Last Races of the Season! Still lots of Energy!!!

This time of year has traditionally been tough for me. I am usually pretty tired and each races presents a new opportunity, yet my body never seems ready for action. This year has been totally different! My energy and enthusiasm has been through the roof and I am very excited about each race and the challenge it brings.

Tomorrow is no exception. It is the final race of the Super Tour Finals and that means that it is an uphill skate race!!! Two of my favorite types of skiing :)

As the season draws to an end I am almost sad rather than relieved like most of my competitors. I am not sure if my happiness is because I am fresher than other years, having not started training until August, or because Brian and I have become experts at living on the road!!!

I have spent less then 2 weeks at home since Finals Week last August and as much as I want to go home with Brian by my side it never feels like I am sacrificing any other part of my life.

As the season draws to a close I think back to the awesome accomplishments, journeys and people Brian and I have experienced throughout the past year.

Although we did not get married, buy a house or speak at a commencement this year...We made other significant steps in our lives. I went back to school after 13 years, Brian returned to the Methow to work with a coach who he has known since high school, we planted many gardens, we helped an entire family get bicycles, we shared our story with new faces and inspired others to lead healthier lives, we lived together in a  300 sq/ft Yurt! and we had a wonderful time along the way!

Next Thursday when our races are over, Brian and I will head straight to Marquette, Michigan for my induction into the NMU Hall of Fame. I am honored to be receiving this recognition and I look forward to emphasizing how much my college education has positively impacted my life and how much being an NCAA athlete positively impacted my education.

In just over a week I will be back in Minneapolis and working with the Harrison Track Team again! Spring has Sprung back home and their are a lot of fun programs I have lined up for the next month!

Back at Whistler Olympic Park

It feels great to be racing again at the Whistler Olympic Park.  I haven't been back to Whistler since the 2010 games and what better way to kick it off than with my favorite event the 5km Freestyle.  In the Oympics we raced a 10km Freestyle but I like 5km even better.

Thanks to Brian's Mom for setting us a little cooking kit so that we can eat like kings even living out of a hotel room

I miss finishing my morning jog and coming to the meal room with every possible option in the world laid out before you.  We are actually staying down in Squamish where lodging is a bit less expensive, but we have a really nice setup.

One of the thing Brian and I have really tried to embrace while on the road is making everywhere our home.  We have a hot plate so we can cook just about anywhere and we take it on as a game to make it awesome!  We cooked up our favorite pre-race meal of salmon, quinoa and spinach salad with just a microwave and a hot plate.

Our corner room has a view of the beautiful snow covered mountains but the grass is green on the lawn.

The Stadium

Super happy to be on top!

A huge thanks to my wax technicians and coaches Andy and Igor.  My skis were fantastic and I really appreciate you guys being here.  This trip was not part of the team's original budget so we are covering it out of pocket.  Andy and Igor offered to come to help support us for free.  Thanks guys!

Preparing like never before...

 

My Birkie Sweater!
The 2013 American Birkebeiner was a great race and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome! I knew heading into the race that my preparation and fitness were both great but in 50K anything can happen. In the past I have spent a fair amount of time pulling the group, mostly to prevent sprinters from hanging on too long, but this year I was told to be patient and wait. I did have some confidence in my sprinting after successful Bozeman and US Nationals Sprints  earlier this season. On the Thursday before the Birkie I participated in the Elite Sprints placing 3rd which also gave me some confidence to relax in the pack a bit!

Success! I am very happy to have such great support from my husband!

I honestly couldn't have waited a second later to start my final sprint down Main Street. After 50K of racing 10K of which were at a pretty fast pace my sprint felt more like a slow-motion movie but it was just enough to secure my 2nd American Birkebeiner Win! A huge Shout Out and Thank You to all the Volunteers and Organizers who make this race possible!!! A huge thanks to all my family, friends and supporters who were there to share the awesome outcome of the day!!! The winnings will go directly to help pay for some quality training and racing over the next summer to help us qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia!!!
Winning two American Birkies has only been done a handful of times and I am very honored to be among some amazing skiers and women from the past!

Hanging out with the Rochester, MN kids we visit in the summer. It is so great to share my victory with so many people Brian and I work with throughout the year!

Onto the next adventure!!!Welcome to California!

Psyched to be in Truckee, CA

After the Birkie Brian and I had to make a tough decision. We had to decide whether we were going to fly over and compete in Europe or stay stateside and train for Spring Series in Truckee, CA. Thankfully I have and uncle who lives in Truckee and has been an amazing supporter of my skiing over the past few years.
He and his girlfriend Fran welcomed us and have been providing the best training support I have ever received. We have a fantastic place to stay, a vehicle, great food, perfect company and my uncle has taken to coaching us while we are out. We have video, lactates and times that Kelly, my uncle, has dialed in for us.

Getting extra encouragement and coaching from my uncle Kelly!

 I just finished up a volume block of almost 150 Kilometers of Classic Skiing. Most of the races at the end of the season will  be classic so I am working harder than I ever have to become very proficient. Today was my last day and after 6 days in a row of only classic skiing my legs are a little fried and I welcome the day off tomorrow.

Enjoying the beautiful sunshine after a hard workout.

The Staff at the Tahoe/ Donner Ski Center have been absolutely amazing!!! Brian and I will be hosting Clinics for them in exchange for free skiing during the month we are here! Opportunities like this add up to huge savings for us and also give us the chance to interact with the local ski community on a more intimate basis! So far we have done two lessons and we look forward to a Women's Only Clinic and a Free Open Clinic in the weeks to come! Stay tuned for details!

Strength is an important component for my training throughout the year. We typically don't do much strength during busy racing periods, but when we get a few weeks between races we take advantage of a local gym to maintain our power and strength. Yesterday I got to train at Julie Mancuso's (Olympic Gold Medalist) gym here in Truckee. It was an awesome place with everything an athlete could want ie...lots of strength toys and torture devices! Despite few strength sessions I am feeling very strong and ready for the next races to start in a couple of weeks. It's been exactly one year since my concussion at the Engadin and I am feeling MUCH better than I did at the last spring series! Here's to more good preparation!

Strength training old school!

Thanks again for all the congrats and kind words after the Birkie! It means so much to Brina and I to have such a great support network!

Colorado Altitude Training

Brian and I flew out to Eagle, CO a day after the Tour de Twin Cities ended. As hard as it was to leave my own bed, I knew it would be a good decision for my training and racing over the next couple of weeks. Brian found us a great flight from Minneapolis to Chicago and then from Chicago direct to Eagle, CO. We had a bit of a bumpy landing in Chicago but our next flight was the best flight I have ever been on. Our captain came out from the cockpit and introduced himself to the entire cabin of passengers. Fortunately we only had about 15 people on the 757 so Brian and I had an entire row to ourselves which we loved after our 4am wake up.

During the flight the captain would occasionally come on the intercom and tell us about different land features or cities we were flying by. As we came into the Vail Valley to land the pilot again told us about the maneuvers and "tricks' he was going to use to get the massive 757 to land amongst the high mountains of Colorado. I felt like we were on a tour bus! It was so much fun!

 After the flight I asked to say hello to the pilot because it certainly seemed like he loved his job. The pilot got out of his seat told me to sit in it and then put his hat on my head! I couldn't believe it! I have never been in the cockpit before and I was amazed at the number of buttons, levers and gauges that were there.

The pilot escorting me out of the plane.

 Brian and I have been staying at his Aunt and Uncle's house for the past two weeks and have had a fantastic time training in the sun and mountains again. We have been very focused and so most of our adventures have involved training. We found some great trails through the canyon nearby that we backcountry skied and we have been traveling to Vail to hang out with the local Ski and Snowboard Club Vail kids too!

Our racing has started and it started off great with a double victory for us at the Vail Mountain Games at the Vail Golf Course.

Local skier Sharon meeting her first Olympian.

 Today was the Owl Creek chase and despite feeling great my race was not as stellar as Brian's. I struggled with some slower skis and found myself pushing really hard just to get 5th. Sometimes that's how racing goes. The best part is...that at every race we have twice as much opportunity to have a win in the family :)

Enjoying the trails of Eagle, CO at night!

Hard to imagine it ever gets cloudy enough to snow!

Ski with the Stars!

On Top of the Podium!

This past week was the Tour de Twin Cities. Unfortunately there wasn't much snow but fortunately the best man-made snow loop is right out our back door here in North Minneapolis. Brian and I love nothing more than racing close enough to home so that we can run and bike to the start!!! Talk about "being green." We had a blast all week and despite a cold weather delay on the classic sprint day we ended the week on a great note! Both Gregg's Won a Super Tour on the same day! This was certainly a first for us but hopefully not the last time it happens.

I was able to move up to 2nd overall in the Tour!

We both started the day with one goal. To win and it feels great to make the top of the podium for the first time this year together :)

Despite the multiple competitions, 5 all together, there were still a few "training days" in the middle of the week that gave the Super Tour athletes a chance to give back to the local ski community. On Wednesday night Brian and I were able to gather up a total 26 Super Tour athletes for a "Ski with the Stars" event. 32 kids from the local Minnesota Youth Ski League came out and paired up with a super tour athlete for a team sprint event. The night was frigid, with windchill values approaching -35F but the kids and athletes had a blast.

Matt, Brian and Jennie racing in their puffy jackets!

My teammate Garret and I at the tag off!

Kids and Stars getting ready for their leg of the relay.

Brian and I go an Apple Pie for organizing the event! The Best thank you ever!

After the event most of the super tour athletes were treated to dinner at a local Thai restaurant. It was a great night to get together with athletes from different teams and hang out together during the season.

The Super Tour athletes after a fun evening and warm dinner.

Brian and I are now relaxing for one day, and helping to shovel the newly fallen snow for the upcoming City of Lakes Loppet, before we head out west for the next super tour events.

We have also been in the process of redefining our own blog www.xcskilife.com. We decided that there is more to our story then just training and racing and we wanted to share the other parts of our lives with our fans. We hope you visit to learn how we make skiing and our work in the North Minneapolis community work so well together.

Revisiting the Passion and Drive Within

This week is the US Cross Country National Championships in Midway, UT. Brian and I have been here with the CXC Team since the 26th of December. Since we spent so much time at altitude last month the acclimating has gone very smoothly.

This coming weeks marks the end of 5 and 1/2 months on the road for me. Next week Brian and I will be home again, although we did make a brief stop in last November, and sleeping in our own beds. I love this lifestyle but I miss my dog, my home and my neighborhood.

Skiing is such a unique sport and I have spent many many years trying to grasp what draws me to it. I have spent the better part of 14 years competing at US Nationals, yet I can't believe it has been that long!!! In those 14 years I have learned a lot about the sport and even more so about the people who compete in it.

When I first started skiing I liked it because my friends were going to join and all the cute soccer boys were also joining. I knew the coach from running and knew his passion was unmatched by any other coach at the school. When I started Cross Country Skiing a lot of my teammates were just like me. Some came from single parent homes, some had many siblings, most had parents who didn't ski themselves...etc.

As I have moved upward through the levels of skiing all the way to the World Championships and the Olympics, the differences began to grow bigger and bigger. Very few athletes had divorced parents, or single parents, very few paid for their own equipment, and even less paid for their own way to the Olympic Games. As I walked into the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver, Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics I smiled because I had "Done it."

I had proven to myself that a child from a broken home without much financial support can reach the pinnacle of their passion. I was happy and I was proud! Now don't get me wrong...I had plenty of help and support along the way, hundreds of individuals were a part of my success and I will always remember them and what they have done for me. But I was able to break done barriers and leap over hurdles that seemed very strong and very high.

One of those barriers was paying for college. I always knew I wanted to go to college and I always knew I would have to figure out a way to pay for it. When I told my parent's I would get an athletic scholarship I think they believed me and I know that was the last time they thought about  how I would pay for it. I didn't know any different. I thought all young athletes paid for their equipment and got rides from friends to events, raised money for the Junior Nationals and worked the whole time. Surely, I thought, everyone paid for college on their own.

I was wrong. I quickly figured that out after the first day in the dorm rooms when I realized I missed the memo on furniture and "other stuff" to make the room feel like home. I sat in my empty room with my blanket, pillow and a bag full of training gear and sneakers. I guess I didn't need to spend much time decorating so I went out for a run...

I just found out last week that I will be inducted into the NMU Athletic Hall of Fame. Once again I am excited and proud. As I think about my siblings and parents and all their struggles I realize how lucky I was to be living my dream.

The message left on my phone informing me of my induction made me think long and hard about what it really meant. I immediately thought of the kids Brian and I work with in the neighborhood and how we really emphasize the need to follow their passions and dream big. I am excited to get back to North Minneapolis and share photos and stories about my time in the yurt up in the mountains of Washington. I am excited race this week and remember how far I have come and how motivated I am to share my passion and drive with all those I meet.
 

It's Snowing!!! A LOT!!!

The morning drive to training

After a whirlwind few days of travel I arrived back in the Methow Valley. One thing is for sure, the beauty of this place is protected by the fact that it takes so long to get to! Now that I have been settled for a few days, training has resumed and I am preparing for the second phase of races this year.

At this point I have been training for 4 months and I am starting to feel very strong. I often find that I can get in shape quickly and be racing fast for the first two months of the season, as well as the fall, only to fatigue and struggle with the end of the year. This year I am hoping things will be different!!! Right now my training brings me to about July in a regular training year and I usually start to feel very good in August!!!

Although the early World Cups are over and I did not set any personal bests I am feeling good about the upcoming races, including US Nationals and the Tour de Twin Cities!!! I love Soldier Hollow, the 2002 Olympic Venue and I miss being at the Bungalow  in Minneapolis. These are my two motivators for good preparation.

Right now I will be in Winthrop through the 26th of December and enjoying my 4th Christmas at the Gregg house! The skiing is fantastic here in the Methow Valley and as I type this the snow is falling like crazy. Brian reported a foot of snow on the highway and we had to park the car at the bottom of the road. Tomorrow morning we will ski out to get to it!!! I have the day off and I look forward to catching up on Thank Yous from the World Cup weekend and finalizing my Christmas gift making!