The Month of Fools, Firsts, and Flowers

Written Article Below Video

With the sun shining, the temperatures in the mid-50s, and my conscience (and stomach) tormenting me for all the Easter candy I ate this weekend, I decided the conditions were prime for a little rollerski run-through. It seems as though Easter is the Halloween for college students, at least as far as chocolate is concerned.

If MSU is the Mecca of collegiate skiing, Triple Tree Ranch is surely the Medina (i.e. it's a long way from Mecca and the pilgrimage is definitely worth it. This place is the promised land for summer training). Nowhere else in Montana is the pavement so precious. The roads have led an easy life, and I can go for hours without seeing more than a couple cars.

With school going smoothly, I can get excited about my involvement in a MSU Health and Human Performance Lab test this week. I have nothing but respect for the Health and Human Performance Lab at MSU, with their sophisticated machinery including a rollerski treadmill and VO2 Max testing capabilities. It's not uncommon for athletic companies to send their product to this state-of-the-art lab for SERIOUS testing. These tests have included experiments of enhanced mineral water vs. distilled water on an athlete's performance and fatigue testing on soldiers. It's after tests like these that companies get their "Proven to Increase Athletic Performance" credibility from. The experiment I (and plenty other nordic athletes) will be Guinea Pigging for is a product test for a company's new compression leg tight. The test includes lactate threshold testing on the rollerski treadmill with and without the compression tights, and comparing the results of each. I'm stoked. This testing process will be the subject of my next few posts. For a picture of the Lab, check out a previous post of mine HERE.  

Triple Tree Ranch. Ahh.
My brother thinks it's funny that I take pictures of myself. I agree. But my training partners are the valued readers of this blog, and I like to share the scenery with my training partners.
So thank you readers. You are the Wilson to my Cast Away.