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BKL Training 2/23 – 2/25 – Orford Trip

By on 21 February, 2016 in BKL Jackrabbits, BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule
School vacation is here for most MNC skiers, and with pitiful snow still clinging to only a few patches of ground here and there, the time has come for an adventure!
Tuesday:  Special Road Trip to Mt. Orford, CANADA!!  Mt. Orford has 50 KM and lots of snow! There are warming huts we can ski and have lunch at. Depending on where you live, it is about a 2 hour drive (not including the border crossing). We will go early and spend the day skiing!  More details below.
Wednesday:  Craftsbury Day!  Meet at Craftsbury at 11:00 AM.  Bring both skate and classic skis. We will join the Craftsbury BKL kids for some fun skiing and games. Bring lunch and have it at Craftsbury, then go home and rest or ski more!
Thursday: Practice at the Range 3:45, skate technique. 
Trip to Mt. Orford:
Day Pass:  $14.13 Canadian, Children 0-17 are free!
Directions:  We are going to the Lac Stukely Sector of Parc National du Mont Orford, Quebec.  There are directions on their website:  https://www.sepaq.com/pq/mor/information.dot
Border Documentation Needed: 
a) Adults: Passports or Enhanced Drivers
b) Kids: Passports or Birth Certificate and school photo ID
c) Kids travelling w/o parents (car pooling):  Parents need to provide a written letter of permission allowing the adult driving your child to take your child into Canada for the day and a phone number of where you can be reached that morning. Please be sure that you include the name of the adult your child is travelling with and where they are going.
Plan:
Monday Night:  1) Pack your car with: skate skis, classic skis, poles, ski boots, kick wax, lunch, water bottles, back pack to carry lunch, extra socks & gloves, change of clothes, lots of ski clothes.
2) Get Border Documentation Ready
Tuesday: 7:30-depart!  Drive 2 + hours to Mt. Orford. Arrive at Orford 10-11,  wax up your classic skis, meet up with who ever is there already and go for a ski.
11 AM– meet outside Touring Center with your lunch and water in a backpack you can ski with on classic skis.  We will ski a long ski to a warming hut, have lunch, and ski back.
1 PM– Switch to skate skis(unless the classic is just too good!). Ski until 3 PM.
3 PM– Pack up and head back to VT
Orford!

Orford!

Range Notes

By on 18 February, 2016 in BKL Jackrabbits, BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule, Junior Blog, Masters Blog, Uncategorized

To all MNC members, friends, family and visitors

I’d like to pass on some news and updates from our primary training site, the Camp Ethan Allen Firing Range (aka “The Range”)

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Vehicle Speeding

I have been approached by Range officials twice in the past two weeks regarding excessive speed from vehicles during out allotted training time. The powers-that-be were quick to point out that the speeding cars were not necessarily MNC skiers (other groups are also using the ski loops during the same time we are) but asked for reminders to be sent out.

The 25mph speed limit (20mph once in the “tactical area” on the dirt road) will now be more heavily enforced, potentially with State Police. This speed zone actually begins when turning into the entrance road from Brown’s Trace road.

New Construction

The wait is over, and after a long stint of construction there are big changes around the Walker Building including better drainage, 3 brand new woodstoves and, most relevant, brand new bathrooms and showers. These upgrades are a big privilege and it is up to us to do our part to keep things clean, organized and functional.

Each season, we may send out a few calls for donations of toilet paper and cleaning supplies…and there may be a practice here or there that ends with us cleaning the bathrooms, bringing in firewood and getting out the brooms. Let’s make our own work easier by keeping things clean in the first place!

Walker Building Sign-out

We have been fortunate with evening Masters Training lately thanks to the construction: the Walker Building was left open and we could essentially arrive and leave as we pleased, often skiing right up to 7:30pm. Now, the building must be signed out in a more official capacity, and the key needs to be returned before 7:30pm. This means training will need to end closer to 7:20pm to ensure the building is clear and clean, with the key returned on time.

Let’s continue treating these facilities and hosts with respect so that we can keep enjoying the benefits provided to us!

VT Qualifiers Info (all in one place!)

By on 15 February, 2016 in BKL Race Blog, Junior Blog

This Sunday are the qualifying races for both the NENSA Eastern High School Championships and the NENSA U16 Championships (click the titles for links to descriptions).

The Vermont team is selected from a one-day qualifying event, held this year at Craftsbury. This day involves 2 races for each competitor: a classic race in the morning and a freestyle race in the afternoon. MNC will be on-hand to provide race support all day!

To see info like registration and team selection criteria, please visit the VT Elite Team website (click title for link)

To see specific info on MNC plans and how to prepare, please visit Adam’s Virtual Team Meeting page (click title for link).

Please note: it is suggested that each team competing have a 2 volunteers to help with organizational aspects of this event. It is highly encouraged for parents, friends or family to sign up and contribute to show our club’s commitment to this long day! Find a direct link to that signup by clicking HERE.

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BKL Training 2/16 – 2/18

By on 14 February, 2016 in BKL Jackrabbits, BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

Tuesday:  Skate Technique. Forecast is for rain. We will most likely have practice for BK Racers, but may cancel for Jack Rabbits if it is just too wet. We will send out a REMIND notice and post a notice on the blog by 1 PM if there are changes. Please check!

Thursday: Classic Technique.  Relay Day.  Get your skis waxed up when you get to the Range, then meet your coach outside. We will all practice Relay tag-offs, then get together for a number of relay races.

BK Racers:  Saturday: Bogburn Ski Race.  From the Bogburn Facebook Page:

The current plan for the race is to groom what snow we have Sunday and Monday (I’ll post conditions). The storm coming Tuesday is supposed to start as snow and change to rain. I will come up Thursday and evaluate and make the call. If there is heavy rain the race will most likely be cancelled. Please wait until Thursday to register. It is supposed to snow Friday night but that is too late and the forecast may change.

If the Race is cancelled, we will have an alternative practice on Saturday, venue TBD.

Video from some devo team doublepole work last Thursday! Many gains were made in technique, body position and power in just one session!

The Deep Breath

By on 14 February, 2016 in Junior Blog

For the first time in a long time there were no big races this weekend. Everyone has stepped back to catch their breath after a rapid-fire January and start to February. For some Juniors this meant resting, and for others it meant putting in some volume in order to stay fast at the end-of-season championship races.

We got in some doublepole work on Thursday with the Devo Group, many of whom are looking ahead to next year when they’ll be full-fledged Juniors!

Everyone made some rapid progress on their double-pole, as we worked with both hills and flats. Before we started the video and speeds, we watched this clip of the racers who double poled the 10km classic Eastern Cup last weekend:

A key thing to watch for? Some MNC skiers tried a little too hard to “force” certain body positions these older skiers demonstrated…namely, the feet falling behind the body with each cycle (observe Henry Harmyer at :20 sec in, for example). It’s important to understand that this motion/position is a result of other strong technical elements like forward hips and powerful core engagement, and not an element of technique in itself but part of the bigger picture.

This is not dissimilar from “standing up on the toes” during a flat double pole. Many young racers see Andy Newell or Petter Northug in this position and immediately emulate it while double poling at any speed or intensity. In reality, strong skiers are not just standing on their toes but pulling their heels up from the momentum and force of their whole body surging forward. Always important to understand and play with the cause/effect of every aspect of technique!

The big story this week was the COLD. The wind chill was -41 Saturday night! It was a quick trip back to the chilly days of last season I was reminded the value of three key parts to warm skiing:

  1. a buff
  2. a vest
  3. overboots

Take note! Just those three items make a BIG difference when the wind and cold strike fierce. The toughest of the tough were out to put in the work, though, like Chloe and Peter who saddled up for a pre-qualifiers TT to get ready for Easterns Qualifiers next weekend:

The only photo I got before the camera froze! Negative temps doesn't mean negative training

The only photo I got before the camera froze! Negative temps doesn’t mean negative training

Those qualifiers will be the big target for many MNC Pugs after a few local HS races midweek. The championship season is surprisingly right around the corner! We will be heading all over the region and the country, reresenting the club with fast skiing! At the Junior National level, Greg has recently set up a crowdfunding campaign for his trip to Wisconsin…This season Greg has taken a big step forward in his racing and, more importantly, his quality and serious approach to training. If you are interested in helping him fund his trip to Junior Nationals please click THIS LINK.

Stay warm everyone!

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