The last two days in Park City I've been training in the snow. Yep, you heard me right, snow. Winter is just around the corner and I'm entering my last preparatory period before departing Nov 15 for the World Cup.
As momentum for the upcoming Olympic season grows so does the interest in what the athletes are doing to prepare to be our best come February. That said, I am announcing here, PUBLICLY that I'm going get on the regular, (at least) once a week blog train. My day will be WEDNESDAYS so check back each and every Wednesday to see what I'm up too. I also just finished up school for the semester so homework is no longer an excuse to delay updates!
I do post regularly on my facebook athlete page here... check it out if you haven't already:
And, you can always follow me on twitter @brooksha1
Here's a little photo collage of my last month. Thanks a ton for following!
Two days ago, skiing up Royal Street in Park City.
Giving school presentations - this one at Denali Elementary School.
I went to Fairbanks to help with a volunteer rally for Arctic Winter Games.
The view from a training run in Hope, Alaska
Constantly working on mobility (APU gym)
The APU Ladies team cooked a big dinner (won at an Auction!) for APU Boosters Harry & Pat McDonald. This is a great auction item that we sell a couple of each year to raise funds for our team. The idea is that we come into your house and serve a 5-course meal. We prep, we cook, we serve, we clean. The guests get to enjoy Kikkan doing their dishes.... you get the idea!
I was able to help out with the first Tuesday Night Race in Anchorage - a great fall tradition which gets 1000+ community members out running together each Tuesday night! These girls were awesome! I enjoyed talking up the elementary school(s) running jamboree....
While at home I also got to hit up the Ronsse's garden again for some beautiful fresh greens. Here I am using a saw to harvest some kohlrabi!
Dennis & Annie + my harvest!
After a solid period of time at home and some really hard training it was time for a break. This summer I've been blessed with more or less NO injuries and things have been going well. One of my goals going into the Olympic training year was to have a break - both mental and physical before submerging myself in the throws of the season. My good friend from college, Sarahlee provided just the excuse! Last week I attended both her wedding and her bachlorette party. No, not a trip to the strip in Vegas but a three day float trip on the lower Deschutes River. It was a welcome change to do something entirely different, sleep under the stars, and reconnect with college friends as well as make new ones!
Sarahlee, in her bachlorette outfit right before put in
My friend Alison steering our ship. We had two full size rafts, 4 duckies (inflatable kayaks) and one hard shell kayak. The gear, the food, the company..... everything was INCREDIBLE. Thank you so much to Lizzie and Alison for organizing a top-rate trip!
Even I got a chance to take a turn at the helm!
The wedding was just as incredible at the float. Sarah and Tall own and operate a farm in central Oregon, just outside of Bend called Rainshadow Organics. Hence, the wedding was on the farm... all the food we ate was from grown on the farm (meat included).
Sarahlee & Tall
The bridesmaids with Tall.... in their potato field!
It was FABULOUS to spend time with dear friends... Merritt & Alison
A picture of the garden
When you come to the farm you always get put to work. Here is Rob at work with the chainsaw.... ensuring that Sarah and Tall will be warm this upcoming winter.
Following the "break" it's time to get back to work and get serious... or as serious as I ever get. I'm here a bit early for the Park City annual fall altitude camp. The next few weeks will be filled with training, meetings, photos, logistics, and just about every senior level skier in the US coming here, to train. I have three weeks before returning home to Alaska. I'm crossing my fingers for skiable snow at Hatcher's Pass when I return!
Here are some photos of the last few days in Utah. It's been FREEZING, especially in the mornings but it might turn to 75 degrees again... hard to advise folks on what to pack - everything?
Skiing up Royal Street
Tired. Done. Happy. Thanks Ahvo and Finn Sisu for providing my Marwes... the best roller skis out there.
Fun to have Rob in Park City for four days seeing that this trip I'm out of Alaska for more than a month.
There are trails at the Canyons named Holly & Rob... you can actually make a great loop out of the two! Very fitting, for sure!
Running with Morgan and Sam!
The mud here can be unbelievable!
That's it for now... expect another update on Wednesday if not before.
Thanks/Cheers,
Holly :)
