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BKL Practice Week of 12/13/21

By on 12 December, 2021 in BKL Training Schedule

The rain has melted all the snow and temps this week will be warm- highs in the 40’s.  We will be back at Mills River Park with some fun dryland activities this week.

Tuesday: All BKL:  Mills River Park, Rte. 15, Jericho  3:45- 4:45 pm.

If you did not pick up your ski rental, please get it today from Rosemary. 

Bring your headlamp and your classic poles and wear your sneakers. We will play some games, do some hiking with poles, hill bounding with poles and make sure poles are adjusted properly.

Thursday: Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers: Mills River  Park, 3:45-4:45 pm

If you ordered a rental race suit and did not get it yet, I will have it today.

More dryland training. Bring your headlamp and  wear your running sneakers.

Saturday, 12/18: Racers at Craftsbury 10- 11:30 AM , Skate

If you skied at Craftsbury this past weekend, you know that it is worth the drive! Their 2 km man-made loop gives us the opportunity to practice a lot of technique and racing tactics!

Coach Rosemary is helping the MNC Juniors in Waterville this weekend, so Coach Peter Vile will be our guest Racer coach and ski with the Racers this day. Meet him outside the touring center on the upper soccer field.

For tickets or to get a day pass, go HERE.  Check out their annual memberships too!

Virtual Team Meeting/Wax Tip: Rodrigues/Kendall Weekend

By on 10 December, 2021 in Junior Blog, Masters Blog, Uncategorized

The first races of the season are approaching this weekend. We’ve got a rainy, warm day in the works for Saturday’s Rodrigues Sprints, and a cool night for plenty of ice leading into the Kendall Classic.

For ski prep: 

  • Iron a layer of blue or green paraffin into skate and classic skis. Scrape and brush. Hard wax adds durability and is a great way to start every wax job.
  • Skate skis: Apply a layer of yellow/warm paraffin wax of your choosing (Toko Yellow, CH10, etc). Scrape and brush.
  • Classic skis: Apply a layer of medium/warm paraffin wax of your choosing (Toko Red, CH8, etc). Scrape and brush.
  • Clean and mark all kick zones on classic skis. Choose white base/warm skate skis and stiffer/klister skis if you have an option.

The MNC trailer will be located in the lower parking lot. It is a black trailer that’s currently unmarked, but MNC flags and paraphernalia will be located around the vicinity. Stop by for final coats of race wax or structure if you have not already provided skis to Adam.

Virtual team meeting notes: Saturday

  • Please plan to arrive at least one hour before race start (start is 9AM). Check-in at the trailer, and plan on skis being ready 10-15 minutes before the qualifier start. Skis outside the trailer in the wooden racks are ready to race.
  • A good warmup is key! For sprints we like to do a lot of intensity…some L3 followed by 2-3 minutes at L4 pace is recommended. You want to go to the start line breathing pretty heavy and fully ready to give it your all.
  • Please note the very busy schedule. You will finish your qualifier race and shortly thereafter a list of heats will be created. 6 skiers per heat, with heats going off continuously.
  • MNC will try to bring a tent near the start/finish area to keep bags dry: it would be best to keep a bag with lots of dry clothes/hats/gloves safely in this spot so that you can always have access to warmth even if you cannot go all the way back-and-forth to the trailer.
  • After the conclusion of all your heats, bring skis to the trailer for a quick clean and travel wax layer!

Virtual team meeting notes: Sunday

  • Plan to arrive at least one hour before your start: 90 minutes is ideal. Note that this race is individual start now, with age groups going off at separate times. If you are a Junior that has not provided skis to Adam yet, please make sure to arrive with plenty of time to get that taken care of.
  • The goal is to have skis ready to test 25-30 minutes before your race start. Pick skis up at trailer, and give them a test before reporting back for changes or touch-up. A great way to structure this is to plan a warmup that is set up to have you doing some intensity while you test race skis, so that you get a feel for the skis at race pace.
  • At the conclusion of your race, bring skis back to the trailer for a cleaning and travel wax layer.

Racing licenses/Registrations

By on 8 December, 2021 in Junior Blog

Juniors (and parents),

Please read below for lots of information regarding race registrations, racing licenses, and more. This is a confusing and headache-inducing part of the sport, but it is necessary for our racing each season.

USSS (US Ski and Snowboard)

A US Ski and Snowboard license is required for all Eastern Cup competitions. You can get this license from the official website here:

My USSA | my.usskiandsnowboard.org

If you want to be ranked and scored for Eastern Cup races, you will need the more expensive Competitor’s License. Without this license you will not receive points, will not be ranked or eligible for Junior Nationals qualification, and you will start every race (individual or mass start) from the back of the field. College teams and coaches view points as valuable recruiting tools, so regardless of JN qualification, without points you will be at a disadvantage if interested in skiing in college.

If you are not at all interested in Junior Nationals or having a points profile, you can still register for a General Membership from US Ski and Snowboard and compete in Eastern Cup races.

Here are some FAQ pages from US Ski and Snowboard:

2021-22 XC U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership FAQ

Cross Country Memberships

Note: for U20 athletes (18 and older) there are several other requirements such as a background screening and Safesport training. If you have not already done so, please acquire your membership ASAP to finalize and meet these requirements.

NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association)

NENSA is the regional governing body for our sport. NENSA is the organization that puts on Eastern Cup races, and as such you will need a NENSA membership to compete in these events. You can sign up for a NENSA membership below, and remember to select Mansfield Nordic Club as your club!

NENSA Membership Page

Note that if you have never had a NENSA membership before, your first year of membership is FREE!

SkiReg (Race Registration)

SkiReg.com is the site that NENSA (and many other hosts) use for race registration. You can make an account at SkiReg, or you can check-out as a guest for each event.

Please pay close attention to the registration closing dates and times for events, listed at the top of each event page, which indicates when registration is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Most all competitive Nordic races have a deadline and do NOT accept day-of-race entries, so making this deadline is extremely important.

Signing up for races

MNC does not register racers or teams in bulk. For NENSA events, each athlete must individually register themselves for the race(s).

When signing up on SkiReg, either as a guest or with an account, please list your club as “Mansfield Nordic Club” (all spelled out, capitalized). This is more a matter of consistency in results and final scoring documents: it is a clean and efficient way to find and view your results, rather than a hodgepodge of “Mansfield Nordic” or “MNC” or “Mansfield NC” etc.

Masters Coaching Groups ’21/’22

By on 6 December, 2021 in Masters Blog, Uncategorized

Welcome to Masters ‘21/’22!  Based on skier inputs and prior season experience we have placed all registered athletes into one of five coaching groups (Onyx, Black, Blue, White and Green).

We will use the initial sessions to refine these groups, but once groups are established, we request athletes refrain from dropping down groups as that can alter the coaching balance and experience of other athletes. During the season,  if an athlete has concerns with their group or given workout, we encourage our athletes to work with coaches to provide feedback and discuss options.

Masters Groups ’21/’22

Typical Session Structure

4/6:00 – 4/6:15 PM Athletes on skis warming up.  If a classic evening this is a good time to check and adjust your wax.

4/6:15 – 4/6:30 PM Groups assemble at their colored flags.  Coach does introductions and reviews the lesson plan.

4/6:30 – 5/7:15 PM Athletes & coaches do the workout / drill of the day.

5/7:15 – 5/7:30 PM Post-workout re-cap, questions and cool down.

Weekly Training Plans

As a reminder, weekly technique and training plans will be published in our training doc and don’t forget to check our Range Snow Report on days those conditions may be marginal or rapidly changing.

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