August and September have flown by and the biathlon calendar
is turning to the business end of the year. Over the next two months my
training a will become more intense and specific as I sharpen my shape before
the winter racing season begins in late November.
As incongruous as it seems, the 2017-2018 season has already
begun. In mid-August I traveled to Jericho, Vermont for a training camp
culminating in the first round of rollerski selection races for the Period 1
World Cup. I had been feeling good in training leading up to this week and I
was optimistic about producing good results, but the results did not reflect my
feelings. I was well off the pace skiing and did not produce acceptable shooting
results. Accepting these results was difficult considering the work I had put
in to get back into a competitive position for these races. These competitions
did leave me with a clear direction for my fall training and showed I have lots
of room to improve. You can find photos of the event here: http://fasterskier.com/fsarticle/us-biathlon-rollerski-championships-photos/.
Since the August races, I have put in quality training,
highlighted by a trip to Fort Kent, Maine for a rollerski training weekend with
my friend Russell Currier. Since I don’t have the facilities to do shooting and
rollerskiing at the same time when I am at home, trips like this are crucial to
training progress. Russell has two Top
10 World Cup results to his name, and has been one of the most consistently
speedy biathletes in the US over the past 8 years or so. You can find Russ’s
blog here: http://russellcurrier.blogspot.com/.
I believe Russell is one of the most honest and engaging Nordic bloggers on the
scene.
I will train and work at home for the next two weeks before
traveling back to Jericho, VT for more rollerski selection races on the 14th
and 15th of October. My goal is to be the most improved athlete at
these races. I am confident I can achieve that standard. In a spot of positive
news, I am now able to complete high intensity running and shooting training
again due to improved strength in my dodgy left ankle.
Looking further ahead, I am hoping to travel to Canmore,
Alberta Canada in mid-November for an on-snow training and competition camp,
but I will have to wait and see if my finances will allow it. After November,
it is full speed into the December Trials races held in my home state of
Minnesota. These competitions will be the “make or break” point for my Olympic
bid.
There are many other athletes like me who are striving to
represent their nations at the 2018 Olympics. The University of New Hampshire
has created a page highlighting current and former Wildcats who are working to
represent their nations at the 2018 Olympics. I am very proud to represent UNH
and carry on a tradition of Olympic level excellence. You can find profiles and
updates from the featured athletes on this page: http://unhwildcats.com/sports/2017/8/16/olympic-central.aspx?mobile=skip
To follow my journey though this Olympic season, follow me
on Instagram: @roggoessling91 and Twitter: @TheRGoessling.
