Where Skiing Can Take You

Lots of snow in May and my new topography

2011-05-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Great interviews with my former USBA coaches!

2011-05-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Recent FasterSkier.com articles:

Interview: USBA Women's coach Jonne Kahkonen on momentum, mind games, and Makarainen.

Interview: Nilsson, Head of US Biathlon program, dishes about coaching

2010 Olympian Haley Johnson Retires from Biathlon

Made it to Denver!

2011-05-10T08:45:00.001-07:00

Minnesota wind farm

The right people, the right places and the right time.

2011-05-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

The final finish line.
My season could not have ended in a more exciting way as I crossed the finish line in the Mass Start competition in Oslo in March. Not only a personal best for myself, it was also a personal best for US Biathlon. I crossed the line with the truest satisfaction of reaching my highest potential in the final week, race and minutes of my season. I felt this so strongly because the Final World Cup in Oslo would also be the final World Cup of my biathlon career. For that, it is a moment and a place I will never forget.

Right time.
I started both the sport of skiing and biathlon because I was in the right place, had inspiring people around me and the right opportunities all at the right time. This is also one of those times. I have a great sense of completeness now that the season and my career is done. It is with that satisfaction and trust that I know it is the right time to move on and forward from my elite athletic career and on to new and challenging pursuits.

I believe that my true athletic potential has yet to peak and that it would be realistic to set my sights on the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. However, my priorities have changed and I truly believe in the next pursuits of personal excellence in other areas of life. I am looking forward to moving to Denver, Colorado, completing my bachelor’s degree at the University of Denver, getting married and continuing to ski. I am really excited to see how my connection to skiing and biathlon will manifest in new ways over the next few years.

Thank You.

I have been ski racing for nearly 20 years, doing biathlon for the last 14, and could not have accomplished any of it without a massive support system that reaches as far as Europe and as close as home. I thank all of you for being a part of it!

I know that I would not have had such a successful career had I not had such a deep and devoted support system of friends, family, ski clubs, ski teams, coaches, ski shops, bike shops, schools, mentors, community members, community parents, venue staff, school kids, teachers, business owners, historians, companies, organizations, doctors, printers, dogs, medical professionals, artists, philanthropists, newspapers, young skiers, old skiers and teammates - especially all of those locally in the Adirondacks and Aroostook County, Maine. Listing them all would be like listing the phone book. Having such a diverse group of mentors was key to keeping my biathlon career sustainable, and it is from these people that I have learned the greatest assets of respect, integrity, commitment, perseverance, determination, passion, listening, professionalism, compassion, quality and excellence. Even though my motivations are almost entirely intrinsic, these folks have had a profound affect that will last longer than a ski race and influence much of what I do throughout the rest of my life.

Best Regards,

Haley

Champlain Bridge in progress!

2011-04-29T19:39:00.001-07:00

April 29, 2011

Kind of a neat thing around here.

New stock of Snowfall Cards at the Bookstore Plus April 25th

2011-04-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

www.thebookstoreplus. com

School Food Tour

2011-04-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

schoolfoodtour.org

Empowering students to advocate for healthier school meals. Powered by bicycle.

A lot of reasons can lead one to being interested in promoting active healthy lifestyles and healthy eating styles. For me being apart of the ski world is definitely one of them.

And for many others, too - like a former biathlete, Sara Salo, who I competed with back in high school who is about to embark on a "6,000 mile bike tour that will advocate for healthier school meals and promote cycling for transportation and recreation."

Check out the website to see if she'll be riding through your neck of the woods, doing a class visit at your school, visiting your local farm or organizing a community ride. If you'd like to join her on her ride, either by bike, donation or support click here.

Plus there is lots more to read on her site about the tour, mission, and ideas about inspiring communities, schools and kids to create healthier learning environments.

Good luck Sara!

Found a little gem of a story from the caters at the Fort Kent Biathlon World Cup

2011-04-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Guiding Stars Blog - the author's hometown is Fort Kent, Maine and her career as a chef for the Guiding Stars nutrition program brought her back to the St. John Valley to head up the catering for the athlete's tent. At each world cup the organizing committee sets up a restaurant/cafeteria of good hot food and local specialities. It is great for the coaches and wax techs who spend all day at the venue, and for us it is usually a perfect place to grab a snack or meal after training or a race. Some venues are memorable - like the cappuccinos in Antholz - but Fort Kent was, hands down, the best. Awesome hot meals and sides that ranged from sweet potatoes to lasagna to lots of extra treats like a juicer, waffle maker, and baked goods.

I came across this blog because of an article on Ployes - which are native to the St. John Valley in the crown of Maine. The leading buckwheat farm is run by a great family up there, who upon seeing me said I could swing by to get my personal batch of ployes:).

"Recipe Riffs Episode 1: Your guide to finding stars in local food"

"Extreme Biathlon World Cup catering"

Bouchard Family Farm www.ployes.com - you can order them here, too!

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurants/SearchResults.aspx?st=photos&ob=State&ps=1&s=ME

May 10 NYC Fundraiser for "The Next Generation of Olympians"

2011-04-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

In NYC on May 10th? Check this event out:

"Thank You for Relief Donations"

2011-04-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

www.skiershelpingjapan.com

(Photo courtesy of Detlef Ekert www.rumgammelen.de)

During the races in Holmenkollen Itsuka Owada and Fuyuko Suzuki cheered on teammates and took advantage of international media coverage by taping, "Thank you for relief donations" in both English and Japanese to their team uniform.

The earthquake and tsunami in Japan definitely had an effect on me while racing in Oslo the following week. I could not help thinking about the Japanese team and the loss and devastation that they soon would fly home to. I do not personally know the Japanese team that competes with us on the World Cup circuit, but my heart still goes out to them: Natsuko Abe, Naoko Azegami, Itsuka Owada, Fuyuko Suzuki, Saturo Abe, Kazuya inomta, Junji Nagai, Hidenori Isa and their staff.

Once home, I had the opportunity to ski with the Lake Placid Elementary School's gym classes, and in particular the 4th and 5th grade classes I had been visiting all year. I of course enjoy skiing with them and talking to them about the sport's benefits and where it has taken me. But, I also really enjoy using it as a vehicle to look at the world in a different way, a perspective which can most easily be shared with a group of attentive kids fresh in from a ski themselves. I snagged that opportunity when their ears were open for new ideas after our our ski to talk to them about the current events in Japan and about my involvement with Skiers Helping Japan.

(Photo Courtesy of Matt Young, LPES Gym Teacher)

I decided to contribute to Skiers Helping Japan by donating some of my World Cup point earnings from this season - in particular what I earned during the World Cup competitions in Norway just after the March 12th earthquake and tsunami. It felt right to share this information with the classes because they too are contributing to the relief efforts. One of the Elementary teachers set up a box in the office for the school kids to collect coins that will be donated to the Red Cross for Japan.

Another thing I enjoy are the international paper selection on the final flight home out of Munich, Germany at the end of the season. A 9 hour flight offers luxurious amounts of time to catch up on the world's news from cover to cover in English. I came across an interesting Opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal written by the chairman, CEO and President of Sony Corp, Howard Stringer. Mr. stringer talked about Japan's shared sense of community and the spirit that arises from it, especially in times of disaster. The phrase fukutsu no seishin, which means never give up, describes this spirit and the character of Japan at this time. Stringer believes it is the country's instinctive ability to never give up that will help them endure and to rise above the absolute devastation the earthquake and tsunami created with "grace, generosity and common cause."[Stringer, Wall Street Journal, March 21, 2011] I hope so too and in my note that accompanies my donation I chose to write: stay strong Japan.

I'm one of many skiers who have joined in the effort. You can read about the Men's Norwegian relay team who donated their World Championship Relay earnings to Japan here: Norway Donates.

If you are interested in learning more and would like to help go to: www.skiershelpingjapan.com

The latest update from the newly formed organization is that they continue to seek out local charities to donate to instead of the larger organizations involved in large scale relief effort.

fukutsu no seishin

(Photo courtesy of Detlef Ekert www.rumgammelen.de)

LINK to Julie Foudy's presentation

2011-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

My post on Julie Foudy's presentation, "Unlocking Greatness in Girls: Developing Leadership through Sport" has been one of my most popular. I blew through 13,000 hits this week (recording only since July) and am thankful people are interested in learning about the life of skier both on and off the trail.

The following link takes you to a page where you can either download the wedinar or view the presentation slides.

View or Download Webinar here.

nysef NORDIC FUNDRAISER at Cascade Touring Center 3.26!

2011-03-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

"Wholesome Discontent" - Julie Foudy, US Women's Soccer Team Captain

2011-03-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the opportunity to listen in on the webinar “Unlocking Greatness in Girls: Developing Leadership through Sport” that was presented by Julie Foudy, US Women’s National Soccer Team captain, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Champion. Among many of her current jobs, she runs the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, and it is from this position that she gave her presentation.

Right now I am feeling the classic signs of post-season trans-Atlantic jetlag and still reveling in the fact that I raced in Holmenkollen only days ago, so will only jot down a few points that I thought were important and good to share with this community.

Leadership is a choice. Choose to Matter. -JF
Leadership is personal not positional. –JF

One of Julie Foudy’s influential and quiet leaders from her National Team:

Mia Hamm Foundation www.miafoundation.org

Find your own leadership style. -JF

Offer tangible examples about how to lead in life, “on the field” or “on the trail” even if you don’t think you have such leadership qualities. Here’s one example that Julia Foudy uses at her Academy: Emmanuel’s Gift www.emmmanuelsgift.com

Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy www.juliefoudyleadership.com

“Pressure is a privilege.” -Billy Jean King
“Success is a peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.” John Wooden www.coachwooden.com

Dove self-esteem project – Dove Evolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Fact: Words are only 7% of your communication the rest is made up of your tone of voice and body language. -JF

Celebrate who started the goal. Recognize all of the different plays that it took to get the ball to the net. This includes everyone involved and isn’t just about who scored the goal. -JF

“Wholesome Discontent” = after success or set back it is the attitude to positively push your self and your team to be even better. This was the standard set by the Olympic Gold medal winning women’s soccer team and was a fundamental formula for their years of success.

I think I will be emailed a transcript of the presentation and will post if possible. Enjoy and best of luck to the end of the season!

SKIERS HELPING JAPAN

2011-03-20T03:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Kikkan for contributing this website and information to skitrax.com and sharing it with the nordic world.

My heart goes out to Japan, and especially to the ones whom I compete with. I have had a few opportunities to let them know that I am thinking of them and their country. Especially, now as all the world cup skiers prepare to finish their season in Europe and travel back home to see the devastation first hand for the first time. Missing home and family takes on a new light when compared to what that means to them as they fly half way around the world to return back to Japan.

I am glad to have found the website that Kikkan reported on:

www.skiershelpingjapan.com

I will take the time to learn more about it and would like to contribute in anyway I can.

Final Race in Holmenkollen!

2011-03-20T03:26:00.000-07:00

Mass Start!

2pm (9am EST) Women's Mass Start 12.5km

www.biathlonworld.com

I started the week knowing I still had some good racing left in me and started the Sprint race know I felt that good. But I also ended the Pursuit yesterday knowing I still had more in me. And in a few hours I am psyched to get to do it. The Pursuit was fun and was an exciting new challenge since this is only the third Pursuit I've started in this year. Except starting a little closer to the front put me right in the mix of the top women. With difficult shooting conditions skiing the loops felt relatively calm. I didn't have superb shooting, but for the day it was good enough. I was confident with my strategy going into the wind and knew what I had to do. Because of this I was able to be bit a more active out on the course and work for every position every chance I got. I had great skis and used them as best I could out there. Actually they must have been the best because they helped sail pass the likes of the Russians, Germans and French. I moved into the top 15 a few times after the range, which felt great and I used it as motivation for only a quick moment. Anything can happen in biathlon, so I continued to stick to my own pace no matter the place. I don't have a lot of experience in high level pursuits so I don't always know how much I have left for the sprint at the end, so I pushed it on the last lap anyways, just to see. I might have made an uphill pass too early and wasn't able to go "full gas" into the final homestretch, but that's okay. I'll take that experience. Especially since I get to use nearly 24 hours later in today's Mass Start. Yesterday was a great reminder to stay calm, go for each hit and enjoy super fast skis!

The other neat thing about today is that I think this is the first we've had 2 women starting in the Mass Start!! All together, we have had 3 women compete in the Mass Start this season. I've been doing this sport for awhile now and I am proud to be a part of this momentous step forward. So, cheers to today's race!

Just a few shots from this week in Oslo:

The stadium takes on a new configuration for the biathlon world cup compared to last weeks nordic World Champs.

Typical Scandinavian trail-side picnic.

Watched the Norwegian Birkebeiner on TV the morning of the Pursuit. This guy was being interviewed at one of the pit-stops during his race. I hope I can do a 54km race when I am that age!

Waffles and jam never tasted so good. Holmenkollen has been such an amazing experience, especially after being in Russia and after a long season, that everything is just a little bit sweeter here.

The view from our wax room. We can look straight down into the shooting range. A bit scary really.

After the Sprint I took the T-bahn down into town to do my recovery jog on flatter terrain. I was in Oslo 11 years ago and Vigelund Sculpture Park was one of the neatest places. These two women are typical human sculpture's that form the sculpture park. The layout of the park makes feel more like a monument for humanity because collectively all of Vigelund's sculptures represent human emotion, interaction, growth and phases of life.

3 tykes and a fjord

2011-03-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

Checking out some of Holmenkollen's trails and spectators after the Sprint on Thursday.

World Cup Final Pursuits today:

2pm (9am EST) Women

4pm (11am EST) Men

www.biathlonworld.com

......Or you can watch anyone of these races happening in the world today:

Cross-Country World Cup Final Men's and Women's Pursuit races in Falun, Sweden

Norwegian Birkebeiner (I'm watching the finishers come in now)

Enjoy the final days of winter!

Holmenkollen

2011-03-15T00:14:00.000-07:00

Final World Cup schedule, local time:

3.17 Thursday 11am Women's Sprint

2pm Men's Sprint

3.19 Saturday 11am Men's Pursuit

2pm Women's Pursuit

3.20 Sunday Women's Mass Start 2pm

Men's Mass Start 4pm

Watch Live www.biathlonworld.com

Congrats to the US Men's 6th place Relay!!! - w/ photos

2011-03-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

Lowell in the mix of it on the first lap.

Congrats to Lowell, Jay, Tim, Leif and the USBA staff for an excellent World Champs Relay!!!!

"Photo-Finish: 6th place for US Men's Relay"

www.biathlon.teamusa.org

26 men's teams on the firing line.

Tim, Austria and Canada.

Amazing sunset and typical Eurosport shooting view.

Ecstatic Russian fans - Russia had a great home race placing 2nd.

Photo finish! The results show the shooting results: USA 0 penalty loops + 14 extra rounds, 38.1 seconds beyond. Germany on the other hand, with 3 penalty loops and 16 extra rounds.

The boys getting their flowers at the Flower Ceremony.

A lot more of Russia before the World Champs Relay

2011-03-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

With three days in between our Individual race and the Women's Relay, I knew I needed to have a day to mentally re-charge, take a break from the range and normal routine in order to be fresh and excited about training and the final competition of World Champs. I'm back to the training plan today and am truly look forward to getting back out there after the Individual race. I felt much better skiing, so I know I continue to move on the right track even as the season comes to a close. Shooting still eludes me, but today is another day. Despite my challenges in biathlon, there is always another chance - another shooting stage, another loop, another race, another year.

Yesterday I took the time to get back into town to see the Nature and Man museum in the morning and spent the afternoon classic skiing on a bunch of side trails off the race loops. Annelies and I joined up with the Canadian team to check out a museum that you could spend hours in trying to decipher the history of the Yugra region in order to gain a better understanding of life in Siberia beyond the snow, cold and sterile stone buildings of Khanty-Mansiysk. Siberia is perhaps one of the most interesting place skiing has taken me.

Their prize Siberian fossils are woolly mammoths.

Did you know woolly rhinoceras even existed?

Typical native garb for a child. They look like small animals and their clothes are decorated with beads and colored cloth to ward off evil spirits. This children's display was the introduction into the incredible and mysterious arctic culture. Their creative dress and pagan rituals give a lot of color and spirit to this otherwise seemingly harsh and cold region.

In the matter of an hour or so our tour guide led us through the people, customs, traditions and history of the region. Nothing unusual for a museum - artifacts, replications, old photos, etc. But one artifact stood out as a stark reminder of different this location in the world is compared to any other place I've been. Below is a map from the 1701 Chart Book of Siberia.

It looks like an ordinary map until it was explained that the orientation is opposite than what we might think. The Moscow and Ural Mountains looked like they were on the "wrong" side. Maps at this time and place were drawn in orientation from the North Pole looking down to Russia. The west was now on the right, the east on the left, the north on the bottom and the south on the top.

Display rooms of the native Siberian tribes quickly transitioned into rooms of a more recent past. During the Russian Revolution the Ob river valley was increasingly populated by political exiles. The Ob river valley is a confluence of many large and small rivers, as the map above, illustrates. These rivers also brought together many different peoples, often fatally, as the region was established and populated over the last century.

A few decades ago oil became the dominate natural resource.

The museum also had a special biathlon exhibit for World Champs.

Zina Kocher, of Canada, Annelies and I and the endless sites to see in Khanty.

On the walk back to the hotel shuttle - the following contrasts seem to speak for themselves.

And now its back to training. The Men's Relay is tonight!

6:30pm local time 8:30am EST

www.biathlonworld.com

A bit more of Russia before the next race

2011-03-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

It has been great to be Russia during the Nordic World Championships with easy access to full race coverage in Oslo on Eurosport. Here's an aerial shot of the cheering crowds lining the course and filling the forest during the Men's 50km:

Advertisement and promotion of World Champs in Norway play heavily on the origins of skiing in Scandinavia and the birth rite of Norway. But, skiing here in Siberia offers a different vantage point of the origin of skiing outside of Scandinavia. Khanty-Mansiysk is named for the native tribes that inhabited this region. In such a cold, snowy northern climate, skiing is an natural part of the area's heritage.

I have not learned enough to extensively write about skiing in Siberia, so instead, here's an alternative example. At the end of Warren Miller's recent film, Dynasty, there is a moving and thrilling 7 minute story about skiing in Mongolia. Check out a personal account of this trek from freeskier Austin Ross's website. Or watch the movie.

....Является самым распространённым из славянских языков и самым....

Just copied this sentence, no idea what it means. So much of Russia is unfamiliar and isolated. Yesterday was an off day and a chance to learn a little bit more about this place.

Matryoshka - Classic Nesting Dolls

Pancakes. The Russian bliny served with sour cream, sweetened cranberries, honey and jam. And for the unfortunate one, sometimes stuffed with fish or meat.

All these photos are from a walk from our hotel and venue to town and back. Nothing in particular was spectacular, but all together it gives a better sense of this far off Siberian city.

Armin and Annelies, and a view of the Siberian taiga beyond the city center.

On our walk through town kids played in nearly every snowbank.

Our staff: Jonne, Bernd, Per, Alios, and Armin.

In front of the Russian Orthodox Church.

This is what the city of Khanty-Mansiysk looked like before recent modern improvements, and still does once outside of the city center when you look beyond the green corrugated fences and down the small side streets:

The grocery store.

Five Russian rubles - рубли́ = about .2 cents

And once again, the ubiquitous fur hat.

Interested in more? www.justrussia.ru

World Champs has begun!

2011-03-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

Even though Khanty-Mansiysk in western Siberia east of the Ural Mountain range in Russia seems far away and foreign, with lots of fur, an indecipherable language, constant military presence and today a cold wind, it is so very authentic and more familiar than I thought. I suggest playing Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers" and in particular this one YouTube clip from Fantasia to set the scene and drink a cup of instant coffee with condensed milk, because apparently that's their thing around here.

I had my first individual World Cup start here in 2008 and this is my first time back. There is plenty of snow and I like the race course, just as I remember. The stadium has been redesigned since I was here and I am curious to experience it at full capacity during the Sprint on Saturday. The crowds are very close and the high stands create a dome-like feel around this clover leaf shaped stadium. The race roster is long - 103 women and 125 men!

World Champs Poster

Welcome to Khanty: daily beautiful sunsets, the race course and metal detectors greet you at the venue's entrance.

Tchailovsky's waltz accompanied swirling snowflakes, intricate folk costumes, sleighs of reindeer and this dance on skis which told the story of the native reindeer herders of the Ugra region hunting on skis.

Looking down into the shooting range during Thursday's Mixed Relay from the staircase that connects the hotel and the venue.

Same view during the day time.

On the eve of the first competition all I can say is that I've had a good week of training and preparation for the Sprint race and feel as ready as I'll ever be.

Watch us LIVE Saturday morning:

Women's Sprint 8am EST

www.biathlonworld.com

A bit of Russia

2011-03-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

2011-02-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

American photographers capture the World Cups in Maine

2011-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pass on some websites where you can view and purchase photos from the World Cups in Presque Isle and Fort Kent, Maine captured by American photographers:

Greg Jaeger, Virginia

www.gregjaeger.com

Sara Studebaker handing off to me in the Mixed Relay in Presque Isle.

Steve Fuller, New England

www.flyingpointroad.com

Emil Svendson, bib 1, point 1.

Paul Cyr, Aroostook County, Maine

Paul Cyr Photography

An aerial view before the start of the Women's Pursuit race in Fort Kent.

Enjoy!

Thanks Colter!!

2011-02-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

Auction to support the 31st Empire State Winter Games, Lake Placid Feb 25-27

2011-02-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

www.empirestatewintergames.com

alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross-country, figure skating, luge, skeleton, ski jumping, ski orienteering, snowshoeing, speed skating, women's ice hockey, skier/boarder cross

February 25-27, 2011

The Empire State Winter Games are able to continue this year because Adirondack communities formed a coalition, drummed up local support, have gathered the needed volunteers and have gotten the region excited about contributing to an important event that means something to New York athletes. Lake Placid will host 13 winter sporting events next weekend for middle school to college age student-athletes. It is unique because these competitions are either the height of a New York athlete's sporting career or they are an important event along the development pipeline for aspiring elite athletes. A couple athletes in particular who were past ESG Champions decided to contribute to the fundraising efforts of the Games by hosting an online auction of ski apparel from local Olympians. Billy Demong, the nordic combined skier, and Kris Cheney-Seymour, my first biathlon coach and Saranac Lake architect, of Demong Designs partnered with John Farra, former Olympian and the US Ski Team, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the Lake Placid CVB this winter to gather items from Andrew Weibrecht, Tim Burke, Lowell Bailey, John Napier (bobsled) and myself.

See the skis in the background of the photo? Those are one of Billy's training skis from a year ago at the Olympics and so far there's one bid on them for $300. To find out what else is up for auction check out the AUCTION. In this auction created by athletes for athletes 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Empire State Winter Games.

"Our community, the Adirondacks and this region that has taken the mantle of the Empire State Games and has kept it going, really speaks to how our region understands and believes in the power of winter sports, the aspirations of children and the hopes to inspire athletes." -Kris Cheney-Seymour, "Olympians doing their part"

Kris Cheney-Seymour, of Demong Designs, Jeff Byrne ORDA, myself and Andrew Weibrecht during Thursday's press conference announcing the opening of the auction.

(Enterprise photo - Lou Reuter)

Thanks and congratulations to Aroostook County!

2011-02-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am just back from racing in two Biathlon World Cups in northern Maine with two thoughts in mind: the organizing committees, volunteers and communities did an excellent, world-class job hosting two events and I couldn't ski two lanes down the range or ski the farthest hills of the course without a 'congrats,' 'good luck,' 'go get'em,' or 'go haley!' So I'd like a send an informal but HUGE CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to everyone involved in the Maine World Cups!!! I am grateful to everyone of them.

I guess I have a third thought, too: I didn't race as well as I would have liked to in Maine, but regardless our team did great and it was awesome to compete in a World Cup on home snow!

Some great volunteers in Fort Kent.

The tips of my classic skis peer over the top of 'Soderberg's Summit' and the big climb in Fort Kent.

A shot from one of the spectating spots before the Mass Start competitions on Sunday. Beautiful conditions and sunny skies.

More great volunteers and local skiers:)

The first loop during the Men's Mass Start.

Lowell, far left, one lap into a career best finish.

Marie and Lucien Theriault - two of my favorite people in Fort Kent. I've raced and trained in Fort Kent a lot, and not once without seeing folks like them on the sidelines cheering.

Sara Studebaker during her first Mass Start.

On the final short, but not sweet, uphill towards the finish area spectators where able to cheer only an arms length away from the competitors.

I'm back in Placid for a pre-World Championship training block before leaving for Russia next week. I like Russia's courses, so have spent a good amount of time on Porter Mtn., High Notch and Ladies 5km to benefit from the hilly terrain. I'm not terribly fond of shooting in windy conditions, but Mt. Van Hoevenberg's range is a good place to practice for potential windy conditions on race day in Russia. Plus, the piston bully is back from the dead and I'm looking forward to some good conditions for intervals tomorrow morning.

Biathlon on NPR

2011-02-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

"Rural Maine County Hosts Biathlon World Cup"
Listen to the sounds of the World Cup on NPR

And check out Lowell's take on Fort Kent:
www.lowellbailey.com

2011-02-08T15:56:00.000-08:00

Presque Isle World Cup

2011-02-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

I had higher hopes for feeling good today in the Mixed Relay after yesterday's Sprint, but my legs had another idea. Even though its a short course and a short race, only 6km total and the 2km loop took a little over 5 minutes, I wasn't able to nail down the rhythm in shooting and skiing. Regardless, every race is a challenge and good practice for the next one. Plus, its a Relay and the Team put in a great effort. And to even top that the crowd loudly cheering for the US Team was unparalleled today. Tomorrow's Pursuit will be fun and its a good way finish off the week in Presque Isle.

USBA's Press Releases from Presque Isle •••••

A view of the range, finish area, stands and lodge after zero.

The women's field moments after the start.

Jeremy anchored the team and brought us back within "flower" contention with Sweden.

Just got this photo from my aunt in Switzerland where my family was watching the race on Eurosport. That's my cousin Aleksander's hand pointing to me when Sara tagged off.

It looks a little sparse from the view, but the vast majority of the crowd crammed on the other side to watch the range, tag zone and finish.

Men's and Women's Pursuit races are tomorrow: 10am and 12pm.

www.biathlonworld .com

Paintball "World Cup"

2011-02-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Instead of hosting a World Cup this week, Van Hoe and its staff put on a pretty good NorAm and what I am most psyched about - another paintball biathlon race for local young skiers. Its something new in the Adirondacks this winter and thanks to some excited participants, supportive parents and devoted individuals these races seem to go off with out a hitch. Here's a couple snap shots from the event:

I'm up in Presque Isle, Maine now for the first week of US World Cups but just came off a good week of training at home. Out of all the places I get to ski around the world Mt. Van Hoevenberg remains to be my favorite. Nowhere has yet to compare to the 15km Porter loop, the heights of High Notch or the terrain of Ladies 5km. If you're in the area, check them out, conditions are great and the local Lake Placid Loppet is this weekend!

For Sale: Rossignol Xium World Cup Classic boots, size 38, barely used

2011-01-27T16:51:00.000-08:00

They are white, unlike any sold in the US.
Women's Size 38, but probably fits more like a 37.5 or 37
Used 1/2 dozen times at the beginning of this winter season.
I'm selling them because they are too small for me and someone should be using them so they don't sit useless in my closet!!!

Please contact me for more information and if you are interested: haleyhjohnson@gmail.com

Paintball Biathlon this weekend @ Van Hoe

2011-01-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

What: Adirondack Paintball Biathlon Series
When: Saturday the 29th
Where: Biathlon Range at Mt. Van Hoevenberg
Time: 12:00pm registration 1:00pm race start
Ages: 8-14
Cost: $5

See you there!

Watch LIVE biathlon Friday morning at 8:30am!

2011-01-20T07:11:00.000-08:00

I'm in Antholz/Anterselva, Italy for the 6th World Cup of the 2010-2011 season and you can watch the women's Sprint race LIVE Friday morning at 8:30am on www.biathlonworld.com.

For start list and US Women start numbers and times click here.

For the weekend's Mass Start and Relay event start times and start lists click here.

For result - check out those same pages!

One of our head coaches, the Italian Armin Auchentaller, did a short video interview for IBU. My internet is too slow to watch it, but I'm sure its good.

On a walk the night before the full moon. We're staying at the Seehaus this year - literally, the "lake house." I've been here before and its nice to be back again. We're minutes away from the stadium, course, and trails all around the lake.

The lights - that's us. We're up at the top of the Antholz valley and in the evening have the place to ourselves. Tomorrow's Sprint race begins the final week of the 2nd trimester of World Cups. We have a nice break at home before racing in Maine's World Cup and for my first time, competing in a World Cup in my home country.

First week back on the World Cup

2011-01-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

IN a matter of minutes I will be off to the next stop on the tour - beautiful Antholz/Anterselva Italy in the South Tyrolian region. But before I go, here are a few thoughts from my first week back on the World Cup this year.

In an interview I was asked how yesterday's 10km Pursuit went: It feels right to be back on the World Cup. I don't take any race for granted and even though I didn't shoot well, I skied well and held on the best I could. I only made one Pursuit race last year, so to do it right off the bat, I was more than happy to be on the startline.

Biathlon in Ruhpolding, Germany is a bit of biathlon on steriods: the venue can pack up to 30,000 spectators (loud, drunken, braut-eating, horn-blowing, flag-waving, cheering spectators), the course feels like you are skiing on a highway they are so wide, these are the steepest hills we climb that they are aptly referred to as "walls" and "waterfalls" and this year's new downhill felt like you came out of the sky like a falling star. I started out the week with an Individual Race - 15km, 4 shooting stages, 1-minute penalties per miss, then followed by a Sprint - 7.5km, 2 shootings, penalty loops, and Pursuit - 10km, rapid fire starts, 4 shooting stages, penalty loops. I felt better with each race on the course because I am happy with where my overall fitness is at this point in the year and feel confident in my technique to adapt to world-class level courses. This is the best I've felt racing in January in a long time and with each week I work to build on that momentum. I was inconsistent with shooting, with some great elements and some unfocused shots. I am okay with that for this week. It was good to have some non-Trials races to work back into racing at this level. My shooting speed, process and range times are competitive, so now it is only a matter of hitting a "10" - the center of the target.

Looking forward, I am really glad about a good set of upcoming races: Antholz World Cup, followed by 2 US WORLD CUPS! This will be the highest level of competition I will have raced on home soil. The season is starting to unfold after a disciplined and solid track from NorAms to IBU Cups to back on the World Cup.

Super psyched to hear about Kikkan Randall's and Pete Frenette's great performances this week! I'll get in some good Eurosport time next week and hope to watch some more. Lake Placid's Supertour went well and there was plenty of snow! The kids I work with at the local elementary school even got watch!
All together, all is well.
Best,
Haley

2011 Fort Kent and Presque Isle, ME USA Biathlon World Cups

2011-01-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

On a weekly basis, people searching for "Fort Kent biathlon," "US biathlon worlds cups," etc. come across my blog. So, this is for all of You - and all those interested in heading up to the crown of Maine for some spectacular world class biathlon events in February!

Presque Isle, ME WC #7

Feb. 4-6 Sprint, Relay and Pursuit competitions

"Nordie the Lion" mascot for Presque Isle's events

Fort Kent, ME WC #8

Feb. 10-13 Sprint, Pursuit and Mass Start competitions

(Photo from www.10thmtnskiclub.org )

For competition schedules and IBU press releases look under EVENTS on www.biathlonworld.com

For more information about World Cup....

biathlon,

northern Maine,

how to get there,

cultural events,

entertainment,

accommodations,

World Cup athletes attending,

course maps,

Teacher's Resources,

& spectator information

Check out www.discovernorthernmaine.com/2011-biathlon-world-cup/

(Photo from www.10thmtnskiclub.org )

World Cup teams will use the January IBU World Cups in Oberhof, Ruhpolding and Antholz to choose which athletes will attend the two US World Cups. Our team is yet to be finalized, but here is the majority of US and Canadian athletes you'll get to watch in February:

USA

Tim Burke

Lowell Bailey

Leif Nordgren

Jeremy Teela

Laura Spector

Sara Studebaker

myself

Canada

(Canadian Media Guide)

Jean-Phillipe Leguellec

Brendan Green

Zina Kocher

Megan Imrie

In 2004 when Fort Kent hosted its first World Cup it connected with Aroostook County school children to help educate the region about biathlon, the World Cup and a healthy lifestyle that comes from skiing. For every major international event the hosting venue's steering committee in conjuction with the Maine Winter Sports Center produces a Teacher's resource guide. This guide provides not only information about the events, athletes and sport, but is also in line with Maine State Learning Standards and provides approved lessons for Grades 1 to 12 using biathlon, skiing and regional examples in the classroom. It is also the primary resource for setting up Athlete School visits and Fan Clubs for when the World Cup arrives. If you are interested, the whole Guide is available online: Teacher's Guide.

Looking ahead, here's what our 2.5km Sprint course looks like in Fort Kent:

See You There!!

Nove Mesto racing

2011-01-09T01:26:00.000-08:00

Today's Sprint is the final IBU Cup race in Nove Mesto and the final of our US World Cup Team Trials. Here's a quick look at the trails here from my cool down ski after yesterday's Individual race. The last time I raced here we were skiing on ribbons of snow through these forests.

The trails aren't too tough, but nonetheless create a good biathlon venue. More emphasis is put on the shooting in this case.

Because weather is a constant topic of discussion, the fog has settled in and made for quite the scene during a walk at dusk the other day:

Thanks for letting me borrow your camera, Annelies!

"The Best Day Ever for the US Women's Team"

2011-01-08T11:48:00.000-08:00

"The Best Day Ever for the US Women's Team"
Oberhof, Viktoria Franke, USBA

"Laura's qualification, Sara ranking within the World Cup points and the great results at today's IBU-Cup make today the best day in the history of the U.S. women's team." - Bernd Eisenbichler, US Team Leader

World Cup Sprint in Oberhof, GER

19SPECTOR LauraUSA0+1125:20.3+1:50.8

40STUDEBAKER SaraUSA0+2226:07.4+2:37.

IBU Cup Individual in Nove Mesto, CZE

13	COOK Annalies	USA	0+0+0+3	3	50:25.1	+3:09.2
14	JOHNSON Haley	USA	1+2+0+0	3	50:29.3	+3:13.4
19	BARNES Tracy	USA	1+1+0+0	2	50:48.1	+3:32.2
48	DUNKLEE Susan	USA	2+1+2+0	5	54:51.9	+7:36.0

FIRST! 2011 Adirondack Youth Paintball Biathlon Cup!

2011-01-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Race #1 kicks off at Mt. Van Hoe this weekend.

When: Saturday at Noon
Where: Mt. Van Hoevenberg Biathlon range
Ages: 8-14
Format: "Sprint" ski-shoot-ski-shoot-ski
Registration: 11-11:45 at Biathlon Timing Building
Cost: $5

Got questions? Volunteers needed, interested? Contact: rtcostanza@gmail.com or 524-6459

Post-workout snow angel

2011-01-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't made a snow angel in awhile and never on Mt. Van Hoevenberg's biathlon range, so thought I'd give it a try and join Scarlett, who was enjoying Lake Placid with her family.

I admit, it was little hard to leave the great skiing at home, but am now quite glad once in Nove Mesto na Morave. The conditions are good and will probably hold up through some warmer weather this weekend. We completed the first of three races today. The ski conditions were good and the long sustained climbs feel a bit like skiing on the treadmill at home. The range was windy, but a condition that dominates my past memory of racing in Nove Mesto, anyways. It was a good race day for me and I think it will help kick some of the last bits of jet lag before heading into an Individual on Saturday. I forgot my camera, so hopefully I'll get some photos in soon while the internet is good. If you're curious as to what central Czech Republic looks like, check out this website.

USBA press release
World Youth and Junior Championships are here in a few weeks. Here's our team.

Off to Nove Mesto!

2010-12-31T17:53:00.000-08:00

On a wonderful little ski to Marcy Dam.

Traveling to Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic is how I will begin 2011. Its been a great month training at home, racing in the US and enjoying the holidays with family and friends. Thanks to all who have helped out over the last few weeks as I pieced together travel arrangements and training!

Here's what the next step looks like:

US World Cup Tream Trials, Nove Mesto

Jan. 6 US Team Sprint Time Trial

Jan. 8-9 IBU Cup # 3 Individual, Sprint

Keep updated on results and press releases:
www.biathlonworld.com
www.biathlon.teamusa.org
www.fasterskier.com - (Interview coming in a few weeks)

Best,
Haley

Caution "Flying" Children: Racing at Mt. Itasca

2010-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Caution “Flying” Children is my favorite sign at Coleraine, MN’s Mt. Itasca ski center. On Saturday a ski jumping meet coincided with our Sprint race, and in addition to some more kids boarding on the adjacent alpine hill it was an ideal winter scene. Plus, the sight of little kids jumping mere meters on the "small" jump was priceless. I unfortunately didn’t get any photos of those tykes because it took me longer than normal at our post-race doping control and I missed it by the time I filled my cup.

Our IBU Cup Team Trials at Mt. Itasca finished up with a pursuit format 10km on Sunday. It was a good week of training and racing in Minnesota and I am happy to report my mission was accomplished. I accomplished it in more ways than one and am glad to move on to the next step: the IBU Cups and January World Cup Team Trials in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. As I mentioned in the Fasterskier.com interview, I really enjoyed skiing the technical and hilly terrain. My first biathlon and nordic coach, Kris Cheney Seymour designed these trails in 2002. The tight, turny, technical trails of his home ski area – Dewey Mtn. – and the trail layout of Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s Porter Mtn. helped inspire the biathlon specific loops. Basically, I felt quite at home and enjoyed finding the best line around the corners and up the steep and canted hills. That is what I think makes ski racing fun.

The field size was small, but the races were still competitive and no matter the conditions every second counts. It might not have made too big of a difference this past week, but I know mere seconds can get you into World Cup points, into a pursuit or just behind a faster skier or a better shooter to compete with in another realm of racing. Racing well this week has definitely given me confidence in my fitness level and has been a great affirmation of the beauty of "Plan B" and an alternate start to the season.

Wynn Roberts started the Pursuit on Sunday and too will be headed to Nove Mesto in a few weeks.

Pushing up and over one of the many hills.

CAUTION "FLYING" CHILDREN

Thanks to Andrea Mayo and MWSC for photos of us skiing. And a big shout out to Chelsea Little of Fasterskier and Craftsbury Green Racing Project for giving biathlon unparalleled coverage in the US this season. I think she's done a great job covering our sport, both domestically and international, and created a window into the world of US biathlon. Thanks!

ice halo

2010-12-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

NYSEF event volunteer update

2010-12-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Bill Koch and J5 first strides during last winter's Lake Placid Loppet. Photo from a NYSEF blog.

Hi,

Just wanted to update my earlier post about volunteering for local NYSEF ski events. Here is NYSEF Nordic's blog, which also has up-to-date information and easy access to signing up to volunteer:

nysefxcski.blogspot.com/

Scroll down to the Dec. 8th entry and you will see a blue link to sign up.

www.nysef.org/vanhoevenberg

For event a complete event schedule.

The snow conditions improved everyday I skied this past week at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Hope you get to enjoy it too and good luck to those in the NYSEF Season Opener on the 12th!

Best,

Haley

2010-12-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Always nice to have a good amount of snow to start off the season at home.

2010-12-01T14:54:00.001-08:00

ADK Daily Enterprise: NYSEF is looking for Volunteers

2010-11-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

Image from www.nysef.org

Adirondackers - If you are interested in helping out your local ski programs, local student-athletes and community venues check out this offer from NYSEF for volunteer opportunities at Whiteface, Mt. Van Hoevenberg and Pisgah Mtn:

"NYSEF is looking for volunteers" (to read full article)
Adirondack Daily Enterprise
Nov. 26 Letter to the Editor

The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities to athletes of all ages in alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, nordic combined and biathlon. NYSEF was formed in 1973 and has grown from a couple dozen athletes to more than 400 athletes. This past winter, we had the honor of having multiple alumni compete (and succeed) in Vancouver. [Bill, Andrew, Lowell, Tim, Pete and myself]

This coming winter, we will be hosting more than 25 events at Whiteface Mountain, ranging from council-level races to JI/JII Eastern Junior Finals. All of these events require a great deal of volunteers. We have positions for first-timers and seasoned race workers; we even have some indoor positions. For each day of volunteering you will receive a voucher good for a future day at Whiteface, Gore, Mount Van Hoevenberg or for an Olympic Passport. These vouchers do not expire and can be used during the holiday periods.

Thank you to all the volunteers from previous seasons who come out in any and all weather conditions. I look forward to hearing from experienced volunteers, parents and new volunteers. For more information and race dates, please e-mail brianf@nysef.org, call 518-946-7001, or check out nysef.org/wfraceregister.html.

Sincerely,

Brian Fitzgerald, NYSEF at Whiteface Mountain, Saranac Lake

Here is a link to NYSEF's Events and below are some notable upcoming races after the holidays:

Jan. 8 Hovey Memorial Race at Whiteface for J3,4&5 (This event is named in honor of my grandfather, Bill Hovey)
Jan. 14&15 HUGE weekend at Van Hoe! - USSA Supertour races, Junior Olympic qualifiers, and the St. Lawrence College Carnival (alpine events @ Whiteface, nordic events @ Van Hoe)
Contact: NYSEF Nordic coach Margaret Maher for volunteer information margm@nysef.org
Jan. 29&30 USBA NorAM#6 and Canadian World Championship Team final Selection event

Thanks for the help - volunteers are invaluable and can make all the difference!

Adirondack Daily Enterprise: "Burke, Bailey, Cook begin tours"

2010-11-26T20:38:00.000-08:00

November 26, 2010 - By PETER CROWLEY, Enterprise Managing Editor

SARANAC LAKE - Three local biathletes will start a competitive international winter tour next week, but instead of Haley Johnson joining fellow Olympians Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey, it'll be Annelise Cook.

Bailey was picked last weekend as the fifth and final member of the U.S. biathlon World Cup team, joining Burke in Ostersund, Sweden for the World Cup season kick-off Thursday.

Bailey, 29, has called Lake Placid home since he was 10. Burke, 28, grew up 20 miles away in Paul Smiths, where his parents still live, but he bought a house in Lake Placid earlier this year. Both were Winter Olympians in 2006 and 2010, and Burke made history last season by becoming, for a time, the first American ever to wear the yellow bib as overall World Cup points leader. He, fellow Olympian Jeremy Teela and young prospect Leif Nordgren pre-qualified for this season's World Cup team based on last season's results.

On the women's side, Cook, 26, of Saranac Lake, was chosen for the IBU Cup tour, a step down from the World Cup. She was a discretionary pick by the International Competition Committee after some strong results in a three-race trial series last week in Canmore, Alberta.

"The ICC, in selecting Annelise Cook, noted that she showed great improvement over the previous season and had the next highest performance in the trials and was well ahead of the next rank competitor," the U.S. Biathlon Association wrote in a Nov. 19 press release announcing the team picks.

"I'm pretty psyched," Cook said Wednesday, back in her hometown.

Cook had dropped biathlon after missing the cut for the 2006 Winter Olympics, switching to nordic ski racing for the University of Utah. She returned to biathlon last winter, but "things didn't go that well," she said.

"I didn't ski that fast, and I ended up getting cut from the national team in the spring," she said. "But I wanted to give it one more shot."

Over the summer, biathletes and coaches in Lake Placid "were very gracious" in sometimes letting her join team training when she wouldn't be in the way. As a result, she said, her skiing speed has greatly improved, which was her favorite part of the recent trials.

"It made racing really fun, instead of last year when it really stunk," she said. "Last year, I had to rely on my shooting. ... This year, I would say they're more even. I'm a decent shot; I'm pretty consistent, which is a good thing." But being a better skier "takes some of the stress away" when she approaches the firing line.

"I'm super-grateful that people were very inclusive of me over the summer because otherwise there's no chance I would have made it - no chance," Cook said.

Johnson has not yet qualified for either the World Cup or IBU Cup circuit. The 28-year-old from Lake Placid wrote on her blog Saturday, the day after the teams were announced, that she had skied well but shot poorly in last week's trials. But she will have more chances before the final World Championship team is picked in January.

"I'll continue as planned and be ready to race later again in December at a NorAm in Mt. Itasca, MN for the IBU Cup Team Trials," Johnson wrote. "However, in this next month I'll be able to take a closer look at my shooting. I have some ideas of how to fine tune my competition shooting and with the help of my staff, we will re-evaluate the mechanics of my rifle (its a bit like a well-loved old car - 13+ years old? - and could use some new parts)."

Bailey was a discretionary World Cup pick.

"The ICC in selecting Lowell Bailey noted that he had very strong results over the summer/fall and had been sick before the trials so was not at his best for the races," the USBA wrote. "They also noted that he has played a very important role in World Cup Relays and that his experience there will be helpful to the team."

Bailey is back home this week after the trials in Canmore. Burke has been in Ostersund since Nov. 15. Johnson was in Lake Placid earlier this month and visited with fourth- and fifth-grade classes at Lake Placid Elementary School on Nov. 5, talking about how exercise is harder at high elevations. Johnson regularly keeps in touch, visits and skis with LPES students.

Bailey, Burke and Johnson grew up skiing and competing together in the Adirondacks. Cook did, too, albeit a couple of years behind.

World Cup biathlon races start Wednesday for women and Thursday for men in Ostersund. Cook's first IBU Cup race will be Dec. 11 in Martell, Italy.

Contact Peter Crowley at 891-2600 ext. 22 orpcrowley@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.

Where skiing can take you: STEAMBOAT

2010-11-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

My sister, Kara - a former freestyle mogul competitor, my Olympic Maid-of-Honor, and great skier among other things - is now livin' it up in her retirement as an avid tele skier on the slopes of Steamboat. Studying at the Colorado Mountain College and moving towards a Physical Therapy degree, she picked up this sweet side job posting weekly about snow conditions and life on the mountain for Steamboat's Straight Talk blog.

Here's her post from today: "White Friday"

Here, with my brother Lars and I in Vancouver.

And this is the website she manages for me during the competition season: www.haleykaralars.com

IBU US Biathlon press release: "...Upward Trend"

2010-11-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

"Change Helps US Continue on Upward Trend"
www.biathlonworld.com
Jerry Kokesh Nov. 26, 2010

"Earlier in the year, US Biathlon Head Coach Per Nilsson said the entire program had “gone back to basics” to begin the new Olympic cycle. Now after six months of training, Nilsson thinks this philosophy and some tweaks in the program have the team poised to continue its upward performance trend that started in 2006. "

World Cup Opener: Ostersund Individual Competitions Dec. 1&2

Glad to be a Friend-of-Dewey!

2010-11-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the nice post on Saranac Lake's Dewey Mtn ski blog! Hope you all have a fun start to the winter season - snow is in the forecast!

Bill Demong and I this spring with some of the boys of Dewey:

January 1st 'Top of the Morning' 5km skate - perhaps I'll see you all there if I am in town!

Best,

haley

Dewey Mtn. Youth Ski League

Dewey Blog

Support Dewey and the "lifelong love of skiing, snowshoeing and fitness" that it has to offer.

2010-11-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

Two hats, two buffs, two gloves....

2010-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

two race tops, two hand warmers and ..... too many misses in the range.

I just finished up a 3 race Trial series in Canmore and three pretty cold days of racing. Everything got doubled up, and as mentioned, so did my misses on the range. Handwarmers taped to the backs of my hands to keep my precious trigger finger warm and alive worked well, and in addition to the quirky things skiers do to keep warm, racing actually wasn't that bad.

Everything about the races felt great, except for many unexplained missed hits. I've had a pretty good training season and physically know I am where I need to be starting the year. I'll continue as planned and be ready to race later again in December at a NorAm in Mt. Itasca, MN for the IBU Cup Team Trials. However, in this next month I'll be able to take a closer look at my shooting. I have some ideas of how to fine tune my competition shooting and with the help of my staff, we will re-evaluate the mechanics of my rifle (its a bit like a well-loved old car - 13+ years old? - and could use some new parts).

Its been cold here, but not too cold. The change of plan was tough at first, but not too tough. In this year I feel very lucky to have another month of solid training and some extra time at home before hitting the big time. There is plenty of opportunity to come and I am looking ahead towards January IBU Cups and continuing on with the rest of the biathlon season.

And for now, I've got one more week of great training in Canmore.

Part of my team will head over to Europe shortly for both the IBU Cup and World Cup circuits. Check out their progress at:
www.biathlon.teamusa.org
www.biathlonworld.com

Fasterskier's US Biathlon Preview 2010-2011

2010-11-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

Fasterskier: Can the U.S. team build on its historic results from last year, when Tim Burke wore the overall World Cup leader's bib and Lanny Barnes had the best women's Olympic result since 1994? article

2010-11-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

1st race down - two more to go. Tough shooting, but good skiing. In a sport like this there is always room to improve!

Recover Faster: Trigger Point Technologies

2010-11-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

One of my sponsors, Trigger Point Technologies, was featured on EMS's (Eastern Mountain Sports) website this week. I am traveling with a couple of their tools this trip and I thought I would say thanks for their support by featuring them on my blog, too.

First, here's what EMS had to say about Trigger Point's GRID roller:

Muscle Care and Maintenance from Eastern Mtn. Sports: Improve Circulation, Warm Up More Quickly & Recover Faster
The best gear on the planet won't help you if you're too sore to get out of bed or your legs cramp up after two miles on the trail. At Eastern Mountain Sports, we've seen how recent advances in sports medicine can offer better performance in the backcountry. If you want to warm up more quickly, hike/run/bike/ski longer, and recover faster, here are a few new technologies and tools to think about.

RECOVERY TOOLS

If you've experienced a professional massage, you understand how muscle manipulations can relieve pain and decrease your recovery time. Since you can't take your massage therapist with you on a weekend hike, recovery tools such as The Grid foam roller are a terrific supplement between massage sessions. The Grid is specifically designed to safely and effectively massage your lats, quads, and lower back, and there are plenty of other tools available for other muscle groups that can help you feel better, faster.

I have had four on-snow training sessions and now I have two pretty tight calf muscles. I had surgery for compartment syndrome in my shins (Tibialis Anterior compartment to be exact) 12 years ago, so tight calf and shin muscles have long been an issue of mine, but I was a bit surprised by how quickly they tensed and tightened with the change of ski surface and new boots. I've used Rossignol boots my entire life as a nordic skier/biathlete and this year's model is by far the stiffest. I really like the minimalist design, especially when paired with new skis and the new Rottefella bindings, but am glad to have had a few weeks of rollerskiing in them to adjust.

On snow skiing has really fired up my soleus muscle and made it painful to walk downstairs. I've had a steady routine of icing, heating, massaging, and dynamic stretching to help my calf muscles loosen up, get warmed up and cooled down. Because I am dealing with smaller muscles and I didn't pack the Grid for this trip, I have been using Trigger Point's Massage Ball. Before skiing one specific way that I can release the tension from the balls of my feet to my knees is by rolling along the massage ball. I slowly roll the ball from toe to heel along the muscles in my feet, pausing along the way to give more pressure to a tender spot until it release with increased blood flow.

In the wax room before skiing today using the Trigger Point Technology Massage Ball. Plus, wearing my wind turbine Teko socks. Its hard not to be superstitious when my socks now say "Feel the Power."

Another way this little ball is handy is while stretching after training or an afternoon run. While sitting with both legs stretched forward (like a seated forward bend), I place the ball directly under my soleus muscle. I start just below the thickest part of the gastrocnemius muscle and work my way up. This is a bit more passive and lets gravity do the work, but gives the muscle time to reinvigorate blood flow and promote healing. Plus, I can do it while writing this blog. Afterwards, my whole calf area feels looser and less stiff. This is a good thing because tomorrow is the first race to kick off the season.

Real snow flakes are finally starting to fall here in Canmore! Thankfully we've got a solid 1.2km loop to ski on, but it would be wonderful to get some more and to let winter begin. Tomorrow's race is Sprint - 7.5km (typically) with 2 shooting, prone then standing. It is also the first of three in our World Cup/IBU Cup Team qualifying series. Let it begin!

Congrats!

2010-11-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the US skiers competing in Finland this weekend! Fantastic start to the year!!

Kikkan during the Olympic 30km Classic last February.

Check out articles, personal accounts and photos:
Liz Stephen's blog
Team Today - National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation NCCSEF
Fasterskier.com
Craftsbury's Green Racing Project's blog

DIY Winter in Canmore

2010-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Lake Placid elev. 1,801ft, Canmore elev. 4,430 ft.

2010-11-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Friday visit to the 4th and 5th grade classes at the Lake Placid Elementary School:

Because I didn’t think that talking about altitude training would be interesting for a bunch of 8 to 11 year olds, I decided to respond to the request in a different way: elevation and who’s conquered it. To start things off I figured I’d speak of elevation most relative to them: the Adirondacks Mts. around us.

My visit was on a Friday, post-lunch and I knew had to move fast to keep their attention and to not ramble outside of my 15 minute window. We started at the Lake Placid Elementary School, which is roughly 1,800 ft. I explained that I was soon heading to Canmore, Alberta in the Canadian Rockies - elevation 4,430 ft. My sketch on the board of nearly 3,000 foot difference didn’t completely catch their attention. So, I asked if any of them had climbed Whiteface Mt., elevation 4,867, before? A bunch of hands go up and they start to catch on. By the time I arrive in Canmore I’ll at an elevation similar to Little Whiteface. I then asked if any had climb Mt. Marcy, elevation 5,344 ft, the highest mountain in New York. A few more hands and a few more hiking stories arose. I continued that when I was in Utah last month, elevation 5,528 ft., I was higher than the whole state of NY. They've become a bit more interested at this point. Then I pulled out the straws and had them give a low oxygen state a try. [I made a mental note of this idea when talking to an old MWSC teammate, Kate Whitcomb. Breathing through straws demonstrated to her school kids what it can feel like to exercise with less oxygen at a higher elevation.] I had them first inhale and exhale, with their noses plugged, through the straw. They didn’t think this was too hard until I had them try while doing jumping jacks. This gave me the results I was looking for: some felt tired, one felt a little dizzy, another described a “pressure” and all agreed it was a bit harder than normal breathing. Now they were all into it, and once the straw trumpets died down, I moved on.

Instead of boring them with red blood cell adaptation and oxygen carrying capacities, I introduced them to Jordan Romero. Jordan is only 13 and the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest. I read a few quotes from Jordan while passing around a photo of him on the summit of Everest wearing an oxygen mask.

Here’s how he described hiking with less oxygen in the air:

“It feels like you have cinder blocks on your legs. But we weren’t gasping for air up there. You know we were not suffocating, but we were breathing heavy…taking 5 minute breaks every 20 seconds.” They liked this description, so I didn’t bother mimicking skiing slowly during my first few days at a higher elevation.

Bringing their own knowledge of hiking and Everest to the conversation, they became increasingly interested in what this was all about, especially once they had to guess how high the tallest mountain in the world is. They came close to the 29,035ft, which was pretty good when you only live at 1,800 ft.

I also offered another neat quote from an interview with Jordan after he had accomplished his goal: “I wouldn’t recommend it [Everest] because it is a hard mountain and we prepared for it. To the kids out there, I just want to encourage them…to dream big…to find their own Everest.”

None of them were sure if they wanted to ever climb Everest, but I hope they got the point.

In the final moments once they got the gist of my ideas, I decided to take it one step further. What if they climbed Everest, with all the challenges we had briefly talked about, but they were blind? I knew I was talking about some intangible ideas to begin with, but couldn’t help exposing them to just a bit more. I passed around a photo of Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind man to summit Mt. Everest, attempting to jump over a crevasse with the help of his teammates. They were genuinely amazed and just couldn’t believe it.

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Sir Edmund Hillary

www.touchthetop.com

www.katewhitcomb.com

"US Trials Coming Up Next Week"

2010-11-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

Recent article on www.biathlon.teamusa.org

First Snow

2010-11-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Snowfall Cards at the Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid.

Here's to hoping for a first (significant) snow in Canmore!

The Adirondacks, kids, climate change, winter recreation and what we can do, come together at the following Wild Center events:

2010-11-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Adirondack Youth Climate Summit

hosted by the Wild Center

www.adkyouthsummit.org

Tuesday & Wednesday, November 9-10

This is the 2nd annual gathering of Adirondack students and professionals to share information, expertise and enthusiasm about helping the Adirondacks adapt and prepare for the effects of climate change. This two day event will include discussion, presentations and workshops that will mix motivated students with regional professionals

WinterGreen: A conversation about the future of

winter recreation, sports and culture in the Adirondacks

Friday, November 12

This is an original open discussion held at the NYSEF building at Whiteface next week that will gather people interested in and dependent upon the effects of climate change on the future of winter sports in the Adirondacls. Whether participants help promote winter tourism in our area, run the regional ski venues, or are outdoor enthusiasts themselves, it will be the first time this issue is seriously addressed openly by the public. I am hopeful that this format will not be just a meeting, but that it will incite action, education and sustainability in the Olympic region. Local contributers will be joined by a Finnish delegation who face the same climate effects to their winter sport culture in an environment similar to the Adirondacks.

These ideas seem to be a common theme around here this fall:

Our regional magazine, Adirondack Life, feature article this month is: Will the Adirondacks Survive Climate Change?

Whiteface Mtn. and the Olympic Torch

Cold nights have enabled Whiteface Mtn. to begin snowmaking and according to www.noaa.gov snow and cold temps are in the forecast. I leave on Sunday for Canmore, Alberta for a two weeks of (hopefully) early on-snow training and competitions. But, due to a lack of snow, my rollerskis and rocks skis will be packed.

2010-11-02T18:46:00.001-07:00

"The Importance of Balance in an Athlete's Life"

2010-10-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spoke to my former high school, National Sports Academy, about the importance of balance in an athlete's life. My post-lunch talk is a part of a larger series of speakers, ranging from sports psychologists to farmers, and their perspectives on the process of achieving peak performance.

One thing I realized in doing this is that the subtleties of finding balance can be so individual and unique, varying greatly from athlete to athlete. So I wish only the best to those that strive!

* * * * *

Here's most of what I had to say:

I do a sport where success can be elusive and fleeting – literally, a hit or miss. I view peak performance a bit in the same way. As an endurance athlete I train all year to prepare for a few minor peaks and one primary summit at World Championships or the Olympics. I could also call these peaks my goals for the competition season.

Visualize the view of Whiteface Mtn.: Mt. Fuji-like in its symmetry, it emphasizes its peak – the summit – the goal – the top – it is but a mere point, albeit a castle, but nonetheless a small point compared to the mountain, the base, its dimensions and immensity. For me, the summit represents peak performance and my goals for the season. As athletes, you know you can’t just go from the beginning trailhead of a mountain straight to the summit. That’s why it’s no news to you that the benefits in reaching peak performance are often not just in the goal but also in the process.

Whiteface Mt. Photo by Shaun Ondak www.shaunondak.com

Instead of being overwhelmed by reaching the summit and achieving my top goals, I reorient myself towards a different focal point – optimal performance.

This I know I can achieve time and time again: I can do it in training, while working, while traveling. Anytime. The ability to create optimal performances more often is similar to training your threshold for endurance – it’s your base. The more efficient I am at “scaling” 90% of the “mountain” means I have reserved my energy to make that last push to the top when I need to. I’m pretty happy with how my training has gone this year and I feel like I am right where I need to be going into the first races of the season. When it comes down to my Trial races this November all it will take to qualify is this last leap to the summit.

One reason why I think I’ve been able to create optimal performances and reach peaks in my career is because I’ve put a lot in to being a balanced athlete.

I look at balance in two ways: physically and holistically. Basically, how strong is your core and how strong is your mind?

Let’s look at the physical aspect first. My standing shooting position requires inner stability to balance out the weight of the rifle and to shoot accurately. If I set myself up right, then I give myself the best chance of shooting well when under the physical stress of racing – high heart rate, competition, heavy breathing.

A quick clip from combo training (rollerskiing and shooting) at the Soldier Hollow Biathlon venue during a National Team training camp in Utah this October.

One way I have created my physical ability to balance is by strengthening my inner core – my spinal muscles. This fundamental inner strength is undeniably key to all athletic movements. This strength creates balance, which prevents tensions and weaknesses in the body that can hinder your performance.

Demonstrating.

The other way I look at balance is much harder to define and more individual than the physical side. Here are 4 ways that I keep myself in balance:

Know when to be “on” and when to be “off” with particular importance to the “off” part:

It is easy to train hard, but it is hard to recover and relax, especially with busy schedules. You can’t be “race-ready” all of the time or else you’ll burn out or just go crazy. I know that in order to be fresh and ready to train and race everyday, I need some downtime to get away from the intensity of biathlon. I’ll head to Canmore, Alberta next week and one of my favorite things about Canmore is a great downtown yoga studio. When I need to get out of the hotel room and away from guns, I usually seek something like this out. But, when I can’t a couple winter knitting projects usually does the trick.

Diverse resources:

In a given day I can work with a shooting coach, head coach, strength coach, sports psychologist, mentor, team manager and physical therapists. They all bring different views to biathlon from their unique specialties. A different voice and approach helps balance out my primary coaching support and gives me another way of looking at a problem or task. *

Simply, Know thyself.:

By knowing your self, your needs, your follies, and your strengths you can be a bit more imaginative with what you need to keep you head, heart, position and often just your day in some sense of balance. It’s a bit about efficiency. Why waste your energy trying to juggle too many things, when you can instead use it to move forward and closer to your goals?

Knowing that I am more than just a biathlete:

I’ve been in and out of school since I left NSA, but in addition to keeping up with my education, I have always found a way to keep art and community service a part of what I do. Currently it comes in the form of visiting the LPES gym class. Don’t forget to remain connected to other interests, communities, clubs, etc. We often are so much more than we think we are.

But ----- sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, no matter how good you are – your balance will falter. At the moment of a missed goal, a hooked tip, a slip on the ice, and for me, a missed target and all you can say is ‘damn it’. We all know what this feels like and there’s no hiding its momentary agony.

After a tough race or training session when I feel that all is lost, I’ve relied on my sense of balance to right me. When I am stressed or tired while racing, I can often hit only 50% of my targets that often results in additional minutes spent skiing around a penalty loop. There’s really nothing worse than having to make sure I count five loops around the penalty loop. However, these moments are humbling because they demonstrate that achieving balance isn’t easy. It’s challenging to have everything go right every time. But because balance is something that I know is key to my success I have learned a great deal more about being accountable and aware of what works for me.

In that respect, achieving a balance - reveling in equilibrium – is an optimal performance in and of its self: only steps away from your peak.

* * * * *

www.nationalsportsacademy.com

www.shaunondak.com - Thanks for letting me borrow your photo!

* www.greatplay.us Just one of my great resources.

Fort Kent and Presque Isle: 2011 Biathlon World Cup Hosts

2010-10-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

"Dedicated Organizing Committees preparing Presque Isle and Fort Kent Venues"

08.10.2010, Presque Isle / IBU Inf. Dept. TO/JK

High level of preparations for BWC 7 and BWC 8

An IBU delegation inspected the E.ON IBU World Cups 7 and 8 venues in Presque Isle and Fort Kent, USA Tuesday through Thursday last week. Presque Isle will host its first IBU World Cup while Fort Kent has previous experience from 2004.

Read the article on www.biathlonworld.com

Thursday: Speaking at NSA.

2010-10-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I will speak at NSA as a part of their series "The Process of Achieving Peak Performance." I've been asked to speak about the importance of balance in an athlete's life. One of the last lunchtime speakers that they had was Bill Demong '98.

"The qualities of an exceptional cook [or in our case, an exceptional athlete] are akin to those of a successful tightrope walker: an abiding passion for the task, courage to go out on a limb and an impeccable sense of balance." - Bryan Miller

Read what Billie Jean King has to say....

2010-10-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

"Through sports our children learn about teamwork, goal setting and the pursuit of excellence. It is also how youth learn how to deal with failure and become more determined to do better the next time, not only in sports but in life."

Read the rest of her blog post on the Let's Move! website: Billie Jean King Salutes Women in Sports
Tennis legend and President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Billie Jean King, shares her experience at the Women's Sport Foundation's annual event stressing how all of these women athletes continue to mentor your people to help put them on a successful track for life.

Women's Sports Foundation

Let's Move

Article about our new coach

2010-10-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

Our new women's head coach and Lake Placid regional coach, Jonne Kahkonen, was recently interviewed by Fasterskier.com:

"Getting to know Jonne Kahkonen"
By Chelsea Little 10.25.10
Jonne Kahkonen was hired by the United States Biathlon Association this summer to be the new women’s head coach. Kahkonen, who hails from Finland, just finished a four-year stint as head coach of the biathlon program. Finland’s top performances last season came from Kaisa Makarainen, who finished the year ranked 22nd in the overall World Cup Standings.

"...how good can you be?"

2010-10-21T12:13:00.001-07:00

Floating down the Snake River with a good view of the Tetons.

USBA just held its 30th Anniversary Celebration in Jackson Hole, WY. Not only was it the location for the Board of Director's Annual Meeting, it was also host to a Gala dinner, annual awards, Snake river float trips and fly fishing, skeet shooting and a grand gathering of influential people within the US Biathlon family. Olympians from the 1960's until 2010, retired biathletes and officials, memorable staff members, current National Team members and our Olympic staff spanned the history of biathlon in the US over the past 50 years. It was not until some of these people were recognized that I realized why we had all traveled to Jackson - the Snake River valley is filled with former biathletes. This event was unlike any I have attended before and I appreciated the time that was taken to recognize this amazing community that has been created through a small sport in the US.

Max, our CEO and President, speaking at the Gala dinner.

While this anniversary celebration folded the likes of past Olympians back into the current, time was also taken to acknowledge the newest members of USBA - the newly formed US Biathlon Foundation. An incredible league of distinguished business leaders make up this strong financial team that will help support current and future USBA programs. With short notice, I had the opportunity to address this impressive crowd during one of our dinners. Even though I nailed the short-order speech, I actually don't remember what I said (not far off from the in-the-moment feel of a race, actually) except that I enjoyed welcoming this new team to USBA and hope that it is a mutually beneficial connection. We are all striving for peak performance - be it on the range or in the board room - and I am pretty excited about the potential synergy created.

During one of our dinner table conversations I made a mental note of a comment from one of our new Foundation members who made an observation of a distinguishable quality: when people pursue something to its fullest potential. How good can you be? Its a risk, its a leap from average, and honestly it is one way to define many of us in that room that night because it is one reason why we were all there in the first place.

After a good camp in Utah and with sights set on the final weeks of dryland training before heading to snow and qualifying races in Canmore, Canada it was nice to spend a few very relaxing hours watching Bald Eagles and floating down the Snake River:

Lake Placid Ski Club Sign Up and Ski Sale

2010-10-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

When: October 30th, Saturday
10am till 1pm
Where: St. Agnes School, Lake Placid

Sign up for - After school ski program at Whiteface, NYSEF nordic, alpine, snowboarding, alpine, jumping and biathlon programs, and the Bill Koch nordic ski program
Meet - local Olympians Pete Frenette, ski jumping, and my self
Buy and sell - used ski equipment

For further information and details:
www.lakeplacidskiclub.com
lakeplacidskiclub@roadrunner.com

Utah Camp photos - UPDATED!

2010-10-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

After a chilly and rainy rollerski this morning in Placid I look fondly back at the ideal training climate that we had in Utah. Just checked NOAA and we're in for more snow and rain.

Our annual fall camp in Soldier Hollow, Utah was productive and fun. We kept the focus and quality high during training to return home a bit more fine tuned and ready for the race season ahead. Training at a higher altitude is interesting, but the older and fitter I get the easier it is for me to adjust. This is my 5th fall in Utah and every time I gain a better understanding of how I am affected by altitude. I paid particular attention to this this year because it added an interesting element to training analysis and it will give me insight into the two weeks I will spend in Canmore, Canada later in November. I am super psyched about starting the year off in Canmore and look forward to the qualifying trials that will fill up the rest of our World Teams for December. With important races coming up ahead at higher elevations, Utah proved to be a good test.

Check out a recent article on FasterSkier.com - Biathletes Make Most of Altitude at Soldier Hollow

to get some insight from other teammates, coaches and photos.

On our way back down from ski walking intervals up Park City Resort.

A good portion of our national team is on Rossignol equipment and I think this is my 13th year, (well 15 or 16 if you count my alpine years) skiing on Rossi. Each year during our October Camp we head up to the Mountain Center in Park City to meet with our Rep. Robert, take some photos, check out the offices, meet the staff and learn about the new equipment.

Instead of just a quick hello while passing their cubicle, this year the Rossi staff got to try out our SCAT laser shooting system.

Rossignol's conference room is also a hall of history with a variety of legendary rooster tipped Rossi models. I liked this pair - Mt. Olympique.

After our final interval/time trial session to looped out recovery jog around the rollerski trails to cheer on the Canadian National Team's classic sprint session. Most days we have Soldier Hollow to ourselves, but on a few occasions its been packed with the US Ski Team, Canadian National Team and APU ski team. Often on a very separate schedule for the US Nordic team (they were in Placid while we were in Utah, for example) its a treat when our training overlaps. Plus, it was pretty neat to watch the speed of such skiers as Devon Kerhsaw, Chandra Crawford and Kikkan Randall. Best of luck to all of them this season!

BethAnn Chamberlain, Tracy and Lanny Barnes, Annelies Cook and I on a run at Soldier Hollow.

Looking down range at Soldier Hollow.

Chandra Crawford, Olympic Gold Medalist and Fast and Female founder, during the classic sprints.

2010-10-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

"Demong Supports Hometown Trails"

2010-10-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

[From Fasterskier.com]

SARANAC LAKE, NY (Oct. 5) – There are two significant road signs along the winding highway leading from Lake Champlain to the Adirondack Mountains.

The first is stark green and marks Fletcher Farm road in Vermontville, population 853. It reads “Home of Billy Demong, Olympic gold and silver champion.” Roughly 10 miles later is another welcoming travelers to Saranac Lake. This one plainly states “Home of the 1996 State Champion Cross Country Team.”

Demong referenced the second when addressing a group of hundreds Monday at the village owned Dewey Mountain Ski Center, half were piled into a blue and white tent, the others spilling across the lawn. Waist high children made loops of the tent and adjacent playground as proud parents looked on. His mother Helen and father Leo among them. It was there that Demong and fellow biathlon Olympians Tim Burke trained for that 1996 Saranac Lake High School title.

Finish the article here.

a day away from the range

2010-10-06T19:09:00.000-07:00

Uihlein Ironman Sports Fund Athlete Grant

2010-10-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

One way to go from here...

...to here...

....is through locally supported ski programs.

I thankfully have been through a couple of those types of programs through the years and I'd like to take note of the philanthropic arms of region that have supported both those programs and their athletes along the way.

The Uihlein Ironman Sports Fund Athlete Grant Reception is held today for its 2010 recipients at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid. I am unable to attend while training here in Utah, but would like to extend my thanks to Uihlein Ironman Sports Fund Grant committee and the Adirondack Community Trust for their continued support.

The Grant's mission:

Provide financial support for competitive, local, young athletes with regional, national and international promise in traditional winter and summer sports.
Provide general program support to local nonprofit organizations that expose area youth to traditional summer and winter sports.

This type of support is representative of the belief in the value of local athletes and the benefit of sport, both for the individual or non-profit group, as well as the community and Olympic region as a whole.

My athletic career has evolved right along with this Grant, and I appreciate that it has grown with me and helped me meet my financial needs as a full-time biathlete. Its benefits are mutual however. Over the years it has also placed the responsibility in my hands for giving back to the community that has helped me along the way. Thus it has been both the motivator and enabler of such projects. This is my 6th year receiving this local athlete grant and I am psyched to put in another year of visiting classrooms, skiing with youth programs and promoting the benefits of skiing in the Lake Placid region.

Thanks UISF and ACT!

USOC's Beyond Sport Summit

2010-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

"We all believe sport can bring youth away from and into very important things, away from crime, away from violence, and into academics, into sport, into character development," Pat Ryan, the head of the Chicago 2016 bid and chairman of World Sport Chicago, said in his address.

I came across this article on TeamUSA.org, "Aiming to affect great, lasting social change" and the above quote to well express the power to of the Olympic movement that can happen on a daily, individual and community level.

With that said, the Lake Placid Ski Club sign up is Saturday October 30th from 10 till 2 at the at the St. Agnes School in Lake Placid. See you there!

Fall Equinox

2010-09-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

The last day of summer:

The first day of fall:

Thanks Rudy Project!!!

Gym Class

2010-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since I've been to Gym Class, and this year, Monday's visit to Mr. Young's class at the LP Elementary School will be the first of quite a few. In the past I visited kids in their classrooms. However, this year I wanted to take a different approach. Being active with kids and working along side those who are already promoting activity and healthy choices, seemed to be a more effective way, naturally. On Monday I visited 4th and 5th grade gym classes.

This project is a bit free form, but the intention will always be clear: I think role models are really important figures in our lives. In the environment of gym class and school, an athlete can be a meaningful, local and real life example to learn from. I know this reads a bit like NPR's "This I believe," but I am excited for what another year holds.

The theme for Monday's class was cooperation and teamwork, hence the ball between our heads while doing a push-up. Not easy - give it a try.

The next visit is slated for the end of October once I am back home from a National Team Training Camp in Utah.

a successful trail run on a beautiful fall day

2010-09-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Participants of the Jackrabbit Trail run started in the cool fog Saturday morning, passing along the beaded Kenyan gecko from runner to runner from Paul Smiths to Lake Clear to Saranac Lake to Lake Placid and ended at Keene's Rock and River Inn and guiding service.

While on the trail just past the beaver dam:

I had some special company at the end of my run in addition to the ladies above. Jenna, a student and Bill Koch skier, whom I met at the Lake Placid Elementary school last year, joined me for the last mile or so. Getting to go for a run and chat was great fun. I hope we get to do it again some time!

The joint effort made us both a bit "taller" and stronger that day:

Here's the crew that finished out the last leg of the run from Mountain Rd. on Rt. 86 to Rock and River. Well, actually I was the only one to join in for the last leg. The others were having such a great time that they continued on leg after leg of the journey to make it to the end.

Thanks for hosting such a fun event Keela! Glad it has been so successful for Reason 2 Smile!

2010-09-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

If you think you can do a thing or you think you can't do a thing, you are right.

-Henry Ford

I listened to a St. Lawrence University Sports Psychologist Professor speak today about Motivation. A lot of what she had to say I had heard many times before, but it never hurts to revisit the things that drive you forward.

Sept. 18th Jackrabbit Trail Reason 2 Smile Fundraising Run

2010-09-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

A fundraising trail run will round out this week of training. Myself, along with a couple dozen or so other local folks, are running on the historical Jackrabbit trail to help raise funds for Reason 2 Smile. [See earlier post.] This small, but growing organization is raising funds to help financially support orphaned and impoverished children in developing countries. Currently, Reason 2 Smile is contributing to the Jambo Jipya School in Kenya.

For more information about Reason 2 Smile check out:

www.reason2smile.org and on Facebook:

Sept. 17th Sports Psychologist to speak at National Sports Academy

2010-09-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

In NSA's efforts to understand the process of reaching Peak Performance they've gathered area resources, among them local professionals, alumni and Olympic athletes, to help inform their community about a variety of elements that go in to reaching such an optimal state as students, as athletes, as human beings.

On NSA's website: Understanding the Process of Achieving Peak Performance: theme for the 2010-2011 school year

This Friday a Professor of Psychology from St. Lawrence University, Cherly Stuntz, will speak about motivation.

2010-09-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lake Placid Iron Kids @ John Brown Farm

2010-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Local kids cross-country running program starts up next Wednesday the 8th.

Location: John Brown Farm, Lake Placid

Days/Times: M-W-F 3:45-4:45

Contact: Rick Costanza rtcostanza@gmail.com

Here's what Rick has to say:

Hi Everyone,

The Lake Placid Iron Kids running program will begin for the fall season on Wednesday, September 8th at John Brown Farm. We will meet M-W-F from 3:45 to 4:45. We are pleased to offer kids the opportunity to run, play and have fun. This is the tenth year of the program offering kids ages 8 and up a chance to run with local coaches and have the option to compete in a few races.

There is no fee to join the program but all participants wishing to compete in the USA Track and Field qualifiers will be required to join USATF. The Lake Placid Iron Kids is a registered club with the Adirondack Association of USA Track and Field. Coaching is provided by club coaches Rick Costanza and Paul Woodruff. Others may be added and new assistant coaches are always welcome.

For repeat Iron Kids families: The program is essentially unchanged from previous years with the new twist. We no longer have funding from Iron Man so we will not be able to pick up the cost of entry fees or T-shirts. We are planning to add in a few paintball biathlon days at Mt. Van Hoevenberg and perhaps a trial run at the Paul Smiths VIC.

I look forward to another season with all of you.

Rick

Johns Brook

2010-08-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

In a matter of seconds...

2010-08-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

Training in Keene

2010-08-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Level 4 skate intervals on Hurricane Rd. (East Hill) in Keene were the high point of this week's training before a few relaxed days of hiking.

If it was warm enough this would have been the post-ski swimming hole. But, Fall is in the air here and the mornings are cool and the leaves - one by one it seems - are starting to change.

The secret to longevity: "ski, ski, ski"

2010-08-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

The entrance sign at Rock and River, Keene

My training week ended yesterday with a run along the Jackrabbit Trail. This 39 mile trail links the towns of Keene, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Paul Smiths with the mission of promoting skiing in the Tri-Lakes area. Its unique name is in honor of Herman "Jackrabbit" Johannsen, who was one of the many influential Norwegians to introduce nordic skiing and ski jumping to the US and Canada. Jackrabbit Johannsen in particular helped promote nordic skiing in Lake Placid through the Lake Placid Club just as the town began to grow as a winter sports mecca leading up to hosting the 1932 Winter Games. His advice was sought on such projects as the construction of the 1932 Olympic ski jump or as an instructor for the Lake Placid Club's Sno Bird Ski Club while living in Lake Placid with his family and working for the logging industry in Montreal.

I didn't attempt the full 39 miles of course, but instead covered the first few miles from Keene's Rock and River lodge back up to Placid and ended at the Olympic Training Center. After the end of a long summer of training and having spent a lot of time on some of the same trails, it was invigorating to revisit a good local trail with a point to point destination.

At the top of the pass the trails skirts along beaver ponds below high cliffs perfect for ice climbing.

I was also curious to check out this section of the trail again because on September 18th it will be my leg of the 2nd Annual Reason2Smile Trail Run. This is a fundraising run to help benefit the Jambo Jipya School in Mtwapa, Kenya. Why kids in Kenya - you might ask? Keela Dates from Lake Placid started the organization Reason 2 Smile last year to help poor, orphaned and at-risk children in Kenya with the mission that every child needs a reason to smile. In this case her organization is helping local communities in developing nations financially provide for the education and well-being of their children - their future.

The purpose and existence of the Jackrabbit Trail is a good reason to smile too. Jackrabbit Johannsen lived to be 111 and owed such vitality and longevity to skiing as he became known for his phrase: "ski, ski, ski".

Trail markers are posted by the Adirondack Ski Touring Council.

If you'd like to learn more about this trailblazer click here. Not only did he teach people in Placid how to ski, he was also well known for his abilities by Canadians in Ontario and Quebec, as well as the Cree Indians who are noted for giving him his nickname "Rabbit" for his speed and agility on skis on snow in the winter.

The other thing that helps in the last sessions of the week and on a cool rainy Sunday is good conversation and company while running the trail. Thanks Mike!

www.jackrabbittrail.org

www.reason2smile.org

Looking ahead towards the fall...

2010-07-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

....no summer is not over yet, but my training is beginning to transition to more specific biathlon combination training and our second training camp is just around the corner.

It has been a successful summer of training so far marked by a good quantity of quality hours and improvements in my shooting process and position.

Team shots from this year...

2010-07-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Local athlete grant due this Friday!

2010-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

The Uihlein-Ironman Sports Fund athlete grant is due this Friday the 16th, either by mail or email, to the Adirondack Community Trust.

www.generousact.org

Adirondack Community Trust

PO Box 288

Lake Placid, Ny 12946

518-523-9904

andrea@generousact.org

Olympic Day at the Olympic Training Center

2010-06-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

"Nick Fairall, right, a member of the U.S. Men’s Ski Jumping Team, and Olympic biathlete Haley Johnson lead a tour of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Lake Placid Olympic Training Center on Saturday. Tours of the facility were offered as part of Olympic Day, a free event that gave children the chance to try Olympic sports like bobsled, luge and biathalon. Olympic Day also featured autograph sessions with luge, bobsled, skeleton, biathalon, ski jumping and freestyle athletes, raffles and live music." (Enterprise photo — Chris Knight)

[June 28 front page of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise]

"Community, Sport, Environment"

2010-06-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

June 25 - TEKO Socks Blog: "Community, Sport, Environment"

Stretching after a run in the Breadloaf Wilderness, Vermont.

A nice day in the Adirondacks

2010-06-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Views from Hopkins Mtn. during a trail run put on by the Mountaineer, and a long training day made possible by the help from Green Point Market in Keene Valley.