Mt.Top Eastern Cup Recap

We had just finished unpacking from Utah when it was time to repack and head to Vermont for the Mt.Top Eastern Cup. With the weather predicted to be in the 60's here in Rochester it was an easy decision to pack up and head East. Though throughout the drive on Friday the temperature continued to rise and I had my doubts of whether they would be able to hold the races ! 

We were all presently surprised when we arrived Saturday and the courses were still in great shape. Now that we knew we were racing the next step was to get in to sprint mode and try to qualify for the heats. Here in NY we do not have the opportunity to compete in many sprint races. They are not a format used in High School racing and we also do not have any of them on the JN qualifying schedule. This was a great opportunity to get some practice in, but first we had to make the heats !

Fortunately we had a great day !  Gavin led the way for the boys qualifying 19th overall and making the open heats. He was unable to advance out of his first heat but still had a great day based on his qualifying. Peter was the next fastest guy and qualified 45th overall but was the 10th junior who did not make the open heats so was able to qualify for the Junior Heats. 

He took advantage of this opportunity and was able to finish 3rd in his first heat moving on to the A final .The A final was super exciting and also matched him against HFL alum Kevin Hoose now at Bowdoin College. Peter had a good gap coming out of the woods and was able to keep a small gap until the base of the final climb when the field put in a push and got on his heels, I thought it was over but Peter thought differently and was able to put the hammer down and take the WIN ! ! It was awesome I was so stoked for him  !

(Peter on the way to the W)

(Peter all smiles after winning the Junior Sprint) 

(Peter on the top step ! )

On the girls side Riley led the way placing 26th in qualifying and making the open heats as a J2 ! ! Like Gavin she was unable to make it out of her first heat but still had a great day. Jenna also had a good qualifier and her HFL teammate Hanna had a good one making the junior heats and made it all the way to the Junior A final placing 4th ! All three girls made the trip with Bernie G who is the head coach at HF-L. He was my highschool coach as well and it was awesome to hear his voice cheering on from the sidelines again !! 

(Riley finishing her heat)

On Sunday the guys had a 10k classic and the girls 5K. Gavin led the way again placing 40th overall. The results were funny in that there were 6 NY'ers within 35 seconds of each other. It is great to see a lot of NY'ers not only racing and doing well but also coaching ! The girls had another good day. Hanna B who is now at Harvard was right behind Hanna C HFL in 25th and 28th overall which was spectacular ! Riley had another good one placing 33rd overall and was the 2nd J2 ! Jenna bounced back from the sprint and finished 79th ! 

All in all it was an awesome weekend not only for RNR but all of NY ! The NYSEF crew had some awesome results both day's as well as the HFL crew and a bunch of other athletes from around the Mid-A scene ! It's exiting to see !

(Things were getting soft Sunday afternoon) 

 Currently we are suffering the same thaw as everyone else went through and had to bust out the roller skis yesterday. I'm hoping that the cold weather that is coming includes some snow but if not hopefully the snow making gets fired up at Bristol. 

(I thought that these were done for the season after we got dumped on before leaving for U.S Nationals, I was WRONG) 

Senior Nationals Recap

We just got back from Senior Nationals in Utah. The trip went very well and we had some very good results. Like anything there are positives and negatives to take away from the event. The best thing about going to Senior Nationals is that you find out RIGHT NOW what YOU GOT ! 

The week defiantly started out on a high note for us. Everyone has there best results of the week right out of the gun in the classic sprint. Maile who was traveling with us from (NYSEF) led the way qualifying for the junior heats and posting the 10th fastest J1 qualifying time. She ended up finishing 3rd in her heat but the 'Lucky Loser" was based on qualification and not heat time so her day was over, but what a great day it was !  Gavin also had a good qualifier posting the 11th fastest J1 time but just missing out on the junior heats. Adam was the 48th J1. 

(Maile getting ready to start here heat)

The next race was the freestyle skate race. Gavin led the way posting the 16th fastest J1 time. Adam was close behind posting the 19th J1 time. The boy's had to race 15k with the big boy's on a big boy course it was a good reminder at just how hard the sport is and the responded with excellent efforts! Maile was the 32nd J1 and fought hard on a day that would of been easy to give up on, sometimes it's not about the result but about the effort.

(Gavin and I after the 15k Skate (Audrey Mangan Photo)

The final race was the Mass Start Classic race. The boy's battled from the back to have good days. Gavin was 35th J1 and Adam was 38th J1. Both of them fought up from there starting positions to battle it out. It's hard to be in the race when your starting in the back, but that's part of the game and the one you need to play to move up. Maile was the 27th J1 and even had a harder time moving up since her race was only 5k. All in all I think the classic races went well even though they were a little disappointed in the result.

(Gavin and Adam moving up through the pack)

Besides the racing just being at Soldier Hollow was awesome ! The skiing was great, the views priceless, and a great way to get totally STOKED on skiing !!

(The view from our condo) 

(As weird as it may sound it was great to be back in the wax room) 

All in all it was an amazing trip and was an early season reminder at just how great the Nordic Ski community is in the U.S.  Not just as athletes, coaches, sponsors, race organizers, equipment suppliers, and parents but as friends,  family, and support ! !

We are a small team from a small division but the support is LARGE ! ! ! A huge thanks to everyone that made this trip happen ! A special thanks to Lori for opening her doors and making some unbelievable meals and letting us crash before our early morning departure. Also to Bill for letting us use his waxing equipment and lending his local knowledge, and last but not least the parents, coaches and support that make this all happen ! 

www.rochesternordicracing.com 

First Day of Winter !

The first day of winter 2012 ! No for real it is...Winter 2012  I told you !

With that being said I know many of us have been hoping, praying, wishing, dreaming, and cursing about the snow situation. What the average situation should be and what it IS  . 

Despite the lackluster snow totals Bristol Mnt has come to the rescue and created a Frozen Thunder for us to enjoy ! Ooops I meant Frozen Circus !  

( Jenna always has a smile no matter what the conditions !)

( The Circus in it's glory ! ) 

In all seriousness though Bristol Mnt has saved skiing in Rochester with the commitment to snow making and dedicated xc trail system. The weather really has just been to warm and we are lucky that they spread out some snow on the alpine area to get everyone on skis. The snow melts super fast when spread out compared to staying in a pile and as we all know xc is not the money maker a big time alpine ski centers so them accommodating xc skiers is AWESOME ! Thanks ! 

Despite all of the above we did have 3 athletes make it to Craftsbury for the first weekend of EC action.  

All in all I think it was a good start to the season for Adam, Gavin, and Madi. Nothing better to jump in a race to remind your self just how hard this sport is !

Here are a few pictures from Craftsbury 

(Gavin putting the Hurt on a NY Legend) 

(Adam with his new Madshus skis which made him faster but his old suit defiantly slowed him down, just ask the NY Legend)

(Madi getting ready to rock-n-roll sporting her new Komperdell poles and of course Madshus skis !)

A big thanks to the NYSEF coaching staff for helping the boys dial in the wax while at Craftsbury ! 

There is a chance for some snow this weekend which will hopefully help kick start the winter for us. It is only the first day of winter anyway ! 

The first  Mid-A Junior National Qualifier of the season is cancelled !  !  Our next races will be at U.S Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Utah along with the second weekend of JNQ races in Lake Placid for those not traveling to Utah.

Most of the gang that has moved of to college have been able to enjoy snow at there pre-seasons camps. Here are a couple pictures of them in action. It is always exciting to see skiers move on to the next level to see how they stack up and also how they progress as skiers and as individuals. 

(Peter at Mont Sainte-Anne with the Clarkson Team)

(Eric at Mont Sainte-Anne with the Clarkson Team)

(Margot at Foret Montmorency with the SLU Team)

(Reed Styling at an unnamed location with the SLU Team)

(Hanna sporting her new Harvard digs racing at Craftsbury)

I can't wait for winter to get started ! !

On a side note congratulations to NOAH HOFFMAN on an awesome race last weekend ! Everyone at RNR is a huge HOFF fan !! YEAH BUDDY !!!

(Robert Whitney Photo from Noah's new FaceBook Fan Page go over and LIKE it)

Fan Page 

Happy Holidays 

From

Strength Test and Summer Skiing

On Wednesday we completed our second Canadian Strength Test of the summer. We completed our first test on the second day of practice and now almost two months later it was time to look in the mirror again. 

(The group just getting started) 

As a group the results were positive. I have not calculated the scores yet but most of the athletes were comparing there results as soon as they had finished and almost all of them had improved. That's what it's all about ! 

After the strength test we headed out for a ski and some relay races ! For the first time this summer it was not on roller-skis ! 

Also available here : http://youtu.be/8G5F9biRhgo

It is amazing at how much the skiing on grass resembles skiing on snow. It is not perfect but it is a great alternative and makes for some great fun ! 

( The secrets out ! Now we know why you won...)

It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll !

Summer has been trucking along ! It seems like just the other day that we started our summer session and now it is almost over........ We have been working hard and have been traveling to camps near and far. Most of the group is back in town and we had a hard session last week.  Here is a short video of our session.

Also here: http://youtu.be/o7rWV6msL94

We have about 3 weeks until fall sports start practicing and our college skiers head back to campus. Time to really put the hammer down !

The week in review

Last week was a busy one for many members of R.N.R. Margot, Adam, and I  headed East to attend the 2nd annual H.U.R.T Nordic Camp while the rest of the crew had an intensity block here at home.   

The H.U.R.T camp was once again a complete success. Dave does an awesome job getting everything organized and in place for an exceptional week of training. This year we had an "elite" portion of the camp which started on Tuesday and went through Sunday. This allowed for a low athlete to coach ratio and also a solid training block for those who are at a higher level. Friday afternoon the general camp got fired up and it was all hands on deck as about 30 juniors ages 12-18 rolled in to camp. 

Skiers eat A LOT of food and we had A LOT of Food ! 

The camp is great for many reasons but the biggest is the location. Located in Queensbury/Glenns Falls the opportunities for training are unlimited with the bike path located just a short roll from camp the elite athletes could ski right out the door everyday. With Glenn Lake, Lake George, and the Hudson River all located within a few miles every workout ended with a swim which is pretty awesome. 

Catching some rays at Glenn Lake

Dave spent a lot of time posting on what went down last week so for a complete recap check out his clubs blog at   http://hurtnordic.blogspot.com/ this has a ton of pictures from the week. 

Here is also a video recap from the week. 

Aslo available here:  http://youtu.be/JBcZXMVD2Uc

Back here it has been all business as well. We have been really trying to narrow the focus on technique now that everyone has had enough time on skis to be comfortable and confident to push the envelope. On Monday we focused on classic technique and ran through a bunch of drills before finishing with a strength session.

The Elite boys were taking no chances with safety ! 

"Don' worry we were not moving ! We were stuck in an epic traffic jam thanks to the six-flags water-park"

This is not camp this is R.N.R ! ! We are pretty lucky to have such a large group of skiers with us, it makes every workout like a day at camp !

Here Hanna is working on weight transfer and balance, she is headed to Harvard in the fall and is looking to make the jump from High School to College Skiing. 

Colleen keeping it all in focus 

Fast Feet off the Line 

Coach Weston sharing some knowledge ! We are really lucky to have a guy like Roger Weston around he not only bring a wealth of knowledge but also reminds us that you can do it even if you live in Rochester or NY because people HAVE DONE IT !  It takes a lot of hard work, focus and dedication   but make your dreams REALITY ! 

NENSA R.E.G and J2 Camp

We just returned home from Craftsbury VT where the NENSA USSA R.E.G and J2 Camp were taking place. This was the third year in a row that NENSA has allowed Mid-A to select athletes to attend the camp in addition to the NENSA athletes who qualified. This is also the third year in a row that I have been able to attend as a coach. 

( We just arrived but it was time to get to work ! Riley was all smiles after learning that she would not have cell service and that the Lululemon store was yet to be built in Craftsbury !!)

This year we were represented at the R.E.G camp by Adam, and Alyssa. Attending the J2 camp were Riley, Peter, and Tommy. To have 5 of the 7 Mid-A athletes represented speaks volumes about the ability of athletes we have training with us this year. The goal of the camp is to bring together the best athletes in NE to train together and raise the bar that is also the goal with R.N.R within Mid-A. So to have our athletes attending this camp is a huge advantage. 

(Tommy during the DP intervals)

They are able to train along side some of the best juniors in the country as well as many of the best skiers as the Craftsbury Green Team and Stratton Mnt Elite Team also participated in some of the workouts. In addition to training along side these athletes they were also exposed to some of the best coaches in the county. Needless to say the learning possibilities were endless !!  

( Alyssa rolling with the big guns ! A picture is worth a 1000 words ) 

Here are a bunch of pictures from the week at camp ! Thanks to Liz Kantack for some of these pictures. Liz coaches at Stratton Mnt and together we headed up the J2 Camp with help from Janice, Amy, and the rest of the coaches. It was an awesome experience to work along side Liz for the week as she is always one step ahead of the game and made everything flow for the J2 crew ! 

( Riley working on her DP during the interval session)

(Alyssa and Maile leading the way)

 Maile and Nina (J2) were also representing Mid-A and NYSEF at camp 

(Adam working on his DP Technique on an OD Ski with the Vermont country side in the background, life could get worse :)

(Just leaving the transition on the last day of camp. We rolled for 1.5 and then ran back to Craftsbury to finish the week off, I'm pretty sure we are laughing at my sweet bike tan our lack of either way it was all smiles)

Each year the quality of the camp has improved and this year was no different. The athletic ability and level of fitness that the athletes bring continues to improve and to be a part of that is something special. To work with such a talented group of athletes is very motivating as a coach but the ability to learn from the other coaches involved with the camp is truly priceless.  It is a win/win situation for our athletes and myself as a coach and my biggest thanks goes out to NENSA and USSA Nordic for letting us take part ! Thanks !!

For even more pictures and video visit the Nation Nordic Foundation Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NationalNordicFoundation

The NNF is a leading contributor to US Nordic Skiing so even if you don't want to see anymore pictures be sure to "Like" the page and do your part to support US Nordic Skiing ! 

Also for more pictures from Liz check out the Stratton Blog at http://smsxc.blogspot.com/

One last thing from our week at camp.

Sam Evans-Brown who is an reporter came over to do a piece from NPR. It came out really well, check it out!!

http://www.nhpr.org/post/roller-skiing-summer-training-winter-athletes