8/16/10
Sugarloaf to Saddleback
I had the privilege of spending last week in the beautiful mountains of Western Maine. Truth be told it might be my favorite spot in Maine. We had a fabulous training camp, which brought together both the Nordic and biathlon MWSC elite and development teams. We enjoyed the amazing hospitality of Carabassette Valley Academy, staying in their dorms and eating in their dining facility. We were all sleep well and eating even better!
The highlight of my week was last Friday. A group of us decided to take on a fairly long, grueling day hike/run starting at the bottom of Sugarloaf and ending at the bottom of Saddleback. It would cover twenty miles of trails and ascend over 7000 feet. Not bad for one day of training. It ended up taking us around seven hours, including all stops. We came out with the same amount of people we started with. We were all a few pounds lighter on the way out, only because we no longer were carrying the liters of water and food that we started with. It was all long gone.
It was an awesome day. We had the most amazing weather and countless beautiful views.
The week of training few by. It was a lot of fun to have a week of focusing on volume training that was all about being fun and adventurous. A big thanks to CVA for allowing us to enjoy their facilities for the week and for our coaches, Gary and Will, for bringing everyone together for an awesome week of training.
8.9.10
Jericho. Another year gone by.
At this point I don't think I even want to take the time to count the number of years I have been going to training camps in Jericho, VT. I will state that my first year there was in 1997. Am I really getting that old? I had to laugh when some of the boys asked me what has changed since I started coming here. After a little thought, I decided not much has changed. A few more or less army folk walking around, all depending on the year. We no longer eat Army food and the shooting mats have gotten much better. Other than that it's same swimming hole, same barracks, rollerski loop, crazy gun noises and overall Army base feel as it had when I was fifteen.
Truthfully it is a good place to train. You always leave feeling a little tougher and appreciate your own bed, shower and floors that aren't cement and covered in sand and dirt. And did I mention how amazing it is to have clean laundry again. There is something about the place that seems to get everything you own really dirty!
I had a good week of training, focusing on biathlon specific intensity work. I haven't done much of this kind of training yet this year and could tell by the end of the week. The week of training has helped me evaluate things and get me pointed in the right direction going into the next few months.
Time sure does fly by. It feels like Spring just ended a few weeks ago. I am now waking up to a cool breeze and the faintest hint of fall in the air. Fall might be my favorite time of year. I don't know if it is because I get to start wearing all my hats and sweaters again or because I know the snow is getting closer. Something about the Fall wakens me up a bit.
Before we get to full on Fall weather something tells me we have at least a few more weeks of summer to enjoy. I am guessing most of you are very excited about this. I do enjoy the long days of summer; seeing my plants grow and jumping into lakes and streams following my training sessions. But deep down I am a cool weather girl. What else could explain my desire to knit warm hats and sweaters all summer long?
Here's to the cool, crisps mornings AND the sunny warm afternoons of August.
Cheers, BethAnn
Freddy B. making his way up the last climb!
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The boys enjoying the view a top Saddleback. No water break here. All our water was long gone at this point.
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Just a real nice view
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An early morning paddle on Sunday morning in David's hometown of Wilton. Well worth waking up for.
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