Balance, imbalance, and everything in between....

I am sure that anyone that strives for success in anything suffers with the issue of balance..... there are always questions of how much, when, why...  Or, if you're me, the habit of taking on many different projects.  I think that many Nordic skiers, by nature, tend to be over achievers. When I was a ski coach for West High School my team consistently had one of, if not the highest GPA of all high school sports.  There is something to be said for associating endurance sports with people that like to work hard - and can push through pain. The ability to suffer says a lot about the human condition - and, the people that choose to partake in those particular sports.  Nordic skiers are generally tough mentally and physically.  

With only 5 short weeks until my first race in West Yellowstone I find myself thinking about the concept of balance more and more.  Perhaps what I struggle with most are the expectations from others.  For example, friends want to socialize till the wee hours of night, people expect your attendance at parties.  At the same time they also want you to win races.  Last year, I won a free season's pass to Alyeska Ski Resort and there were a handful of people that one day would encourage me to go tele skiing (or give me a hard time because I didn't....) and the next day supported my bid to make the Olympic team.  From personal experience I can tell you - you have to make choices. At some point, you have to prioritize and you can't do EVERYTHING in a society that wants you too. 

The first tracks of the year aren't far away

Anyone that's been around skiing long enough has heard of the three "S's"..... School, Skiing, and Social.  Many coaches have told many athletes, "you can attempt to do all three and be mediocre at all three. Or, you can choose two and do them well."  Now that I am a college graduate (and have been since 2004) there are even more aspects of life to juggle.  I struggle with my own balances between being a professional athlete, working part time as a coach, reaching out to my community, taking a graduate level class, being a good wife, a responsible home owner AND attempting to maintain social contacts and friends.  It's a lot.  In addition to that is the requirement to get the rest your body needs when you're training hard - and the rest your body needs to fight off sickness.

My coach, (and also my boss!) Erik Flora sent an incredibly wise and telling email to our team this weekend.  Race season is right around the corner and it's time to buckle down!  See what he had to say.  It's TRUE.

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it" George Halas

It is time to prep for race season. This period helps to set up the body for the specific demands of racing. It is an important  period to move at race speeds. To do this well, the body needs to be ready for each interval and speed session. There is a time of year for everything as a ski racer. The spring is for laying back, partying, staying up late, being busy, and cross training. October-November is time to ready for racing by being smart about life and training. The focus is race speed. Make sure to organize your life to get a minimum of 8 hrs of sleep and a nap at mid-day, be mindful of good sports nutrition,  extra clothes at training, and train to have success. Now is the time.

Ski training in Kona?!

So.... I booked tickets to Hawaii during Alaska's 35 day-long summer rain spell.  While "what doesn't kill you will make you stronger" has some truth to it, the weather was a bit brutal. When I saw sale tickets to Hawaii plus a chance to use my companion fare ticket, I jumped at the opportunity.  We've done some hard training blocks and this week is a perfect week to mix everything up... my training, my location, the weather, the food, the roads for roller skiing, the trails for running, not to mention the clothes I wear for training!  This is my week to basically disappear and do my own thing before the season hits.  

 In 100% Kona Coffee Land... not bad!

The funny thing is, when I made reservations to come to the island I had NO IDEA that our trip would correspond with a super famous athletic event.  I should have known something was going on when I couldn't find a rental car online. After finally getting through to a person on the phone they told me, it's IRONMAN week!  Sweet!  This little fact has changed our vacation quite a bit. Rather than doodling around amongst a bunch of average tourists I've found myself amongst the fittest group of people I've potentially ever seen.  If you think Birkie Fever is serious then you obviously haven't been exposed to Ironman. If you want to argue the point ask yourself this, does ever other Birkie skier have a Birkie Tattoo proudly displayed on their body? I don't think so!  

Really? Yes, REALLY... everyone has them.

While roller skiing I met up with a French Bike team. It's sweet to be around Euro endurance athletes who are used to xc skiing being a legit sport! 

Since our immersion, Rob and I have been borderline obsessed over everything triathlon and ironman. I can't say that I want to do it myself (you'd understand if you saw me swim) but I can't help but become seriously inspired by another big athletic event like this.  Considering Ironman is relatively new (think 34 years) it has a huge following and from what I can tell, it's only getting bigger.  Anyways, at night we're studying up, being total tourists at the gear expo, learning the big names, making references to past results, Rob's neck probably needs chiropractic work after rubber-necking at bike after bike worth more than your standard car. Every other person walks around with one of those aerodynamic helmets that makes them look space age... it's really no big deal.  

It's fun to be an outsider to Ironman but in other ways, an insider to professional athletics.  Last night I was reading an interview with Great Brittain's Chrissie Wellington and she said that with all the pressure surround Kona, you just have to pretend that it's another race.  That is EXACTLY the tactic I took into the Olympics and it's really fun when you see parallels between what I do and what they do, or think!  The athletes have lots of sponsor engagements and I'm sure the requests and the pressure is building everyday leading up to the race.  After all, someone told me that if you win Kona Ironman, which is the World Championships, you win a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS. (The payday sounds a big heftier than ski racing huh?)

How has this effected my training? Well, it's been awesome. Yesterday I went roller skiing on the "Queen Ka" road which is the bike course for the race.  I skied on the smoothest road with the BIGGEST shoulder I have ever seen.  (For those who don't roller ski, Hawaiian Pavement is the equivalent of Utah Powder...) Bikers everywhere and signs labeled, "Caution, Athletes Training" line the road. PERFECT.  This morning during my run on the run course, there were product stations offered drinks, gels, chews, anything, every two miles. GU, Power Bar, Cliff, Muscle Milk, etc. etc.  This was perfect for an Alaskan trying to stay hydrated.  (I already have a horrible sunburn of course.)  Alii drive was full of bikers, runners, and convertibles with 10,000 bikes thrown in the back seat like a beauty queen in a small town parade.  I think I was the only one seeking out the rocky shoulder of the road in my trail runners, surrounded by pavement pounders!!!

Pull out on the Queen K... 

Luckily Rob and I are staying through Saturday morning so we'll get to see the first half of the race and the big names duking it out.  From a training and season preparation standpoint, this short week in the tropics is just what I needed. I'm focused, getting in good training, resting well, eating healthy, and am 100% confident that I will return to Alaska ready to put the final touches on my training for the upcoming 2010-2011 season. 

Thanks for reading and Mahalo! 

Holly :) 

Sixteen thousand, one hundred and eighty four miles.

This post isn't about ski racing per say, and it isn't about me. It's about my sister, Robin, who just completed an epic journey, all 16,184 miles of it.  

http://rwsb.blogspot.com/

Last week she completed her "year of biking."  She started at our family home in Seattle, biked down the west coast, (took a break to fly back for the Olympics!) then across the US/Mexican border during the winter months, zig-zagged across the East Coast, and returned West through Canada.  She had no plans, no steady biking companions, and spent most of her nights "stealth camping."  Yep - she's a 25 year old female that did it all by herself!  And if you're wondering, stealth camping means sleeping in places that you don't pay for ie, the side of the road behind the camouflage of bushes or one of her last nights, a baseball dugout. During her travels she kept an awesome blog. You can read Robin's final post about her adventure and the other 56 posts if you are so inclined.

Robin had (and still has!) a wicked tan line from her bike shorts.... she's currently growing the helmet hair out and yes, she rocked the APU training shirt all over the country!

In the meantime, here are some of Robin's stats, taken directly from her blog: http://rwsb.blogspot.com/

The Final Tally for 365 days on the road:

Miles: 16,184 (26, 045 km)
Flats: 41 (none since way back in Vermont!)
Tubes: 15
Tires: 7
Jars of Nut Butter: 38
Nights under a roof: 128
States: 30
Provinces: 4
National Parks, etc: 38
Bike-free days: 58
100+ mile days: 21
Rain: 87
Riding in Rain: 48
Riding with companions: 29
Books: 24
Spontaneous hosts: 6
Ferries: 8
Farms: 2
Rear Wheels: 3
Warmshowers/Couchsurfing hosts: 17
Bike shorts: 3
Tubes Chamois B'tter: 3
Sicknesses: 3
Sunglasses: 3
Nights paid for: 13

Call her crazy, call her brave, call her adventuresome.  As her older sister, I am incredibly proud of her independence, her ambition, and her sense of adventure. She had an amazing year, met absolutely fantastic, genuine people, and had an experience that many of us will never dream of.  Let her be an inspiration. I know that I will - and do!  Congratulations Robs.... so glad you're back safe!

You may ask, "Now what?"  Well, I'm happy to say that there's going to be another Brooks in West Yellowstone this year!  Yep, my sister took a job as the head coach of Glacier Nordic based out of Whitefish, Montana.   

Sweet pic of our family in 1993. Robin's in the front, left and I'm in the middle of my parents wearing one of those sweet fleece barrets that were so cool! 

In other news, fall is definitely here in Anchorage, smell of rotten leaves and all. More on that and the upcoming ski racing season to come - stay tuned! 

Holly :) 

Finally a full-time skier and part-time coach!

It's been a long time in the making but a couple of weeks ago I officially became a full-time skier and a part time coach. That's right, I reversed my roles. I used to be a full time coach and part time athlete.  Now, it's the opposite.  I have to say, life is still as busy as ever but it's good. I'm not complaining!

Fall colors are already out in Anchorage.  This picture is from Glen Alps 

I have many people to thank for helping make this change possible.  First and foremost, my husband Rob has been awesome. As an ex-ski racer himself, he knows "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of ski racing. My employers, Alaska Pacific University and my boss/coach, Erik Flora have been encouraging and flexible.  My co-workers, Eric Strabel and Dylan Watts have taken on larger responsibilities at work. While I used to be a head coach of two programs I am now an assistant coach.  I still get to interact with other athletes on a daily basis (which I love to do) but have handed the decision making and planning off to these two guys.

And now the shameless plug to my sponsors..... why? Because they make being a ski racer possible physically, financially, emotionally, and logistically.  Financing your own athletic career and paying for everything from race entries to roller ski wheels and over-sized baggage fees is expensive and I'm happy to say that because of my generous sponsors I'm not accruing credit card debt in the process.  I know that not every ski racer has the support that I have and I am very lucky to be so fortunate.  I think the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child" relates to skiing 100%.  It certainly takes a community to raise an athlete.  Anchorage is a wonderful, vibrant place to be a ski racer and I hope that I can give as much back to the community as I receive.  But back to my sponsors - they are listed in the column to the right.  Some have supported me with cash donations, and others with in-kind support.  They have all been wonderful to work with and I appreciate their support immensely!!!!!  Please check out my sponsor's links by clicking on the company logo and (when applicable) help me by utilizing their services!!!

What else?

Its been a busy month .... honestly characterized by some less than desirable weather.  Here in Alaska we actually broke the record for consecutive rainy days, something like 34 (?) days straight of rain!?  Working outside is a blessing when it's sunny out but for the straight month plus of rain lets just say it was character building! :)

Here are a couple of pictures from recent days....

A bunch of us went to the state fair for "Olympian Day" the friday before Labor Day.  The day was spent signing autographs, taking pictures, and answering questions/telling stories about the games.  Pictured are Callan (snow boarding) me, Kerry (hockey) and my APU teammates, James and Kikkan. 

Kikkan and I wandered around the fair after our event and found time for another workout with these cabbage weights!  I also saw the record breaking pumpkin weighing in at 1101 pounds! 

This picture basically sums up a lot of our weather... 

And when its less than desirable its even nicer to have teammates to train with.  Here is an "after shot" of me, Katie, and Kikkan after a great (and dry!) three hour skate ski last weekend.  Training with others is the best.  Never underestimate the power of having a team!

That's it for now - more to come so stay tuned! 

Holly :)

Last week: 25 hours on snow!

"It's amazing how bad one must feel in order to feel good"

I've thought about this quote or idea a couple of times in the last month. As athletes we spend an amazing amount of energy training and pushing our bodies and minds. The end goal is to be strong, fit, and preform at a high level. In order to cross that finish line first in December I must be so tired that taking out the garbage in August feels like a major endeavor. There is a saying that skiers are made in the summer and those are the hours and efforts I am feeling today as I type this blog.

The Thomas Training Center which sits on the edge of Eagle Glacier, over looking Girdwood

I just returned from a week-long on-snow camp on Eagle glacier where I trained 25 hours last week. Life was simple and it was great to be in a place where skiing was the focus - and the only focus. At Eagle cell reception is poor at best and there is no Internet. Days are spent skiing twice, resting, fueling the body (eating) performing camp chores, taking care of equipment, and spending valuable time watching and assessing videos of ourselves skiing in past training sessions. It's restful in the sense that there are few distractions and tiring in the sense that the training is hard. Eagle glacier sits at 5500 feet so there is a slight altitude effect but perhaps the bigger factor is that the snow is often extremely slow due to the high moisture content. (This is a nice way of saying that it rains a lot!) The living accommodations are plush - we have good food, hot showers, and endless pots of coffee but there isn't a lot of living space. Twenty five people share one building: one kitchen, two toilets, and sleep in bunk beds. If you're the claustrophobic type, Eagle Glacier is not for you. Besides skiing at designated times there is no where to go. One night I got antsy and resorted to walking laps around the building to stretch my legs in a non-ski specific way.

Here are a couple of pictures to tell the story of the past week:

Athletes fly rather than hike the 5,000 feet to the glacier to optimize training for the week

Keith taking us up valley

We had four guest skiers attend August camp, visiting from other top programs in the country.  Here Brian Gregg, a childhood friend from Winthrop, Washington is psyched about the first day of skiing!

Not bad for the first ski of the week..... 

This picture is a personal favorite and also my computer desktop right now.  The black dots you see near the horizon are skiers.  When Eagle Glacier is nice, it's heaven on earth - or heaven in Alaska!

Erik Flora took this picture of Bart. He did NOT use photo shop. Personally I think it's worthy of being in the next Swix catalog!

APU Girls team plus Nicole Deyong. Left to right: Greta, Katie, Nicole, Kalysta, myself, Taz, Sadie, Becca, Fitz, and Morgan!

Don't let Eagle Glacier fool you.  For every blue-bird t-shirt wearing ski we had we had two or three skis in complete fog, wind, rain, or a combination of the three.  Eagle glacier never lets you forget what it is - that is, a true, live and active glacier.  The weather can change in five minutes and sometimes the visibility is non-existent.  I've skied laps of our 6 kilometer course based on memory of the turns and guided by the orange wands that are every couple hundred of feet.

Due to conditions like the picture you see above the drying room is an ESSENTIAL element of the training facility. Basic protocol is to step inside the building after a ski and strip all the wet layers off to hang (and theoretically dry) for the next workout.  It's not unusual to see teammates leave the drying room wearing only wool underwear - stop to get a granola bar from the kitchen, and retreat to their rooms to change into dry sweatpants.... 

In the week that we were on Eagle the snow changed considerably.  August is often the last month that the glacier doesn't get considerable amounts of new snow. Therefore, by the last day of camp the snow is dirty.  Here's a close up of the snow directly off the ski trail.  Every day and every ski there was more snow algae and what could possibly be leftover volcanic ash from last year's explosion of Redoubt?

Here Katie and Morgan cut peppers for Fajita night.  Athletes are divided up into work crews and have camp chores every day.  Group dinners are often a team highlight

Erik and Casey work hard at these camps to ensure that everything goes smoothly for the athletes.  I know this first hand as I am one of the few athletes who has been on Eagle to work and has also been on Eagle to train.  They groom during the night so we have good skiing in the morning and spend the days setting tracks, taking video at sessions, completely endless hours of technique review with athletes - all of this on top of making sure all of our remote systems are in working order.  It's impressive.

In the photo above Erik demonstrates the end of a skate motion to Jack, one of our top junior athletes that came to his second glacier camp of the summer!  Erik has an amazing eye for technique detail and can dissect your every movement.  He has concrete suggestions for improvement and is happy to show you example after example in World Cup and Olympic footage.  He doesn't mess around.

Here Erik and Casey get to enjoy a rare ski (they are often too busy to put on skis themselves!)

Not bad..... 

At the end of the week most athletes opt to hike down from the glacier.... it's a good experience and saves the cost of an additional helicopter ride.  You can expect to be sore from the 5000 foot decent. I am.

Alpine flowers

The hike involves some sensory overload, especially with the vibrant colors of the foliage.  The wildflowers and lush nature of the vegetation are always a welcome sight!

All in all, the camp was incredibly productive. The training was great, I received tons of valuable feedback and technique adaptations from Erik, and I feel as though I put some serious "money in the bank."  (Meaning, the work from the last week will pay dividends come winter race season.)  Now it's time to make sure that I get the proper recovery before jumping back on the horse.  It's difficult while work, emails, and phone calls have piled up but I'm doing my best to prioritize rest.  That said, if I haven't returned your call yet, I will soon! Thanks for being patient!

Thanks for reading.... more to come,
Holly :)

July in Review... plus tons of pictures!

One of my juniors girls made a valid point yesterday. She said, "people that read your blog don't even know if you crossed the finish line of Mt. Marathon successfully."  She is right, I haven't had a post since BEFORE the race. So, here's what I've been up to:

1) A successful Mt. Marathon race where I came up short by 10 seconds (meaning I was leading the race until the last block when my legs absolutely died - I got second place.)

Going up: Cedar, me & Kikkan - exactly the order we finished in

Coming down... unfortunately my big uphill lead wasn't enough to sustain me on the downhill. Cedar had a top ten downhill time for the men's field!

Here's where she passed me with one block to go in front of thousands of people! 

2) Extreme post-race soreness (since I had not been able to train the downhill due to an ankle injury)

3) A mid-summer sickness (flu/bronchitis/extreme fatigue)

4) The celebration of my one year wedding anniversary!

5) A trip to Denali with the intention of climbing Mt. Brooks with Rob and my dad - at least until we were turned around due to bad weather. (This was planned as my only "vacation" for the summer - from both work and organized ski training.)

Pointing to Mt. Brooks with my dad, Don Brooks!

We had a gorgeous approach day with a full view of Denali and the Alaska Range

Lots of stream crossings and wet feet! I was happy to get in a great day of "non-specific" training! (Fifteen hours on our feet)

In fact it was such a long day that we stopped for a "dinner break."  Here Rob took full advantage!

After the first day our weather turned. We spent two days in our tents listening to the rain and wind waiting for it to clear. When it didn't, we had to retreat. I suppose that's mountaineering for you. I'm definitely going back to climb this beautiful mountain!  

Lucky for us, my dad had the foresight to insist that we bring along a boat. Due to all the rain we had to use it to ford multiple braids of McKinley Bar due to all the recent rain.  Take a close look at the picture - both my dad and Rob are in the boat!

The consolation prize for retreating from Denali early was a gorgeous run on Crow Pass with my dad. Here he is in front of Raven glacier. 

The wild flowers were alright too.

After Crow Pass we went dip netting on the Kenai with thousands of other Alaskans.  Here is an action shot of Rob and a fish that appears to still be alive in his hands!

Our coolers full of "bounty" for the day.  This year Rob built a smoker and we experimented with smoking fish for the first time. The outcome was great! 

Getting this much fish is definitely one of those "OIA" (Only in Alaska) experiences. The cost of living here might be high but at least we get to take home and store LOTS of wild, organic fish for the winter! 

Moving on.......

6) I recently had the biggest week of training I've had in my recorded, training-log life.  It still amazes me how often I have to feel bad to feel good - meaning that to be in top form for skiing at a certain time, I have to spend a lot of time really, really tired. It's always a balance. How much is too much and how much is not enough? (That IS the question!)

7) My big training week was followed by leading a junior dryland training camp in Talkeetna:

Junior skiers skiing up Hatcher's Pass! Here is Thomas receiving some technique advice from Katie Ronsse

Our group at the end of the ski

Thomas and Doug tearing it up in an intense bounding workout

Forest getting after it!

Those that have injuries opted to bike instead.

A sweet core routine on the dock - not bad!

At junior camp we train a lot (three times per day!) but we also emphasize fun.  The Mannix family was kind enough to have us over for a bonfire. Karen challenged all the boys to hula hoop.  If they were successful, they "won" a snickers for the OD (over distance workout) the next day. Every single boy in our group did it the first time they tried!  I have to admit - I think they were better than the girls!  

Troy loving the snickers 4 hours into the run

The next day we did a 5.5 hour ridge run/hike on Kesugi Ridge. We had mediocre weather and it was still beautiful. I can only imagine what it must be like in clear, sunny weather!

Every year we end the Talkeetna Camp (compliments of the Knapp family - thank you Alice!) with a multi-sport relay. Here is Eric Strabel giving directions. 

The teams are lined up at the start.  Luckily these kids are skiers and not rowers because admittedly, they aren't very good! (Sorry guys!)

A team shot

Another team shot

Tomorrow I (potentially) head to Eagle Glacier for a week-long on snow camp - weather depending.  I'm hoping for a bit of sunshine, some good skiing, and some sleep!  My next post will be a glacier report. Thanks for reading!

Holly :)