Goodbye Salen, Hello Torsby!

The first day of Swedish training camp we woke up to pouring rain. We were handed a topo map with a couple of arrows, and told that we would be going on a three-hour bog run. 

Luckily, everything worked out great; they didn’t ditch us in the Swedish marsh, they translated the important points, and we got an awesome training session in. 

Perhaps what I love most about the joint USST/SWE National camp is the unexpected.  I’m running places that I’ve never run before, completing new workouts, following different training partners and buying snacks at the ICA rather than the Fred Myers. Everyday we wake up to a new adventure. 

Part of me was expecting some kind of epiphany; that I would learn something revolutionary. Instead, this trip seems to reinforce what I already know, how I train, and that I seem to be on the right course.  While I haven’t exactly had an “ah-ha!” moment, perhaps my take home – that the way Swedes do it isn’t really that different - is even more valuable.

 Here are a couple of pictures from the first half of the training camp in Salen: 

 Thanks a ton to Ahvo @ Finn Sisu for hooking us up with some faster classic roller skis. It would have been a bummer to have come all the way across the pond only to find that we couldn't keep up! 

 Swedes have beautiful breakfast spreads..... 

 The small "Stugas" where we stayed, mountain side. 

 Of course, xc skiers on the food at the grocery store! 

By now you may have heard about bowling night or workout #3 for the day.  Kid you not, Matt is sore from the exertion. 

 Chandra bowled up a storm! 

 Liz getting serious

 Me, trying desperately to keep it out of the gutter

 North Americans and Swedes - Ida, Chandra, Hanna Falk & Charlotte Kalla 

 Coaches and physios played too

 Girls with the maps for bog run #2 - only this time, in better weather

 We ran on a small part of trail.... 

 But it mostly looked like this 

 Or this... 

 Mid bog run #2: Kikkan, Mia, Magda & Chandra

 Our training schedule for the camp ..... in Swedish

 Peter, our head wax tech is Swedish. He joined us for lunch and coffee. He came down to Salen to compete in the Cyclevasa - a 90k mountain bike race on the 90k Vasaloppet ski trail. 

 With Diggs, post classic intervals 

Gravel on what's now deemed "Holly's corner."  I came flying into this intersection going full speed and landed on my face in front of the whole Swedish National team, our team, and tons of tourists. I've been told it was quite the spectacle. I'm super pumped that I didn't break myself OR my equipment! 

More from the Torsby Tunnel coming up shortly! 

Cheers, 

Holly :) 

August on XC Ski Girl...

Check it out if you're interested! 

http://www.xcskigirl04.blogspot.se/

Post from Sweden coming shortly. I'm almost half way through the camp and it's been a great experience. Tomorrow 5x10 minutes classic roller ski intervals, threshold. PM strength and then we're headed to Torsby for some more tunnel skiing! 

In the meantime, here is a small selection of photos taken from facebook - thanks friends! 

 Team Sweden & USA on the first training session - 3 hour bog run!  Thanks to Kikkan for the pic! 

Roller ski skate sprint race..... what a fun way to do intervals!  Went FIVE times.. prelim, 2 quarterfinals, a semi & final. Each heat had four skiers. Winner of each heat moved up a bracket, last place moved down. Kept the workout super fluid and really fun. Got to work on top speed, race tactics, skiing in a pack. Compliments to Chandra for capturing the pic! 

Running with Kalla, day one - thanks to Kik for the pic

More soon! 

Cheers, 

Holly :) 

Update.... in Pictures

As always, the last couple of weeks have been busy..... I spent an awesome week on Eagle Glacier with my APU teammates. This was my second camp on the summer and after a 9-hour weather delay in Girdwood due to bad weather, it turned out to be an AWESOME camp. I logged another big-hour week and feel that I make some technical improvements.  Following the glacier camp, Rob and I along with other Anchorage-area Olympians were invited out to GCI's Agulowok Retreat in Northwest Alaska.  We flew to Dillingham and took a Grumin Goose out to the lodge.  We had one gorgeous day but otherwise, it rained buckets.  We got to see the bears in Katmai National Park at Brooks Camp (!) I caught my first Rainbow, and we went skeet shooting. (I hit nothing with affirms that I should remain a cross country skier rather than switch to biathlon!)  Now, as I write this, we are in Sweden, ready to start a joint camp with the Swedish National team girls. I'm super pumped to have some new training partners and work really hard over the next week, plus. It was a difficult 30+ hours of travel to get here from Alaska but I'm sure it will be well worth it!  Thanks a ton to NNF, the National Nordic Foundation for helping fund this training camp! Read on...... 

While being grounded on the runway in Girdwood, we checked out this sky crane. This thing cost $50/second to run!!! WOW! 

It's July in Alaska! I brought a freshly smoked salmon fillet to share with my APU teammates. Thanks so much to my husband, Rob for slaying it dip-netting, as usual :)  I didn't get to go fishing but I helped with the filleting... 

After a day and a half of rain on Eagle we were treated to some awesome AK sunshine - it DOES happen up here! This is my teammate, Reese Hanneman

APU girl's team, L4 skate intervals

Post intervals pancake lunch tradition! 

My plate :) 

Salomon on Eagle

Good buddies Charlie Renfro and Chris Hodel were able to fly up for an APU team photo shoot.  They got some amazing stuff and it was a blast having them up there! Thanks guys! 

After the hard glacier effort Rob and I caught some rare quality time together..... 

Here is the Goose that we flew out to the lodge in.  This plane is from 1942 and it lands in the water, on it's belly.  Water splashes up, almost beyond the windows and you momentarily think you're going to sink.... 

It's Bear season in AK!  Apparently this bear was fishing and eating only the Salmon eyes - must be a delicacy! 

Thanks so much GCI, David Morris, Dave & Mary, and the entire staff at the Agulowok - you guys are awesome! 

Buddies Rachel (biathlete) and Alex (freestyle) on the skeet range....

The beach at Brooks immediately has human & bear foot prints leading to the entrance of the park! 

Our group at Brooks Falls 

Parking lot at Brooks and AK fireweed

With my first Rainbow! 

After the lodge trip and a weather delay getting out of Dillingham I flew 30 hours and met up with my USST teammates in Sweden!  Some of you may remember that I skied in the Torsby Tunnel last November, getting ready for the opening World Cups in Norway.  Well, I'm back here again to gerbil it around the 1.3k loop.  Also, Salomon France is here and I've spent some time testing skis with them...... 

I also got to test the new Salomon skate boot. It's almost entirely carbon and it's SO LIGHT. It feel like you have a sock on and I am ecstatic to race in it this upcoming winter!  Trust me, these things are amazing! 

As you can imagine, we're also spending a fair amount of time watching and following the Olympics while over here. The Swedish commentary isn't quite the same but we're having a blast following the races nonetheless.  Bar none, my favorite OLYMPIC moment so far has been the 10k!  This past May the US team got to meet the Nike Team project.... here we are pictures with Mo Farah and Galen Rupp - the Gold and Silver Medalists from the London 2012 race! 

And....we're momentarily getting the car to meet up with these ladies! 

If you haven't seen this yet, check it out! 

A sunny day on Eagle Glacier with the APU Ski Team 

By Charlie Renfro

Okay, racing to pack & depart! More later, 

Cheers, 

h 

So many wonderful things!

I can honestly say that the past few weeks have been some of the busier in my life.... but I am not complaining but I've been able to do some wonderful, amazing things with awesome people. Rather than do a full account of everything I've failed to post, here is the last month or so in pictures with some quick descriptions!  Enjoy and as always, thanks for reading! 

 Finnish Super Star Skier Aino Kaisa Saarinen came to ski on Eagle Glacier!  Who would have ever thought that would happen!? She liked it to! 

 I won a big race that I've been trying to win for five years; hence, I got sprayed with champagne at the finish! 

Here I am coming across the finish line July 4th in downtown Seward.  If you care to read more about the race you can find the article here: 

http://www.adn.com/2012/07/04/2531168/brooks-runs-down-elusive-title.html

 My friend Annie volunteered to be the team massage therapist for the week. She kept us moving, happy & healthy. Body care becomes a big issue when you're training up to 30 hours per week. Here I am lucky enough to be receiving an outdoor massage on the deck at my own house!  Thank you SO MUCH ANNIE! 

 The Knapp family kindly had our whole group over for dinner! 

 Thanks Laura G for the pic! Half way up Mt. Marathon

 Thanks to the Schoen family for flying me to and from McCarthy to officiate the wedding of my dear friends, Chrissy & Ray. The wedding was during the camp so the flight made it possible to officiate the wedding while missing as little of camp as possible! 

 Sprint relay day! Complete with a visit from Kikkan's husband, Jeff! 

 Rob and I just celebrated our third wedding anniversary! 7/11!!!

 We had more foggy days on the glacier than sunny days. Of course all the pictures get taken while it's nice out but we certainly put our fair share of hard work during days that aren't photogenic. We ski train rain, snow, sun, or fog. 

 This was that sunny, oh so great day! 

 Awesome roll sesh in Anchorage with the NAWTA group

 I played the bad guy in our skit/talent show - hence the knife! 

 End of an awesome roller ski at Glen Alps! 

 We celebrated summer solstice with Michael Franti and Spearhead! What a great concert!!!! Big smiles all around! 

 Like I said, we had all kinds of weather on Eagle! 

 The beauty of Eagle 

 One afternoon we joined the APU juniors for a distance run up Winter creek, lunch & had a panel discussion afterwards. We shared our experiences - both failures and successes. We had a blast and I think the juniors did too judging by their faces! (I suppose an Olympic Gold Medal helps too) 

 Merritt, one of my best friends from college came to visit with her husband Steve! 

 Hope Point, AK 

 We celebrated Merritt's birthday in Hope! 

 Flying over Eagle Glacier on the way to Chrissy and Ray's wedding! 

 With Emily Chenel/Lints who now lives in Homer, AK. The two of us were on the PNSA J2 relay team when we were 14 years old! So fun to connect with old friends! 

 Bridesmaid's boots! 

 Yep, this bride has muscles! 

 The RAYMAY show

 Bridesmaids and glacial moraine

 Flying back to Anchorage.... "I've got to get up to the glacier for camp!!!!" 

Officiating the wedding! 

Me and Rob with the newest addition to our family, our niece Maria (6 months old!) 

More to come sooner rather than later! Have a blast and be safe! 

Cheers, 

Holly :)