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Juniors and Devo on SNOW

After the December struggles of long drives and yellow klister, snow has finally arrived in our backyard. Today the rain and wind are working their hardest to eliminate the skiing, but with a long enough stretch of cold weather the snowmaking loops at Sleepy Hollow and the Range should handle the challenge.

Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Range have been a mob scene of young athletes covering the fields playing games, practicing technique and racing around. The High School teams and MNC Juniors have enjoyed the home training site, too.

The week kicked off with an exciting and unique event at Cochrans. Much of the HS Tour De Chittenden had to be cancelled, but the “hillclimb” was held…problem was, only half the hill was present. For this reason, Eli designed a course that went up a short grade before slaloming downhill, only to swing up again for a longer climb…the descent was another slalom, and racers did all of this TWICE. That it was held in fading darkness under spotlights made it even cooler.

A very cool scene for a ski race

A very cool scene for a ski race

Tuesday featured some skate intervals for some and easy skiing for others. Fresh off her biathlon races in Anchorage, Eliza and Karen rocked the Wednesday Night Worlds race at Sleepy, and followed it up with the delicious potluck that accompanies the event each week:

Wednesday Night World's potluck: a family affair

Wednesday Night World’s potluck: a family affair

On Thursday, the Devo Team and Will hit up Pit Loop for double pole intervals. It all culminated in a mini-mass-start (Will had a 10 sec handicap). Check out this short clip of the action!

This weekend the HS racing continued with Greg taking his third win in as many races and a great performance by the other Pugs representing their respective high schools. Quincy and Camille again went 1-2 in the women’s middle school race, while Aidan was only bested by Brian Bushey, an honorary MNC member after his attendance at our Thanksgiving camp!

A small crew of MNC racers also attended the Race to the Cabin at Trapps, and after the event Will, Ali, Sammie and I toured all over the trails, did some gymnastics and also took some selfies:

(This video goes out to Amy Bruce and her bar-flipping skills)

Trapps selfie-ing

Trapps selfie-ing

This week marks the return of the Eastern Cup! Good old Rumford plays host to an interval-start freestyle and a mass start classic race. Wax plans are already formulating, and Adam’s Virtual Team Meeting is being created for the event. Check back often for updates and info, and for parents looking to contribute to the EC food table please see the link below or get in touch with Sharon Henry for more info:

MNC Race Table

On a final note, congrats to MNC alum Henry Harmeyer on qualifying for the World Junior Championships in Romania!

Think snow!

 

Jr Race Reports

The MNC Pugs have been ripping it up across the country! Last week, Eliza and Marika competed in World Junior Championship trials all the way in Anchorage, AK. While they didn’t quite earn a spot on the international trip, they both racked up top-5 finishes with Eliza taking 4th on the first day and Marika 5th on the second! Here are some photos courtesy of Paul Bierman:

Eliza winding her way through the course...looks like VT has more snow than AK right now!

Eliza winding her way through the course…looks like VT has more snow than AK right now!

Marika pulling away on the uphill!

Marika pulling away on the uphill and demonstrating some great forward body position and shin-drive!

For those of us in New England, Saturday brought about a short little classic timetrial on the race loop at Craftsbury. Most ski areas have some amount of terrain, but Craftsbury has once again set a tough bar…things are just incredible up there, with firm tracks and full coverage for race skis. We have had barely any classic intensity due to flat snowmaking loops so doing a homologated 5km was certainly a doosy. Individual winners were Conor and Chloe…way to go!

Chlolo Jones powering out of the start!

Chlolo Jones powering out of the start!

Thanks to Matt Munns for the excellent filming! This was at the last section of the trail when skiers were most tired…the best place to see who is still holding the kick/technique/speed together!

On Sunday we met at Rikert for a nice easy cruise. We got in some no-pole and one-pole skating and my personal favorite, no-cuff skating! With most HS racers tackling the Cochran’s Hillclimb the following day we also kept it fun working on our tele turns and our “butter” on the downhills:

Kai showing off those tele skills he learned as a youngster at Mad River

Kai showing off those tele skills he learned as a youngster at Mad River

This week will be a big change…we can finally ski at the Range! With frigid temps and new snowfall we will finally be able to take to the snow at our home venue. The Walker Building has been upgraded with three brand new woodstoves and completely new bathrooms…I even heard rumors that the water is now potable!

Winter is here and we could not be more excited after a long wait!

MNC Mascot Tyke found the snow and he is pumped!

MNC Mascot Tyke found the snow and he is pumped!

 

 

The 2016 MNC Duathlon is coming up!

https://www.skireg.com/mncduathlon

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Registration is open for the 2016 Mansfield Nordic Duathlon! This year’s duathlon will once again be held at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Test both your classic and freestyle racing in a single event that now welcomes all age groups.

Previously a BKL event, the MNC Duathlon has now expanded to become a part of NENSA’s Zak Cup series. Earn points for your club and race head-to-head against competition from all over New England!

To register now, visit https://www.skireg.com/mncduathlon

Online registration closes Wednesday, January 20th 2016 at 11:45pm EST

Race events and distances per age group:

Lollipop: .5km classic only

Grades 1 and 2: 1.5km classic only

Grades 3 and 4: 1km classic + 1km freestyle

Grades 5 and 6: 1.5km classic + 1.5km freestyle

Grades 7 and 8: 2km classic + 2km freestyle

Men and Women U16 and older: 6km classic + 6km freestyle

10:00AM course preview

11:00AM race start

3:30PM awards

Registration and bib pick-up in the Nordic Touring Center, upper level, 9:30-10:30AM and 12:00-1:00PM

See you at the races!

Racing Nerves

Summer training has a lighthearted feel for a number of reasons. The weather is warm, the sun is bright and the latest giddy pop songs are freely blaring on the radio. The race season is far away and the pressure of performance feels even more distant. Long workouts invoke challenges to go farther than ever before, and interval sessions are friendly competitions among friends.

Will, Baxter and Kai. This could just as easily be intervals OR an Eastern Cup race

Will, Baxter, and Kai. This could just as easily be intervals OR an Eastern Cup race

In fall and winter as the races approach, and in the midst of competition season itself, everything carries more weight. Every long workout and interval session is filled with questions:

“Am I going too hard?”

“Will I be too tired tomorrow?”

“So-and-so is looking fast today…oh no”

“What was that weird tweak in my shoulder??”

The pressures of a race season, felt by National Champs down to BKL rippers, can drive anyone nuts. It happens to coaches, too. On race day I often go from 6am to 3pm without eating or drinking at all…the sheer stress and excitement of the day just overwhelms everything. It can be both a great thing and a recipe for disaster. With racing season upon us it’s important to balance managing stress and getting fired up for the next competition with enjoying the sport and keeping things light. We often race fastest when we are having fun, tough as that is to believe.

Eliza racing at Biathlon Jr World Trials. Take the stress of racing and then add targets to hit!

Eliza racing at Biathlon Jr World Trials. Take the stress of racing and then add targets to hit!

Standing on the start line, waiting for the gun to go off, is like the fall season and first few races. Then, just like everything else, the racing becomes routine. We’ve just heard the gun go off: we’ve got one High School race and one Eastern Cup under our belts. As Holiday Break ends, we’ll be “out of the stadium” and on our own, with each racer navigating his/her way through a complicated, busy and hectic race season all the way until Junior Nationals, Easterns, U16s and States.

Trepidation on the start line!

Trepidation on the start line!

I’m confident that we’ve prepared well. Early results are backing that up, and when the course through the season hits the metaphorical steep climbs and tricky descents we’ll be ready for them too!

 

 

 

Looking for snow over the holidays?

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It still looks like more dry land training is on the horizon in the valley, but there is skiing to be had nearby on manmade loops (Craftsbury and Rikert).  Also for those willing to venture toward Mt St Anne, the trails are beginning to open.

 
 

For those weather geeks who want to know when this dearth of winter will end, check out the Single Chair Weather Blog.  The short answer is not too soon, but the signs are at least starting to look favorable.
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