Thanks

My sincere thanks to everyone who has helped me on my way through the Nordic World. 

You made my journey possible. 

IBU Cup Trials

The IBU Cup Trials was the focal point of my season. These competitions offered a chance to race in Europe and qualify for the 2018 US Olympic Team. The IBU Cup Trials always take place in Coleraine, Minnesota. Coleraine is one of the venues I have raced at the most in my life. I have raced at this venue every December (with a 2-year hiatus for college) since I was 13 years old (13 years ago!)

The series consisted of 4 races, (3 Sprint races and 1 Mass Start) over the course of 5 days. After 3 weeks of quality training in Canmore and a nice rest at home I was optimistic about my potential for success. My goal for the series was to be one of the top 2 athletes overall and move on to the final phase of Olympic selection in Europe.

The first race was a sprint, with 2 shooting stages of 5 shots each in a 10-kilometer race. I skied well, but missed 3 targets. This performance left me about 1min behind the winner in 6^th place. This was my best performance of the year, and left me with renewed confidence and optimism for improvement in the coming 3 races.

The second race was the same format as the first, and my performance was incrementally better. I missed 2 targets, and maintained good ski form. Again, I was 6^th, about 1 minute behind, and just outside the level of the best athletes.

The 3^rd day of racing was a Mass Start race. The whole field raced head to head over 15km with 4 shooting stages. I picked the wrong skis, rushed my shooting, and let my emotions get the best of me. I had hoped to make my bid for the team in this competition, but I finished well behind in 10^th place.

After an off day, I was eager to put together a race which showed my true quality. The final sprint race was my best biathlon performance in years. I missed 2 targets on a very windy day and fought off some serious fatigue to post a respectable ski time. I finished in second place. As my former coach Vladimir put it, “Good race, Raleigh, a little too late thought.”

Shooting with some of my favorite Minnesota biathlon friends. Right before it all went wrong in the Mass Start 

I finished the series in 5^th or 6^th place, depending on which selection criteria you used. In one set of selection guidelines, US Biathlon declared that the best 2 of the 4 races would be used in the final ranking. In a second set of selection criteria, 3 of 4 races where to be used. Thankfully, the top two positions where not effected by this oversight, and the top ranked athletes where selected.

I had hoped to gain perspective on what my path forward should be from the results of these Trials. Resounding success or crushing defeat would have left me with a clear path forward, instead I am left tantalizingly close to excellence, with a podium to prove I have the potential to be among the best. 

Pushing for the Podium! 

My final ranking left me in 10^th or 11^th in the US, after all the trials races. Far from a top 5 Olympic-Team ranking, but in the mix with the athletes tipped to be the next National A Team stars.

In the coming weeks there are more selection races which could qualify for to race at the European Championships and on the IBU Cup. Attending the trials races and funding a potential European race trip present financial hurdles I could have to overcome, but neither are out of the realm of possibility.

For now, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my family for the Holidays and entering 2018 as happy and healthy as possible.       

This is the face you make when you podium, but don't know what to do next. 

Photos by Karen Brown and Gregory Haugen

Canadian November

November is a bipolar month for biathlon training. In November some of the hardest dryland training takes place. The amount and intensity of the exercise increases. At the same time the amount daylight and enthusiasm for running and rollerskiing decrease at a nearly equal rate. On the other end of the November spectrum is on-snow training camp. After a 7-month separation from skiing, the first days on snow are among the most fun training days of the year.

This season I experienced the full range of November biathlon training. Early in the month I worked hard to improve on the weak areas I had identified in the October rollerski trials races, and tried to put in hours at my job to finance my upcoming travels. The hard rollerski sessions where driven in part by the light at the end of the tunnel with was skiing on snow in Canmore, Alberta Canada.

Following the October rollerski trials, I reached out to Patrick Johnson, a biathlete from California with the idea of sharing the cost of a training camp in Canmore and a race trip to the IBU Cup Trials in Minnesota (More in this in another post). I had only briefly met Patrick prior to coming to him with this proposal, but he gamely agreed! Patrick is a supremely talented biathlete and excellent person. We got along famously throughout the camp in Canmore and the race trip to Minnesota. I am very grateful to Patrick for agreeing to travel with me.

My time in Canmore was filled with quality biathlon training, some poor North American Cup race results, and lots of breathtaking scenery. Canmore is on of my favorite places to be, and I always enjoy my time there. The Bow Valley is #1 on my list of ski vacation destinations. In Canmore I was a guest athlete of the Auburn Ski Club (http://auburnskiclub.com/asctc/biathlon/)  and Team R.A.D. (http://www.canmorenordic.com/team-rad/). Both clubs welcomed me as one of their own and provided me with great coaching and training buddies. A special thank you to Rachel at team R.A.D, and Glenn, Lenka and Joel from ASC for their help.      

The training camp in Canmore allowed me to build some race form, get my skis legs under me and adjust to shooting on a regulation size biathlon range. I steadily improved my fitness and skills throughout the camp. After Canmore, I spent a few days at home resting and resetting before traveling to my home state of Minnesota for the IBU Cup/Olympic Trials races.

Check out the next post on this blog for a recap of these competitions.  

Sparks, but no Fire

I am back in Southern Maine after a weekend away at the last round of World Cup rollerski Trials in Jericho, Vermont. The races did not produce any good results, but I still feel that I made progress since the first rollerski competitions of the season in August. Even though the shooting results remained poor, I felt much more in control on the sometimes (very) windy range. On the tracks I finally began to feel that I was carrying better speed and my economy was improving. Racing is the best way to improve as a biathlete, and I am looking forward to racing on snow, instead of pavement.

My fall training went well, but it was not enough to meaningfully close the gap between myself and the rest of the field. After analyzing the results of both weekends of summer racing I have determined that my performances are on a similar level to those I produced in 2014. This is frustrating considering the 2,000 or so hours of physical training I have completed since then. I have had to deal with some illness and injures in that time as well, but I had hoped my general fitness would be at a higher level. The positive spin on this analysis is that I still have lots of room to improve in ski speed and economy.

Outside of the race results, I had a great time in Vermont. The weather was pleasant, the venue was in excellent shape, and I got to spend some time with new and old friends. My pals Jake Brown and Paul Schommer where very kind to invite me to a dinner hosted by local ski coaches Adam Terko and Liam John. Adam and Liam both coach for the Mansfield Nordic Ski Club. Mansfield is a dynamic and successful club, which is forging a stellar reputation in the New England ski community.  I am not the only person to draw this conclusion, as Adam was named the New England Nordic Ski Association’s Coach of the Year in 2017. Check out all that Mansfield Nordic does HERE.     

The next important competitions are the IBU Trials in Coleraine, Minnesota in early December. In the eight weeks between now and then I am pushing all my chips into the center of the table. Going “All In” sounds cliché; however, I feel that the act of pushing my training, time, and finances to the limit adds elements of excitement and finality which will further motivate me to bring my best.  

   

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.  

Reality Check-In

This blog has served as a public archive of my biathlon and cross-country ski racing endeavors the past 8 years.  I use this page to share my thoughts, feelings and experiences with family, friends and supporters. I have not updated this page since the mid-point of last season. My lack of updates has not stemmed from a lack of content. Instead, I have struggled to select which aspects of my experience I wanted to share. Race recaps are not fun to write when the competition was a complete disaster, and training updates are not enjoyable to share when the preparation is not going well. With the first competitions of this Olympic season approaching, I thought it was time to gather my thoughts and share the state of my biathlon life. Before I address the present, there is some catching up to do.     

The end of last season was very difficult for me. Most of my results where poor and a few where marginal. I produced two good results, 6^th place in the Mass Start at US Nationals and 3^rd place in the second round of the US World Cup Trials.  My slower than expected recovery from mononucleosis, solo training, nagging injuries and lack of quality biathlon training all contributed to my poor results. After decompressing from the season, I was left at the same crossroads I faced in past, should I continue to push for international success, or begin a life outside of elite Nordic sport.

I agonized over this decision. After some time, I decided that I needed to give myself a chance at finding my athletic ceiling. The idea of quitting after two seasons which were marred by illness, injury and overtraining left a bad taste in my mouth, especially when I knew I was capable of much more. After deciding what to do, I had to figure out how to do it. I applied to a few professional teams in the hopes of gaining financial support, coaching and teammates. I was not selected by any of the programs I applied to. I was however, able to find a coach. James Upham is serving as my coach this season and I am very fortunate to have his help. Over the course of his career James has coached many of America’s finest Olympic and Paralympic biathletes to international success.

Under James’s guidance I have been training out of my parent’s home in Yarmouth, Maine. I complete most of my workouts alone, but I am sometimes joined by members of the BNS Acceleration project, a group of junior athletes James coaches in the summer months. I have a part time job with a local nonprofit, which allows me to train as much as I need. I enjoy the balance of working and training, even though it often leads to some very long days.  

My body is finally responding normally to training stimulus and I have seen improvement in my physical fitness, ski technique and shooting stability. I no longer take my health for granted and I am grateful for every day I get to spend outside doing what I love.  Even with these improvements behind me, I am stuck with periods of uncertainty. I wonder if I can reach an international level without the benefits of top class venues, funded training camps, teammates and sponsorships. At the worst of times I wonder, if in the face of these disadvantages, I have even a small chance at reaching my goals. 

I am not without support. My family continues to support my continued pursuit of excellence. My coach James volunteers his time to guide my training. Cory Schwartz and Steve Monsulick at UNH generously assist my training and racing whenever they can. Dick Knight, a local landowner has given me a place to practice shooting. The Southern Maine Biathlon Club, Jackson Biathlon Club and the Fort Kent Outdoor Center help my training efforts with venue and equipment access. Rossignol Skis and Alpina Ski Boots give me access to affordable and top-quality equipment. I am forever grateful to Phil Rogers, Bill Meyer, Brent Smith and my other youth coaches and mentors for giving my career a flying start.
   

I know I have the talent, and the work ethic to succeed. I know I am doing it the hard way and nobody but me and my supporters are planning on my success. This entire process is an exercise in mental toughness and self-belief, two areas which I have sought to improve my entire career. My strategy is to meet my financial and logistical disadvantages with confidence and mental toughness.  The most daunting challenge is not the competition or the circumstances, but the dissenting voices in my head and the pressure I put on myself.

This season will begin next week in Jericho, Vermont with the first round of World Cup selection races on rollerskis. I have prepared as best as my circumstances have allowed and I am excited to test my physical strength, mental toughness and shooting skills against the best in country. My goal this season is the qualify for the US Olympic Team. You can read about how the team will be picked here: http://fasterskier.com/fsarticle/inside-scoop-us-biathlons-olympic-criteria-bernd-eisenbichler/

To stay updated on my training and racing you can follow me here and on my Instagram @roggoessling91.

Thanks for reading.  

Catching Up

I have not shared much about myself on this blog or otherwise since my last post on this site in June, 2016. I have maintained this blog off and on since June 3^rd 2009. For some perspective, I posted that first entry on this blog when I was 17 years old. I am now 25…

So, in the interest of continuing this public archive of my sporting life, here is a brief update of my year thus far.

June 2016-August 2016

After undergoing an antibiotic treatment for suspected Lyme Disease, I had more tests done which revealed I had mononucleosis. Mono hit me like a large, fully loaded dump truck and I spent most of the summer as a sedentary person. I gradually built back up to full training by September. Over the course of the summer I did less exercising that I have in my entire life, excluding my time as an infant. During the summer, I had the good fortune to develop a local practice shooting range with a local land owner.    

September 2016

I returned to full training and began to try and develop some semblance of physical fitness. I found I had missed pushing myself, but also discovered I was far from top form.

October 2016

In mid-October I did my first competitive biathlon races since March 2014. I put together one excellent race in which I placed 3^rd among most all the Men’s competitors in the country. My second race was a step back shooting wise and a much worse result. I left the competition weekend feeling encouraged, but wary of my lack of ski form.

November 2016

In November I joined the UNH Ski Team for a fall on-snow camp in Craftsbury, VT. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s snowmaking efforts were thwarted by warm temps, but I could ski at Smuggler’s Notch and do a few on-snow combos on a short loop at the Outdoor Center. I am oh so grateful to the UNH Ski Team coaches and athletes for allowing me to join them for the week.

December 2016

I tried to qualify for the IBU Cup through a series of selection races held at Mt. Itasca in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Many of my earliest biathlon memories involve getting very cold at Mt. Itasca. The racing was indeed chilly, and I struggled with ski selection, fitness and shooting consistency. These faults where my own as I enjoyed generous hospitality and support from Bill and Jean Meyer. Bill is my longtime coach and I am forever grateful to Bill (and Jean!) for their support of my goals over the years.

 After two selection races, I was so discouraged by my poor results that I checked out of my hotel early, got on a bus and attempted to get an early flight home. I wound up staying in Minnesota for the same amount of time, but skipped the final race and stayed with an old friend in nearby Duluth, MN. I am not proud of ducking a race opportunity and I truly regret not reaching out to old friends in the area during my stay. I was so frustrated, confused and despondent about my results I was ashamed to speak about them and seriously considered calling it quits on biathlon.

January 2017

After some quiet days at home with my family for the holidays I resolved to continue to chase biathlon excellence. I put in quality time on snow, discovered a new place to train in Jackson, New Hampshire and took part in local Nordic races. I also competed at the University of New Hampshire’s College Carnival race. My racing was not to the level I had reached the past, but it was fun and I am again grateful to the UNH coaches and athletes for supporting me. Despite a continuing lack of good results, I feel that my form is finally coming around.

February 2017

February has been the my most productive training month to date. I took a week off from work to train in Jackson, New Hampshire with Jake Brown, a supremely talented member of US Biathlon’s X Team.

This camp was made possible by Wayne Peterson at Jackson biathlon and Jake’s great aunt and uncle who allowed us to use their condo for the week. Jackson Biathlon and Wayne Peterson have built an impressive venue and club from the group up. It is exciting to be around this type of biathlon development and I hope the club’s success continues to grow.

My season has not unfolded according to my initial plans (or even secondary schemes), but it has forced me to re-dedicate myself to the sport of biathlon. Although I do not have an official club, I have been fortunate to receive help from a number of people and organizations including Bill Meyer at Minnesota Biathlon, Cory Schwartz and Steve Monsulick at UNH, James Upham, Seth Hubbard at the Outdoor Sport Institute, Joel Hinshaw from the Southern Maine Biathlon Club, Wayne Peterson, and many others.

I would also like to take a moment to thank Phil Rogers, Brent Smith, Gary Colliander, George Hovland, Vladimir Cervenka and others who helped me on my way early in my career. If I missed you on this far from comprehensive list, my apologies.  

This season has taught me that volunteers, coaches, landowners and race organizers make Nordic sport happen in North America. So, don’t forget to thank your local coach, volunteer or race organizer.

After my racing career, I plan to emulate the individuals listed above and hope to create as much positive change in the biathlon and Nordic worlds as they have.

Looking ahead I will be racing in two Biathlon North American Cup races in the next two weeks. I will try to keep everyone informed…       

For regular updates you can follow me on Instagram (roggessling91 and Twitter (@TheRGoessling).

Photos courtesy of Linda Brown and Jackson Biathlon