 4th Ave. Their jam (present at every table) tastes like raspberries from the bush, no joke. The whole menu pretty much rocks, but the jam is the best I have ever tasted (except my Uncle Norm's, obvi).

I gave some classic intervals a go today and found that I am not quite there yet. I will stick to skating, swimming and the gym for a while longer. No reason to rush things at this point.

Be well and stay warm if you can.

5/10k FREESTYLE

2009-01-05T18:32:00.003-07:00

We woke, we took the temperature and WE RACED! It was a 5/10k freestyle - top 12 results are below.

My back held strong today (although I am out of shape after my time off). That is all I could really have hoped for so I am content. I was 19th, 1:15.3 out.

Tomorrow is now a race day with a 10/15k classic scheduled. I will not be doing the classic events this week, but have intervals (classic) scheduled for tomorrow. It will be my third hard workout since West Yellowstone, over a month ago and my first classic interval test.

Sometimes you just have to swallow today and start getting fired up about tomorrow.

Congratulations to Caitlyn on the win, Alexa for returning from surgery and rocking a 7th!!! and to Nicole De Yong, who looks as if she found that sweet-spot she talked about.

men racing in the foreground - start pin is just visible to the left

INFRINGEMENT

2009-01-04T23:14:00.004-07:00

My little cheerleaders

The you tube keeps telling me that I can't use certain songs... So this time I am uploading with Blogger. No discrimination from them - yet.

Above, is playground footage from this fall. Parents, if you are queezy about your children riding in ski team vans up crazy, curvy, icy access roads, maybe skip this one (Plateau access road, West Yellowstone, MT). After injuring my back in the race shown, this week is my fresh start... if it ever warms above -4F.

The deal with tomorrow: If we race - women start at 1pm (men at 1:54:ish) at 15-second intervals. The jury will meet at 12:30 to take Kincaid's temperature. Keep your fingers crossed!

The races have been changed to 5/10k (being held on the classic courses) but they are holding the right to change it back to 10/15s if the weather warms up well into legal limits. If that is the case, women will do two 5k loops.

They are still talking about having the 10 and 15ks later in the week but first - lets see what happens tomorrow.

I have a great start position, just 15 seconds ahead of Kikkan - Alaska's own sweetheart and one of our nation's fastest skiers! I will be running scared and then holding on for dear life... if, that is, she catches me!

Into it? I am. Game on!

2009-01-04T15:35:00.003-07:00

Today's race, originally yesterday's race, was canceled. Too cold. Tomorrow is not supposed to be any warmer, but we go through the motions of testing and waxing skis, eating and training accordingly as if there is going to be a race tomorrow. Everyone is hopeful.

I have heard that the 10/15k freestyle scheduled for tomorrow will be held later and on a shorter course. Rumors of doing the 5/10k classic courses were floating around. I also heard the potential of having the 5/10k classic tomorrow, leaving the longer distance race for later in the week.

Things will be decided in a coaches meeting later on today. I will post the news as soon as I hear it. Until then, stay warm!

Morgan, hanging in the wax cabin

DOWN IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS

2009-01-03T13:17:00.005-07:00

UPDATED UPDATE: 1:30, stadium temperatures still too cold. The race is moved to tomorrow (11:30 scheduled start time)...
________________
UPDATE: Qualifying will take place at 1:30. Heats will be run on Sunday.
________________
11am, stadium temperature was -23.7 C (-10.6 F) this morning. The legal race limit is -20 (-4 F) and so the race has been postponed 2 hours.

The original qualifier was to go off at 11:30 but they will reconvien at 1pm to take another temperature reading to decide the fate of the 1:30 start.

If the temperatures do not move within legal limits today, Sunday (tomorrow) is the potential rain date.

The course is in great shape and skiing is good (says my brother, over the phone). I will do another update just after 1 with the latest news from the venue.

The stadium, yesterday morning

My face, yesterday around 11:30 after 40 minutes of easy skiing

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

2009-01-01T11:07:00.003-07:00

One of the locals at Kincaid Park was out to greet the skiers yesterday.

Some of our athletes are batting 100 (seeing a moose each time they have skied so far) and we are told races are sometimes obstructed by the large animals.

Regardless of how they do or don't end up affecting the competitions - they are really cool to see!

I classic skied yesterday, for the first time since hurting my back (over a month ago). I woke this morning able to get out of bed, so things are looking good for me.

Today, I will register for 3 of the 4 races in this year's National Championships. I am sitting out of the classic sprint (the first competition) on Saturday. The classic sprint is one of the formats that will be at the coming World Cup races (as well as in the 2010 Olympics) so it is one I regret to miss. My coaches have pointed out, however, that it is probably the best way to re-injure myself.

My goals for '09 now include recovery and kicking some serious tail in the second half of the season. I am not counting myself out of these races, but the season is long. Here is the deal:

Sat, Jan 3 - Classic Sprint
Mon, Jan 5 - 10/15k Free
Wed, Jan 7 - 5/10k Classic
Thurs, Jan 8 - Freestyle Team Sprint

Happy 2009 all

THE LAST FRONTIER

2008-12-30T18:43:00.007-07:00

Our National Championship (short distance) is being held at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska this year. Today's high was 0 degrees... and I mean Fahrenheit! The picture to the left is a tuft of my hair that was sticking out of my hat - anything exposed, froze.

Being out in such cold temperatures, especially while during activity, can be dangerous to your lungs. Anyone who has worked exceptionally hard while breathing cold air has finished the day with something resembling a smokers cough. In order to avoid permanent damage (asthma, etc.) we are all wearing breathing masks. They are hot.

Nicole, donning frosted eyelashes

The masks are a product of Sweden, called Airtrim (www.airtrim.se)

Colin, sporting an 'Airtrim' (Alexa adjusting hers in the back)

One of the tunnels on the trail system at Kincaid Park

Time for dinner but stay tuned, more to come.

OUT WITH THE BROKEN

2008-12-26T09:42:00.004-07:00

Sporting my Justy do it shirt (07 holiday gift)

...and in with the new. My digital camera finally took it's last shot, after threatening over the past few months and has since been replaced. Christmas morning brought loads of snow, which gave me the chance to take a few holiday pictures to send out (like the one above).

Today, in typical Sun Valley style, we have about 3-feet of new snow under bluebird skies - what a great place... and I get to live here!

I am doing a light recovery strength session this morning, followed by a few laps in the salt-water, outdoor pool at a local health spa that sponsors me. I will bring the camera for that too since the view is spectacular! This afternoon, once everything is groomed, I will head out for an easy L1 skate.

I did some level 3 intervals yesterday and have L4 scheduled for tomorrow so things are getting back on track! I am still unable to classic ski and my back still gets sore after use, but it gets better every day.

What is a goal of yours, and what are you going to do TODAY to get closer to it?

Happy Holidays Everyone!

BACK IN THE GAME...

2008-12-19T11:01:00.006-07:00

Good afternoon sports fans. This is an especially sweet day for me. It snowed about 8 inches last night and I get to go ski!!!

I realize, that for a professional skier, this shouldn’t be a day different than any other. After injuring my back in West Yellowstone however, I took the better part of 3 weeks off to heal. Today is day 3, back on the horse. My workouts have been around 45 minutes (an hour less than average) but I will take anything I can get at this point.

Still awaiting the verdict on Nationals. I will have to see how big of a hole, 3 weeks off has dug and try to climb at least part way out. Stay tuned, x-ray pictures to come!

'My' 5th graders, hyped on sugar after decorating gingerbread houses!

Saturday's 10/15k

2008-12-14T12:42:00.001-07:00

Women's Results
Men's Results

Night race at Sovereign Lakes. NICOLE DEYONG 9TH!!!

RACING...but not me

2008-12-12T19:44:00.006-07:00

This is what happens when I don't do anything each day: I don't remember what day it is or when the team is racing... but I am all caught up now.

Today was an individual sprint. Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation teammate Mikey Sinnott was pretty darn close to the win (or so I 'hear' through texts with teammates up north). US men highlights:

2. Haugen
3. Mikey Sinnott
5. Kuzzy
10. Colin Rodgers
11. Chambo

Full Men's Results

US women highlights:

2. Smyth
3. Valaas
7. Williams
8. Dehlin
9. Strandberg

Full Women's Results

Below: top US finishers from yesterday's freestyle, mass start races at Sovereign Lakes, BC. Full results linked to titles, athlete blogs linked to names...

WOMEN'S RESULTS
1. Compton
4. Liz Stephen
5. Taz Mannix
8. Laura Valaas
10. Arduser
11. Nicole De Yong

MEN'S RESULTS
6. Hoffman
7. Southam
8. Gregg

FOR SUPPORT...

2008-12-12T15:15:00.003-07:00

...place a pillow behind your lower back. For support, lay with your knees up - feet flat on the ground. Or, be a cross-country skier and you will receive more support than you ever could imagine!

I cannot express how much all of your calls, comments, emails, texts and well wishes have meant to me. They have kept the tears a bay and my spirits high. Since it hurts to cry and REALLY hurts to blow my nose, thank you also for helping my body heal, as well as my spirit.

One of the hardest parts about my situation is that there is no time line. I might be training again by Monday or it could be more like May. I saw someone two weeks ago, four days ago, two days ago, an hour ago... the answer is always the same: See you next time and we'll see where you're at. In the mean time, don't do anything that hurts. Let pain be your guide.

As athletes, we submit ourselves to and endure, sometimes even thirst for pain. So when my doctor asks "does it hurt?" I have to think for a minute - yeah, I guess it does hurt. "Has it hurt all day, all week?" - I think it has. Yes, it has.

It would be so much easier if my arm was broken - You hear the crack, it hurts a lot, they cast it and it heals. Black and white.

So what am I to do with this gray? I close my eyes and think about skiing, about running, about the rush that cannot be purchased by any drug - the feeling that costs all the effort you have in your legs, your heart, your lungs and your head but it is free... and then I think of how many days in my training log are blank....

My big brother, always there with a pep-talk when you need one, says Like a crocodile: Wait, wait, wait... Attack! That is all it takes for a kill.

And so I lay on my back with my legs bent - feet flat on the ground and wait.

I searched for today's results from the freestyle mass start up in BC without any luck... I'll post when I know how things went. A classic sprint and a pursuit on the docket for this weekend for those up there. Good luck to all.

WHAT TODAY...

2008-12-09T14:54:00.003-07:00

What is my next goal? Make the World Cup in Canada.

How do I get there? Ski in the top 5 at US Nationals in January.

What can I do TODAY to do that? Go home...

That was the dialogue that went though my head yesterday as I was boarding the plane in Kelowna, BC, Canada.

I have been having back problems ever since the classic race in West. After day one in Canada it was clear that my back was in no shape to compete. I kept my spirits high, saw a doctor, took some time off, some muscle relaxants and cheered my teammates on from the sidelines.

When it became clear that my back was going to take more than a week to heal, I sat down with my coach, booked a flight and was home in less than 24 hours.

I have never felt so healthy and fit, yet incapacitated at the same time. If nothing else, back pain is humbling. Here in Ketchum I can rest and recover without the urge to ski (the grass is still green). I am keeping my goals in mind; doing something each day to get me a day closer.

I LIED

2008-12-06T17:39:00.004-07:00

When I said I would be able to upload updates on the race quicker and better... I lied. My computer decided not to pick up the wireless signal today so I am in a hotel lobby down in the Silver Star village.

I took some video, which I will edit tonight and with any luck, get it on the site tomorrow.

On the up-side, I went for an hour ski today! Tomorrow will tell how much my back liked it...

Results from today's race can be found here under Teck Sprint Heats. The highlight was In The Arena teammate, Laura Valaas in first place for the US. Way to go Laura.

Tomorrow's results will be found on the Zone4 site as well.
Oh - tomorrow's race has been changed from classic to skate (due to thin snow coverage), fyi.

DAY 3

2008-12-05T11:41:00.004-07:00

Tomorrow is race day. An individual freestyle sprint at Sovereign Lakes, just down the hill from our house in Silver Star, BC, CAN.

some of the houses in Silver Star

Today is Friday, my third full day off. I was hoping to get out there today but when it takes 10 minutes to put your pants on in the morning, something is still wrong.

The silver linings is that I will be at the race tomorrow (skis or no skis on my feet) from the side lines. This will give me the opportunity to take video, stills and report back more thoroughly and hoepfully quicker than usual. It should be a good race with lots of action from the top skiers in the US and Canada. Freestyle sprinting usually ends up to be one of the most spectator friendly and exciting events in cross-country skiing...

DIAGNOSIS

2008-12-03T13:27:00.004-07:00

Dr. Swank and his girlfriend, Aga (who also happens to be a doctor) came to take a closer look at me last night. In a foreign country, in my condition, I could not have asked for a better time to run into my doctor friends. Thanks you guys! I don't know how, but someday I will get you back.

My back is in spasm and it is swelling. That is what the good doctors said. Those are the side effects of an irritated disc. Whether the disc is partially ruptured, pinched, slipped or bulged is irrelevant; as long as I get the spasm and swelling under control, the disc will heal itself. It might take days, it might take weeks but it will heal.

So... Dr. Swank called in a prescription for a muscle relaxant and I am taking Aleve for the inflamation. Heating, icing, 42 hours off and staying away from things that hurt, round off my rehab plan. The musscle relaxant means I won't be racing this weekend but I have learned that sometimes you have to look at the big picture. My priority is not this weekend, my priority is 2010 and that means getting back to 100%. Game on, I can do this.

Photo credit: Andy Canniff, Swix marketing.
Kate, West Yellowstone 8k Classic

CHANGE IN PLANS

2008-12-02T14:36:00.007-07:00

Dec. 2 - Bozeman, MT - Freestyle Sprint - CANCELED

Dec. 6-7 - Soldier Hollow, UT - Classic Sprint and 10/15km F - CANCELED

Just added to the NRL:
Dec. 6-7 - Vernon, BC - NorAm event - Sprint F, 10/15km Classic *

*Must have a valid FIS license to be scored to the USSA list.

That is the the latest from Jonh Farra, mac-daddy of the USST. I am not sure of his title, but he is the new Luke Bodensteiner so he has the first and last say when it comes to these kinds of things.

_______________

So that is the word on current race schedules. The SV ODT is in Silver Star now, after a long drive spread over two days. We skied this morning on the Silver Star side and although it was thin down low, up top was excellent. A bit windy, but cold with new snow from last night (about an inch or so). The Sovereign Lake trails (race venue) are in similar condition. Good cover, but thin. Careful on your race skis for a few rocks but good enough to hold races for sure. APU is on their way, XC Oregon, Salomon Factory, CXC, US Ski Team and all the Canadians you can shake a stick at are here. Races and points will be good, game on.

Headed to Whistler next (if they get snow). It doesn't look likely at the moment but first things first.

On a personal front, I didn't get through last weekend's races as well as I could have. I might have upset one of the discs in my spine although I have yet to see a doctor about it. Currently I am unable to find a position that does not hurt and it looks like racing for me this weekend is out of the question. Fortunately a teammate of mine is an ER surgeon. He is going to take a look at me tonight. Cross your fingers and stay tuned. Hoping for some good news to post tomorrow!

9k FREESTYLE

2008-11-29T18:13:00.005-07:00

Point to point with lots of up. I don't think there was one starter who's back didn't ache from Friday's race but we were out there getting it done.

Nicole, amongst the wooden sticks, pre race.

Today's results:

1. Morgan Arritola 11. Rosie Brennan
2. Shayla Swanson 12. Kate Arduser
3. Lenka Palanova 13. Kate Whitcomb
4. Caitlin Compton 14. Johanna Winters
5. Ma Mo Grevsgaard 15. Taz Mannix
6. Kristina Trygstad-saari 16. Adele Espy
7. Liz Stephen 17. Kristina Owen
8. Evelyn Dong 18. Becca Roraaugh
9. Kristina Strandberg 19. Nicole De Yong
10. Laura Valaas 20. Morgan Smyth

Mens:

1. Babikov 6. Oestensen
2. Zimmermann 7. Golovko
3. Kuzzy 8. Sinnott
4. Southam 9. Flaharty
5. Elliott 10. Gelso

The Bozeman sprints this coming Wednesday have been canceled. The two races in SoHo this coming weekend have been canceled. Tomorrow is Sunday and after a jog, the Sun Valley Olympic Devo team is headed up to Silver Star, BC, CAN to continue skiing and racing. Along with teams such as the US Ski Team, MWSC and CXC, North seems to be the general trend for the next migration.

Super Tour races qualify US athletes for the World Cups in January. With the lack of snow and current cancelations, qualifying is now limited to these past West races and US Nationals (in addition to "coaches discression").

So it is... and so we drive. It is a long way, where we are to Silver Star, BC (764 miles in 13 hours of driving)...

10k CL, aka DP

2008-11-28T11:08:00.004-07:00

Back in my hotel room with the first race of the season completed. It was an out and back at high altitude and relatively little terrain. I would guess that I double poled about 60% of it, kick double poled 20%, stride 15% and tuck 5%. It was a tough one and my back is really sore!

1. Swanson, S 2. Strandberg, K
3. Arritola, M 4. Smyth, M
5. Mo Grevs, M 6. Vallaas, L
7. Dong, E 8. Dehlin, L
9. Stephen 10. Brennan, R
11. Arduser, K 12. Fitzgerald, K
13. Whitcomb, K 14. Williams, L
15. Espy, A 16. Mannix, T
17. MacCarthy, S 18. DeYong, N
19. Palanova, L 20. Compton, C

MEN:

1. Babikov 2. Oestensen 3. Nygren 4. Noah Hoffman 5. James Southam 6. Reissmann 7. Brenton Knight 8. Lars Flora 9. Anders Haugen 10. Mark Iverson 11. Chamberlain 12. Pletcher 13. Leif Zimmermann 14. Marshall Greene 15. Joshua Smith 16. Bryan Cook 17. Sletten 18. Gelso 19. Kjoelhamar 20. Blackhorse VJ

THE WORD

2008-11-25T08:54:00.002-07:00

Friday’s start time has been moved until 9am (up on the plateau). The classic race will be a point-to-point, starting from the lower parking and ending up at the top gate. Both men and women will race the same course.

Friday evening (5pm) will decide the fate of Saturday’s freestyle race.

All races will be moved back to town and start at original times if enough snow falls by Thursday morning.

Race registration has been extended and is available at the Holiday Inn for both classic and skate races until noon on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Bibs will be picked up at the start of the race (up on the Plateau).

I would suggest bringing lots of warm and dry clothes - It is chilly and relatively shaded up on the plateau until around 10am. Not certain if clothes bags will be moved from the start to the finish so it might be a good idea to stash some clothes and food at the finish just in case.

My connection seems to have slowed enough that I am currently unable to upload images - stay tuned.

LEADING UP

2008-11-24T20:31:00.007-07:00

I went for a run this afternoon on the Rendezvous trails. They are not groomed but skiing is definitely feasible as long as you are willing to take your skis off once in a while. They are not far from having conditions to hold a race on the lower trails though. With more than enough cover in most of the woods, they would only need about 4 inches to get the stadium in working order (assuming the temperatures stay low). With snow scheduled for Wednesday and fore cast through the weekend, who knows what might happen...

With the first race 4 days away, I have some intervals and strength on the docket for tomorrow.

They groomed a bit more on the South Plateau and skiing is holding strong up there. The team of workers is really doing a great job here in West to make sure things are up to par. Roads being plowed and ruts being smoothed, dirt being covered and tracks being set - thanks to all out there making this week ski-able!

PLENTY OF SKIING

2008-11-22T17:26:00.005-07:00

I had planned to run for an hour this afternoon in West......but was grateful to find the snow plentiful up on the plateau. I skied an hour and a half (out and back) and didn't reach the end of the groomed (with tracks) trail. Snow in town doesn't look very likely but the team here in West Yellowstone are taking steps towards having the plateau as a back-up venue for next weekend's races. Branches are being cut out of the trial and the temps are to stay cold, which means the skiing isn't going anywhere.

With the exception of a 40-meter length of trail, it you keep your eyes open, the snow is good enough for race-skis. I have raced on far worse...far FAR worse!

The drive up is about 4-6 miles, depending on which out-and-back you plan to ski. With a total of roughly 20k groomed, there should be plenty for all. The access road is fairly treacherous, with icy, narrow and blind corners but totally safe if you are careful. My Justy could do it so your rig should be fine.

Parking is along the roadside so it will definitely become jammed, with difficult turnaround options... but all feasible if you are patient. Rumor has it teams are out this evening to widen areas to accommodate the masses.

So if you have plans to come, I would... actually, I did. Bring your rock-skis, but bring the race boards as well - my bets are that we put the bibs on!

Here is a link to the SCHEDULE OF EVENTS here in West, starting Tuesday, November 25th. See you all on the trails and maybe, if I can get out of bed, at the 6:30am yoga sessions.

WEST WEB CAMERAS

2008-11-21T12:08:00.002-07:00

To see West Yellowstone conditions, THIS is a link to a live feed from an in-town camera. THIS is a link to a live feed from the Rendezvous Trail system (but it is kind of pointing into the woods).

National Weather Service report for West.

Stay tuned, with fingers crossed...

WINTER PREPARATION

2008-11-19T17:41:00.004-07:00

I leave for my first races (West Yellowstone, MT) in two days. Like everyone else, I try to get ready for the start of the season before it gets down to the last minute.

Things like hot-boxing skis and eating all of the random perishables in my kitchen - unpacking gloves and hats, long underwear and putting away things like shorts and roller skis. On my list was also to de-rust my trusty Subaru Justy (shown above). A stitch in time, right...

Once I leave home on Saturday, I won't be back until mid-December (4-weeks of travel). My pre-holiday schedule looks something like this:

Nov 28, West Yellowstone 10k classic
Nov 29, West Yellowstone 5k freestyle
Dec 2, Bozeman, MT freestyle sprint
Dec 6, SoHo, UT classic sprint
Dec 7, SoHo, UT 10k freestyle
Dec 12, Whistler Olympic Park 10k
Dec 13, Whistler Olympic Park CL sprint
Dec 14, Whistler Olympic Park pursuit

There is a good chance that I won't do all 8 (in just 17 days). I have discussed skipping the Bozeman sprint but it all comes down to how the West Yellowstone races go.

I am feeling stong and ready. My homework is done and its almost time to hand it in. My current week looks something like this:

Mon - CL sprint simulation
recovery spin
Tues - Competition prep strentgh
45 min swim
Wed - uphill running time trial
recovery spin
Thurs - run with speeds
comp prep strength
Fri - L3 3x20 min roll intervals
recovery swim
Sat - drive to West Yellowstone
recovery jog
Sun - easy classic with speeds
easy freestyle

The season is almost here - hopefully the snow is on its way to West Yellowstone too! Check back for trail updates as early as Saturday night.

RUN

2008-11-13T13:35:00.005-07:00

Girls on the Run - a preteen gang that meets after school during the fall and spring to learn about growing up healthy. We focus on self-esteem and goal-setting as well as physical, mental and emotional strength (among others) while using running as a vehicle.

I was one of the Girls on the Run coaches this fall and wanted to do an update about it before winter got on its way.

It is 65 degrees in Ketchum right now, full sun with a slight breeze; the perfect conditions to run! Nursing a twisted foot from balance drills at the gym, I am unable to take advantage of such a day but wanted to post a running update for those of you out there capable.

a typical scene during our after-school meetings

stretching, prior to the 5k

The final meeting of our Girls on the Run fall group was at a 5k running race. Over the course of the program, each girl worked towards this final goal and all who showed, completed the entire course. Congratulations girls!

one of the boys who ran

Although there are no boys in Girls on the Run program, some do participate in the final 5k.

I look forward to coaching again for Girls on the Run in the spring, as well as healing myself enough to run again soon. For those out there running today, put in a few strides for me. Off to my Ketchum PT, John Koth for my diagnosis...

TOUR OF THE TOWN TREADS

2008-11-04T22:51:00.005-07:00

What the Sun Valley ODT did after we voted...

I had a 2-hour run scheduled this morning and a 2-hour roller ski this afternoon...

The workouts were swapped so I could ski in the am, MINUS THE ROLLERS!!!

That is right folks, there is snow in Ketchum and over 8-inches up at Galena! The Boulder Mountain Tour trail was groomed this morning and the skiing was crazy good. After a wonderful 2-hour skate, I can only look forward to a classic ski in the morning.

I am still getting a grip on the new time-change, however. My afternoon run ended up an evening run and fyi, it is already pitch black here by 6pm in the mountains of Mountain time. I made up a new running course to accommodate the snowy trails, icy roads and darkness everywhere - I did a tour of town treadmills.

I don’t know about you, but I hate running on a treadmill. I get bored before I even get the speed up to 6. I knew the chance of getting my hour and a half run in on a treadmill was slim to none and that running outside was treacherous, so… I ran the 10-minutes from my house to the YMCA and ran on their mill until I was bored. I then ran to High Altitude Fitness and ran on their treadmill for 20-minutes before running to Zenergy, another gym here in Ketchum and jumped on one of their TV equipped treadmills… and then I ran home.

I receive a few strange looks, especially when I didn’t stop to talk to folks, but I got in my run without falling, freezing, getting lost in the woods or bored to death. A good day and just over 3-weeks to the first race! Game on, are you ready?

INKED

2008-11-01T14:05:00.011-06:00

Halloween's visit brought Alpina tattoos to the 5th Graders

The weather in Ketchum was ideal in October! During an intensity period last week and I could not have asked for better days. This coming week is a bit of volume (22-hours) with some speed sessions and a bit more running.

Running seems to be the thing to kick me into shape this time of year. The pavement gets wet and covered with leaves, falling becomes more likely - with a side of less skin. I definitely keep the roller ski sessions going this time of year, don't get me wrong but running is not lost.

14 - the number of possible training sessions this week
5 - rolling
4 - running
3 - strength
2 - off

Visits to my 5th graders have been frequent and I have quite a few images from my time with them . From t-shirts to tattoos, roller ski demonstrations and stories over lunch, I have enjoyed my visits immensely. To view full-sized files, click on the image.

Don't forget to set your clocks back.

Thanks for the ink Dorcas and Alpina!

Getting our strong-on in our new ITA Ts, Thanks Amory and ITA!

These guys are serious!

A little logo demonstration

BEING 10

2008-10-24T15:03:00.006-06:00

After Placid camp I worked with a class at New Hingham Elementary for a week. My trusty flip and I were welcomed into Mrs. Whitcomb's 4th grade classroom (thanks Mom!) with open arms!

The kids were required to do a technology project and man did they run with it! Upon my arrival they had sets, props, scenes and details right down to the smallest thing, already worked out. It must have taken some serious planning to have that all ready for my arrival. It is not an easy feat to take 18 kids, two plots and 4 partial days to come up with a movie. Any work they did prior to my visit was vital.

The 4th graders were driven and stayed focused. Proof that regardless of how big the task or how many obstacles stand in your way, if you work hard and work together, great things happen! I must add that many hours of work were put in after the school-bell rang. Thanks for giving me a hand on the back-end Mom! She stayed up past 11pm every night planning, editing, making sure everyone was in pictures and well represented in the video, burning DVDs and doing all of the thankless work that is necessary of any teacher. So here is one, at least - THANKS!!!!

The following are the videos that were made by the 4th graders. Stay tuned at the end for an inked up slide show (thanks ITA for the tattoos!!!) ENJOY!

0:00 - The Troll's Adventure (outdoor group's movie)
1:46 - Troll Invaders (indoor group's movie)
3:12 - The Process slide show
5:59 - Tattoo slide show

FALL

2008-10-08T12:45:00.009-06:00

can your backyard do this?

Lake Placid camp has come to a close, summer is long since gone and I am at my folks place in Massachusetts taking it easy this week.

I woke yesterday, went for a roller ski, spent 2 hours with my mother’s 4th graders, went for an hour run, raked and mowed the front lawn, did some video editing and got 9-hours of sleep before doing it again today. So by taking it easy, I mean doing the same as usual but in a different place with some yard-work added in...

My training thus far this year has been really good. I am increasing my hours by 100, which is a huge jump. It is a risky leap but a move I am confident with and must make. I have been entirely healthy, narrowly avoiding a few colds but generally staying 100% all spring and summer.

There is a big year of competition ahead with world cup and world championship teams to be made. I have made improvements in technique - specifically double pole and quickness in freestyle. I have gotten stronger as well, seeing results from upper body hypertrophy in the weight room. I am fit, happy and hungry – a great place to be right now!

As the fall progresses, more focus will be placed on interval sessions and less on overall volume (although hours will stay relatively high for another month or so).

The Placid camp was a good one this year. I did not participate in the time trial but was able to hitch a ride in a chase car to catch a few good shots (as well as some video that will be posted soon). To see full-size images, click on the picture.

women's pack, gettin' their hurt on

The day was beautiful. The sun was out, the colors were changing and there was rumored to be snow at the top. The start was moved down the road about a mile due to summit conditions but all was well and sunny at the start.

Towards the last mile or two the course entered the clouds and although the sun was visible below, the trees lining the road were in a snowy shade. Shown to the right, Kris Freeman in his final mile.

Compton, finishing strong (off the ground) in the last 100m

Caitlyn Compton followed the lead pack (Liz and Mo) until making her move in the last 1/2 mile. Skiing smart, relaxed and confident she took the lead and was the first female across the line.

Colin Rod passes one last girl* before crossing the line

*The men started 10 minutes behind the women

PLYOMETRICS VIDEO

2008-09-27T13:34:00.011-06:00

I always appreciate your questions. My mother always asks, "Kate, does anyone even read your site, no one ever comments..." Well, lack of comments is definitely the case but I sure do get quite a few direct emails pertaining to articles, videos and general ski and training questions... In fact my last strength video (a few articles down) has been watched 440 times in the last month. Here are a few recent email questions answered:

What is spenst? Is it even English? Maybe it is an acronym for something?

I had no idea, so I asked my trusty coach, Travis Jones. He says that the word spenst is Norwegian and there isn't really a direct English translation. Spen means tension, apparently. In general, spenst is explosive ski specific motions. So this video to follow does not represent spenst at all even though I titled it so...oops. We are technically doing plios in this video. Examples of spenst would be hill bounding and the such - later to come!

Another email question:

"I hear 'hup, hup' a lot in racing. What does it mean?"

As far as I know, hup is not a word. Definitely not an English one at least (and Trav says it isn't Norwegian either). Hup does have meaning though and is often used in cross-country skiing. If you are in a race and you hear a competitor say hup, it means get out of my track, I am going to pass you. If you hear it from someone on the side-lines, it means something like go, go! So it can be a cheer or a direction (as far as I know). International readers might be able to give us some more insite...

The video above was taken today, September 27th, outside of the Olympic Training Center, here in Lake Placid, NY (my residence for the next two weeks). The Sun Valley Olympic Development team is here for a sea-level training camp that will conclude with a freestyle roller ski time trial up the Whiteface memorial highway (bottom to top). Stay tuned for more camp updates. Nicole is here, along with new ITA teammates Caitlin and Brian. I think Torin will be here next week too so check their web logs for additional updates!

HYNDMAN

2008-09-16T15:00:00.003-06:00

Some say it is 11,939' tall but others claim it is the shortest of Idaho's 12,000s at 12,009'. I am not sure which it is, only that it was a long way to the top. It took us just under 3 hours to gain 5,000' vertical and about 2 to run back to the bottom. A good day, killer in fact. One of the nicer views from the office!

Looking over at the lost river range and Borah, ID's tallest peak

This time of year has me keeping the volume the same but adding in some harder efforts. Last week looked like this:

Monday, am - 4x4min race pace running intervals
pm - 2:30 double pole with some strength drills

Tuesday, am - 2:45 skate roll with 30min no poles
pm - general strength

Wed, am - run and spenst (explosive jumps, etc)
pm - off

Thurs, am - 3:15 classic roll with 45min no poles
pm - general stregth

Friday, am - skate intervals 5x7min
pm - classic roll with speed

Saturday, am - 3-hour run

Sunday, am - 3-hour run

Total hours: 22.5

Nicole, making her way down from Hyndman summit

I would not normally have two 3-hour runs, back to back, but sometimes you have to make things work. I was up at 6am, running in the frosty darkness, getting it done - sometimes that is the way it has to be.

Some of the natives in the Pioneer range

This week has less volume (12 hours) with 3 interval sessions. I fly east on Monday (Sept 22) for a 2-week, sea-level training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. Stay tuned for camp updates.

In other news, Main Street in Ketchum burnt. The building formerly known as Roddy's is where the blaze started before spreading to Sotheby's, Whiskey Jaques and The Sawtooth Club.

The roof of Whiskey's, removed by crane and set in the street

Video of the scene (not taken by me) in the right side bar...For a full size, click here

GET FIT

2008-08-28T23:39:00.007-06:00

The ’08 Games may have come to an end but 2010 is on the horizon. There are 3 months until the first Super Tour in West Yellowstone, MT, this year’s opening race.

The Sun Valley Olympic Development team's strength routine has been switched up a bit with the approaching competition season. The following video highlights some of the more dynamic exercises that focus on core-strength, stability and power.

Thanks to flip for the camera, Vasque for the shoes, Patagonia for the shorts and Travis for the plan. Livin’ it up!

KATEWHITCOMB.COM

2008-08-08T07:13:00.006-06:00

With the help of my friend at Boulder Nordic Sport, Nathan Schultz, katewhitcomb.com now brings you to this page too! I have had that domain for about two years but never really did anything with it... katewhitcomb.com should be easier for everyone to remember. Thanks Nathan! You can still navigate to this page from the original URL as well, fyi.

Recently on Fox News channel 31, Nathan participated in a roller ski interview and demonstration. Not all of you out there are roller skiing - this interview goes through Nordic walking too (increase your caloric burn 40-60% just by walking with poles). That is me, poles in hands, doing some intervals in Park City last September.

USST visits ODT

2008-08-04T10:39:00.012-06:00

For the past 10 days, the US Ski Team has been in Sun Valley, training with th ODT team. The following are the images that I captured throughout the camp.

Girls running past Twin Lakes (click image for full-size)

Sunday's 4-hour OD run. We started at Pedit Lake, ran up-valley past Alice Lake, Twin Lakes, over the saddle to Lake Toxaway, down to Yellowbelly Lake and jumped in! Game over, a good day!

Simi gettin' his combo distance in ;)

USST members on the jungle gym: Lindsay, Alexa, Noah, Morgan, Lindsey

A killer group of girls: Liz, Morgan, Nicole, Lindsay, Lindsey, Rebeca, Mali, Kate, Morgan

Boys mid-interval, followed by Pete: Matt, Simi, Noah

The little one, givin' a big effort and even bigger results. Go Liz!

Keep on keepin' on: train hard, sleep well, eat lots!
Morgan Smyth, one of the USST members, posted a camp review as well. Check out her site to read more (includes full camp training schedule).

WORKING OUT, OR MISSING OUT?

2008-07-17T13:18:00.008-06:00

After returning from a 2-hour run the other day I was stopped by my coach - “Kate, you should be wearing a water bottle with sport drink in it…”

I had gone early in the morning and run on a shaded trail, just so that I wouldn’t have to run with water bottle. How obnoxious is a bouncing bottle on your back that cuts into your waist and gives you a sweaty butt? I don’t know about you but I am NOT into it. Being the sassy athlete that I am, I asked why… In my own words (aided by Stanford), this was his response:

The body uses glucose to fuel muscle use. The body eats up the glucose in the blood first, which can easily be replaced by consuming simple carbohydrates like the sugar (found in sport drinks). Once these stores are depleted, the body gets into the liver glycogen stores. These take more time than a sip of sport drink to restore, which means recovering from the workout that depletes liver glycogen stores takes longer. Drinking sport drink apposed to water, decreases the risk of getting into these liver stores.

Kate, refueling prior to the 2006 Madison City Sprint

The purpose of a workout is to literally break muscles down so that they can heal better, stronger, faster, et cetera. If it is possible to speed up this recovery process…sign me up!

The moral: Deal with the tight, bouncing, swamp-ass encouraging bottle and make sure there is more than water in it. Water hydrates but does nothing to replenish glycogen.

We all know that athletes live penny to penny and that sport drink is expensive. Here is an at-home recipe for sport drink that contains everything that the leading brand has and costs pennies to the glass.

Katorade:

- 8 packs of sugar-free Kool-Aid
- 5 c. sugar
- 1T. Salt
- 1t. salt substitute

Ingredient breakdown (with help from Medicinenet): Sugar is a carbohydrate. The body turns sugar into glucose to feed its cells. Salt is sodium and chloride, aka the electrolytes that aid water absorption in the body, which is why salt makes you thirsty. Salt substitute tastes just like salt but is actually potassium (another electrolyte). Potassium regulates heart and muscle function. If you have ever had a muscle cramp or spasm, it was likely due to a potassium deficiency. The Kool-Aid is flavoring. I use Kool-Aid's "invisible flavors" because they don’t contain any coloring.

So now I know, and you do too.
Have fun mixing flavors, making your own sport drink and training right.

Reid Pletcher "sliding" into home in this afternoon's game of slip-n-slide whiffle ball (photo credit: Chris Holmquist)

LOTS OF LINKS

2008-06-27T12:32:00.010-06:00

Good afternoon sports fans!

I was able to join teammate, Nicole DeYong, on Wednesday to run a little XC YMCA adventure camp for 20 kids. We watched a short video that illustrated cross-country ski racing and cross-training and then did a Q&A with Fischer and Craft stickers for every good question asked (a good trick to get kids involved). Thanks for the shwag Fischer and Craft! Shown below, we then headed to the park for a bit of relay racing and tail tagging. MC Hammer seemed the perfect audio...all video taken by the kids. You can see Nicole's flip in some of the shots. The kids were running around with both of them having a blast!

THANKS FOR THE T-SHIRTS AMORY!!!

I have had a lot of flip video inquiries and know of at least 3 people who have purchased one after either seeing, using or hearing about mine. You guys are not going to be disappointed!

Here is a link to the flip site to read up on them. The one I have is only $149.99 and comes in a bunch of fun colors. It runs on 2 AA batteries, which means that you will never run out of juice if you have a spare in your pack! The USB connection flips out from the side of the camera (hence the name) so there is no cordage to lose and it doesn't need tapes or disks - it is all in-house. Dimensions are 2x4 inches and less than an inch thick, which is smaller than my little digital camera. I put it in my pocket on bike rides and in my water belt on runs and skis. You can't do that with a big camera.

Here is a link to my videos that I have produced so far.
Here is a link to an article on yours truly, on the NENSA site....thanks Lizzie!

Making dorky gestures across the finish line = getting in the paper, fyi.

Trying Triathalon

2008-06-23T17:39:00.004-06:00

This past Saturday, I headed up to Redfish Lake and entered my first triathlon. I did the sprint length (500m swim, 20mile bike and 5k run) and let me tell you, a lot of gear is needed to do one of these things...

Wet-suit, goggles, a bike, 2-pair of shoes, a helmet...not to mention all of the water bottles and what-not, piles of stuff everywhere...piles of everyone else's stuff everywhere...it was crazy...and I loved it.

I was in mountain bike shoes on a road bike, I swam in my surf wet-suit, biked in a sport-bra, ran in a bike jersey, forgot my number on the run...I was a mess and smiling like a fool the whole time.

Have you ever tried to run after being on a bike? ...try it - it's funny.

My friend Crist was kind enough to postpone his morning to take the reins on my flip video and document my swim and start of the bike...thanks man!

I finished in 3rd place out of 66 (1st female) with a time of 1:10:46 Full Results and now I am hooked. I have got to give props to my ITA teammate Sarah Groff for doing what she does.

Also shown in the video below - last week's Wednesday night Road & Dirt short-track bike race held in Hailey, ID. I do the 20-minute sport race for now but hope to move up with the big-dogs once I win the little sucker!

audio: Wyclef Jean featuring The Rock & Melky Sedeck - It Doesn't Matter

Home again, Home again...

2008-06-18T15:01:00.002-06:00

Back in K-town and Summer has finally showed up. The wild flowers are going OFF, and the dirt is PERFECT on the single-track! This is going to be a great training block.

I have an easy week to get back to routine with 14 hours, 1 set of intervals and a few fun races. Check back for the report on my first triathlon!

Shown below, one of our final workouts in Bend. We woke up early to hit the crust out around Broken Top mountain (9,152'). Visible in one of the pans are Middle and North Sisters, Washington, Jefferson and maybe Mt. Hood...we could see it that day but I am not sure if it made it into the shot.

Also pictured was my first run here in Ketchum since my return. I had envisioned more but my tri-pod broke on the first set-up and the batteries ran out soon after. I guess that is what I get for paying 99 cents on eBay.

Thanks to Vasque for the kicks, I am loving them! Thanks also to Danny and Michelle for letting the team use their car for our entire time in Bend! Gas is expensive - it was nice not to have to take the 15 passenger van all of the time. If you are in Bend, check out their store (my old place of employment), Pine Mountain Sports and say hi for me.

Maverick's

2008-06-13T19:34:00.004-06:00

I once believed that skiers were some of the more able-bodied group around. The Sun Valley ODT team watched a gang of kids trying to ride an artificial wave, here in Sun River, OR the other day and were all – “these guys are terrible,” and “this can’t be that hard.” We were fired up for our day off to prove our coordination.

Flip video w/ mini tripod (eBay, 99⊄) in tow, I was anticipating a sweet video.

After 2 hours, a bit of whiplash, some bruises, raspberries and broken egos we headed home with 2 hours worth of footage. The only shots that aren’t bloopers are of the kids that aren’t us…

Here she is, condensed to just over 2 minutes...

“I would be way better if I wasn’t so bad.”
“You just have to find the rhythm that doesn’t make you fall”
“I was psyched that one time you didn’t fall, but then you fell.”
“I felt like I was up for a lot longer…”

Tomorrow will feel great when we do something we are good at...ski!

*audio = forgive me, 4th diciple

Junuary

2008-06-11T17:27:00.002-06:00

Hello from Bend, Oregon, home of the Sun Valley Ski Education’s ODT team until the 15th of Junuary. It might be June, but it might be snowing on our workouts everyday too. Since we are skiing on Mount Batchelor, snow is something we are okay with right now so all is good.

This video is necessary to unload my flip for today’s off day. We are going surfing…room must be made available for the carnage!

This video includes: slack-lining, fun-n-games in the van using pickle juice, roller skiing, treadmill test (note the whip in the back, thanks for the motivation John), skiing, strength, lactate testing and playing video games…all to Otis Taylor’s Nasty Letter (Truth is not Fiction album).

INTERNATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR

2008-05-16T17:38:00.006-06:00

siblings Kate, Matt & Jake (circa 1985)

My big brother Matt, a coach for the US Ski team, was name the Cross Country International Coach of the Year by the United States Ski Association! Congratulations Matt!

Kate, Jake & Matt, 2000

TRAINING QUESTIONS

2008-05-14T08:22:00.005-06:00

I was recently asked the specifics of my current training and daily activities. Here is the dealie-yo…

I have 120 hours scheduled over the next 8-weeks (starting April 28th). The first two weeks were on-snow in British Columbia (30 hours). Activities during that camp included mostly skiing, strength and running.

The current 3-week training block (42 hours) is to be complete here, at home in Idaho. The skiing is not good enough to chase and so the training has shifted from skiing to roller skiing (yes it is true, I am roller skiing already). This how my week looks:

Mon: off, pm- core strength
Tues: double pole, pm- bike race
Wed: run and strength, pm- easy swim or spin
Thurs: L3 roller intvls (skate), pm- run+core strength
Fri: run and strength, pm- off
Sat: hill climb (bike race), pm - recovery swim
Sun: OD combo workout (run/roll)

I am currently nursing an achilles injury. As it heals, I will start to run more but I am keeping it short and easy with plenty of time between runs right now.

illustration (note the TV in the trash!) by a young friend of mine, KT

The next two-week block (37 hours) will be on-snow in Bend, Oregon for our second team camp of the year. Scheduling will depend on snow conditions, however I imagine that we will be skiing in the mornings and running or alternative conditioning in the afternoons.

The last week (14 hours) of said 8-week block will be back in Ketchum, Idaho. I am shooting for a full achilles recovery by this time and will be doing a significant amount of running and bounding. This is what this 8th week might look like:

Mon: 2:00 double pole,
pm- 1:30 run, :45 strength
Tues: 2:00 rollerski w/ specific strength and speed
Wed: 2:00 run, :45 core strength
pm- short-track mtn. bike race 1:00
Thurs: 2:00 hill bounding intvls
Fri: easy recovery run 1:00, prep for race
Sat: Red Fish Lake Triathlon, Olympic dist.
Sun: easy recovery spin or off

_________________

What was the game you were playing in the video with the blue/green tube - was it a kids toy or a training tool used to improve reaction time? Do you do any training exercises for increasing reaction time?

The game we were playing is called Elefun (elephant + fun...it should be Elephun maybe) and is made for kids aged 3-5. It is not for training, just for fun.

We do reaction time drills, but they are generally more specific. Some of our speeds begin from a standstill, which simulates a start. We have someone else do the countdown to mimic the gun going off without the sprinter knowing when. There are more roller ski drills and lots on foot that are helpful and really fun...maybe those will compile a future video.

Thanks for the inquiries, keep them coming!

MAY 8TH: STILL SKIING

2008-05-08T23:47:00.005-06:00

The snow is still holding strong and we have yet to get rained on (knocking on wood as I type)! As you will see in the video, the venue is pretty sweet with some great terrain. This is the 2010 Olympic venue and we are skiing on the trails and courses that will be used for the Vancouver Games. Pretty cool to think about!

I caught and released a bird and a mouse, on separate occasions today from one of the wax rooms. I felt like Snow White. I don’t know that I have ever held a wild bird in my hands before – it was so little and light. I don’t know what kind it was other than small and gray with a little yellow on his head…just the cutest little sucker. I wish I had video of the little guy.

*music overlay: Lily Allen

The double pole video is from a sprint TT that the boys (USST and SV) did on Monday. My flip ran out of batteries (after lasting through the first 4 videos!) which is why there is not footage of the heats…sorry.

New faces on the team this year include Travis Jones (TJ), our new coach and Willie Neil (Princesa), the newest post-graduate and future Midd-kid.

Welcome to both - I love you already!

SV TO BC: a great day of travel

2008-05-04T22:44:00.004-06:00

May 1: Sun Valley Olympic Development Team (SVODT) started the drive from Ketchum, Idaho to Whistler, BC Canada (the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games) for the first on-snow camp of 2008-2009 ski year.

The weather has been ideal and the venue in excellent condition! The following is flip video of our travel up here. More to come from the camp soon! Check out fellow SVODT and ITA teammate, Nicole De Yong's web log for more video of the camp.

3,000' to the top

2008-04-30T18:08:00.006-06:00

I recently irritated my Achilles tendon, skinning up 3,000’ of vertical here in Ketchum, Idaho. Apparently hiking isn’t ALWAYS good for you.

The upside to this injury is that when I am not in spandex or running shoes, I am usually in heels (stick with me here, I promise this is relevant). Wearing heels, although bad for posture, walking the dog, training for the Olympics, et cetera is really helpful when you irritate certain muscles and tendons. Wearing a heel gives the Achilles tendon a chance to rest since it is in a shortened state - apposed to when your foot is flat to the ground, the Achilles is engaged…you dig? So I just want to throw it out there: If Christian Louboutin happens to be looking for an American endurance athlete to sponsor, I am ready and willing. I will sign in ink today!

Louboutin heels shown, priced at $710 USD. To covet is one of the seven deadly sins but in this case, I think it is better to covet than to purchase!

The video below is from said assent; the final day of play before the real training began.

*Danny Walton is the other kid in the video. He is a sick-nasty dude with some killer moves. I am slowly learning from him. He has different sponsors than I have. I apologize for conflicting brands - I tried to make it clear who was on what so that everyone could get a piece of the action. Any questions, requests for future videos, articles or suggestions, please comment!

**Note the Scarpa boots that I am rockin’ circa 1993...if anyone out there has any clout with a telemark boot brand, I would REALLY like a new pair of free-heels (in addition to the aforementioned HIGH heels).

An eleven year-old once told me she was confused. She didn't know if she wanted to be a tom-boy or a girly-girl. My answer: Have it AND eat it; be both!

Off to Canada in the morning for the first on-snow camp at the 2010 Olympic venue. More from across the border.

5TH GRADE CHAOS

2008-04-25T16:05:00.006-06:00

I was in with the 5th graders again today during a special lunch. Party Mom brought in a healthful homemade meal for everyone and the kids had their first encounter with the flip video camera!

This little sucker is incredible! It is the size of a cell phone and has about 4 buttons. I handed it to one 10 year-old and didn't even have to show her how to use it - she looked at me like I was the silly one when I tried to tell her that the red button was to stop and start recording. Of course it is...

The following video is the remainder of today's lunch and first part of recess, captured entirely by students under the age of 12. Note the section in the middle where I get yelled at by the teacher for encouraging kids to use balls in the classroom.

Thanks Professor Stansberry for letting me come make complete chaos of your classroom time and time again ~ I think I enjoy it more than the kids.

I am still trying to figure out how to download audio so I have put this video to a bit of Fiasco for the time being. Let me know what you think!

Skiing to Crue

2008-04-24T22:22:00.006-06:00

The entire ITA gang recently received flip video cameras (stay tuned for visual updates from all ITA athletes), thanks Amory and flip!

Here is my first attempt to make my life look cooler than it probably is...I don't think Nikki Sixx would be very proud. If you don't know that I am a dork already, here is your first warning and proof to back it up!

I am having fun, are you?