County Fair Stargazing Orientation Sunset!

           The last few days have been pretty action packed. On Friday, I had all four of my classes, and two workout sessions. In the morning we had a good strength session and in the afternoon we did some finishing speed intervals and over speed drills. The over speed drills were really fun- we did them in pairs, connected by hi-test bungee cords with harnesses. The person in front would start to run up the hill and the person in the back would wait until the tension was at max before getting a big lift up the hill by the cord, hence the term “overspeed.” If only I could run that fast in real life!

That night, the entire campus loaded into vans and drove into Lyndonville for the Caledonia County Fair for some classic redneck fun. There were tons of rides, livestock competitions, greasy foods and of course, the tractor pull. It was nuts. I opted to not go on any rides but instead watched some friends get dizzy, petted some of the cows (uber cute, duh) and sipped an incredible maple milkshake.

            

           Teammate Sam in a human beach ball

           Nordie teammate Jenna and Alpine burkie Bug getting psyched to go on the Zipper

       

Teammate Jane petting cows!

When we got back to campus, almost everybody headed to the hill by the soccer fields for some quality stargazing. Because the area is so rural, there is very little light pollution (if any) and the stars are amazing on a clear night.

Today we had orientation, and it was a blast. We split into our pods (reading period groups), and set out to complete the challenges that two of the staff members had set up around the mountain. The first one was to help carry planks into the woods to be used for bridges on the mountain bike trail network, and the second was to get everybody across a slack line in the woods. From there, we hiked halfway up the mountain for lunch and another challenge, and then to the very top and a trip up the fire tower. The view was amazing, and I’ll definitely be taking a camera up at some point. We then hiked down the mountain on some steep and slippery single track to the spiderweb challenge (ASP anyone!?), and then to the snowmaking pond for a canoe challenge, and an accidentally but nonetheless refreshing swim. When all was said and done, we’d traveled 9.25 miles in a little over 6h30. It was a great way to better get to know some of my fellow Burkies!

The most beautiful sunset I've witnessed so far!

Windfarm across the ridge

I think that everybody was pretty tired from orientation, but that didn’t stop most of campus from enjoying an AMAZING sunset and some basketball and beach volleyball. It’s never a dull moment around here, that’s for sure!

The knockout line at sundown

Beach V-ball

Carter plays for keeps!

Tomorrow, almost everybody is off but us nordies are going to do some easy recovery jogging and stretching to get ready for a big training week. And hopefully, Irene will cut us some slack here in the NEK!

Keep on keepin’ on,

Emilie

Burke Livin'

The past few days here at school have been pretty great. I’m really starting to get a handle on the schedule and as a result have settled into a good routine. Mondays, Wednesday and Friday, we have a workout at 6:30 and that usually consists of some kind of strength exercise, whether it be max, core, hops, or other activities. Breakfast is at 8 and classes start at 8:50. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we breakfast is at 7:30, so we have the am off (it’s kind of like sleeping in…) and classes start at 8:20. One of my favorite things about Burke is that on Mondays and Fridays, the first class of the day is reading period, where everybody (staff included) goes to a predetermined quiet spot around campus and reads anything they want, as long as it isn’t school related. It’s a really nice way to relax.

            I’m taking 4 classes this year, which is usually a bit much for a PG student (normal students here take 5), but I’m really enjoying them. Advanced Science is mostly a physics class, and the teacher decided to have us come back for an additional period to practice and go deeper into calc in order to be better prepared for college calc. The teacher is really great, and because the class is only 4 students, and we’re all PGs, it’s a neat environment. And I also love calc. So it’s just great all-around! I’m also really enjoying my American Foreign Policy class (we have really good discussions every class!) and art class, both of which have about 8 students. Coming from a huge school where my smallest class had probably 18 kids, I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely having fun with everything.

            The training here is also awesome. As I mentioned, we have morning workouts most days and then have workouts every afternoon. Yesterday, we did a killer double pole strength workout (poling up a hill 25ish strikes at a time, 15 sets) and this afternoon, we hit up a great road a little north of Lake Willoughby for a 12.5 mile classic ski. It is really great to have a training group that consists of motivated teammates and supportive coaches. It makes training fun and the best part of a stacked day.  It is also great to have a group as small as we are (2 coaches, 3 boys, 4 girls) because as a skier, feedback is instant and you always have access to a coach. For example, one of my goals for the fall is to improve my upper body strength, so I arranged to meet our assistant coach in the gym during one of my free periods and she helped me build a circuit that will help me to reach my targets. The resources available to athletes here are second to none and I plan on taking advantage of them as much as I can this year!

            Although skiing and studying take up most of the day, there is still ample time to kick back, recover, relax and socialize. Last night some of the other PGs put together a great bonfire behind one of the dorms and we had a great time telling stories, making s’mores, stargazing and just horsing around. As quiet hours drew to a close around 9, more and more people trickled in and it made for a great evening.  Tomorrow night, it is off to the Caledonia County Fair for some greasy food (ugh probably not!) and rides (no thanks, I’d rather watch other people get nauseous!), and Saturday will be filled with orientation, which is different every year, but I hear that it is usually some sort of bike scavenger hunt all over the place.  Sounds good to me!

            And if any of you are wondering, I have already acquired a reputation for pun making…. At least 3 times a day, I walk by someone on campus and they demand a pun on the spot. Good thing I’ve been at this for a while because I have a few that I can just recycle to fit the situation ;) But don’t worry, I’m still tossing originals all over this campus.  I’ll leave you with a few pictures!

            The topic of a hurricane in NE is for another blog post, but try to stay dry!

            Emilie

Favorite Picture of Willoughby so far

My roommate and I...

actually get along really well!

Bonfire!

           

            

Pictures of Campus!

Here are a few from last night. I will probably upload many more as the year goes by because it is so pretty- I often catch myself walking slower than usual because I am busy checking out the scenery!

My dorm, Woods House!

Looking over the soccer field and Willoughby dorm 

Willoughby Gap at sunset

Backside of Frazier, which houses the administrative offices, library, common room and a few classrooms

Camp Wrap Up / All moved in!

            Our last two days of camp went very smoothly, and I can safely say that by the end I was pretty tired. On Wednesday, we started out with a 10 mile rollerski that included two double pole strength sets on a road- that over the 1-mile stretch we were using- gained 500 feet of elevation. That afternoon, we jogged to a little airfield that had amazing views of the surrounding peaks- Colden and Marcy to name a few- for some exercises in finishing speed and a swim.

            Thursday we did a little warmup, and then did three 1.5k time trials on classic skis- double pole, no pole, and single stick. I enjoyed them, and felt increasingly tired with each one. After a long cool down, we headed back to the house where some opted for a pre-departure shower and others chose the stream (Dr. Bronner's for the win pt2).

            I got home in time to help get the boats off of the water down at the boathouse and for a delicious dinner with the fam. My dad makes a BEAST grilled salmon and risotto.

            I spent Friday catching up with friends at the world famous Corner View Restaurant and packing before embarking on my adventure Saturday morning. As we drove north on 93 the fog was so fluffy and thick that it felt like we were driving through clouds, but the farther away we got, the skies cleared and we were granted a clear view of the beauty that the Northeast Kingdom has to offer.

            We registered and got straight down to business moving my stuff in. My roommate arrived about a half hour I did and we reorganized our room so that we would both have optimal space for all of our stuff. We probably have a lot more than your average student with all of our training gear, workout clothes for all seasons and school supplies. We’re both pretty impressed with our setup. Shoutouts to all of my friends who set me up with some great pictures and posters and decorations!

            The evening was filled with campus and dorm meetings about community and logistical details. I chuckled when one of the faculty commented on how many people were in one of the meeting rooms when we had a campus wide (80ish people) meeting. I imagined what it would be like if all of CHS tried to squeeze into an area that was about 1/3 the size of the mini gym. Impossible!

           This AM, we finished our strength testing with sit-ups, pull-ups some planks and clap push ups and then headed to the tennis court for some med-ball "around the world."

         After lunch, I watched a thunderstorm slowly travel towards us and block out the view of Willoughby gap before putting on an extended show right over campus. It cleared up and I got down to exploring some of the great single track that Kingdom Trails manages (Voted #1 Mtn. Bike system in the US by Bike Mag) with a senior in my dorm. The trails were a bit slick and we heard some stray rumbles but it was great nonetheless. We arrived back on campus to watch some of the older boys get to work on “Knee Touch Squats.” The squat test is a Burke tradition in which all of the students crowd around the one kid doing the test and cheer him or her on. It was pretty wild!

            Classes start tomorrow ( I'm taking American Foreign Policy, Art, and Advanced Science Elective) and I am all settled in and excited about what promises to be a great year!

                           Emilie

 PS- Once my camera charger arrives from Craftsbury (this bonehead left it plugged into the wall) I will put up some pictures of campus etc. It is an amazing place to live, learn and train! 

Camp Update

Life has been good here in Keene! We’ve gotten in tons of great training, eating and relaxing. Yesterday, the weather was pretty wet all around, but it cleared this morning and was beautiful all afternoon. The road sign on the way into Keene says “Home of the High Peaks,” and today we finally got to see why- the scenery is amazing.

Yesterday was the first day of work for camp. We woke up at 6:30 for our morning jog- ten minutes to shake out the morning blur, and then had breakfast. (hard boiled eggs, bread and cold cuts, cereal mix, wasa crackers, jams etc.) Then we had about an hour and a half to let the food settle, relax and to get ready for the workout- a 3000 meter time trial (7.5 laps around the track). We drove the 20ish minutes into Lake Placid and got down to business in a comfortable drizzle. It was hard, but I was satisfied with my effort and I think mostly everybody else was too! We retired back to the house for lunch and naps.

We were scheduled to do a rollerski with some strength and then a short hike but it was raining too hard and Pete decided to send us off on a long run. It ended up being about 90 minutes and sevenish miles, and Pete drove the van and met us periodically to give us exercises (push ups, jumps, running bursts), water and to check on us. The van ride home was very very steamy and I’m sure we got a few funny looks.

Today after morning jog and breakfast, we went back into Placid to use the track again. We warmed up for 15 minutes and then did a SPENST hop test, which is a measured series of jumps designed to test lower body power. After that we did a timed 60-meter run, and then jogged a few laps to shake out the legs. We hopped back into the vehicles and headed about 10 minutes back towards Keene to the athletic complex at Mt. Van Hoevenburg- where the biathlon and cross country events were held during the 1980 winter Olympics. After a quick demonstration of Moose-Hoof technique (Think classic skiing, with the ‘float’ as glide, and poles, just without skis) we jogged off into the woods for some brutal uphill repeats. I did 8 repeats at about a 1:30 to 1:45 each up a section of ski trail that kicked up in the middle and was gradual at each end. They were HARD!

The group mid-stride in a fun "mass start" 60m

2011-2012 BMA Girls Nordic Team!

            Our afternoon workout was one of the most fun I’ve ever had on rollerskis. We did an 18 mile (30k)easy skate ski that took about 2h15. I settled into a comfortable pace with 2 other girls who are also on the team and we had a great ski, chatting about and sharing stories. We saw lots of bikers and all of the cars were kind to us, and with the sky partly cloudy, and temperature about 75 degrees with a gentle breeze, made for a beautiful day on 9-N.

We are all staying at Pete’s house, which is great for a lot of reasons. Firstly, he is a great cook. He makes us healthy and delicious dinners (tonight was an incredible fish taco spread), and a great pasta dish for lunch. He definitely knows how to fuel hungry athletes! Secondly, there is a brook right across the street and a great swimming hole about a 5 minute walk up the road. I went swimming twice today, and the first dip I took was one of the most productive ever. I brought along some Dr. Bronner’s “magic” biodegradable soap and shaved my legs (I know I know, a shock to some), washed my hair and even did a little laundry. And, because the water was pretty cold, even got in a mini “ice” bath, which is great for recovering sore and tired muscles! And thirdly, it is great to all be staying in the same place because it is nice to get to know the team before school starts. It is a great group of people!

I also made some decent puns today, one of which occurred as follows: “Yesss. Cider!!!.”  “You look pretty excidered about that!” I was pretty proud of that little gem.

Welp, I think that that is all for now. Thanks for reading! Emilie.

Test post / safe arrival

We arrived safe and sound in Keene after about four and a half hours in the car. It was a pretty uneventful drive, save for lunch at a co-op, a quick stop at a Cabot cheese store (tons of free samples, duh) and a flash downpour. 

View from drive into Keene

We get down to business tomorrow AM with a 3000m running test and some skiing in the afternoon. Look for another post in the next couple of days! And as evidenced by the title, I'm looking for a good title. So if you think of anything good, I'd love to hear it!

Cheers, Em