One Month Post-Olympics

I've been home for less than a week after 24 straight days in Northern Maine.... I coached at JOs, hung out in the "county" for a week, and then raced in the US Nationals 30k and Super Tour Finals. The season is finally over. I say "finally" not because I'm burnt out but just because my first Super Tour race of the season seems like two life-times ago.  A lot has happened between West Yellowstone in November and my return to Anchorage March 30th. I'll let the photos tell most of the stories...... 

After two weeks of sunshine in the county we raced the 30k in fresh, falling snow. I ended up third in a 4-way battle for the podium. After the 30k, we had one "off-day" before the start of Super Tour finals - three races in three consecutive days. 

What did we do? Fast and Female Madawaska!!!!!!  Fast and Female is originally Canadian and FF Maine was the only place in the US to host other than Anchorage. Reno Deprey, one of the APU Master skiers helped sponsor the event with his wife, Becky Manley.  Reno grew up skiing and coaching in Madawaska so they had signs (and even ski trails) honoring him. For those that aren't familiar with Fast and Female it's an "empowerment through sport" event that brings top female skiers in the country to give all-day clinics to girls ages 9-19.  Skiers are broken up into groups, spend time skiing and learning skills from top female athletes in the country, eat lunch together, story time plus Q&A, and then it's followed by a poster signing session.  It's a FABULOUS program and this is my third Fast and Female event. I hope that other locales are able to host FF as I feel like it's a really effective program for communities. 

Pointing to Reno who by the way just celebrated his 80th Birthday.... he just won his age group in the Birkie by MINUTES. Very cool to have a ME-AK connection!

Here is my group of girls posing with the Fast and Female logo.  Left to right is Alice, Hallie, Amanda, myself, Vanessa, Shelby, Danni, Cassie, and Vicky.  These girls were so much fun!!!!

Part of Maine Winter Sports Center's outreach programs includes mobile trailers with ski equipment to outfit those that don't have their own gear.  These guys were efficient in getting everyone outfitted - plus the trailer were sweet. I think more places could benefit from a project like this. If kids never try skiing they don't know what they're missing right?

After skiing we had lunch in the cafeteria. The food was awesome and the event volunteers had a slide show of the ski stations already playing on the wall with a soundtrack and everything. They did a phenomenal job organizing - top rate! Taz is pictured above excited about her tray with at least eight separate compartments!!

Here is a group FF shot taken from the roof.  The even actually happened on a Thursday and girls from the Madawaska schools were excused from classes to attend.  (They told me the boys were super jealous!)

The following day we had our first of three super tour races.  The women's race was a 7.5k classic mass start with three "preem" stations at 1k, 3k, and 6k.  Rebecca Dussault and I continued our close finishes at the line with this lunge at 1k.  It's funny because I'm not used to lunging for a line, then continuing to race.  I had to be careful not to lunge so far that I would fall over. (That happens quite often!)

Preem winners received time off their overall time and Kikkan received 250 bucks for being the first women to 1k

Here is a picture of the men's mass start.  I think there were close to 100 men starting this race on fast tracks with some fun corners.  This format made for some fun spectating.

Kate Fitz's (an APU teammate) extended family made the trip to Madawaska to watch her race - they brought this sign to cheer her on! 

I met two local girls that attended Fast and Female and were out at the races to watch.  Coincidentally their names were "Holly" and "Brooke" so we had to get our picture taken together!

Some of my Fast and Female girls came out to the races and brought their friends - thanks for cheering girls!!!

The APU coaches worked extremely hard during our time in Maine. We had four races in five days and there were two venues approximately 1 hour apart.  It made for some long hours and complicated logistics for them... plus some sticky klister conditions. (This is head coach Erik Flora's hand after the race)

Here is the sprint podium. I was third again!  This time to Ida Sargent and Kikkan.

After the sprint it was time to re-fuel and get ready for the next day's hill climb.  Becca choose some "poutine" which is a Canadian and Northern Maine specialty.  Yes, that's french fries with cheese curds covered in gravy.  I don't think there is any lack of "energy" in that plate of food!

Here is the final podium after three days of Super Tour racing following the last race - the "hill climb." I was third again!!!!

Here is a fun shot of Brian Gregg with his Super Tour cash winnings.  After USSA didn't pay the series winners last season they decided to try and salvage the reputation by giving this year's winners hard, cold cash.  Brian won the distance title after an entire season of racing. I think he bought a used Volvo with it.... right on Brian!

The following day I started my long trip home.  Four flights and approximately 24 hours later I met Rob at the Anchorage Airport baggage claim.  Coincidentally he had arrived from Colorado at a similar time. (It's sweet to carpool home from the airport with your husband - especially after you've been traveling different places!)  Since it was 2am in the morning it was technically Rob's birthday.  I brought him what was a beautiful, authentic Boston Cream pie which had melted on the subsequent flights.  I had candles but no lighter due to TSA. It still tasted good - and for those of you that know Rob, he isn't picky!

After we arrived home at 3am, it was straight to work the next day for both of us. No rest for the weary! It's been GREAT to be home and reconnect with friends, family, and all the people that I coach that have been so supportive of me over the past couple of months.

(The kids are spelling "APU" with their bodies.... if it wasn't completely obvious!)

On Friday Charlie Renfro and I took the APU devo and junior skiers down the old "Flat Top Flyer" course.  This was an old race that is completely downhill - Glen Alps to Hilltop on Nordic Skis.  It only lasted three years (?) and was finally cancelled due to too many broken bones including Kikkan's back.  We didn't race it but we sure had a good time.....

This year our only casualty was Ana's ski.  It was a huge bummer but at least it wasn't her arm or leg :)

After our downhill ski, one of the APU juniors that I coach, Mackenzie made the special trip to deliver a gift..... apparently she painted this in art class during the Games - she got an A. I have to say, it's one of the nicest, most thoughtful gifts I've ever received.  I'm truly honored by her efforts and will cherish the painting. Thanks so much Mac!!!

I've been home for almost a week now and it's been crazy - but fabulous.  I love being in Alaska, looking out at the mountains each morning, sleeping in my own bed, talking to my husband in person rather than over the phone or texting.  Life has been high-paced with work, catching up on "life" and all the additional responsibilities of an Olympian.  I have tons of requests and plans for speaking engagements/appearances, classroom visits, ski clinics, non-profit auction donations, thank yous... I'm excited because this is my turn to give back to a community that has done so much for me.

Amongst all the craziness I carved out some time to spend with Rob this past weekend.  We did our second annual back-to-back uphill/downhill ski races at Alyeska and Alpenglow.  This shot was taken on the chair lift at Arctic Valley.  This was our first time back since getting married there in August.  Sweet day, blue sky, good snow, BBQ on the deck. No complaining here.... 

I've also taken up a new sport thanks to Greg Matyas at Speedway Cycles - Winter Biking!  Yep, this is my new "FATBACK" bike complete with wide tires that float on top of the snow. I took it out for my first time this morning and had a blast.  I've envisioning a sweet combined crust trip complete with winter bike and skate skis - stay tuned! 

Thanks for reading - Enjoy Spring! 

Sincerely, 

Holly :) 

Crusty but restful Maine...

I'm sorry for the infrequent posts lately.... while I sometimes wish that life was as interesting as it was everyday at the Olympics, a big part of me is thankful that for the meantime, life has calmed down for a couple of days. 

"Team Alaska" in Presque Isle 

The kids wrote "Go Alaska" on their stomachs

I am currently in Northern Maine waiting.  There is really no better way to put it.  Last week, I coached Team Alaska Junior athletes ages 15-19 at Junior Olympics in Presque Isle Maine.  It took me four plane rides and a 1500 dollar plane ticket to get here so needless to say, going back to Alaska just to turn around wasn't in the cards.  Next week is the National Championship 30k Skate race followed closely by Super Tour finals.  That means four races in five days, "Tour De Ski" style. If you're interested in following the races or reading about the event the website can be found here.

Crust skiing in the potato fields

Lots of people give Northern Maine a hard time.  It's rural, it's economically depressed, and they grow lots of Potatos around here. The pace of life is slow but to be totally honest, that is exactly what I needed.  My life is anything but slow at home in Alaska and sometimes a forced break is exactly what the Doctor called for.  (Actually, my Dr literally gave me a gift of fleece Pajamas after the Olympics with a note saying, "These are intended for you to get some rest in!")

Crust skiing with some local girls - their first time!

I am currently staying in a house owned by a local ski enthusiast named Carl.  As far as I can tell, people like Carl make life more enjoyable for everyone but specifically skiers. He has done lots of really cool projects in the country including building a downhill ski hill (literally) by bulldozing a bunch of dirt into a big hill, purchasing snow making guns, and then a t-bar so kids at the local Caribou school could learn to downhill ski! His cabin (they call them "camps" in Maine) that we are currently staying in is decked out in pictures and thank yous from folks he's hosted over the seasons. Carl and family have been really generous and hospitable towards us and we are very thankful.

Nicole De Yong, Caitlin Compton, Becca Rorabaugh, me, Sarah Dominque

This morning we went to Eureka Hall, a local diner in Stockholm, Maine where you can get a great homemade breakfast for less than five dollars and homemade pastries for a dollar each!?!?! Afterwards, we took Carl's daughter, Anna and friends out crust skiing for their first time. Crust skiing is a great thing and it was very cool to take them for their first time.

From here the pace will start to increase a bit. The rest of the APU team showed up and is enroute to pick us up now. We'll move into the rented "team house" and start to officially prepare for the races.  

More to come soon. Thanks for reading! 

~Holly :) 

Yeah JOS!

So..... I have raccoon eyes from Presque Isle Maine - who would have thought?  For those en route, bring your sunscreen and klister skis not to mention crust cruising skis because it's good!

It's been great putting the "coach hat" back on for the week.  It adds good balance to my life as a skier and I absolutely love working with the kids. Its funny to see the same nervousness that I experienced just two weeks ago at the Olympics (myself) in them now. It really brings the experience full circle. All in all, they did a great job and I'm really proud of each and every one of them.

Awesome J2 girls in the van pre-race :)

Today was the third of three races and APU juniors had some stellar results - both with places and learning experiences. For some of them, it's their first time at a National-level race and it was hard to come into the experience with specific goals beyond "making the team."  I can relate to this with my first world cup and Olympics. I didn't know what to expect or where I would fall in the pack. I only hope that the experience has been positive for them and that it will motivate them to train hard this summer!

Sunny day - sunny venue

J1 boys "Potato Ceremony"  (Because that's what they do here.)  Forrest Mahlen is in second and Jack Novak is in fifth.  I'm sorry that I didn't catch the other ceremonies but I was still working - this was the last of the day. 

Special note: Both Forrest and Jack made "MOM"patches for their jackets to represent their sponsor!!!

Me and Kyle 

APU boys signing autographs for the local kids :) 

We have a U-haul to carry around kid's skis and bags for transport. 

I haven't taken too many pictures here but this shot exemplifies many of the trails here.... I will get more active with the camera next week while I am here waiting for the national 30k championship and Super Tour finals - Tour de ski style. (More on that later) 

Time to move on with the night's chores. I am giving a talk at the closing ceremonies/awards presentation tomorrow and I need to organize my thoughts. 

On a completely separate note, my brother finally posted his Olympic-trip overview in case you haven't seen enough pictures. You can check it out here. He has a TON of pictures. Thanks for doing that Scott! 

More to come soon - just have to write that speech and watch the Alaskan kids kick some butt in the relay tomorrow! 

Good night, 

Holly :) 

Pictures, pictures, pictures!!

At long last, here are some Olympic action shots that I promised awhile back!   I don't have pics of everyone, but here is a selection.  Better late than never!

I'm in Maine right now...more on JO's in a bit.  -Holly  :)

James finishing on stadium curve.

Skate race

Pack of skiers.  Notice the cameras on the snowmachines.

Relay

Kikkan in relay.

Relay (thanks for Seth for photo!)

Training day.

Pre-race game face.

Pursuit.

Kikkan finishing sprint relay, eventually beating out Sara Renner (CAN).

Pursuit day.

Liz Stephan

Morgan Arritola

Caitlin Compton

Channel 2 KTUU live news feed from Restaurant in Squamish.

Thanks for the lovely banner Alex Okeson and family!

This gentleman is from Peru.  He's a member of the Kongsberger club outside Seattle

Caitlin Compton

Torin in sprint qualifiers.

Garrot in sprint qualifing.

Petter Northug....the world's fastest 100m sprinter...this guy is incredible.  You gotta see it to believe it.

James in on finish stretch.

Freeman finishing.

The gang going to opening ceremonies (well, most of the gang.... a few missing...)

Pursuit race. Perianne Jones on the left, me on the right.

"Jet-Settin" to Presque Isle...

(I apologize for my lack of pictures in this blog - I didn't even have a chance to unpack my camera while I was home.) 

My stint back in Alaska was short.  I wish I could say that I had time to properly recover from the races, catch up on much-needed sleep, and relax but that wasn’t the case at all.   While at home I had just enough time to coach a couple of sessions, give some presentations about my experience at the Olympics, conduct some pre-Tour of Anchorage wax clinics (good luck today everyone!) see my cat, and buy my next plane ticket.  I didn’t have time to pay my bills (they are currently stuffed in my carry on waiting to be paid) fill out my training log (next on the agenda) or spend any quality time with my husband. L  I didn’t even unpack my bags from the Olympics – I just “re-packed.”  

My departure yesterday wasn’t supposed to be quite as hectic as it turned out.  It begun with a HEAVY knock on the front door at 6:45am Saturday morning.  My body or my mind must have been anticipating it because I jumped out of bed and peered out the window to see who was at the door. Sure enough, they flashed their badges – it was USADA – United States Anti-Doping Association.  I had been tested on three separate occasions at the Olympics but it was only a matter of time before they found me at home.

For those that are unfamiliar with the process, as Olympic-level athletes (even when I was a “hopeful”) we have to fill out “where-about forms” that include information of where we are going to be EVERY DAY of the year.  Each day, we have to provide a 60-minute “time window” and guarantee that we will be and STAY there so that anti-doping officials can show up unannounced and take blood and/or urine to ensure that we are “clean athletes.”  You can imagine that this is a time intensive process, especially for people that travel a lot.

Their arrival was bad news because I had a big agenda for the day and I had gotten up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  Nonetheless, I invited them in and we exchanged pleasantries while I drank 4 pints of water in hopes of providing the necessary sample they were there to collect.  Between waiting to pee and all the paperwork, the process took two hours that I had not planned into my day.

After they left, I had to hurry out the door to try and fit in my training before a 12-noon meeting. I no longer had time to drive to Hillside or Kincaid so I skied from my house on the Tour of Anchorage trail.  This usually isn’t a problem but Saturday also coincided with the start of the Iditarod and my ski home was largely interrupted by giving the dog teams right-of-way on the trail……. This was truly an “OIA” (Only in Alaska) problem to have. As frustrated as I was, I had to laugh at my situation.

I ate a power bar for lunch during my meeting and hustled home to “re-pack” with only an hour and a half before we needed to leave the house.  Packing was stressful because my mind was clouded and it was difficult to anticipate what I would need for the next three-week trip.

Rob hustled me to the airport and I checked in for my trip to Presque Isle, Maine. If anyone is wondering, I don’t think there is a place in the United States FURTHER away from Alaska. I am currently on my FOURTH flight of the two-day (no sleep) trip but will be arriving in time to help coach for the first race, the classic sprint, will be well worth the trip.

Now I just have to hope that my luggage made the four-flight and multiple carriers jump to meet me in the “County.”  I packed my still-sweaty classic boots into my carry on just in case it didn’t arrive in time to test wax. If it comes down to it, I will test wax for them in my sweatpants, hoodie, and reading glasses JThis past month there has been a lot of cheering for me…… I am excited to reciprocate the efforts and share my experiences across the pond.

Here is the view when you step out of the airplane in Presque Isle: 

The town may not be impressive but I have reason to believe that the event and the organization around it will be awesome. 

More to come/thanks for checking in, 

Holly :)