Halfway through the Fall Park City Camp

We are already halfway through the annual Fall Park City Camp. This year, like most, brought fantastic weather for the first week with sunny skies and mild weather. We were able to log a fairly big week with two intensity sessions, two strength sessions, a speed session and two OD's all while adjusting to the higher altitudes. Once again Team Gregg is staying up at 8,300 ft. where we have been staying on and off throughout the summer and early fall. Returning to altitude has never been easier and I am glad the time and money we spent to stay out here is paying off.

Annie Hart and I representing the Power House at the USSA Center of Excellence.

Pistol Squats around the World! 

Working with Max the past 6 weeks allowed me to increase my testing scores across the board! I was stronger, more flexible, more powerful and leaner!

Working into some classic striding speeds with a headless horseman "watching."

Skating through Park City with perfect weather.

The past month and half has been the best training block of my career. I have been working up to 6 days a week with Tom and I can feel the difference it has made in my technique and motivation to push myself. Tom is out here in Utah with Brian and me and I couldn't be happier to have the consistency of the same coach at each workout.

Tom and I out on the trails above Deer Valley.

Although the focus of the camp has been on preparing for the upcoming season just over a month away, I have also been catching up with my US Ski Team teammates and other athletes from clubs around the country. It's been great to join so many top athletes and each day has been a important learning experience. Everyone has been spending quality time together during training but it has also been fun to connect at team dinners. It's been fun to hear about all the incredible things this group of athletes do outside of their training and racing lives!

The US Ski Team women minus Julia Kern.

Training as a big group makes me happy.

Amazing classic ski up American Fork.

We were able to stride for over an hour of the workout!

Approaching the top after almost 3.5 hours.

Next week will included a few more intensity, strength and speed sessions before we finish the camp with a mini-tour on rollerskis! Then it's back to Minnesota for 10 days before Tom and I head over to Europe for the on-snow camp and FIS races in Sweden the week before the World Cup!

Thanks to all the amazing donations Team Gregg received through our Fundly campaign and the willingness of the USST to be open to the idea, Tom will be joining me for not only the pre-season camp in Sweden but also the first 3 races on the World Cup!!! I have been traveling and competing on the World Cup, at the World Championships and at the Olympics but never had my own coach at any of the events. I am beyond excited and grateful that this opportunity came together this year!

World Cup Fundraising Campaign

Sitting in the "hot seat" at the 2015 World Championships

This year has been unlike any other for me so far. Starting off the new training season as a member of the US Ski Team brought a ton of excitement and energy to my goals and expectations. Training has been solid all summer and as we roll into fall I am feeling more and more excited about the upcoming World Cup season with each workout!

Back in May I was named to the B-Team on the US Ski Team after a historic finish in the 10 K Skate at World Championships. As a member of the B-Team I have access to national team camps and the USSA Center of Excellence and the staff there.  I am responsible for all of my training and travel expenses, just the race season alone will cost over $25,000 in travel and lodging.  One of the reasons for this is that on the World Cup the standard rate is $130/day for room and board. This far exceeds any of our previous season's budgets where I have been able to do home stays with families on the road and keep costs low.  A thousand thank yous to all of you who have invited us in to your home, sometimes for weeks on end. The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) has stepped up big time to help offset the cost of many of the camps and big races but there is still a need.

Brian and I spent the majority of our spring and summer securing sponsorship's, applying for grants and working with our In-the-Arena project in North Minneapolis. Our sponsors are fantastic and have allowed us to train this summer for success this winter.  I have trained more hours than I ever have before, plus have but an even greater emphasis on recovery to absorb that training.  Last year my recovery was the first thing to go, and it resulted in being diagnosed with shingles just before my first World Cup race.

My community and supporters are awesome and I am asking for your support to help us reach our goals for the upcoming race season. Of course my goals are only half of the equation! Team Gregg has two athletes working hard to reach historic results and although Brian will be starting his season domestically his goals are to qualify for the World Cup and finish in the top 30.  Last year he had the 2nd best US World Cup result of the season with a 35th place.

We have a fantastic new coach, the best equipment and sponsors in the industry and hundreds of hours of preparation leading into this next season. Now we need your help to go all the way! Our goal is to raise $50,000 to make this ski season happen at the elite level. We know it sounds like a lot...but as we get faster we are traveling more and more and our seasons get more expensive. The major goal for this season is for me to make the Red Group and move up to the A-Team and for Brian to secure the Overall Super Tour lead so that next year we are set to succeed at the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland.

Working at the Hoigaard's Annual Tent Sale. Fitting skis, boots and poles while sharing inspirational stories with everyone who came in!

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New Coach!

After returning home from Norway I found myself looking at my training plan and not really feeling like I wanted to get out and train. I was tired, hungry and pretty content to just "chill" out for a bit. I quickly recognized what my body and mind were telling me and listened. I erased my plan and decided to let the week unfold each day.  I ended up taking 3 days off and some other days were as little as 30 min run but I didn't regret or feel bad about missing a single workout.  As the end of the week approached I was asked to lead a group LNR practice in Afton and intervals were on the schedule. I woke up excited to see everyone again ready to get after it again. The workout was not super hard but just enough to get my heart pounding and blood moving after a break. I was back!

Double Pole LNR Interval Group in Afton

My week of super low training allowed my body and mind to recover, refocus and refuel for the second half of the training season. My low hours also allowed me to reflect on the first half of my training season and what my game plan would be to improve upon my weaknesses from Norway. I decided that an area I really had to focus on was my stretching and mobilization. I knew I had tight hips and upper back but I never realized how tight they were until I started working out at the Powerhouse gym (the same gym where Annie Hart has been training and getting ripped!). I spend a good amount of time now smashing, rolling and using pressure point release tools to try and reduce the years tightness from my lack of stretching. Aside from just using the weights to get looser I have also been lifting them to get stronger! I was impressed with Annie's improvements this year and since I am going to be in the Twin Cities for most of the fall I figured I would give the Powerhouse a try! Wow! I am sore beyond belief but I am also feeling great!?!? The gym is also right down the street from my mom's apartment so I get to visit her after my workouts which is a bonus!

I am smiling but this HURTS a lot!!!

Working on my range of motion and flexibility (t.his also HURTS!).

Earlier this summer Brian and I were searching for more consistent wax support. We loved working with some incredible individuals and teams for wax support over the past two seasons. These individuals and teams helped us win races like the Birkie and qualify for the World Cup, World Championships and the Olympics, but it was obvious we were also dealt a bit of luck having such great service at so many venues for so long. It was time to hire our own wax tech. We tried a number of leads without success and saw a post from Tom Jorgenson who had just stepped away from coaching at St. Olaf college here in Minnesota. We contacted Tom and asked if he would be interested in working with Team Gregg for the upcoming season. We also mentioned that we could use a little help from a coaching standpoint. Tom agreed to work with us but we were also already on the road for another 5 weeks so we would have to meet once I returned from Norway.

I am a pretty big proponent of the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I am stubborn, not keen on criticism and very apprehensive about change. Over the past couple of seasons I have found that I have been able to succeed without the input or support of a personal coach. Whenever I work with different groups or teams around the world I always appreciate feedback and new ideas but I am always the one who took it or left it and figured I was on the right track, especially after Falun. 

Fast forward to today and I have been working with Tom for the past week while Brian is back at altitude in Utah (I decided to hold off on some altitude to work on technique and make sure I am really recovered for the upcoming hard fall training). I now "Get It." I now understand what a coach can bring out in an athlete and why athletes who find a good match with a coach are unstoppable.  I don't think I have ever had a bad coach but I also don't think I have ever had a coach who understood me so well and could inspire me do be my absolute best everyday. I wake up motivated and ready to push myself to a higher level, I finish workouts feeling like I have made progress and more than ever I am excited about the upcoming season. I have made huge technique gains this past week and I am sure I have heard the same ideas from other coaches but somehow everything "clicked." I still have lots of room to improve technically (which is a good thing because it means I have room get faster!), but I am also looking forward to improving my fitness working with Tom as well. I realized that writing my own training means I do what I like to do and that is usually what I am already good at. So far Tom has helped me make little adjustments to my training approach that I know will make a big difference this winter. More to come soon!

Norwegian Summer Adventure

The crew heading out for a run with the Fonna Op (uphill running race) course in the background!

My last minute travel to Norway for the USST Camp and the Toppidrettsveka Rollerski Race Series was a fantastic decision. Throughout the summer I have only been able to train with the other ladies on the US Ski Team or the US Ski Coaches at "Official Training Camps." With only one camp on U.S. soil so fat this year in May (with a lot of testing thrown in) I was down to less than a week of technique and opportunities to be with the team. Brian and I made a big effort to live part time in Park City this summer (I was there for over 9 weeks!) but without official camps I found myself training mostly with the Local Wasatch Junior program and the Nordic Combined Team (both of which were awesome!!!).  I have an entire season on the World Cup this year and lots of technique to work on so the only option was to travel across the pond to Norway. Originally I was very nervous about the costs (especially since Brian and I had invested so much to be in Park City for so long and because I am on the B-Team) but thanks to the National Nordic Foundation and Brian's awesome ability to find flights, I was able to make it work out perfectly.

Psyched for the opportunity to do some intervals with someone! Liz and I did an L-4 skiathlon workout on the trails in Knyken!

The races here in Norway were also an important opportunity for me to participate in. With only 7.5K of skating in the 4 day series I knew I would have my work cut out for me racing against so many top athletes in classic skiing. I soon realized that my fitness is great right now (it can always be better but there is still time before the season starts!) but my classic technique needs quite a bit of work. My double especially was a huge limiting factor for me on the last day of the event. I found myself with plenty of energy and power but no way to transfer it to the endless flat double poling on the course. I hammered the steep uphill on every lap only to lose contact on the gradual ups/ downs and flat sections. When I looked at my watch after the race my average heart rate was only 156bpm, considering I did get it up to a max of 185bpm in the race it was obvious I was loosing a ton of time when I couldn't use my legs to propel me. Luckily we had a great PT named Laurie who was with us the entire time and she pointed out some major posture issues I need to correct in my double pole so that I can transfer my power much better and ski much faster. I have a lot to work on between now and the season but I am excited to get going. 

I am a master at taking my own lactates now!

We started out Classic Skiing and then switched to skating.

Feeling strong on the skate portion of the workout.

The other days of racing were a bit of a mixed bag for everyone on the team. It seemed as though everyone had a least one good race or event! My highlight came in the second half of the Skiathlon when I was able to hammer on the skate leg and have the fourth fastest time of the day behind Weng, Johaug and my teammate Liz! I was able to move up to 11th in the race but my poor first lap of classic required me to pass almost 20 people throughout the race. In my own defense (and the rest of the US Team) we were told to start conservatively on the first downhill and not leave our starting position until the bottom of the course. I was already put on warning for turning a bit too aggressively (Skating too many steps) in the Classic Sprint so I was really trying to follow the rules. Apparently no one else listened though and I soon realized what a mistake I had made when I was in last place at the bottom of the course. Lesson learned!!!

The first day of competition was a 5K uphill run followed by a classic sprint in the afternoon. It was a long day but I think I nailed my energy and recovery perfectly! The uphill run started off a bit slow for me but by the steep middle of the course I was feeling great and was able to pass about 10 girls. I was reeling in the next group of 4 women as we neared the top but was unable to close the gap before the finish. I ended up 9th (quite a ways out from first) but not too far from top 5!

The afternoon Classic Sprint was a race I was not too excited about because I have never been a strong classic sprinter but it was a good practice event and a bit of a mid-season reality check. I felt good but realize that I need to start focusing on shorter and harder classic double pole intervals. I feel like my strength is good but my stamina in double pole is really lacking and combined with the above posture problems I have no chance against the top women in the world on a fast flat course right now. I did make it into the rounds which is a first for me over here in Europe and quite a bit different than in the US. It seems as though the rounds in the US are usually really slow until the final 100 meters. Here and on the World Cup the women take it out hard from the gun and keep pushing up until the end. I much prefer going hard from the gun but I need to be able to get going at the speed first.

Fun to have fans over here in Norway!

Sophie after crushing her Classic Final!

Classic Sprinting in Aure

The start!

Just a few of the fans in Aure

Outside of the races I had a lot of great training opportunities with my teammates along some of the most beautiful roads I have ever skied on! The Vistas were filled with fjords, lakes, mountains, cute Norwegian houses and lots of farms with sheep and cows. Occasionally we found ourselves skiing alongside the cows and hoping they didn't do anything crazy at the last minute!

Sophie unimpressed by the cows

The cows checking Jessie out post workout

The final day of the races were held in Trondheim (downtown) and the crowds were amazing! over 50,000 people watched the races!!! That just blows my mind! Skiing is HUGE here!!! It was awesome to be recognized and asked for autographs and photos while I was walking down the streets and cheering for the U.S. boys!

We spent an extra day in Trondheim to ensure we are recovered before we head back over to the US! Luckily Connor Boldger from Wisconsin is working at the Olympic Sports Lab and Complex here in Trondheim so he gave a running tour through some trails and bogs and let us into the training facility to use the weight room!

The running crew overlooking Trondheim

Norwegian bogs and fjords on our run!

Walking into the Norwegian equivalent of the COE (this one is open to the public which is really cool!)

The GIANT treadmill at the training center

The camp is now over and I have one more day of exploring on my own before I head back to the US (tickets were way cheaper on Tuesday for me.) I am really excited to get home and see Brian and my Husky and sleep in my own bed. I am also excited to get to work on the second half of the preparation period before the first World Cups start in Kussamo in late November!!!

Truckee Training Camp 2015

Sporting our new Madshus hats with pride!

 Team Gregg's 2015 Truckee Training Camp is in the books! Truckee and the surrounding areas has become one of my favorite places to train in the summer. Between the numerous training groups, Sugar Bowl Academy, Unleashed Coaching, Auburn Ski Club and more, there are endless training partners and workout opportunities. Add in some awesome terrain, amazing weather and the fantastic hospitality of my aunt and uncle who live there and the you got an ideal training and recovering scenario!

After two BIG weeks of training in Utah, a quick stop back in Minneapolis for some intensity training and the Fast and Female event, I had one more big week of training left in my monthly progression. I was able to make this past month my largest to date and I was very happy with the quality and capacity I was able to maintain throughout. My first week in Truckee was a big one with over 28 hours of training on the tail of two 25+ weeks already! Honestly the drop of 2,000 ft in altitude was very noticeable compared to our living and training base in Deer Valley for a good part of the summer. I have been focusing a lot on double pole this summer and I am really happy with my new strength and technique adjustments. I was able to "hang" with the boys on a few big workouts and tried to keep them in my sights on the interval days.

It was great to join up with Welly Ramsey for each workout!

Brian and I post Squaw Mountain Run with the Olympic Rings from the 1960 Olympics!

We ended the big week filled with 20 mile runs and long rollerskis with the annual Squaw Mountain run! I would not say our tapering for the race was very adequate but I was happy that both Brian and I were able to set PR's and Brian came away with a big win! My legs felt pretty heavy from a week of chasing the boys but my fitness feels good and I am humbled by Kristin who smoked the women's field again!

Drifter Time Trial. Not my best but still a very solid effort! I look a little too comfortable!

Brian crushing the uphill altitude running!

I saw a lactate of 17! after the Squaw Mountain Run! Not sure how accurate that one was but after 5 minutes it was still 7.7 mmol! Ouch!

After a lot of thought I realized that I haven't had a ton of time to train and travel with the US National Team this season. This is my first time on the US Ski Team and as a B-Team member I am invited to all the camps but responsible for my own expenses. Originally I had planned on attending all the camps and even a trip to Sweden to join the Summit Nordic Team for their camp but as I added up the costs and looked at the travel I was humbled by what the total would be. I realized that I had some major improvements to make in my fitness after a busy spring of working and volunteering and I needed to save some room in my budget for what is guaranteed to be my most expensive season (now that I am on the World Cup all year) ever!

Post Drifter Time Trial! I was psyched to get out with Annika again (we trained last year together in Truckee) and meet new training buddies (even if it was only for the suffer days). Thanks ladies for pushing me and keep shattering those PR's!!!

Post 19 mile run feed! I could have eaten the entire watermelon at this point but I was too tired!

With training going well and the incredible support of the National Nordic Foundation as well as some good advice from family and coaches I decided to make the trek to Norway this summer for the Toppidrettsveka races. I have to admit that the thought of traveling to Norway to participate in numerous classic rollerski events was (and still is) a bit daunting! My skate skiing is far stronger but I need to face the reality of my weaknesses and see where my progress and training has brought me so far this year. 

Brian helped me find a great flight from Sacramento to Trondheim and I joined up with National Team last night in Aure, Norway. This is my first time to Norway in the summer and I am excited (albeit a bit nervous) to train and race with the other US Athletes and Coaches by my side. I just finished up a solid recovery week (which was seriously needed) and I am excited to get in some good training sessions before the events kick off next week!

Best send off ever! Thanks Kelly and Fran!

Here is the breakdown of the race program that we will be following:

August 20th:

10:00 AM - Uphill Running 5K race - Fonna Opp Aure, Norway

2:30 PM - Classic Sprint Prologue - Aure, Norway

4:30 PM - Classic Sprint Finals - Aure, Norway

August 21st:

3:15 PM - 13.5K Skiathlon Race - Knyken, Norway

August 22nd:

4:00 PM - 15K Classic Pursuit Race - Trondheim, Norway

I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to Fran and Kelly for hosting Brian and I and a HUGE THANK YOU to the training groups and athletes we joined in Truckee over the past two weeks! It's become a tradition to visit and I hope to keep coming back every year!

Fast and Female at LL Bean Mall of America

Fast and Female came to Minneapolis for the first time ever with two power hours at the LL Bean store at the Mall of America. Since I have been training at altitude in Utah I made a special trip home for the event.  Fast and Female is a non profit started by 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist Chandra Crawford.  The goal of Fast and Female is to support, motivate, inspire and empower girls age 9 to 19 to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle.   These goals align well with In The Arena and LL Bean.  LL Bean stepped up today as the presenting sponsor and even made the event today free.

Pretty cool to have all of the women who have won medals at the World Championships to lead the event

Gearing up for a big day and what do you know I am wearing 100% LL Bean

My day started early with my 3 hours distance run in the morning.  Plus I had to round up my Run Club girls who have really been looking forward to the event.  The Boys and Girls club is closed on the weekends which means a few can meet at the Club and others need to be picked up at home.  One family called me that their car had been towed the night before and the kids weren't going to make it, but a special trip up to New Brighton to pick them up and the van was full.  I am also really happy that my neighbor girls were able to come with to the event.

   

Video highlights from SkinnySki.com of the event

I came back a day early to get things in order.  I met up with the LNR girls for a group interval session up one of our favorite climbs in Afton.  Sarah just had her wisdom teeth pulled and couldn't train but came out and drove us down the hill.  Pretty cool to see how strong this group of girls has become.

Ladies pushing each other and having fun

Dialing in the training and is intensity especially on days when you are traveling and busy

None of us truly wins, until we all win!!

There was a farmer who grew excellent quality corn. Every year he won the award for the best grown corn. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked.

“Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”

So is with our lives... Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all...
-Call it power of collectivity...
-Call it a principle of success...
-Call it a law of life.
The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!!

This story comes from a post one of my sponsors, Ian Harvey of Toko, had on his Facebook wall. Brian shared the story with me after he picked me up from the airport and the message was exactly how I felt after leaving Minnesota after an amazing couple of weeks at home training on my favorite trails and rollerski routes! My training while home in Minneapolis was as productive as it has ever been. I trained more hours, set numerous PR's and enjoyed some of the best summer weather I have ever witnessed since I moved to Minnesota 11 years ago! I am now back in Utah living at 8,200 ft for another altitude block with Brian but I can't wait to get back home

While I was home I found myself immersed in incredible opportunities to train with other skiers young and old! I did time trials, 4 hour runs, strength sessions, and distance all with great company. I guess the part of the story that resonates the most with me is the idea that everyone can raise the bar together if we work together. Collaborating with different age groups, different clubs, different coaches gave me (and hopefully them) tons of new ideas and inspiration! I like that I can truly say that so many people have been a part of my success! Perhaps that is why it was so important for me to share my medal when I got home from the World Championships this year. I hope to bring to the groups as much as I have received over the years!

Double Pole Time Trial with the Endurance United Masters Group!

My long time coach Piotr Bednarski always energetic and always smiling!

Running and Bounding with the LNR/ NMU ladies!

LNR has grown so much! 

Getting ready for the local Tri-Loppet Race with Alice Flanders CXC/ MTU!

  

My favorite group to train with Vakava Race Team. These guys have been letting me join them ever since I moved to MN! They are the most inspiring group of individuals I know!

LNR Coaches Piotr Bednarski, Dave Chamberlin, myself and Lahti!

My LNR running crew!

Coaching the girls up the Big Climb!

Love coaching these guys!

Making sure coach Lahti has enough water!

Long L-3 Running Intervals with Tom and Jan from Gear West!

Hard L-4 Intervals with the Minneapolis Ski Club!

Fun to share some stories with other clubs in the area!

Fun to learn and connect with other Olympians as well! Kevin Brochman has many of us beat with 2 Olympic appearances!

Loppet Adventures "Adventure Center Day" The community has been rallying and the Loppet Foundation has been working hard to getting a building to base all of  it's programming and activities out of. I love being a part of such an incredible club with visions beyond just racing.

Training with Audrey! She is an animal! Full-Time U of M Dental Student who can still charge for 3+ hours on rollerskis! Impressive. 

Cheryl and Rob just ran the Superior Trail Race at just under 30 miles this past weekend. I helped them on a 4 hour training run! It was the last workout of a 32 hour week for me so I was psyched when I learned they were planning the same workout!

Of course nothing would complete my summer training without spending lots of quality time at the Jerry Gamble Boys and Girls Club. We now have over 135 kids who have run over 1,117 miles since this April when we got home from the season. The hardest part about leaving home is leaving these kids behind! They are so fun and I learn so much from them every time we meet. Thankfully we now have 3 awesome volunteers who help keep Run Club going while Team Gregg is away. We finally decided it was time to update the Run Club chart midway through the summer because so many kids were joining and many were off the chart!

I spent far too long counting, calculating and re-writing names but the new chart is beautiful and it highlights the Run Club All-Stars. The All-Stars have run the most miles so far this year! I also love doing projects like this so I enjoyed every minute (even if I was a little tired for my intervals the next day).

Making the Charts at home late at night!

The finished charts!

The 2015 Run Club charts and Kim Jones our amazing volunteer. She has now given up smoking and has run 20 miles so far this summer herself! Notice that there is still room to grow on the right side of the wall!

My buddy Jackie! She is one heck of a runner! We just have to make sure she stays our of trouble so she can keep coming to practice at the Club :)

Hanging out after practice with the fruit of the day! Once again a huge shout out to Everett Myers and Fruitshare for all the fruit they provide for the kids! 

We don't stop on rainy days! The big "Plank-Off"

Sharing stories and trading cards from my season.