Training in the vicinity of the best in the world!

On Mondays we train at the Ethan Allen training site - home of the Vermont National Guard and many other military groups. The benefits of this venue include paved rollerski trails with zero traffic. Once in a while, there are other benefits - such as a National Team Camp for the biathletes. While we didn't work with them directly, just being in the presence of the best in the world generates its own buzz! The biathletes -- including several current and former Olympians -- were working on shooting. But at one point, I caught most of them distracted by our rollerskiers! Maybe they saw some potential??

Tomorrow we're going to do a workout in downtown Burlington -- approximately 2 miles from Church Street. We'll finish with a swim at the beautiful North Beach!

Here are some pictures from the Range yesterday:

National Team biathletes (right) are staring at the MNC crew!!

Destyni has come a long ways already this summer - never rollerskied before June!

Alissa Stone working on the double-pole intervals

Sam "mirroring" Anna - trying to match her stride

Some of the dudes

Craig Calhoun getting forward from the ankles

Colchester boys Ethan and Nigel working on some striding drills

Forrest Hamilton finishing strong on his 4x6' L3 intervals

The serpentine group of gals warming up

4 school districts represented here!

Another new-comer to rollerskiing - practicing the dobule-pole

Louis St-Pierre navigating the "black hole" downhill with the sharp right

Nigel running too fast for focus

Nigel practicing a section of trail that he hasn't seen before

Sam followed by Parker - working on the specific strength repeats

Training July 16 - 22 + Pictures [updated]

[Pictures below!]

This coming week (July 16 - 22) will include some higher intensity workouts. Also note that we will meet at Burlington High School for training on Wednesday. We will explore the trails in the North End of Burlington. Saturday location is still TBD, but the workout will include some high intensity - probably running and maybe some SkiErg.

Monday: 8:30 - 10:30 at The Range. Classic roll with specific strength and moderate intensity.
Wednesday: 8:30 - 10:30 at BHS! Running, bounding, plyos. Bring swim trunks!
Thursday: 4:30 - 6:30 at Charlotte Beach. Skate roll.
Saturday: 9:00 - 11:00 at Bear Trap Road, MILTON Vermont. High intensity classic rollerski. Directions: From Route 89 North, take exit 17 and continue on Route 2 West (as if going to South Hero). Approximately 2.5 miles after exiting the highway, Bear Trap Road is on your right. Drive 1.0 mile up Bear Trap Road and there is a parking lot on the left (after the road flattens out).

• Parents: on Saturday 7/21, let's try to coordinate a road bike ride. While the athletes are rollerskiing, parents can use the time to explore some scenic rolling terrain in the Milton / Georgia-area. The cycling is beautiful up there. There aren't too many roads, but a good out-and-back is Bear Trap-Sanderson-Lake Road. 

Beautiful descent down Honey Hollow Rd, looking towards Mansfield. 7/14

Bill Harmeyer tastes good to the black flies! 7/14

Ethan John, Ben Longenbach and Bill still smiling near the end of the workout

From an evening rollerski last week - 7/5

Callie Braun working the V2 - 7/5

Beautiful evening for a ski in Shelburne, VT! 7/5

Amy, Leslie and Molly "creeking" 7/14

Callie, Sienna and Autumn on a beautiful stretch of road, 7/14

Friends from St A's, MMU and CVU!

One of the hottest days of the year, 7/14

Paul Smith with a group working on L3 ski walking and bounding. 7/14

"Chucking the deuces up" I think that means giving peace signs! 7/14

L to R: Coach Paul Smith, Coach Paul Allison, Louis St-Pierre, Thomas Clayton and Liam John. 7/14

L3 ski walking and bounding @ Honey Hollow Rd, Bolton. 7/14

Lukas Adamowicz, Ethan Thibault and Nigel Sarrazin descend! Those are some great Scrabble names! 7/14

Coach/Athlete Murray Banks is still keeping up with athletes ~1/4 his age! 7/14

Rollerskiing. Top Secret Venue #4. (aka, I'm not sure where this was taken)

Mud Pond Combo & Skate at La Range - Pictures

This past Saturday we went out for a rollerski on the roads in Williston, followed by running at Mud Pond. It was a humid and buggy day! However the weather has been exquisite for the past few days - and we had lots of sun at the Range yesterday during our skate workout.

Even though we have a lot of new-comers to rollerskiing, I can already see a lot of improvement this summer. For some, the goals include learning to snowplow, learning to navigate the downhills at the Range, and how to keep the rubber side down. Others are working on more advanced elements of technique. I'm constantly reminded of just how challenging a sport we are in... and even though rollerskiing is like 2nd nature for me (after 20+ years), it is actually insane!! Hmmmm, let's put tiny wheels on a hunk of metal and bomb down hills without brakes - brilliant! Rollerskiing might as well be a different sport - it poses so many new challenges.

Here are some photos from last Saturday and yesterday:

Patrick, Henry, EthanT and Coach Enman working on the tight slalom

Alice and Erin leading a group of girls through some dryland drills

Jordan working on quick feet and agility... by skiing into the grass

Leslie Roberts has come a long way already this summer. Look at that double-pole!!

Lukas from BHS - well known for his jumping ability - working on strength and agility on skis

Autumn and Amy are great training partners - even if they do attend different high schools

Ethan followed by Callie (back from a tough GMVS camp!)

Warming up in Williston.

Liam, Patrick and Ethan representing Essex & SBHS

Running @ Mud Pond with Nigel, Alyssa, Tatum, Claire (behind tree), Lucy and Ben

The "Big Dudes" are too fast to be in focus

Tatum practicing the downhills. She has come a long ways in just 1 month of rollerskiing!

Training July 9 - July 15; skiers at local running races

Scanning results from local running races yesterday, I see that the South Burlington boys were out in full-force at the Clarence DeMar 5km in Grand Isle (organized in part by former SLU Skier Liz Hollenbach and current EABC Coach Eric Tremble). Congrats to Patrick Hickey and Taylor Spillane for representing as nordis! I'd be willing to bet that the overall winner, Stephen Donahue (16:23), is the same Stephen Donahue that used to be a top collegiate skier at Dartmouth in the late-90's.

Also representing MNC were a few athletes and coaches at the Colchester Fun Run - organized by the Mallorys. Ethan Thibault and Nigel Sarrazin (both Colchester HS/MNC) ran around 18:20 for the 3 mile race on a hilly course. Coach Erin Mallory ran with her fiance, and I jumped in with some friends and managed to win in 17:24. Second overall went to former Colchester HS coach (and former Middlebury ski teamer) Kyle Dezotell.

TRAINING NEXT WEEK:

Monday 7/9: 8:30 - 10:30 @ The Range. Classic ski + specific strength.
Wednesday 7/11: 8:30 - 10:30 @ Sleepy Hollow. Running, bounding and games.
Thursday 7/12: 4:30 - 6:30 @ The Range. Skate rollerski + speed.
Saturday 7/14: 9:00 - 11:00ish @ Honey Hollow Road (Bolton). Running/hiking and bounding.

Other upcoming events:

Camel's Hump Hike (mark your calendars!):

• Bring the whole family, bring a friend, bring a friend-of-a-friend
  
• Tentatively scheduled for Sunday August 5th
• Let's see how many people we can get on the summit for a photo!!

Learn to Rollerski Day:

• Saturday 7/21
• 1-3pm
• at CVU high school in Hinesburg
• Bring a helmet and ski boots; we provide the rollerskis!

Rollerskiing and Shooting at the Range w/Algis

Our athletes had the opportunity to get an introduction to biathlon this morning as a part of our training at the Range. In partnership with EABC, the National Guard, and USBA, we had Algis Shalna present to give a basic shooting clinic. It was another perfect day for training!

From what I heard and saw, Amy Bruce was the best shooter -- hitting 9/10 targets. Ethan Thibault was a close 2nd, hitting 8/10! According to Algis, the girls were better shooters than the boys!

Former Olympian Algis Shalna showing how the scope should center on a target

Alice with Leslie and Autumn following

Ethan and Casey followed by Lukas and Thomas - relay races

Sam, Patrick, Craig, Nathanael and Parker working on the core strength

Charlie Maitland still smiling at the end of training

Claire working on keeping the upper body quiet

Erin leads a group of gals doing no-poles

Ethan doing his best to carry a bowl full of water without sloshing it around

Some of the gals shooting

Paul Smith (L) has the J2 boys stretching!!

Lukas and Casey skating

Murray with Olivia and Martina (BKL'ers) working on balance

Rick and Martina Costanza in the background as Olivia Cuneo shoots