After a brutal windstorm swept through at the beginning of the week and left much of the region without power, we were forced to make some adjustments on the fly. Not easy in a tough intensity week, especially having the Range shut down due to trees all over the rollerski track. We’re fortunate to have so many great options for rollerskiing though, including the bike paths around Williston.
Qualifier? Heats? Live timing?
There’s a 1k loop that’s pretty much the same as any other rollerski loop albeit a bit less hilly. Since it is getting dark early, this was our go-to spot as the evenings went on. We were planning to do our DP test and some more intervals on Tuesday but without the Range and our usual course there had to be a change to that plan. We utilized the flatter loop in Williston and held a sprint simulation with a qualifier and heats…the very first Eastern Cup race is going to be a sprint (albeit freestyle) so this was a really good way to get in that zone. It was also windy, which means that on a flat open course we got to experiment with tactics and skiing in a group. Sprint days are always hectic for everyone involved, and this was no less so for the timing and organizing of this one!
The overall victors were Ale (SMC) and Aidan (MNC) but almost all of the heats featured good battles and close finishes. Some opted to wait in the back of the pack and make a move to the front at the end like Petter Northug, and others just went side-by-side and pushed each other hard hoping to break their opponents. Of course, the head-to-head racing also meant there were 5 broken poles at the end of the day, but no broken bones which is all we can really ask for!
Our other big day this week was Saturday, when we had a whole bunch of different things going on. To kick things off, Aidan, Ali, Kai and I went to Bolton to chase some course records. Kai fought through a muddy course and tied the record time of 14:05, which was only recently set by Timmy a few weeks earler…surpassing the record held by Baxter from last year. So, if you’re putting all that together you’ll know that MNC is looking to have a fierce and very fit U18 men’s group this year!
Not to be outdone, Aidan yet again set a personal record and joined the “14 minute club” with a 14:55. Even Coach Adam managed to sneak under 15 minutes although he was a second off his PR in 14:59. At the top Ali also confirmed that she had a great run with a personal best and the day was off to a great start. We took our now-common summit photo featuring Tyke, and headed down to keep putting in work.
Tyke, look at the camera dude!
The group of us carpooled down into South Burlington to hit up Dee PT for a strength session…we’ve been trying to fit in an extra day at the gym whenever possible and it’s really been paying off for the folks who have made it happen.
Ali working the upper body, Kai getting the balance going, and Aidan with some general leg strength maintenance
But we weren’t done with our day! It was time to jump in the car and take a trip up to Trapps to watch the NENSA Elite Rollerski Invite. Tim Cobb was selected to participate in this race, and we got to see him in action along with many of the best skiers in New England and even the World!
Full PugMobile on the way to Trapps, with a pitstop at Cabot on the way! Photo by Aidan
We were granted some extra coach bibs to help direct traffic
This coach isn’t going to put up with any sass!
It was a cool race to watch, although the course itself was not exactly on the safe side thanks to many tourists and some busy intersections. Hopefully NENSA can maybe get the whole road closed off for a repeat event? There were no major incidents luckily. Greg continued an impressive streak of rollerski races, while Conor was in the mix as well. Timmy could definitely feel the effects of some increased biathlon training lately, as his last time going hard on classic skis was our Fall Rollerski Classic race a month prior. He may not have had his best day but it’s important to remember the only people even attending this race were the best skiers in all of New England, from the US Ski Team on down!
Timmy racing hard for the Pugs at the NENSA Elite Invite (photo by Dave Priganc)
With a lot going on these past few weeks, I’ve often been more easily frustrated by little missteps here or there…lateness to practice, skiers not paying attention to directions, lack of focus on recovery of good sleep, dwindling and unpredictable number of skiers at a given workout, etc…I think I’m just really aware that the season is fast approaching with the Eastern Cup Opener about a month away. Because of that it’s hard for me not to get in that coach zone of, as Sara put it, “second-guessing every training decision.”
It also adds to the stress I carry and it can sometimes unfairly spill out at training. But what this past week showed me was that I should turn around my attitude pretty quickly because while it’s ok to be a little nervous about the season, there’s even more reason to be excited at what this group can accomplish! I think everyone, athletes, coaches, parents, and even our competitors, have been aware of what we’re capable of all year after a 2016/2017 season that was a “breakout” period for a large handful of MNC skiers. With timetrial records dropping left and right and every intensity session looking like a well-stoked fire, it’s time to accept our hard work and embrace the confidence that can help us put the last pieces of the puzzle together.
It was cold, dark and early in the morning when Virginia and I pulled into the Burrows trailhead parking lot at 6am for the BKL Sunrise hike up Camel’s Hump. Carl Priganc, his father Dave, Carly Trapeni and her parents Carolyn and Chris were already there. The parents were donning their headlamps and packs and the kids- well, the kids all looked a little sleepy. “Did Carl fall asleep?” asked someone in the dark. “No, I’m here!” replied Carl as he burst across the parking lot. I laced up my boots, we rustled Carly and Virginia out of the cars, and we hit the trail. 
What a fun hike to do! Thanks to the Trapeni’s for the idea and thanks to Chris for taking the photos!
