I just arrived home from West Yellowstone a couple days ago. We raced three races at over 7000 feet elevation. It was great conditions with cool weather over night and highs around -2 degrees Celsius.
The first day was a 1.4km classic sprint along a fairly flat course. For myself, this acted as sort of a warm up race. It felt like my body was trying to get in the grove of racing and going as hard as it could. I placed near the middle of the field, so not too bad for a double pole sprint.
After a delicious US Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night, Friday brought the 10km skate. This went quite a bit better for me. I felt like I had a lot of power climbing the hills, but had a little bit of trouble skiing big and powerful on the gradual downhills. I finished the race in 19th spot, and 4th U23.
By Saturday the fatigue of racing at altitude for a week was starting to set in. My body felt exhausted during the warm up for the 5km classic. I gave it all I had and just barely missed top 40, coming in 41st. Despite the fact, I was only 1 1/2 minute off of first, which isn't too bad.
All in all it was a great weekend with over 400 racers competing! The rest of the team did quite well with a couple top 5's and a Gold Medal form Madeleine Williams on Saturday! Way to go guys!
My body is still getting itself back into race shape. I'm sure the next few weeks will only get better for me. It feels great to be back on the race trails giving it everything I got.
The race season is coming fast. Just over three weeks away!
Wow where has all that time gone? Well I guess you could say I spent the majority of it training.
The summer went great. We had two major camps, one being at the Haig Glacier in July, and the other in Whistler, BC in mid August. During this time I pushed myself to new levels getting the most out of every training session that I could. As a team, everyone is working really well together pushing one another to reach their limits. I know I made some pretty big gains because of it, and I think everyone else has too.
Here is quick video to show some of the things we accomplished during those months.
In September we had a small break, where I was able to enjoy a short vacation in the Oakanagan in BC. I soaked up a little sun, played a little golf, and sipped a tiny bit of wine…
By the end of September I was back at it, feeling refreshed. We had a small training camp in Lake Louise at the beginning of October. That got us all back in the rhythm of things, ready to push for the last couple months leading into race season.
Working on my double polling on the Banff/Jasper Highway Academy U23 and Junior Girls pose in our Icebreaker during our 3 hour run along the Iceline Trail in Yoho Park
In mid October, the Alberta World Cup Academy completed the second and final week of testing for the year. The idea was that we would complete the same tests that we ran in mid June and hope to see improvements in all our results after all the hard work we put in during the summer.
Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) Christmas came early! We got snow!!! On October 8th, Canmore received a fairly decent sprinkle of snow, followed by a week or so of cold weather with daily highs below zero. This allowed for the Canmore Nordic Centre to open a 400m loop on October the 13th. Sweet!
Skiing on the golf course October 9th!! Teammates skiing on the small loop in mid October
**See previous post for more info on testing**
Surprisingly that small loop at the Nordic Centre is still holding strong. The temperatures are continuing to drop as we move into winter. Soon enough there should be a good-sized racing loop to compete and train on. Lake Louise (about an hour drive away) is also in prime condition at the moment, and the snow seems to keep on dumping as the weeks go by.
So how are the first few months of racing going to look for me?
Nov 25th, 27th 28th - I head to West Yellowstone, Montana for some Super Tour races Dec 5,6th- in Canmore for some Alberta Cup races (training races) Dec 12th, 13th- head to Vernon for Olympic Trial races Dec 20th, 22nd- back to Canmore for more Olympic Trial races Jan 2nd, 3rd and 5th- to Quebec for World U23 trial races
then... to be determined.
At the moment I am feeling strong. I am anxious to get out on the race trails and see how fast I can go. My preparation for this year couldn’t have been any better, and I feel ready to put myself to the test.
So hang tight. The excitement will be coming soon!
Here is a quick promotional video for the Alberta World Cup Cross-Country event held at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Just to get the adrenaline pumping a bit. ;)
Last week, the Alberta World Cup Academy completed the second and final week of testing for the year.
The idea was that we would complete the same tests that we ran in mid June and hope to see improvements in all our results after all the hard work we put in during the summer.
Unfortunately (or rather fortunately) Christmas came early! We got snow!!! On October 8th, Canmore received a fairly decent sprinkle of snow, followed by a week or so of cold weather with daily highs below zero. This allowed for the Canmore Nordic Centre to open a 400m loop on October the 13th. Sweet!
But because of the weather, the road quickly became covered in ice and gravel, which caused us to cancel the two roller ski tests. The team still completed the VO2 treadmill and body composition test based at TCR Sport Lab in Calgary. And we replaced the Uphill skate Time Trial with an uphill running time trial.
The VO2 went well, with positive improvements from everyone on the team, and some pretty noteworthy results from a few members.
A few words from coach Mike, "I wanted to acknowledge the excellent results we say in the lab the last few day. These tests usually confirm what we see in the field everyday, but sometimes you (the athletes) exceed our expectations."
On Sunday we completed the uphill running time trial. The men ran 7.5 km, starting along the river and running up along Spray Lakes road to the top of the pass by the dam. The woman ran a 5km course, which started a little further up then the men and ended in the same place. I’m not sure if you are familiar with Canmore or not, but this meant that it was pretty much all uphill. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty challenging. Considering this was the first time completing this test, I think it went pretty well... personal bests for everyone!
For myself, coming out of a bit of a difficult year of training and racing in 2007, testing has been nothing but steady improvements over the last two years. It’s extremely motivating when you see vast improvements like when your VO2 max score jumps by six or seven points, or cutting minutes off your time trial results. With nothing but positive feedback, training seems easy and fun.
Eventually you reach a point when those big leaps start to become smaller and harder to achieve. Approaching testing week this fall, I was aware that this would be the case. All of a sudden cutting ten seconds off my uphill time trial became a lot more challenging then the minutes I shaved off a year ago. Making an improvement in my VO2 max felt like I would have to run like a super woman. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing, it just means that I am that much closer to being the best athlete I can be. Right now I feel better then ever, and can’t wait to compete this winter.
Racing is just around the corner so we need to make sure that we stay focused through the last and most difficult months of preparation. I know everyone on this team has worked hard all summer and should all be psyched to see some pretty steller performances this season. I know I am!
Here’s a final pep talk from Coach Mike:
“It has been a great working with all of you over the past 6 months and it is obvious all of you have made some excellent gains in fitness. The next 2 months will be some of the hardest months and will require everyone to work hard on recovery and coping with the constant uncertainty of weather and skiing.
Work hard, rest well and enjoy the process – focus on getting the most out of every training session and you will be excited about the outcome.”
I apologize for the long leave of absence. Lets see, where did I leave off… Right, got back from Sweden at the end of April. AMAZNG trip!
Since then I had a couple weeks of living like a normal person which included 3 solid days of sleep, and then another week of a little partying and more lying around the house.
On May 5th I took off to Kamloops and managed to get a short week of mountain biking in. It was a lot of fun and nice to have a change of sport for a bit.
Then On May 10th I went right into my first on snow camp in Sliver Star, BC. Just to clarify, I am once again training with the Alberta World Cup Academy for the year. It worked out great for me last year, so I am very excited that I get the opportunity once again. This year the team has expanded to 20 people!
Silver Star had superb conditions, and much to my surprise I wasn’t all that sick of skiing, and compared to the previous year I was in a LOT better shape!
For the last month or so I’ve mostly been hanging around Canmore, getting back into training with a little bit of work thrown in at a local outdoor shop. I’ve also had some fun “playing” in the Rocky Mountains, which included a lot of mountain biking and some rock climbing as well. I still can't believe how much I love living out here. The things you can do are endless and it is absolutely gorgeous!
This week we will be completing testing and setting the ground for how the next few months will play out. I will look at my weaknesses and figure out what will be the best way to improve.
Thank you to the Following People for their Generous Financial Donation to help Brooke and I go to Scandinavia:
Carignan Mechanical: Rene Carignan Jamie Coatsworth Dieter Kromm Angus Cockney Jamie and Sharon Cuthill: Valhalla Pure Outfitters John Easton Wes Hewitt Janet and Ed Lightner from the Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham, Washington Sian and Angus Leyshon-Doughty
Thank you to the following People, Companies and Stores who generously gave us items for our Silent Auction and Raffle Fundraiser:
The Bicycle Café, Canmore: Jay Lush, Banff: Jenn Nicholls Unlimited, Canmore: Dave Carlson Icebreaker Merino Wool: Louis Julien-Roy Salomon Sports: Phil Villneuve Trail Sports, Canmore: John Gallagher Vallhalla Pure, Canmore: Jamie O’Canada Soap Company, Canmore Canmore Eagles, Canmore: Marshall Kennedy Monod Sports, Banff: Philip Monod Lululemon, Banff: Michelle Oszust Fast Trax, Edmonton: Jack Cook Canmore Nordic Centre: Magi Scallion Life Sport, Calgary: Norm Person Alpine Helicopters Ltd, Canmore Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge: Chandra Crawford for all the sweet autographed swag Ultimate Ski and Ride, Banff
Thank you the to the following People who have provided their time to helping us with our fundraising efforts to get to Scandinavia
Ken and Raylene Hewitt for helping us with organizing all of our events and making sure we executed them properly! Pate Newman and Thompson D’Hont for helping us set up our Silent Auction Greg Thompson from Canmore Nordic for helping us with our Silent Auction at the Western Canadian Championships Mike Carleton of Rocky Mountain Racers for helping us with our Raffle
As you can see there are a lot of people that made this trip happen. Words cannot express how amazing it was to receive such an overwhelming amount of support!
Please feel free to read the previous posts on our stories and updates from the trip.
I have been home for almost a week now, finished up my course at U of C, which included a final exam, and then had a couple days to crash. But I figured it was time to write a final update on the trip.
Bruksvallarna was our final weekend of racing in Scandinavia. One sign that my body is getting tired is the fact that I can’t seem to stay on my feet. It seemed to be a common theme throughout the weekend for me, so I was a bit relieved that these were the final races of the season.
Friday he 24th was the skate sprint. Lucky guess, I fell in the qualifier, putting me in last place. Then I was knocked out right away in the first heat. Brooke on the other hand fought hard that day and managed to come in 5th place!
Next up was the 26km loppet. At that point I was digging deep to try and find every last bit of energy I had left. The race started out well. I stuck with the lead pack for the first 8km or so, and even took the lead for a short period of time. And then just prior to the 3km uphill climb there was a feed station. I attempted to grab a drink, and on my third try my ski somehow got caught in the snow on the side of the trail and I did full on face plant right into the bank.
I got up as quickly as I could but the group was already a good distance away. Normally I think I would have been able to catch up to the pack, as climbing tends to be my strong point. But my legs just weren’t feeling it that day and it was all I could do to make it up that hill. I finished the race in 11th place, and Brooke was 4th.
That’s it, last race of the season, we were done! Time to chill out in the sun and drink a beer on the porch.
The team, (back left to right, front left ot right) Dylan, Pete, Andy, Gord, Brooke, Liza, Me
Okay… I kinda lied… There was another race on Sunday as well. One were you were required to wear helmets and rip down a hill as fast as you can. I think it took about 5min on average to complete the course. Kids from about 8 years old all the way up to senior men and women competed in this event.
Some of those kids were crazy! Maybe being lower to the ground helps, but they just tucked and went! I couldn’t believe it. They were flying down the course at top speed. And yes, I competed as well… but guess what? I fell.
The top five in each category then went on to compete in the “knollcross heats”. Which was like a downhill sprint course with lots of sharp turns and jumps.
To finish it off, it was a long month with lots of travel and lots of racing. I think more then anything, this trip really opened my eyes to how hard and fast I need to be pushing myself. Those girls lay everything down on the race course at every chance they get, and I think that is key to succeeding in this sport. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.
A HUGE Thank you to everyone who helped us get here, and a special thanks to Peter Phillips who made it all happen.
“Do what you love, and love what you do”, and that is exactly what this trip was for me.
Photo of Stockholm where we visited on our last evening in Sweden.
I love Sweden! We arrived to sunny Bruksvallarna yesterday. It is absolutely spectacular! Erik Nilsson, former assistant coach of Callahan Valley took us on a tour today. I have never had better crust skiing in my life! Its like skiing on top of the world. There are no words to describe it, so here are a few photos:
View from our dinning area. The food is AMAZING!
Erik, Liza, and Brooke
A small portion of the 3km climb in the 26km loppet we are racing on Saturday
Our last three competitions have been north right along the border between Sweden and Finland. We competed in three different locations, Tornio, Pello, and Yllas. The first two were skate races and the last was a classic, each 5km long.
The first day was a fast rolly course. With over 600 competitors (including every age class) our category did not start until late in the afternoon, and by that time the track was completely glazed almost like ice. It was a tough race. You had to push on every single inch of that course, while being powerful and strong. I felt pretty good. My result wasn’t great as I was almost 1.5 minutes back, but I learned a lot and think I know where I needed to improve. Brooke, on the other hand had a pretty good race. She was only 23sec off the winner putting her in 5th place for the day.
Next up was the race in Pello. It was an awesome course with lots of climbing through trees and fast downhills and corners. My legs weren’t quite up to par that day and about 20m off the start line they started to burn. Never the less, I fought my way through the rest of the course, finishing again in almost 1.5 minutes back. Brooke placed 6th that day, 33sec back.
Easter Sunday was in Yllas. To our surprise some of the best racers in the world decided to show up to this race. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, who was a medalist at world champs this year was among them. I pushed as hard as I could. We had awesome grip, but I think were a little slow on the glide. I finished 3.5 minutes back, followed closely by Brooke. We essentially raced the best in the world after completing two races beforehand, so I don’t think we can be too hard on ourselves.
Its been a lot of travel and racing, but I am still enjoying every minute of it. Every race is like a battle where you are fighting for every second. I am really learning how to push my body to the max, and I think by continuing to do that it will get me closer to reaching my goals.
Tomorrow we have a long drive to Bruksvalarna, where we have our final two races. These races should be well attended and sounds like a lot of fun too, so stay tuned.
I’ll wrap it up with some pics and thoughts of Finland.
Gord, skiing through the lap lane on Saturday
Go Canada!
Brooke's friend, Pirkko came down from Rovinimi to visit for a couple days
Pirkko, Liza (who joined us a couple days ago originally form the US) and Brooke on the ski trails in Pello
I arrived in Stockholm on Tuesday evening and drove to a town called Gavle, the “feather-tree-town”. I went for a jog late that night to get the stiffness out of my legs from a long day/night of travel. It was a cute town from what I could see in the dark, and all the trees were decorated with pink and yellow feathers, hence the name. Half way through the run I found myself with a big smile across my face. Being in another country that was new and unfamiliar was like a breath of fresh air.
The next day was a 9 hour drive up the north cost to a town called Pitea. Peter managed to get us some pretty cheap accommodation from a local friend who runs a ski site (not the one we raced at). It was a small “cabin” right on the trails, which turned out to be quite a bit smaller then we had originally thought. It may not have been a four star resort, but once we got settled in, it started to feel a little more like home. It also had a small kitchen where we were able to cook all our own meals, which was nice.
Giant Bridge we drove over on our way to Pitea
Dylan, Brooke and the kiwi (Andy) infront of our ski chalet
Okay, now to the racing.
April 4th, and 5th were the final races of the “InterSport Cup” series in Sweden (kinda like the NorAm series in Canada). It was a two-day pursuit. A 3km skate race on Saturday, followed by a 10km classic race on Sunday, where you start with the same time back from the leader as you finished in Saturdays race.
The course was a lot of fun. It was really similar to Canmore with a lot of steep hills including a 44m climb and fast turning downhills. There was a ton snow with a small dump of fresh snow the day before the race. Temperatures were about –5˚C at night with highs of around 2˚C during the day, which kept the snow hard and dry.
The Climb (pictures always seem deceiving)
I placed 22nd after the first day and finished 20th on the second day… but in truth that was 4th last and 3rd last respectively. I could give you a number of excuses like the fact that we had just gotten off the plane 3 days earlier, which may or may not have something to do with it. But truth is those girls were fast!
I don’t think I could have raced any faster then I did on those days. The classic race was probably one of my best classic races of the season. Skiing in Europe is a real eye opener and I think this is exactly what I needed. Racing here makes me realize just how fast I need to be racing in order to compete with the best in the world. A few of the girls I raced against here are constantly top 30 on the World Cup circuit including one, Charlotte Kalla that can win a medal on any given day.
All I can really look at are the positive sides of this. These girls get to race against each other all season and are constantly pushing one another to their limits. Its no wonder that they can produce so many athletes that are competitive on the world cup. And I know that the more I race against them the faster I will be as well.
Gord Jewitt and Brooke Gosling ready to race Saturday morning Gord Jewitt powering out of the start line, and finishing an impressive 15th that day!
Once we are settled in and finally over jet leg, I think my racing will improve over the next couple weeks. Today Brooke and I are taking it easy and exploring around the town of Pitea. Tomorrow we are going to visit some kids a local ski school, and then having dinner with a local ski family in the evening.
