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What a winter thus far! We’ve got it good, and we are making the most of it. This past weekend was about as much skiing and winter action as you could possibly fit into two days, and I think it captured the spirit of our Junior team pretty emphatically.

Saturday: Craftsbury Outdoor Center

Stella in the timetrial

Saturday morning got off to an early start as we all converged on Craftsbury for a timetrial. The snow was cold but not squeaky slow. The air was crisp. Snow hung onto the pine trees shimmering in the bright sunshine.

It wasn’t just a straight start-to-finish TT though: after an individual start skate effort on the 3.75k FIS course, everyone grabbed a quick drink and some gummies, maybe changed into a fresh base layer, and then hit the same course again. This time it was 2 minutes race effort, followed by 1 minute rest…then start another 2 minute interval where the last one left off.

This is a workout we tried last year, and it received good feedback. With a training block underway and a bit of time until the next “big” race, this was the perfect day to return to the effort. The goals are both psychological and physiological.

Mentally, it can be tough to rally for another 3.75km with hard efforts, having just completed the journey in a race…but in reality, we’re all able to handle a lot more than we think! That’s important to remember in a race, especially when many of our competitions have multiple laps.

Physiologically and technically, this format helps ingrain and work on strong technique and tempo even while tired. Having a rest period every 2 minutes lets you attack the course with good energy, and hit the transitions, climbs, and descents as strong as possible.

Isaiah and crew on the intervals AFTER the timetrial!

With the workout complete, it was hard not to ski for longer still with the temps warming up and the sun adding to the vibes. During our cooldown we chatted with many other familiar MNC folks and friends out skiing…a bunch of the MNC University athletes had coordinated on a sprint timetrial, and Perry was out with his stopwatch while Annie and Sydney did a 10km classic race to prepare for the upcoming US National Championships.

We went down to the “Screaming Mimi” uphill during the Pro athlete’s timetrial to cheer them on and watch their awesome skiing. They were moving. Check out this pace for 4 kilometers into a 10km effort!

But we weren’t done, either. It was time for lunch, and the touring center was feeling like Terminal C at O’Hare on Christmas Eve…skiers of all ages were hustling and bustling, and after we replenished our tanks it was time to head across the porch to the main gym, which the Craftsbury coaches had very kindly reserved for us that afternoon!

With music blasting and weights clanking, it was easy to dive into a big strength session! One of our biggest strengths as a Junior team, in my opinion, is our dedication to/consistency with high quality, broad-based strength training.

We really like to hit the gym, and it benefits us in many ways. Not only are we stronger with our ski movements, but we have the physical strength needed to make technique changes and adaptations. We’re also less prone to injury: knock on wood, but running and overuse injuries (even for those running XC or playing fall on-foot sports) are not very prevalent among our squad. While the MNCC is a pretty awesome gym, the high ceilings at Craftsbury do have a certain aura to them…

Sunday: Camel’s Hump Nordic

Everyone was a bit more sore than usual on a frigid Sunday morning as we pulled into the parking lot at Camel’s Hump Nordic. Despite its setting, the vibe at Craftsbury is fully modern (floor-to-ceiling windows, spa-esque gym facilities, snowmaking fan guns, and heated porta-potties). By contrast, the vibe at CHN is vintage in the best way possible.

We embraced all the traditionalism we could with blue hardwax, a long classic ski along the shoulder of the mountain, ripping downhills through recently-cut logging areas with vistas stretching across the lake to Whiteface, and some trailside pancakes cooked over an open fire..!

Actually, those pancakes were originally supposed to be waffles, but it turns out the waffle iron was a little bit too much wattage for the portable battery pack to handle. But it just so happens that the groomer-on-duty for the Nordic center over the holidays was Willem Smith, an MNC alum who lives trailside. Willem skied right over to his place and returned a moment later with a big cast iron pan and grill, which we popped onto the fire to turn our waffle batter into bubbling pancakes!

I’ve never been to Norway, but you can’t help but notice all the wholesome images of families and groups out enjoying long skis with waffles in the mix. It was time to bring that energy here! Definitely a memorable ski, and one to repeat in the future for sure.