First World "Problems"

I went to northern Minnesota this past month for the World Junior Biathlon Trials, a race series I have always performed successfully at for the past few years, and which have qualified me for multiple international campaigns with the U.S. Junior Team. I've made many changes to my racing and training regimens this year, and went into the Minnesota competitions a little confused. Of the three races, I was only content with the Pursuit Competition, where I was able to shake off my seventh place of the day before and squeeze into second place with some more Sam-esque skiing and shooting. Needless to say I did not qualify for the U.S. Team this year.

Thumbs up for a good time in Minnesota, Thumbs down for my results.
It's times like these where I remember that I love biathlon for the entire experience,
not just for how well I do.

But instead of being disappointed, I feel a little relieved. My focus this season has been towards my nordic ability and the MSU Ski Team, as well as managing my fellow athletes through Biathlon Elite. The added stresses of missing schoolwork for international competition almost broke me last year, and this year I now have the time to continue to get faster and be ready when I'm called upon to compete in NCAA races. I'm going to continue to do what makes me happy and fix the things that don't, but in Bozeman instead of Austria.

My lone podium for the week. I'm happy to say my not qualifying wasn't a fluke,
but rather because the competition amongst juniors has elevated to an impressive level.

Minnesota gave me a much-needed amount of perspective. I've sang in the Davies Symphony Hall, I've performed beside my best friend in the Sydney Opera House. I rode a townie to school every morning on exchange in Germany, and heard Wagner in the Theater in the Round. I've been to places in the United States that only a biathlete could pin on a map. I've raced in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, and been to most every biathlon range in the United States. I've driven from Alaska to the States with my brother, and have run up as many mountains as possible along the way. I've gotten lost and found in wildernesses across the country, and have been snowed, rained, hailed, and thundered upon during my thousands of hours in the outdoors. I'm getting a college education. I've done what I have loved since I was born.

This is Minnesota. Lakes and pop-up fishing villages. Love it.

So am I disappointed that I'm not racing in Europe this year? No. Good athletes have bad races, and I've seen and done a lot already in my life. For now I'm happy and content with training hard, getting better, and reemerging onto the radar when it really counts and when I am absolutely prepared.

Finally, I have to thank those who made my biathlon races and travels possible this year. Thank you to the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage, Alaska Biathlon, and the Alaska NRA for your continued interest and support of me. Thank you to Marc Sheppard and Altius for your coaching and support of me and Biathlon Elite. Thank You Methow Valley Biathlon for taking me under your wing at Trials. And thank you of course to my parents. I am extremely grateful for your belief and support.

Home Sweet Home

Since my last post, the final weeks of fall semester has come and past, and I have made my way back to Anchorage. It feels awesome to be home. Plain and Simple. 

Zeroing for the Sprint Competition at the North American Cup this past week. Photo Jehle Family

This past week, I travelled to West Yellowstone with the Biathlon Elite team for the first North American Cup races of the season. It had been a while since I had raced biathlon (due to early-season race cancellations and my focus and commitment to the Montana State Ski Team) but I seemed to still have my touch, and shot well enough to win the Sprint and place second in the next days' Pursuit race. While the racing field in biathlon is considerably smaller than any nordic race, the competition was fierce enough to still feel incredibly satisfied with those results. The temperatures never got above zero degrees while we were in West Yellowstone, and hopefully I wont have to shoot in -11F again this year. It was a good race series for Biathlon Elite as well, showing that what was only a pipe-dream of an idea in my head last May is turning into one of the most powerful private biathlon forces in the nation. Biathlon Elite picked up a new sponsor this month, Hammer Nutrition, which will function as our fueling and supplement suppliers as well as our nutrition advisors for this next year.

Myself and Casey Smith after the Sprint. After such a disappointing SuperTour Series
the week before, this win felt good.

Spending the weekend before finals out of town and racing is super fun, but makes for a finals week of sleepless nights and a new interpretation of what an "acceptable" source to cite might be. I couldn't get out too much to train due to finals, so now that I'm home on familiar trails I'm skiing like a bat out of hell. Yesterday Andrew and I raced the Team Sprint together, and I had a great time losing the leads he would make for me each lap around.

 

Team Sprinting with the bro. First exchange. We were winning!

 And now I am enjoying skiing everyday in paradise. Today was cold (-16F) but my camera was still able to capture this gem. 

 

In the negative teen temps, but I couldn't care less. I'm home and doing what I love.

SuperDuperTours

With the race season finally in full swing, it’s back to training during the week and racing every weekend. A quick recap of this past week’s SuperTour in Bozeman:

Bohart Ranch did a great job of making what snow they had last the pummeling of hundreds of skiers. I did fairly well in the skate sprint, but lost composure in the heats. Sunday was the classic distance, and it was the poorest, most confusing performance of my career. Look for me at the bottom of the results… I’m still grasping what actually happened, but no one that far down on the results list should be wearing blue and gold. I never gave up though, went my hardest the whole way, and finished. Again, heart isn’t enough at this level, especially against the best in the nation.

Happier post coming soon.