CRMS Nordic Ski Team

JNQ #5&6 - Solider Hollow UT

2012-01-31T05:51:00.003-07:00

Despite doing our course previews in the rain on Thursday, the weekend in Soldier Hollow turned out to bebeautiful! We were racing onsmall loops of man-made snow, but the conditions werefast and the courses were in good condition! Lina skied up into the top 10 both days on the final results sheet. She opened the weekend with a 7th in the sprint qualifier.

It's been a while ...

2012-01-25T06:44:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since we have updated here ... for a variety of reasons. We are now about half way through the competitive season, and have one of the strongest girls teams in years!

This weekend's Nordic races featured a continuous-pursuit style event, or "duathlon" event, in which athletes skied a lap of a 3km course in the classic diagonal stride technique, then skied a 3.5km loop using the skate style, including an equipment switch in the middle, on the clock! Combined times of the classic + switch + skate were used for the final standings of the event! The course at Snow Mountain Ranch, in Granby, CO was surprisingly cold in the early morning. As things warmed we were ready for potentially tricky waxing conditions, but the rain/snow held off until after the races. The course was firm windblown snow over some older snow, and stayed relatively consistent through the day. Though the start/finish area was moved well out away from the buildings and parking, the trails were in good condition and held up well. With what was available, the crew over there put on a great, fun event for all!

Evelinaagain lead the team with a 3rd place, for her second podium finish of the year. Other notable accomplishments including Jessica notably improving her placing from the last high school race (this is her second nordic race, ever!) and more people qualifying for the state meet. Lina, Jacqueline & Heidi all qualified for the classic races at the state meet by finishing in the top 45% of the field. Robert skied by far his best placing of the season, at one point challenging for a top-20 finish! In the process, he also qualified for both skate and classic events at the state meet!

Thanksgiving Camp!

2011-11-30T06:49:00.001-07:00

What a great Thanksgiving break camp we had at Grand Mesa! We had a great crew, good skiing, and excellent food!

Gearing Up for Fall

2010-10-13T12:01:00.004-06:00

A few final days of summer for fall trip ...

But the snow is coming!

Time to clean up the skis!

Fall Training Camp

2010-10-13T11:52:00.004-06:00

Fall Training Camp in Aspen with the rest of the RMD Division! Perfect fall weather, and great to have others to train with! Also a good check-in for athletes from around the region to catch up with each other, and motivate for the last block of training!

Roller Ski Trail!

2010-09-26T15:35:00.003-06:00

2 Hour roller ski on the New path this afternoon! Beautiful summer day to officially enter into the fall! Nice to have something with hills, turns, smooth pavement and no cars! And close to campus!

JO Team!

2010-03-02T14:26:00.002-07:00

Junior Gus Griffin raced Thursday and Friday at the regional semi finals in Steamboat winning himself a spot on the JO team!!! Wow!

Gus will be training and racing during the next couple weeks in Maine!

2010-03-02T14:21:00.002-07:00

The results from the 5k skate race at states in Frisco are as follows:

Girls: Jaq 11th, Maria 32nd, Florentina 32nd

Boys: Gus 8th, Sam 44th

Wahoo!

Stepin' It Up at States- Frisco

2010-02-18T20:53:00.002-07:00

Wednesday afternoon members of the CRMS campus sent our Nordic and Alpine Teams on their way to Frisco where they'll spend Thursday and Friday racing against many of the top high school skiers in the state. Coaches Nick Brown and Max Stevens did a special report on the event for the local Post Independent, during which they expressed the great amount of pride and excitement that the whole school has for these skiers. The link can be found at:

The 2010 nordic state team consists of Gug, Sam, Maggie, Florentina, and Maria. While Gus, Sam and Maggie have skied past seasons, competing in States is quite an accomplishment for Maria and Florentina who both just started competitively sking this season.

The classic race was held at 2pm today which undoubtably made for an interesting adventure in ski waxing for our beloved coaches Nick and Elliot.

The Women's Team earned 7th place for the classic race with Jacqueline in 19th, Maria in 33 and Maggie in 41st.

The Men's Team earned 12th place partially as a result of having only two skiers to earn points. Gus had an excellent race, coming in 5th for classic, and Sam finished 37th.

Hoping to have some photos to upload soon and results for the skate race tomorrow afternoon!

Final CHSSA Race of the Season

2010-02-18T20:51:00.001-07:00

We finished off an excellent season of CHSSA racing on Saturday in Aspen. The team was especially excited to see some of the professional skiers competing in the Super Tour and Owl Creek Chase cheering them on. For many, Nordic Skiing climbed the "cool scale" a couple notches at least. It was exhilarating to Sam and Emily come in oh so hot- with their best races of the season. Emily EVEN HAD FUN! We were happy to introduce the visiting Dr. Bonyo Bonyo, originally from Kenya, and his children to the sport. A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the Kaufmans who had us over to their beautiful house after the race. Panninis, tomato soup, pez candy, and a blizzard. All in a day up at Aspen.

Kate Whitcomb, all-star nordic skier from Sun Valley came to ski with the team on Tuesday. Despite having walking pneumonia Kate challenged our guys and girls to take those turns fast, give up their fear of falling, and push V2 technique through our mid-week pickups. She keeps a blog at: http://sunvalleyonline.com/links/2010/02/15/watching-the-owl

It was a pleasure to have Kate ski with us. We took these photos expressly to send to our greatly-missed Hannes in SV.

Nordic in the News, Dress- up, Fundraisers

2010-02-11T16:53:00.004-07:00

There have been a lot of Nordic happenings during the past week that require acknowledgment.

CRMS alum Robel Teklemarian plans to compete in the Winter Olympics next week for the Ethopian Nordic Team! Here's a great article about his training time at Spring Gulch, past olympic experience, and goals for the future. Also notable, the excellent interview with CRMS coach Mark Clark. http://www.as pendailynews.com/section/home/1391 42

Our CRMS team raced last Thursday in Steamboat. The 5k skate course was challenging yet rewarding for many of our skiers. The complete list of results can be found in the important links below.

An especially motivated group of CRMS nordies decided to follow the Steamboat race with a 10k tour in Crested Butte on Saturday. As clearly depicted by the accompanying photos (graciously contributed by Sandy Deveny) the Ally Loop was filled with silliness and adventure. What fun to ski down Mainstreet! Faculty spouse Shannon Myer also skiied the Ally Loop and upped the annie with the 30k course. Rumor has it that she did quite well!

CRMS Coaches participated, along with about 80 others, in the Ski for Sisu fundraiser at Spring Gulch on Sunday. Heavy snows failed to deter those eager to crank out some laps and the dedicated SGNC volunteers kept serving up brownies and warm drinks throughout the day. Especially impressive was Lina's 25 k ski (2 laps) with her father Tripp. Nice work Lina!

This Tuesday we set out for an afternoon practice with an extra special mission. Ski from the snowmobile trails of Sunlight Mtn. in Glenwood, past Williams Peak, down through Marion Gulch and across the Perry's Fields. All in all- 4 hrs 30 minutes of great wipeouts, powder skiing, beautiful views of the Elk Mountains, and warm winter sun. At dinner- a huge sense of accomplishment and a large appetite.

Aaaannnddd finally, this Saturday we have our last CHSSA race for the season at Aspen Highschool. This event is sandwhiched between the Super Tour and Owl Creek Chase on Saturday and Sunday. Our skiers will head out around 1:20 pm on Saturday so come be part of the cheer squad! If you make it to the OCC, also make sure to cheer for Tommy as he races the 10k.

Taking on Devil's Thumb

2010-02-04T20:47:00.004-07:00

Devil's Thumb will never be the same after the CRMS team's visit to the area last weekend. We rolled in hot and left them begging for more!

The skies were blue, the snow fast, and the cookies aplenty. We enjoyed a great night planning Risk and Connect Four in Granby at the Stein Cabin.

Although the trip had many highlights, we were especially excited about Sam Kaufman's 17th place finish in the Boy's 5k and our own CRMS coach Nick Brown finishing 2nd for the Men's 15k
in the annual Governor's Cup. Additionally,
we would like to extend a special congrats
to CRMS grad, Mia Gaw '03, who
finished 5th in the Women's 30k.
See the "important links" side bar to
the right to view the official results.

Our team continues to steam roll through February with a Thursday race in Steamboat, a special appearance at the Crested Butte Ally Loop, and some long distance skiing at Ski for Sisu on Sunday.

2010-01-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

2010-01-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Surviving January

2010-01-25T10:24:00.007-07:00

The third week in January is always a check-in point for me.

We've had cold temperatures for couple months now, my Sorrells are permanently damp, the icicles are starting to take over our house, and I realize that we're only half way through the winter season in Colorado. Each year around this time I ask myself : "Can I make it?" "Where did that giant jar of hot chocolate go?" "What's Costa Rica like this time of year?"

For me, being part of the Nordic community and skiing with a competitive team ensures a 97% winter survival rate. (I figure the only way I won't make it to April this year is if one of the icicles threatening my house eventually breaks through the window and shoots straight into my heart. You should see them- definitely a 3% chance of happening).

Skiing with the CRMS nordic team gives us a chance to sweat, laugh, travel, and sometimes most importantly-work hard! This winter ritual, and the special moments along the way, are what keep me skiing until the last snow melts away. Here's a list of some treasures from the past couple weeks.

1) Nordic Team Superhero Friday (or in my case Saturday- see the photo below)

2) Skiing on Thompson Creek last Tuesday with Will and Judy Perry

3) Lina Sutro's second place finish in the Middle School 3k classic race at Vail on Saturday

4) Feeling the winter sun on my face while skiing up to Finlandia

5) Lady GaGa's "Poker Face"

6) The determination of Tamsin and Emily to finish the races at Vail despite injuries and taking a hit to their pride

7) The group of 5 skiers and Nick who represented CRMS at the RMD race in Durango on Jan 14.

8) Watching former CRMS ski coach Rob Stein ski with the team once again during last weekend's Saturday practice and time trial.

9) The Reese's candy hearts that Elliot always surprises us with after a long ski.

10) Watching wipe-outs on the steep downhills and wiping-out myself on steep downhills

The Vail race results can be found through a link on the right. A big thank you to Sandy Deveny for the great photos included with this post. We're headed off this Friday to Devil's Thumb (Winter Park area) for our next CHSSA race. More details to follow.

CRMS Hosts at Spring Gulch

2010-01-12T19:29:00.002-07:00

A BIG Thank You to everyone who came out to cheer on the racers this past Saturday. Despite the very chilly days leading up to the race, Saturday brought blue bird skies, 40* conditions, and lots of smiles to the Alpine Bank Classic at Spring Gulch.

We are also very appreciative of all the hard work put in by the SGNC, SG groomers, and other volunteers. At the end of it all, we sent about 300 middle school and high school skiers out on course. It was also a special treat to have two CRMS alumni return to forerun the race, Julia Hedman and Elissa Rodman, pictured in the photograph above.

Our CRMS skiers took advantage of racing on their home course; finishing with some great times. Of special note are Gus Griffin who finished 1st for the boys, in 11th, and Jacqueline Larouche who finshed first for the girls in 23rd. As a team the boys finished in 10th place and the girls finished in 8th place. After a little clean up and some play time on the megafone we headed to the Deveny's house in Carbondale for a well deserved Chili lunch! Mmmmm...

This weekend some of our skiers head to Durango for a RMD race, while others will stay to do a time trial at Spring Gulch and work on some downhill technique. Who knows... a trip to Snowmass may be in order.

CRMS Race at Spring Gulch 11:00 AM SAT JAN 9

2010-01-06T12:02:00.004-07:00

Preparing for our home race at Spring Gulch has been an exciting way to begin the second semester. It's been a couple seasons since CRMS last hosted a CHSSA race but race coordinator Elliot Norquist has pulled everything together very nicely. We are very appreciative of all the effort that he, Mehgan Larson, and the Spring Gulch Nordic Council have put into this race. I skied the course this morning as some big, wet snowflakes began to fall. Spring Gulch is at it's best right now!

As I mentioned to the team yesterday, for some reason many nordic races have a hard time drawing large crowds of spectators. Maybe its the spandex that scares them away; or perhaps the possibility of frostbite and the overzealous coaches running around with klister and torches. I haven't figured it out. But, I do know that races are one of the few opportunities that our highschool racers have a chance to show-off all the hard work that they have put into their training. And if you are worried that there won't be enough excitement for you I have a couple ideas:
1) Stand at the top of a long uphill and try to get a racer to smile. (This may require ridiculous costumes, offers of free hugs, etc.)

2) Stand at the bottom of a steep downhill and make bets on the biggest pile-up to occur.

3) Bring a grill, music, and lots of extra food. You will make lots of nordi friends very quickly.

Whatever it takes, get out there and cheer on the nordies!

SUPPORT OUR TEAM AND OTHERS THIS SATURDAY, JAN 9th. The highschool races begin at 11am and should finish up around 12:45pm. Treat yourself to a ski around the course once they've finished.

Saturday outing to Leadville

2009-12-14T13:02:00.002-07:00

We've come to consensus. There will never again be a trip to Denver without a stop at the French bakery in Edwards. Chocolate croissants, curry soup, apple tarts... oh my! What a great way to celebrate our first race of the season.

Despite the snow falling at our departure, the sun was brilliantly shinning over the race course at Ski Cooper. The 2.5 k loop course was excellently situated for cheering on the CRMS skiers as the tackled the technically challenging course. Unfortunately no one had their camera to document the cosmic wipe-outs and moderate trail-side puking involved. Overall, a great success.

The results from the 5k race at Tennessee Pass can be found through the "important links" to the right.

First race of the season this weekend

2009-12-11T22:29:00.002-07:00

The CRMS team is heading to Tennessee pass tomorrow for our first CHSSA race! It's going to be downright balmy at 23 F. Results and photos to be posted soon!

Results from the 2009 Red Hill Time Trial

2009-12-08T11:39:00.002-07:00

2009 Results:

Luke Falcone, Telemark 17:30 (Crushing the men's record by 2:30 min!!!)
Max Stevens, Alpine Coach, 18:16
Gus Griffin, Nordic 18:30
Peter Madigan, Telemark 21:09
Ludwig Ragnarsson 21:52
Joy 22:53
Charlie Boyne, Telemark 23:08
Sam Kaufman, Nordic 23:28
Grady Lenkin, Telemark 23:44
Aisha Weinhold, Telemark 23:51
acqueline Larouche, Alpine 24:00
Lina Sutro 24:33
Meghan Detering, Telemark Coach 25:57
Florentina Arthuber, Alpine 26:00
Kelsey Freeman, Telemark 26:05
JJ Whorley, Telemark 27:07
Sam Bell, Alpine 27:34
Peyton Heitzman, Telemark 30:11
Catherine Masters, Alpine 31:07
Emily Bartlomiejczuk, Nordic 31:22
Lilly Reed, Alpine 31:22
Mima Strong, Nordic 31:46
Maggie Devany, Nordic 31:46
Aubrey Mason, Alpine 34:06
Tamsin Pargiter, Nordic 34:18
Michaela Craig, Nordic 34:20
Julia Williams, Alpine 35:04
Coleman Spence, Nordic 36:42

Pre-season Escapades

2009-12-07T20:37:00.006-07:00

After a off-season of paddling, cliff scaling and ice-cream indulgence the CRMS Nordic Ski Team got down to business this fall. We've been pounding dirt on Dry Park road and working the abs and triceps hard! Also very newsworthy are the great times our team members clocked on the Third Annual Bust a Lung Red Hill Run. (Results to be posted soon)

After returning from a great Thanksgiving camp at Grand Mesa we've been determined to keep the skis gliding. The early snows bestowed us with enough of the white stuff to get a good .5 k loop going at the Aspen golf course. On a typical day we prefer to skate in a counter clockwise direction...

Here's a couple of photos from our most recent afternoon on skate skis and the very entertaining game of tunnel tag.

Crested Butte #4: Post-Race

2009-02-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

After the race, it was time to fuel up on free chili (NOT the free beer that they offered), and then head home. The drive went by in record time, even though some of us had differing opinions of what music should be played. A great weekend!

Crested Butte #3: Racin'

2009-02-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Racing. It's always a good thing. Especially when the course winds between the alleys and buildings of a nice, quaint mountain town. Note that Elliot is in hot pursuit of none other than BATWOMAN!

Crested Butte #2: To the races!

2009-02-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

The morning came in beautiful fashion: blue skis, a polar bear skiing the 3K, and the excitement of the mass start.

Crested Butte #1

2009-02-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

...Prowling the streets of Crested Butte the night before the race.

The life of a traveling nordic skier is a good one: new towns, new sunsets, making fun of the folks in fur coats. Nice!

Crested Butte Alley Loop - 10K Version

2009-02-01T18:26:00.003-07:00

This past weekend, the CRMS Nordic Squad traveled to Crested Butte for the always-enjoyable-and-always-good-people-watching Alley Loop races. We all competed in the 10K version...and let it be known that for most of the team, this was the first experience putting the toes to the start line for some real racing! There were plenty of good costumes, some fantastic weather, some hairy speed-driving, and (most importantly) some great racing from the kids! Nice job, skiers.

Pictures to come...stay tuned.

Owl Creek Chase

2009-01-18T14:57:00.002-07:00

On Saturday, we went upvalley to watch Owl Creek Chase, part of the Aspen Nordic Festival. For our new skiers, this was a great chance to see some high-caliber racers doing their thing. It was a beautiful Colorado day. Exciting racing, good snow, smiles all around.

The top men's Elite class finishers.

Sam and Hannes showing their joy at seeing these races.

Mima, Tamsin, and Maggie soaking up the sun's rays (and watching the races between snowball fights.)

Tromping.

2009-01-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, the esteemed Elliot Norquist took the team on a tour through the Marion Gulch and Aspen Gulch areas behind Spring Gulch. We followed a trail broken in by Elliot and Will Perry, who lives on his ranch just down the road. We parked at the snowmobilers parking lot at Marion and waxed up our classic skis with a bit of special violet (on the sticky side, so as to get good grip tromping through the woods). Though the way was windy and meanandered, we ended up all in one piece on the Finlandia trail. From there, we skied south on Finlandia and had an epic downhill session on Big Dipper. Snow, skis, smiles.

Waxing up at the TH. Sam (on the left) decided that he should go against convention and use his skate skis for a classic tour. Whatever.

Tromping through the woods. At this point is was unclear where we were headed, but smiles still prevailed.

At the old coke ovens (mining history, anybody?) below Aspen Gulch.

Mima beaming with Sopris shining. Elliot, on the right: our trusty guide.

Thanks everybody!

Nordic Season 2008-2009! A new year.

2009-01-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new season, dearest friends of the nordic persuasion. I apologize for not getting the blog rolling sooner, but there have been:
1. Camera troubles (and nobody likes a blog without pictures)
2. Too many good skiing days and not enough good blogging days
3. A busy [and awesome] year so far

Well, it's begun. Two returning skiers and a healthy batch of newbies make up our team this year. We are on a path of exploration, on a journey of seeking out the best nordic ski racing has to offer. Spring gulch is skiing as well as I have ever seen it, the sun is shining, and our skis are in good shape.

Except for a few broken poles (thanks, Tamsin) and a broken binding or two, we are running at 100%. Stay tuned.
-Hannes

The season, 'tis ending....

2008-02-28T10:15:00.001-07:00

It is no easy task to dive headlong into the pain cave day after day, race after race, but this year’s Nordic ski team pulled it off in style. From long, epic snowstorm days up at Spring Gulch to exploring the remote regions of Colorado’s ski race circuit, our determination never waivered. This year was the first year of Nordic skiing for Jin-Yeop, Linnea, and Hilary and they picked up the sport quickly, thanks in large part to Mark Clark and his keen eye for converting ordinary mild-mannered teenagers into ski racing machines.
Catie and Mo took the step up to the race team from the recreational team this year and showed that they were not afraid of racing or hard workouts. Returning super-champion seniors Molly and Zoe exhibited a love for skiing that takes several years to acquire, but can last a lifetime. Nothing makes me happier than to send off a couple of senior skiers who I know will take their skis (and klister) with them over the next horizon. And Ross explored the depths of toughness, tearing up his knee halfway through the season but still staying involved with the team. These kids have lived Nordic racing and been a grand inspiration to their coaches.

Fun Day with the Nordic Wolves

2008-01-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today we were invited to go ski a few laps with the Nordic Wolves (the local youth ski club). It was cold and windy out, but there were a ton of smiles. The CRMS skiers were coaches for a day!

Zoe imparting her knowledge.

Molly inspiring the youth of America.

Linnea showing the kiddos how to skate, even though she just learned this year!

Future nordic racers!!

CHSAA #3-4: Leadville Pursuit!

2008-01-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I got in trouble today with one of the volunteers on the race course. She was a Leadville local and she kindly asked me how my day was going. I said, "The kids are racing, the skis are fast, and it's a beautiful day for Leadville!". Well, she took offense to that, as if I were implying that Leadville is not always a beautiful place to live. I clarified by saying, "What I mean is, I brought 8 jackets to this race and I am only wearing 2 of them."

So all town politics aside, we got lucky with a warm and clear day up in a place that is known for its brutal winter weather. In fact, it was so beautiful that I forgot my camera so there are no pictures.

But the kids did great. Ross was a little disappointed in his first leg and so he stepped it up and totally crushed the second leg to move up in the standings. Linnea had a smile on her face after her first race ever, and Molly and Hilary both skied hard to represent the Oysters on the trails. Zoe showed her potential and her fitness from fall running and put her mark high on the result sheet.

All in all, a great day. We stayed the night before the race at a B&B called "Mountain Hideaway". The owners, Ed and Peri, were super friendly and cooked us about 2oo pancakes in the morning. If you are ever in Leadville, stay there!

EPIC! What a day.

2008-01-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

ep·ic
–adjective Also, ep·i·cal.
1. noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Homer's Iliad is an epic poem.
2. resembling or suggesting such poetry: an epic novel on the founding of the country.
3. heroic; majestic; impressively great
4. of unusually great size or extent: a crime wave of epic proportions.

Today was the best day so far this season. Glorious blue skis, an up-valley breeze, and perfect temps. The snow is cold, dry, crystally, and smooth. We skied Finlandia under the great shoulders of Mount Sopris and the Elk Mountains and finished it all off with a game of "What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?". Epic. Thanks to the CRMS skiers for inspiring all of this: Ross, Mo, Molly, Zoe, Hilary, Catie, Linnea, and Jin-Yeop.

Another day in paradise.
Skiing! Love it!

CHSAA #2: Summit

2008-01-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

We went racing today in Breckenride at the Gold Run Nordic Center for our 2nd CHSAA race of the year. It was a 5K mass start skate race on a beautiful mountain day. This place is higher than 9,000 feet! Get your lungs burning. Zoe, Hilary, and Jin-Yeop were racing and did awesome against a huge field of Colorado's finest. It was great to see the black and silver suits out there in the midst. If you have never seen a mass start race, it is something to behold. More exciting than NASCAR, guarenteed. Another day in paradise.

The girls' start. What a crowd! You're lucky to make it through this in one piece. Zoe and Hilary nailed it!

Hilary in her first nordic race ever. She did awesome!

Jin-Yeop in the thick of it during the boys' start.

Relaxing pre-race. Nobody screws with the CRMS nordic team. A tough bunch of kids.

Following the plan---Rocky style.

2008-01-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

The kiddos watching Rocky 4 during our first meeting of the second semester. Getting pumped for racing! Rocky would have made an excellent nordic racer. We race tomorrow!

First Race! CHSAA#1: Vail

2007-12-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the season has officially begun. On Saturday morning we drove over to the Vail golf course to line up for the first CHSSA/JOQ race of the season.

And boy was it cold. Mark and Hannes were in full-on survival mode out there at 9AM when the temperature was below zero and (get this) dropping! It's pretty hard to think happy thoughts when you paw through your wax box and can't find anything cold enough. Luckily, Mark dove deep into his wax box as the horrible inversion descended upon the golf course and came out with a tin of XF30. Then, the start was delayed an hour so we all ran into the warmth of the lodge. Saved!

The kiddos did a great job of toughing it out on a day when your nose would freeze off if you didn't hold on to it. Zoe and Jin-Yeop had great races and we all went home with smiles on our faces. Hilary and Ross came along to cheer on and help keep the spirit alive.

Congratulations to Jin-Yeop for his first race ever!

Happy holidays!

Spring Gulch is open for business

2007-12-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

What kind of business, you ask? SKIING BUSINESS! The trails are covered and cold and we had some extra blue kick wax days last week. We're in finals now, so we won't have another chance to go up there as a team until January, but get out the door and go check it out.
The first day up there saw some brave descents of Big Dipper through the powder by our team members. Careful of that barbwire...

Below is a picture of Mark giving the kiddos a pep-talk.

Skiing on Sidewalks

2007-11-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Rollerskiing: the act of hurdling yourself down a rock-strewn sidewalk in a rain storm on 2-foot long skis with wheels on the bottom and no brakes. Notable dangers include hitting pebbles, tripping on cracks in the pavement, being ambushed by dogs on leashes, and skinned knees. Notable benefits include having the most fun on the bike path you will ever have, learning how to ski, and getting funny looks from cars driving by.

Yesterday, a rollerskiing workout just south of Carbondale. What a life we lead. Right now, I'm looking out the window and snow clouds have wrapped up Sopris. Perhaps we shall soon get to try out our REAL skis.

Things are going awesome. A huge thanks to the kids who continue to believe in the plan despite being confined to dirt and pavement.

Love it!

Thanksgiving Break

2007-11-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

Pretty nice to have a week off of school here in Carbondale. Still no snow, though! (It's getting close: the mountains are getting a little whiter.) So we'll keep on truckin along through some more dryland. Above is a picture of Mo and Molly and Hannes at the top of Buttermilk Mountain. We did some ski walking up the hill on a beautiful day last week as part of a short dryland camp. Love it! Tomorrow, we will watch the Rocky 4 training sequence. Love it!

Rocky IV

2007-11-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

MORE IMPORTANTLY: I have decided to bring in a very special and age-old training tool: Rocky IV. This movie highlights Rocky's attmept to beat the giant Russian, Ivan Drago, in a bout to avenge national honor and the death of his friend, Apollo. But above all, it shows how to train like you've never trained before--in the middle of Siberia with big logs and rocks. We will be watching the movie next week for inspiration

Here is a description of his training plan: "Rocky, on the other hand, uses only whatever material is available. He climbs rope, does pull-ups on wooden beams, jogs past Russian peasants, chopping wood, running up snowy embankments, and lifting huge rocks; and struggles mightily with a rock-filled sled, dragging it up the side of a mountain. KGB agents also follow Rocky's movements wherever he goes. He is almost ready, but he's missing one thing. When Adrian shows up unexpectedly, to support him emotionally, providing more reason to succeed, Rocky begins to train harder than ever before. His heart is restored, and he is once again at his physical and emotional best."

Turkey Time

2007-11-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Break is upon us. Tomorrow, a dryland camp starts for those of us who are around Carbondale. Lots of running, strength, peach cobbler, and maybe going out for a breakfast or two. Should be a good break from school.

Training plan to follow! Love it!

RED HILL TIME TRIAL

2007-11-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

What a killer day we had yesterday! The weather was awesome and we had skiers from the nordic team, the telemark team and the alpine team doing the time trial all at once. It was great to see some grimaces at the top. Love the training.
Results are on the way. Meanwhile, check out Kayo's pictures on his CRMS Telemark Team blog.

(this is a beautiful picture by Kayo--click to make it bigger)

Dryland equals smiles (but where's the snow??)

2007-11-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

Another day in paradise. Red Hill Time Trial Tomorrow! WOO HOO!

Wednesday Practice

2007-11-14T17:26:00.000-07:00

A beautiful afternoon in Carbondale. We had a short practice day today because of Greg Mortenson's presentation over at Roaring Fork High School. The kids showed up with smiles on their faces so we went on a nice little jog on the new Tick Ridge trails. The snowboard team was out there too, and with the sun setting on Sopris things felt pretty good.

Ross and Jin-Yeop living the dream.

Hilary under the shadow of Sopris.

Action shot! This is hard to do while running. (Zoe and Jin-Yeop).

Week Two: In the books

2007-11-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

This week was disrupted a little by all of our fine actors (the play is Hello Dolly, by the way, and a fine musical. It is pretty fun to watch these kids on stage) spending a lot of time trying to go to rehearsals and get their homework done, but we still got some good training in. And had fun!

The Daylight Savings switch means that the sun has begun to set by the end of practice, and it's usually pretty cold jogging back to campus. We are working on bringing a warm jacket...it's flu season after all.

Thursday's intervals up Red Hill were awesome. The four athletes who showed up dug deep and really pushed themselves. It was great to see them working hard.

This weekend: get out the door a couple times, stretch those legs out, and get ready for a good week of training before Thanksgiving Break. Camp is up in the air right now, as we don't have snow. Either way, we'll find a good plan to stay in shape over the holidays and hopefully there will be some snow by the end of November here in the valley.

AWESOME!

(I'll work on getting some pictures posted next week)

Red Hill Time Trial: rain check

2007-11-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well it seems our team also doubles as a thespian troupe. Lots of skiers in the school play this week. We'll do the TT next week. Today: epic mud bog run in the tradition of the Swedes. Location: Marion Creek!

Week 2 Dryland Schedule

2007-11-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

Every day is a day closer to snow.

Monday Nov 5
Swedish Mud Bog Run followed by strength circuits in the ski room

Tuesday Nov 6
Yoga day. Work on our core strength, hone balance and efficiency, take a break from hectic school days.

Wednesday Nov 7
Red Hill Time Trial. Start at the bottom, end at the top! We will record the times you get today and try to beat them later in the season. Goal setting--it's a beautiful thing.

Thursday Nov 8
A little community service moving tables around campus for warm-up. Then strength tests! Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and dips. Again, we will record your results and try to beat them later on.

Friday Nov 9
Fun run? If people are up for it, an adventure run somewhere in the valley.

Weekend
Get out the door. Take your dog for a walk, go for a big hike (still no snow...enjoy it!), ride your bike. Get out the door! Do some stretching too.

Snow?

2007-11-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving camp is rapidly approaching. But where's the snow? If we don't get any huge snowstorms, we can still find some good adventures to keep our dryland momentum going.

Old man winter, what a schlock!
He's got a tick, but not a tock.
Late in coming, he's senile,
for any season worth it's while,
should remember to wind it's clock!

Dryland: Week 1

2007-11-03T14:48:00.000-06:00

Dryland started off in great style. The weather has been great and the sun was shining on the campus and on our skiers-to-be as we tied on our running shoes and began the process. On Tuesday, we spent a day scrambling up and down Tick Ridge and finding a long-abandoned old shack. Who knows what proud explorers once called this rustic cabin home? The rest of the week we worked on some ski balance drills and finished it all off with a tough run up to the top of Red Hill. And, of course, we have already started watching old videos from nordic skiing history. The 1994 Olympic relay was highlighted.

Intro Letter To Parents

2007-11-03T14:44:00.000-06:00

CRMS Nordic Ski Team 2007-8

Intro Meeting October 27

Coaches:

Hannes Thum

Email: jthum@crms.org

Cell: (208) 720-1879

Mark Clark

Email: mclark@crms.org

Cell: (970) 379-6960

Kathleen Jones

Email: kjones@crms.org

The Nordic Ski Team at CRMS has a history as long as the school itself. From the first days of the school, students have been taking to the hills in the winter time with their skis in order to test their fitness and dedication against themselves and against other young athletes from Colorado and from around the country. I whole-heartedly believe that few other sports exist that so develop a young person’s commitment, mindfulness, or perseverance. We will work hard, but it is not your average “hard work”. The training and racing that make up a ski racer’s lifestyle have daily rewards that you can’t find anywhere else.

The “ski season” starts this week! Dryland is an integral part of the nordic skiing experience and we will start right up with the second academic quarter. We will meet four times a week during dryland period for aerobic and strength workouts and get as much fitness under our belts as we can before the snow reaches Spring Gulch and we can start getting out on our skis.

During the race season, we will pick and choose races from the high school league (CHSSA) and from the Junior Olympic Qualifying races (JOQs) based on the progress we’ve made and where we think the athletes will get the most benefit (see attached schedule). More info on all that, and the specifics of the races, when the snow begins to fly. We’ll be in touch.

For now, there are two pertinent conversations I look forward to having with the athletes and their family’s. First, the ski team traditionally spends a few days at the beginning of Thanksgiving Break skiing at Grand Mesa, CO for a short training camp. It is often the first opportunity to get on snow, and there is no finer life than having a few days off of school to just ski, relax, and get in some quality practice sessions. We don’t want to miss turkey dinner, though, so we will plan to end camp with plenty of time for travel plans to get everybody home to their families. We need to get an idea ASAP about whether or not you can attend. Please consider it as a very important part of the ski team commitment.

Secondly, the kiddos will need some gear to get them around the ski trails. Skis, boots, and poles are the core of any skier’s list of possessions. We should work on that soon as well, and it will involve some communication between coaches and parents about how we should purchase/lease/borrow gear for each individual skier.

Ski racing and coaching mean a lot to us. With proper preparation and commitment on the part of the athletes and the coaches, wonderful things can happen. Please don’t hesitate to call or write with and questions or comments or concerns. This is a special team and we see it as our job to convey our passion effectively to the boys and girls who chose to see what skiing is all about.

CRMS Nordic Ski Team Schedule 2007-8

2007-11-03T14:09:00.000-06:00

CRMS Nordic Ski Team Schedule 2007-8

October

30 Tu Start Second Quarter

30 Tu Dryland Starts

November

17 Sa Thanksgiving Break begins

17 Sa Thanksgiving Camp departs for Grand Mesa

20 Tu Thanksgiving Camp returns to Carbondale – Travel home this afternoon?

27 Tu Classes Resume

December

14 Fr-15 Sa JOQ#1-2: Vail, CO

15 Sa CHSSA#1: Vail, CO

17 Mo-19 We Exams, and End Second Quarter

20 Th Christmas Break begins

January

8 Tu Begin Third Quarter

10 Th CHSSA#2: Summit, CO

18 Fr-19 Sa JOQ#3-4 (Super JOQ): Soldier Hollow, UT

26 Sa CHSSA#3-4: Leadville, CO (Duathlon)

February

2 Sa CHSSA#5: Middlepark, CO

5 Tu CHSSA#6: Nederland, CO

7 Th-9 Sa Aspen Nordic Festival

9 Sa Owl Creek Chase (also JOQ#6)

16 Sa-17 Su JOQ #7-8: Durango, CO

20 We-22 Fr CHSSA Championships: Steamboat, CO

March

7 Fr End Third Quarter

7 Fr End of Ski Team season (only officially)