tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64015059747194559792024-03-05T10:04:39.465-08:00.Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-90848017029165378082016-02-12T13:11:00.000-08:002016-02-12T13:11:07.190-08:00North Korea to Mongolia on Skis..... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>North Korea to Mongolia on Skis..... </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobXh3IrTCs4SrD_uZLdg3XxKeDJzfFnjfFCKQrFn47Tvpr0CeD1KKQChfda9g49FMUvJ4IR4nAb0GlEGZejZKieQQLFo0djddvvvhKQQpxSiAiXrSyld36e_2Ph6zaXEHu97eSXmbbQ/s1600/Holly+on+a+camel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobXh3IrTCs4SrD_uZLdg3XxKeDJzfFnjfFCKQrFn47Tvpr0CeD1KKQChfda9g49FMUvJ4IR4nAb0GlEGZejZKieQQLFo0djddvvvhKQQpxSiAiXrSyld36e_2Ph6zaXEHu97eSXmbbQ/s320/Holly+on+a+camel.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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(This report was written for the Alaska Dispatch News and can be ready on their website too <a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20160210/nordic-racing-asia-low-temps-huge-snow-sculptures-and-camel-races-oh-my">HERE</a> although this post will include more pictures!)</div>
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Over the past 6 years I’ve been away almost more than I’ve
been home. Chasing the World Cup and my Olympic dream often necessitated living
out of a duffle bag. Yet, despite my extensive travel schedule I had never been
to Asia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, I decided, it was
time for that to change. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When you think of Asia you most likely do not think of it
being a Nordic skiing hotbed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, if
you were to pull out a map and locate the next two Olympic venues you would
notice something funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2018 and
2022 games are a relative “stone’s throw away” from one another when
considering world geography. Just two years from now winter sport athletes will
converge in PyeongChang, South Korea and four years later, Beijing, China. Yes,
you read that right, Beijing, home to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Needless
to say, the combination of upcoming Olympic interest and China’s prominence in
international news headlines combined with my appetite for adventure sent me to
the 2016 Tour de Ski China.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCetbvg_1dsxT1Vx4NFdI-khnb8obKcCbfBuQbZU7TWQvvr1PQOEBy6qb3Kx2s_NYiyR1lrRxJe0H1BmOnMM6ghEF_jxmhhrHyRcdxYNJ5tF6k24g1kqXdCybhphuo8j1ZwkRqXRN9Q/s1600/Chicken+head+for+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCetbvg_1dsxT1Vx4NFdI-khnb8obKcCbfBuQbZU7TWQvvr1PQOEBy6qb3Kx2s_NYiyR1lrRxJe0H1BmOnMM6ghEF_jxmhhrHyRcdxYNJ5tF6k24g1kqXdCybhphuo8j1ZwkRqXRN9Q/s320/Chicken+head+for+dinner.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Food is always an adventure in a foreign place</i></div>
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The Tour de Ski (TdS) China consisted of 5 races in 3 venues
and competitors from nine different countries including China, Russia, Norway,
Sweden, Italy, Finland, Canada, the USA and Venezuela.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first stop on the Tour was a city called
Yanji which was oddly reminiscent of Sochi, Russia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel and surrounding area was 80% new,
10% active construction zone, and 10% dilapidated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The five-minute walk from the hotel to the
race venue featured piles of garbage, old tires, and pyramids of black coal,
ripe for burning in the conveniently located power plant with fumes that wafted
over to the gravel pit-turned-skate sprint course. Of interest at the race
venue were Chinese soldiers handing out Red Bull, drones flying 5 feet overhead
during the races, and horse-drawn sled rides. The other notable fact about
Yanji is that it’s 20 kilometers from the North Korean border and we missed the
supposed Hydrogen bomb by a mere 72 hours. All of the schools in Yanji were
evacuated due to “seismic activity” we later read in the English version of the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">China Daily</i> newspaper. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_SvYmIBuj-0S_T_0Vf-T3JUY8RIm1ukWuaDtx2Bw1duRp9ND2h_CRxeVbokBEJ04HkyCHDgEW0Vnz-1yVDJqmIYsh4t_vFm_gCTXVkH-D1lM4AbAcuam5WBlDsInfoI8MiWFnxsToQ/s1600/The+commute+to+the+race+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_SvYmIBuj-0S_T_0Vf-T3JUY8RIm1ukWuaDtx2Bw1duRp9ND2h_CRxeVbokBEJ04HkyCHDgEW0Vnz-1yVDJqmIYsh4t_vFm_gCTXVkH-D1lM4AbAcuam5WBlDsInfoI8MiWFnxsToQ/s320/The+commute+to+the+race+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQS2wbWJSCyms4kDfhHm4nVW4NgiMq8K8WDmOHBeDrGs9VlckqjYGTn1qC5NHAqFiSfr32kfVnfJu16s7C8xFYMy3n8W9qV17PRkDtUAvfNOiswvoJod6RlinlTLFnefVHV7tn_czLg/s1600/IMG_4945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQS2wbWJSCyms4kDfhHm4nVW4NgiMq8K8WDmOHBeDrGs9VlckqjYGTn1qC5NHAqFiSfr32kfVnfJu16s7C8xFYMy3n8W9qV17PRkDtUAvfNOiswvoJod6RlinlTLFnefVHV7tn_czLg/s400/IMG_4945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The Yanji sprint venue</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxvtZyMU52DQTNHGYi6cskHcII0F7HpT5OLTHoRXi4Sv64uqlmdU7jlQolwML_gjEia1Rtvf6sHeFn5rAiENEAYDJ4HsE533wvfzNqS0OGB85yCwr2xVtyr8S3jwxzkIQmRASttWJjw/s1600/IMG_4845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxvtZyMU52DQTNHGYi6cskHcII0F7HpT5OLTHoRXi4Sv64uqlmdU7jlQolwML_gjEia1Rtvf6sHeFn5rAiENEAYDJ4HsE533wvfzNqS0OGB85yCwr2xVtyr8S3jwxzkIQmRASttWJjw/s320/IMG_4845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYEBMf3WSmRfKq5xl-e8ekVGEfHE1hK8KVPGdh5-kEFBJQzMMrvY0CKkfvd0GVK5V2AFv9b0GsV_o0NG-TftwVodl2nLph9NAPB0yiMENcnhkqPDux9eJWqkvz85d8gi-95ayXLnOg/s1600/IMG_4846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYEBMf3WSmRfKq5xl-e8ekVGEfHE1hK8KVPGdh5-kEFBJQzMMrvY0CKkfvd0GVK5V2AFv9b0GsV_o0NG-TftwVodl2nLph9NAPB0yiMENcnhkqPDux9eJWqkvz85d8gi-95ayXLnOg/s320/IMG_4846.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Warming stations inside of the non-ventilated "warming hut"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTX4K-onA02CjPvv2dCYt_ttP7j9bDmicdL4C5PbK7NVqxixbrxXRwtw6zhp06Xanlj8EsKAQ6KMeNMhGyvO-CId8cl0Elv9RXMncogPPtjnVcAvgM3hc9q_BstTPygE9ygWtew-ItA/s1600/Yanji+Headlines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTX4K-onA02CjPvv2dCYt_ttP7j9bDmicdL4C5PbK7NVqxixbrxXRwtw6zhp06Xanlj8EsKAQ6KMeNMhGyvO-CId8cl0Elv9RXMncogPPtjnVcAvgM3hc9q_BstTPygE9ygWtew-ItA/s400/Yanji+Headlines.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The highlight of the second venue, Changchun, was most
definitely the Chinese Vassaloppet, a long distance classic ski marathon
inspired by the original event in Sweden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the Swedish version trumps in participation, the Chinese prevail
in grandeur and jaw-dropping awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magnificent
snow sculptures, some as tall as five story buildings lined the race
stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was difficult to maintain
composure and focus when double poling past fire-breathing monkeys, lines of
elephants, and a dove with the wing span of half of a football field!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sculptures were carved to perfection and
when asked for a design, one of the workers pulled a crumpled napkin from his
back pocket. I’ve been to Olympic stadiums and raced marathons around the world
and believe me, this one was one to write home about. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc7Nyk6as9xfPW2mouEMJBTdk_AEefmssABIdORgUTCeyclJt6fpqK7Bu1AfPqP2NNWjA3w8gpEIl8bQN5tn05WsVjDOAKgPgyjQQ-45iFpRoTluuf32yLtLFAgnQhSU0JmWyvK_ldg/s1600/Classic+ski+tracks+through+snow+sculptures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc7Nyk6as9xfPW2mouEMJBTdk_AEefmssABIdORgUTCeyclJt6fpqK7Bu1AfPqP2NNWjA3w8gpEIl8bQN5tn05WsVjDOAKgPgyjQQ-45iFpRoTluuf32yLtLFAgnQhSU0JmWyvK_ldg/s400/Classic+ski+tracks+through+snow+sculptures.jpg" width="400" /></a></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmMCy8P3bD-q4k71wmwdccrqEdHn0CpEewMTmuzysNjx4YDqH3eUZhWvlSfptj05A0qegNfdeWVX1M-BfD1UvcVYxwD4goaZehdDnB90FNIWyLODyyNkWlM5vswDSwq061ccnHmsK5Q/s1600/IMG_5022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmMCy8P3bD-q4k71wmwdccrqEdHn0CpEewMTmuzysNjx4YDqH3eUZhWvlSfptj05A0qegNfdeWVX1M-BfD1UvcVYxwD4goaZehdDnB90FNIWyLODyyNkWlM5vswDSwq061ccnHmsK5Q/s320/IMG_5022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>A highlight of the trip was being surprised by my Czech friend Petr & Adela who came for the Chinese VASA. They knew I was going to be there but didn't tell me and just showed up! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L3B6DjZ6PZWmnmajD9IS6MaG6Px8NkKMfDUYgPr4JqtgCVedLTifW99HfbhNAUUX7d-ueFZfx3rIDfAX5mJjSQu8b35Ovd2zKaTWQxDEZ7hIl327HoMle3PWWC1cDAkq_XJzGlvXag/s1600/IMG_5875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4L3B6DjZ6PZWmnmajD9IS6MaG6Px8NkKMfDUYgPr4JqtgCVedLTifW99HfbhNAUUX7d-ueFZfx3rIDfAX5mJjSQu8b35Ovd2zKaTWQxDEZ7hIl327HoMle3PWWC1cDAkq_XJzGlvXag/s400/IMG_5875.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our final race venue necessitated a 17-hour bus ride from
Changchun to Xiwuqi in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia (just south of Mongolia
the country).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the land we traveled
through was arid and flat but I was pleasantly surprised to see at least three
solid hours of wind turbines generating some of the energy for the 1.3 billion
Chinese. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Xiwuqi hosted the final two races of the tour including a
sprint race where I literally wore my warm up pants over my race suit because
it was -15F and windy. While the ski races were a blast, the real highlight
were the camel races. I felt as if I stepped into a National Geographic photo
shoot with locals dressed head-to-toe in bright colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The camels were covered in thick coats of fur
and looked very regal, yet were very wild. We watched relay races that included
passing a spear from one teammate to the next. We even saw a man get bucked off
a camel as if it were a rodeo. Of course I had to try too… <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3_CJPJGni1uwEjGARz3p0QqLC8LsmJ4rjV76xZb_J934MpwigncGQYAXRk6JcwKam73yiJOF23LPWD__xtm6wz9Uh7jPAszFKCHBY9PdPSgt9OVuPLWTjwdlq2VZrqEDgIrxvYmtxg/s1600/Camels+looking+regal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3_CJPJGni1uwEjGARz3p0QqLC8LsmJ4rjV76xZb_J934MpwigncGQYAXRk6JcwKam73yiJOF23LPWD__xtm6wz9Uh7jPAszFKCHBY9PdPSgt9OVuPLWTjwdlq2VZrqEDgIrxvYmtxg/s400/Camels+looking+regal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Camels looking very regal... .</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V-V1hjfBMp4CUA9S5SNmWXK1EzWcDrWT5e-Fs8wQl4nFkHtUtwFhpB-nBeiIeD51j1Qq_Y19A5ylSC1a9rzCzLmoW0XCRavth5w_cJAcTpvxYwyezbA0SnWkPtud1pwAlXJ685oxXw/s1600/IMG_5220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V-V1hjfBMp4CUA9S5SNmWXK1EzWcDrWT5e-Fs8wQl4nFkHtUtwFhpB-nBeiIeD51j1Qq_Y19A5ylSC1a9rzCzLmoW0XCRavth5w_cJAcTpvxYwyezbA0SnWkPtud1pwAlXJ685oxXw/s320/IMG_5220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>With one of the locals :) </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTgAUsfjsvkwTa4L_zlnVX1LqTDQujkTn05GK5MOoDVNqEALZKuRnsFy-CHgviVr2lBt1XsIjU5R45NOn28BygUdhhplPozVYJb476nulM5o7FItMVF0tc3KlRftqxW8jvGhtCDGRwA/s1600/IMG_5271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieTgAUsfjsvkwTa4L_zlnVX1LqTDQujkTn05GK5MOoDVNqEALZKuRnsFy-CHgviVr2lBt1XsIjU5R45NOn28BygUdhhplPozVYJb476nulM5o7FItMVF0tc3KlRftqxW8jvGhtCDGRwA/s400/IMG_5271.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A shot from the podium</i></div>
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At the completion of the races the excitement didn’t end. We
hung around Beijing to see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. We had
crystal-clear weather for both occasions after Beijing’s horrendous air quality
made international news over Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time
after time we were told how incredibly lucky we were. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKwFHG2M4MrJ4fUF2up8c96ffpAh4PgMQKxqm-usHruN0E45EzQNYDQ7vzZv3XQU_HjcNVz-GcWliLp5f4X6MbpeGhsuqxWpI4E0wFL1ZJfDq93jqxuypC5mlQGK1s9_iR9J1UBB1lA/s1600/On+the+Great+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvKwFHG2M4MrJ4fUF2up8c96ffpAh4PgMQKxqm-usHruN0E45EzQNYDQ7vzZv3XQU_HjcNVz-GcWliLp5f4X6MbpeGhsuqxWpI4E0wFL1ZJfDq93jqxuypC5mlQGK1s9_iR9J1UBB1lA/s320/On+the+Great+Wall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>The Great Wall </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1UuGnFJ4Dqdy5WQ8mOjX9TibA2N3Ma6eo3_34Y6fP9tM412xtX9q6AdtfbFWsCx7TWwLh6WtQgpue1i7xJeQruS29gkFxNZwKOllUom2R0FMowZrKOq-noujvXOepdWfCK_-y2X08Q/s1600/IMG_5708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1UuGnFJ4Dqdy5WQ8mOjX9TibA2N3Ma6eo3_34Y6fP9tM412xtX9q6AdtfbFWsCx7TWwLh6WtQgpue1i7xJeQruS29gkFxNZwKOllUom2R0FMowZrKOq-noujvXOepdWfCK_-y2X08Q/s640/IMG_5708.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p> <i>Having fun in the Forbidden City! (We had been to a Kung Fu show the night before....)</i></o:p></div>
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All and all the Tour de Ski China was a complete blast. I
continue to be amazed by the opportunities my sport of cross country skiing
grants me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I’ve finally been to
Asia I’m curious to watch China build their cross country program for
PyeongChang, Beijing and beyond. Luckily my visa is good for ten years so where
there’s a will there is a way! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQF3NpEr1LqBvKV3Mycw2DGt7aDEtqbFOZV5X5Vj2fbMNaXLQeQxFrIhACLteaKfAewdxPh9YLQV36Rwz8pWSUcc4ixWmXkl7O3hAu7WC2waq74FWLszQUeVmS99m_wJ2JbC31KYWChA/s1600/IMG_5778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQF3NpEr1LqBvKV3Mycw2DGt7aDEtqbFOZV5X5Vj2fbMNaXLQeQxFrIhACLteaKfAewdxPh9YLQV36Rwz8pWSUcc4ixWmXkl7O3hAu7WC2waq74FWLszQUeVmS99m_wJ2JbC31KYWChA/s400/IMG_5778.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Benedicte and I had a great time riding in this 3-wheeler across Beijing. Our driver only got lost 5 times... </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b07NnjwNFOCJHr_AQKlmEGY9EjHkro1bQ_9wqfQ_wKwhXGvIZejRQoUGdlGV2j-JXyI71XSfE03r-0GNTcUWzFclxVDWZVbp6SHVvz0pMSi__kpkXwd3HN0jNzbVKS6GdsolnYm9tw/s1600/IMG_5624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b07NnjwNFOCJHr_AQKlmEGY9EjHkro1bQ_9wqfQ_wKwhXGvIZejRQoUGdlGV2j-JXyI71XSfE03r-0GNTcUWzFclxVDWZVbp6SHVvz0pMSi__kpkXwd3HN0jNzbVKS6GdsolnYm9tw/s320/IMG_5624.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last but not least, a huge thank you to Torbjorn and Janne from Nordic Ways who made the trip happen. These two are awesome! If you want to learn more about Nordic ways or better yet see Inner Mongolia for yourself their company leads some awesome supported Bike Tours in the area! Check out their website <a href="http://www.nordicways.com/">HERE</a> for more info. </div>
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Until next time! </div>
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Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-65817511612472519132015-07-01T19:28:00.001-07:002015-07-01T19:28:19.747-07:00Hype without the pressure... Mount Marathon 2015 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Eventhough I'm not racing this year somehow I have a ton of Mount Marathon obligations... I don't mean this in a bad way but I suppose it just goes to show how much this race permeates Alaskan culture and illustrates how hard it is to get away!</div>
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The past couple of weeks I've been telling people that I won't be at the race because <i>"it's hard to watch a race you really want to be a part of"</i> but over the last couple of days I've changed my mind - I can't stay away. This year's running is going to be too exciting to miss, even if I have to stand on the side of the mountain as a spectator/cheerleader extraordinaire.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOPoYIWFvMq3angJncbH7Z20fT5GeLweq-7txwLX6SvgpEns8lqbi78In2QO0Qxbi8Uf0nKaTgNFyASCi08eVGFlhP8OnmKV7PmgcvsTTUgtJMex_S_3I_oBm_EqKPDch_DkXSu8JpA/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOPoYIWFvMq3angJncbH7Z20fT5GeLweq-7txwLX6SvgpEns8lqbi78In2QO0Qxbi8Uf0nKaTgNFyASCi08eVGFlhP8OnmKV7PmgcvsTTUgtJMex_S_3I_oBm_EqKPDch_DkXSu8JpA/s320/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The "out of town guests" team Salomon left to right Emelie Forsberg, Kilian Jornet, me & Ricky Gates</i></div>
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What's all this hype you might ask? Well, first there was the premiere of the <a href="http://www.3022ft.com/welcome/">3022 movie</a>, the documentary that followed last year's race. The premiere was two back to back shows at the Beartooth, complete with athlete panel and embarrassing ice breaker games & schwag. The movie (compliments to Max Romey and Natalie Fedak) was given 4 stars by the local paper and consequently, three more sold out shows were added. <i>And.... </i>then three more, towards the end of the month.... ! (Wow!) If you want to check out the website do so <a href="http://www.3022ft.com/welcome/">HERE</a> but I'll warn you, it's not available online due to future film festival plans :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhyphenhyphenZb8-Gw9I_9P2M1zGtlXn2kHc26-WPEsDBNb7WK-nOgfmfOPUJDioLOiXI-BQkiN8pYlQyABiWpeGroY_dK8MNTMgbDmEudh-BeeOXx9HT2Rg1B1o-dTIbl2APGhDRWk-RLmNmU6A/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhyphenhyphenZb8-Gw9I_9P2M1zGtlXn2kHc26-WPEsDBNb7WK-nOgfmfOPUJDioLOiXI-BQkiN8pYlQyABiWpeGroY_dK8MNTMgbDmEudh-BeeOXx9HT2Rg1B1o-dTIbl2APGhDRWk-RLmNmU6A/s320/IMG_2844.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPu1Mk3BfYOuIYpMwHkNLOxGsLhRUdsj54mztHuBYoEu1M-H9ydscXmYLLcu7k6y4WV5vVnAdFgBvbOzwt74yh43CGi_XkcR1z0avmVoag8b1CkwsR0h3LpQt-T8I1aAB_IsesXrr9w/s1600/IMG_2879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPu1Mk3BfYOuIYpMwHkNLOxGsLhRUdsj54mztHuBYoEu1M-H9ydscXmYLLcu7k6y4WV5vVnAdFgBvbOzwt74yh43CGi_XkcR1z0avmVoag8b1CkwsR0h3LpQt-T8I1aAB_IsesXrr9w/s320/IMG_2879.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>With Jeebs at the Premiere</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL63vxoB2KvY-TGnqkdD1UxS3GipMMK23SakRHk4eWUKRcq41kagHQrAQk-asEAun0CnehwuIwNtIBVEcyjBnATNEgQP1fLn3OfyAIbClIoEakydsOEwuMKZUQySS2ewu9ichx2JhTEw/s1600/3022+four+stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL63vxoB2KvY-TGnqkdD1UxS3GipMMK23SakRHk4eWUKRcq41kagHQrAQk-asEAun0CnehwuIwNtIBVEcyjBnATNEgQP1fLn3OfyAIbClIoEakydsOEwuMKZUQySS2ewu9ichx2JhTEw/s320/3022+four+stars.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>3022 got more stars than Avengers: Age of Ultron or Cinderella?!?!?! </i></div>
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While I cringed at the close ups of my bad bangs (sorry but bad hair is relevant <i>and</i> embarressing) Max and Natalie did a fantastic job explaining the lore of the mountain and told the story of the racers. Also, for a race that is extremely hard to spectate, the cinematography was awesome and you really get a feel for all 3022 feet of the course.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNywadV8kkXgKQVZIRfhZ-OZJ5HicI-4xnpbRnHlS9IPwxa_EbnZpEESXM0uZMejwPjdfNLxIuM0Th-6wB_A14yV8oaNth_T93ECDaxQSlfcbVcJoQ7pPcwtAzS1OkHnBvr6Jr4-Z-yg/s1600/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNywadV8kkXgKQVZIRfhZ-OZJ5HicI-4xnpbRnHlS9IPwxa_EbnZpEESXM0uZMejwPjdfNLxIuM0Th-6wB_A14yV8oaNth_T93ECDaxQSlfcbVcJoQ7pPcwtAzS1OkHnBvr6Jr4-Z-yg/s320/FullSizeRender_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Monday night's Q&A compliments of Salomon and Skinny Raven</i></div>
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3022 on Alaska Public Radio: </div>
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<a href="http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/06/19/running-alaskas-mount-marathon-race/">http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/06/19/running-alaskas-mount-marathon-race/</a></div>
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<i>Max in the studio.... </i></div>
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The latest KTVA story on Eric Strabel and Denali Foldager - not Strabel (!) "Love Story" </div>
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<a href="http://www.ktva.com/a-mount-marathon-love-story-765/">http://www.ktva.com/a-mount-marathon-love-story-765/</a></div>
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<i>The wedding cake - complete with a piece of Mt. Marathon on top - whatever happened to the bride and groom? </i></div>
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Today's ADN article about the lottery process to get into Mt. Marathon: </div>
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<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20150630/mount-marathon-lottery-elation-and-agony">http://www.adn.com/article/20150630/mount-marathon-lottery-elation-and-agony</a></div>
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ADN preview of the women's race: </div>
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<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20150701/star-studded-field-challenge-mount-marathon-womens-title">http://www.adn.com/article/20150701/star-studded-field-challenge-mount-marathon-womens-title</a></div>
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Watch for our segment on KTVA's show, Frontier showing Sunday morning and replaying Sunday evening.... </div>
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<i>Me and Clint (and let it be known that I'm a proud graduation of the "McCool School!")</i></div>
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By now you probably get the point. One could literally waste hours upon hours reading all this stuff, making predictions about the race, etc, etc. There are certainly worse ways to spend time :) There is a reason Mt. Marathon is the "Olympics or Super Bowl of Alaska." I just love the fact that a mountain running race, of all things in the biggest sporting event in AK aside from the Iditarod! </div>
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True to my theme of "branching out" Rob and I are taking off on a 2-day packraft trip early tomorrow morning. The river, Clear Creek, has been on our to-do list for at least five years and tomorrow we're doing it! It's literally been years since I've been in my boat so I hope I remember how to do it! Rob got me a new skirt for my birthday this past April so I'm excited to put that to use. (Spray skirt that is!)</div>
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On Saturday I hope to be all over that mountain cheering at the top of my lungs, finding another use for Olympic clothing (hello patriotic red, white and blue) and handing out water. It's going to be a different year but I look forward to watching others put it all on the line. </div>
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In other brief non-Mount Marathon news we celebrated our official "cabin warming" in Hope on Solstice. This project has been "Rob's Olympics" the past five years and he did an amazing job! We still live in an 800 square foot shack in Anchorage but Hope sure turned out nice! </div>
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<i>Solstice crowns & bunny ears! </i></div>
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<i>The backside of the "Hope Hamptons" compliments of Matt Waliszek's camera....</i> </div>
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Cheers to an exciting, SAFE race for everyone who has the honor of taking the 3022 challenge. And to the rest of you, Happy Fourth of July, however you may choose to celebrate it. </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-87554352008670042912015-06-08T12:02:00.000-07:002015-06-08T12:02:24.851-07:0011 Marathons is enough for me... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As some of you know this past winter I traveled the world competing in ski marathons. Over the course of 5 months I competed in 11 ski marathons sprinkled throughout 10 countries. My final race took me all the way to Siberia and the season went three weeks longer than usual. Needless to say, I was tired - I am tired and consequently there will be no Mount Marathon 2015 in my future. </div>
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<i>Here I am post finish line last year.... not my best look... </i></div>
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Believe me, I am disappointed. It's bound to be a flag-ship, exciting year with Internationally ranked "celebrity" competition (Emelie Forsberg & Killian Jornet) plus the move of Allie Ostrander to the senior race. Course records seem to be falling right and left this year and I wouldn't be surprised to see some blazing times in Seward with the depth of competition in both the men's and women's races. </div>
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Over the years I've harnessed a very personal, palpable relationship with Mount Marathon. I credit the race and my 2009 trip to the ER with my move towards becoming a professional athlete. For the past seven summers it's been the poignant date in the summer months. Somehow there is "pre-Mount Marathon" and "post-Mount Marathon" each year. In the past few years the race has resulted in the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/last-man">disappearance of Michael LeMaitre</a>, traumatic brain injuries, cuts, scraps and bruises. And - for some reason, people still fight for the opportunity to hurl themselves 3022 feet up & down the mountain. For these reasons, I suppose it makes sense Mount Marathon holds the nick-name, "the Olympics of Alaska." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSAC2CtQN0yeDJ-t09DeE9II6GNfhSJqOzxC3syp95E8vMySlq9zsn5sOqa5CVHWQ75MuHlROYriWGKNtD06l_MXI8Gq40kbAbSLC_RaOGMVg9XcvvSP5BGySOPvqqJsj6WIkqaJ8eg/s1600/IMG_1947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSAC2CtQN0yeDJ-t09DeE9II6GNfhSJqOzxC3syp95E8vMySlq9zsn5sOqa5CVHWQ75MuHlROYriWGKNtD06l_MXI8Gq40kbAbSLC_RaOGMVg9XcvvSP5BGySOPvqqJsj6WIkqaJ8eg/s400/IMG_1947.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>2009 where it took nearly an hour to start in IV... </i></div>
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<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/07/2014-mount-marathon-race-report.html">2014 Race Report </a></div>
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2013 - No race (pre-Sochi Olympics)</div>
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<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2012/07/so-many-wonderful-things.html">2012 Race Mention</a></div>
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<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2011/07/july-in-pictures-fish-fun-north.html">2011 Race Mention + lots of Salmon pictures</a> </div>
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<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2010/07/july-in-review-plus-tons-of-pictures.html">And, 2010</a></div>
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I don't feel like I need to make excuses for my absence but I realize that it's easier to offer a full explanation behind my decision. I know the effort that is required for me to be safe and competitive in this race..... One needs to be seething with motivation, and your/my killer instinct needs to be sharp and ready to go. I've been in that zone in the past and I just don't have the energy (physical, emotional, mental) for it this year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z5pd0f5U60lf3t2aOMEhYcPfPcJWq8PXbi2EgvTUSTNj5JRk8rn9cev7xHX7BQGLONxxgvsNAnnUSMz1EL0wihdxE26QZaXeJD9JBivtgg6e1QUijRWWCQNJzSx4xmh9r8wEI4ooNw/s1600/DSC_0690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z5pd0f5U60lf3t2aOMEhYcPfPcJWq8PXbi2EgvTUSTNj5JRk8rn9cev7xHX7BQGLONxxgvsNAnnUSMz1EL0wihdxE26QZaXeJD9JBivtgg6e1QUijRWWCQNJzSx4xmh9r8wEI4ooNw/s320/DSC_0690.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Post race ice cream bars, 2011</i></div>
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So, good luck to everyone that plans and hopes to race this year!!! I'll miss it dearly but I know it's the right call for me. In the meantime, if you have the Mount Marathon fever or are alternatively curious to learn more about the race and/or get an inside peak into the minds of race competitors don't miss the premiere of <i>3022ft Everyone's got mountains to climb</i> - a full length documentary made about last year's race at the Beartooth! There will be two showings June 24th complete with schwag and an athlete panel. </div>
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Ciao! </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-66644938388071124262015-06-03T19:19:00.001-07:002015-06-03T19:19:57.869-07:00Spring powder, peaks, family & friends.... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, the hiatus, procrastination and silence is over! Perhaps you've noticed a trend in my blog...... when things go well, I generally post more often. When things don't go well there is often a period of silence. I've tried to break this habit as there is always something to say, even if it's a simple lesson learned but easier said that done. </div>
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My last FIS Marathon Cup race in Russia was over a month and a half ago and needless to say, it did not go well. In fact, I don't think I've ever been that tired in a race and/or skied so poorly. The two weeks leading up to the race I wasn't physically sick but could barely get out of bed. Maybe it was a low-level virus that took its toll or maybe it was just the 5-month accumulation of international travel, living out of a duffel bag, and racing too many 50ks! All said and done I raced 18 races, 11 of which were marathons in 10 different countries. In hindsight the racing, combined with the travel was too much but live and learn, right? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQLmnNq9gskJDpl6T3scW5Iaxa6LYBaBJ6RAnO0Pwc1nfMpZFwO0gQL0J9CtCvCf2V6KgrHLfY7n1Vg1iQzuP5sx3JF1RZa69FVoKo3R-jydHNVV9HyfEbGVUHHW16hckamcO1N4p9Q/s1600/3rd+Place+FIS+overall+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQLmnNq9gskJDpl6T3scW5Iaxa6LYBaBJ6RAnO0Pwc1nfMpZFwO0gQL0J9CtCvCf2V6KgrHLfY7n1Vg1iQzuP5sx3JF1RZa69FVoKo3R-jydHNVV9HyfEbGVUHHW16hckamcO1N4p9Q/s320/3rd+Place+FIS+overall+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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3rd place in the FIS Marathon Cup </div>
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So far my spring (and early summer now) have been dedicated to recovery and spending some time doing things that I've put on the back burner for a while now. The past five years have been a big push towards my competition goals and they have required a lot of dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don't worry - they haven't been without fun too! But, I've done some fun trips this spring, just returned from an extended trip down to Washington to see my family, and am now enjoying setting up my routine here at home. </div>
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Here are a few pictures for a quick update: </div>
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Birthday presents: roses and personalized license plate decals </div>
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In lieu of Hawaii or a tropical beach I opted to stay in Alaska for my spring vacation. </div>
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Luckily the weather was on our side and so where the conditions </div>
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We had an awesome group which included Katie & Justin Libby & Zoe Roy</div>
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The accoms weren't too shabby either! </div>
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My Salomon Q115 where the perfect ski for the killer conditions! </div>
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Rob soaking up the last rays of sunshine and powder before being picked up by Talkeetna Air Taxi! </div>
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School visits - this time Teeland Middle School in Wasilla </div>
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Perfect Spring Alaskan Days </div>
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Preschool graduation? Caps and gowns? What is the world coming too? </div>
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Talking about my marathon season on KTVA's Daybreak </div>
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The boys! </div>
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Beach bike ride on Fat Tires - why not? </div>
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Keynote at the Girl Scouts Young Women of Distinction Luncheon</div>
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A successful climb up Tikishla</div>
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High school graduation parties! </div>
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Alaska with friends</div>
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More of Alaska with friends </div>
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Floral explosion in Seattle </div>
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A dedication of a new stone wall and structure at my Dad's garden in Seattle, Kubota Gardens </div>
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Family hiking trip in the North Cascades. Four days of rain but it was gorgeous and we made it to the top of Castle Peak which is my dad's 99th peak in his quest to climb the top 100 peak in Washington! (w/400 feet of prominence. He's already completed the top 100 "Bulgar List.")</div>
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Rob & his sister, Heather. Their first outdoor trip together in 13 years!?</div>
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Dad pointing at the top of Castle.... this is the only good look we had the whole time. Otherwise it was foggy with nearly zero viz... </div>
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Then we went to Shaw Island to help my brother on his next "tiny house." He's helped us in Hope and it was our turn to return the favor in the form of roofing, wiring, and insulating. </div>
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Two fire fighters on Shaw Island: Scott shows Rob some of the Shaw Island volunteer fire fighter regalia. Scott keeps a pretty fun blog which you can check out <a href="http://scottsnextadventure.blogspot.no/">HERE</a> if at all interested. </div>
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And more recently a new set of wheels compliments of Kendall Toyota of Anchorage. I upgraded to heated seats which I used today - June 2nd! :( </div>
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That's it for now. Hopefully I'll get back to writing about something with substance rather than just posting pictures.... but no one ever complains about pictures. </div>
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What's on tap for the summer you might ask? School! I'm taking 2.5 graduate classes towards my Masters in Counseling Psychology. I have one course remaining this fall + internship (which is a substantial 600 hours!) then graduation. More on this later. </div>
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This past winter was a true test of endurance in many ways: physically, emotionally, mentally & logistically. I know I'm brushing over the synopsis here but perhaps I'll feel more inclined to write about it in detail later. Thanks so much for the cheers, support, and words of encouragement.</div>
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Until then, enjoy your June, wherever you may be. </div>
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Ciao! </div>
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Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-75209629720723833912015-04-10T06:32:00.001-07:002015-04-10T06:32:33.056-07:00Khanty in photos... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I made it to Khanty! </div>
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... and there is an important race tomorrow but it might resemble Alyeska's slush cup a bit... </div>
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It's called the "Ugra Ski Marathon"</div>
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And it's not really freezing at night....... It could be a shin-deep slush 50k suffer fest out there tomorrow. Unfortunately there is no salt in sight. </div>
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On the way here you could buy Putin Paraphernalia in a vending machine if you wish.... </div>
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After 18 hours of travel! Yikes! </div>
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That's for me! </div>
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Russian biathlete ladies, complete with gun iphone case.... </div>
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Kilometer 20 earlier in the week, before the rain started</div>
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Building a stadium in the middle of..... ???</div>
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More building </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMox3l55nGe1CAp4DZiryGISFNisNWvodL_esQ1sDvJPKQBBwdUTwF9baZRmwR35IiBINfC2KwnpC2sYTsvMlQTVYD3ciTZ9E6YfW73YZ_EkkeblbHZIZDErgDTwftfYyCzK2oIdHpg/s1600/IMG_1367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMox3l55nGe1CAp4DZiryGISFNisNWvodL_esQ1sDvJPKQBBwdUTwF9baZRmwR35IiBINfC2KwnpC2sYTsvMlQTVYD3ciTZ9E6YfW73YZ_EkkeblbHZIZDErgDTwftfYyCzK2oIdHpg/s1600/IMG_1367.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Lots of high level Russians will be in attendance including men's Sochi 50k Alexander Legov... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDEubiVVA6ojGiEUjPLG2NQcXWAkLB9rlAF3fekRfJDJxo8cd4T2ziqTSKZPOio3qv61B-9Ud0LPnTvwohJ8Hca_0wS3YDKqa1VRCeFPtr6ha6l-aMvmq5Dz3l33nSn9TIRuFAZ9tIw/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWDEubiVVA6ojGiEUjPLG2NQcXWAkLB9rlAF3fekRfJDJxo8cd4T2ziqTSKZPOio3qv61B-9Ud0LPnTvwohJ8Hca_0wS3YDKqa1VRCeFPtr6ha6l-aMvmq5Dz3l33nSn9TIRuFAZ9tIw/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The accoms.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmSghQHkLtq4Qnh6qHnlIfK-fFWF3MfUyGJQrr5_dpgca8qCUqIeQnP7EI-o6TWAu8gpHHGCI1EGfvDEE-50vbbvtFHaOZr99pPkz1pbr9TxunajKHMDSjy3yTs_QLsACtcJlSdHk2w/s1600/IMG_1372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmSghQHkLtq4Qnh6qHnlIfK-fFWF3MfUyGJQrr5_dpgca8qCUqIeQnP7EI-o6TWAu8gpHHGCI1EGfvDEE-50vbbvtFHaOZr99pPkz1pbr9TxunajKHMDSjy3yTs_QLsACtcJlSdHk2w/s1600/IMG_1372.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Borscht for lunch! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV0TwM8K1lkefhBAjiaDQn3k8-ic9VOsoEQ3P5qkFuTwNl92JJk6pBOktwCG0iI0szQmH9EpB5Oz159uWnQRFqbQzcaVdllVu1Wpj5EM4wGUgLx9T3APWypzUj5EKyRKf4EQqQAhdaQ/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV0TwM8K1lkefhBAjiaDQn3k8-ic9VOsoEQ3P5qkFuTwNl92JJk6pBOktwCG0iI0szQmH9EpB5Oz159uWnQRFqbQzcaVdllVu1Wpj5EM4wGUgLx9T3APWypzUj5EKyRKf4EQqQAhdaQ/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Boots with the fur </div>
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The first few days of the trip were pretty quiet. Luckily I made some new friends from the Mongolian Paralympic team! </div>
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With Batmunkh (pronounced "com-bolt") We trained together for the whole ski Thursday!</div>
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And then we had a gift exchange. I am bringing how the beautiful painting that I am holding and I traded some athlete cards and Alaska smoked salmon (not pictures but they DID receive it) </div>
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Two strong legs, one strong arm & a great spirit! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidifSfnXMe7Rif01T1l_ylcHriU9GZpWOTog6TsmnsxftzOd1AMIg-goT4o4EgvAQMeildtCxwTs-kUnSVwfa2vQTenuCy32Nq_3UnJDFP8fR4deo6U0-6tMUS3EiFJvk5SU31guV08A/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidifSfnXMe7Rif01T1l_ylcHriU9GZpWOTog6TsmnsxftzOd1AMIg-goT4o4EgvAQMeildtCxwTs-kUnSVwfa2vQTenuCy32Nq_3UnJDFP8fR4deo6U0-6tMUS3EiFJvk5SU31guV08A/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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New Carbons! (Thanks Salomon!)</div>
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It's quite barren and flat around these parts.... </div>
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And here is what we found in the city..... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHPRPT2f4oYqT54GyaAWia6FjBQfmT39LTbJVCMhvIweQMRYQZx-b7qBmcJZ1SE8NdWzqKu4btT0LlW9nuxoyXFGmp7d5gVVaEKGq2yijfEmhDdlSF_Q34CbGqKblNT5riWp0gCiO4w/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHPRPT2f4oYqT54GyaAWia6FjBQfmT39LTbJVCMhvIweQMRYQZx-b7qBmcJZ1SE8NdWzqKu4btT0LlW9nuxoyXFGmp7d5gVVaEKGq2yijfEmhDdlSF_Q34CbGqKblNT5riWp0gCiO4w/s1600/FullSizeRender_2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The Internets decent so I can't complain! </div>
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Apparently the race will be televised in Russia although I haven't been able to nail down any of the details. </div>
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Phones with translation apps come in handy for on the go communication! </div>
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When jogging, watch out for uncovered man-holes. Reminds me of somewhere else I've been (Sochi!)</div>
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Last ones a "fast" one? 50 k's to go and then three days of traveling home and I will be done! </div>
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Check back for a race report to see what happened..... </div>
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h</div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-11530579408017480392015-04-06T01:35:00.000-07:002015-04-06T02:13:38.186-07:00Raclette to Rhubarb Pie to Siberia.... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">It’s “travel Monday” and I’m enroute to the last ski race of the year. Here’s what's on tap for the day:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSg7QyR_PFtsEO_tigAKoT11cxV6qEdqBFDGGgOsY4k4wCkUIebTQfjdUsVN2kjeW6u_ETq2nq1xOgCTw_wIpZNWEkanxAshyphenhyphenPKFR4tpD0wNqc7qv54AcBafvpaqeMD-5cDCQNmTuHg/s1600/20150406_051756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSg7QyR_PFtsEO_tigAKoT11cxV6qEdqBFDGGgOsY4k4wCkUIebTQfjdUsVN2kjeW6u_ETq2nq1xOgCTw_wIpZNWEkanxAshyphenhyphenPKFR4tpD0wNqc7qv54AcBafvpaqeMD-5cDCQNmTuHg/s1600/20150406_051756.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
4:30am wake up </div>
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4:45am “hike” to the tram </div>
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Tram to the airport </div>
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Fly Zurich to Berlin </div>
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Fly Berlin to Moscow </div>
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Fly Moscow to Khanty-Mansiysk</div>
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Shuttle to hotel, arrive 1:45am, Tuesday.... I hope! </div>
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Last week I was in Chamonix, France. Sounds awesome, right?
I’m guessing it conjures up ideas and pictures of sunshine and powder skiing in
your mind. But… it wasn’t quite like that. Instead Chamonix was grey, rainy,
and had no snow for Nordic Skiing. Thus, I spent much of the week horizontal,
in bed resting up for my solo adventure to Siberia. I went on slow jogs, ate
Raclette with my host family, and wandered through French artisan shops filled
with stinky cheese, lumpy sausages, beautifully colored macaroons, and endless tourist
trinkets. The weather wasn’t even good enough to make the 55 Euro trip up the
Aiguille du Midi cable car for the famous view of the French Alps and Mount
Blanc so perhaps I’ll have to return someday for Chamonix to redeem itself. </div>
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Highlights of the week included:</div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->A morning at the Salomon factory in Annecy,
France where I picked up a new pair of “carbons for Khanty!” </div>
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<i>Alex (Charly) Haas, Malone, Me & Frise</i></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Getting to know <a href="http://anoukfaivrepicon.blogspot.de/">Anouk Faivre Picon</a> better. I met
Anouk a few years back on the World Cup. She’s on the French National team and
has always been friendly. For a
few years now she’s been offering a place to stay and I finally took her up on
it. Chamonix is actually not her home but rather her boyfriend, Mathias
Wibaults parents place. (This year Mathias has been racing FIS Marathon Cup,
just like me & will also be in Khanty). I am very grateful that Anouk and her family let me stay
with them as it was a really busy time. Anouk just finished her season and was
in the process of buying an apartment & new car, training to pass a test to
become an alpine ski instructor, and planning a surprise 30<sup>th</sup>
birthday party for Mathias. One night we shared pictures from our respective
lives and she showed me photos from all her tropical spring trips – after the
30<sup>th</sup> beach shot I had to ask her to stop <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> ….. that just sounds too good
right now!</div>
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<i>Anouk preparing Raclette</i></div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Spending time with Lionel Wibault. Interestingly
enough, Lionel was actually a technician for the US Ski Team Alpine team in the
1970’s! Lionel is also a 30-year
mountain guide for Chamonix Guiding Company and an accomplished painter. Lionel
empathized with my “road & travel fatigue” and his words of encouragement were just what I needed. </div>
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<i>Lionel in his studio. I love the fact that he has a relief map in his studio. A true mountain man at heart! </i></div>
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<i>The front door to the studio</i></div>
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<i> The lovely Wibault residence. Thank you so much to the entire family for their hospitality! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFoccXz-zrkwLdpaUrmVR_9KhQy_-zTvQHQTgNDF5IXQ5okaAyBVDFwkocXswbYWnb8E82ELkKZaTlAZOyI8-3N6IZlNOirPkyV6oxDQcdWuScp1aIfaxEhrdNRAyXXxVtPpgjHsFiw/s1600/2015-04-06+07.53.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFoccXz-zrkwLdpaUrmVR_9KhQy_-zTvQHQTgNDF5IXQ5okaAyBVDFwkocXswbYWnb8E82ELkKZaTlAZOyI8-3N6IZlNOirPkyV6oxDQcdWuScp1aIfaxEhrdNRAyXXxVtPpgjHsFiw/s1600/2015-04-06+07.53.38.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Lionel's painting of Mathias racing</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPpf7a8y9vULC1E8J1k1-SAaaG2aPVz004OYyh9wIJ67XNmkaJvFAYZJO3BtqKJwFrpN-w_ph-lNhl5f5SgfSiC1QIQBW281RDpg4Pwm3oKF52Vd3bE6K6eQWpqb9ul9OfeoPwPvJeQ/s1600/20150401_200059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPpf7a8y9vULC1E8J1k1-SAaaG2aPVz004OYyh9wIJ67XNmkaJvFAYZJO3BtqKJwFrpN-w_ph-lNhl5f5SgfSiC1QIQBW281RDpg4Pwm3oKF52Vd3bE6K6eQWpqb9ul9OfeoPwPvJeQ/s1600/20150401_200059.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<i>Lionel's books of his expeditions. Each line of each book (double sided) lists a trip that Lionel has either gone on or led. Talk about experience! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJGwRm8waDrf-RQKw4duVPhsDVuf32xo_mYo2-Pwbg9nY6eYdUCb6lTw_x8Is-rXyokmm_cdOTV84Q8yfkTsP9RiDs_pB2_F8n7Oy0-0amU0AjjorrbPcJ2kAz49lU8Tz3_4VXSnvLg/s1600/2015-04-06+07.55.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJGwRm8waDrf-RQKw4duVPhsDVuf32xo_mYo2-Pwbg9nY6eYdUCb6lTw_x8Is-rXyokmm_cdOTV84Q8yfkTsP9RiDs_pB2_F8n7Oy0-0amU0AjjorrbPcJ2kAz49lU8Tz3_4VXSnvLg/s1600/2015-04-06+07.55.09.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcxQSypaV199t-tXMSdJFSEJ3I55c5nUI97iRzKI0o5-3iffzRXRAUeGcJHFgj3ce0C95oZjGh2rUIjLvTySleHR1COmKlD2fSbRpZMmb0mnwkrpt-uwf0rNvH2VKYRkSpTD__Vpo-Q/s1600/2015-04-06+07.55.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcxQSypaV199t-tXMSdJFSEJ3I55c5nUI97iRzKI0o5-3iffzRXRAUeGcJHFgj3ce0C95oZjGh2rUIjLvTySleHR1COmKlD2fSbRpZMmb0mnwkrpt-uwf0rNvH2VKYRkSpTD__Vpo-Q/s1600/2015-04-06+07.55.35.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i>A rainbow of Macaroons</i></div>
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<i>Country hopping..... France to Switzerland</i></div>
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<i>Raclette with the family: Lionel, Hannalore & Anouk </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7afnRKxbnXZuaFldbDbOO0bqz-OtIYIkjndnLSBvfx4gDgJTPP_xGdNyWE22w9kgOtzKZ0d_ANU5D26oRhPX7IVWGnwS3fPY0fdg7t0YT-3Q2_0TWxj-1dLZErM58D5ue_gR1sXKeg/s1600/20150401_212243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7afnRKxbnXZuaFldbDbOO0bqz-OtIYIkjndnLSBvfx4gDgJTPP_xGdNyWE22w9kgOtzKZ0d_ANU5D26oRhPX7IVWGnwS3fPY0fdg7t0YT-3Q2_0TWxj-1dLZErM58D5ue_gR1sXKeg/s1600/20150401_212243.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> Hot Cheese. Per tradition it's then spread on potatoes, meat, and pickles. Ala French cuisine! </i></div>
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<i>Taking the train on Easter from Geneva to Zurich.... </i></div>
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Arriving at Chelsea's house (AKA storage locker!) just in time to help with Easter dinner. If I haven't said so before, Chelsea's help this winter has been crucial to the success of this endeavor. I literally and physically cannot carry all my belongings. So, this winter Chelsea's Zurich apartment has provided me with a "ground zero." Between every trip I return to her place to do laundry and re-pack. She lets me crash on her couch and always provides some high quality English conversation. Without her help this wouldn't be possible so - Thanks Chelsea! </div>
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<i>Empty wine bottle as a rolling pin - why not? </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqWF7wAFVQ30fEKajkLpShhNs0E-EjZekQYsrwQkURUz06I32VlgYeloMSRWJLw0lFJ2BGiwC861Q-1cfY-2ZRnDpfbDISyM_sVLjKou7fdraRSS-Ph-CS9opgMXyGQWrkoyFCFZ5KA/s1600/2015-04-06+05.45.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqWF7wAFVQ30fEKajkLpShhNs0E-EjZekQYsrwQkURUz06I32VlgYeloMSRWJLw0lFJ2BGiwC861Q-1cfY-2ZRnDpfbDISyM_sVLjKou7fdraRSS-Ph-CS9opgMXyGQWrkoyFCFZ5KA/s1600/2015-04-06+05.45.11.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i>Easter Rhubarb Pie</i></div>
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This is what I'm traveling so far to chase (the Overall FIS Marathon Crystal Globe in the center.) My race is this upcoming Saturday, April 11th. If you want to learn more about the Ugra Ski Marathon check out there website <a href="http://ugraloppet.ru/index.php/en/">HERE. </a> Assuming I have Internet in Khanty I'll post a mid-week report. </div>
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And - a Fasterskier article about going to Khanty: </div>
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<a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-season-rolls-on-headed-to-siberia-to-wrap-up-fis-marathon-cup/">http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-season-rolls-on-headed-to-siberia-to-wrap-up-fis-marathon-cup/</a></div>
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Last but certainly not least I am counting the days until I can see my boys! After four months on the road I'm really ready to go home. Hold on Rob & Buggz, I'm one step closer each day! </div>
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PS. If you're looking for a fun read check out my friend Gretchen Wieman's blog, "Gretchen Loves Anchorage." Here you can find a post of her recent Ted X talk that she gave in Anchorage titled, "Dream it. Do it." I was honored to be one of the many "dreamer-doers" that she interviewed for her talk. She found some good stuff :) </div>
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<a href="http://www.gretchenlovesanchorage.com/2015/03/29/dream-it-do-it/">http://www.gretchenlovesanchorage.com/2015/03/29/dream-it-do-it/</a></div>
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Wish me luck on my travels to Russia! </div>
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(with crossed fingers) </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-84198751710694537362015-04-01T10:27:00.002-07:002015-04-01T10:27:47.181-07:00Team Victories, Kilts & Stinky Cheese <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First of all, Happy Birthday yet again to my awesome husband Rob (March 30th) and a special thanks/shout out to my incredible sponsor, Salomon & Josh Korn for helping me get a pretty kick-butt birthday present for him. I hate missing special occasions while on the road but these skis certainly help soften the blow..... </div>
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We haven't seen each other since the American Birkie in February and while we've gone this long before, I'm pretty "home & husband sick!"</div>
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Following the Norwegian Birkebeiner I spent an awesome week with Anders Haugen (from Alaska) and his girlfriend, Christine. The week that I crashed on their couch was literally the week that Anders relocated to Trondheim, Norway and I'm so grateful & thankful that they let me stay. The three of us had a blast together and the joke was that we were a little family considering the fact that their apartment was tiny. We were in close, close quarters and had to get used to it quite quickly! Every night I would turn the couch into a bed with sheets and every morning, we would convert it back to the group living space. It's funny how Europeans have different standards for living and space - everything is functional over here and it works. It made my desire for a bigger house seem a little bit frivolous in my head but hey, part of that is cultural right? </div>
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The skiing in Trondheim was pretty minimal but I'm happy that we got out for a couple of quick skis. Anders (who also used to race for APU!) skied with me and it was fun to have a training partner! I was nervous as I only had my best race skis and the coverage was super minimal. Somehow I made it through the week without any huge assaults to my skis. </div>
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Time spent in Scandinavia isn't complete without a trip to IKEA! While I saw stuff I wanted, I didn't dare buy anything as I don't have ANY space to carry anything. Alaska has no IKEA and they don't ship to AK either so Alaskans are usually starved for affordable furnishings. I did take a free catalog for ideas though. </div>
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This was my frist trip to Trondheim and I'm really glad I got to see a bit of the city. As a World Cup racer I've been to Olso and Lillehammer quite a few times but it's fun to break the mold and see a new place - and better yet, with local guides! </div>
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This night we went to a beach bonfire to celebrate Max Olex's birthday. </div>
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The next day Anders and I returned from skiing in the Trondheim World Cup stadium and Christine had made waffle batter because, DUH, it was "National Waffle Day." I had a waffle with brown cheese and jam (my fav) and one with jam and sour cream/cream fresh which is also very traditional. Also, did you know that many Norwegians eat tacos every Friday night? That explains the "taco kits" that are plastered all over every grocery store.</div>
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And.... I continue to do school work while on the road. This time I was doing a case study for my abnormal psychology class. Lugging around the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders) has been a bit of chore as it's a huge book but I'm happy to say that I'm chipping away at grad school.... </div>
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We went out to Thai food ..... </div>
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And Anna Barnwell of Alaska joined us! So fun to have a small group of Alaskans living in Trondheim. Thanks for treating me to dinner Anna! </div>
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"The Family!" </div>
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Next stop, Valadalen Sweden for the Arefjellsloppet & Swix Ski Classic final with Team Santander. We came into the race weekend with a measly 61 point lead over Team United Bakeries and there was a lot at stake in the race. The course which was originally planned to be 75 kilometers point to point was changed due to low snow. It snowed hard two days and the day before the race which essentially made the race possible. </div>
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Valadalen Reception and dining hall. We were spread out in little "stugas" or cabins throughout the property. Needless to say, it was "cozy." </div>
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A traditional Scandinavian fire with hot coffee and tea...</div>
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Santander Team Leader, Nils Marius getting pumped for the 30k citizen race the day before.... </div>
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With Johan Olson, the Swedish World Champion & the newest member of team Santander AND NNF!!!</div>
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Tord Asle AKA "Aviator Man" had an awesome race and finished the day in second overall, scoring valuable points for the team. </div>
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If you want to watch the race check out the <a href="http://www.swixskiclassics.com/livecenter/live-center-event-9-2015">LIVE CENTER HERE</a>. It's pretty sweet that Swix Ski Classics is able to have each race, in entirely LIVE online and on TV in much of Scandinavia! You don't even have to visit an illegal site like you do for LIVE World Cup - BONUS! </div>
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I did not have such a good race, in fact, I dropped out of maybe only my second race ever. I started the 47k classic with the field of elite girls and low energy right off the bat. I had been exhausted in Trondheim the week before so perhaps the signs were all over the wall but..... I decided to drop and save my energy for Russia, the race where my points would really, really count. Normally I would be torn up about a DNF but in all actuality, I'm proud of myself for making a smart, calculated decision. In the past I've gone so far as to check myself out of the ER to finish a race and in reality, being that stubborn isn't always the right answer. I skied about 10k of the course and then skied up to Nils Marius to get drink bottles to help out the team. </div>
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While I didn't have a banner day personally, the team DID! We eeked out the victory over United Bakeries by TWENTY SIX POINTS. When the team scores 3556 points in a season 26 is NOTHING. It came down to the last placing, the last sprint.... it was crazy. I'm trying to think of the North American equivalent in sport - maybe making one last free throw in the last. .25 seconds of an NBA final? Needless to say it was crazy, crazy awesome and I'm so happy that our team came out ahead on the right side of that tiny margin! The picture above is the team at the venue after we confirmed the victory. The picture below is our team after going up on the stage to receive the top team of the year award.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG-tUvgKc9QC6uSuvd6nK4m5bZw0COSRw2N1g0b72S4twLLmDqIqVBTgMkMfBoHtLqKjJvqMOrKOmlgEJ8_IZ0teFBHWlRXkugW2khwAtxRFUu75eZaOygGSsR6nP8xdboWCTJBij7w/s1600/Santander+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG-tUvgKc9QC6uSuvd6nK4m5bZw0COSRw2N1g0b72S4twLLmDqIqVBTgMkMfBoHtLqKjJvqMOrKOmlgEJ8_IZ0teFBHWlRXkugW2khwAtxRFUu75eZaOygGSsR6nP8xdboWCTJBij7w/s1600/Santander+2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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And yes, I know that I'm holding up a dorky #1 finger in both of the pictures. I was just so psyched!</div>
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The final Swix Ski Classics banquet is a formal affair and many people wear black dresses, coats, and ties. Every year Santander wears something fun and festive. This year it was matching kilts - a tribute to Team and Nils Marius's year spent "studying" abroad in Scotland. I felt a bit like Brittney Spears circa 1996 (Opps I did it again!) but it was really fun and I think in mass, we were a hit!</div>
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No party is complete without speeches and toasts from the hotel bed! Here is Team Chief Magnar Dalen delivering some words from the pulpit!</div>
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During the banquet they called up "Swix Ski Classics Legends" which were people who had won over 5 SSC races. Lots of kilts up there including Anders Auckland leading the charge with 12 victories. Jorgen and Jerry Arhlin where representing as well! Needless to say it was an awesome night and fun to spend it with lots of new friends. The only regret is that we didn't have a set of bagpipes for Magnar because that really would have established our look! </div>
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Afterwards we drove from Are to Trondheim, and then flew "home" to Oslo. Being a Norwegian team many of my teammates were home but my adventure, of course, continues..... That night I met up with Knut-Eric Joslin, a former Dartmouth skier working on his PhD in Economics in Oslo. He hosted me for the night and let me crash on <i>his</i> couch. (Thanks Knut-Eric!) The next morning I got up and booked it straight to the Russian VISA center in Oslo to pick up my passport and Russian VISA. I'm SO SO happy to say that it came through, finally. In all I most definitely sent over 150 emails, made countless phone calls and even shed a few tears to get it. The directions are confusing as all heck (!) and getting a VISA outside of your own country when you cannot give up your passport for weeks at a time because you need it can be difficult. I owe a huge thank you to Andrey Kascha, Alexei Sotskov, and Yacopo Cararra for helping me obtain it. Thanks guys! </div>
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Thanks goodness! </div>
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Where in the world am I now? Good question. After a crazy Monday travel day which included 2 buses, 2 airplanes, 1 train, 1 tram, and 1 shuttle bus I'm Chamonix, France with my friend Anouk from the French National Team. Anouk has been awesome offering me a place to stay for years and I'm finally taking her up on it. </div>
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It's a funny time of year though because she's done with her season and essentially home so she has tons of business to take care of while I'm still living out of my roller bag and trying to prepare for one last 50k. Yesterday we made a small attempt at going Alpine skiing. It's warm here and raining in Chamonix. Of course this meant snow at higher altitudes but the avalanche conditions are horribly dangerous right now. Ironically we skied a super short run on one chair lift (after taking a gondola) in freezing rain yesterday. We didn't last long and I'm left with the impression that I have to return to Chamonix when a) I have more energy and b) during better conditions. </div>
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Otherwise, I'm sleeping as much as possible, strolling through stinky cheese shops, and trying to get some school work done and catch up on email. Next stop, SIBERIA! Happy Early Easter to all of you and check back soon. The Marathon of Marathons is almost over :) </div>
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Sausages, cheeses and wines through a store front window. </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-74276893580772735502015-03-23T07:07:00.001-07:002015-03-23T07:07:09.470-07:00Birken backpacks & Cooking dinner for Norway's (potential) next Prime Minister!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Another week has passed in my "marathon of marathons." The Norwegian Birkie, called "Birken" is the 9th long distance ski race I've competed in this winter. As an ambassador and huge fan of the American Birkie I was extremely curious to see what the Norwegian Birken was like and how it compared. It's safe to say that they are two completely different races for a host of reasons and both are completely awesome. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj837jqRBcqR04gA29XoloBBJgSyeNAYqg2erGUWceYsHSlbSKlzE1sDaojtmCuEAC5Y2DAt_qZLa0UZMTmHNopSUQmzoddpmqED24VsJXwykL7itr7rgWzpJb4FjlPPIZE5kq9m0CS8w/s1600/Girls+with+backpacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj837jqRBcqR04gA29XoloBBJgSyeNAYqg2erGUWceYsHSlbSKlzE1sDaojtmCuEAC5Y2DAt_qZLa0UZMTmHNopSUQmzoddpmqED24VsJXwykL7itr7rgWzpJb4FjlPPIZE5kq9m0CS8w/s1600/Girls+with+backpacks.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fun to be on a team with girls from 3 different countries! <a href="http://www.kerttuniskanen.fi/">Kerttu Niskanen</a>, Me & Laila Kveli pre- Birken modeling our perfectly weighed 3.5k backpacks! </div>
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The Stange Family! Erik, Emily, Henrik & Greta :)</div>
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A huge thank you to the Stange family for hosting me in Lillehammer for the week. (And thanks to Ben Popp, ED of the American Birkie for connecting us!) Erik is a former high-level ski racer and we have lots of mutual friends. I had a blast with him and his family. They fed me, gave me rides, loaned trail maps, and were awesome company. They had great Internet, a queen sized bed (!) laundry, and a wax bench so I was in heaven. </div>
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Thanks to Andrew Young of Great Britain for providing some rides to training. If you look closely you can see that the steering wheel is on the right side instead of the left side of their van.</div>
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After a long stint of traveling and racing alone it was fun to rejoin Team Santander for the Norwegian Birkie. I didn't have to worry about waxing, accommodations or transportation which was a huge relief. Many of these marathons (especially the point to point ones over mountain ranges) are logistically difficult and having a team to help was awesome! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxVDQZQEHNvfjNz-tmZvluTpZloNSYgwSW5dgZ-UZWuGFmc4h6FNGMtSQc8H22BNSyvbRa_mNg66Ao6rR-V9GneJmjrDfaGRD6kMvfyyskoTLQdw-tByHDargeYkJq6QTj9ExR49WIw/s1600/20150319_181526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxVDQZQEHNvfjNz-tmZvluTpZloNSYgwSW5dgZ-UZWuGFmc4h6FNGMtSQc8H22BNSyvbRa_mNg66Ao6rR-V9GneJmjrDfaGRD6kMvfyyskoTLQdw-tByHDargeYkJq6QTj9ExR49WIw/s1600/20150319_181526.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plus, I had a new teammate and roommate for the two nights we slept in Rena (the small town where the Birken starts!) Kerttu was coming off an impressive 4th place in the 30k Classic at World Championships in Falun so it was great having her on our team!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTbxq0Jv086yYCiU86t6KkvtwGlLouPcO559lH5lWVWeJe4C5mzU_sfppaPqRz1_nekXl5vMpQcJpJ5Lu31jHxNP0FDN6U-rXVRzHT8joxzArL_bTYw5cCxzKlKyaEOw_MvljA7vL4w/s1600/20150320_210458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTbxq0Jv086yYCiU86t6KkvtwGlLouPcO559lH5lWVWeJe4C5mzU_sfppaPqRz1_nekXl5vMpQcJpJ5Lu31jHxNP0FDN6U-rXVRzHT8joxzArL_bTYw5cCxzKlKyaEOw_MvljA7vL4w/s1600/20150320_210458.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Kerttu weighing her pack after loading it with the necessary "survival gear" and rocks for added weight. 3.5 kilos is a lot more than you might think! </div>
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Backpacks, rocks... </div>
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The finish line scale was out all week.... maybe as a scare tactic? As such, all the skiers in our house were obsessing over getting just the right weight, not too little, and not too much. If you're found without some of the necessary gear or your pack is too light you face disqualification! </div>
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Team bread delivery from Baker Hansen! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZNEpG1KKq7syn9xPafSEGjUKbVlM_kZjT8pjDduOLRmtz1cHiAmD9B_NPEajak5B2byIjkM79fxZ1uHjgPyD98rJUNFNl2s_HDRPHRCBMB7p4g68ZkGumDkmR-RGFW3PcUqopyRsjg/s1600/20150320_120322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZNEpG1KKq7syn9xPafSEGjUKbVlM_kZjT8pjDduOLRmtz1cHiAmD9B_NPEajak5B2byIjkM79fxZ1uHjgPyD98rJUNFNl2s_HDRPHRCBMB7p4g68ZkGumDkmR-RGFW3PcUqopyRsjg/s1600/20150320_120322.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Jorgen Auckland: Bread for breakfast, bread for lunch. There is no gluten intolerance on THIS Norwegian Team! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3-ujwM-npuP23wXpckQXKELIYyguRMcwPdCAqoD2zyvLzYn7Dt3nlkoi1IjmJ_sHJvsjdlse1QMVbYCqj1y2plf92LKVS9_KrB20PmMXLuXwMIFd9r52VgwLmLvaqemLGwmaWhtQuA/s1600/20150320_172222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3-ujwM-npuP23wXpckQXKELIYyguRMcwPdCAqoD2zyvLzYn7Dt3nlkoi1IjmJ_sHJvsjdlse1QMVbYCqj1y2plf92LKVS9_KrB20PmMXLuXwMIFd9r52VgwLmLvaqemLGwmaWhtQuA/s1600/20150320_172222.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Birken weather report</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQJZYKWY70z3KwKJQub4Qow4Y_JuFWLhSsqCfO2gRZ9huErLSmobQcp_0QqohjR13nC2CheiLhYi2_b0L2uW8XOGkbe1NfVdsRnxleOgHCi0U3HDAJX4f0ejxQH62t3uHEtmWOKCqhg/s1600/20150320_174858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQJZYKWY70z3KwKJQub4Qow4Y_JuFWLhSsqCfO2gRZ9huErLSmobQcp_0QqohjR13nC2CheiLhYi2_b0L2uW8XOGkbe1NfVdsRnxleOgHCi0U3HDAJX4f0ejxQH62t3uHEtmWOKCqhg/s1600/20150320_174858.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Race bib modifications and dinner preparation occur simultaneously. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKK84crfWF2QX7lZiAUaVY1Hu-eshBBN2q_3GXg7cobT1dwUSEr8p1ke9nToe1OyB0HRT2WDcOCq1ZaosfT8OHgaJXPVWPiU9Sl6AAiEA5dPjLx9bVvKCSxx8LK2PojZf2u7v6ofwWg/s1600/20150320_181927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKK84crfWF2QX7lZiAUaVY1Hu-eshBBN2q_3GXg7cobT1dwUSEr8p1ke9nToe1OyB0HRT2WDcOCq1ZaosfT8OHgaJXPVWPiU9Sl6AAiEA5dPjLx9bVvKCSxx8LK2PojZf2u7v6ofwWg/s1600/20150320_181927.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rena is a small town and as such, it's hard to accommodate the thousands upon thousands of people that come to participate and help out with the race. Thus, many ended up boarding buses at 4am in Lillehammer to ride to the race start in Rena. Many of the pro team opt to stay in Rena and for us, that meant renting a private house for the weekend. The family moved out, and we moved in. </div>
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While I heard of other teams bringing along cooks our team didn't have such a thing. In fact, that cook turned out to be ME! I enjoy cooking and am not intimidated cooking for large groups of people (thanks to years as a coach and perhaps training camps on Eagle Glacier where we take turns cooking for the entire camp!) It didn't set in until later that not only was I (along with help) cooking for the team but the guest list which included Norwegian TV, the CEO of Hewlett Packard, and Jonas Gahr Store, the leader of the Norwegian Labor Party and arguably the next Prime Minister of NORWAY! All of these aforementioned people spent the night at our team house AND raced the next day. Standard protocol in Norway. (Can you imagine Barack Obama and Bill Gates racing the American Birkie??!!) Yes, slightly different I know but I had to draw a comparison!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTkRm3McNcbXW29pTzIIaNg_c-DmzUv6WZz2tQoEeNVotTCU7tGw1FG4M9qlkmHA3s3N3B5bogJfhEYU3VGLAPhgMVgfqFMugaWmQ8cFq_Q9T6irrhBW-ok3431kwYUIMj-JWNa_YTA/s1600/20150320_201454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTkRm3McNcbXW29pTzIIaNg_c-DmzUv6WZz2tQoEeNVotTCU7tGw1FG4M9qlkmHA3s3N3B5bogJfhEYU3VGLAPhgMVgfqFMugaWmQ8cFq_Q9T6irrhBW-ok3431kwYUIMj-JWNa_YTA/s1600/20150320_201454.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Naturally I had to get a selfie with <span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Gahr_St%C3%B8re">Jonas Gahr Store</a> </span></div>
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The day before the race was heinous with overcast conditions and temperatures around 32 degrees making waxing really difficult. We trained in late morning and attempted to ski the first 10k of the race following a couple thousand skiers who did the "open track" or more informal "race" the day before the real deal. </div>
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However, the following day, race day was AWESOME. Oh, it should be mentioned that last year's race was cancelled due to high winds across the mountains so this year we were lucky with sunshine <i>and</i> low wind conditions! </div>
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Johaug, skiing by herself on a perfect Birken Day.... <i>Photo, Swix Ski Classics</i></div>
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<i>For more race photos check out the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.939455952760987.1073741880.157394414300482&type=1">Ski Classics Facebook page HERE</a></i></div>
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Although it's better, I'm still struggling with elbow tendinitis spurred on my racing the Marcialonga with a "blank ski" AKA, no wax. The double poling on hard, artificial snow wreaked havoc on my arms. While it's a lot better than a month ago, I haven't been able to train classic as much as I'd like and consequently, my confidence for classic racing isn't quite there. I was happy that the Birken featured tons of climbing and opted for lots of kick wax on my skis. Unfortunately that also meant they were slow on the flats but so was I. However, I met my goals for the race which were to have fun, enjoy the day, ski within my current capabilities, and maintain good technique. While I wasn't blazing fast it was good enough for a respectable 11th place for women overall and 3rd in my age group. The added bonus is that my elbows survived and I didn't completely blow up. I have two more marathon races this season and each of those will require a 110% effort so I'm glad I didn't completely "drain the tanks." </div>
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That night we had a small party:</div>
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Alaska meets Norway! So fun to have dinner with new and old friends from both countries! Left to right, Tora, Cathinka, Espen, Anders, Ragnild, Chris & Anne Marit</div>
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The next day I moved North.... </div>
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Traditional Norwegian food at a road stop part way through the 6-hour drive with Anders from Lillehammer to Trondheim</div>
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Before racing the Birken myself and spending time around it, I didn't realize the social status and professional ramifications of racing the Norwegian Birken. I didn't find out until after the race that many Norwegian's motivation over the 54 kilometers is to earn their "Merket" or a Diploma that stats their accomplishment. The Merket is a percent back standard from the winner's time(s) that amateur racers strive to achieve. The standard is gender and age specific. Achieving the Merket is a big, big deal - such that people literally put it on the their CVs. In some Norwegian Professional Industries (like Finance) it is almost a rite of passage. This year, even Norway's prince, the namesake Prince Hakon achieved his Merket which made front page news. Here is Anders with his! Also super cool is that Espen (the brother of Anders) made the Merket from the 26th/last wave of the race! Huge congrats to both of them! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbECRmlrakhpx08MCw_aFRgenljgFH-bcudY8FTN18rpGrSyZQ7ksaaKlF44rTCs5tnDOKJP4W2Jx2ar4iNkh3C0FbHr4t6b6zmOxgmc_U95yGF8_YPn0VbqHI89j3qktMGd-lLOrIMg/s1600/20150323_130941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbECRmlrakhpx08MCw_aFRgenljgFH-bcudY8FTN18rpGrSyZQ7ksaaKlF44rTCs5tnDOKJP4W2Jx2ar4iNkh3C0FbHr4t6b6zmOxgmc_U95yGF8_YPn0VbqHI89j3qktMGd-lLOrIMg/s1600/20150323_130941.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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Anders with his "Merket" (pronounced "Marka")</div>
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<i>Homemade Norwegian brown cheese, "Brunost"from Anne Marit (her mom, actually) and my third place age group award for the Birken :) </i></div>
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This brings me up to today. I am currently in Trondheim staying at Anders and his girlfriend, Christine's apartment. They are so nice to let me infringe on their space and I am incredibly thankful for their generosity and friendship. On Thursday I will meet up with teammates from Santander and drive two hours to Are, Sweden for the final ski classics race. Snow is minimal and the race course is TBA but the race is going to be an important one for Team Santander. After a difficult weekend result wise at the Birken we are still leading the team competition but only by a few points over Team United Bakeries. It's most certainly going to be a battle to the end! </div>
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Thanks for checking in and have a fabulous week! </div>
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Good luck to everyone at Supertour Finals in Sun Valley - miss you all! Go APU!</div>
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Cheers, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-63282504594500070032015-03-18T05:30:00.000-07:002015-03-18T05:30:29.653-07:00Holmenkollen with friends! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Despite awesome home stays, chasing new opportunities and doing my best to hold onto the red bib traveling is exhausting, there is no doubt. While a life “ski racing in Europe” sounds glamorous</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">(and it’s sure, in some ways, it is) it can be quite tiresome. Now is perhaps one of those times. Daffodils line the sidewalks outside of grocery stores, Easter’s right around the corner according to the calendar, and skier conversation has turned to spring destination plans.</span></div>
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This past week I was in Oslo to apply for my Russian VISA, cheer on teammates at Holmenkollen, and stage for this weekend’s Norwegian Birkebeiner. </div>
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Let me just say that the VISA process has been pain staking and that is perhaps, an understatement. I've sent no less than 150 emails, made countless phone calls, and people made personal visits to the VISA center on my behalf before I even arrived. It turns out that applying for a VISA outside of your own country (and) when you cannot give up your passport for weeks or months at a time is complicated. Phone calls (if you can get through) and emails (when they are returned) create more confusion as answers aren't always the same and "conclusions" are confusing. That said, the VISA center has my completed application and my passport, along with the Russian VISA is supposed to be available later this week for pick up. I'll believe it when I see it - however I'll have to stop by literally on my way to the airport (with 150# of gear in tow) so I really, really hope it works out. If not, I'll have to throw away the plane ticket and start again! </div>
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A huge thank you to Andrey, Alexei & Yacopo (pictured below on my left) for their help in the VISA process. If I make it there these three are largely to thank! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQgmu1c2eDaNkcBbnybHVj4MwI51PDFHxv6b7XH42-7X45hpfcW7Uc_oLbkXX1hqjcFXtjng9_dv4YQwwBrzaQG6qqQRswCMmZX6sKBqYWlBPt1OFDHPmHGTY2Q4clf_G1LerFfm7AQ/s1600/Yacoro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQgmu1c2eDaNkcBbnybHVj4MwI51PDFHxv6b7XH42-7X45hpfcW7Uc_oLbkXX1hqjcFXtjng9_dv4YQwwBrzaQG6qqQRswCMmZX6sKBqYWlBPt1OFDHPmHGTY2Q4clf_G1LerFfm7AQ/s1600/Yacoro.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Minus the VISA work, the rest of the week was great seeing my former US Ski
Teammates...... but I couldn’t help but feel a bit abandoned as conversation focused
on travel itineraries and how excited they were to go home. This is most
definitely the time of year that a bit of homesickness begins to creep into
your skin and it’s important to stay focused and live in the moment rather than
wishing you were somewhere you are not. When and if I ever start to feel sorry for myself I remind myself that I have what a friend calls, "first world problems" and that my life is insanely awesome. I am SO lucky. </div>
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Here are a couple more pictures from the week: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ZfWgaf-FsKCyNoX7NC3I96hNUApP2PGC82d3X_mE0o7ARVXL8YpBlqJ5if_lfbEb4BFdDdmsqWAsN19kCxeV4d3s17xsF3CzQaJUFust4HwKPv1YBfMiW6Q287OLTEMhBYGNrf5KA/s1600/20150311_113959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41ZfWgaf-FsKCyNoX7NC3I96hNUApP2PGC82d3X_mE0o7ARVXL8YpBlqJ5if_lfbEb4BFdDdmsqWAsN19kCxeV4d3s17xsF3CzQaJUFust4HwKPv1YBfMiW6Q287OLTEMhBYGNrf5KA/s1600/20150311_113959.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Warm conditions called for salting the course. Check out this sweet adaptation to the Piston Bully!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7d9FWwDbfxLGOG9eWvslblZACtAMl3FuNWjZIuZN-NLTnlm0ZkmaOMbypyCbvtyOKsAAaxen_LcUOhbWOqRf1csQsf-KVAcpxnKkW1PinE0ZOZ44go9jPezFLfllBnLRfYWMMHzYaw/s1600/20150311_114540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7d9FWwDbfxLGOG9eWvslblZACtAMl3FuNWjZIuZN-NLTnlm0ZkmaOMbypyCbvtyOKsAAaxen_LcUOhbWOqRf1csQsf-KVAcpxnKkW1PinE0ZOZ44go9jPezFLfllBnLRfYWMMHzYaw/s1600/20150311_114540.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pete was in town after racing the VASA. </div>
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When in Norway, the cheese slicer is a staple...... & not just one</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5t4Vh5mmt_Fm2j52teNxAr261jirNmzvVPRgM3gubHq6pKQtdlnTN-p1mRXs_REUTfshfvk04ZBGwvv4QfmInTsNAmr-dZeTMiUqglct2fOHQgbhfPE6lxxb-V647eFcOLL2KcwiFQ/s1600/20150312_104104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5t4Vh5mmt_Fm2j52teNxAr261jirNmzvVPRgM3gubHq6pKQtdlnTN-p1mRXs_REUTfshfvk04ZBGwvv4QfmInTsNAmr-dZeTMiUqglct2fOHQgbhfPE6lxxb-V647eFcOLL2KcwiFQ/s1600/20150312_104104.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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A typical scene in Oslo - people getting on public transport with their skis</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nvpM7bKkV58x6EGDwVSEVNiAwlzUKEIhbRylaQz0TZ0Ls3fuozDy4CO2u3RXi-WtE4DeETm7cKEA4jdMJPtLzIi0sm-3mSMTaABn5bN839K2gN2CczG9X37l57blJoiXuzBg36sZAA/s1600/20150313_145350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_nvpM7bKkV58x6EGDwVSEVNiAwlzUKEIhbRylaQz0TZ0Ls3fuozDy4CO2u3RXi-WtE4DeETm7cKEA4jdMJPtLzIi0sm-3mSMTaABn5bN839K2gN2CczG9X37l57blJoiXuzBg36sZAA/s1600/20150313_145350.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Friends enjoying the sun </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXH4oz5ELPvdXCDM0JC4MEgkBCEa3ypJykseDCiRS2T-6GmcCwkScq8dQ-NE0s0a4lYaiiWQqE_-BE6OS3lRxBNLqhaq7xsbf5w21MzzHXsLWIGH3YHvCTb-QIgy8c-sRBqy6H1MR0w/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXH4oz5ELPvdXCDM0JC4MEgkBCEa3ypJykseDCiRS2T-6GmcCwkScq8dQ-NE0s0a4lYaiiWQqE_-BE6OS3lRxBNLqhaq7xsbf5w21MzzHXsLWIGH3YHvCTb-QIgy8c-sRBqy6H1MR0w/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mexican night at Astrid's! Me, Liz, Astrid, Emil </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KbGYpsEjcaqGrNWTDuBBeuADhOqBUGuAut-q9IzW6KYmdY2r1Y2xk6LQQiTeseSYplRHC6FzhfIwNnm1ep-K91ao8DqYlWn56LK_Y67HXaongw1tHoGHzU1nGNOKbwIMNVOBgLhS6A/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KbGYpsEjcaqGrNWTDuBBeuADhOqBUGuAut-q9IzW6KYmdY2r1Y2xk6LQQiTeseSYplRHC6FzhfIwNnm1ep-K91ao8DqYlWn56LK_Y67HXaongw1tHoGHzU1nGNOKbwIMNVOBgLhS6A/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG" height="142" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pano from the top of the Holmenkollen ski stadium athlete room and waxing facilities. This past week the Holmenkollen ski stadium was at it's best - nothing like the zero-viz fog of World Championships 2011!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbuANNf7FJK5ez9Ve5-wLjwOVtBcf77zpjmlSWAVFIpuD68t7jy8x_8wPAm2F4tbjAmYTPboPjPR0Xg8hVoZtKqX2PE5SLWKq0HL5zg_tUo0gtzVggnx22RLlrNM_muQqbP72jMXug/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYbuANNf7FJK5ez9Ve5-wLjwOVtBcf77zpjmlSWAVFIpuD68t7jy8x_8wPAm2F4tbjAmYTPboPjPR0Xg8hVoZtKqX2PE5SLWKq0HL5zg_tUo0gtzVggnx22RLlrNM_muQqbP72jMXug/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtsec-ZuJOn9yIKHZr5VtVl17OQU4X3l3QLf7zdjhJy9B9qCbZPOn15YJG2j7wKFAsOdQJeMPtgBeUCSyyQ2XvI3Y7btg704T4FsvIpOWGXsIVF_GTNCwGhfC1k_JJ7riFWA_M-Yl-Q/s1600/IMG_1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtsec-ZuJOn9yIKHZr5VtVl17OQU4X3l3QLf7zdjhJy9B9qCbZPOn15YJG2j7wKFAsOdQJeMPtgBeUCSyyQ2XvI3Y7btg704T4FsvIpOWGXsIVF_GTNCwGhfC1k_JJ7riFWA_M-Yl-Q/s1600/IMG_1287.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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30k Feed zone during the women's race </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3N4iID0HI5d8AzZIVSJ1JxErBlbeyYHS-uGSEYxUzel-YreJrnJtnlQ8EwXBeZgyF6CNKRlr5itU21DTbPrFCNrfI4jKXWam1ehSF52Osc8mw17ZeyslYoY-zENjvfIR6ZaUUGVIaaw/s1600/20150314_130616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3N4iID0HI5d8AzZIVSJ1JxErBlbeyYHS-uGSEYxUzel-YreJrnJtnlQ8EwXBeZgyF6CNKRlr5itU21DTbPrFCNrfI4jKXWam1ehSF52Osc8mw17ZeyslYoY-zENjvfIR6ZaUUGVIaaw/s1600/20150314_130616.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Dash Hoff & EBJ "commuting" to the 50k....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoBkgvGGlZDdv943IS0O2peRTZUrN9ZROIpStbhqJUfHvicUDxx7N5A2tIEKl5jgEnn91YQbhsXMODZX41Sx2pvVQayIgOQ5bf4hF1k4r8AcVcAWWWc2uJ3wPUKh_pX98jbXTlXVHPA/s1600/20150314_133922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoBkgvGGlZDdv943IS0O2peRTZUrN9ZROIpStbhqJUfHvicUDxx7N5A2tIEKl5jgEnn91YQbhsXMODZX41Sx2pvVQayIgOQ5bf4hF1k4r8AcVcAWWWc2uJ3wPUKh_pX98jbXTlXVHPA/s1600/20150314_133922.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Trailside snacks, served with coffee</div>
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A great aspect of Holmenkollen is how accessible the course is. Outside of the grand stands it's free to attend and many Norwegians make a weekend out of it. Many World Cups, World Champs, and Olympic races you sometimes feel like you're out there alone. That is NEVER the case at Holmenkollen! </div>
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A tired Brian Gregg gives a thumbs up! </div>
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Now THIS is a cool app. I think it exists all over Norway. You can look at any ski area and see where the groomers are in <i>real time.</i> The colors represent how long it's been since the trails were groomed last! You can chase fresh tracks and corduroy to your hearts content! No wonder they're good classic skiers here.... </div>
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Super fun training ski out on the course pre-50 & 30k days... </div>
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In the finish pen with Sadie & Diggs!</div>
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Liz and Matt post 30k. Liz signing some autographs</div>
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Me & Kikkan spent the 30k doing support. I was a cheer leader running from spot to spot and Kikkan worked at a feeding and spare pole station. When you aren't racing it's still fun to be intimately involved :) </div>
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Everyone always looks forward to the Holmenkollen heart shaped waffles!</div>
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Thanks so much to <a href="http://www.astridjacobsen.com/aujwp/">Astrid Jacobsen</a> for opening up her awesome home to me for a week in Oslo. While it was a busy stint for her with Drammen and Holmenkollen it was fun to get a small peak into her life in Norway. We got to know each other two summers ago when Astrid came to Alaska to join the annual women's training camp. She spent a week + doing dryland (hence, the Bomber Glacier picture below), a week on Eagle Glacier, and then some time visiting my cabin in Hope and a fishing trip on the Kasilof River. </div>
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International friendships are most certainly a highlight and one of the best things about being an International ski racer. This year, spending time away from the World Cup I've actually gotten to spend some quality time with friends I've made over the years. </div>
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Not only is Astrid an incredible skier - she skied to an amazing THIRD PLACE in the Holmenkollen 30k - but she's insanely well rounded too. She's currently enrolled in medical school (yes, you heard me right... ) and does a lot of work for her local community. Two years ago she co-hosted the first ever Norwegian Fast and Female event. One of the nights I was there she went to a 3 or 4 hour board meeting for her ski club, Heming, two days before her race. </div>
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Johug, Bjorgen & ASTRID! </div>
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If you haven't been following FIS Cross Country on Facebook be sure to check them out. This year Jeff Ellis and crew have been doing an awesome job with their "Inside the Fence" videos. Here is the last one of the year called the Magic of Holmenkollen: </div>
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After a busy week where I didn't even race (!) I moved from one household to another. I am currently staying in Lillehammer with Erik Stange and his awesome family. Erik and his wife Emily are American and moved to Lillehammer four years ago. They have to kids and a great part of each day is reading Greta a book before bed. Last night we read Madeline which I absolutely love. </div>
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Erik was an elite ski racer back in the day so he knows what it's like to chase the dream and live out of a duffel bag. He said that letting me stay here is like repaying a "karmic debt." I had never met Erik before coming to stay in his home but we have one degree of separation and know a lot of the same people. Needless to say, there is no lack of conversation. </div>
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The next report will be from the Norwegian Birkebeiner. Can't wait to check it off the "skier's bucket list!" </div>
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Thanks for checking in. More soon, </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-1028698041508029992015-03-11T07:13:00.000-07:002015-03-11T07:13:04.954-07:00Engadin Sun & Red Bib <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This past weekend was my third trip to the Engadin ski marathon and the beautiful valley it runs through..... </div>
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My first morning in the Engadin Valley didn't disappoint! </div>
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The annual St. Moritz night sprint. The "prologue" is a short 650 meters and the "race" which for girls consists of semi-finals and finals isn't much longer. It's a small windy track and it's almost impossible to pass. Therefore, fast starts are a must. I was third out of the tracks and third overall. Happy to be on the podium with some quick girls, Lucia (Germany) & Tatijana (Switzerland) </div>
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Looks staged but it isn't! </div>
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Ski with Team Gregg</div>
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Valley "Roseg" with Kent, Inge & Tony</div>
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Inge & Kent</div>
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Dinner with the Gregg clan and stories from Falun </div>
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Congrats to Caitlin on a historic bronze medal in the 10k - fun to see and hear about it in person!</div>
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Also fun to run into my APU teammates Tyler and David who did the race as well! </div>
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And my Swedish (former) World Cup friend Lisa Larson who is taking the year off and working as a ski tech at a ski shop in Pontresina! </div>
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Making schnitzel in a small Swiss kitchen :) </div>
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There are certainly people in the ski industry that like to have a good time! (Schnapps dispenser in an unspecified location!) </div>
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Thanks to Salomon for the race support - ski testing, race wax and (attempted) feeds. I say attempted because the race was too fast and too hectic to get them! </div>
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Stefan helping me test! </div>
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The night before... </div>
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Six girls on the podium (left to right) Anouk, me, Ritta Liisa, Caitlin, Aurelie & Antonella. Or, France, USA, Finland, USA, France, Italy.... </div>
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Not the race I was looking for but JUST ENOUGH to get the red bib back! Now I lead by a tiny 4 points...... everything will come down to the FIS Marathon Cup Final in SIBERIA of all places, April 11th. (Chad Gregg, photo) </div>
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This year I really felt the altitude (nearly 6,000 feet) when we hit the hills. Having come directly from Poland I had 5-6 days in Switzerland before racing which is NOT the altitude window that you want. Either it's best to come 10 days before or the night before to have the best performance. That said, logistically it was impossible to plan a good altitude entrance to the race. And, I didn't want to wait until the night or day before to come to the Engadin for obvious, beautiful reasons! </div>
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The race itself was fast and furious, per usual. I remember my first trip to the Engadin a few years ago and my finishing comment was that I had never been in such a violent ski race - ever. Thousands of people, men and women start at the same time and ski into a headwind for the first 10k. The first ten k is literally a game of half skill, and half luck. Over half of the women that finished on the podium broke poles and the luck part of the race is a) avoided crashes around you and b) catching a good draft with the top pack of men. Once you're in a pack it turns into a constant battle for position and older men that you might be skiing with are constantly trying to "get in front of the girl" or beat out their buddy. There was talk about an all girls wave that would begin before the masses this year but it didn't happen. The concern was that girls in later waves would catch the draft with the men and cross the finish line with a faster time than the girls in the elite wave. The solution (I think) is to make it so that the women's winner has to come out of the elite women's wave. Make it big enough so that it's inclusive, and start us 20 minutes before the Elite men and 14,000 other people. The American Birkebeiner has a women's wave and it's great to have a <i>women's</i> race. All of a sudden the tactic becomes skiing rather than loosing the other women, battling with the men, and keeping your equipment in one piece! </div>
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That said, the Engadin is a great race in perhaps one of the most beautiful ski areas in Europe. I highly recommend adding it to your "ski bucket list." </div>
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Me & Chelsea with Tony.... still wearing Seahawks gear but this year he left the full get up behind. A HUGE thank you to Tony W. for helping out with logistics and mobilizing a big USA crew each year for the race! </div>
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Here is a photo of Tony from last year and yes, he skied 42k like THIS:</div>
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It was hard to leave St. Moritz..... really hard. The skiing was perfect, the sun packed a punch. And I was exhausted. But we rallied... to sit in the worst traffic jam that my Swiss ride Elias, had ever seen. We got back to Chelsea's apartment (Zurich "home base" and gear storage) super late and I proceeded to spend the next 3 hours unpacking, packing and doing laundry. Then I slept for 3.5 hours before hiking to the tram and then to the airport to catch my flight to Oslo. I don't know what I was thinking when I booked the ticket 10 days ago but the itinerary was WAY too ambitious and exhausting. Actually, what I was thinking was that I would go to the Russian consulate in Oslo first thing Monday morning to work on applying for my VISA to get into Russia. In reality, my "invitation" is still not ready and Monday turned out to be a Russian holiday anyways. </div>
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To make a long story short, the Russian VISA application is extremely difficult when you're a) outside of your own country and applying from another and b) when you cannot afford to give up your passport for week (or months!) at a time because you're constantly traveling and need it. I'm still in the process of trying to obtain it and I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck! </div>
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And as always, thanks for the cheers & following. </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly </div>
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PS. GOOD LUCK to all the Alaskan Junior Racers competing in Truckee, CA at the 2015 Junior Nationals! </div>
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P.P.S. Graham Longford, AKA "<a href="https://twitter.com/klisterhead">@klisterhead</a>" on twitter wrote a really fun description of the Marcialonga back in January. He did an amazing job of documenting INCLUDING photos mid-race. It was fun for me to meet Graham after depending on his European-based World Cup tweets for such a long time. Check it out below if interested.... </div>
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<a href="http://swissblog.net/2015/03/10/the-marcialonga-brushes-with-greatness-at-italys-most-famous-ski-marathon/">http://swissblog.net/2015/03/10/the-marcialonga-brushes-with-greatness-at-italys-most-famous-ski-marathon/</a></div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-24915602839125297502015-03-02T06:56:00.000-08:002015-03-02T06:56:08.175-08:00Team Czech + Holly.... Bieg Piastow Report<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What a weekend….. While the racing itself wasn’t the best, I
had a great time with my new friends which certainly fulfills the <i>“exploring
the world one ski marathon at a time”</i> aspect of my winter! </div>
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During my initial planning stage months ago I saw the Bieg
Piastow on the schedule, revisited the map to find that Szlarka Poreba was FAR
from most ski locales in central Europe and thought, “Oh boy…. That’s going to
be a hard one” (from a logistical stance).
How would I get there? Where would I stay? Who would help me wax my
skis?? Of course I’ve asked myself these questions every weekend this winter but
the thought of going to Poland for the first time alone seemed intimidating.
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Then I met Adela at the Finish line of the La Sgambeda in December. She was one of the super strong girls that opted to go without
kickwax two classic race days in a row – first the 15k team time trial and the
next day, the 35k Swix Ski Classic. Needless to say, I was impressed! During our short introduction I also
learned that she didn’t start skiing until she was 20 years old – wow! </div>
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We kept in touch via Facebook and lamented about bad races
at the Marcialonga (my race much worse than hers) Somehow the topic of the Bieg Piastow came up in a FB messenger conversation and she offered to help me “manage” the trip. Once again, the
kindness of new friends (or strangers) shines through! </div>
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After weighting the options I decided to fly to Prague where Adela & her boyfriend Jiri, picked me up for the 2 hour drive to the race
venue. The Bieg Piastow race is in
Poland but we stayed in Harrachov, Czech Republic literally two kilometers down
the highway. The Bieg venue hosted
a World Cup race two years ago but I didn’t attend. We arrived Wednesday night for a Saturday race. I was pretty
beat from the long International travel (from the Birkie) and slept like a ROCK
the first night with assistance from a double dose of sleeping pills. </div>
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Each day leading up to the race more and more people showed up for what I’ll call
the “Czech Alliance +Holly” which was Adela, Jiri and Jiri’s father, Jiri
Senior AKA skiman #1. Then Petr Novak (Current FIS Marathon Cup men’s leader)
and his mother and father plus his ski man, “Lada.” For race day we were joined by Petr’s girlfriend Pavlina and
her friend Petra. The family aspect of the Czech racing weekend really struck
me as extraordinary, especially in comparison to my pseudo “orphan
status.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jjFC3LWwilwGWEhaLI0wJlBatDX90s_Hk1N_8rqn6cu7k6X3A5dqNC7r5EEOrnCN-Zqj2M4hKxBh3-IqHmhVH1LPWqYUgB1cvfy0DS4DuXPAUXgYL55ntuGWKYYN2WoQlJWuJ97oLA/s1600/Bieg10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jjFC3LWwilwGWEhaLI0wJlBatDX90s_Hk1N_8rqn6cu7k6X3A5dqNC7r5EEOrnCN-Zqj2M4hKxBh3-IqHmhVH1LPWqYUgB1cvfy0DS4DuXPAUXgYL55ntuGWKYYN2WoQlJWuJ97oLA/s1600/Bieg10.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>The whole gang after the race </i></div>
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Any fears I harbored were extinguished the second Adela and
Jiri picked me up from the airport. The entire crew was extremely welcoming and
immediately took me as “one of the team” eventhough I was anything but…. Only
Adela, Petr, Pavlina & Petra spoke English but it was amazing what we were
able to accomplish with smiles, gestures, and lots and lots of acting not to
mention Adela’s tireless translation skills. The intricacies of kick wax
adjustment, how to offer feed support on a 50k marathon race loop, and stories
about home were communicated without any major hiccups. It was amazing. </div>
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Due to the kindness and extreme amount of effort that “team
Czech” put into me I wanted to race well for them almost more than the valuable
FIS Marathon Cup points I needed to hold onto the red leader’s bib! I cannot express how much they went
above and beyond to make me feel welcomed and supported. With the race being so
close to home Adela did a lot of cooking prior to the trip and we ate things
that she & her family grew, raised, or harvested. Fresh eggs, a homemade
cake, rabbit soup (!) pickled beets, the best meatloaf I’ve ever had…. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG38PfvM8EHQhR0un9L2h8w8hxYymLE9q3ElvmFnjrNiE21eKuhlM0ic77P0OkiJ-BDbPctiyK2A5iPSJ8N7pAyBvugXGV-pR2z1sNOpZIPvWdEMmMcBOOZPPaOGKQE5-EjwqPPOsq_w/s1600/Adela+and+Jiri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG38PfvM8EHQhR0un9L2h8w8hxYymLE9q3ElvmFnjrNiE21eKuhlM0ic77P0OkiJ-BDbPctiyK2A5iPSJ8N7pAyBvugXGV-pR2z1sNOpZIPvWdEMmMcBOOZPPaOGKQE5-EjwqPPOsq_w/s1600/Adela+and+Jiri.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>My new (fast!) friends! They competed on Friday and Sunday and each won both races....</i></div>
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Then it was race morning and let’s just say that it came
really, really early. I usually have an amazing internal clock and will
frequently wake up two minutes before my alarm goes off. Saturday morning I woke up, ready to
race. I went downstairs, made a big bowl of 50k oatmeal (peanut butter, banana,
raisins, yogurt, salt, honey) and drank two cups of coffee. I finished and
thought it weird that other people weren’t joining me in the kitchen. It took
me a full 45 minutes to realize that it was ONE THIRTY AM, not SIX THIRTY AM.
SH*%!!! Upset with myself I got back into bed with a full stomach, full bladder
and laid in bed for the next five hours wide awake with two Starbucks Vias in
my system. Unable to fall asleep I caught up on all my favorite blogs, twitter,
and saw everything friends posted on Faceboo<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">k. Let's just say it was not the ideal start to an important race. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNfPRtv3vUOqKRbIVQFf4G4tZJdyx9OTf6UduTut1ONRbkzpOFPqQaNfLLOxLFjHtXQKzRJ8Ue25KR_s5jl7jvYQU2gNvMnQnkF1AyhDVOHOrBaZPuyxXCb3LyXn_utVylm38NQ9f5Q/s1600/Bieg17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNfPRtv3vUOqKRbIVQFf4G4tZJdyx9OTf6UduTut1ONRbkzpOFPqQaNfLLOxLFjHtXQKzRJ8Ue25KR_s5jl7jvYQU2gNvMnQnkF1AyhDVOHOrBaZPuyxXCb3LyXn_utVylm38NQ9f5Q/s1600/Bieg17.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p> SHOOT!!!!!!</o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4g2zFV9zpaATM12afDh7a4vKclSfGGw0C-MfXYRVHjBTFYPyDC4w3lcw2yQwQ1KooAGtPDVTe19FmOqVE7Jdw_dQ-8MaLhHZ2d6JLVa4xhNfL6ZFp773JyTwZPv7C58lWpiCBhibmw/s1600/Bieg11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4g2zFV9zpaATM12afDh7a4vKclSfGGw0C-MfXYRVHjBTFYPyDC4w3lcw2yQwQ1KooAGtPDVTe19FmOqVE7Jdw_dQ-8MaLhHZ2d6JLVa4xhNfL6ZFp773JyTwZPv7C58lWpiCBhibmw/s1600/Bieg11.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>This picture brightened my day and made me smile though! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1U8yYNabO9l7ZXiJ8lF68SCCGnKToysgrcf_e9Fl5HyKMYn_40lRGd3rGgZojX_K9AshAqXCOQa_kb19Md8X-xGO-GYTOeBzyYYEhF2s_Rp9seDx8pw-gruKx_sxjs1jFXABDNyq-g/s1600/Bieg13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1U8yYNabO9l7ZXiJ8lF68SCCGnKToysgrcf_e9Fl5HyKMYn_40lRGd3rGgZojX_K9AshAqXCOQa_kb19Md8X-xGO-GYTOeBzyYYEhF2s_Rp9seDx8pw-gruKx_sxjs1jFXABDNyq-g/s1600/Bieg13.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<i>The red bib I "won back" in the Birkie... .and then promptly "lost" again.... </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP0FH4x6KqksiWziOnmM73ZDEyoIMqf57rJBzYz-sHpY8SU6ls9ODfRlOH6AWjp-bJFlN3q1DVQYuFfbZy_XgolZVmzz2_8F6lD0hFGT96SFio4O4-PQDfErppwsM3KSxoRragze5Pw/s1600/Bieg14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkP0FH4x6KqksiWziOnmM73ZDEyoIMqf57rJBzYz-sHpY8SU6ls9ODfRlOH6AWjp-bJFlN3q1DVQYuFfbZy_XgolZVmzz2_8F6lD0hFGT96SFio4O4-PQDfErppwsM3KSxoRragze5Pw/s1600/Bieg14.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Homemade soup....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil5cq00vUS20BswmTZCqdCqVCviId68uE6yrIYlv_nbUnkpzFYLNaDpax2IgkBD-NPB1dFt3_10OOpPtgGP1m9Vj4S0f0XvfHxTX_FqU6RgkrEaQhIP6INtKK5q-wmv-NveheDTHOnQ/s1600/Bieg15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgil5cq00vUS20BswmTZCqdCqVCviId68uE6yrIYlv_nbUnkpzFYLNaDpax2IgkBD-NPB1dFt3_10OOpPtgGP1m9Vj4S0f0XvfHxTX_FqU6RgkrEaQhIP6INtKK5q-wmv-NveheDTHOnQ/s1600/Bieg15.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRBoemqbfavI3WEuirpqVNh0aVEyDQNoMfAFOLvYcnjQf-FvAiN4aj74DCZ8bxbjwu7zBNXR1W5noXuvzgK_NPb5YhpWQLlbxNwik01zJ-_5xP4VZa8XXwa8MHOQKFKeAPhR_fetTwg/s1600/Bieg16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRBoemqbfavI3WEuirpqVNh0aVEyDQNoMfAFOLvYcnjQf-FvAiN4aj74DCZ8bxbjwu7zBNXR1W5noXuvzgK_NPb5YhpWQLlbxNwik01zJ-_5xP4VZa8XXwa8MHOQKFKeAPhR_fetTwg/s1600/Bieg16.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<i>The night before in our red bibs.... determined to keep them! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCILJGtSGS5G7IGmrTZAzt-6-JISrF5wRkIQtUroDC8lPJrFFoKdVUC4qLsyQfFIRY9XfVLuLXLxOXoYS6E2zmGymZYNjGwMeppqyRNZkZfMFjYrQqhTEujj22pry9ZQvEpPcbEHEQRQ/s1600/Bieg+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCILJGtSGS5G7IGmrTZAzt-6-JISrF5wRkIQtUroDC8lPJrFFoKdVUC4qLsyQfFIRY9XfVLuLXLxOXoYS6E2zmGymZYNjGwMeppqyRNZkZfMFjYrQqhTEujj22pry9ZQvEpPcbEHEQRQ/s1600/Bieg+9.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6mrrlj0XM-7HYyrRk4RmxJZSulGTMh9cLaB6ILG5LUIrGygvT8g2Dut0JTjL3w26FaSXBb88O2qBKpcjdxH4lBqIo6lUmkDLU40_DWCA6VzswzT2LmFRQ44n6khhnAGaSIcnaKY_dw/s1600/Bieg8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6mrrlj0XM-7HYyrRk4RmxJZSulGTMh9cLaB6ILG5LUIrGygvT8g2Dut0JTjL3w26FaSXBb88O2qBKpcjdxH4lBqIo6lUmkDLU40_DWCA6VzswzT2LmFRQ44n6khhnAGaSIcnaKY_dw/s1600/Bieg8.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZKoNrakLhcHVqOKbIB7GeHsi-qtPqNxFtOp5BVuQWo1jagu2UySVu4ahkkXw_3LOE1JbiozVGXbrkYEYkaSmfMHAYH7Y6VArz1anEpcJOlgP-NqG5CF3h0bJXycni0TPNmUpoGWdlQ/s1600/Bieg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZKoNrakLhcHVqOKbIB7GeHsi-qtPqNxFtOp5BVuQWo1jagu2UySVu4ahkkXw_3LOE1JbiozVGXbrkYEYkaSmfMHAYH7Y6VArz1anEpcJOlgP-NqG5CF3h0bJXycni0TPNmUpoGWdlQ/s1600/Bieg2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><i>Photo, Marcin Oliva Soto</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr0bHS8JCDgujq-IoJeFmM3tJ0OAtm9JGtOcptSXYpGj15Pbl_KqCRNBERr3k7jacCumklHj00FfWIK_DtOCdEZLA683xTG4evlITRQq20FGx3ZhIa_-_RrhyphenhyphendrRGUdgLr7mYWCjAQA/s1600/Bieg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmr0bHS8JCDgujq-IoJeFmM3tJ0OAtm9JGtOcptSXYpGj15Pbl_KqCRNBERr3k7jacCumklHj00FfWIK_DtOCdEZLA683xTG4evlITRQq20FGx3ZhIa_-_RrhyphenhyphendrRGUdgLr7mYWCjAQA/s1600/Bieg3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Adela receiving her award from one of the two races she won over the weekend</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Photo, Marcin Oliva Soto</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjHfH_7RoGaNJHVominr2ilTltnPWjB8Pa9NkLiJnuw7AzPv2z-dlLq0XABNHaxHVqfWp9TCrO9-CRxPjxlYMDufjBQs3OHn-aoTntr1HFGU6TuFVhD7EkqaseRGV0f9Ztc0SwE2T0g/s1600/Bieg5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjHfH_7RoGaNJHVominr2ilTltnPWjB8Pa9NkLiJnuw7AzPv2z-dlLq0XABNHaxHVqfWp9TCrO9-CRxPjxlYMDufjBQs3OHn-aoTntr1HFGU6TuFVhD7EkqaseRGV0f9Ztc0SwE2T0g/s1600/Bieg5.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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With Marek, Salomon Poland</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Photo, Marcin Oliva Soto</span></div>
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Women's podium. The race gave beautiful crystal/glass engraved vases. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't win because I have NO idea how I would get the vase that Tatijana is holding back to AK! </div>
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Polish podium mascots</div>
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This guy looks disinterested for the shot but believe me, he was interested in getting his picture taken with me :)</div>
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New friends and awesome "ski men" Jiri Senior and Lada</div>
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Like an ice cream truck but for eggs and produce - complete with clucking hen music! </div>
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Regarding the race..... I had heard the course was hard - more like true classic skiing with uphills and downhills. While it wasn't flat there was a HUGE amount of Double pole which has proven hard for me this year. While the tendinitis in my arms is better than it was 3 weeks ago it's still bad making it so I can't train DP. That and the other girls were just stronger and faster. No excuses. But, I'm pumped that the last two races are skate. I've beaten all of my major FIS Marathon Cup competitors in every skate race this season so I'm hoping the cards are stacked in my favor. I do have a 17 point deficit that I have to make up though. While it would have been nice to ski faster in Poland I'm keeping the race for the overall title interesting - it's a true "nail biter" and will most surely come down to the final race, a 50k skate in Khanty Mansisyk Russia April 11th! Going to Russia in mid April is a topic for another blog post.... </div>
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The weekend ended on a great note. I was able to watch 37 year old (!) Lukas Bauer of the Czech Republic ski his way into history and earn the silver medal in the men's 50k at World Champs. It was beyond fun cheering for a Czech skier in Czech, with Czechs! Congrats to Lukas! </div>
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If you haven't seen it you have to check out this short sub two minute youtube clip! </div>
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Last but certainly not least, a HUGE THANK YOU to Chelsea Little for the Internet, the couch and the storage space in Zurich. Without her help I don't know where I'd be! </div>
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Off to catch the train(s) to the Engadin Valley!!!! </div>
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Check back soon & thanks for the cheers, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-59152852183606768132015-02-24T15:48:00.001-08:002015-02-24T15:48:46.368-08:00Birkie Recap + Photo Explosion! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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(From the Copenhagen Airport!) </div>
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Well, the 2015 Birkie is in the books and it was a success! I don't know if that constitutes a strong bout of the fever or <i>"beating"</i> the fever but I'll take it! I'll begin with these three links that had good coverage of the race. The first link is a radio interview I recorded via phone with Alaska Public Radio. It's always fun to get notes from friends saying, "I heard your voice tonight" when I'm so far away! </div>
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Alaska Public Radio: </div>
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<a href="http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/02/23/holly-brooks-wins-american-birkebeiner-ski-race/">http://www.alaskapublic.org/2015/02/23/holly-brooks-wins-american-birkebeiner-ski-race/</a></div>
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Fasterskier's race recap: </div>
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<a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-wins-second-american-birkebeiner-bonaldi-takes-mens-race-in-dramatic-finish">http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-wins-second-american-birkebeiner-bonaldi-takes-mens-race-in-dramatic-finish</a>/</div>
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Alaska Dispatch News, Beth Bragg:</div>
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<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20150221/holly-brooks-wins-second-american-birkebeiner">http://www.adn.com/article/20150221/holly-brooks-wins-second-american-birkebeiner</a></div>
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Yes, I was able to take the win in the Birkie... it was my feet on the skis but those feet and those skis wouldn't have been there without a LOT of help. Thus, my thank you shout outs are interwoven into the post and the pictures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iVwh4qrxQ1tG6Pr5oFZHx3Wa8DM2zpy_Nfh_GtsSwdiGt-aevkXnqewamH9CELCBmOC7ucVFk2Wdbb8flsG_RbpNL5CjCBTZeE2FaXWrJHlhlaWHVpHQq0A3vKOnRx8eTp17QSHk_g/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iVwh4qrxQ1tG6Pr5oFZHx3Wa8DM2zpy_Nfh_GtsSwdiGt-aevkXnqewamH9CELCBmOC7ucVFk2Wdbb8flsG_RbpNL5CjCBTZeE2FaXWrJHlhlaWHVpHQq0A3vKOnRx8eTp17QSHk_g/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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THANK YOU to the Swee family for providing AWESOME hospitality for 10 days surrounding the race. They provided me with meals, wheels, enthusiasm and even a personal ski track out their front door on the lake! Plus, they woke up at 4:30am to get me to the race start and Marge made fresh squeezed orange juice EVERY morning. The joke was that my stay was going to make me soft and a wimp for upcoming hard travel! Their lake cabin just outside of Hayward was an amazing place to refresh & rejuvenate. </div>
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Marge & Ron braving the wind on Lake Hayward pre-Birkie </div>
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While the snow conditions were good, the temperatures were a bit tricky. The one day weather window we got for the race was <b>absolutely</b> amazing. Someone or something was smiling down on all 10,000 + people! The race was the ONLY day of the entire trip where I wore gloves instead of lobster mittens. Most days began well below zero and I had to wait until the "heat" of the day to train at 2pm. Admittedly I totally wimped out one day too and paid $14 to run on a treadmill :) </div>
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THANK YOU to Salomon USA for great ski & drink service! Josh Korn, Evan Elliot & Bill Pierce waxed my skis. Jenny and Brent Knight helped out with feeds. You guys are awesome. I raced on the new Salomon Carbons and they were great. I've been racing on them in every skate race, all year! They're like feathers on your feet. </div>
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Lex, my APU teammate doing the Mo-Bot. Congrats to Lex on a fantastic race, 5th place! We were both able to take home the "Tony Wise" award for top American. </div>
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Two nights before the race checking out the "International Bridge" and the snow spread over main street</div>
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Great physio help from Jim Mullen - a sport rehab Doc and CXC racer. Thanks for your poking and prodding Jim! While in Hayward I also saw former Olympic skier, John Bauer. </div>
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A glorious pre-race dinner that powered me from Cable to Hayward. The Swees love to cook and it was really fun to try new recipes and share favorite dishes with them! </div>
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Rob, Marge & Hannah squeezed into the back of the car on race morning. </div>
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Lining up at the start line - photo, Epp Paul </div>
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And we're OFF! Leading the charge </div>
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A group of 4 skied together for nearly 40k. We "broke trail" for the 10,000+ skiers as it snowed overnight and snowed hard during the first half of the race. The conditions were NOT fast! </div>
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Hannah helping with her first-ever feed! Thanks Hannah :) </div>
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Looking not-so-stylish..... thanks Skinny Ski for some of these pics! </div>
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Ski for ski, toe for toe at the Double OO sprint. It was a photo finish and I lost.... </div>
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While I didn't win the sprint I was able to be the first down main street! </div>
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Finishing with the snow machine</div>
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And got a great hug at the finish line! </div>
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Here is actually a great 26-minute highlight reel of the race..... it shows my move with 2k to go on Lake Hayward</div>
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Podium happy! </div>
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Top Girls - four countries represented</div>
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With the Swees! Thanks for the sign Hannah! </div>
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A handful of skiers from APU including Becky Manley and Reno Deprey came to race the Birkie! (I think Reno was the oldest finisher at 85? Just amazing - what an inspiration!)<br />
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A big THANK YOU to these movers and shakers! These three and the entire Birkie staff had an amazing ability to get stuff done - not to mention order fantastic weather and ski conditions. I'm really honored to represent the American Birkie and these folks abroad on the FIS Marathon Cup Tour!<br />
(Al Serano, Amy Rowley & Ben Popp) A huge shout out to all the volunteers as well. The races wouldn't be what it is without you!<br />
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Lasting evidence of the last race feed (coke) that I took to the face.... and.... a big THANK YOU to two of my biggest sponsors. My Club, APU Nordic Ski Center & my headgear sponsor, BP Alaska. Without APU as a backbone and BP's financial help I wouldn't be able to chase these races around the world, literally!<br />
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Hannah back at the awesome cooking!<br />
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There was no rest for the weary on Birkie weekend. After Saturday's race I was up early to lead a Fast and Female event in Hayward.<br />
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The girls loved the concept 2 double pole machines!<br />
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And the CLIF bars. Thanks CLIF!!! </div>
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Awesome ambassadors: Julia, Sarah, Izzie, me, Ingrid, Brandy & Nicole of Hayward Fitness Fanatics. (Sabra missing from the pic)</div>
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Big shout out to Kristy Maki for being an organizing Guru and Amy Rowley (again!) for doing the AV. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaipcZl1yIIcHsmfsBMhef6GK-kjk-2nq__Qtps3NYqVxRGpL-i40CBmpjsHw9I-_4HQLMDuGyWd5476qiyZzoZP4viPUOTHPcBMeZYprVkJ7PIpnsCF73rSishyphenhyphenO2yjfpYESHnUdgQg/s1600/IMG_1041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaipcZl1yIIcHsmfsBMhef6GK-kjk-2nq__Qtps3NYqVxRGpL-i40CBmpjsHw9I-_4HQLMDuGyWd5476qiyZzoZP4viPUOTHPcBMeZYprVkJ7PIpnsCF73rSishyphenhyphenO2yjfpYESHnUdgQg/s1600/IMG_1041.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Perhaps the biggest THANK YOU goes out to my husband, Rob. I already posted this picture on Facebook and said that, <i>"He is my rock and he is carrying my rock"</i> meaning that he is my biggest supporter <i>and</i> he lugged this beautiful trophy, (literally a rock) home to Alaska in his backpack! </div>
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On the way to Minneapolis in a tiny rental car with Lex. It was a team driving effort.<br />
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After 10 days of frigid conditions my skin is destroyed! </div>
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So, the Birkie was a success. I was proud to stand on the top step of the podium in the only FIS Marathon Cup in North America. I also successfully took back the red leader's bib! But, the fight is close and I'm racing 50k classic at the Bieg Piastow in Poland this weekend followed by the Engadin Ski Marathon in Switzerland the following weekend! Stay tuned for more action! </div>
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Last but not least, here's a quick article I wrote <i>before</i> the race that I failed to publish.... </div>
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"I've got a fever!" </div>
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(Written Feb 19)</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">It's not the sick, immune suppressed fever that you might be thinking. The "Fever" that I'm referring to is actually "</span>Birkie<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Fever", the affectionate name applied to skiers who are excited (or become obsessed) with the upcoming American </span>Birkebeiner<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> cross country ski race in Hayward, Wisconsin. Perhaps the best way I can describe it in Alaskan terms is that it's like Mount Marathon hype, but in the winter, spread across skiers covering the entire country. Every February those skiers converge in Northern Wisconsin to reenact the 50 kilometer ski that "saved" the Norwegian Prince. Only, the American </span>Birkie<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> consists of 10,500 racers, start rights that sell out months in advance. The hype and "fever", however is palatable and affects racers and non-racers alike. Weeks leading up to the race are filled with planning, speculation, and anxiety; what will the weather hold, what will the fastest wax be, and who will try to break away from the "</span>peleton<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">" of skiers at bi*** hill to cross the finish line in Downtown Hayward first? </span></div>
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In addition to the Birkie being the pinnacle of US Marathon racing, the race itself holds a special place in my heart as it was essentially the "breakthrough race" of my career. In 2009 I signed up for the race on a whim and raced it as a coach. Surprisingly, I found myself sprinting down main street for the win against Rebecca Dussault, a 2-time Olympian. We both lunged hard for the line as the first "toe" across wins the race. I lunged so hard that I ended up in a heap on the ground. Face in the snow, I heard that I came up an inch (literally!) short and Rebecca had won the 2009 American Birkebeiner. Despite my disappointment, I was elated. It was a huge result at the time and one that gave me confidence to move forward in my career as a professional ski racer. </div>
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I didn't return to the Birkie until 2012, during a quick break from racing the World Cup in Europe. Again, the race ended in a sprint down main street but this time it was my toe that crossed the line first. American Birkebeiner victory one in the books! </div>
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This year I am approaching the Birkie from an entirely different angle. As a full time Marathon racer I am here because I love the race but I am also here because the race is part of the FIS Marathon Cup, a series of 9 Marathon races spread throughout the World which take place over the entire ski season. So far I have raced FIS marathons in Livigno, Italy, Obertilliach Austria, Cavalesse Italy, and two weekends ago in Les Rousse France. Last weekend I skipped the Tartu Ski Marathon in Estonia in order to spend two weeks in the US. Unfortunately, my absence meant that I lost the red leaders bib to my nearest competitor, Tatijana Mannima of Estonia. My goal will be to get it back this weekend on home soil! </div>
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After Saturday's Birkie I will lead a Fast and Female event for the local girls here and then Monday, begin a 3-day journey to my next Marathon racing destination, Slarska Poreba, Poland! Following the "Bieg Piastow" the penultimate race of the series is the Engadin Ski marathon in Switzerland. Then, the FIS Marathon Cup final will be contested in Khanti-Masiysk (Siberia!) Russia nearly a month later on April 11th! </div>
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Cheers!<br />
Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-4662778352358262362015-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:002015-02-17T08:10:16.013-08:00Birkie-Fever-Birkie-Fever-BIRKIE FEVER! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Fever is running high, eventhough the temperatures are running low! Despite the cold temps it's great to be back in the "homeland" eventhough Hayward, Wisconsin is still thousands of miles away from my true home in Anchorage, Alaska. It's a great reminder of just how big the US is compared to Europe. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjoQQAqvXAauIk5d5vSlIhJodCnbKJOvL21KvrUdzAfRVbJm9eH5xhPer0Lzxpyk3_uEwpyJM1b4dsCeLwKPqvEwW0IuE3SmR1oHxZWO3e2-7umY529oUgXb4vGT169mLYaYdrhyphenhyphen22Q/s1600/Birkie+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjoQQAqvXAauIk5d5vSlIhJodCnbKJOvL21KvrUdzAfRVbJm9eH5xhPer0Lzxpyk3_uEwpyJM1b4dsCeLwKPqvEwW0IuE3SmR1oHxZWO3e2-7umY529oUgXb4vGT169mLYaYdrhyphenhyphen22Q/s1600/Birkie+5.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Birkie greeting recorded for the Local Paper, the Sawyer Country Record. Check back often with their <a href="http://www.haywardwi.com/birkie/birkie-greetings-from-holly-brooks-olympian-birkie-champion/youtube_33d68bac-b487-11e4-8f44-7f3d865b3344.html?mode=nogs">website</a> for future Birkie coverage. </i></div>
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Last fall I sat down with the calendar, pen & paper and mapped out my race season. Having never focused on marathons before I had no idea how many I could do in a row. What kind of recovery would I need in between? How much training could I fit in between back to back to back 50ks.....? That said, the American Birkie is one of my "focus events" and I have a long stint coming up after this. Thus, I chose to skip the Tartu Marathon in Estonia (63k Classic) last weekend. Unfortunately it meant giving up the red leader's bib. My goal will be to get it back this weekend on US soil! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByFJNktCBTmnDjLxOkyJlIWYXqTaIZpgbisAwjBzHyU2iHWGkrFkhNiGBqdQK9kMfGkyLnb0N3uCYX696Ue4ZItnzKBJIJuLi06dgmzZVYSo6XbXuyM56Lgc7haDtuL15IjZqIEANhg/s1600/Birkie+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByFJNktCBTmnDjLxOkyJlIWYXqTaIZpgbisAwjBzHyU2iHWGkrFkhNiGBqdQK9kMfGkyLnb0N3uCYX696Ue4ZItnzKBJIJuLi06dgmzZVYSo6XbXuyM56Lgc7haDtuL15IjZqIEANhg/s1600/Birkie+3.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>My wonderful hosts, the Swees!</i> </div>
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The awesome thing about coming <i>"home"</i> is that I know people..... people that can help me.... people who let me stay in their homes, cook in their kitchen, borrow their cars, and do my laundry. I know it sound trivial but after life on the road it makes all the difference in the world. </div>
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Right now I'm staying with my great friends, the Swee Family. I went to Whitman college with Hannah and I'm nestled down at her family's lake cabin. In 2012 Rob and I stayed here as well (although without Hannah.) Marge and Ron, Hannah's parents are awesome hosts & friends. It's really fun to come back 3 years later to find their interest in skiing has grown immensely. Ron even has a snow machine and a track setters to groom the lake in the front yard! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD7S74dSaZgMzmbrMAXDl2qoExsUOxWoT9w1wdDqPIGzzs61rI8ge9DR47m_McaRwFBuy5S4TQKvJpNjNI-3l-yJOq86r3j2_hzaaUObrqg8VZbyIjCIkcjK_gjOGrqROzXZ_16FG2g/s1600/Birkie+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD7S74dSaZgMzmbrMAXDl2qoExsUOxWoT9w1wdDqPIGzzs61rI8ge9DR47m_McaRwFBuy5S4TQKvJpNjNI-3l-yJOq86r3j2_hzaaUObrqg8VZbyIjCIkcjK_gjOGrqROzXZ_16FG2g/s1600/Birkie+4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>So much fun cooking delicious food with the Swees! In salad heaven with Hannah.... </i></div>
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In Hannah's left hand, (viewer's right) is a Brussels sprout recipe from Heidi Drygas! Check it out on her amazing website <a href="http://chenagirlcooks.blogspot.com/2014/02/shaved-brussels-sprouts-salad-with.html#.VONZjhacKh4">Chena Girl Cooks! </a></div>
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Speaking of people that can help, I am eternally grateful to Larry Foss at the Fix who saw me TWICE in twelve hours (on short notice) to help with my elbows. If you're ever in Minneapolis and want to see a cool, cutting edge bike shop & workout studio or want a great sports massage, check it out <a href="http://www.thefixstudio.com/">HERE. </a> A big thanks to Caitlin and Brian Gregg who let me spend the night at their house and drive their car for a day in the cities... eventhough they weren't there! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q7qnFDUxYtcNKIpiL60rE_CAXczFIStxxnTJSDezIgR707M48txs0JmAt7jsYr3JGSdsS_gJDRO8k32wpeYN2OE6IzGvEy9-GNMM_9oqxrWXBfZ4-t9vNwNjtwNYr0QpEDZg8nmxNw/s1600/The+Fix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8q7qnFDUxYtcNKIpiL60rE_CAXczFIStxxnTJSDezIgR707M48txs0JmAt7jsYr3JGSdsS_gJDRO8k32wpeYN2OE6IzGvEy9-GNMM_9oqxrWXBfZ4-t9vNwNjtwNYr0QpEDZg8nmxNw/s1600/The+Fix.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Birkie tracks are just about perfect and waiting on thousands upon thousands of Birkie skiers! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk29oOgyVo13dVTJoOM5tc3U67vmJs3tHtS9FrYy2S-7xZHbps1Q3Kj5fkrhe65ZXsVchuv7gc5U0AuOfY_hAOqyqpc8nrnm1Y7OM1AdEm_3LcDFvGBvY_O81G7THyI0eMk4kHtBToNA/s1600/Ski+and+Tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk29oOgyVo13dVTJoOM5tc3U67vmJs3tHtS9FrYy2S-7xZHbps1Q3Kj5fkrhe65ZXsVchuv7gc5U0AuOfY_hAOqyqpc8nrnm1Y7OM1AdEm_3LcDFvGBvY_O81G7THyI0eMk4kHtBToNA/s1600/Ski+and+Tea.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last Friday I got to ski with these Amazing ladies. Their group is called "Ski and Tea" and I essentially equate it to the adult version of Fast and Female. With a theme of "no women left behind" these ladies work out together every week, 11 months a year. They hold clinics, train for races, support each other through illness.... the list goes on and on. To me, they seem like the epitome of a successful social support network with an active twist. They currently have over 350 women on their list serve, many whom live far away and simply like to be connected to this amazing group of ladies. </div>
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It should also be mentioned that these women play a large role in the community. For example, many of them will be the volunteers for Sunday's post-Birkie Fast and Female. They have also provided scholarships for the event. (I told you they are amazing!) </div>
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Check out some of their Custom Birkie Snaz.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOT1ylgRARsJg8VgvOsiLlUSadZHViVLEd0LdJ9ACjFl5Krc1N3jXz4LIXW_j8OZo_hLsT_KTJVIAque6L2VqIN58panTCt9-LC_dK8dBwwcI1gUaGncqUJ9IstRdMYP02XZVOQa4Ayg/s1600/Birkie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOT1ylgRARsJg8VgvOsiLlUSadZHViVLEd0LdJ9ACjFl5Krc1N3jXz4LIXW_j8OZo_hLsT_KTJVIAque6L2VqIN58panTCt9-LC_dK8dBwwcI1gUaGncqUJ9IstRdMYP02XZVOQa4Ayg/s1600/Birkie+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JDEfs0DVB34FvTRfFUUleW_nzQtVpKI1ojt4sd1NlCvnQptm1Gg7UNJoxCRw92kgP5r2ARk6YUlsYP32mZP3nEbB8PvXLwjGSOsznfHLHZvpUt36LMNEwb-WhM_r5Aps4vq4i725kA/s1600/Birkie+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JDEfs0DVB34FvTRfFUUleW_nzQtVpKI1ojt4sd1NlCvnQptm1Gg7UNJoxCRw92kgP5r2ARk6YUlsYP32mZP3nEbB8PvXLwjGSOsznfHLHZvpUt36LMNEwb-WhM_r5Aps4vq4i725kA/s1600/Birkie+1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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These skis have seen a couple of trips down the Birkie trail! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGqFeR1vn80nE82sG4Dc5cDUZCFbjnaO9v8KrLmisbqFYzeWWrHHAo4pclDD-uHajXsIRI6o0hZyDqVMFiaerOVz_yDPeshcPyLjqH4AqK389rQ13_WGLFcp0TwP7D85m_UUWpjwAwg/s1600/Nancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGqFeR1vn80nE82sG4Dc5cDUZCFbjnaO9v8KrLmisbqFYzeWWrHHAo4pclDD-uHajXsIRI6o0hZyDqVMFiaerOVz_yDPeshcPyLjqH4AqK389rQ13_WGLFcp0TwP7D85m_UUWpjwAwg/s1600/Nancy.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Nancy Bauer (mother of John Bauer US Olympian) lead the team sprint workout for the morning. She also made her ENTIRE outfit including the custom Birkie bib skirt! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDa9iJEifE4sv6_BLxmm6sSLLrX5rQRYrinfT23V8jye0bwMoJKtjCAt4TPejPT_-3tNXoSWv2vGmAuHpyTR50hrENwXBr7NQH0BEPqWigsqqYHb_a5KSVUkgzUdygqBw1KWUb6xyww/s1600/The+Johnsons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDa9iJEifE4sv6_BLxmm6sSLLrX5rQRYrinfT23V8jye0bwMoJKtjCAt4TPejPT_-3tNXoSWv2vGmAuHpyTR50hrENwXBr7NQH0BEPqWigsqqYHb_a5KSVUkgzUdygqBw1KWUb6xyww/s1600/The+Johnsons.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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In addition to rest, east living, and good Internet (yes!) another benefit of being here is the ability to connect with old friends. Here I am with Per and Sandy Johnson, members of the Kongsberger ski Club near Seattle. Growing up there were very few kids my age that skied and I ended up skiing (and racing against) adults including Per and Sandy! It was fun to reunite with my training partners from 15 years ago! </div>
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Last but not least, please help spread the word about Sunday's Fast and Female event here in Hayward! Registration link is below.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaf0istKYpJXsyzVuqEh7eVn9T4BNsOHKNj6pDDqIPwZMt0E27t8EA9Flv5X1KbXOiob2YnNTz5Tc9h3By-0bgszxvwUqDzB1hJUmaDEo-vB45l3pRrazzB2zb_A0-Hp0-jDzgPd_Lg/s1600/Birkie+Fast+Female+Poster+JPEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaf0istKYpJXsyzVuqEh7eVn9T4BNsOHKNj6pDDqIPwZMt0E27t8EA9Flv5X1KbXOiob2YnNTz5Tc9h3By-0bgszxvwUqDzB1hJUmaDEo-vB45l3pRrazzB2zb_A0-Hp0-jDzgPd_Lg/s1600/Birkie+Fast+Female+Poster+JPEG.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fastandfemale.com/programs/fast-female-champ-chat-birkie-hayward-wi/">http://www.fastandfemale.com/programs/fast-female-champ-chat-birkie-hayward-wi/</a></div>
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More from Birkie land soon. </div>
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See you here? </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-61024979376244026742015-02-09T23:12:00.002-08:002015-02-09T23:12:41.653-08:00Transjursienne Bonk & Birkie Bound! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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…… 30,000 feet enroute to Copenhagen for the first time! Flight one of three to get from Zurich to Minneapolis St. Paul. I must admit,
I’m excited to touch down in the states and enjoy a solid two weeks in the
“home country.” </div>
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Getting there, however, is never without a little bit of
stress as experienced this am. The string of events when like this: </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Almost forget my phone (2<sup>nd</sup> phone!) I
used as a wake up alarm. Chelsea had to come running down the street chasing me
with it. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Morning workout #1 heavy ski bag, giant duffel,
and backpack 1/5 mile “hike” to the train station. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Train tix machine won’t accept any of my cards
& I am able to “buy” Swiss Francs off a stranger 1 minute before train
departure</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Proceed to get a deluge of “delayed flight”
& “cancelled flight” emails from priceline.com via my phone…. the stress
grows </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Morning workout #2 navigating Zurich airport
with 150# of luggage, finding the different places to check in, drop skis, pay
for sporting equipment, etc. Fear of missing flight (or is it cancelled?)
remains high </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Make it to the gate and buy a $8 tall Starbucks
latte to celebrate the small accomplishment </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->And fly, fly, and fly again. </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Remind myself I am “living the dream” <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Wingdings;">.... X number of hours later, stuck in Chicago for the night! This was the good news on the International flight though - NAP TIME! </span></div>
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But enough about travel and the adventures that accompany
it. The last 1.5 weeks have included a fun tour of Germany for the Konig Ludwig
Lauf with Team Santander and France, ala Team Salomon, (AKA Holly & Max
road trip #2) for the Transjursienne. </div>
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Following my struggle at the Marcialonga I knew that my body
needed a bit of time to recover before the next big marathon push. With the
knowledge that the Konig Ludwig Lauf Swix Ski Classic was a “flat” course and
girls would most likely go on “blank” skis (classic skis with no kick wax,
waxed tip to tail) I opted to race the 23k skate on Saturday for training, and
help with service for Team Santander for Sunday’s main event. Saturday’s event
was a great “interval with a bib” and I was roughly a minute behind the overall
men’s winning time. It was dumping
snow at the start and streaming sunshine by the end of the race…. Just
beautiful! </div>
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Pre-race</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfT107MvxspCuxXLbwZHU1OnK2_h5gpyto12_qoFbdz_aVMgCGXo-rADGubdh7cD3X1HwzAcszGk9c9W4vxmFGSSwrZ8ICVr7hCoWllQ4O0wQV96t27jcf6r8wt0gKMLDurhF26D2QA/s1600/Konig+Podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfT107MvxspCuxXLbwZHU1OnK2_h5gpyto12_qoFbdz_aVMgCGXo-rADGubdh7cD3X1HwzAcszGk9c9W4vxmFGSSwrZ8ICVr7hCoWllQ4O0wQV96t27jcf6r8wt0gKMLDurhF26D2QA/s1600/Konig+Podium.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Post race, pre podium :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JlR5nZMQ83SlarTfTEIpT2U47eF00ChyqPPAVdEmQMlxdf1wUvWCzYio8HSMyxEW38taBP8vtYUYuef2AoxaaTGydXAcPEOUjMrm65RHt92aJYQWinxlciDErm9ETGG0XCdrKYplhw/s1600/KLL3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JlR5nZMQ83SlarTfTEIpT2U47eF00ChyqPPAVdEmQMlxdf1wUvWCzYio8HSMyxEW38taBP8vtYUYuef2AoxaaTGydXAcPEOUjMrm65RHt92aJYQWinxlciDErm9ETGG0XCdrKYplhw/s1600/KLL3.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Per Germany, BEER was offered at the completion of the race - 10:30am!</div>
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On Saturday, Tord Asle, my Team Santander teammate, arrived
super late at night after racing in Norwegian Nationals and chartering a plane
to catch a flight into Munich in order to race in the Swix Ski Classic on
Sunday. Saturday night I set out
to help test Tord’s skis – at midnight, by headlamp (or as they would call it,
a “torch” here) On Sunday I was happy to give drinks at the far end of the
course for my teammates at the Linderhof Castle. I was joined by 12-year old
Leo for the job and we had a great time cheering and chasing the racers from
the far end of the course to the finish line (by car) in time to see the
sprint. While it wasn’t the stand out team performance that we had in the
Marcialonga we collected enough points to take over the Team LEAD and Santander
is at the top of the charts going into the biggest marathon of the season, the
Vasaloppet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_xArht05GPjmxawPCDnLxqs-6-6aigVS6tGfnSnHQkkUdmYWhBUx9HXw45pjHi62C1nHf4IzzAidB_F5Qt91fQ6Jb1Gy94QdTzw7iZ6Gsrp1RJ48vB8fBw2JAZ8WXfRvFVOh8d3Ueg/s1600/Tord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_xArht05GPjmxawPCDnLxqs-6-6aigVS6tGfnSnHQkkUdmYWhBUx9HXw45pjHi62C1nHf4IzzAidB_F5Qt91fQ6Jb1Gy94QdTzw7iZ6Gsrp1RJ48vB8fBw2JAZ8WXfRvFVOh8d3Ueg/s1600/Tord.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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A <i>baller move</i> if you ask me....!</div>
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While I’ve always known the VASA is a big deal I fully
grasped the grandeur of and importance the event. Some people have likened it
to a Gold at World Championships. While this is of course up to dispute, it is
by far the most prestigious marathon race in Cross Country Skiing and a huge
event. During “VASA Week” I have
been told that 80 thousand, yes, you read that right, EIGHTY THOUSAND skiers
will participate in Vasaloppet events with the premiere event, the 90k at the
end of the week. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu3YwNESd5HqLELfM4g3VfelJW1_yli0rqlPH2sVbkhv63ZqG5Eq20hZw2BLHvHBc0kbFSqivT0rrIWyCqVQtP0XLEoH3TTlXKPBESMpc0_YDVP-_-sFujvImZsVpj0iRGHs2fL-sZw/s1600/KKL4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRu3YwNESd5HqLELfM4g3VfelJW1_yli0rqlPH2sVbkhv63ZqG5Eq20hZw2BLHvHBc0kbFSqivT0rrIWyCqVQtP0XLEoH3TTlXKPBESMpc0_YDVP-_-sFujvImZsVpj0iRGHs2fL-sZw/s1600/KKL4.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Feeding the team at Linderhof Castle with Leo</i></div>
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Following the KLL, I had one week to kill before the
Transjursienne in France. Lucky
for me I was able to crash with Max at his family’s flat in Garmisch. In Garmisch I found a winter paradise
and went on some awesome skis with Max including my first trip to Seefeld, good
food, and the sun! </div>
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One night (yes, night!) I even got to go “back country”
skiing at the resort right in town.
Every Tuesday evening is K2 rondenee night where literally hundreds of
skiers come to skin UP the alpine resort.
Once on the mountain you can choose between 4 different hut
destinations, complete with schnitzel, beer, or my personal fav, a mug of
Gluhwein. We skinned for two hours under a full moon and I had a blast. I WISH
that this kind of thing was allowed at US resorts but the fear of liability and
accidents is probably too high. While it was dark I was amazed by the number of
people that came to this event. At 7pm the parking lot was packed and little
bright dots lined the mountain cat track like a massive pilgrimage. This outing
was a perfect respite from the normal cross country training - special thanks to Max, Ben &
Anders for helping me with gear, waiting for me, and skiing behind me to
provide light for the downhill! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92UF4JuD6tK2bQ_KGbMaUBLk79_W1VtqC5kx_1VX4GzDkDJkBb1Hab-hzpmud8eyxHsFTM6HeOuwNtfOg_FsGvJanXbqxJ2nPFIj6nuJ5MJmymrJ-sqWV6AYHUao7A-BTzbUd4gFXCQ/s1600/Seefeld+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92UF4JuD6tK2bQ_KGbMaUBLk79_W1VtqC5kx_1VX4GzDkDJkBb1Hab-hzpmud8eyxHsFTM6HeOuwNtfOg_FsGvJanXbqxJ2nPFIj6nuJ5MJmymrJ-sqWV6AYHUao7A-BTzbUd4gFXCQ/s1600/Seefeld+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Seefeld whitewash! </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OlXkqBHYc8gPE9f3HshodKAz4WO8unXp3C3W9knKaIyHGp18JDbxzY64d7OwCE9_nqK8ATEuS3WkKGoOziS8DixzK3MRX7s1_IVsPsN6sUibygqIyLZZFhIWH3d_QjwKkGd9kJ9X6A/s1600/Seefeld+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5OlXkqBHYc8gPE9f3HshodKAz4WO8unXp3C3W9knKaIyHGp18JDbxzY64d7OwCE9_nqK8ATEuS3WkKGoOziS8DixzK3MRX7s1_IVsPsN6sUibygqIyLZZFhIWH3d_QjwKkGd9kJ9X6A/s1600/Seefeld+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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After some home-cooked meals Max and I departed Thursday for
the 7-hour drive to France. Max crushed it on the autobahn in his little Skoda.
Even so, we arrived super late to our accommodations for the weekend, the
National Nordic Training Center in Premanon. (Think the Lake Placid OTC) Luckily,
through a string of contacts, we were able to convey our lateness and they
saved some “salty cheesecake” (or quiche) for us for dinner. We were starving
and happy to see it! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GwNw5wKRyAl2YUViiGRiA3u87HXFEhfqaCQJ9SIVSTCTx2loW_1jqBNZUglJTK52SZawilB7nvPJ1t9rEyfOdc2MNn8Q6ugkKBFAUSmljyqAt9RI5mTio9I2EITFC6RHKFj9PZ7h6g/s1600/Transju2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GwNw5wKRyAl2YUViiGRiA3u87HXFEhfqaCQJ9SIVSTCTx2loW_1jqBNZUglJTK52SZawilB7nvPJ1t9rEyfOdc2MNn8Q6ugkKBFAUSmljyqAt9RI5mTio9I2EITFC6RHKFj9PZ7h6g/s1600/Transju2.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>My view from the passenger seat... </i></div>
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The Transjursienne is the fourth event of the FIS Marathon
cup following the Sgambeda, the Dolomitenlauf & the Marcialonga. This year
the 56k classic was the scored event despite Sunday’s 68k skate race being the
main World Loppet event. The
“Transju” traverses through the “Jura” mountains and much of the course is on
an exposed ridge thereby making it extremely susceptible to high winds. On Friday, our typical ski testing,
course inspection, race prep day the winds and drifts were so high that we
literally had a hard time finding the race track. Add the fact that many French
don’t speak a lick of English the experience was a bit like a scavenger hunt.
Unsatisfied with my race preparation and knowledge I had to pick skis blindly
and study the race map and course profile as best I could. </div>
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The next morning I was relieved to find the weather
relatively calm as compared to the pre-race nerves boiling in my stomach. My confidence following the Marcialonga
disaster was a bit low and I’ve never gone into an important race this “uneducated”
before. Turns out the nerves were appropriate as I made a rookie move in my first
3+ hour race of the season. Despite the fact that I had been properly warned I
failed to bring enough sugar with me for the race and the last 20 kilometers
(especially) were a constant struggle of will and determination. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx4dylrj5LBUMbs5pVWd6_ay1EXV9N6DRcruUWkfGT86EXDHCW6jw1B4IXwZPMOjyXZiVwYv8VJSlAk8L1idYDh44hCNRR1uVXcSCt_Vj3TM-iSGX6Fr6V8zxNx7_5-8hlzmW-R-zIQ/s1600/baguettes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYx4dylrj5LBUMbs5pVWd6_ay1EXV9N6DRcruUWkfGT86EXDHCW6jw1B4IXwZPMOjyXZiVwYv8VJSlAk8L1idYDh44hCNRR1uVXcSCt_Vj3TM-iSGX6Fr6V8zxNx7_5-8hlzmW-R-zIQ/s1600/baguettes.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>On Friday baguettes were much easier to find than the course in the white out! </i></div>
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The race was quick from the gun and I quickly found my two primary
female competitors, Aurelie Dabyduk of France and Tatjana Mannima of Estonia.
The three of us skied HARD together for the entire race, switching off leads
and positions. Approximately one k into the race I knew I was in for a long day
when my elbow pain returned with avengence. In hindsight, the Marcialonga was a
horrible race given my previous healthy history and thus, the Tranju turned out
to be 55k of shooting pain in my elbows.
During a three hour race you have a lot of time to think and I just kept
reminding myself of the year that I finished the 9-stage Tour de ski with a
broken wrist. I told myself that I’ve done it before and I could do it again.
However, as the kilometers stacked up my vision grew blurrier and blurrier.
While I had one small feed the last 18k of the race my competitors had coaches
and serviceman driving alongside the course with cars offering drinks, words of
encouragement, and tactical advice what seemed like every 2k. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_obdMV-XQNfOE4f9CEvSrpM18QepMuYYjlKrU4QzCLn5zIqAkNi9n7FxtUmoRDmEu5DIm1UnJz8i637oh7msivHMwJmgy7NeGf1suAjBjMBCz5gWXiWYwUZUEpMPF1Q24KZN1IUBVg/s1600/Jura8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_obdMV-XQNfOE4f9CEvSrpM18QepMuYYjlKrU4QzCLn5zIqAkNi9n7FxtUmoRDmEu5DIm1UnJz8i637oh7msivHMwJmgy7NeGf1suAjBjMBCz5gWXiWYwUZUEpMPF1Q24KZN1IUBVg/s1600/Jura8.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Leading the way to winning the first sprint (at 30k nonetheless) .... a snow machine and camera filmed us the entire race! There is a video <a href="http://www.nordicmag.info/la-transjuclassic-en-video-0207/">HERE</a> but I haven't been able to view it in the last 4 countries I've been in in the past two days! </div>
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<br /></div>
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In the end, Mannima was strong enough to double pole away
from me and I struggled, virtually blind, to a second place finish 4 seconds
behind her. While winning and collecting 100 FIS Marathon Cup points is always
a goal, I was really happy to pull off second considering the chain of
events. Without dragging the story
on anymore than I already have, I was mad at myself for not being prepared, more
self sufficient, etc, etc, etc.
However I would counter that argument with the fact that I’m learning
some tough lessons regarding what it takes to be a marathon racer with patched
together knowledge, waxing & drink support. It is certainly a transition
going from the USST where the support staff is awesome to branching out on my
own. On the World Cup an athlete’s main objective is to ski fast. While I have
the same primary goal of skiing fast I don’t have anyone doing the thinking and
planning for me. It’s an adjustment for sure! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6zjelrSn7w_rb_STS8LxQh2hxN8S88ACAxB5TyN_FeI6jhsL8ywBZuIuveX37ORcC8cETgWFB1weAZYMHsp_Vg8ccmHtSLMwnhBuOk68jtv_r0Zh82diO-MrU8I6FYetke0SAI-GYg/s1600/Transju+full+podium+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6zjelrSn7w_rb_STS8LxQh2hxN8S88ACAxB5TyN_FeI6jhsL8ywBZuIuveX37ORcC8cETgWFB1weAZYMHsp_Vg8ccmHtSLMwnhBuOk68jtv_r0Zh82diO-MrU8I6FYetke0SAI-GYg/s1600/Transju+full+podium+shot.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>The end result wasn't so bad although that bell is SO cool I might just have to go back and fight for it again! </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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It took almost half a liter of Coke, some CLIF blocks &
Gels, and the French pre-race meal to start feeling better. As if this wasn’t
enough, I had to ask a French race volunteer for help undressing because I
couldn’t get my race top up over my head! </div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite the mishaps it was awesome to explore a new place
and I’m happy to report that I still have the red bib! Unfortunately I’m skipping next
weekend’s race, the Tartu Marathon in Estonia but I knew if I was flying over
the pond I wanted to spend enough time to be adjusted for the big race! So,
Birkie bound it is! </div>
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<br /></div>
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Before signing off for the night I'd love to put up a few links: </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
1) My good friend Gretchen Weiman writes a fantastic blog called Gretchen Loves Anchorage. She's always posting about cool Alaskana type stuff but the other day I had a chance to talk to her via skype from Italy. She's speaking at the March 28 TEDX talk in Anchorage about "Dreamer-Doers" and I was incredibly honored to be featured on her blog. Check back often as she's talking to a slew of cool people! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.gretchenlovesanchorage.com/2015/02/08/holly-brooks-the-evolution-of-a-dream/">http://www.gretchenlovesanchorage.com/2015/02/08/holly-brooks-the-evolution-of-a-dream/</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Also, I'm auctioning myself off for the future of American skiing - that's right! The National Nordic Foundation has provided amazing support for aspiring cross countries through a variety of Pillar Projects. Most recently they helped offset the costs for World Juniors and U23s in Almaty, Kazakhstan. There were some awesome results! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thus, I'm helping NNF with future projects by auctioning myself off! Bid on ME and I can come to your school or workplace and give a talk... or I can lead a clinic, workout with you (!) or have dinner and share stories from ski racing around the world. <i>Don't make my husband win this auction :) </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/11992/auctions/20803/auction_items/474184"> http://www.32auctions.com/organizations/11992/auctions/20803/auction_items/474184</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Last not certainly not least a huge SHOUT out to all my sponsors and folks that make this journey possible. It's a true "cross country" marathon with up and downs, peaks and valleys. Thanks so much to all these companies and all of the additional folks whose logos appear on the right column of my blog. Check them out! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmRQUQRyqjqlDSEHnj0HFoPaTDsiVJi4xSYf4di59opd4HSS1rUZs5yrgABXczx-2j5P31lDKlbRwegyG70DKbPzFrQqcvNzp1mNkwDIY29NzG8qBrSytIjB3OzeJJ7NGmlW9JdRHOQ/s1600/Tranju1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnmRQUQRyqjqlDSEHnj0HFoPaTDsiVJi4xSYf4di59opd4HSS1rUZs5yrgABXczx-2j5P31lDKlbRwegyG70DKbPzFrQqcvNzp1mNkwDIY29NzG8qBrSytIjB3OzeJJ7NGmlW9JdRHOQ/s1600/Tranju1.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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WHEW! More soon. Thanks so much for checking in! </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-71250723960096921512015-01-29T06:54:00.002-08:002015-01-29T06:54:53.387-08:00The frustration (and elation) of life on the road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It’s easy to blog and post pictures about winning races,
eating good food, or skiing in new beautiful places. But, if I were to just show that side it would be an
incomplete picture and I don’t think that's fair; both to myself or to you, “the
reader” who is kindly following my marathon adventure.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s not always easy over here, or great for that matter.
Sometimes the races don’t go as planned or I spend hours laying in bed
wondering where I’ll sleep the following week, or how I’ll get myself to the
next race with two duffel bags and 20 pairs of skis. Embarrassing amounts of time are spent sending inquiry
emails to race organizers trying to figure out logistics or ask for help. And
then, an equally large quantity of time is spent fighting against the poor
Internet that seems to be standard in Europe – or at least when “connected” to
my North American based electronics. (Think of the spinning ball or death or
the URL status bar that becomes stuck at 8% loaded or the school assignment
that will open on my phone but not my computer.) </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikumkjc-sUppu2NScShloeOyZMZ62TzCG1BsCH-xhfrC4Ag4XvUGOHSdHzHNZ4-A-UM1WmGsKbd6Pu4rsRbEXINHpsj2cpVq4YMBCH2vYjUlbPfLlGkTgPoXJlQ3q17fAnBMBgakgh-w/s1600/Blank+Screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikumkjc-sUppu2NScShloeOyZMZ62TzCG1BsCH-xhfrC4Ag4XvUGOHSdHzHNZ4-A-UM1WmGsKbd6Pu4rsRbEXINHpsj2cpVq4YMBCH2vYjUlbPfLlGkTgPoXJlQ3q17fAnBMBgakgh-w/s1600/Blank+Screen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>For the record it took at least 17 attempts to post this - seriously. </i></div>
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When you don’t travel with a team, a coach, or a wax tech
there is no one looking out for you other than you. If something is going to
happen, it’s a result of your own actions, your own industriousness. In many ways I flourish under these
conditions. I am goal & action oriented. I have the ability to make things happen. Sometimes it just
doesn’t happen quickly enough or with the level of success or precision that I
hope for. In my situation, I must be able and
ready to “pivot” at any given time. </div>
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Yes, today was a bit rough but I have hope that tomorrow
will be a bit better. My forearms (and my ego) are still “injured” from the
Marcialonga, AKA, the downhill double pole derby. During the race my forearms (which I have chronic trouble
with) seized and I was unable to push myself aerobically whatsoever. It became a battle of just making it to
the finish line and honestly, it was the first race in a long, long time that I
didn’t exactly enjoy, as much as I hate to admit it. I felt unable to ski and
men, old men, with backpacks (!) were passing me and there was nothing I could
do about it. It was a helpless
feeling. I made it to the finish
line but my time was so horrible that I didn’t even finish within 10% of
the female winner that I needed to be awarded points for my pathetic 17<sup>th</sup>
place finish. Although it was only 14 points, every point matters in the chase
for the overall FIS Marathon Cup; especially when you’re thousands of miles
away from home…. </div>
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But back to today, and Germany…. </div>
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My slump is funny timing because at lunch, I opened Twitter
to find some extremely relevant sports quotes from none other than Chrissie
Wellington, 3-time (?) Kona Ironman (women) champion. Maybe she had a rough day herself and felt the need to post
or perhaps she just knew that I needed a few words of pick me up <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span> Here they are: </div>
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<i>The “perfect session or race” is usually when you manage
imperfections perfectly.” </i></div>
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And the second was, </div>
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<i>“Athletes stress about having a ‘bad training day.’ In actual fact, they’re not ‘bad’ at
all. They’re the foundation for success.” </i></div>
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If you're on twitter and don't already follow Chrissie Wellington I seriously recommend doing so. You can find her here: <a href="https://twitter.com/chrissiesmiles">@chrissiesmiles</a></div>
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But, things are looking up. Despite my frustrations I am an eternal optimist and I know that I have a lot to be thankful for. One is the ability to hang out with Team Santander, despite truly dropping the plow last weekend. It's been fun getting a taste of a pro Norwegian Swix Ski Classics team. The crew absolutely killed it last weekend and it was fun to experience success by association. </div>
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<i>Fun drive from Val di Fiemme to Germany with Andreas in this rig!!! </i></div>
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Also, the local grocery store here had 2 Euro tulips so tulips it is! </div>
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I hope you all find your own tulips today, no matter what shape or color they come in. </div>
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Thanks for checking in! </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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Holly </div>
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PS. If you have any idea how I might be able to get from Zurich to Poland for the Bieg Piastow I'm all ears! (I've gotta ask!!!!)</div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-71439791963943080852015-01-23T08:45:00.001-08:002015-01-23T08:45:04.349-08:00The "LONG MARCH".... aka, Italy's Marcialonga<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The "LONG MARCH".... <i>aka, Marcialonga .... </i>a direct translation. That pretty much sums it up. I'm writing a quick post before the race because I'm already afraid that after the race, my arms will be so destroyed that I won't even be able to type on my computer!</div>
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It's fun to be in Val di Fiemme again. Over the years I've spent a bunch of time here for the Tour de Ski and World Champs in 2013. But this time, the entire valley has come alive. The race is the biggest in Italy and perhaps the 2nd or 3rd most prestigious ski marathon in the world. The traditional, full distance is 70k however this year, due to the (seemingly) world wide snow shortage, the race is shortened 13k, for a total of "only" 57k. </div>
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But first, the drive to Val di Fiemme from Austria... it was SPECTACULAR. From Austria we drove to Toblach and up the valley, mirroring the men's point to point Tour de Ski course. Every year the girls are stuck doing 5k loops in and out of the stadium while the men get a picturesque point to point trip through the Dolomites. We drove up, through Cortina, and up and over some absolutely majestic mountain passes. It was perhaps the most beautiful drive I've ever been on. Thank goodness for the GPS because without it, I'm not sure we would have ever found our hotel in Molina! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSi-eRxugOynUCYnDmf2edVvOk3sBvN9pLDvL5GCj0hx__d8GwU-GC3JBdGaQP5LXe53NBoaJkrZ0HzSIdZwZY6WORlcRpe9iocK6iKcGzi8FXzSt42wbPXdkJtK0teldMLPWm11Rag/s1600/IMG_0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSi-eRxugOynUCYnDmf2edVvOk3sBvN9pLDvL5GCj0hx__d8GwU-GC3JBdGaQP5LXe53NBoaJkrZ0HzSIdZwZY6WORlcRpe9iocK6iKcGzi8FXzSt42wbPXdkJtK0teldMLPWm11Rag/s1600/IMG_0380.JPG" height="110" width="640" /></a><br />
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A Euro life saver... </div>
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Rob putting a "Go Holly" sticker on the sign at the Summit :) </div>
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Team Santander & the Auckland Brothers have been staying at Hotel Ancora for the past dozen or so years of this race. The lobby is full of signed skis, poles, bibs, pictures, and congratulatory signs. It's a bit of a "Ski Museum" if you will...... </div>
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This place has some serious character. This is only a small part of the "spa"...... there is an amethyst cave steam room. When we walked into our room three days ago we both busted out in laughter because there is a stone pond/tub type thing and you can crawl through a glass draw bridge the shower. Apparently every room is different, and every room is "handmade" by the owner. </div>
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But enough about the hotel, back to the race. Here's the modified course profile. The initial 13k of the race was gradual uphill and now that's gone. Gone with it is the debate of whether I should use kick wax or no kick wax. It's a mute topic now. I'm guessing that all of the girls in the elite wave will be double poling only. (Which brings the question - is classic dead?) Double poling it seems has become a sport in and of itself. </div>
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The thought of double poling 57k is quite intimidating to me. Especially with girls that train primarily double poling. But, in a race that is primarily downhill will it be as easy to get away? Different than the previous Swix Ski Classic races, the girls start amongst the men this time. Coed versus same sex race starts are entirely different.... in the coed starts often the girls get separated from one another. I've had experiences where I am in a sea of men and have no idea where the other girls are, let alone what place I'm in. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ2EZzlLZtgdpcHzhJ2Yw2qMkr7Au1nbWjFbn-GwrbT0lUBMAroyjU9sUtAstJLdNV9t0syWsfartkTy5sW7uPeKbXHx_Ft_9QuBLtgckz7HmlAtiYWg_ho5JZQdWAsPn-iC7qCAp4w/s1600/marcialonga2015_profile_copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ2EZzlLZtgdpcHzhJ2Yw2qMkr7Au1nbWjFbn-GwrbT0lUBMAroyjU9sUtAstJLdNV9t0syWsfartkTy5sW7uPeKbXHx_Ft_9QuBLtgckz7HmlAtiYWg_ho5JZQdWAsPn-iC7qCAp4w/s1600/marcialonga2015_profile_copy.png" height="240" width="640" /></a><br />
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Here is the race map. As you an see, almost the entire thing is on the valley floor. This year the start is in Mazzin. The course goes along the river and in and out of small towns. Our "course inspection" the first day was a combination of skiing and walking through cobble stone streets that didn't have snow on them yet. I am excited for the race and REALLY excited for the experience. </div>
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As stated in my <a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20150114/holly-brooks-coping-snowless-winter">Anchorage Dispath News article</a>, it seems like ski courses are large-scale construction projects rather than the result of natural occurrences. The Marcialonga is certainly no exception. The ENTIRE 57 kilometers are man-made. I can't even begin to imagine the time, effort and expense that goes into such an endeavor but as I stated earlier, this race is the life blood and a huge economic engine of this valley. </div>
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The new start in Mazzin</div>
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Rob standing on a rock-hard pile of artificial snow</div>
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The last three kilometers of this race is the most famous. After 50k of flats and gradual uphill, Marcialonga skiers must climb 3k UPHILL to the finish line in Cavalese. For all you Anchorage folks, think of double poling Potter Hill after a couple hours of double poling. That is what I'm going to do on Sunday. The final climb is called the "Cascata" and this photo, below is part of the course literally .5k kilometers from the finish line in Cavalese. I was up there earlier today and now the entire thing is covered in snow. The Auckland brothers who have tons of wins are podiums were nice enough to show me the course via car the other night after pizza. It was fun winding down the climb which is barely wide enough for one car. The next day I went back and ran UP it just to make sure I know what to expect this weekend. </div>
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In addition to the awesome ski culture here is the amazing food. This Parmesan is fresh and from the next valley over. Perhaps it's hard to tell how large this is from the picture but I'd guess it weighs close to 30 pounds. (I guess I'm attracting all kinds of big cheese wheels this winter!) </div>
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This fresh pasta was the best pasta I've ever had in my life. Jorgen, Anders, and Rob liked it quite well too! </div>
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I have to say, I was touched by the small edition of the American flag amongst the bigger Norwegian flag. </div>
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If you're at all curious to follow the race you can actually watch it LIVE via the Swix Ski Classics website. I find it ironic that you have to pirate World Cups but you can watch the ski classics on the website here: </div>
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<a href="http://www.swixskiclassics.com/">http://www.swixskiclassics.com</a></div>
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Wish me luck & arms on Sunday because I'm going to need them! </div>
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Have a fantastic weekend, </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-14571423236756306982015-01-19T00:36:00.000-08:002015-01-19T09:35:25.991-08:00Dolomitenlauf: Red bib, Tirol wreaths & BOND! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday I raced the Dolomitenlauf and right now, I'm racing hotel check out time to get this post up. We're moving up into the mountains for a couple days of training in Obertilliach where the Internet is almost non-existent! So, here goes..... </div>
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After a few LONG weeks off racing, I'm back! I must admit, I was nervous coming into the race this weekend because I was feeling extremely rusty. The holiday break at home was awesome but towards the end, it was growing long as I sat at home, watching teammate's results pour in from the Tour de Ski and US Nationals. For someone who loves racing more than waking up at odd hours to check results this was hard. But, patience was important and I have many, many kilometers of racing in my near future. Yesterday was super fun and well worth the wait. </div>
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Here's how the day ended:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmbXmnmtM-m4EZD1RGniBEKOdx2kXw7Llzsx3HxTWJjyzJ0drfxLxtDXgE-82Jjqc9VXvRo6gF1aLwPrCBkUo9_A0zz9XHPgdoQ7U8nyRPJEG1XCXD1tRMwe4eps3SrD-gYKdZR6oZA/s1600/Credit+FIS+Marathon+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmbXmnmtM-m4EZD1RGniBEKOdx2kXw7Llzsx3HxTWJjyzJ0drfxLxtDXgE-82Jjqc9VXvRo6gF1aLwPrCBkUo9_A0zz9XHPgdoQ7U8nyRPJEG1XCXD1tRMwe4eps3SrD-gYKdZR6oZA/s1600/Credit+FIS+Marathon+Cup.jpg" height="435" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Photo credit: Worldloppet/Epp</i></div>
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But here are a few pics leading up to my Alaska departure..... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhogR74C1kEGzoN2waHvX257XRZeUAbiu96D-u_gZvgTO1k0cNzkQgJMkyYwHnRRTe8BjO9rWj9YTbh8i3aFkPy9spI_CSh4Eq_oxNQ_6A6uKL8-fpVDx9zvBHNeorMIwmKA1CPgsPQ/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhogR74C1kEGzoN2waHvX257XRZeUAbiu96D-u_gZvgTO1k0cNzkQgJMkyYwHnRRTe8BjO9rWj9YTbh8i3aFkPy9spI_CSh4Eq_oxNQ_6A6uKL8-fpVDx9zvBHNeorMIwmKA1CPgsPQ/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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A "care package" from my awesome sponsor CLIF. It's nice to travel with a taste of home and CLIF has some awesome new flavors including my new fav, a chili chocolate! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5bMQMXBhw2w3UMiSI_I1AQWsFVWdSU9FwUODDIOI_wngJEyKP0kBFtKwsCl4xrfY3uvTe5fCqT7jM2Q1gv_PJtUL2rqkfjcDuQSnPee29T1vx3JXSc_-VJw0NigeF6eQcmIb8zcd_Q/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5bMQMXBhw2w3UMiSI_I1AQWsFVWdSU9FwUODDIOI_wngJEyKP0kBFtKwsCl4xrfY3uvTe5fCqT7jM2Q1gv_PJtUL2rqkfjcDuQSnPee29T1vx3JXSc_-VJw0NigeF6eQcmIb8zcd_Q/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Always need to have Mexican a couple of times before months in Europe. It's not the same over here.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7JxKf6bI2aJwUOOCA338Y-8FoWTKxBDng07hJwwzhNsX3TpZWV0y0zyKZar8Ka9HL49LJDo2SwbqN2zzb5nJdwN89x3xA6qRkyyAX959FRNwfrFF75w5zTO8lHJHbutf3R36P8Kpew/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7JxKf6bI2aJwUOOCA338Y-8FoWTKxBDng07hJwwzhNsX3TpZWV0y0zyKZar8Ka9HL49LJDo2SwbqN2zzb5nJdwN89x3xA6qRkyyAX959FRNwfrFF75w5zTO8lHJHbutf3R36P8Kpew/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" height="301" width="400" /></a></div>
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And, a fun cross training workout with my AK girlfriends.... </div>
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BYE Anchorage! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboFDKfnYFk8X02Cu3RTXCeT6bi8zXx1mbf73JSOkU_V6uqMn0W0wrXOpqP8ddP7HD2R6GnMwaYnys-R11-VStPGyBONajYmYbpvr2PwxsHCRUds8Wzmw86hdKJ79O5RoYLQbpif9l-Q/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboFDKfnYFk8X02Cu3RTXCeT6bi8zXx1mbf73JSOkU_V6uqMn0W0wrXOpqP8ddP7HD2R6GnMwaYnys-R11-VStPGyBONajYmYbpvr2PwxsHCRUds8Wzmw86hdKJ79O5RoYLQbpif9l-Q/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tiny, tiny bits of snow on the mountains leaving Anchorage. Alaska, similar to many places all over the world is experiencing a horribly dry winter.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fzNZemmBFG1ytghOjzgJEHjU8UC2Aw8kWxp9Zt4qBHtkkj9V_sAfACszmCVzbfALGzjCYEEqSeEV3XMaHocnCjccGi056xwAWBJWkxdWd0-qMWBqQXjhS4c3yhvBk4vfa0Wp1RO6EA/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fzNZemmBFG1ytghOjzgJEHjU8UC2Aw8kWxp9Zt4qBHtkkj9V_sAfACszmCVzbfALGzjCYEEqSeEV3XMaHocnCjccGi056xwAWBJWkxdWd0-qMWBqQXjhS4c3yhvBk4vfa0Wp1RO6EA/s1600/IMG_0040.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first day of travel we only flew to Seattle and spend the night in an airport hotel. My parents live nearby and drove out to see us.... they brought a gorgeous green salad and my T-Mobile world wide SIM card. This is my first time ever having a phone that WORKS in Europe and it's a crucial tool when I'm making all my own arrangements. I have unlimited text and (SLOW) data in all countries. It's not cheap but well worth it! </div>
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There are many people who have played integral roles in my winter distance racing experiment. Chelsea Little is pursuing a PhD in Zurich and has kindly let me use her home for ski storage. I can also sleep there before and after international flights which cuts out $200/hotel rooms.... Plus, she BAKES! What!?!?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrV3Pqr0uMI93AAxi_FHDWA3z3WfBYQ7bsieecXAYBOz4XOrjAuNWbDelJ2hlpawRyXV-WUEu7Atk8OZK648ylrMXdMq9Gi-RRUuL-QwcHFxIoMiCg9HshA-TW0UlIxyC5Rk9XQXjZjw/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrV3Pqr0uMI93AAxi_FHDWA3z3WfBYQ7bsieecXAYBOz4XOrjAuNWbDelJ2hlpawRyXV-WUEu7Atk8OZK648ylrMXdMq9Gi-RRUuL-QwcHFxIoMiCg9HshA-TW0UlIxyC5Rk9XQXjZjw/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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This trip I was lucky enough to bring Rob, my husband along. Part of my change from World Cup to Ski Marathons was the desire to spend more time at home and have more flexibility in my schedule. 5 solid months away from a spouse is tough no matter which way you look at it. While Rob was hating life the first couple of days with some of the most intense jet lag I've ever seen he's finally in his groove and it's really special to share this with him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQ3hCNrmSaoRJRYtBhFuz5VEI18dFk4xTszXDCdDmpbeZwIBBiGNejvNTSic2BUnZ-HE527INrpd-gLJllOmoqj3B71Iy9HspTt6IZJmrGTZwrVcfMUzlLrM-pdKzMwV-v1Gh89F7vQ/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQ3hCNrmSaoRJRYtBhFuz5VEI18dFk4xTszXDCdDmpbeZwIBBiGNejvNTSic2BUnZ-HE527INrpd-gLJllOmoqj3B71Iy9HspTt6IZJmrGTZwrVcfMUzlLrM-pdKzMwV-v1Gh89F7vQ/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We spent our first two days with my friend Bettina Gruber who recently retired from the Swiss National Team. Bettina's family lives in Chur, Swizterland and she was on vacation from her medical rotations. Yes, you heard that right. Bettina (who will be turning 30 Jan 31st!) pursued elite ski racing and medicine simultaneously. Perhaps my disclosure of this makes the rest of us look like slackers but I'm always super impressed with her. It was great getting to know her parents and she also taught us how to make the traditional Swiss dish, Spatzle - she even sent us with the special Spatzle maker so if you're ever coming to dinner at our house we can make it for you! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7_-pP4n5uCImvSqARlWfp8aQGA_kXdPz5vXHmFNWy1JNNnr3Uv5HsIZPavO390o5DTlz_Qr-WzjPRpRyhJQqCd9-ao_3DL9tjjM7Oio5q0Q3QNqhBsPVCWDQtKHe2C_eN5wS7Rz4zQ/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7_-pP4n5uCImvSqARlWfp8aQGA_kXdPz5vXHmFNWy1JNNnr3Uv5HsIZPavO390o5DTlz_Qr-WzjPRpRyhJQqCd9-ao_3DL9tjjM7Oio5q0Q3QNqhBsPVCWDQtKHe2C_eN5wS7Rz4zQ/s1600/IMG_0080.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bettina's home tracks are Lenzerheide (recent TDS stop) so it was nice to get the first couple days of skiing there. Thankfully they had just enough snow. </div>
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Then, we made the trip to Austria...... Here's Rob during our course inspection: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivbid85DBiS3tOyM6fwcV0MuE1DtsObFTvm0v0yHCMko43rK8I0tHsPF2hr1XOVu7XFiMdvv-HAt4l0qep-2bvFeNszlyxYCId8DYEDVgHQVBVMRqmONjh4EtifneruvWj32vbQx8SQ/s1600/NF3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivbid85DBiS3tOyM6fwcV0MuE1DtsObFTvm0v0yHCMko43rK8I0tHsPF2hr1XOVu7XFiMdvv-HAt4l0qep-2bvFeNszlyxYCId8DYEDVgHQVBVMRqmONjh4EtifneruvWj32vbQx8SQ/s1600/NF3.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i> Photo credit: Salomon/Nordic Focus</i></div>
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Rob raced too! Like the "Mr" on his bib? </div>
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Check out Antonela's gloves! It sounds like she might be making the trip to the Midwest for the 2015 Birkie! </div>
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Wax tech :) </div>
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Rob helping me test skis :) <i>Photo credit: Salomon/Nordic Focus</i></div>
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Completely unrelated to the ski race.... the new James Bond SPECTRE was filming in Obertililach - literally a couple hundred meters from the race start/finish. The film employed hundreds of folks and they took up all the hotel rooms in Obertilliach, making it so we had to stay down below in Sillian. The entire town (which is tiny) was overtaken by the film production. Add a couple thousand people for the race and it was a funny mixture of Hollywood and Euro ski marathons: </div>
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I found this picture online but Rob and I drove by the staging area and saw this plane fuselage: </div>
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I'm actually kind of excited for the movie to come out..... ! </div>
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The streets of Obertilliach</div>
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<i> Photo credit: Meiko Homke</i></div>
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The race itself went well. Due to the low snow the course was changed and the race was shortened. The OC did a fantastic job putting on a top notch event and I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in combining ski racing and international travel! </div>
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Here is a short highlight video of the race (3 mins): </div>
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<a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/V/211780/dolomitenlauf-42km-ft-2015.htm" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">http://www.worldloppet.com/V/<wbr></wbr>211780/dolomitenlauf-42km-ft-<wbr></wbr>2015.htm</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddoK7_BU-eJ9uDf3RdoIuFejQyzOCOPYldLpQ8x-iGSqultiU-kDuKpQRhfnVw2PtsxAfbjS9tLiP79Rk8kUbD42L9yBIn2w153CYT3sd3sG1aHlVWYSGT6SQIIJ3dEMejAVOUF-OLQ/s1600/Podium+Ski+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddoK7_BU-eJ9uDf3RdoIuFejQyzOCOPYldLpQ8x-iGSqultiU-kDuKpQRhfnVw2PtsxAfbjS9tLiP79Rk8kUbD42L9yBIn2w153CYT3sd3sG1aHlVWYSGT6SQIIJ3dEMejAVOUF-OLQ/s1600/Podium+Ski+.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks a ton to Salomon for this help in organizing and supporting the event! After yesterday's race I'm the current owner of the "red bib" which signifies the overall leader of the FIS Marathon Cup. <i>Photo credit: Thomas ISEP</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwiYDWHpVrzPxE5dI9WL2xFYfY20YCety3QPVec6oUxgKE803MjMjKvN8PmwOr1jp87QfTGdO7D33Itr1fEysg3Ui3T0vLyQLZoIXCfOD72Jk3Ht8YJKiLXeBfhoEEoIA4LZ9Bw7mIA/s1600/Finish+arms+in+air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwiYDWHpVrzPxE5dI9WL2xFYfY20YCety3QPVec6oUxgKE803MjMjKvN8PmwOr1jp87QfTGdO7D33Itr1fEysg3Ui3T0vLyQLZoIXCfOD72Jk3Ht8YJKiLXeBfhoEEoIA4LZ9Bw7mIA/s1600/Finish+arms+in+air.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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No Finish sprint needed! <i>Photo credit: Thomas ISEP</i></div>
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I've always wanted one of these Vasaloppet-inspired wreaths! </div>
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<i>Photo credit: Thomas ISEP</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr3VSW9paR3b6CR-s1ZMJTDdqnZCiBgl2qZJQsD6UmQamFhNdJY4W6-Zeyv_YCqT0od7hlVTnMbo6U1ZBk6uEk44n9mbSr7KnC60Qy1004dmtC3UTTYPWKGfkEtX69eioFIc5eTUU2Q/s1600/Alaskan+Podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr3VSW9paR3b6CR-s1ZMJTDdqnZCiBgl2qZJQsD6UmQamFhNdJY4W6-Zeyv_YCqT0od7hlVTnMbo6U1ZBk6uEk44n9mbSr7KnC60Qy1004dmtC3UTTYPWKGfkEtX69eioFIc5eTUU2Q/s1600/Alaskan+Podium.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's how the "Alaskan Podium" played out.... I don't think there is any shame in "getting girled" :) </div>
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It was fun having our buddy Seth Downs here. Seth is a FedEX pilot and sometimes work leaves him with multiple day layovers all over the world. Seth has perfected matching those layover with international ski racing. Jealous? I am! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTuFDIFLfhdGEUPzbWVgcweUJvs-QLjJ1fX-OjdnZG8tDgjso6MKTkK7im-g2DlFziKgd2F4Tl_gI8opPrhQP3EMlWZBQveDTO9c23hdt9URTIavgtLARipBi8nhKqWCRzPsWg9JDDQ/s1600/Support+Crew+&+Racers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTuFDIFLfhdGEUPzbWVgcweUJvs-QLjJ1fX-OjdnZG8tDgjso6MKTkK7im-g2DlFziKgd2F4Tl_gI8opPrhQP3EMlWZBQveDTO9c23hdt9URTIavgtLARipBi8nhKqWCRzPsWg9JDDQ/s1600/Support+Crew+&+Racers.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Racers and support crew - thanks to these guys! Nicolaus of SWIX Germany, Fred & Norbert of Salomon Austria. These guys waxed my skis and gave crucial feeds throughout the race! </div>
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Seth proudly displaying his World Loppet Passport :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFalXGpXgpt8iZHKsxa1_rsBl061kbwrTSftSzRNTHZkH88ocTAHOaAZn0d51pwSSXOqTBisLq5eUvTqFEHfofJLyTFUFC3Ii7yVzkmfthlnVcUIc1x9cpgNPe4TS0lrXJ1-WP64eDQ/s1600/IMG_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFalXGpXgpt8iZHKsxa1_rsBl061kbwrTSftSzRNTHZkH88ocTAHOaAZn0d51pwSSXOqTBisLq5eUvTqFEHfofJLyTFUFC3Ii7yVzkmfthlnVcUIc1x9cpgNPe4TS0lrXJ1-WP64eDQ/s1600/IMG_0258.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Race "Chief" Franz Theurl & local men including my new friend Alois Ebner in their traditional Austrian garb.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnKNKqcDtyNnIb_6sPVjeeICs0lTX9NSveCekJtJ24skOXQ5kOMc6mXm8DWF9OUypgaxyhnZEqVx_okUKZmkVJ1FXDHnhuYa-Fn_ZbtfI77Xct8emnKjXk_3EpNoPGlafLTq6oHDUoQ/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnKNKqcDtyNnIb_6sPVjeeICs0lTX9NSveCekJtJ24skOXQ5kOMc6mXm8DWF9OUypgaxyhnZEqVx_okUKZmkVJ1FXDHnhuYa-Fn_ZbtfI77Xct8emnKjXk_3EpNoPGlafLTq6oHDUoQ/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last but not least, a toast with Aperol Spritz - a favoite apre ski drink in the Dolomites</div>
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What's next? The Marcialonga next weekend? Stay tuned!!!! </div>
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Thanks for the cheers - I can hear them all the way over here in Dolomites! And, a special thanks to all my supporters and sponsors. This wouldn't be possible without you! </div>
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Holly</div>
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<a href="http://skitrax.com/79921/?c">Skitrax article about the race HERE</a></div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-10839515466615326012015-01-07T10:47:00.002-08:002015-01-07T10:47:39.293-08:00569 kilometers.... let's do this! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been great having a rare couple of weeks at home in the middle of the winter. But, I'm getting the itch to get out of here and put a bib on! I'm inspired but all the amazing results my teammates are turning in all over the world. The USST is racing day in and day out in the Tour de Ski (yes, I too am loosing sleep watching at ungodly hours in the middle of the night) My APU teammates are skiing in blizzards and standing on podiums in Houghton, Michigan and recently retired APU skier Pete Kling just got a sprint race in the Tour of China.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_VthMeggd5nLNxPHV2CpZ2vJ2h5WDTfL_a_i3zF57qW1A_UaIhpyiplXLwA4VCHSLwozud5oOvpKgdkKWoFAO40COsmcEc46lkGoHD3laJYr4VJozZrqtQikeE7CKVMD8zJvn4FvRw/s1600/Turnagain+Arm+Panorama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_VthMeggd5nLNxPHV2CpZ2vJ2h5WDTfL_a_i3zF57qW1A_UaIhpyiplXLwA4VCHSLwozud5oOvpKgdkKWoFAO40COsmcEc46lkGoHD3laJYr4VJozZrqtQikeE7CKVMD8zJvn4FvRw/s1600/Turnagain+Arm+Panorama.jpg" height="138" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>Turnagain Arm from Main Street, Hope (Alaska's not so bad in January!!)</i></div>
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The sole reason I'm not going completely crazy is because I know I will have my day, my turn! The other day I calculated that if I do all the races I want to in the remainder of the season I have <b>FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE kilometers</b> of racing left! </div>
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569k, <a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/p/schedule.html">11 ski marathons, in ten different countries!</a> The thought alone makes me simultaneously excited and exhausted. </div>
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So, while its hard to watch racing, wanting to be there, it's important to be patient.</div>
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<i>Dragging Nat on a super duper tough training ski at Hatcher's Pass. Cold, punchy & altitude. Theme of the workout: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..... </i></div>
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This weekend is my <i>"old November"</i> meaning that when I take off this weekend I won't return home until April. I'll be back just in time for the snow to fall :) Before departure there is all kinds of business to take care of including getting lined out to continue my graduate studies with APU. Last semester I was a full time (in person!) graduate student and while it's going to hard to study on the road I need to continue my academic momentum. Last semester I took three classes for a total of 12 credit. This semester I will take two including "senior seminar" for a total of 10 graduate credits. Wish me luck writing papers from Italy, Austria & Poland! </div>
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In addition I'm also trying to figure out logistics for the next three months of my life. Where will I sleep? What will I eat? Who will wax my skis? How will I get from point A to point B? Despite the stress and anxiety my last trip went so well that I'm feeling much more relaxed about my upcoming travels. I hope that I'm not getting too over confident and/or too relaxed about it! Last trip I was lucky enough to have Max and Markus - my dream team of friends to help out. This trip is different in that I'll be renting a car and my fate will be in my own hands...... </div>
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<i>Quality time with friends</i></div>
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The good news is that Rob is going to join me for the first two weeks in Europe! This is huge in that being gone for months at a time while married is really, really tough. He'll serve as my wing-man and I'm happy that I won't be lost in Europe alone driving through Zurich. I'll have someone to share the frustration with :) </div>
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<i>SNOW MAKING AT KINCAID!!!! Photo: Jim Falconer</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20150101/snowmachiner-says-he-and-buddies-dug-moose-out-avalanche-hatcher-pass">In completely unrelated news, if you haven't read about the Moose that was swept up in an Alaskan avalanche check out this story...... these snow machiners unburied it. The moose got up and ran away after taking a 1,500 foot ride down the mountain! </a></div>
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That's it for now! Off to pack, train & enjoy my last couple of days in town! </div>
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Cheers & Happy New Years to you, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-6058559884435213452014-12-31T10:55:00.000-08:002014-12-31T10:55:39.102-08:00A different kind of Christmas.... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It feels pretty surreal to be at home right now. This was my first Christmas in the US, let alone at home in years. Three years ago I was in Ramsau, Austria and fell while running on Christmas night... I broke my wrist and then continued to finish the 9-stage Tour de Ski with a broken bone. The following year I was in Oberhof and it was warm and raining - we "skied" on brown dirt-snow waiting for the first stage of the Tour. Last year I was in Davos preparing for the Tour yet again. In the past the Tour de Ski has traditionally started Dec 28th or 29th so Christmas has been all about business and preparation. This year is obviously much different in that I was AT HOME for Christmas! My "period one" trip to Europe consisted of 12 days and three races. It was brief but it was oh-so-much fun! I returned to Alaska December 17th and don't take off again until January 11th. That's 3+ weeks at home to enjoy winter in Alaska. I raced my first Besh Cup (!) spent some quality time with my family (including parents) at Christmas and am getting in some good training hours. I calculated it yesterday and if I race everything I want to race in the next 3+ months <b>I have 569 kilometers of racing left this season.</b> Hence, the training period that I'm in the middle of now! The rest of my APU teammates left for US Nationals in Houghton, Michigan this morning so I'm solo yet again. Luckily there are lots of good skiers in the Anchorage area to pull together as training partners. Here are some photos from the last two weeks to tell the story of being home! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmft6ckoiC7NiGKFZJeWMjGdWJj7XBfe3_k5kyYhMoaHVrISDgy3oNdzPln2G1eLoqVHRLgDZaajjGqaYUHfexMaI8QY0imaNbfVQDQUKTgy4SLOp2bVGVz_y1ZkDAXIyNB4SxX5wVg/s1600/H11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXmft6ckoiC7NiGKFZJeWMjGdWJj7XBfe3_k5kyYhMoaHVrISDgy3oNdzPln2G1eLoqVHRLgDZaajjGqaYUHfexMaI8QY0imaNbfVQDQUKTgy4SLOp2bVGVz_y1ZkDAXIyNB4SxX5wVg/s1600/H11.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>With Sam after the Besh Cup</i> </div>
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Fun racing my first Besh Cup! In the past I was always coaching at Besh - or, I was in Europe. It was great fun racing home trails and getting cheered on by friends and family. It was fun looking around at the race to realize that many of the racers and/or coaches are people whom I've coached in my past life! (Fun aside, Anson Moxness, who I coached, is coaching at West High School - my first coaching job. He has 160 kids on the high school ski team roster making it the BIGGEST high school ski team in the entire country. That makes me really happy! Nice work Anson!) </div>
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<i>Alice the festive Bib Lady.... handing out race bibs, chocolate and smiles! </i></div>
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My parents flew in on Dec 23rd for a week long visit. Just two hours after landing in Anchorage we were out at Kincaid Park to compete as a team for the AMH Friends and Family relay. It was my mom's first ski of the year! I was proud of my parents for rolling with the punches and being good sports! </div>
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That same night it was my niece's first ski race! She's only 4 years old and did a great job! </div>
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Mom and Dad making traditional clove oranges.... </div>
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We celebrated family Christmas on Christmas Eve because Rob had to work on Christmas.... Fun to have everyone together! </div>
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Way too cute! My nieces with their new (and slightly premature) Junior Nordic hats. Sometimes it's just too easy to get excited about young family members skiing :) </div>
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It snowed Christmas morning! Buggz approved... </div>
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On Christmas Day my family headed to Beans Cafe to volunteer with the Ronsse crew of Dennis & Annie, Katie & Justin Libby, and Amber Walker. Unfortunately Dennis has another broken elbow but was making the best of it with a green and red cast. Dennis and Annie brought a beautiful load of organic potatoes and carrots for the cafe. They've been donating from their garden and root cellar for years which is very, very cool! </div>
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A fun way to spend Christmas - we helped serve over 800 meals! </div>
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My parents making "to-go" meals for folks at the Brother Francis Shelter. Beans Cafe provides an amazing service to people in need of food in Anchorage. I believe that <a href="https://beanscafe.org/?gclid=Cj0KEQiA2o6lBRCn_b7yppe98rQBEiQAMpnYnUvbXbAswZLESmvS1VmOSy4yuHcVd5Ul8RiZcEZfKG0aAiF-8P8HAQ">Bean's Cafe</a> is part of Alaska's <a href="http://www.pickclickgive.org/">Pick Click Give</a> Campaign. </div>
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After Beans & Training we paid a visit to Rob at the Fire Station. While most folks have holidays such as Christmas off Firefighters and emergency responders are always at work, prepared to help when needed. </div>
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After the holiday we headed to Hope, Alaska. We've been working on this place incessantly (correction - Rob has been working!) for the past four years. It's literally been Rob's project since I have been skiing full time.... The cabin was originally inspired by my family's cabin at Snoqualimie Pass in Washington State. I learned to ski skiing in and out of the cabin growing up and all my fondest memories from childhood were at the family "stugan" (Swedish for cabin). This has been a HUGE project and we've been lucky to have help from friends and family. It was really special to share it with my parents for the first time! </div>
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Inside view from the couch.... fun to display some of my ski paraphernalia as it doesn't fit in our 850 sq foot house! </div>
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Mom and Dad getting their read on! </div>
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Just one of the many things I love about Anchorage..... I'm able to pull together this many skiers for a 3-hour double pole ski departing from my house - in the DARK! Anchorage rocks and so do all these people :) Left to right: Me, my dad, Greer, Megan & Katie. </div>
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Last but not least, ending on a goofy note. Rob doing the opposite of training. Don, Erin, Austin and Reese through one of the more incredible Christmas parties I've ever been too. They built an ice hot tub & ice bar. Rob was the first one to strip down and jump in! Then someone brought him pizza and a beer..... </div>
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Happy New Years Everyone! Be safe and have fun! </div>
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More soon, </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-5349509642875983682014-12-17T14:03:00.000-08:002014-12-17T14:03:17.839-08:00In love with ski marathons: La Sgambeda race report & pictures! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Fill your coffee cup because this is long…. Or just scroll
through the pictures<span style="font-family: Wingdings;"> :) </span></div>
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<b>12 days, 8 airplanes, 92 kilometers of racing in three
days….. What a trip! </b></div>
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<i>3 races, 3 days.... </i></div>
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photo credit: Swix Ski Classics (SSC)</div>
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When I was first designing this trip it almost felt silly to
travel thousands of miles for one small race weekend. But, I decided that I
couldn’t afford to miss the “kick off” to the marathon season and didn’t want
to spend the entire winter trying to play catch up in the chase for FIS
Marathon Cup points. Plus, who wants to wait until January to start racing? </div>
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The trip turned out to be absolutely perfect and I am SO
glad that I went. It was just enough time to get “my feet wet” and build a ton
of confidence for my next trip over the pond. Many of the logistics were downright impossible to figure out
from home and now, having made this trip I can put faces to names – I joined a
team (!) and I feel really good about my return in January. I am ecstatic to
spend my first Christmas at home in a long time and by the end of my break,
I’ll be chomping at the bit to put a bib on again. The plan couldn’t be
better! </div>
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There were many times this fall that I had night mares about
getting to the start of a race and not having my skis or coming up to a hill
that was too steep for me to ski up. I had a lot of conscience and subconscious
anxiety that I was carrying around. However, the optimist in me prevailed because in
the back of my mind I knew that somehow, someway, it would work out – and it
did. </div>
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<i>Zero days left until the La Sgambeda! </i></div>
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<i>Only in Italy - perfume & grappa at the race expo</i></div>
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But not everything was stress free and smooth. Thursday night,
the day before the skate race I went to the team captain’s meeting to find out
what was going on. At 6pm I still didn’t have anyone to wax my skis!!!! Compared
to the last 4 years where I’ve had a personal tech this was a huge transition. (Sure, I could have attempted to wax
them myself but at this level you really need someone who knows what they’re
doing to be competitive.) </div>
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<i>So wonderful to see my TEAM! Love these girls (just missing Kik who was on the phone)</i></div>
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Spending the first couple days in Davos at Markus and
Maurus’s house was absolutely perfect. Arriving in Davos I felt like I was
coming home. I got to see many of my World Cup friends and I knew were to stock
up on toothpaste. (<i>It's the small things matter!</i>) Then, Thursday morning we drove over
Fluela Pass yet again and arrived in Livigno to meet Max and Johannes. I was dressed ready to test skis immediately
and was pleasantly surprised to find that our hotel balcony looked directly
over the racetrack! It was a busy day testing, doing race prep, moving in,
getting my bib, and attending the team captain’s meeting, finding someone to
wax my skis… </div>
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<i>Ski testing. Photo: Markus! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE82xR_PUBIRHoP9Twp3TdGmhe7N1VMTguooihDABvju0TYKYViFQxaAvNs7D6yCUc485c_G3yT70iF56-ZR3AdcvsVC0bmukuf5CLsLON-6deDjGCLXLxALD5zOrKiTrz3hvbG0jd5A/s1600/Liv+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE82xR_PUBIRHoP9Twp3TdGmhe7N1VMTguooihDABvju0TYKYViFQxaAvNs7D6yCUc485c_G3yT70iF56-ZR3AdcvsVC0bmukuf5CLsLON-6deDjGCLXLxALD5zOrKiTrz3hvbG0jd5A/s1600/Liv+8.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i>Ski testing with help from Johannes & Markus. Photo: Markus</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhVSWBrONCIkF_6jkJvkiIhVS26RHHJN9cCMw3zszsIj1jv5fHN0nJBb2o63jNh0Gezzh9QgZNwgnE-7eWmoD2qkr7nDOqIjbpXygiIveBGspVPcWIiqP2xTSIqyzIuSDYTGj49IBVQ/s1600/IMG_6956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhVSWBrONCIkF_6jkJvkiIhVS26RHHJN9cCMw3zszsIj1jv5fHN0nJBb2o63jNh0Gezzh9QgZNwgnE-7eWmoD2qkr7nDOqIjbpXygiIveBGspVPcWIiqP2xTSIqyzIuSDYTGj49IBVQ/s1600/IMG_6956.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Enzo & a local crew ended up doing my skis - thanks guys! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcDfz3wb6MNV0VPOJzL9NCaMtrXcNLtSn8hKAexqpSdFlXiZLRmcTd2Noq6JmJuaOXw-vaQmlkxRJ05WPwuXf3luKc1oJjL7LRZ0f2wR-oYn5AlR_dYrZF4CCcqV0nCspiggM6zWuzw/s1600/Hotel+Amerikan+team+Salomon!%2B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOcDfz3wb6MNV0VPOJzL9NCaMtrXcNLtSn8hKAexqpSdFlXiZLRmcTd2Noq6JmJuaOXw-vaQmlkxRJ05WPwuXf3luKc1oJjL7LRZ0f2wR-oYn5AlR_dYrZF4CCcqV0nCspiggM6zWuzw/s1600/Hotel+Amerikan+team+Salomon!%2B.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Max, me, Johannes - team Salomon at the Hotel Amerikan!</i></div>
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Just as the day was winding down I had a visitor at the
hotel – Nils Marius Otterstad, the team leader for the Swix Ski Classics team,
<a href="http://www.swixskiclassics.com/content/pro-teams-20142015">Team Santander</a>. Nils tracked me
down through Max Olex and was intent on having me race for his team Saturday <i>and</i> Sunday
for the team tempo prologue and the 35k classic. I had always planned on racing the 35k but Saturday was nowhere
on my radar since it was a team event. Plus, the load of racing three races in
three days (totaling 92k) to start the season seemed a bit hefty. But Nils was relentless – and
flattering for that matter. It wasn’t until later that I learned that the
team’s only uninjured girl, Laila Kvile (winner of the Marcialonga & Vasaloppet!) went home sick.
Without a girl for the team tempo prologue the team would essentially be
ineligible for Saturday’s race. If they didn’t race Saturday they would start
the winter at a big deficit in a season long quest to win the overall team
competition. Needless to say, my restful pre-race routine was interrupted with
emails & decisions. I first met Nils at 9:30 Thursday night and he needed
to register me for Saturday’s race by 8am the following day – the day of the
skate race. </div>
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Formerly known as Team Centric, Team Santander has won the overall Swix Ski Classics competition
twice (?) Their roster is headlined by Laila (mentioned earlier) and Anders and
Jorgen Auckland - legit "bad asses" in the distance skiing scene. Also
new to the team this year is Magnar Dalen, a Norwegian who was a staple on the
World Cup. Most recently he served as a the head coach for the Finnish National
team and he’s a great waxer. (He even has a popular kick wax simply named,
“Magnar.”) What I’m trying to say
is I joined a stacked team! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYU41S08Uk6xRCJ-J-D4CoXRYAFDcvEHPZGzhBs7nzR_wGGLphMrr5Vdv6emhHfZPJWZTlvR4_VMcbkSyLtO9lhGts0lpEiOppKwFfyewJMzdwurHEepHQ4bEzx2TQaJkccsZjZDTKw/s1600/Liv+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYU41S08Uk6xRCJ-J-D4CoXRYAFDcvEHPZGzhBs7nzR_wGGLphMrr5Vdv6emhHfZPJWZTlvR4_VMcbkSyLtO9lhGts0lpEiOppKwFfyewJMzdwurHEepHQ4bEzx2TQaJkccsZjZDTKw/s1600/Liv+6.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Nils, me, Magnar</i></div>
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But back to Friday’s race first…. </div>
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You can never complain when you land on the podium but I was
really hoping to ski with Riita Liisa Ropenen (FIN), last year’s overall winner
of the FIS Marathon cup. However, she
had a great start and before I knew it, there were 50 men in between us. A gap
opened up and that was it, race over. For these flat skating marathons it’s all about the draft
and what group you’re able to settle in with. If you miss your competition or
the draft, it’s virtually impossible to ski up valley into the wind by
yourself. So, I settled in with the group of guys around me and did my best to
conserve energy and have the best race I could. I skied the entire second lap with two
guys and was nervous to look over my shoulder to see a group of 15 or so
gaining on us. There were more
girls in that group and while I got to the finish virtually uncontested for second
place, the larger group would have “sucked us up” had it been much longer. For
my efforts I earned 80 FIS Marathon Cup points, 20# of cheese, and some cash.
It was a great! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiDrFNOW2rdUjespvntNwjpmWHZrJdSdlFVABgX16nZFHW6AABU6aDNYN8JHLNY8TkUTeXDqG7CSl_WRwtlL8LRNXggj3s3X8chjLn0eTSHRV-UsQ_haX-_EMt3bsuRLhoZcIrfStkQ/s1600/La+Sgambeda+Podium+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiDrFNOW2rdUjespvntNwjpmWHZrJdSdlFVABgX16nZFHW6AABU6aDNYN8JHLNY8TkUTeXDqG7CSl_WRwtlL8LRNXggj3s3X8chjLn0eTSHRV-UsQ_haX-_EMt3bsuRLhoZcIrfStkQ/s1600/La+Sgambeda+Podium+2014.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> The La Sgambeda skate podium. Photo, Salomon/Nordic Focus</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm3LBBpAHKjhwlupf3Kvot37wsU0vqbPSF0MbgKHe1XetlCGR0VIePB5AD2JioR7RZYO3zAdHj43ap0G4BmdQhS_JdAUquEHeidqC77AOS2d-0-0_YVwg-H1CKSJencWxHjFnQJeLRA/s1600/IMG_6952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKm3LBBpAHKjhwlupf3Kvot37wsU0vqbPSF0MbgKHe1XetlCGR0VIePB5AD2JioR7RZYO3zAdHj43ap0G4BmdQhS_JdAUquEHeidqC77AOS2d-0-0_YVwg-H1CKSJencWxHjFnQJeLRA/s1600/IMG_6952.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>When in Italy, win wine at ski races! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTonvoMq5tszYpCju5hquF7hSECRDqiO6VRuYeC-z5YPAz5uwzO9-uMf-eEJxg2iT9w_V-m1y9WDUxTu7zIkeRTIR3yGWn_Lp5zuTLfhCzh19TYfJt9_DnHcxyfvgH_YGzVAzRRc3BQ/s1600/Sgambeda+Thumbs+Up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTonvoMq5tszYpCju5hquF7hSECRDqiO6VRuYeC-z5YPAz5uwzO9-uMf-eEJxg2iT9w_V-m1y9WDUxTu7zIkeRTIR3yGWn_Lp5zuTLfhCzh19TYfJt9_DnHcxyfvgH_YGzVAzRRc3BQ/s1600/Sgambeda+Thumbs+Up.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGm3wXfhuikT7SG9_V-eFXhJEdyhHXgcfjTemX5eNWhIT-Dg9TX1dtLAhJZgsItMxoqr8QidUqBrjBfIJXOMSB0dLMopbIXGQ4v6tXvCyas_iY0tQWWFkB2LxJ6ikYnEVhpEdrwgHfw/s1600/La+Sgambeda+cheese+over+head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGm3wXfhuikT7SG9_V-eFXhJEdyhHXgcfjTemX5eNWhIT-Dg9TX1dtLAhJZgsItMxoqr8QidUqBrjBfIJXOMSB0dLMopbIXGQ4v6tXvCyas_iY0tQWWFkB2LxJ6ikYnEVhpEdrwgHfw/s1600/La+Sgambeda+cheese+over+head.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>Photos: Salomon/Nordic Focus</i></div>
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It should be said....the organization of the Sgambeda was fabulous – parking was
easy, the start and finish are in the same place so logistics are much easier
than point to point races. There is a great pasta feed and free massages at the
end for all competitors. Friday
was picture perfect and the sun, Livigno’s trademark and brand, made for some
gorgeous pictures and a wonderful time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1aQUikF7M2sZDQ0X3SPpeKqBgi2n1mtTt2fV4fnLDQA9WUWpBnvrVO-Wxj4MsQJMzuwOSxzGDuG4rMcX9Cn_XTcJ7z4vErY_XK7YZZ0vUtmXKTMOaKkTnUGBYukILxCDrxPiMnW53Q/s1600/IMG_0955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1aQUikF7M2sZDQ0X3SPpeKqBgi2n1mtTt2fV4fnLDQA9WUWpBnvrVO-Wxj4MsQJMzuwOSxzGDuG4rMcX9Cn_XTcJ7z4vErY_XK7YZZ0vUtmXKTMOaKkTnUGBYukILxCDrxPiMnW53Q/s1600/IMG_0955.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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One thing that I found surprising is that in all my
interactions with other people and racers I didn’t meet one North American. <b>Not
ONE!</b> I truly hope that next year more North Americans will consider making this
trip because the race is truly fantastic!
Part of my job as an “ambassador” for the American Birkebeiner is to
share my experiences and spread knowledge and information about other races
around the world. I hope to
inspire North Americans to make the trip overseas and likewise, to recruit
Europeans and others to come to the Midwest for the American Birkie! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvco_wjC-LCE4iKmE37OVheydneNcHzyVnwkKbJpyj25dJOxKYc9DDSaZVpZBWGNGKxobh0Z_Ovx_NU78eIB52SRPxpJ62Y5z9QBqJ9G-aUT2D4MY5_Ho8K59PkJ6yKIphjsxbcIuWuw/s1600/IMG_6937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvco_wjC-LCE4iKmE37OVheydneNcHzyVnwkKbJpyj25dJOxKYc9DDSaZVpZBWGNGKxobh0Z_Ovx_NU78eIB52SRPxpJ62Y5z9QBqJ9G-aUT2D4MY5_Ho8K59PkJ6yKIphjsxbcIuWuw/s1600/IMG_6937.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Come for the racing, come for the food.... a typical multi course Italian meal.... </i></div>
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Next on the docket was Saturday’s race, the team tempo. Girls started first with a mass start
race and the men followed, racing in teams departing in three-minute intervals.
This was the first time that this format was used and the concept is modeled
off of bike racing. From the start
I told Nils Marius that I’m not a great double poler but he explained that my
job was to simply “not loose to much time” to the other our rival teams and
keep us in the game. All but one of the girls in the lead pack were completely
fresh for the race and some of two of the six went without kick wax at all! True to girls' style racing the pace
was quick from the start and I spent the majority of the 15k race in the back
of a pack of six girls. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqEU-w-Hvfi98BX7Hh_l08r5tUB6tPsnI4xraroHmoXUsOJgleEmMdNhhLBOdWjGdCOxf4BNMSDOfFMW0NDeo6XigkOJ2SDfcu_C7KePXRKjYSrmH8YCREOzzc0_rrd-_2DPSTXDmFg/s1600/IMG_6961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqEU-w-Hvfi98BX7Hh_l08r5tUB6tPsnI4xraroHmoXUsOJgleEmMdNhhLBOdWjGdCOxf4BNMSDOfFMW0NDeo6XigkOJ2SDfcu_C7KePXRKjYSrmH8YCREOzzc0_rrd-_2DPSTXDmFg/s1600/IMG_6961.JPG" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Andreas, Me, Anders</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGJcDACGytbX7g-qQIZ3FjSW5xl7XB5S1AqIu_09LdyMNZBz3Knd1TjZYZimPC9Smd40Dync_5MoCwETVccYk726h9Tf89Pr0xYnpwK0G5O6oKZlJnizQr06CYw7p2ZP3XTXMY2iIWg/s1600/Sgam+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGJcDACGytbX7g-qQIZ3FjSW5xl7XB5S1AqIu_09LdyMNZBz3Knd1TjZYZimPC9Smd40Dync_5MoCwETVccYk726h9Tf89Pr0xYnpwK0G5O6oKZlJnizQr06CYw7p2ZP3XTXMY2iIWg/s1600/Sgam+2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> The guys racing their part of the team tempo. Photo: SSC</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcDu_VByqK2JJHedYpy9XTJtjfzpb8wUCtT6ONaIbKTARAq-PHC1JONXbP36e1JB9PE9QPP5ztR3Uby_Z4rWMjs1A0niTFoHHjD0hgEzXjPAxNuTe3ujiVy_B814-WZ0XnpFlp47Jrg/s1600/SSC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcDu_VByqK2JJHedYpy9XTJtjfzpb8wUCtT6ONaIbKTARAq-PHC1JONXbP36e1JB9PE9QPP5ztR3Uby_Z4rWMjs1A0niTFoHHjD0hgEzXjPAxNuTe3ujiVy_B814-WZ0XnpFlp47Jrg/s1600/SSC3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Nils was happy to have me join their team :) Photo: SSC</i></div>
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The Swix Ski Classics are a pretty big deal in
Scandinavia and thus, I did LIVE interviews for Norwegian TV both before and
after the race. We had a snow machine with a camera on us the entire time and a
helicopter followed us for 15k! This doesn’t even happen on the World
Cup so it was quite a novel experience! </div>
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I got destroyed in the final sprint
but I only lost 12 seconds to the winner & our main rivals. I was relieved that I didn’t
completely <i>blow it</i> for the Team I was so heavily recruited too! After the race
I returned to the hotel to take a shower and accidentally missed the podium
because I didn’t know what was going on and had no phone to contact anyone.
There went my chance to stand on this awesome podium with these guys, darn! </div>
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<i>Whoops! Missed this awards ceremony but fun to know I was a part of this podium! Photo: SSC</i></div>
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On Sunday I stood at the start line and engaged in some
serious positive self-talk. My energy felt okay but my back and arms were
pretty worked from the day before. Again, there were girls in the field who
hadn’t raced at all that weekend, let alone two days prior. I hung on for about
10k before I just got too tired. I skied the middle part of the race by myself
that included some big hills that I didn’t have the time or energy to preview at all. Towards the top of the valley I felt
Iike I was skiing at Glen Alps as the headwind was killer, the tracks were
blown in, and I felt like I was on Mars. At the high point we turned around and
raced mostly downhill towards the finish.
This time I won the sprint and met my goal of a top ten finish. The men started their race 30 minutes
after the ladies and I had just enough time to change and eat something to
watch Team Santander skier Anders Auckland (42 years old!) WIN the men’s race
in a field that was stacked with World Cup classic specialists! Also, Andreas Nygaard won the green bib
by winning the sprint at 4k. Everyone on the team was on the podium! </div>
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<i>Leg swings before the start - this time, wearing Team Santander race suit, representing Salomon. Photo: SSC</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1-2RkN-P_A222KrSIAdIQ9aqqbjCPyr7h-geHskgCcN_G3xNSuPoIV6GeWBZmyLuOuwsOfQWPe0W21YWMCkoStATzXi43vg-NVAiAHRqfk7Up1Ty3zT8YMFUN8iPIhv-mYC4USiB1A/s1600/SSC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1-2RkN-P_A222KrSIAdIQ9aqqbjCPyr7h-geHskgCcN_G3xNSuPoIV6GeWBZmyLuOuwsOfQWPe0W21YWMCkoStATzXi43vg-NVAiAHRqfk7Up1Ty3zT8YMFUN8iPIhv-mYC4USiB1A/s1600/SSC5.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><i>Start of girl's 35k event. Photo: SSC</i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwREdMAy64QJEye63vSVFtt1Dh-DIlRN8HMpKj0qNCQuHh1xofclSU5JgqG0wjpsNEeZ0YnLX62mSJFQm70FTIhvAYh5f9SuK_qwk6MVJyTUNCoSLSK66Lm6Q3lAR8tmsPYcmUMTkGzw/s1600/SSC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwREdMAy64QJEye63vSVFtt1Dh-DIlRN8HMpKj0qNCQuHh1xofclSU5JgqG0wjpsNEeZ0YnLX62mSJFQm70FTIhvAYh5f9SuK_qwk6MVJyTUNCoSLSK66Lm6Q3lAR8tmsPYcmUMTkGzw/s1600/SSC2.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> Post race handshakes with new friends :) Photo: SSC</i></div>
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<i> Andreas, me, Anders - the guys with their leader bibs! </i></div>
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<i>Andreas after his sprint win!</i></div>
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The rest of the day was a blur with more pasta, awards &
watching USST teammates race the Davos sprint on TV. Then Max and I somehow
jammed all our stuff into his tiny car and drove to Davos and Markus’s for the
night. Markus was hosting the Nordic
Sport Team’s Christmas party so we got to crash that – in return everyone went
home with a huge hunk of Livigno cheese <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span> The next day Max drove me to Zurich and
to Chelsea Little’s apartment (of Fasterskier/in Zurich working towards a PhD
in Ecology) were I spent the night and left all of my stuff! I’ll use her flat as a "gear locker" to
avoid as many baggage fees as possible (sometimes as steep as the plane ticket
itself!) </div>
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<i>Will it fit?!?!</i></div>
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<i>Nordic Sport Christmas Party spread! </i></div>
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I know I’ve drug on way, way too long with this post but
there was so much to say about my shortest ski racing trip to Europe ever! Each day and experience was new, fun,
and exciting and this is <b>just the change of pace</b> I was seeking when I made my
initial ski marathon goal!! In just 12 days I made a ton of new friends, learned
a lot from the locals, landed on a podium, and scored valuable points for both
the <i>FIS Marathon Cup</i> and the <i>Swix Ski Classics</i>! </div>
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<i>I won the combined Sgambeda award - for combined results of the 42k skate & 35k classic!</i> </div>
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<i>My new polish friend Michon (who has done every single World Loppet race & the Hotel Amerikan lobby dog :) </i></div>
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<i>Finally got to meet Antonella Confrontola - a legendary Italian ski racer and mountain runner! </i></div>
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<i>Working with Bertrand on skis. A huge thanks to Salomon for terrific skis and race support - Bertrand probably gave me 10 feeds during the 42k which makes all the difference! Photo: Salomon/Nordic Focus</i></div>
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As I write this I’m currently in the air flying from Austin,
Texas to Seattle, then to Alaska. Before that it was 4am wake up in Zurich, the
tram to the airport, a flight to London Heathrow, then a 10.5 hour flight to
Austin. I’m jealous of my competitors who live just a hop, skip, and a jump
from this awesome race scene. While many of them are driving home it takes me
35 hours door-to-door, serious jet lag and sausage-like lower legs despite my
compression socks. But, I’m not complaining! </div>
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If you’ve gotten this far in the post, congratulations, you
have more patience than I do! I’ll
do my best to keep future posts more brief or at least more frequent. In the
meantime, happy holidays! I’m headed home to double pole on my Concept 2 skierg
(70k double pole at the Marcialonga Jan 25<sup>th</sup>) and see if there is
any snow left in Alaska. </div>
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If you want to learn more about the FIS Marathon Cup check
out their website <a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/">HERE</a>. </div>
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Or, you can find the Swix Ski Classics team <a href="http://www.swixskiclassics.com/">HERE</a> including
broadcasts of the two classic races!
(For future reference they have LIVE feeds and ENGLISH commentary!) You can also watch both races in their entirety on the site if you're looking to kill time :) </div>
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That’s enough from me! </div>
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Be well and cherish each and everyday. </div>
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Sincerely, </div>
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Holly </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtBtFuz_7GLxT8nmXZU6nYAtlQPUHt_sUcmiOsWcu1AwkErBKm_dmfFzzSnGbOxPuExQyH6Povfy1ax5YHmzNkdi81NyqIpG3Foy4IBri3SQTLQkW4sQGmHxmxvPWhMAEavhdnjPhyphenhyphenw/s1600/IMG_6951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtBtFuz_7GLxT8nmXZU6nYAtlQPUHt_sUcmiOsWcu1AwkErBKm_dmfFzzSnGbOxPuExQyH6Povfy1ax5YHmzNkdi81NyqIpG3Foy4IBri3SQTLQkW4sQGmHxmxvPWhMAEavhdnjPhyphenhyphenw/s1600/IMG_6951.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Race weekend dedicated to <a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20141212/ex-coachs-sudden-death-shocks-anchorage-skiing-community">Lars Spurkland </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPoNgIAIYnHZIip-sOMHZurbUeYTPUbUeoxFuE9oqwiJ8AMqMuB5Ou3EuZxPnlz6po9sT9f8pT3VnLrHgqk8UEw6dvI8Ww2LWkO971eD5CYigCF2za_ZYWIIfV9tYqGE_fcjD_g53uA/s1600/Italian+Man!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPoNgIAIYnHZIip-sOMHZurbUeYTPUbUeoxFuE9oqwiJ8AMqMuB5Ou3EuZxPnlz6po9sT9f8pT3VnLrHgqk8UEw6dvI8Ww2LWkO971eD5CYigCF2za_ZYWIIfV9tYqGE_fcjD_g53uA/s1600/Italian+Man!.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>Photo: SSC</i></div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-85315750185810634662014-12-09T15:26:00.000-08:002014-12-09T15:26:02.597-08:00Skiing in circles, milking cows & getting ready to RACE! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been in Switzerland for four days and when I arrived in Davos, I felt as if I never left. I've spent a lot of time here over the past couple of years and if I ever had a "home" in Europe, this would be it. However, it's fun to experience Davos in a different way this year. It's fun that my first marathon coincides with the World Cup here. Consequently, I get to see many of International friends right before kicking off my new marathon season. It makes for a great, gradual introduction into my new world. </div>
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Per usual, I love taking pictures so here are just a few from the last four days to tell the story...... </div>
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Thanks for checking in! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNOXjU-5PMXrXBVrBCRy2UUhGjeaLxRGa29gHqDNmxG-Cg9WYh-V2g5_gwNmNQNUXZhudBzED-VyiWhZ4N6oNrkbMWsupz-EbRmgMPY2_x8O-1Mp_Abv3TSOzIAqkX3Zwb2iu3XMSDw/s1600/Kat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNOXjU-5PMXrXBVrBCRy2UUhGjeaLxRGa29gHqDNmxG-Cg9WYh-V2g5_gwNmNQNUXZhudBzED-VyiWhZ4N6oNrkbMWsupz-EbRmgMPY2_x8O-1Mp_Abv3TSOzIAqkX3Zwb2iu3XMSDw/s1600/Kat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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First things first - I had a RIDE waiting for me when I arrived in Zurich. A ride, from a stranger nonetheless is an amazing thing when you're traveling with a duffel, a backpack, 17 pairs of skis, 4 pairs of poles and three pairs of boots. Thank you SO MUCH Kat! </div>
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My first day in Europe I didn't waste anytime. I learned that Kat and another friend, Bettina were taking a day trip 1.5 hours & a mountain pass away to Livigno (site of the La Sgambeda) and I wanted to check it out. To get there you drive over Fluela Pass which has crazy switchbacks up and down both sides and then through this expensive tunnel: </div>
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Let's just say nothing is cheap in Switzerland! </div>
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Meet Markus or "Speedy" as everyone here calls him. Markus has been a friend of the US team for a long while. He works at Hofmanner Sports here in Davos and is one of the friendliest, caring people imaginable. He's hosting me here in Davos and his hospitality has been four star. </div>
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In addition to performance goals this year one of my other goals revolves around getting to know local people and getting a taste of local culture. </div>
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Markus gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that when two nights ago he was Santa Claus and I was Schmutzli. <a href="http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/schmutzli--the-swiss-santa-s-sinister-sidekick/7082046">Schmutzli</a> is Santa's dark side but also his side kick. Markus has arranged to be Santa for some of his friend's kids and I was to accompany. Every December 6th, all throughout Switzerland kids are greeted by Santa and Schmutzli. It's the traditional, "what did you do well, and what can you improve on" theme... however the kids each have poems and in return, they get bags of chocolate, nuts and oranges from my burlap sack. It was a real show - we met the families in the woods by candle light. The entire thing was in German so Markus started off by saying that Schmutzli was sick and needed Ricola (another Swiss reference). Eventhough I didn't understand what was said it was a really fun experience. Plus, the kids never discovered that 1) I didn't speak German and 2) that I was a girl! </div>
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Schmutzli in a Swiss commercial - drinking Rivella (a Swiss only soda) of course! </div>
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It's been really fun getting to know Markus and his family. Yesterday we had his mom AnnaBelle over for dinner. She's a lovely person! (Today was also "Anna" day, a holiday for everyone named Anna in Sweden.) AnnaBelle is Swedish so today was her special day. </div>
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Now back to skiing and the snow situation. Davos, like much of central Europe is having one of the driest early winters on record. You can see how thin the snow is in this picture. You can also see the dump truck dumping snow directly in front of the Pisten Bully groomer to spread it across the World Cup course. The organizing committee in Davos is blowing snow at a mountain pass above (where it is cold enough) and trucking it down to cover a 5k loop for this weekend's upcoming world cup! The effort and $ going into this project is incredible. I feel very lucky that just over the mountains in Livigno, site of my marathon, there is enough snow to hold the races on a larger, 35k loop. </div>
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Today it was finally cold enough to blow snow at the race site. </div>
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I had a great interval session on the 1.5k man-made course that has been set here since early October. Many other World Cup skiers were skiing around the same loop and it was jam packed. Luckily I was able to get a good session in and see some wonderful friends. </div>
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Left to right: Me, my Swiss friend Bettina who retired this spring and is now in medical school, and Celine, a Norwegian who trained with us in Alaska this summer. Celine was 2nd in the Lillehammer sprint just last weekend! </div>
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Training has been great. I don't feel overly jet-lagged and I'm being careful with the pacing at altitude. And... the culture has been great as well. In addition to Schmutzli, what's more Swiss than Dairy Cows? Bettina, who I met for the Livigno ski day lives on a Dairy Farm. When I found this out I asked if I might stop by....... and I may have asked if I could milk a cow too :) </div>
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I have to say, I was extremely impressed with the whole operation & it's really cool to see where food comes from. She was surprised to learn that "raw" or unpasteurized milk is basically illegal in the US. Here, in Switzerland it's fairly normal. Bettina's family has 26 cows and they get milked twice a day, everyday. It was super fun to learn about the process. </div>
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Getting PSYCHED! </div>
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Here is Bettina feeding a cow that's only 4 days old. This cow was BORN the day I arrived in Switzerland. I got to feed it too! It's amazing how much you had to hold it down to feed it. I felt like I was on a bit of a bucking bronco! </div>
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A Bettina sandwhich - Bettina, me, Bettina! </div>
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Last but not least, a picture that was taken of me skiing at home the day I took off. A special thanks to BP - my new headgear sponsor! (photo credit, Rob!) </div>
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Batteries at 4% and it's time to get to bed! </div>
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Cheers - more soon, </div>
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Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-2645357618392066202014-12-05T04:31:00.002-08:002014-12-05T04:31:46.148-08:00I won my first race of the season! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's my Facebook post 10 minutes before boarding the plane out of Anchorage: </div>
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<i>exhausted. but there. </i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">"Won my first race of the season!!!! As in, didn't miss my flight to Switzerland! Finished grad school finals today... & I'm exhausted. I have my passport, wallet and some skis & that's about all I know! On the bright side I narrowly avoided $700 in baggage fees. On the other side j have four flights and a drive. Bright side again, looking forward to watching teammates kick butt in the World Cup in Lillehammer during my 2am layover in Seattle. Let the marathon ski racing season begin!!!!!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">..... So... some of you may know that Rob makes me a quote book each time I go ski racing. It has a quote for each day and some of them are darn good! Here's the quote for today - which fits the wild departure! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqVC9HYgS12nGQnca4nh660o-YyU1lfFHEkoX0C2GYpC_ribIaev0kXZOTBWp3rQrDx8Zbx4F5F6OZRenHr-IwKyH8omAdXrI7cKPYX-gKz29y2r6CRJTricEkBtJ4EvUlIT-Gxv7NA/s1600/photo-226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqVC9HYgS12nGQnca4nh660o-YyU1lfFHEkoX0C2GYpC_ribIaev0kXZOTBWp3rQrDx8Zbx4F5F6OZRenHr-IwKyH8omAdXrI7cKPYX-gKz29y2r6CRJTricEkBtJ4EvUlIT-Gxv7NA/s1600/photo-226.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I feel like I've been skidding a bit lately. All good ways, but skidding! I just finished finals up a week early in order to depart. It's been an adjustment this fall being a fulltime grad student. I've dabbled in grad work the past four years but this fall I was in three legit, in person (!) classes 9 hours/week! This week alone I had 2 30-minute power point presentations, two 15-page papers & next week a final draft of a 30-page lit review. Yeah, no joke! </div>
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I've also been keeping busy in some other ways. Check 'em out: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJljO6xjxyp0qcvftg8D1lqz8s5cRfuZaL27Br0RtWF-oeeFZExP4lGC3qaOg1Dx_1G55uFyjTKdVjNeoGJuELcFTskhT_dUF_rXRDYqORjuwPNkCMIVkMLYhVP3TZb53zy_pQtzkSCQ/s1600/photo-219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJljO6xjxyp0qcvftg8D1lqz8s5cRfuZaL27Br0RtWF-oeeFZExP4lGC3qaOg1Dx_1G55uFyjTKdVjNeoGJuELcFTskhT_dUF_rXRDYqORjuwPNkCMIVkMLYhVP3TZb53zy_pQtzkSCQ/s1600/photo-219.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I am NOT a baker but Sarah got my started with her 150 year old Denali sourdough starter. Did you know sourdough has little to no gluten? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6K6BDYyXiwe0Ygayrs1JRvzLhTXvSaSX3H9ydX76xngs9LRecKEzRtjAoWuKEIoSOsIhvmBaQpiNphj7qn_VWHHFKDFuW-cR19dt0onAZ60K8zRxMaRwxWFHXPNgJeaHUGouYha9Zw/s1600/photo-220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6K6BDYyXiwe0Ygayrs1JRvzLhTXvSaSX3H9ydX76xngs9LRecKEzRtjAoWuKEIoSOsIhvmBaQpiNphj7qn_VWHHFKDFuW-cR19dt0onAZ60K8zRxMaRwxWFHXPNgJeaHUGouYha9Zw/s1600/photo-220.jpg" height="320" width="301" /></a></div>
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Spending some time with this guy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMenfDhY47LmlxllKuGiRX8NkIT8Q9ZmjlGjFMzFw-Fp305_tBxRFFpWkNJQiRiiEeDCJ0JP-7lVAcAmN-yPIXNfODxoQHL2Wg9GlmRLW0IKNtn0bH76MdriC9UwmJzZP9AxO6gYJluA/s1600/photo-221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMenfDhY47LmlxllKuGiRX8NkIT8Q9ZmjlGjFMzFw-Fp305_tBxRFFpWkNJQiRiiEeDCJ0JP-7lVAcAmN-yPIXNfODxoQHL2Wg9GlmRLW0IKNtn0bH76MdriC9UwmJzZP9AxO6gYJluA/s1600/photo-221.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I have a new partner in <a href="http://alaskachildrenseye.com/">Alaska Children's Eye & Strabismus</a>! They are helping me cover the marathon season and it's greatly appreciated! They are also helping my APU teammate <a href="http://reesehanneman.com/">Reese Hanneman</a> who's currently racing the world cup. If you have kids that need eye care go see Doc Bob - he has a mean Donald Duck impression! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q86Bi-DbuGn_OVGJTNiplLChBqs2lchEAgxeM9PavGSYD2zZG8pXzrE8H8rcR3bmyxgUxMSWA6wdEb23aWP5LNM1GZr09v7CEjd_owVuftlz1R4qC6gpH6_2KOHabDCwZ29HrmRZhQ/s1600/photo-223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q86Bi-DbuGn_OVGJTNiplLChBqs2lchEAgxeM9PavGSYD2zZG8pXzrE8H8rcR3bmyxgUxMSWA6wdEb23aWP5LNM1GZr09v7CEjd_owVuftlz1R4qC6gpH6_2KOHabDCwZ29HrmRZhQ/s1600/photo-223.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Doc Bob - I think Buggz the cat has a strabismus! (which I've learned are eyes that are not properly aligned, cross eyed or otherwise) For the record, Buggz put himself in this box. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQF9inqzutO6eGHdC5uga1BrUCkyQtRTP6xXYJDy8grv1xeP2Xvbuv3jFlAtkwwz0xky0iReJ2xNSAr5CI7DHNw91J0FEP4BmikgQKfDHpG93MnQdUln5Y9CjRJi5PHyByE1T5DxIrg/s1600/photo-218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQF9inqzutO6eGHdC5uga1BrUCkyQtRTP6xXYJDy8grv1xeP2Xvbuv3jFlAtkwwz0xky0iReJ2xNSAr5CI7DHNw91J0FEP4BmikgQKfDHpG93MnQdUln5Y9CjRJi5PHyByE1T5DxIrg/s1600/photo-218.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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To continue the cat theme, Chrissy gave me this kitty good luck buff :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjoMGYCNxWaIYZwk5be68ZT1IllX2A9KY6xcX-bBIgC0zax7e9xzDOOCo_ZLcOAIb1gxe1JOXgXZNiWT6Hi4M61FJE3JKnQ4nS7txTyT0o7KlnIWTDf14LYJv1WXiBGVylrZSXdTybA/s1600/photo-228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjoMGYCNxWaIYZwk5be68ZT1IllX2A9KY6xcX-bBIgC0zax7e9xzDOOCo_ZLcOAIb1gxe1JOXgXZNiWT6Hi4M61FJE3JKnQ4nS7txTyT0o7KlnIWTDf14LYJv1WXiBGVylrZSXdTybA/s1600/photo-228.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was sick for a while at home .... "something was going around" - I feel like I hear that all the time? Anyways, yesterday I was finally able to do a hard session. My watch told me that it was "demanding" and that I need 16 hours to recover. Oh, and I rocked my Italian suit to honor the fact that I'm headed to my first marathon in Italy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gmtNYurFog6Yhe6jabMptDehg4O3Iz4-RxWwlGYEr1uQkbh799zFWMgsByV48zFMweNLhKAcvlt3SRINF6DP8G-gkkLDCBsuUSWSWQCwwp0eiD38KS_LoHH5KD5zGUEwwh4iLJiP1A/s1600/photo-229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gmtNYurFog6Yhe6jabMptDehg4O3Iz4-RxWwlGYEr1uQkbh799zFWMgsByV48zFMweNLhKAcvlt3SRINF6DP8G-gkkLDCBsuUSWSWQCwwp0eiD38KS_LoHH5KD5zGUEwwh4iLJiP1A/s1600/photo-229.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sarah Cresap, an APU teammate joined me for L3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhlhEJXTWe1merUa1V2-Ixsi6-_1QB3VXQpeYv6vrwsvHYEPZar4s3HMEXapuhiIjnXjxC0x4NzMx1C2A1iSPijPuL_gZjOsYBD36SSPhB9npRve5ROIsjS8BcCi1WwYfGHbeQTlIIQ/s1600/photo-227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhlhEJXTWe1merUa1V2-Ixsi6-_1QB3VXQpeYv6vrwsvHYEPZar4s3HMEXapuhiIjnXjxC0x4NzMx1C2A1iSPijPuL_gZjOsYBD36SSPhB9npRve5ROIsjS8BcCi1WwYfGHbeQTlIIQ/s1600/photo-227.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Okay, now this is just crazy. I went into Advanced Physical Therapy for some PT directly after the hard workout. Debbie, the massage therapist had a cancellation so BOTH Zuzana and Debbie were working the kinks out. Talk about a way to feel loved. Thanks girls! </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Last but not least, I am currently in Seattle during a 4.5 hour layover between the hours of 2-6:30am. Getting stoked to watch Sadie Bjornsen ski the World Cup heats in Lillehammer! Only 3 more flights after this. Will my skis arrive? And in one piece? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Now that I'm done with school I should be hitting the blog pretty hard. Hopefully you'll follow as I look forward to sharing my Distance Racing Project with you! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Cheers! Yawn.... Holly ;) </span></div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-61319143680995862002014-11-18T19:24:00.000-08:002014-11-18T19:24:44.077-08:00PHOTOS - three weeks of 'em! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We had snow! Until we didn't..... We had a pretty fantastic snow storm October 20th and were skiing directly after that. We were in heaven, skiing directly in town - even the Spencer Loop! The trails in Girdwood were even better.... until everything melted. As of last week we're back to roller skiing. Each day consists of waking up and checking temperatures around town. Which part might have the <i>least</i> black ice? (Remember these challenging fall/winter days when later this season I'm posting pictures of sunshine and powder in Italy!) </div>
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Here is a quick chronical of what I've been up to lately.... best told in pictures: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvGy2gbpPVrUERpCjjjp1YTQ8100bCMonguDMSSg-Foc4rT8zxswDaG9BWOaMfilZzPTk2FmAsGOvceDujBI-ZIFaw2AMvoBl3qxjWyye8BJAeMZr0kgER_oTLc-tUgShxDXwZ1ZQHg/s1600/p19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvGy2gbpPVrUERpCjjjp1YTQ8100bCMonguDMSSg-Foc4rT8zxswDaG9BWOaMfilZzPTk2FmAsGOvceDujBI-ZIFaw2AMvoBl3qxjWyye8BJAeMZr0kgER_oTLc-tUgShxDXwZ1ZQHg/s1600/p19.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This past weekend I headed out to Nancy lakes for some "alternative" training. I've always wanted to skate/hike the circuit of lakes and portages. While it wasn't overly aerobic it was a fun adventure (17 lakes, 23 miles)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqhnJ517bco_ViY5xF3gszinI2R6L_IKnveu_0tQ20d6G9XKA36Bo0zOLJ4cu5N0ONm775S2x657Sqz5M1gZR1TVtudRy1PyOtQkit3Flx1KxuYOhUWOG3zmXf17nE72p1Pq8Z13xSQ/s1600/p20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqhnJ517bco_ViY5xF3gszinI2R6L_IKnveu_0tQ20d6G9XKA36Bo0zOLJ4cu5N0ONm775S2x657Sqz5M1gZR1TVtudRy1PyOtQkit3Flx1KxuYOhUWOG3zmXf17nE72p1Pq8Z13xSQ/s1600/p20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqhnJ517bco_ViY5xF3gszinI2R6L_IKnveu_0tQ20d6G9XKA36Bo0zOLJ4cu5N0ONm775S2x657Sqz5M1gZR1TVtudRy1PyOtQkit3Flx1KxuYOhUWOG3zmXf17nE72p1Pq8Z13xSQ/s1600/p20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqhnJ517bco_ViY5xF3gszinI2R6L_IKnveu_0tQ20d6G9XKA36Bo0zOLJ4cu5N0ONm775S2x657Sqz5M1gZR1TVtudRy1PyOtQkit3Flx1KxuYOhUWOG3zmXf17nE72p1Pq8Z13xSQ/s1600/p20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqhnJ517bco_ViY5xF3gszinI2R6L_IKnveu_0tQ20d6G9XKA36Bo0zOLJ4cu5N0ONm775S2x657Sqz5M1gZR1TVtudRy1PyOtQkit3Flx1KxuYOhUWOG3zmXf17nE72p1Pq8Z13xSQ/s1600/p20.jpg" height="306" width="400" /><br />
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Thanks to Gary and Heather for letting me borrow their <a href="http://nordicskater.com/ice/sweskate.html">nordic skate</a>s. If you haven't seen these things, they're really cool. I was able to use regular, Salomon ski boots (and bindings) This was essential because we were taking them off and putting them back on so often. I also took the liberty of wearing lots of protective hockey equipment. I've worked too hard to get injured now! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8X6yqASuj2GlpuCOAZ3UphTB6KSp9dPKSo4x8ux7nhodK1RdqDR2lDtU9LcislatjO_ZLR4UYLwYGCDZXa62jdnIVgTAK3UCQXhErqOhXKO61c-QbqAr_UC99liQHMKz0lbw_eVtXg/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8X6yqASuj2GlpuCOAZ3UphTB6KSp9dPKSo4x8ux7nhodK1RdqDR2lDtU9LcislatjO_ZLR4UYLwYGCDZXa62jdnIVgTAK3UCQXhErqOhXKO61c-QbqAr_UC99liQHMKz0lbw_eVtXg/s1600/p1.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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While it hasn't been cold enough for snow I can hardly complain about the weather. This was my commute on the way to training the other day. Tomorrow AK will officially have less than 7 hours of daylight - losing about 5 minutes a day. Winter Solstice is right around the corner though and days will start getting longer before we know it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccfF7zq90WMZrfyzJFHTAFWAxHLwYBOLeq7qeVcIaKlbYW1cnnYhTP6cAsxrUwoxhYtFZKNcAThBbdK3YoM3iwaSZT4q9WBGZe2Z_iZyiIi2tL-UTIxvLspQWHZzl3GuqHHnTJ7lXog/s1600/p2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccfF7zq90WMZrfyzJFHTAFWAxHLwYBOLeq7qeVcIaKlbYW1cnnYhTP6cAsxrUwoxhYtFZKNcAThBbdK3YoM3iwaSZT4q9WBGZe2Z_iZyiIi2tL-UTIxvLspQWHZzl3GuqHHnTJ7lXog/s1600/p2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The other day I went with some Alaska Pacific University teammates to join Special Olympics AK athletes for a workout at their new facility. I've volunteered with these guys a couple times in the past few years and its always a fun time. Shannon, in the yellow, is hoping to represent Special O in the X Games in Snowboarding! If you're in town Dec 20th consider taking the <a href="http://specialolympicsalaska.org/2014/08/take-the-polar-plunge/">"Polar Plunge"</a> to help fund these guys :) </div>
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Last day of APU practice for Kikkan - dry bounding on the Turnagain Arm Trail </div>
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Love the white stuff but life could be a lot worse</div>
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Buggz has been helping me out on my homework. I have to finish my full graduate load 1.5 weeks early to depart for my first marathon, the La Sgambeda Dec 4th. Only 4 more papers and two big presentations to go..... </div>
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Unicycle Club at Trailside Elementary School! The entertainment before my presentation for "Red Ribbon" week (Say no to Drugs!) </div>
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Sharing stories about all the cool places you can go and things you can do if you make healthy choices - no drugs, eat well, exercise often - simple, right? </div>
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My welcome sign that the Unicyclers literally peddled through, game-show style!</div>
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Post training shot - when the skiing was still good... </div>
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Rob was Paul Bunyan for Halloween. Every year our neighborhood gets hit HARD. My neighbor counted 180 trick or treaters? For those that didn't have costumes - they got a brussel sprout..... lucky them! Somehow our house didn't get egged! </div>
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We were Russian Matryoshka Dolls! </div>
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Pavement to snow and back to pavement... </div>
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APU shoveling party on the Hillside. It improved the skiing while it lasted! </div>
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The other day I walked the runway at Skinny Raven's "Best in Boots" fashion show - a benefit for the YWCA. I had 3 different outfits and my first was Salomon, head to toe. I brought my own skis as a prop! </div>
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Every Monday night from 7-10 I have three hours of Lifespan Development Class. Every week our professor brings Dove chocolate for the entire class - EVERY week. Someone I got this message inside my piece last week. (My facebook athlete page is called, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Holly-Brooks-Dare-to-Dream/165326413504112?ref=hl">"Holly Brooks - "Dare to Dream")</a> </div>
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If you haven't tried the CLIF holiday flavors get some while they last! Pecan pie, pumpkin pie & iced gingerbread. YUM! </div>
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Here I am skiing on Halloween in Girdwood. It was SO GOOD while it lasted. </div>
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Our annual front yard Halloween decorations made the paper</div>
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My pumpkin</div>
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More soon - thanks for checking in! </div>
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Cheers, </div>
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Holly :) </div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-23997570979527441762014-10-20T20:06:00.000-07:002014-10-20T20:06:55.874-07:00First AK Skiing & Birkie Marathon Partnership! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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October 20th, 2014 - first day on snow in AK. It was marginal at best but I was striding and gliding. The key was skiing in places that hadn't been touched yet because as you can see, I was hitting the grass! So, I was ski/snow "mining" making sure to get the most out of the terrain. It wasn't much but more white stuff is in the forecast tomorrow so time will tell. </div>
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Also, I'm really excited to announce a new partnership with the American Birkie for the upcoming winter!!!! I could write about it but Alex Kochen (formally Matthews) wrote a really nice piece for Faster Skier that was published this morning. <a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/new-birkie-ambassador-brooks-going-for-overall-podium-in-fis-marathon-cup/">Here is the link to read it on Fasterskier</a>. Or, for those of you who don't like opening new windows (!) I've pasted it below for your reading enjoyment.<br />
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Crossing my fingers for snow for everyone! </div>
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<div class="post-108420 article type-article status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry category-general category-interviews category-marathons category-news category-racing tag-20142015-fis-marathon-cup tag-20142015-worldloppet tag-absf tag-american-birkebeiner tag-ben-popp tag-birkie tag-fis-marathon-cup tag-holly-brooks tag-worldloppet entry" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
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New Birkie Ambassador, Brooks Going for FIS Marathon Cup Overall Podium (Updated)</h1>
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<span class="date published time" title="2014-10-20T10:41:01+00:00">October 20, 2014</span> By <a href="http://fasterskier.com/author/alexfasterskier-com/" rel="author" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Posts by Alex Kochon">Alex Kochon</a> - <span class="post-comments"><a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/new-birkie-ambassador-brooks-going-for-overall-podium-in-fis-marathon-cup/#comments" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">4 Comments</a></span></div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/IMG_1637.jpg" rel="lightbox[108420]" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" title="Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570"><img alt="Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570" class="wp-image-108422" height="487" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/IMG_1637.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 700px;" width="650" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
Holly Brooks during the <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run</a> in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile race. (Photo: Holly Brooks/<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HollySkis.Blogspot.com</a>)</div>
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All spring, summer and fall, Holly Brooks has been training. For what? She wasn’t 100-percent sure until recently.</div>
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Regardless of whether she started the coming winter in the U.S. or abroad, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/not-on-the-u-s-ski-team-list-brooks-still-in-the-hunt-for-international-podiums/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">former U.S. Ski Team member</a> had been working on her strengths: distance and endurance. Of course, Brooks, 32, knew she’d have to add in some speed here and there to learn how to respond to the pivotal moment in any race: the break.</div>
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She’d done some traditional training with her team, Alaska Pacific University (APU) in Anchorage, but for the first time since she made the U.S. Ski Team (USST) in 2012, she didn’t join its annual October camp in Park City, Utah. Instead, she was enjoying more flexibility in her life, like mountain biking in the Yukon with her husband Rob Whitney, while balancing her workouts with schoolwork as a counseling psychology grad student (with an emphasis on sport psychology) at APU.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/Checks-with-Bettina.jpg" rel="lightbox[108420]" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" title="Holly Brooks (l) and Switzerland's Bettina Gruber after placing third and first, respectively in the St. Moritz night sprints before last year's Engadin Marathon, in which Brooks placed fourth after a late crash. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/03/home-sweet-home.html)"><img alt="Holly Brooks (l) and Switzerland's Bettina Gruber after placing third and first, respectively in the St. Moritz night sprints before last year's Engadin Marathon, in which Brooks placed fourth after a late crash. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/03/home-sweet-home.html)" class="wp-image-108424" height="392" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/Checks-with-Bettina-450x422.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 700px;" width="418" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
Holly Brooks (l) and Switzerland’s Bettina Gruber after placing third and first, respectively, in the St. Moritz night sprints before last year’s Engadin Marathon in Switzerland, where Brooks placed fourth after a late crash. (Photo:<a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/03/home-sweet-home.html" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hollyskis.blogspot.com</a>)</div>
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In late September, Brooks announced her race intentions for the 2014/2015 season on her blog, <a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/taking-on-fis-world-loppet-marathon.html" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Taking on the FIS World Loppet Marathon Series – ALONE</a>.</div>
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“Typing the title of this blog solicits two very different responses from me,” she began. “The first excitement, the second terror.”</div>
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In a follow-up email, Brooks explained she named her winter: “Holly’s Distance Racing Project — Exploring the world and its people one ski marathon at a time.”</div>
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That made tackling the International Ski Federation (FIS) Marathon Cup series, with nine scored races between December and March, and her goal of landing in the overall top three, a little less intimidating.</div>
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To do so, she’ll be the American Birkebeiner’s first elite ambassador, which should help out with race entries and accommodations at the seven FIS Marathon Cup/Worldloppet races she plans to do. The Birkebeiner, also known as the Birkie, is the largest ski marathon in North America and one of 20 international <a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Worldloppets</a>.</div>
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“My goal is to increase awareness of ski marathons — to speak about the Birkie during my travels abroad as well as bring FIS Marathon stories back to North America,” she explained in an email.</div>
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“There are definitely a good handful of Americans that had experience with Worldloppets, but I don’t feel like anyone committed fully to the whole series and was real vocal,” she explained on the phone from Anchorage. “One of my goals is to go over and write about it and blog about it and make it more accessible to North Americans and make it more tangible in people’s minds.”</div>
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Announced Monday, Brooks became the Birkie’s first sponsored elite-athlete representative. In an email, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) Executive Director Ben Popp wrote the foundation’s mission was to support the entire sport, and had previously done so in funding citizens races, youth and adult programs, and Wisconsin High School Nordic Ski Championships. Now, it was eager to sponsor Brooks and another elite ambassador <a href="http://www.birkie.com/live/training-programs/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Anne Hart</a>, who grew up in Stillwater, Minn., skis for the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team and writes <a href="http://www.birkie.com/live/training-programs/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">training tips</a> on the Birkie website.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/AB2012_Darlene_Prois_44210-.jpg" rel="lightbox[108420]" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" title="Holly Brooks winning the 2012 American Birkebeiner, four-tenths of a second ahead of Caitlin Gregg (l), for her first Birkie title. (Photo: Darlene Prois/American Birkebeiner) http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-outsprints-gregg-for-birkie-victory/"><img alt="Holly Brooks winning the 2012 American Birkebeiner, four-tenths of a second ahead of Caitlin Gregg (l), for her first Birkie title. (Photo: Darlene Prois/American Birkebeiner) http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-outsprints-gregg-for-birkie-victory/" class="wp-image-108425" height="261" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/AB2012_Darlene_Prois_44210--450x301.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 700px;" width="390" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
Holly Brooks winning the <a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/brooks-outsprints-gregg-for-birkie-victory/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">2012 American Birkebeiner</a>, four-tenths of a second ahead of Caitlin Gregg (l), for her first Birkie title. (Photo: Darlene Prois/ABSF)</div>
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“I’m excited to support [them] and help them be great role models for our next generation of skiers,” Popp wrote. “Additionally, having Holly chase the [FIS Marathon Cup] and skiing the Worldloppets will create a great amount of stories/visibility. … There are some really cool races around the world that many have no idea about. When [Birkie founder] Tony Wise created the Worldloppet, it was to create a medium ‘to travel the world through skiing.’ ”</div>
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While certain details of the partnership and its perks for Brooks weren’t immediately clear, she explained her goal is to increase interest and participation in the American Birkie, as well as promote the ABSF’s healthy lifestyle initiative during presentations in different countries.</div>
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“Sometimes motivation can be low, but when you commit to a race or an event, the incentive is real,” she said in a press release.</div>
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<span style="color: #993300;"><strong><em>2014/2015 <a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/fmcprogramme.php" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">FIS Marathon Cup</a>:</em> </strong></span><br />- Dec. 12: La Sgambeda 42 k (Italy)<br />- Jan. 18: Dolomitenlauf 60 k (Austria)<br />- Jan. 25: Marcialonga 70 k (Italy)<br />- Feb. 7: La Transjurassienne 56 k (France)<br />- Feb. 15: Tartu Marathon 63 k (Estonia)*<br />- Feb. 21: American Birkebeiner 50 k (Wisconsin)<br />- Feb. 28: Bieg Piastow 50 k (Poland)<br />- March 3: Engadin Skimarathon 42 k (Switzerland)<br />- April 4: UgraSki marathon 50 k (Russia)*<br />*<br /><em>*Brooks does not plan to race </em></div>
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The Birkie on Feb. 21 is on her list of races this season, after the 56-kilometer <a href="http://www.transjurassienne.com/presentation/home-2-5.htm" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">La Transjurassienne</a> in France (Feb. 7) and the 50 k <a href="http://www.bieg-piastow.pl/index.php/38-bieg-piastow-cross-country-ski-festival" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bieg Piastów</a> in Poland (March 1).</div>
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That means FIS World Championships from Feb. 18 to March 1 are out for Brooks, who’s competed in the last two (in 2011 in Oslo, Norway, and 2013 in Val di Fiemme, Italy). She also represented the U.S. last winter at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.</div>
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“I think World Championships in Falun [Sweden] are going to be amazing and I’m actually part Swedish, too, so that’s going to be a bummer,” she said. “But at the same time, I’ve been to two World Championships, including Holmenkollen and I’m not sure Falun is going to be able to top Holmenkollen to be honest…”</div>
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“I’m ready for new challenges,” she continued. “When it comes down to it, I’m a competitor and I want to be in races where I’m in contention for a podium … especially after having a difficult season last year …. I miss going for the win, I miss fighting for the podium and when you’re on full-time World Cup, you’re not really winning anything.”</div>
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She laughed.</div>
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At the same time, jumping into the unknown without any teammates, coaches or wax techs to fall back on made her somewhat anxious. That, and she didn’t have her season entirely mapped out in terms of how she’d pay for it — with flights from Alaska to Italy (for the <a href="http://www.lasgambeda.it/en/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">La Sgambeda</a> on Dec. 12), back home, then to Austria, Italy, France, then Wisconsin (for the Birkie). After that, it’s back to Europe to Poland, Switzerland (<a href="http://www.engadin-skimarathon.ch/en.html" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Engadin Skimarathon</a> on March 8), and Norway (for potentially the Holmenkollen 30 k on March 15, if the U.S. Ski Team grants her a World Cup start, and the Norwegian <a href="http://www.swixskiclassics.com/event/birkebeinerrennet" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Birkebeinerrennet</a> 54 k classic on March 21). Finally, she plans to finish the season at SuperTour Spring Series from March 20-26 in Sun Valley, Idaho.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/IMG_1632.jpg" rel="lightbox[108420]" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" title="Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570"><img alt="Holly Brooks during the Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. She placed second in the 28-mile trail run. (Photo: HollySkis.Blogspot.com/http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570" class="wp-image-108421" height="308" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/IMG_1632-450x337.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 700px;" width="411" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
Holly Brooks around mile 12 of the 28-mile <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=28570" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kesugi Ridge Traverse Trail Run</a>in Denali State Park on Sept. 6. (Photo: <a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/awesome-and-more-awesome.html/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HollySkis.Blogspot.com</a>)</div>
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In all, the traveling will amount to about one more trip to Europe than she’s used to (with an average plane ticket costing about $2,200), but on the bright side, she’ll spend Thanksgiving at home — possibly in Hope, where she and Whitney recently <a href="http://fasterskier.com/article/not-on-the-u-s-ski-team-list-brooks-still-in-the-hunt-for-international-podiums/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">built a cabin</a> with the help of their family.</div>
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“I’m actually going to have my first holidays at home for the first time since I can remember,” Brooks said. “And not just at home, in the states and at home.”</div>
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The unique marathon schedule requires her to start her season in early December in Italy, then fly home before her next race more than a month later. Considering her goal of a top three in the circuit and her decision to skip two of the nine scored races (the Tartu Marathon in Estonia and Ugra in Russia), she didn’t want to start the season having missed the first race.</div>
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It would be tough enough to achieve an overall podium at the end of the season; she didn’t need that initial mental hurdle of having to play catchup.</div>
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If all goes well, Brooks could make the Worldloppet’s <a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/doc/FMC-Red-Group-from-09-03-2014.pdf" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">selective red group</a> with top results early on — as soon as after the first race. Much like on the World Cup, the red group comes with start rights and some support like room and board, although she’s not entirely sure how much, possibly two to three days of accommodation per race weekend.</div>
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“I’m not super familiar with all the rules because it’s such a new scene for me,” she said.</div>
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But with consistently competitive results, and the fringe benefits as an official Birkie ambassador, she hoped it would lighten the load and looming logistics of her season.</div>
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In addition to where she’ll stay during races, Brooks was unsure where she’d spend the weeks before and after each race in Europe, and who would help her find housing. But that’s where her connections from several years of international travel and pro racing could come into play; she’s established relationships she’s confident will help her in the months to come.</div>
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“I hope that word will get around that I’m … out there and I have this goal,” she said with a laugh. “I’m putting a lot of faith in strangers to help with logistics and the financial aspect.”</div>
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Compared to the World Cup, which costs $140 dollars per athlete per day based on the FIS fixed rate, there is no flat rate for the marathon circuit.</div>
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“Some of the countries are more expensive, some of them are a little bit cheaper,” she said. “It is really unclear how much this will cost. Part of me wants to have the whole season planned out in advance and know exactly where I’m staying and who’s going to be waxing my skis for every race, but I’ve come to the realization that I can’t take care of all those logistics ahead of time.</div>
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“One of the most intimidating parts of this goal is, not only do I have the regular fundraising to figure out, but I have all the logistics. I’m on my own,” she said. “[U.S. Ski Team Head Coach] Chris Grover is so organized and so good with logistics … and the coaches are always looking out for you and figuring out how you’re going to get to your next meal and how you’re going to get to the airport, and now that’s all on me.”</div>
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<em>“While I’m dreading it, I’m excited for it.”</em> — Holly Brooks, on her decision to go for an overall podium in the FIS Marathon Cup</div>
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When it comes to waxing her racing fleet (downsized from her 30 pairs of World Cup skis because she simply can’t carry that many alone), Brooks said she’ll rely on her sponsors, like Swix, and industry partners at certain races, like Salomon in France, and possibly the Birkie for individual attention (i.e., a personal tech).</div>
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“It’s scary because I know how hard I train and also how much money I’m spending,” she said. “To have skis that aren’t competitive could blow the whole thing, but that’s ski racing. I just have to do the best I can…”</div>
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Payouts for the marathons range, but the overall Marathon Cup winners receive a small crystal globe and about $7,500 dollars — that<a href="http://www.birkie.com/ski/events/birkie/" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">same amount</a> each male and female Birkie winner gets. Second place earns $4,500 and third place gets $3,000.</div>
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“That goes to show I’m not doing it for the money,” Brooks said. “Winning is hard. I don’t know the exact level of competition, but I know what happened last year: [Finland’s] Riitta-Liisa Roponen won the overall and she won I think every Worldloppet race she entered.</div>
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“You could stand to do all right financially if you have all your expenses covered and you get to pocket your earnings,” she added. “I’m hoping to at least break even and not go into the red, but we’ll see. I have a couple irons in the fire and I’m hoping I [can] get people excited about the challenge that’s behind it.”</div>
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So far, her sponsors’ reactions have been favorable, although she said nothing was final yet.</div>
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Without teammates, Brooks could be looking for roommates to share the high cost of living in Europe. She entertained the idea of rooming with Roponen, “but I don’t know, I think she might think of me as a little more of a competitor than a teammate,” she laughed.</div>
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She considered racing for a professional European marathon team and had an offer from one, but Brooks declined the spot. “They wanted me to come over to Europe every month in the summer and fall, which is completely unrealistic when you think about it,” she said. “That wasn’t what I was looking for.”</div>
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Come February and March, she figured there might be a good possibility other Americans — those who don’t end up making World Championships — joining her at marathons like the Engadin and Birkebeinerrennet. But time will tell, and she was prepared to do it on her own.</div>
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<a class="cboxElement" href="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/MG_0368.jpg" rel="lightbox[108420]" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" title="Holly Brooks (c) with APU teammates and former U.S. Ski Team teammates Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Kikkan Randall at a recent Fast and Female event in Anchorage. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/taking-on-fis-world-loppet-marathon.html)"><img alt="Holly Brooks (c) with APU teammates and former U.S. Ski Team teammates Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Kikkan Randall at a recent Fast and Female event in Anchorage. (Photo: http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/taking-on-fis-world-loppet-marathon.html)" class="wp-image-108423 size-medium" height="360" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/10/MG_0368-450x360.jpg" style="border: none; max-width: 700px;" width="450" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; padding: 5px 0px;">
Holly Brooks (c) with APU teammates and former U.S. Ski Team teammates Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Kikkan Randall at a recent Fast and Female event in Anchorage. (Photo: <a href="http://hollyskis.blogspot.com/2014/09/taking-on-fis-world-loppet-marathon.html" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Hollyskis.blogspot.com</a>)</div>
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“That’s one of the biggest differences going from being on a really strong team that is the U.S. women’s team to being a little bit more of a lone wolf,” Brooks said. “But I think that’ll force me out of my comfort zone … While I’m dreading it, I’m excited for it.”</div>
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Her decision to commit to the Worldloppet/Marathon Cup was a gradual one, starting with the idea that she might go to the SuperTour opener in West Yellowstone, then U.S. nationals, and potentially qualify for some World Cups.</div>
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“I kind of got sick of the maybe in my life,” she recalled. “Instead of just training and having no idea where I was going to be racing … I’m really excited to commit to this and solidify it. It’s pretty much all races that I haven’t been to before.”</div>
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In the meantime, she’s been taking classes three times a week, amounting to about nine to 10 hours of in-class time per week — not including the time she spends studying at home. On top of that, she typically trains 20-plus hours a week (and has another 10-15 hours of physical therapy) and stays involved with the community through events and presentations in her spare time.</div>
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“I’ve had to be really diligent with my time and be more focused and organized,” she said.</div>
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In early October, Brooks said she was thankful she didn’t have to rollerski first thing on a 19-degree Fahrenheit morning. She got on the Ski Erg instead.</div>
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Earlier this fall, she did an “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ippph2kUruw" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">all uphill</a>” rollerski-running workout at Hatcher’s Pass with friend and videographer Max Romey, who filmed her with a drone.</div>
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“It would hover right over my head, then he would lift it up and do these wide-sweeping panoramic shots,” she explained. “It’s really, really cool.”</div>
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Romey published the video Oct. 12.</div>
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Best of all: “He sent me the whole hour-and-a-half unedited version that I could use for technique,” she said.</div>
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***</div>
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<em>Update: Early Monday, Brooks explained a recent development and possible race addition to her upcoming winter schedule. In an email, she wrote that the rules state FIS Marathon Cup/Worldloppet racers cannot collect their overall prize money unless they are present for the final race — the UgraSki marathon in Russia one month after the Engadin, which Brooks initially planned to be her final scored race. She had intended to skip the Ugra as well as the Tartu Marathon in Estonia.</em></div>
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<em>“<span style="color: #222222;">There is currently no information about the Russian race available – at least the <a href="http://www.worldloppet.com/fmcprogramme.php#" style="color: #c61e21; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">link from the FIS World Loppet</a> site goes no where…,” Brooks wrote. “This is a huge bummer for many obvious reasons. I’m waiting to hear clarification on this rule as well as some details on the race.”</span></em></div>
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<span class="categories">Filed Under: <a href="http://fasterskier.com/category/news/general/" rel="category tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in General">General</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/category/news/interviews/" rel="category tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in Interviews">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/category/racing/marathons/" rel="category tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in Marathons">Marathons</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/category/news/" rel="category tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in News">News</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/category/racing/" rel="category tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="View all posts in Racing">Racing</a></span> · <span class="tags">Tagged: <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/20142015-fis-marathon-cup/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">2014/2015 FIS Marathon Cup</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/20142015-worldloppet/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">2014/2015 Worldloppet</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/absf/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">ABSF</a>,<a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/american-birkebeiner/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">American Birkebeiner</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/ben-popp/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">ben popp</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/birkie/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Birkie</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/fis-marathon-cup/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">FIS Marathon Cup</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/holly-brooks/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Holly Brooks</a>, <a href="http://fasterskier.com/tag/worldloppet/" rel="tag" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">Worldloppet</a></span></div>
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<div class="author-box" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; background-color: white; background-image: url(http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/themes/fasterskier.com/css/images/bg.jpg); border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); box-shadow: rgb(238, 238, 238) 0px 0px 1px 1px inset; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; margin: 10px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 10px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<img alt="" class=" avatar avatar-70 photo user-3723-avatar" height="70" src="http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/plugins/user-avatar/user-avatar-pic.php?src=/wp-content/uploads/avatars/3723/1354069799-bpfull.jpg&w=70&id=3723&random=1354069799" style="border: 0px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; height: 72px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 6px 4px 4px; width: 72px;" width="70" /><strong>About Alex Kochon</strong><br /><div style="line-height: 20px; padding: 0px;">
Alex Kochon (formerly Matthews) is the managing editor at FasterSkier and to most people's surprise, not a guy. When she's not writing, you can find her outdoors in upstate New York or doing the gym thing as a certified personal trainer. Follow her on Twitter @active_alex.</div>
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6401505974719455979.post-218748616450644862014-10-13T13:04:00.002-07:002014-10-13T13:04:47.576-07:00A story worth telling...... <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3022: A Mt. Marathon Story </span><br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ASEphiVaNK3ghtwObcbstZsFbDLihFBvuGwM5RLbH58TOgveX1IMwGynsDc8iO88II7ammnN8WaSIs-K6ELIdmP50pyT-oW1kA5B_yoMpGpYy6EUHvmM9BomTYcAttCw7zJ9lfSlGg/s1600/3022.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ASEphiVaNK3ghtwObcbstZsFbDLihFBvuGwM5RLbH58TOgveX1IMwGynsDc8iO88II7ammnN8WaSIs-K6ELIdmP50pyT-oW1kA5B_yoMpGpYy6EUHvmM9BomTYcAttCw7zJ9lfSlGg/s1600/3022.png" height="300" width="320" /></a></b></div>
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You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words? What does that make a documentary worth? Let's just say, a lot. Especially if you're as talented and dedicated as Max and Natalie are. </div>
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What am I talked about? Well, you know that crazy race Mt. Marathon? (Yes, the one where the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/last-man?page=single">"last racer up" is still MIA?!</a>) They are turning it into a full length documentary film. These two are taking the second oldest foot race in the US and telling the story - complete with history, race footage (from 20 cameras!) and pre-post race interviews. They have been up in planes and used drones to capture some amazing footage. Let's just say these guys are legit story tellers. They're passionate about the program and dedicated to the project of telling the Mountain's story. They have big plans for their film once they're done including submitting it to the Banff Mountain Film Festival among others. Check out their trailer on Indiegogo yourself:</div>
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(<b>Make sure to scroll all the way down and read their story if you have time. It's really good!)</b></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="445px" scrolling="no" src="https://www.indiegogo.com/project/3022-ft-a-mt-marathon-story/embedded" width="222px"></iframe>
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I'm sure many of you have seen pictures from the race or heard stories. </div>
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There have been a couple of amateur videos made... or perhaps you caught a glimpse of the hap-hazard LIVE footage of the men's race. If you weren't there July 4th you didn't "see" the women's race because <b>while the men's race is shown LIVE on 2 Alaskan TV stations the women's race is not.</b> Gender equality in sports is one of the many topics the documentary, 3022 will touch on gently..... </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Benton Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">We've told you a lot about our film and the production, </span><b style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Benton Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">but something we haven't told you</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Benton Sans', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 26px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> is what we hope it does to change the way female athletes are treated by media. There is no questioning that the women who run this race are bad-ass. Mt. Marathon is as dangerous as it is grueling, and as many women run the same course as men each year. But, despite the fact that they run the same race on the same day and display the same level of athletic prowess, only the men's race is broadcasted on TV. After meeting and interviewing so many of the top female competitors, we simply do not understand why."</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small;">As a female athlete who works and trains just as hard as the men in this race this statement resonates with me and I'd bet it does with some of you too..... just another reason to support Max and Natalie's project!</span></div>
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A bit of background on the two film makers. Max went to Service High School and met Natalie at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. This is their passion project and they've been busting their butts. The full length film won't be out for a while but there is talk about a release party at a brewery. Here's the ironic part. They aren't even old enough to DRINK! I hadn't met these two until they contacted me about conducting their pre-race interview. I have two say, I was impressed with them from the start. They are ambitious, dedicated, motivated beyond belief, responsible, reliable. I think these guys are going somewhere. They are mature well beyond their years. And here's the kicker - they need our help! </div>
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As you can see from their site, they have a big undertaking. This isn't a simple YouTube film. There is no iPhone footage. These guys are legit film makers and they need our help to tell the 3022 story. Of course they need cold, hard cash but they also need backers, even at the $5 level. Even a small donation, the equivalent of a cup of coffee is a statement that you support their mission and what they're doing, the story they are working hard to share. </div>
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So please, help me in spreading the word about the project. Donate $5 bucks or $100. Pass the info along to individual or corporate donors who might be interested in backing the project. They won't be sorry! </div>
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In the meantime, I'd like to share an article written about Max in our local paper.... </div>
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<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/20140720/runner-turned-filmmaker-romey-puts-focus-mount-marathon" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.adn.com/article/<wbr></wbr>20140720/runner-turned-<wbr></wbr>filmmaker-<span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #222222;"><span class="il">romey</span></span>-puts-focus-<wbr></wbr>mount-marathon</a></div>
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Here is <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;"><span class="il">Max</span></span>'s website where you can check out his portfolio and other videos: </div>
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<a href="http://www.maxromeyproductions.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>maxromeyproductions.com</a></div>
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Last but not least, speaking of videos here is a short video clip of the La Sgambeda, the first FIS Marathon I plan to do in Italy December 12th. The beginning is a bit boring but from 30 seconds on it gets a bit more interesting. (It's no Max & Natalie film!) </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/603hsHE_VBk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Holly Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159859145804517946noreply@blogger.com0