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.

Utah Update

I have been training in Park City and Heber City, Utah for the past 9 days. I have trained in Utah for the past 3 seasons. My time at altitude this season has been the most productive of any of my previous trips. Our team has completed a number of challenging and productive training sessions including a long bike ride on the beautiful trails surrounding Park City, test races at the 2002 Olympic Venue Soldier Hollow and long rollerskis workouts on the mountain passes in the area. 

The main objective of our camp in Utah is the selection races next week. These races are a continuation of the selection process that began in Vermont this August. Following this camp I will be running a masters biathlon training camp with my teammate Casey Smith in Washington’s Methow Valley. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge of biathlon with a new group of people.  After my time in the western US I will be returning it Maine for my final dryland training block of the year. Big thanks to my teammate Katrina Howe for the pictures of the stellar scenery here in Utah.

Harvest Camp

To kick off October I headed to Sugarloaf, Maine for a training camp with the Maine Winter Sports Center Junior and Post Graduate teams. I was very impressed by the work ethic and focus on these young athletes during our training sessions. It is always refreshing to spend time with younger athletes. Their unbridled enthusiasm for the sport is contagious and motivational.

 Our group enjoyed perfect training conditions throughout the camp. The MWSC team was welcomed to the  Sugarloaf area by staff and students of the Carrabassett Valley Academy. They graciously allowed us to take advantage of their stellar dining services, gym and classrooms. I was very pleased with the quality and quantity of training I put in during this time. Highlights of the camp included a long uphill only threshold double pole workout, extremely hard bounding intervals and many long runs and rollerskis through the peak foliage of the Carrabassett Valley.

 Besides training, I was able to share some of my experiences and expertise with my younger teammates through a presentation on training execution and daily dryfire practice for the biathletes.

The mountainous atmosphere and sunny days of the last week has certainly raised my level of anticipation for my departure to MWSC’s annual training camp in Park City, Utah.    

*All Photos Courtesy of the Maine Winter Sports Center and Amber Dodge 

Fall Changes

Fall has arrived in Aroostook County and has brought with it the usual changes. School has begun, the leaves are changing, potatoes are making their way to the barn, the moose hunt is on and training is beginning to get harder. At this point in the training year more high intensity interval (Stop and Go) training is added to the regimen, in addition to an increase in total training volume.  

I have been working hard this fall on perfecting my ski technique and putting in lots of quality hours. This is so I can continue to ski fast and strong throughout the season, without losing too much form as the season goes on.

Last week my teammate Brian Halligan and I had the opportunity to visit the 2^nd and 4^th graders at the Wallagrass Elementary School. We talked with the students about biathlon, active lifestyles and shared a bit about ourselves. Even though we suffered some technical difficulties, our time with the 2^nd and 4^th grades was successful. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with the students as the season goes on. 

Next week I will be joining the Maine Winter Sports Center Junior and Development teams for a 5 day camp in Sugarloaf, Maine. Sugarloaf is located in the Carrabassett Valley and offers great hiking, rollerskiing and leaf peeping opportunities. Following my time in Sugarloaf I will be home in Yarmouth, Maine for a few days before heading west to Utah for the first major camp of the fall.    

Fall is a challenging and rewarding time to be a biathlete. I am looking forward to sharing the journey with my friends, family and teammates.  

Bliz Eyewear

I am very happy to announce that I have partnered with Bliz Active Eyewear for the 2013-2014 Olympic Season. Bliz offers a wide range of eyewear for active lifestyles. As Scandinavia’s #1 sport eyewear, Bliz is used by a number of high level World Cup athletes. In addition Bliz America has brought on an impressive roster of high level runners, nordic skiers, biathletes and nordic combined athletes. Look for Bliz Eyewear in a store near you. For more information on Bliz products and athletes check out Bliz America at http://blizamerica.wordpress.com/ and Bliz International at http://www.blizeyewear.com/

Jericho Race Camp 2013

I have been training in Jericho, Vermont during the first and second week of August for the entirety of my time as a serious biathlete. 

This season marked the first time my goals in Jericho where centered on performing at my best during the North American Summer Biathlon Championships. These races are a part of the World Cup and Olympic Selection process, so all of the top athletes in North America arrived ready to race.

I raced as hard as I could in both races, despite contracting a cold that plagued the athletes staying in the military housing near the race venue. It is important to note that my ski speed was not the primary limiting factor in my results. Like in years past I was not able to execute satisfactory shooting on race day. These races where an excellent reminder that racing and training are different beasts and in order to be prepared for the next round of trials races I need to become much more stable technically and mentally on the range.

I have a few new concepts that I will be introducing to my shooting regime to facilitate these changes, in addition to the additional intensity that comes with the beginning of fall.  

Next week I will take some time away from specific training to re-build my training base following this past weekend’s racing and prepare mentally for the fall training season. After this period my MWSC teammates and I will be training in Valcartier, Quebec for 5 days. Valcartier is a common racing venue in the winter, but I have never visited in the summer. This camp should be an ideal introduction to fall training.  

Heart of the Summer

Summer training is in full swing in Northern Maine. I have been training well and enjoying the company of my teammates as I prepare for the upcoming North American Rollerski Championships. My training has shifted to highly specific biathlon training focused on rollerskiing, shooting and strength.

This week the Maine Winter Sports Center welcomed a huge group (43!) of Maine’s best high school age skiers to Fort Kent for the annual Maine Team Camp. Everyone worked hard and learned a lot. The highlight of the camp came on Sunday, with an awesome orienteering challenge that took two person teams across the Fish River multiple times and all around the town of Fort Kent.

This month will be filled with lots of high quality training and of course some summer fun. For regular updates follow me on Twitter (link on top right of page)