What’s Up?

Cross training

There are a lot of benefits to cross training for skiing. One of these benefits is new routes and views! Running and biking are pretty easy to do around Craftsbury so I try to do that a lot as the fall rolls around and the leaves start to change. This fall had some pretty spectacular weather for Vermont so I tried to spend as much time enjoying it as I could. Of course along with training I also had to have plenty of pumpkin spice lattes and homemade apple cider for the full fall experience! (September 2023)

Soaking up time in Vermont

This place is my home base, but I don’t spend nearly as much time as I would like to here. Training is spectacular, the views are great, and the community is unmatched. To get the most out of my time at home I tried to pack in all sorts of activities like swimming in local rivers and lakes, coaching kids in biking, and enjoying backyard campfires. It is also nice to get into a rhythm of being settled in one place rather than traveling. (August 2023)

Fun racing

I can’t stay away from racing- even if its a different kind thank skiing. The Beer Mile World Champs were held in Chicago this year, so I went along with my GRP teammate Michaela who raced as her ‘manager’. I’m not sure I could even finish 4 beers and 4 laps of a track in any amount of time, so was very impressed by all the racers. There were so many people there!

To get in my own fix of racing, the Shoreline Sprint rollerski races were held the following week in Wisconsin so I headed over there to have some good intensity. Thanks to OutThere Nordic for putting on the event, and to Madshus and FinnSisu for sponsoring it! (July 2023)

Project X

US Biathlon has created a program to introduce cross-country skiers into the sport of biathlon. As I am still fairly new to biathlon, I am a part of this group which spent a week at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. We had the opportunity to work with USBA National Team coaches on skiing and shooting, and participated in some VO2 testing on a ski treadmill. This camp provided a us a good sense of what a full week of biathlon training is like. I really enjoyed having meals with the national team and hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. Check out this article about the program! (June 2023)

My life is cool

This is something I think about quite often. I get to travel around the country and world while staying very fit around a lot of great people. To kick off this year of training, the GRP headed out to Bend, Oregon for some early on snow time. This is a productive way to get back in shape with most of the other domestic teams and get super excited for the training season ahead. We did lots of technique work, distance, and a couple speed sessions. (May 2023)

On the move

I took a little break from skiing this month to relax and refresh after the season. It’s really nice to have a whole month to basically do whatever I want- in this case see friends and family who don’t live in Vermont. To do so I went to Minnesota, Colorado, and Arizona! These places all had people to fill up my social cup. I also really enjoyed doing different sports than I’m used to like tennis, frisbee, hiking, and rock climbing. Staying active while letting my body rest is a tricky balance and these new sports and an easy way to do so. (April 2023)

Craftsbury is the BEST!

After a long season of racing all around the country and world, it was very nice to have SuperTour Finals in my home of Craftsbury. It was comforting to be able to relax a little more as everything was familiar. I know the trails very well which I think helped with the home course advantage, leading to multiple podiums for me and the same went for my GRP teammates! One highlight was doing a 44k classic race, around an 11k loop (out on Ruthies for those who know the Craftsbury trail system). This race was pretty tough due to its length and the waxing, but I liked doing the classic technique for this longer race when I am used to skating the marathons. After a successful season, it is time for a big break from ski racing! (March 2023)

On the fly

Six races in eight days is a great way to learn quickly in biathlon. I competed at the last IBU Cups in Canmore, Canada, and due to frigid temperatures the two weeks of racing were condensed into one. I began to learn about adapting for wind during shooting while doing race prep, got in a Curling 101 session during an off day, and met many athletes from other countries. Of course I also figured out how to race biathlon a little better. The week flew by, with so much going on and I am happy to have many takeaways and new friends. One interesting thing I found was how much hungrier I got than in cross-country skiing. This is because biathlon takes a lot more brain power, which requires extra fuel. Thankfully I had lots of energy bars from The Feed to keep me going throughout each race! (February 2023)

Taking opportunities

My life has been go go go recently! I started the new year in Houghton, MI at US Nationals for skiing. It was fun to be at this venue I spent so much time racing at in high school. Racing was competitive, but the best thing that happened was skiing with a coyote during one of the races! I also shipped over to Switzerland to compete in the Open European Championships for biathlon. What an experience! There are so many more things to think about with this sport, and it was a little overwhelming at times, but I had fun. Looking forward to trying it a little more. (January 2023)

Fresh Start

I’ve started my 22/23 racing season, and it’s been great! (Check out the Newsroom tab for results) Though I have ski raced for many years, and the SuperTour circuit is similar to last year, I have found ways to keep things interesting. When skiing downhills during practice, I work on my Tele turns. Biathlon is also a new(?) sport I picked up. While I’ve practiced shooting with my teammates during the summer, I haven’t skied with a rifle much. It was fun to do something new while still maintaining familiarity with skiing. Turns out I have some talent here, and qualified for some races in Europe! (December 2022)

Prep for winter

You can have 4 pairs of skis and have a full Madshus fleet. Is it really that hard to believe? For any level of skier it can be confusing to make sense of flex, camber, grind, model, etc. when it comes to skis. I was offered the opportunity to speak at a Madshus event talking about skis. Participants learned how 4 pairs of Madshus skis can be a complete fleet, what makes up a pair of skis, and how the testing process works. I was able to provide my knowledge and experience from years of using Madshus gear, and also learned some things from listening to ski shop employees. Overall this event was beneficial to everyone involved! Check out madshus.com to learn about these skis for yourself! (September 2022)

Ride o’clock

Now that I’ve been a member of the GRP for a couple of years I know the drill. This is a nice feeling so I understand the training and how my body will feel, but it also leaves me without anything new. To fill the absence of something new, I’ve been enjoying making improvements to my mountain biking. At the beginning of the summer training period I made it a goal to get out for a ride at least once a week and I plan to stick to it. It’s great to have teammates who also like biking and are willing to encourage me, and great trails right outside my door. Volunteering with the weekly children’s bike club and with women’s beginner bike clinics have made me realize the huge gains I’ve already made to be in a coaching position with this sport relatively new to me. (June 2022)

Merry-Go-Round

Here we go again! Back to Vermont and the start of training. I spent a lot of the training prep time doing 30-minute workouts I found on YouTube so it has been a shock to the system when I start rollerskiing for 2 hours. It’s not all work though, which leaves plenty of time for fun!

The fun in question here is of course spending time with my friends. It is great to see my teammates again, as well as those scattered around the east coast. So far I’ve been camping and took a trip to Boston. (May 2022)

Recovery

Whew! That was one big season. After wrapping up racing in Whistler, Canada, I headed home to Minnesota to spend time with my family. This definitely worked up my appetite which lead to many great home cooked meals.

I also enjoyed playing with the cat as usual, touring around the Twin Cities, and backpacking! (April 2022)

Pasta-tively good skiing!

This has got to be my favorite trip of the season. I had the opportunity to represent the USA at the OPA Cup Finals in Sappada, Italy. These were the last races of the European domestic circuit and were a great international debut for my ski career. Some highlights were delicious two course meals for every lunch and dinner, beautiful Dolomite mountains all around, and ski trails everywhere. Also, the trailside coffee shops for a mid ski cappuccino! The races were a great learning experience, to see how the Europeans compete in a more aggressive and technical manner. Now I know what to work on for next year! (March 2022)

Birkie Fever

Being someone from the Midwest, it is my right of passage to do the American Birkebeiner. This race is 50 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin and people from all over the country and world come to take part. I’ve heard all about the grueling race, amazing trails, and stiff competition for my entire ski career, but never had the chance to check it out for myself, until this year.

I lined up at the start with my competitors after an exciting and nervous feeling warmup, and took off. Through the race I tried to hang on to the lead pack of women, who kept a strong and relaxed pace. I had to use a water belt and drink on the go, experiencing frozen bottles and dropping bars throughout the over two hour race. Eventually I found myself alone on the trails, and had to push so hard to keep getting one foot in front of the other. With a few kilometers to go, I used my last bit of energy to pick up the pace, and cruised to the finish. Although there weren’t any of my competitors around to make an exciting sprint, I felt amazing on the final stretch due to the loud cheers coming from the huge crowd! Though it was a hard race, it was so much fun and something I am glad to have experienced. I already have Birkie Fever for next year! (February 2022)

Seeing friends!

Here come my first SuperTour races as a professional skier! Check out the results in the Newsroom tab.

Aside from the exciting racing in Duluth and Cable, I was happy to be in the Midwest for almost a month! With that came lots of family time, and time with friends. I was able to catch up with many hometown homies, while doing my best to keep everyone safe from illness. This took some warm clothes and creative ideas, but outdoor bonfires, walks, and trips to the zoo were in plenty.

Then, a number of friends made the trip to Duluth to watch me race! This was pretty special, and I definitely had the biggest group of fans (December 2021)

Working on the final touches

The US SuperTour circuit begins in early December so now is the time to dial in everything. This includes endurance, speed, technique, and recovery. That’s a lot for one month, but I think I can fit it all in. I’ll break it down for you.

Endurance- start doing a little faster workouts (Level 4) to be able to go sustain pace over a long time.

Speed- really focusing on turnover skiing (going through each poling motion quicker)

Technique- dialing in some little changes so I have time to make it a habit before racing

Recovery- just like it sounds… making sure my body is antsy to race (November 2021)

Utah

Here I go with another training trip. This time to Park City, Utah. With a high elevation (7000’) I was exposing my body and lungs to lower oxygen density which can help with training. Even after easy workouts I was breathing pretty heavily, feeling like I had just done intervals. This trip helped me understand how my body adjusts to altitude and will be useful as I start having races in similar conditions.

Other than training, I was able to enjoy the beautiful mountain views and shop at the local outlet mall in town! (October 2021)

World Travel

What is crucial to a skier? Skiing of course! My Green Racing Project teammates and I took a trip over the pond to Oberhof, a small town in Germany to ski in a snow tunnel. This place is a year round refrigerated hallway just over 1 kilometer long with artificial snow just for skiing! Getting on snow in September helps to transfer technique changes from summer rollerskiing to on-snow feel. Other than skiing related things, I learned a lot- from how to travel internationally on a ski trip, to the fact that I need to work on my German speaking. Check out my GRP blog here for a little more about the trip. (September 2021)

Graduation

Finally! UVM welcomed 2020 graduates back to campus for an in-person celebration. Even with a shortened ceremony it was pretty special to be able to celebrate with my classmates a year and a half after being sent home at the beginning of the pandemic.

My favorite part was seeing many of my old roommates, teammates, and friends all in the same place once again! I also took a walk to Church Street, the Lake Champlain waterfront, and to a few of my favorite cafes and restaurants remembering all the fun I had in college. Thanks UVM and Burlington for a great 4 years. (August 2021)

Wedding Season

I was able to sneak away from Craftsbury for a weekend, and go to Michigan for my cousin’s wedding. It was the first time seeing a lot of my extended family members in about a year and a half so it was like a mini family reunion. I always enjoy going to my family member’s homes because it brings back old memories from childhood Thanksgiving.

The wedding was very nice, and we had a lot of fun dancing, playing games, and catching up with each other. (July 2021)

Seeing friends, finally!

Now that many COVID restrictions have lifted I have been able to get out and explore Vermont and beyond. And that means seeing friends from college as well as new sights. Who knew there was so much to do within a short driving distance? So far I have been to the White Mountains in New Hampshire a couple times and to central Vermont, all new to me. One of my goals this summer is to get out of Craftsbury at least once a week, whether that means somewhere far or near, I’m excited to have something to look forward to outside of training! (June 2021)

Skiing, finally

Vermont got a few inches of snow here and there earlier this season, but the beginning of December is when the Craftsbury Outdoor Center finally started making and grooming a loop for good skiing. The GRP did some self timed hard efforts to practice racing in a safe way. I’ve gotten used to skiing in loops and enjoy getting to work on my transitions. (Dec 2020)

Team Bonding

I have been living and training with many of the same people since June, but this month I think we all connected on a deeper level. Going into the winter we are excited for snow and skiing, while enjoying time together before many leave for winter racing for training. I especially enjoyed our Friendsgiving, where were each made a dish. Living with so many people makes for a big dinner table! (Nov 2020)

Home Sweet Home

Vermont is such a cool state, except for one thing… my family isn’t around! At the beginning of the month I took 10 days off of my normal schedule to head home to Minnesota. I went camping with my family at Carley State Park, hiked with friends at Bean and Bear Lakes on the Superior Hiking Trail, and spent many afternoons playing with the family cat, Fuzzy! (Sept 2020)

Hiking the Long Trail

The Long Trail is a continuous trail from the northern VT border to the southern VT border. Craftsbury is near the northern sections of this trail, and I like to take full advantage of its convenient location by hiking parts of it as a long distance workout. (July 2020)