Busy Week and SNOW!

Hello friends!

It has been another busy week here on campus! We started off the week making sure we were well rested with some jogging and hip mobility on Monday.

Jane leads us in some stretching and hip mobility. Hip mobility is important because it helps to strengthen and increase the range of motion in and around the hip- very helpful for all skiers and athletes!

Tuesday was overspeed day at Lake Willoughby. The girls did a 4k time-trial effort, while the boys cranked out about 5k. It was a crazy day weather wise as it started out with the overcast sunshine in the picture below, and ended with some sleet, hail and rain.

Stay tuned for a video with some footage!

We did some field speeds and some strength Wednesday before taking Thursday off and taking Friday lightly to prepare for Saturday's endeavor: a time trial up Elmore Mountain in Morrisville with our nordic comrades from the Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield.

View from the top. It was 1.8 miles, the first half being dirt road and the second half a hiking trail.

Struggle-bussing to the top

Group shot! It was a great time trial: really hard but really fun too!

Last night we got some snow! Not as much as the folks at home (12") but about 3 inches- enough to ski!

Jenna is psyched! 

Casual skiing jumpshots: A Timeless Classic

In the midst of a 180

Kick and... fail

Kaitlin and Jenna getting some hang time

First Ski Video!

A juxtaposition of seasons.

Snowman time! Lizzi, Audrey and Gibson

My house!

Sophie and Dani on the roof!

Size comparison

Looking up to the nordic ski room

Willoughby house

the Gap

High five!

Until next time,

Emilie 

                                               

Back to it!

After successful, but nonetheless delayed, travels back east, we had a few days to spend at home. It was nice to see family, catch up with friends, eat home food and sleep in my own bed. I even got to take part in some classic high school fun in watching the homecoming parade and going to the football game (the NAHS float was the best, and we lost to North).

I drove back to school the following Sunday for a quick dorm change and a great week. Sometimes the first week back after break (or being off of campus for about a month) can be a little bit rough but it was not bad at all. We jumped back into classes and it was just like we’d never left. The one thing that makes a place like Burke really work is the teaching staff, because they understand how demanding the athletic schedule is and are committed to making it work for each student. It was also fun to get back into workouts at sea level. The fall training block is generally the most intense in preparation for the ski season, so we are doing a lot of intervals and speed work, and so far it is feeling good! My favorite workout from last week had to be a hike up Burke Mt. Even though it was cloudy and even drizzled a bit, the view, combined with the foliage was spectacular. We finished off with some sprints and penalty kicks!

Last week was also spirit week. Festivities included gender switch day (pick someone of the opposite sex that looks like you and swap clothes), twin day, and color day.

Here are some twins!

This weekend, I ventured back to Concord with my friend Jenna for my Mom’s birthday (22, I think), and to watch my sister race in the Head of the Charles. It was a beautiful day for the regatta and we had a lot of fun poking in and out of the vendors tents and acquiring all sorts of stickers and other swag. The Concord Crew girls rowed an amazing race and finished up 26^th/75- achieving their goal of placing high enough to auto-qualify for next fall. 26^th out of some the best high school crews in the country!

I’m back at school for what promises to be a great week! I’ll leave you with some pictures from campus last week. 

Emilie

Camp Wrap

And that's that! We're currently hanging out in a Super 8 in a grey and rainy Boise. It has been a truly amazing camp, and though many of us are excited to return home and see our families, we are all sad to see the camp come to a close. 

This week was our intensity week, and we kicked it off right with some hard intervals up Dollar Mountain on Tuesday:

Truckin'

Feeling the burn on the last repeat

Sucking in fog!

After some recovery spinning and erging that afternoon, we were treated to hard rain and 40 degree temps for a 30k rollerski on Wednesday. To keep the bike paths smooth, they are coated with some kind of oil which made the ski quite slippery!

The girls skied as a group the whole time, and we had a good time switching leads and playing follow-the-leader type games. 

The next day we headed to Lake Creek for some natural intervals. This is a workout where you pick a loop that has varying terrain and run it at a consistent pace so that the 'intervals' occur with the terrain.

Friday we did a double pole strength workout, but not after doing a fun agility/spenst warmup!

Jenna and I midair during a 'race'

Here is a video I made with footage from the coaches camera!

After a day off on Saturday, we geared up for time trial. It was difficult but a great effort with great views

On-course

Spent!

Here's another video- thanks to Tom for some great footage!

(I can't get it to embed, but it's worth a cut-and-paste into your search bar!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2THMXOOWR_U

See you in the 603!

Emilie