Author Archive | Adam Terko

The final Eastern Cup weekend was a blast, with amazing snow conditions and two fun races at some “old school” New England courses. Last year this final weekend was a tough one for us…not everyone handled the more remote and (for many) unknown venues, and it ended our Eastern Cup adventures on a bit of a mixed bag.

Things started out with a bit of a mixed bag on Saturday at Oak Hill. I think my comment to some was that we were “emotionally, physically, and motivationally all over the map”. That being said, I was really impressed with how everyone got after it. We’ve done more work this year on honing our pre-race psyche and post-race analysis. Being self-reflective both before and after a competition really helps you grow as an athlete, and I’m impressed with how much some Pugs have learned, after good races and poor races alike. That kind of ownership and thought is was elevates you from “a skier who races” to a “ski racer”.

The U16 Pugs have rarely been off the podium this season! Saturday’s skate podium with Aidan and Ali each in 3rd

The U18 men and all of the women were racing against a full college field as part of the Dartmouth Carnival on Saturday, and the strength of our group was impressive for sure. Rose, Lily, Jenny, Kai, Dakota, and Isaac all held their own against some of the nations strongest NCAA athletes! We had a good crew again joining us from “MNC South” like Evan, Henry, Isabella, and Adam C which was always fun…and even alum Charlie Cobb crushed it with a great skate race.

Not to be outdone, we also saw some great racing from U14 racers Ava and Esther as the Eastern Cup Adventures of Toads and BunBun continued! Look for those two to tear it up at the BKL Festival next weekend.

On Sunday, it was time for an epic New England day…a little bit of dry snow and a nice layer of saturated wet snow, with some falling precipitation to make it extra spicy. Earlier in the week I had put out the call for any and all zero skis, and boy did our crew deliver. A HUGE thanks to those that let their skis be shuffled into the mix for this one. During our quick team meeting on Saturday night I warned that things were probably going to get frantic, probably stressful, and probably a bit wild. That definitely happened, and everyone held strong with flying colors.

In the U16 race, Ali and Magda skis on zeros that belonged to Jenny and Rose, respectively. Sammie rocked a klister-covered combo, and everyone had solid races. Sammie skied right into the top 10 and Ali and Magda joined Quincy on the podium for a really sweet 1-2-3! Camille in 6th for another super-solid Eastern Cup race meant a lot of blue, white, black and green out crushing.

Sammie out rocking it!

The zero ski transfer and turnaround happened quick as Rose and Jenny needed to immediately jump right back on those skis to test them for their own races. Rose rocked it to what I’d say was one of her strongest races yet: just getting more and more comfortable challenging the best skiers in New England. Lily and Jenny toughed it out but I think handled it well. Jenny had some problems with her back on the second lap and Lily had a rough go on her first foray into zeros, but the spirits were high afterward!

Lily in the mix and rocking a well-done glitter job to match some solid skiing

Jenny rocking possibly the world’s most versatile and well-loved pair of skis 🙂

Rose looking great! When the snow is slow and soggy you can really tell who has worked on their core in the summer and fall in the double pole sections

In the open men’s race, the sky opened up a little more and rain began to fall. This made me a bit nervous for Isaac and Kai, who had elected to go out on zeros as well. Isaac was in fact racing on a pair that originally belonged to Murray Banks, was passed down to Coach Liam John, and eventually to Ethan John, before being resurrected from the John family basement just before we departed for New Hampshire.

When he came back from trying them, Isaac said “I like them and I think I want to race on them, but is there any way you can try and speed them up more?”

We threw on a somewhat unique fluoro combo, which also went on all the open men’s skis, and off he went. I was actually continuing to apply klister and fluoros to other men starting later when Isaac came back to the tent absolutely drenched and soggy.

“DUDE” he said, and I gritted my teeth waiting to hear a poor report.

“THESE THINGS FRICKIN RIPPED!” he exclaimed.

Then there was a glance at the results on the live timing board: Isaac won the whole race by a minute and a half! So, in the end the gamble to trust the zeros for their kick and speed paid off. Kai also had a great race to end his season, with another top-20 in 18th overall. Not to be outdone, Charlie had another solid one and Baxter skied the best he has all season…after coming back from pneumonia and a mysterious illness known among the group as “Baxter’s Death Rash” (I’m forgetting the exact medical title at the moment) he has been carefully picking races and is starting to emerge strong.

Isaac on course, hungry for a big win!

Baxter on a mission and skiing great!

Kai with another top-20 finish! And another tongue photo captured by Dave 🙂

Dakota not letting a broken finger stop him!

After the slush had settled, it was time for the awards where the podium was honored, the U16 JN team was named, and the top-10 JN-qualified older athletes were brought up. Since it was a great day for MNC on all of those fronts we had a lot of cheering to do!

U16 women’s podium: Quincy, Ali, Magda. I owe these three some brooms and dustpans at the Range this week for their SWEEP!

U18 and U20 JN team featuring Isaac. Don’t forget Greg and Conor who are having awesome seasons!

U16 JN team featuring Aidan, Magda, and Ali who will rep the PUGS in UTAH!

To see results and photos, check out the following links:

Photos of Sunday by Dave Priganc (aside from the first one, all photos in this post are from Dave!)

Results (Saturday)

Results (Sunday)

Excited to see what these guys can do in Utah in a few weeks! I also think this photo captures how absolutely exhausted we all were after a long day in the rain 🙂

It’s hard to be concise when you have a weekend full of amazing performances, breakthroughs, and races where things just all came together. There’s a lot that stood out on the surface and with a quick glance down the results, and there’s a lot more that was also hugely important.

One way I’d sum it up? Over the course of 2 races, there wasn’t one MNC skier out there who I didn’t watch and say “whoa, they are skiing great” at some point…every single one of the crew had some moment(s) of fantastic racing.

For sure, there were racers who had moments and days that were not 100% awesome, but everyone spent some time in the zone where everything was just clicking.

The biggest story of the weekend came in the very first race, when Magda WON the U16 girls 5k classic! We had a feeling this was coming together, and everything seemed to fall right into place. What’s more, Magda’s win led a killer performance by the U16 ladies with Ali in 4th and Ava in 5th, followed by Esther and Sammie just outside the top 10.

Magda putting the hurt on the field as she heads toward VICTORY!

We had skis that were good, and we had cheering and support that was maybe the most intense it’s ever been. But more than that we had confidence in the ability to hammer on a tough course and not be afraid to push the envelope. People were tired going up Screaming Mimi, the course’s “signature” climb, but all of the MNC girls looked great: Magda, Ali, Sammie, Ava, Lily, Rose, Esther…the whole squad was kicking like bosses and rocking turnover and speed that was catching the eye of lots of other coaches and spectators.

Some 2-way radios were a new addition to the coaching toolkit this year, and we really put them to use this weekend. Sara was at the 3k mark and I was near 4k a few hills and corners later. Sara was able to radio me the split that Magda was in the lead by 1 second over Quincy, so I could yell that at her for motivation and to keep the hammer down. In the end it was super close, with Magda winning by 2 seconds over Adrienne Remick and just another 2 seconds ahead of Quincy. Pushing right to the line, even after the big climbs, was super important and Magda held to the pre-race plan of “going Klaebo for the last 2k”.

I think it was a near-perfect day for coach cohesiveness and tech work: from the morning through the last men’s race Sara, Liam, Kate and I were operating with a great rhythm and able to keep the bus driving fast and furious…metaphorically. Really cool to see, and something not always noticed when it goes right (but definitely noticed when it goes wrong!). Magda has put a ton of work into her skiing these past 2 years and seeing that win was I think my most excited moments as a coach ever! The fact that so many other people we pumped by it, and so many others had great races themselves, was really exciting and powerful for our group. There are going to be more moments like that one for sure.

The exciting Eastern Cup adventures of Toads and BunBun…these two tore it up!

In the men’s race, Kai also stuck to the game plan and had a super consistent effort that netted him his best points of the year and some solid cred as he duked it out among the college racers. Resident biathlete Timmy even had himself a sub-200pt classic race and put that fitness to use out there.

The following day, the spirits were riding high as everyone was still pumped from the day prior. Things started out well for the U16 girls with the Pugs making a big bid at the front of the pack, although the pace strung out the field at the 3k mark and not everyone was able to hang on. Ava and Camille hung tough, with Ava crossing the line just a few bootlengths behind Quincy for 3rd place!

This is a mass start scene to be excited about: lots of MNC suits up there!

In the U16 men’s race Aidan fought to 4th in a tough battle. Things started out as chill as they could be, but Aidan hadn’t been feeling well (sitting out the day prior) and didn’t quite have the turnover and fresh legs to hang with the breakaway up Screaming Mimi. Really good to get that effort in though as the mass start race at JNs is in the freestyle technique just like this!

Jenny had a solid Supertour last week but it seems like the stress and travel caught up with her this weekend. M.O. for the next week is to find some de-stress and relaxation time 🙂

For the open women, Jenny, Rose, and Lily battled it out with some of the best Juniors in the country. Rose had a killer race! In skiing of course it’s hard to measure objective success based on things like times for a 5 or 10k. More often than not you’re always comparing yourself to other racers you know and compete with. While it’s not always the best way to gauge performance, I think it showed how strong Rose was this day, as I saw the pack she was skiing with and immediately though “heck yeah!!”

Lily skied with confidence and, after getting that first big mass start in the books at Fort Kent she moved up and ticked up in the results sheet. Lily has great fitness and as she continues to translate that to the snow look for that climbing to continue!

The final race of the weekend was the men’s 15k mass start, and I think that it provided a great close to the weekend. The men’s team is pretty strong in mass start events and I think they had some good confidence. What’s more, we were sort of in “chase” mode with the skis all day, I think about one race behind as we kept reacting to the changing conditions. For this men’s race we really had something that I think brought our skis from “good” to “great” and that always helps!

Right in the first few kilometers, Isaac settled into 2nd place behind Greg, while Timmy had a fast start to shoot up into the top 10 alongside Gaelen. 3 in the top 10 was pretty cool to see! Not to dissimilar from that U16 women’s race earlier in the morning!

Check the MNC connections here…Isaac on the left, Greg and Conor at center, and Gaelen sneaking up behind. Whether they’re summer Pugs, winter Pugs, or both, the dudes are FAST!

As the race progressed, Timmy slid back a little bit but hung on for 19th. On the opposite end of the pacing spectrum, Kai started out very relaxed and was in the 30s or so, steadily climbing up to 20th just behind Timmy. Alternate strategies and racing styles but, as Timmy said after the Supertour where they also finished similarly, “you can tell we train together a lot”. Baxter has been dealing with multiple illnesses this season, and is slowly returning back to the racing scene. He skied 2 great laps before looking a little pale and out-of-it for the last 5k, but we both agreed it was a step in the right direction and even being able to finish was a sign that things are on the mend!

It was an incredibly exciting (and entertaining) battle at the front. Greg strung it out into a lead pack of himself, Isaac, Josh Valentine, and Caleb Streinz. On the start of the last lap, Greg made a move on the rolling sections to open up a slight lead. At the low point, it sounds like Isaac then caught up and made a move to try and break away on the start of the long climbing portion. Greg counterattacked, carrying a devastating V2 into Screaming Mimi that the other 3 couldn’t match.

Isaac took up the charge in 2nd, attempting to bridge the gap, but Greg held fast and he wasn’t going to be caught. Josh and Caleb clung to Isaac and it was a 3-way sprint for 2nd in which Isaac managed to snag 3rd and his first Eastern Cup podium!

Next to cross for the Pugs was Gaelen, who used his experience with bike racing tactics to stay controlled and cover the moves made by others. He crushed it for 9th place! Timmy and Kai skied in not long after for 4 in the top 20.

Kai passing one after another en route to top 20!

Timmy had a great race and proved that he can still kick it with the crew he was at JNs with last year…he and Zander and Griffin (3 of “Da Boiz”) finished right near each other

Hard to know how to end this post, exactly…I’m still amped from the excitement of this weekend, and recapping it all has me hungry for more already! When you think about it, that’s how it should feel now that we’re in the heart of the racing season. We’ve got another Eastern Cup right around the corner to be targeting, and then the EHS/U16 qualifiers right after that which will be another opportunity to showcase how hard this group has worked and what they’re capable of.

Thanks so much to the parents for the amazing food spread and support, and to lots of coaching and wax support from Sara, Kate, Liam, and Rick. Go Pugs! Look for a new VLOG soon!

[All of the photos in this post were taken by Dave, Jenny, and Liam]

Photos by Dave Priganc

Photos by Jenny Wilbraham

Results by BartTiming

Coach Kate and Coach Rick: discussing the latest MNC performance!

Huge win to make the weekend even more memorable; way to go Swags!

This was quite a busy week for the MNC Junior team. We started out with a great session together and a large group on Tuesday, but then found ourselves scattered a bit with the “Tour De Chittenden” High School events. It was an exercise in managing and balancing quality sessions with busy races!

Since we have quite a few Klaebo fans out there, and the Klaebo Vlog has taken the Nordic social media world by storm, I decided to really get into it this week and record at least a little bit of what we were up to every day. I frequently put together 1-2 minute “edits” of our sessions, but after this week-long vlog endeavor I have a lot more respect for Johannes Klaebo’s younger brother Ola, who edits and creates the vlogs for his brother every week!

[Note that more content, photos, and words follow below the embedded video!]

This week, having so many skiers off in various directions was a challenge. We get the most out of our training when everyone works together, but given the nature of our programming it’s been hard to guarantee that continuity. Right now we make do with schedule-swapping and training needs that make sense given each athlete’s priorities and obligations for that week, but I’m excited about a few possibilities we have lining up that could help streamline our club’s ability to have athletes working together, learning from, and skiing with, one another.

In terms of outside resources and opportunities, we are fortunate to have a lot at our disposal. We really are given all sorts of benefits and advantages thanks to amazing ski centers like the Range, Sleepy Hollow, and Craftsbury. Snowmaking is the norm for us, and I often am quick to complain about having to alter plans due to a grooming or snowfall headache here or there…but man do we have it good when you think about it. What Vermont and New England is able to do on a regular basis is on par with some of the best in the world.

The same can be said structurally and organizationally from NENSA. I attended a spring Board meeting at NENSA and questions that drive and influence many decisions revolve around “are we in-line with the best in the world, or on a path to compete with those who are?”

This isn’t just about offering training and racing opportunities: it’s the whole picture. Are the courses that Eastern Cups are held on tough enough to develop future World Cup skiers? Does our region have enough summer rollerski races like they do in Norway? Do venues that host events like BKL Festivals have snowmaking to ensure young skiers get effective time on skis? Do we promote Masters skiing enough to create a full-picture skiing society?

I can only speak to one, maybe 2 other regions from experience…but New England is a step above without a doubt. I’d like our club to continually be asking those same questions of ourselves…what races are we attending? Are they helping develop our skiers more and replicating the types of courses and race formats seen on the World Cup? Is a weekly training schedule fully-inclusive, offering a beneficial amount of time in the gym for strength training, long enough distance-training days, and a coherent and reliable off-day each week that can be planned and counted on?

The Supertour race this past weekend was a prime example…this race was a BIG DEAL, with live broadcasting, coaches bibs, chip timing, and a new 5k course at Craftsbury that seemed to feature even steeper and more intimidating climbs than ever before. I’m excited at the possibility of seeing this course more, because I think our skiers spend time on terrain that’s similar, and test themselves equally so, when they are with MNC and racing events like Eastern Cups.

How do you define a race course tough enough for FIS and the World Cup? Each lap of the 5k race course at Craftsbury featured 501 feet of climbing…meaning the men’s 10k involved over 1000 feet of uphill! For reference, the vertical drop of Cochran’s is 350 feet.

Craftsbury will be the host for US Nationals next January so you can bet we’ll be stringing together the toughest climbs we can find this summer for rollerskiing and running! Should be no problem since skiers love a challenge 🙂

Jenny skis a strong points race on Sunday and then took some great photos which you can see on the MNC Facebook page! I’ll share a few great ones below:

Gaelen out for another strong skate race! (photo by Jenny)

Kai had a great race on a course that had his name all over it with those steep climbs! (photo by Jenny)

Tim Cobb, relieved that he didn’t have to ski through that slush AND hit targets this time (Jenny photo)

Isaac speeding along with his race suit for next year (Williams) in the background! (Jenny photo)

Jenny on course, about to climb up Chip Hill located just past the entrance to the PAIN CAVE!

Also, we’d like to say happy birthday to Magda who celebrated her big day with…what else? A ski at the Range! Also, a Klaebo-themed birthday muffin since Magda is his number 1 fan:

Will is training and racing in Sun Valley, Idaho this year as part of their post-grad program. He took some time to share his story on the Intermountain Division website and it is certainly a good read for those of us here in the East! Will has been having a great season and we’re looking forward to watching him ski fast all the way through the winter!

Perspectives on being a PG Skier: by Will Solow

The choice to take a PG year was daunting as many of my friends headed off to college, some of whom continued to ski for the varsity team. For many of our competitive careers, skiing in college and making NCAA’s is an overarching goal. However, with the depth of skiers applying to New England colleges, skiing as a college freshman wasn’t a given for me without JN’s qualification as a highschool senior.

I started to explore gap-year options after I realized I may not ski my freshman year. Knowing that I wanted to ski varsity for Colby College in Maine, I leaned towards a post-grad year focused on skiing. While the East boasts the ski schools Stratton and GMVS, I knew I didn’t want to continue to compete in the East as I wanted the chance to move far away from home to grow as an individual.

Many post grads may be under the belief that the only point of a gap year is to improve skiing results, however I would argue that personal growth is equally important. The opportunity for personal growth is ultimately why I chose to ski in Sun Valley for the year before moving back East to Colby College. Sun Valley’s program has similar structure and the resources to rival GMVS and Stratton, but athletes live on their own or with a host family.

I currently rent with another PG athlete in Hailey and commute around 20 minutes to practice each way. While the cooking isn’t as good as meals from home, it has given me the opportunity to learn how to feed myself, budget, and shop for groceries (more difficult than it sounds when staring at aisles of food!).

The West Coast’s mountain ranges were a large for me. Even after living here for months, I continue to be in awe of the jagged peaks which are unlike anything in the smooth and lush Green Mountains. These peaks offer top notch hiking, mountain biking, and running with the bonus of altitude training. The rollerskiing does not live up to the road networks of the East, however it is easy to limit rollerskiing to intensity sessions and the SVSEF rollerski treadmill while volume training in the mountains.

Living without the responsibilities of school is a blessing for training through the fall and winter seasons, and for the first few weeks I lived out here, I did next to nothing aside from training, house cleaning, and cooking. This was great until I realized how bored I was outside of organized training. One of the challenges of not being in school was learning what to do with myself. I spend a fair bit of my time reading (hooray for the Ketchum Public Library!) and doing intern work for a local software company.

Having a form of extracurricular activity whether it be a job, internship, online course, or volunteer work is vital to a meaningful PG year. Finding the balance between training and personal growth has allowed me to mature, and I hope it will make the transition to a college athlete easier as I balance a heavy workload.