The End...?

Since my last post, I have completed the pursuit competition, celebrated a successful Championship, and travelled the 36 hours back to Bozeman.

The Pursuit. Either my bib was too small or I am too big,
because by the end of that race it was torn to shreds.

The pursuit was great. My shooting was once again surprisingly good, and for the first few laps I flirted with advancing in placement. After a full week of racing, everyone out there was going for broke, and I was no exception. I left my heart and soul out on the course, and by the time I was finished it felt like I was skiing with a ton of bricks on my back and an elephant sitting on my lungs. I wasn’t able to improve on my 28^th place earlier in the week, but I am satisfied nonetheless. I was able to halve my results from last years’ Championships, and I know I can still improve.

The final climb of the final race. After 16 times up that
famous hill, it was finally all over.

I was talking with a friend recently about my time investment in this sport , and how I spend hundreds of hours every year in aerobic and anaerobic rapture with the hope that I can perform at my fullest athletic potential when the time comes. Such a time was this past week, and while it was satisfying to see this seasons training pay off, I’ve realized that I don’t need a medal or a naming to the US team to feel like my training is worth my while. I’ve spent the last 5 years of my life seriously training for skiing and biathlon, and while I’ve had to give up some things because of my training commitment, I’ve never felt like I was missing out. My training and racing has taken me to some of the most amazing places over the years as well as introduce me to my second family. With my teammates I’ve been up mountains and through the wilderness, and through this exposure I have come to appreciate the outdoors and all of the athletic and recreational opportunities it hosts.  I’ve enjoyed the process as much as I’ve enjoyed my successes, and with this attitude I look towards next season with higher goals and greater aspirations. I happily accept another year of running, biking, rollerskiing, shooting, medicine ball hurling, and whatever else this year throws at me.

Sprint

I was super excited about the Sprint Competition. Over the past few weeks I had been pretty vocal about how the Sprint was to be my best result here at Worlds. Well it wasn’t.

Lap 2.

Everything was perfect out there. The snow was incredibly fast, and there was no real wind. I can say with total conviction that I could not have gone any harder. I skied inspired, passed a ton of people, and finished in sixth place. Unfortunately there were 29 behind me that were faster. So far this week I haven’t had to do time in the penalty lap, so when I had my first real shooting errors in the offhand bout it was humbling to say the least. I am still confident that I can improve. 

The Finnish.

I want to finish this race series with a career best result in the Pursuit Competition. The pursuit will be fun, and I would rather be the chaser than the chased any day. 

The Relay

Today was the relay. The sun was shining, there was no wind to speak of, and the track was solid and beautiful. For these past few days it has been overcast, windy, and snowy. It was a great change of pace to have a warm clear day to prove our stuff. For information on the Relay format, click the Biathlon tab.

Heading to the start.
Photo courtesy of Judy Geer

I was chosen to scramble (skier terminology for being the first leg of the race). We were seeded at the start in the order our teams finished last year, which means we were number 11. I'm not the fastest starter, but I gave it all I had. I ended up throwing some elbows and having a good time making some countries angry. I’ve approached these races in a more relaxed fashion than last year, and I really think it’s helped with my performance and nerves. Mass starts are very hectic, especially on rally narrow trails, but I had trust in my ability and that of my teammates, and my portion of the race went along without a hitch. I only had to use one spare relay shot, so my shooting was right up there with the best.

I'm not saying I tripped Germany, but that fall did help me get
some room to work with.

Teammate Nick Proell leaving the range.
It was a beautiful day out there. 

We had some issues later in the race, but we all gave our best and learned a lot. The course is identical to the Sprint Competition on Friday, and I plan to apply what I learned in the relay to my advantage. With the Sprint being an individual start instead of a mass start, I will be able to race my own race from the beginning instead of having to worry about positioning around a pack of other racers. Fasterskier.com did another great report on the day. Click HERE for the article.

The view from our condo window after getting
back from the relay. It's great to be surrounded
by such a beautiful area.

In the News

Fasterskier.com did a great job covering yesterday's races. 
Click HERE for the article.

Race 1

Today was the Individual Competition. After a breakfast of bread, eggs, bacon, and vegetables, the Youth Men took the shuttle bus to the venue. Kantiolahti was windy as usual, and it was dumping snow. The course was incredibly soft from the wind and new snow, as well as from the Youth Women’s race earlier that day. I was sinking hard into the snow, which rather worried me.

This year the team hired Finnish wax techs. These guys did
the world cup skis last week, and we all know how fast our
men went there. Photo Judy Geer

Everything leading up to the race went smoothly. I got my rifle zeroed without complication (except for the constantly changing wind) and got my skis from the technicians with time to spare. It’s nice knowing what to expect at this level of competition, and I feel like I have an upper hand as a returning athlete from last year.

The wind and snow seemed to be at its peak of ferocity when I started. I was number 20, and it was awesome to get splits throughout the race anywhere from second to seventh place. Because the race was so long and the course so demanding, I had to dial back my ski speed if I wanted to shoot anywhere close to how I wanted to, especially in the wind. With these conditions, where I was sinking into deep powder on every push of the ski, I knew that I had to beat everyone on the range instead of on the course. I stayed relaxed and in control, and by the finish I was pooped. I love these races because everyone out there is hurting just the same, and we all want to make our country proud. It kind of gives us all an unspoken understanding of each other out there, like a fraternal bond of pain and glory.

Coming in for the finish. Super tired

In the end I got my first top-30 result, which is a career best for me. I didn’t feel amazing out there, and I definitely learned a lot about how I can save time and approach the course for the shorter races. This race serves as a good foundation for the rest of the week, and I hope to keep improving.

Immediately after my finish, I was approached by doping control, saying that I was “randomly” selected for a doping test. I’m pretty sure they just saw me cross the line at six and a half feet tall and said “that ain’t natural”. I couldn’t leave the chaperone’s sight from my finish until I provided a urine sample, so I got to know this guy really well. The Biathlon Union takes doping very seriously, even at the junior level. It took me 6 water bottles, 90 minutes, and some stationary biking to get things flowing. It’s really hard to provide a sample when a panel of anti-doping agents are watching you….

Because of doping control, I missed the bus back to the houses, so I had to hang around the venue until the evening bus. I was completely exhausted, and I passed out in the competition lounge. I awoke to a Russian coach serenading the waitstaff with some beautiful opera. We were all really impressed, and gave him a standing ovation.

So that was the Individual Competition. Next is the relay, which I am really excited about. I feel fit and fast and ready to improve.  

Opening Ceremonies

Internet is sporadic where we are, but I'll do my best to post when possible. 

After our official training day at Kantiolahti, it was back to Joensuu for the opening ceremonies. We all had high hopes on the entertainment portion of the ceremony after last years' fireworks extravaganza in the Czech Republic. The Finnish kept it simple, with speeches from dignitaries followed by an amusing Finnish Capoeira Dance troupe performance. We were in and out of there within an hour. Now it's time to focus on tomorrow.

Our Opening Ceremony entertainment.
More photos HERE

 Tomorrow's race is the Individual Competition, which means I will be racing 5 laps of 2.5 kilometers, with a stage of shooting in between each lap. For each missed target, one minute is added to my time, which means if I miss all of my targets I will have 20 minutes of penalties. Let’s hope I don’t miss.

I’m not a huge fan of this format of racing because it’s much easier to win the race on the range instead of through physical endurance and overall performance. The race is also the longest of the competition this week, and I seem to do better in the sprints. With that in mind I have to be extremely smart and relaxed while racing tomorrow, and hopefully achieve an acceptable result that I can build upon.

I feel one hundred times better than I did yesterday, and I'm ready to slay it tomorrow.

Official Unofficial Training

Official Unofficial Training is always fun. Not only does the day have a cool name, but it’s also our first real taste of competition. The day’s festivities include rifle control, where the organizing committee measures, weighs, and certifies our firearms before competition. The officials also love to cover oversized and unsanctioned advertisements and sponsors with layers of duct tape. Lots of the athletes, including me, came out of control with enough silver tape to waterproof a mobile home.

Equipment Control. Checkpoint one.

It was a sunny and beautiful day on the range. Two days from now I’ll be racing. I feel one hundred times better than I did yesterday, and my shooting is on par even with a full flag of wind.

The Range with the Junior Men
More photos HERE

The long climb to the range. This is where the
hurt happens. More photos HERE

Wind, Hills, and Hurt

Today was Team U.S.A.’s inaugural ski at Kantiolahti. Again, it’s eat, sleep, biathlon (and homework of course) here in Finland, and from the moment we get up in the morning to when we go to sleep at night it’s a constant mixture of focus, schedules, and fun.

It’s a 20-minute bus ride to the venue from our accommodations, and as we were driving through Finland I was impressed at how many people, young and old, were commuting by foot, bike, and ski in the dead of winter. It’s no wonder everyone here is trim and happy. Apparently our town is only 20 miles from the Russian border. Pretty sweet.

It wasn't all that cold, but the wind was killer on the range.
Photo courtesy of Judy Geer

The venue is to die for. The courses are some of the most challenging I have ever skied and the athlete accommodations are great, with team rooms as well as lockers and showers. We went straight to work on the range, quickly getting our bearings before our time trial.

Kantiolahti is famous for difficult racing conditions. We had a constant 40 knot wind blowing through the range, partly because of the venue’s proximity to open water bodies. The course occasionally opens up to a beautiful vista of Höytiäinen, the area’s massive frozen lake.

Getting a feel for the course and range will
be super beneficial come next week.
Photo courtesy of Judy Geer

It was great to get some race experience at the venue before the real competition starts next week, and I definitely used the opportunity to iron out some wrinkles and get back into the swing of racing after a long hiatus. It was awesome knowing that only a week ago the World Cup athletes were racing on these same courses, including my biathlon hero Ole Einar Bjørndalen.

Overall it was a good day. I have a lot to prepare for this time around. Wind, hills, and hurt. I’ve never felt so ready. Bring it on.

F.F.D. (First Full Day)

Racing internationally is a bubble. Life is simplified to its most basic form, and real-world responsibilities and worries of everyday life are non-existent. Life on the road consists of eating, sleeping, and biathlon.

Thrusday was our first full day in Finland. The team is staying in 5 condominiums on the edge of Joensuu (pronounced yo-whenn-sue; twoish syllables). This area of Finland is a large lake region, and just outside our door is a huge frozen water body called Pyhäselkä (the Finnish love their long umlauted words). The entire area reminds me of the Kenai Peninsula.

Joensuu and the surrounding area.
The lakes are really scenic, especially frozen. 

Right outside our door is a large circuit of ski trails that run through town. If we ski long enough, we can get to Kantiolahti (our race venue) in 20 kilometers. After getting hooked up with our 2012 uniforms, we set out for a shakedown ski. It was great to get some exercise after spending so much time and energy into getting here. The trails went past some elementary schools where kids were commuting on skis. It was really flattering when they would stop and cheer us on in Finnish as we passed by them. Towards the end of our ski, we passed by a staging area for a parade that was about to happen. As we skied by they all cheered and chanted “U.S.A! U.S.A!” We all agreed that those hundred-plus people screaming for us was reason enough for us to fall in love with Finland already.

Our ski tour shot from the "Sam Angle" More pictures on my Picasa web album HERE

Our meals are catered in the condo main office building just a few minutes’ walk from our houses, and after lunch we all explored town. It was fun, but I'm still really tired and couldn't really appreciate it fully yet. I'll have to go back when I'm more awake. We then had dinner and a team meeting and then it was lights out early in preparation for the next days time trial at the Kantiolahti venue.

Skiing right outside our condos
More pictures on my Picasa web album HERE

Let the Games Begin

Today marks the first day of my World Junior Biathlon Championship Trip. Myself and Kelly (my friend and teammate from MSU) started our journey to Finland at 5:30am on Valentine’s Day. Our itinerary had us flying Bozeman-Seattle-Amsterdam-Helsinki, so we knew we were in for a busy couple of days. Our layover in Seattle was over 5 hours long, so instead of spending the day in the airport, we decided to hit the town. We spent a whopping $2.50 for a light-rail pass to get us downtown, and we did a short tourist circuit through the rainy city, getting some breakfast at Pike’s Market, seeing sites like the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) and the Space Needle, even if it was only from a distance. After a coffee break and some more exploring it was back on the subway to the terminal and off to our next adventure.

Breakfast at Pike's Market
More photos HERE

I attempted to upgrade to first class from Seattle to Amsterdam. The lady at the counter said the seat was all mine for $7000 more and I decided to pass. The flight from Seattle to Amsterdam was long and uneventful. 9 hours something if I remember correctly. It’s always cool to see the old windmills lining the canals from the air in Amsterdam. The layover in Schipol was also short and uneventful. We were then on KLM to Helsinki. At this time we were nearing the 20 hour mark of our travels, and I hadn’t slept too much. My math was off and somehow I thought that if I wanted to get on the right time zone in Finland I should stay up. I ended up reading and playing a lot of Bejewled on the plane. (I now hold the Delta Air all time bejeweled record. Chhyeahhhh..!!!)

KLM definitely gets the award for best in-flight meal. Fresh bread, dairy, and produce go a long way in a sandwich, plus we got a delicious cinnamon crème filled bun. Pretty superb.

Then, for some unknown reason, we never found the rest of our team at the Helsinki Airport. We waited as long as it was feasible, but after three hours we decided to continue alone to the venue. We took a bus 30 minutes into the heart of Helsinki, which reminds me a lot of Anchorage, to the Central Train Station. Since we spent so much time at the airport, we didn’t have much time at all to get our train tickets and board our train. We ended up having to acquire our tickets a more unconventional way in order to get them in time. It involved some eye batting on our female travel-companion’s part. They’re awesome.

And now here I am. 28 hours into travelling and 4 more to go. Stretched out on a bullet train speeding northward towards Joensuu, my destination for the night. 


For a more eloquently written version of this story, follow Kelly's blog HERE

Home on the Range

One thing I really like about biathlon is the mixture of constants and variables. It’s almost like an analogy for life (albeit simplified): You work hard to get somewhere, and once you’re there you are given a chance at perfection. The expectations are black and white, and everything is up to you and you alone. If you mess up, you get punished and it takes longer to reach that next chance. If you put in time and overcome each obstacle in stride, you’re rewarded. Otherwise you face overwhelming odds against you.

A good friend reminded me recently that there is a lot of stuff in life and in sports that I can't control, and the least I can do is focus on the things I can. Constants and variables. So I started to make a list of everything that was in my control and wanted changed or improved, from biathlon to school to skiing, and started working my way down the list.

It's not Anchorage, but it's not slowing me down any 

One of the things on my list was the biathlon range I frequent just outside of Bozeman. I've done the majority of my biathlon training at this little two point range, and I’ve grown really fond of it. It’s a good escape from the stresses of school and life, and as every biathlete knows, nothing clears the mind like shooting a gun. It takes a decent uphill ski to reach the range and it's pretty hidden from the other trails in the area, which gives it a fun remote feel. A small snow-filled canyon separates the firing line from the targets, and there's a hidden cache with snowshoes at the firing line so it's easier to trudge to the targets. There's no scope, so I'm forced to get creative with my sighting-in process (it involves a lot of snow-shoed shuttle runs). 

It's amazing what a coat of paint can do for my attitude

The range doesn't undergo routine maintenance, and for the past season I’ve been shooting at a grey target on a grey background. I decided that if I really wanted no excuses at World Juniors, I should get on that. It’s something I could control. So on Super Bowl Sunday I set out with a can of paint and some pliers and repainted the targets, realigned the prone cabling, and added some new reset line. It was pretty satisfying work, and it felt like I was shooting on a brand new range after that. 

I feel really prepared for World Juniors. I've overcome my cold symptoms and feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. It's an exciting time. I just have to keep looking forward and continue to train hard and train smart. Even though I am firstly and foremost a student, I'm proud of myself for being able to keep a healthy balance between academics and the pursuit of potential in the sport I love.

1000 Views

The blog just passed 1000 views. It's kinda cool knowing I'm not the only one reading this.

In other news, I skied the farthest I've ever been on the Sourdough Canyon
 Trail yesterday on a classic OD. It's a two hour ski to find good snow.