Dusting Off, Clawing Up

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 14^th and 15^th 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.