Ski Camps: The Importance of Training With Others

Ski camp!

Ski camp with F.A.S.T. Performance Training circa 2012

Glorified throughout the high school days, we packed up what seemed like all of the athletic clothes that we owned and headed to stay in the woods for a week and train more than we thought comprehensible. We worked our butts off, because that's what we were told to do. We goofed off and played games and always found some mischief to get into, and stories from each camp circulated for the rest of the season. We came home incredibly sunburned and pretty exhausted but full of memories.

What did we learn? How to train a lot and love it.

Ski camp with F.A.S.T circa 2012

Ski Camp with Minneapolis Ski Camp circa 2010

In the elite, collegiate, and professional world, ski camps are part of the deal. The routines are similar to the camps of the old days, but on a whole new level. Camps now mean flying or driving across the country (or the globe) to spend somewhere around two weeks doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and training. (Oh, and texting/calling the loved ones at home.) They mean leaving the comfort of home to live on top of each other in houses or hotels, sneaking in laundry when possible, and spending hours of recovery trying to make up for the hours of training.

So why do we do it?
Lots of reasons.

1. To get on snow.
Some camps give us the opportunity to train on snow in the middle of the summer, a crazy unique but incredibly helpful experience, because they kickstart our bodies into understanding and correcting the differences between snow skiing and roller skiing. Plus who doesn't love skiing in shorts?

Examples: The Eagle Glacier (AK), The Haig Glacier (Canada), The Dachstein (Austria) and the New Zealand Snow Farms.

The Haig Glacier in July

2. To lower (or raise) our altitude.
A lot of research has been done on the differences in training and living at altitude or at sea level. When we train/live high, our bodies are used to recovering on less oxygen, so when we head low, we deal with muscle cramps from the sudden flow of oxygen. On the other hand, when we train/live low, it's harder to breathe when we head high. Because U.S. Nationals and a significant portion of the SuperTour circuit is at sea level this upcoming season, it benefits us to get our bodies accustomed to skiing hard at ski level. Example: The U.S. Ski Team Camp at Lake Placid, NY (sea level) and the U.S. Ski Team Camp at Park City, UT (higher altitude)

3. To ski around others. 
Skiers learn a lot from each other. We watch each other, we help each other out on technique, and we challenge each other in each workout. When you train with the same people every day, it's refreshing to thrown some new training partners into the mix and shake things up a bit. Different eyes see different issues, and the coaches from other teams have become really good at helping everyone.

Skiing in trains helps mimic racing - when the pace changes you learn how to hold on!

4. To get out of your comfort zone.
It's incredibly easy to tell yourself that you can get the same training if you stay at home and just do the same workouts. But that isn't the point. The point is to pull yourself out of your usual training environment, because you won't always be racing at home.

See here's the thing: what happens at ski camp doesn't stay at ski camp. What happens at ski camp prepares you for the big days, the tough races, the down-to-the-wire race finishes. When you're in the middle of a blasting-fast interval that makes you feel like you can barely hold on and you look over and see somebody who will be your competitor come November through March, your brain and body learn that skiing with them is do-able. You have to get out of your comfort zone to expand it, and training with people faster and better than you is a great way to do it. Then when you catch yourself skiing with them in a race, you won't think to yourself, "Oh sh**, what am I doing?", you'll think, "Yes, this is normal. It might not be easy, but it's normal."

If you challenge yourself you raise the bar on your "normal". And that's how you get better.

A Summer in Photos

Hello hello hello.

I know I should probably apologize for not blogging for a while, but I won't. I made the semi-conscious decision to take a blogging hiatus for the summer, purely because I wanted to immerse myself in enjoying summer itself! (And the busy-ness of a summer schedule doesn't leave a lot of leeway for writing blogs.) When stuck between choosing going to the lake, getting in some work hours, or writing a blog.... I'll usually always go to the lake or work. But don't worry! I am here to update, and get back on track. 

So to make it easy and enjoyable, I present to you: A Summer in Photos.
What did we do this summer?

We said goodbye to some teammates, and hello to others.

We'll miss Mak but she's off to a new adventure in Denver!

My fellow Midder, Deedra Irwin, joins the team! 

The full team at Olympic Day.
From L - R: Matt, Miles, Me, Colin, Deedra, Ben, Rogan, Mary, and Tommy Boy 

We spent some awesome time with visiting friends. 

My BFF KELSEY! I was beyond excited to have her come visit.

Annie Pokorny and Kelsey Phinney joined us for some quality training sessions. 

We moved. And bought a puppy!

Meet Earl. 

No I don't have a book problem.

We met and worked out with the VAMPS!

Ben demonstrating some ski walking technique.

The VAMPS is a program for the ladies of the valley
started and coached by Muffy Ritz. We had so much fun
getting to know them and watch them progress in bounding
technique and fitness. Thanks guys!

We trained hard. 

The girl's team on top of Washington Peak after a 50+ hr 2-week volume block!

Deedra and I after a double-pole time trial. 

Ski walking/bounding "moosehoofs" at Dollar Mountain! 

Let's not forget strength.

We put a lot of miles in on the roads this summer, and I'm super excited to
announce my new partnership with Rossignol this season!

We learned from visiting summer skiers.

SVSEF has a great summer training program for college/high school skiers,
and we were super lucky to have swedish skier Maria Grafnings come
train with us for a little bit this summer!

Aaaand of course, we spent a lot of time running around (getting literally lost) in the mountains.

Up next: training camp at Stratton and then Lake Placid! 

A Summer Training Pep Talk

HEY EVERYONE. The time has come. School is out, and summer training is here in all its blood, guts, and glory.

But let's get something straight. We ALL know (but some are afraid to admit) that summer training is some of the hardest work you'll ever do. There will be blisters. There will be sore muscles and sun burn and sweat. There will be rainy days and hot days and humid days and days when you really just don't want to get out of bed because if you have to run up one more hill you might implode and you're pretty sure your running shoes are still wet from last nights practice.  There will be intervals, over-distance workouts, sprint workouts, strength workouts, and workouts you probably didn't think were logically possible (cough, "Back To Your Roots" runs, looking at you Coach Tommy Boy). There might (in my case most likely will, because I'm Paige) be tears.

The fact is, summer training is hard. It's designed to be hard. That's why we do it!

These next few months are when the work gets done. We drop the distraction of classes and racing, and hit the roads and trails. This is the time when it's acceptable and actually perfectly warranted to hurt badly during a workout, because we don't have races to worry about, and recovery is probably around the corner. This is the time when we have entire days to spend out running around in the mountains, putting in huge hourly weeks that we didn't imagine we could do. This is what helps us make huge strides come winter and race time. This is when we get tough.

So embrace it! How lucky are we that we thrive on being outside, on working hard, and on pushing our limits? How AWESOME is it to wake up early and be done with a workout by ten AM, and to have the entire day stretching before you hit the roads in the afternoon? How sweet is it to nurse our sore muscles and war wounds and be proud of what we've accomplished? We take it for granted, but our ability to carry us across trails that the normal population doesn't see is pretty darn incredible. And it makes it even better to be surrounded by teammates that are just as excited as we are.

So if you find yourself tired and exhausted and sweaty and stuck asking, "Should I do one more interval? Should I really go for that run? Should I try increase the weight that I'm lifting? Should I really get out of bed this early?"

SAY YES. 

This is the time. 

Summer training should be seen as an opportunity to push yourself to new levels. 

So use it. 

Spring Cleaning (Chronicles from the Not-So-Glamorous Side of Ski Racing)

I'd make a hard bet that just about every skier (no matter what age or level) has at one point in their life been excited to get OFF their skis when spring comes. For one precious month, goodbye are the early mornings, the pre-race breakfasts, the van rides, the never-ending exhaustion, the klister blisters, and the anxiety and excitement surrounding racing. It's (finally!!) time for a little freedom.

But WAIT.

Before we unleash the spring adventures and head out on our road bikes, mountain bikes, hikes, fishing trips, back country ski trips, paragliding (maybe?) trips, camping trips, or just straight up beach trips, etcetera... first we have to clean.

And no I don't mean clean our rooms, although most likely we'll have to do that too because the wear and tear of constant travel has probably wreaked some havoc on our poor houses. Nope, I mean the type of cleaning that we mostly always dread. It's time to clean our skis.

(Cue inward groaning.)

You might have to sort through the wax room first...
(This is a klister explosion.)

Why? By the time spring hits, our skis have possibly traveled all the way around the state, country, or world.  From freezing cold mid-winter conditions to icy, slushy, dirty spring conditions, they've really been through the ringer. The impact of being literally tossed around by airport workers (yep, watched a Fischer bag fly off the truck and onto the tarmac this year), being squeezed and squished into vans and trailers ("did I just hear something snap..? NAHHH"), being forced over rocks and sticks (maybe on accident, possibly on purpose, usually you have no choice), and being waxed and rewaxed over and over ("I'm gonna pretend I didn't burn that part..") can really quite literally hit your skis hard.

So when the snow melts away and the warm weather rolls in, it's pretty important to give those babies some love.  And although it might not be fun, and it definitely could take longer than expected, it will be worth it for your skis in the long run.  Protecting your bases from the summer heat, humidity, dust, and possibly varmints (gross) can actually help them stay faster in the winters.

So turn on your favorite Pandora station, sharpen your scrapers, and get ready to work.

It you have a lot of skis, it helps to lay them out according to the work that needs to be done. (I recommend making sure they're all actually YOURS before you proceed.) Race skis deserve the most care and attention, and if you're in a time crunch, do those first. Then comes the nicer rock skis, then what I like to call "dumpster skis" (skis you can cross pavement on without feeling one ounce of remorse).

WARNING: this process can be incredibly overwhelming, and maybe don't send your parents the pictures (hi mom!) but this also helps to narrow down what you actually need.

Yikes.

I also recommend removing all the bindings (if possible) because your skis will fit better in bags/lockers and it will be easier to pack them away for summer.

If you really really really really really hate cleaning kick wax, get this part over with first. Find some actually productive kick wax remover (the strongest stuff I've seen yet has been in the Czech Republic but we also thought maybe it was straight diesel) and REALLY scrub every inch of klister and kick wax off of those skis. Yes, that also means the sidewalls and grooves and tops of your skis, because everyone knows klister is like glitter; it ends up in the most random of places and it's a serious operation to get rid of it. (Don't try and text during this part, you'll seriously regret it and your iPhone will never be the same.)

Once the sticky stuff is over with, de-stick your hands (this is KEY), and start glide waxing. If you have skis that have been through some groomed dirt with patches of snow mixed in, you should maybe probably definitely hot wax them. Throw a layer of glide wax on, and scrape it off immediately. Watching the dirt and grime peel off with the excess wax is oddly satisfying. Also slightly repulsive.

After you've hot waxed, melt on a layer of storage wax that your skis can safely sleep in for the summer. (Seriously though, don't drop a lot of money on storage wax, all you need is a warmer wax to protect your bases. I like any of the Toko NF Line. No fluoros allowed.) Double check that your sidewalls are clean, remark your kick zones, triple check that YOUR name is on your skis, tie pairs up, and snuggle them next to one another. Aww, don't they look cute?

Shoutout to my cousin Matt Clarke for the
AMAZING wax apron!

Once your skis are all waxed up and tucked in, put them in a place where they won't fry in the heat for the summer. Does your garage hit a hundred degrees in July? Yeah don't keep them there. My personal favorite place has been under my bed, but the basement or ski locker room will probably do too.

You might think you're done, but coaches and wax techs everywhere will super duper appreciate it if you clean the wax room up after yourself. Yep. Sweep up the shavings, put a cap on the wax remover, and throw away all the paper towels full of klister.

3.5-ish hours later. You're DONE!

Get out and enjoy spring because before you know it your poles will be hitting pavement, and we all just looooooove roller skiing.

"Personal Days"

Yep, we went paragliding in France. UN-REAL.

First off, my apologies for slacking on the blog front, I got caught up in travel and racing and decided to throw my energy into enjoying it! (I also might have left my computer charger in Slovenia but that's another story.)

The Gold Team/coaches in Chamonix

As our season has come to a quickly approaching close, I've gotten the chance to look back on the year that has absolutely flown by. And although I've been racing for Sun Valley for about 5 months now, the lessons are seemingly endless. I stepped into this year thinking that skiing professionally wouldn't be too different than skiing in college. And in some aspects, it's not. You train your butt off and you travel around to race, just like at school. But the similarities end right around there.

The differences in professional skiing lie purely in the fact that skiing is now your job, not just an extracurricular. You have to want to work hard each and every single day, but when you have bad results, it's even more important to shrug them off and stay motivated, because this is it; you don't have school or a job or other extracurriculars to fall back on. You can't just expect to step out on the race course and pull off results like you did in college every weekend, because everyone you're competing against has been working for this and wanting this for years, sometimes even harder than you have.  And instead of heading back to school on Sunday nights to focus on catching up on homework, you're on the road for weeks at a time, around the same people, staying in unfamiliar places, following a routine that at sometimes seems nothing but monotonous.

Eisenerz, Austria

It's a whole different ballgame, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it. We get to see some pretty spectacular places, and meet a whole host of wonderful, adventurous, charismatic people. We get to watch the hard work we put in on the roads and trails pay off in the races, and look forward to the chance to work even harder and get even better. This lifestyle shapes not just who we are as athletes, but also who we are as human beings: friends, family members, teammates, future employees, and more. The lessons we learn with each year of being a skier are invaluable and eternal.

The most recent lesson I've learned: the importance of recovery days.

"Seriously Paige? I've maybe been told that about a hundred thousand times." - aka what everybody reading this is probably thinking right now. And it's true, as endurance athletes, we are relentlessly reminded about the importance of valuing easy workouts, off days, and recovery between intervals. But it's so surprisingly easy to get caught up in the atmosphere of traveling and racing, especially on the road or across the sea, that soon enough you find yourself disregarding the lessons stamped in at home.

So what do we need to remember? Even skiers need to take personal days.

1. Travel days are not spa days.
The fact that you are sitting on your butt in a van or on an airplane for 8 hours does not mean you can chalk the day up as a rest day. Travel days put an incredible amount of wear on your body and mind, which is pretty contradictory to the endurance athlete "nothing-under-an-hour-is-a-workout" mindset. But surprise, lugging over 150 pounds of bags and gear through customs at an airport is surprisingly not easy (especially if that airport is in Zurich). So make sure to write "travel day" next to that big fat "0" in your training log, because it's worth the reminder.

Taking a rest day to explore and eat croissants

2. Sometimes you have to put your foot down.
Skiers visit some pretty cool places, and possibly our favorite thing to do is get out and explore new trails. But you know your body more than anyone, and if you feel tired and have upcoming races, it doesn't matter how exciting the venue is, you might have to resist the temptation and take the rest day instead. You'll feel it in the long run, trust me. So prop your feet up, grab a book and some chocolate, and treat yourself.

3. Mental rest is just as crucial as physical rest.
Racing season is exhausting because we spend so much of our time psyching ourselves up for the races, and then calming ourselves down afterward. When you've been focusing on one thing for so long, you reach a point where you don't even realize you need a break. And this is why getting out and doing cool stuff is totally justified. (Like paragliding in France, SAY WHAT?!) To quote Pat (the coach of SMS T2), "Man.. that sh** is good for the soul."

4. The off season is there for a reason!
Once the racing is done, it's time to acknowledge the good, forget the bad, and start recharging the batteries for next season. The off season is designed to let our bodies and minds take a break from focusing so hard on results and enjoy the places we're fortunate to call home! Stay away from the roller skis and go exploring. You'll have plenty of time for training in a little while.

While the season didn't end quite as I had wanted, I feel pretty fortunate to have had the opportunities that I did this year, and I'm even more psyched to start working hard for next season.
I'll be in Sun Valley full time (with the exception of some training camps and visits home to Minnesota) so if you're here and want to go hiking, give me a call!

Loved having my family come visit for the week of Spring Series :) (All photo credits to Keenan Schember)

Exhaustion =  upcoming rest days.

It was quite a snowy relay day, but I'm super proud of Ben, Mary, and Miles!

A little bit of dancing for Fast and Female in Sun Valley!

Major shoutout goes to all the volunteers, organizers, and supporters that helped out at Spring Series. You guys ROCK.

Channeling Your Inner Elasti-Girl: Flexibility on the Road

I've learned innumerable things while racing this season, but one of the most valuable and continually reinforced lessons has been the importance of flexibility. And no, I do not mean the ability to do stunts commonly associated with 13 year old Chinese gymnasts or the superhero Elasti-Girl (but I'm in no doubt that that type of flexibility would probably also help my skiing). No, I  mean the type of flexibility that allows you to “go-with-the-flow”, no matter how frustrating the situation or how tired or uncomfortable you are. Traveling while ski racing is something that can quickly shove you out of your comfort zone, and the ability to bend with the turns makes the adventure a lot easier on your body and mind.

Most of you might know, Nordic skiers are pretty habitual. We like oatmeal and peanut butter for breakfast, a place to nap in comfort, lots of space to roll our muscles out and stretch, a way to dry our wet training gear, and relatively fast wifi for connecting with the outside world or getting work done. And when we’re in the states, it's pretty easy to pick up our usual patterns while on the road. Hop on a jet over to another continent, however, and the story changes.   

So how does flexibility help in Europe or Central Asia? Let me make a list.

Sometimes you have to shovel off your car first.

1. Driving days. Gone are the 4-8 hour van rides on the straight, fast, freeways of the states (looking at you, North Dakota). If you are brave enough to drive a van, I hope you know how to drive stick shift like a daredevil, because I'm pretty sure the designer of many European roads also created the video game MarioKart. Driving here is like ski racing, you own your space and you SEND it, or you'll be swallowed up and dropped faster than you can yell “Use your blinker!” And don't even get me started on Siri’s pronunciation of roads in Czech and towns in Germany. Patience, an immunity to carsickness, and an innovative talent for utIlizing roundabouts will get you a looooong way.

Overwhelming the KAZ airport

2. Flying days. FYI, your massage stick WILL show up on customs security as a long metal blunt object (aka a weapon), so unless you want to play charades with Dutch security, I suggest checking it. And if you're ever flying out of the Kazakhstan airport, understand that the employees aren't quite used to being bombarded with luggage for a 23 person ski team, and add an extra couple of hours pre-flight to adjust. While you're at it, the ability to set up camp and hang out in an airport for 8-10 hours is also a necessity, but hopefully at that point you'll just be appreciative of having all your bags and access to wicked fast (and free) wifi. Which brings me to my next topic…

3. Wifi wars. Skiers have a lot of down time. We also have a lot of other responsibilities to attend to while we are on the other side of the world (e.g. class, work, blogs, emails to the real world, paying our bills, and staying up-to-date with Scandal). And it doesn't help that the other side of the world is 6-12 hours behind us. So, prime screen times for a typical day? Immediately after lunch and right before bed. Aka the time when so many phones, iPods, tablets, computers, e-readers and lord-knows-what are waging war with the wifi that it will inevitably crash, or at least slow down to a painful I’m-not-sure-if-she's-going-to-actually-finish-the-race crawl. So you learn to space out downloading, post up in the lobby or hallway, get your work done early, or simply close the computer and pick up a book.

4. Hotel rooms. Americans are ridiculously used to giant hotel rooms with double (if not queen) beds, wardrobes, TVs, oversized bathrooms, and space for duffel bags as large as I am, providing ample hangers for wet gear, floor area to stretch, and more tv channels (in English!!!) than you can remember. European hotel rooms? Not so much, because Euros are pretty minimalistic. Which is totally fine, as long as you're totally fine rolling out in the hallway and trying not to sweat too much during workouts because you only have so many places to hang shirts and gloves. Also I wouldn’t expect more than one pillow. 

Getting cozy with Annie

5. Laundry. And speaking of sweating, try not to do that at all because you honestly never know when your next chance to do laundry will be, and it might cost you approx. 30 American dollars. If you're good with the occasional sink wash, props, but you better hope your roommate is okay with your now clean(ish?) underwear hanging all over the room. (I suggest asking first.) So pack comfortable clothes that you love but also won't mind burning because after 6-7 weeks of the same shirts and jeans, you'll pretty much be ready for a change in pace.

6. Food. Diets of any type are not easy while ski racing in Europe or Central Asia unless you're big into potatoes, pasta, pork, chicken, chocolate, and gummy bears. Standard ski meals are served family style and can be pretty different from American food, but it's an amazing chance to try foods in each country that you've never even heard of before. And shoutout to Europeans for their incredible talents with soups, twice a day, every day. Also the desserts… If I could spend the rest of my life eating desserts in Switzerland, I'd be a pretty happy girl.

It snowed SO MUCH in Campra!

7. Language barriers. I can honestly say it's pretty disorienting to be in a place where you can't even attempt to read the signs on the roads or buildings, because the alphabet isn't even close to yours and looks like lots of squiggles and squares. And while it can be pretty difficult to communicate with someone who speaks German, Italian, and French but not a lick of English, one of my favorite parts of traveling here is learning simple words and phrases in each new language. People light up when you make an effort to attempt their language, no matter how butchered it is. (Just ask the Kazakh businessmen listening in and giggling to us shouting attempted Kazakh “thank you’s” in the elevator.) And don't forget, a smile is universal, and miming is usually pretty entertaining.  

6 Americans in one semi-final! Defying the laws of
sprint racing- GO USA

8. Race conditions. This trip is the first one I have been on where some races have been delayed because the course isn't ready, and other races have been delayed because of the chance of avalanches over the race trails. Being able to roll with the punches takes a lot of stress out of race day, whether the punches be pollution, rain, cold, 4 feet of fresh powder, rocks, ice, or  general disorganization. Your first instinct may be frustration, but in reality it's usually not something you can control (kind of like having 6 Americans in one sprint semifinal). The best way to handle it is usually to laugh it off and stay relaxed, because everyone is in the same boat on race day, and sometimes, s*** happens.

After a mini-tour of races in spectacular Switzerland, we are in Rogla, Slovenia, where we met up with Mary, Miles, and Colin (YAY GOLD TEAM) and the other U.S. OPA skiers. My races so far haven't all been what I've wanted, but I've learned what needs to be worked on, and the season isn't over yet. Congratulations to everyone who raced in the American Birkie this weekend, and let's keep sending good vibes to the U.S. Team at World Champs in Falun! We just watched J-Diggs and Caitlin Gregg (both from Minnesota) ski to a silver and bronze medal in the 10k!!! AHHHH! It's pretty exciting to see America get so stoked on skiing.

I mean I see the resemblance.... 

Struggling with the wax bench 

The trails at Campra, Switzerland

Cheering on the boys at Campra with Rosie and Joanne

Annie-squared and I