Utah Wrap and The Methow Valley

The final two international team selection races culminated my time in Utah. I struggled mightily in these two tests. My ski speed and shooting scores were well below my performance potential. I attribute this to a lack of recovery and an over-zealous training regimen during the early phase of this high altitude block. I took some valuable lessons away from this experience and I am looking forward to getting on some SNOW in Canmore, Alberta, Canada beginning on November 12^th.

Directly after I finished up racing in Utah, my teammate Casey Smith and I traveled to his hometown of Winthrop, Washington to put on a master’s biathlon camp. Masters athletes are citizen racers over the age of 30. These athletes juggle family, a career and other “real life” commitments while still pursuing their athletic goals. The purpose of the camp was to share our knowledge of biathlon with a segment of participants who have very little access to shooting instruction, technique coaching and other resources elite athletes take for granted. The camp was a smashing success! I learned a great deal about coaching and earned funds that will make my season considerably more affordable.  I would like to publically thank Methow Valley Biathlon and the Smith Family for making the camp possible as well as all of the participants for attending. Special thanks also go out to Bryn Black who drove me to Seattle, put me up for the night and got me to the airport the next morning. Thanks Bryn!

The racing season is right around the corner and I am undoubtedly looking for redemption following my poor performances in the last three significant events. I will be finishing off my preparation for the season with a final dryland training block in Fort Kent, before putting my off-season training to the test with on-snow training and racing in Canmore, Alberta.