We have been BUSY this summer, and the Junior program has gotten in some great versions of our favorite workouts, as well as a few new surprises and adventures. Here’s a few photos and descriptions of what we’ve been up to!
Skate intervals at Road 101 near Smuggs. A very scenic and lengthy hill for some good work…the only problem was the thunder and lightning that rolled in near the end of the workout. We ended up cutting the whole thing short which was a bummer (especially because this road isn’t exactly nearby) but safety has to win-out in these cases. It was still great to see a big pack of really strong skiers working together, and we definitely caught the eye of some locals as this is not one of our typical rollerski areas.
Good old running at Gov. Chittenden road near Catamount. This flat dirt road is the best way for us to get in some quality intensity training while sticking to smooth paces and not over-doing it. The heat and humidity was already starting to take effect by 8:30AM most every morning this summer, but we usually have enough Capri Suns on-hand to keep ourselves hydrated.
We are in a continual quest to practice our skiing on slippery snow, tough transitions, and unpredictable terrain! Sara had some good ideas to modify our usual “wet leaves striding drill” to incorporate turns and simulate what skiing is like outside the tracks on that rutty, slushy, broken-down snow we so often see on steep hills in bigger races.
A picture that really displays what the weather has felt like…HOT and HAZY and HUMID. Even when it’s not wildfire smoke in the air, it’s nonetheless about as thick as it can get. We’ve used a number of methods to fight off that heat though, everything from water gun fights to a rollerski slip-and-slide!
