IN THE ARENA WITH BRIAN

Double Win Today

2012-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

There is green grass in our front yard in Minneapolis and although it was great to be home for 4 days we set off this weekend to find natural snow in Hayward, Wisconsin and race the Seeley Classic. Six years ago I moved to Hayward and Cresthill Resort and started my professional ski career. It means a lot for me to race in the Hayward/Cable Community and it was fun to get back for one of the big Midwest marathons.

The storybook weekend started friday evening with a fantastic family ski on the Seeley Trails. Groomed by volunteers and the funds raised through the Seeley Classic ski race the dog friendly trails are a real treat. It was the first time the Caitlin and I had skied on natural snow in 2 weeks. Lahti did what he does best and ran ridiculously fast as we attempted to race him on the downhills. We finished our ski refreshed from the drive and ready for the big race.

The Seeley Classic is a 42km classic marathon race on the Birkie trail with about 500 participants. Unofficially called the classic citizen championships of the Midwest the race rose to a new level this year with the addition of a $1,000 purse for the top male and female. The award was in memory of the late Garry Pennman one of the founders of the town of Seeley and the Seeley classic ski race. Cailtin and I were very happy to both earn the win and the cash purse. Results.

Enjoying the natural snow in Hayward, Wisconsin

The CXC Team is spread around a bit this weekend and congratulations to the entire crew for a great weekend of racing. Jessie Diggins finished 2nd in today's World Cup Team Sprint, Santiago Ocariz won the Sissu Ski Fest Classical race, and my good friend Matt Liebsch won the Sissu Ski Fest Skate race. Great work.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

The first race of the US Nationals Championships is tomorrow (Monday). We race every other day here in Rumford, Maine. There is no natural snow on the ground, but the race organizers have worked hard to make artificial snow and the 1.6km loop we are racing tomorrow is in great condition. Today the high is supposed to be 38 F so we are very grateful the conditions are as good as they are.The hard work is all done and now it is time to rest, relax and toe the line. There are 405 entries for the US National Championships and there are a lot of skiers cruising around the little man-made loop.We are limited to internet only at the Venue and every other elite skier in the country seems to be on it right now. Will try and post some pics of racing the Freestyle Sprint tomorrow.

Map of the 1.6 KM Sprint Course

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

There are so many great things about being home for the holidays. I especially enjoy skiing with the local junior kids and my past coaches, and past Olympians, Leslie Hall and Laura McCabe. It's so much fun to see kids skiing and having fun just like when I was a junior.

Skiing with the Methow Valley Jr. Team

Another fun tradition is watching the fireworks our neighbors light off every year. The show lasts about 10 minutes and we have a great view from the front yard.

The Gregg house back lit by fireworks

It wouldn't be Christmas without a few Christmas cookies. Every year we have a ton of fun spending an evening decorating cookies with our friend Ardis.

Decorating Christmas Cookies

And of course the skiing in the Methow is always incredible with over 200km of trails and daily grooming it's hard not to have fun.

Fast skiing and blue sky in the Methow

Back From The Bed

2011-12-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

It is wonderful to be home for the holidays. The skiing is great, the weather is beautiful and my friends are around to go skiing. Unfortunately I spent the first half of the week sitting in bed allowing my body to rest and beat the cold I picked up traveling home from the races in Canada. It is tough to sit indoors and watch your friends play and have fun, but resting is the best way to be able to get back out there soon.

Eating plenty of fruit and drinking a lot of fluids.

Thankfully there is no other place that I would rather be sick than at home with my family. Caitlin takes care of me pretty well, but it hard to beat having your wife, Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister around. I think the cold was a way for my body to say that I need to rest up a bit more before continuing to trade hard.

Now I am feeling great and ready to go. I adjusted my training to accommodate for the few sick days and have entered a volume block of training. Caitlin is helping me out with a peaking plan from her year with US Biathalon and with a few tweaks my Coach Jason and I have a good plan leading up to US Nationals the first week of January.

There is not much snow throughout the world right now, but the skiing in the Methow is fantastic.

Since I have been healthy I have been training 4+ hours each day. It feels great to get outside after taking 4 days off from training. Four days doesn't seem like much, but looking out at the beautiful weather it seemed like forever to me.

Caitlin has been training some serious volume and did an hour of threshold intervals today. One of the tools we use to improve our ski technique is to video each other and I got some footage of her. It is fun to see how fast she can go. The US Women are skiing very strong right now and are right in there as some of the best in the World. We get pretty excited about training when we see the US skiers throwing down on the World Cup circuit.

On The Road

2011-12-04T22:11:00.001-08:00

60 days on the road may seem like a long time but the time is flying by. This is my favorite time of year when all the hardwork of summer finally has a chance to show itself in the races.

This year's new Salomon skis arrived stone ground and ready to go thanks to Nordic Ultratune. My coach Jason and the guys at Salomon picked some really good skis for me this year. In my first skate race on the new Salomon Soft Ground ski I had one of my best sprint qualifiers ever finishing just 3 seconds out of the lead.

Life on the road is even sweeter this year because I have my wife along. We were engaged just 1 year ago after the first races of the season. Do you celebrate your engagement anniversary? As my friend Ardis says, "Celebrate early and often"

The man to beat this year is my ITA teamate Sylvan Ellefson (On top of the podium in the 10k Skate and today's 15k Classic). I still have some time to make up but I was very happy to climb on to the podium for the first time this year in the 10k Skate, 15 seconds off of the win.

Tomorrow we leave Montana for the long drive up to Canada and Silver Star Mountain Resort.

One Final Running Race

2011-11-13T21:52:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow we hit the road out West to ski on snow and start the race season. Yesterday Caitlin and I went out to support St Paul Central High School and their nordic team fundraiser the Arctic Comando 5k. Last year the race was held in several inches of snow, this year the high for the day reached 63F.

2 mile and 5k racers on the line

The race course follows the new FIS (International Ski Federation) Homologation standards and is a hard course. People have called the midwest flat, but would disagree after a go at this 5km loop. I am feeling great, yet my winning time on the course was just under 19 minutes.

Fit and ready to go. The first race of the season is on snow and 10 days away.

Who wants a PPP?

2011-10-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Everyone enjoys a Pizza Party, especially when you can have your own Personal Pan Pizza (PPP). Caitlin and I hosted a party for the neighborhood kids last Thursday night. The original plan was to host the party at the Harrison Community Center but things fell through so we held the party at our house.

The kitchen is small to begin with so the 9 of us decided that we would have to be very clean and orderly. We washed our hands and set up stations to prep our ingredients. I stayed in charge of the oven but the kids did all the chopping, mixing, creating and cleaning.

What is that green stuff? ... Spinach

Gerry, Javaree, DJ and Adanis enjoying their Personal Pan Pizza

We learned proper and fastest way to chop onions, how to carve a fresh pinapple (on sale at Aldi's this week for $1.69), shred cheese, spice up canned tomato paste, slice mushrooms, cut apples, and cook sausage. With all of our ingredients ready to go we were ready to make some mean pizzas.

We sliced specialty breads in half to create the crust and everyone built their own creation. The bread came courtesy of the Salvation Army and Target. Target drops off bread that is older but still good and amazingly the whole grain and speacilty breads are the ones still sitting there at the end of the day. The breads looked pretty scary to the kids but once we convinced them that the carraway seeds were not bugs and the olives not giant raisins we decided that the bread was pretty good. It is good for you too.

Dinner time for Thomas Ave N

Recovering with a 3.5 hour run in the Mountains

2011-10-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

One of the worst things that can happen to an athlete during training camp is to catch a cold. Red leaves and the promise of snow in the future also bring around the common cold. Combined with tougher training in preparation for racing season and sickness can be tricky to avoid. Three days in to our second week of high altitude fall training camp I found myself with an itchy throat and a water faucet for a nose.

For many people the common cold is simply a nuisance but for an athlete it can be a big deal. During the racing season when I get a cold I generally take time off from training until I feel I have recovered, however since it is only October I decided to try and train through my head cold. The risk in training through your cold is that it can move from your head to your chest and then go from days to weeks before you recover.

I am very fortunate to have my teammate and wife, Caitlin

to help take care of me at home and on the road.

I backed off my weekly training load by decreasing the intensity in my workouts. I think the blood moving around in my body when I trained at a distance pace and heart rate actually helped flush some of the sickness out of me.

It is hard at training camp to ski easy and slow when your teammates and friends are working hard in intervals and time trials but the patience paid off. I woke up Saturday morning to a beautiful fall day and the ability to breath out of my nose.

Noah, Caitlin and Mikey and I set off for a nice long run in the mountains.

One of my favorite things to do in addition to ski racing is to run, hike and climb in the mountains. I grew up in the Cascades of Washington and my passion for the mountains has for the most part been put on hold as I pursue my ski racing goals and dreams. I am grateful for the opportunities I do get throughout the year to play in the mountains and train for skiing.

The mountains have always had a rejuvenating effect on me.

I finished our run on Saturday tired but feeling healthy and fresh.

Chicago XC 2011 Clinic

2011-10-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

Caitlin, Karl and I headed down to Chicago this weekend for the 3rd Annual Fall Rollerski Clinic. With over 30 participants the weekend was a huge success. Our host and clinic coordinator Tom Devoratchek picked us up from O'Hare on Friday afternoon and we headed downtown to check out the lakefront.

The windy city lived up to it's name with some wild weather. 22 foot waves were recorded in the middle of the lake and part of the boardwalk was closed down after a bicyclist was blown in to the lake. We waited for a break in the clouds to get out for a nice recovery run.

Who needs the fountains of the Belagio when you can watch the waves roll in to the break-wall.

We had beautiful weather with morning and afternoon sessions. We kept busy in the evenings watching the US Nordic Combined National Championships (contested on rollerskis) and giving a presentation at Benedictine University.

I am having a bit of tech troubles, but you should be able to click below for a great video of the clinic put together by Chris Wilson.

Anwatin Ski Team Practice

2011-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

In 2008 Anwatin middle school started a cross country ski program through the support of the US Olympic Committee's Urban Development Program. Anwatin middle school rests on the edge of Theodore Wirth Park. With running, biking and skiing trails the school is an ideal location for a ski program. The goal of the program is to help introduce more inner-city youth to skiing.

John, the coach for the past two years, recently moved to a new job in Michigan leaving the program without a leader. With two weeks left to train for the City of Lakes Trail Loppett 5km, the program Caitlin and I helped run a few practices.

Ingrid, Muah, Mike, Issac, Anja ,Adia, Glory, and Caitlin

We found the world's largest dog on our pole hike

Seriously, have you ever seen a dog this big?

You never know what you might find out on the trails in the woods.

Agility and Plyometric training with jumpropes

Check out the City of Lakes Loppet website for a nice write-up on the training sessions: http://www.loppet.org/blog/2011/09/06/the-greggs-guest-coach-the-anwatin-ski-team/

Neighborhood Running

2011-09-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

The 600 Block of Thomas Ave is getting a bit more fit this fall:

Me, Lahti, Javari, Quinn, DJ, Anja, and Gerry

Gerry ready to go in his new jogging shoes

Our group of 5 grows as we run around the block. The neighborhood kids see us come down the street. They yell "Hey, what are you doing?" We respond, "We are jogging!" "I want to do that. I want to go jogging. We finished our lap with about 10 kids. It is awesome to have the group get bigger as you keep running.

Settling in to the Big City

2011-08-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

After a solid 50 hours of training in two weeks of camp Caitlin and I are enjoying three weeks at home in Minneapolis. The three weeks here at home is the longest we have been in one place since April.

With an easy recovery week of training I was able to visit the Jerry Gamble Northside Boys and Girls Club every day. Although I am certainly the only red head at the Club it has bee great to be with the kids consistently so that they know that I am not just some random skier guy.

Cooling off and enjoying the fountain at the Mississippi Regional Park

Alexandria and Paige warming themselves up after a big splashing war

The neighborhood kids stop over every day to practice street skiing. It seems like every time I open the door there are a few kids standing there waiting to see if they can practice street skiing. They are getting pretty good at going around the block and it is fun to start and end many workouts with a few cheers.

There is still plenty of work to do around the house here, but the kids have been happy to help out. Gerry and Quinn came over and we picked up all of the sticks and branches from our house and the neighbors house. One of our neighbors has three little girls but the yard was so full of sticks and trash that they were never able to play in it. Not it looks great.

Gerry earned a pair of Salomon running shoes for his neighborly service.

Obstacle Course Races

Practicing Back Flips

Foosball is a serious game at the Club

Afternoon field trip to the Roller Garden. We had 78 kids on roller skates

Can 90 Kids Play Dodge-ball at Once?

2011-08-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

Basketball is king at the North Minneapolis Boys and Girls Club. We have six hoops and ten balls and there is always a game being played.

Alison teaching me a few things about Basketball. Research has said that it takes 10,000 hours to master something and the kids at the club are working their way there shooting hoops.

I have some practice still to make with my shooting, but I have been able to teach the kids the importance of being fit and moving on the court. We have also been working on playing fair and honest.

We close the gym down after snack each day to play some sort of new or different game. This week we played the largest game of dodge-ball I have ever played. It was awesome. We had about 45 on 45, but there is a good chance there was more than that. Everyone had a blast.

It is Hot and Humid out so most of our activities have been outside. The LCO Club made their annual trip to the zoo and I met up with the crew to show them around and share with them my love of animals. The Minnesota Zoo has a new Penguin exhibit which was a big hit. It was the first time anyone in my group had seen a penguin. Of course we spent a lot of time in the fountain to keep cool.

Yes, that is a tiger. Only 400 Amur Tigers live in the wild according to a 2005 survey. It is important that we do our part to be good the environment and help protect animals.

So, I fed a Polar Bear last weekend.

2011-07-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

I had the coolest Birthday surprise a few weeks ago for my golden birthday...

"Congratilations to our Lake Superior Zoo's chapter of the AAZK for hosting it's first behind-the-scenes tour a a fundraiser.

The tour was a birthday surprise for Olympic cross country skier Caitlin Compton's husband Brian and his twin brother Chad. Several family members also attended the tour and are now big fans of Berlin. Caitlin and Brian want to revisit the zoo in winter and help AAZK plan a children's cross country skiing event to benefit Polar Bears International"

The behind the scenes tour with Berlin, the bear, begins before the zoo opens to the public. This alone is awesome because most all of the animals are most active in the early morning. The Polar Bear is my favorite animal and we were able to get up close and watch her get fed and work with her trainer Marcie. Additionally we were able to go inside her habitat and set up her daily enrichment. We decorated a big plastic ice berg as a birthday cake with peanut butter, sunflower seeds, mackerel, hamburger and your standard polar chow.

Thank you Caitlin for setting up this once in a lifetime experience. It has been a hot week here in the Midwest. Berlin is not the only one thinking of snow and colder days to come.

Staying Cool at the Boys and Girls Club.

The slip and slide was taken to a whole new level this year.

Having Fun and Getting Strong

2011-07-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years we have added some new exercises to our strength training routines. Some of these exercises are pretty cool and pretty fun. I decided to share some of the exercises with the kids at the LCO Boys and Girls Club

The old LCO Boys and Girls Club has been converted in to a mix martial arts training center. Nothing fancy, but everything is there that you might need to work out hard. These giant ropes are great simulations to double pole.

Monster Tire Lift... same motion as a dead lift

Wheel-barrow racing. It is important to make exercise fun, especially at a younger age.

How many of you can do a handstand push up?

The kids thought it was even cooler to do a handstand push up without hands. Luckily Santi was there to help hold the kids up.

5km PR!

2011-06-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind last two months. Moving, buying a fixer upper house, and getting married has proven to be a bit of a distraction on my otherwise consistant and solid training. The wedding celebration is now complete and we now have a fully functioning house.

The shower was our last major repair. It is hard to realize the importance of a shower, until you don't have one. Thanks to Kevin, Evan and Matt I was able to use their knowledge to get everything leak free and looking good.

Saturday marked my annual June running assesment at the Musky Fest 5k. My performances in this race have come a long ways. From a 17:05 in my first one to last years 16:04. I was pretty nervous about the race because I haven't done nearly as much running or running intervals. Plus all the distractions in my life have certainly impacted my training. Thankfully I have a very smart wife and coaches. They have helped me coordinate my training so that I am training smart, albeit slightly less than normal.

When I have been traiing it has been very good. This must have all paid off, because I set a Personal Best by running 2 seconds faster than last year. I am super excited about this. I think this married life is good for me. I am now undefeated in every race I have done with a ring on my left hand.

Watch for the next blog post, Chad and I are off to go see the polar bears for our golden birthday.

First Canoe of the Season

2011-06-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Our New House

2011-06-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Brian and Caitlin Gregg Wedding Slideshow

2011-05-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

A perfect event thanks to the help of an entire community, friends and family.

Party on the Mountain on PhotoPeach

A new town and new faces

2011-05-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

In the next month I will be moving to Minneapolis, MN. I will still get to see everyone at the 'LCO Club' while I am in town for training camps, but I am also meeting a whole new group at the Boys and Girls Club in North Minneapolis.

Devontre after setting a record in the obstacle course

at the park in front of the Boys and Girls Club

Yes, that is one huge dog. Getting ready to start a chess and mankala tournament

after Power Hour and Homework time.

The Gerry Gamble Boys and Girls Club is just a mile up the street from Caitlin and my new house. It is fun to talk to the kids about the neighborhood and realized that they live practically right next door. I am still learning names and faces while I build my street 'cred' at the new 'Club.' I am already thinking about how we can get the city kids up to Hayward to visit the LCO Club and the north woods. Similarly it would be fun to give the LCO kids a chance to experience life in the city.

I will still be up north in Hayward quite a bit for training camps.

Fun in the Woods

2011-04-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air and it is becoming easier to get outside and play. One of my major goals at the Boys and Girls Club is to promote a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. We have had a mix bag of weather this April, but that hasn't stopped us from getting outside every day at the LCO Boys and Girls Club.

Tristan and Sunny enjoying the fire. Only one match to light this well made fire.

Our forts from last fall were still standing, but we did a renovation and expansion.

Jayden, Migwan, Kalista, and McCayla were the lead builders in a couch and a bed. We had 15 kids on the construction project.

Who needs a playground when you have trees

Paige gathering the sap from the trees

Boiling down Sap with Bob. Bob, an ojibwe elder taught the kids the proper way to tap the trees, gather the sap and make the syrup. He taught us the ojibwe and the american names of the different trees and plants in the sugar bush.

Maria playing the flute

Hide-and-go-seek at the Pow Wow Grounds

Final Hill Climb...Best race of the season

2011-04-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

With one race to go I held the purple distance leader bib by 7 points. The final race was a big one. Double Points. Super Tour Finals. The distance title and $2,000 would be decided by the 4km, 250m vertical race up Dollar Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Red Heads Climbing up Elkhorn Mountain: Matt Gelso and Brian Gregg Photo: Nils Ribi

The hill climb is a race I have been visualizing in my mind all season long, but in particular theses last 4 weeks of training. I had my race plan dialed for the pursuit start on the final day on the mini tour. There were several races going on that day, but I was focused on the standing for the hill climb alone.

Super Tour 2011 (Distance Champion Brian Gregg, Sprint Champion Mike Sinnott, Overall Champion Lars Flora) Photo: David Wheelock

The race went perfect. I went out hard for the first 500m, then brought the pace down and settled in to my red line. I received some splits on Lars who started ahead of me that I was leading by 15 seconds at the halfway point. I pushed it hard a bit early but crossed the line knowing it was a great race. I finished 3rd on the day, just behind Kris Freeman and my teammate Tad Elliott. This was a great race for me and I am very happy to end the season on such a positive note. Now it is time to relax and recover from training. Wedding planning is on the agenda.

Final Week of Racing

2011-03-25T16:04:00.001-07:00

Skis are clean and with the coaches, dinner is prepped, clothes are hung to dry and everything is ready for the final week of racing in Sun Valley, Idaho.

: Enjoying a beautiful day at Baker Park

After the North Star Super Tour in California was cancelled Caitlin and I decided to stay and train in Minneapolis. Although this would shorten are acclimitization period at altitude we could be at home, train in familiar locations and save some cash.

While many are complaining about all the snow, it is great for skiing. Caitlin and I visited the 5th grade at Sunset Hill Elementary. There are 4 classes of 20 and we got to go skiing with two of them. I am very impressed with how good the kids are especially in the soft snow. Many were first timers or had very little experience but they were cruising. We had some fun relays and balance contests. I am so bummed that I had left the memory card for the camera at the apartment.

: Training for Sun... Caitlin, Matt, and Garrott

It has been 3 weeks since my last race and it has been great to get in some solid training and recovery. I miss racing and am excited to toe the line tomorrow in the 50k.

Oh yeah, Caitlin and I have been staying busy during our taper. We put a bid in on a house on Sunday before flying to Sun Valley. As soon as we have the purchase agreement signed we will post some pictures and information. It is sweet: small, near the ski trail, and only 25k... that is cheaper than rent.

Team Work

2011-03-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

Cross country ski racing for the most part is an individual sport. With the exception of team sprints and relays, the result is based on your own performance. Only one person climbs to the top step of the podium, however there are many people that help the champion get there. Thousands of hours are spent training and many times it is only through the support of your teammates that you can really push yourself to the max.

Brian and Matt with chips together tying for the win at the

Sleeping Giant Loppet in a three-legged finish

This past weekend my teammates: Caitlin, Matt and I went up to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada for the Sleeping Giant Loppet a 50km freestyle race. The race offered a cash prize of $1,000 for first and we were both keen on taking the check home.

Matt and I race at almost the exact same level. The previous week before Matt and I finished the American Birkebeiner 50km Freestlye race separated by just .40 seconds. We knew it would be a real battle to the finish so we decided to make a pact and work together in the race, splitting the winnings. We were going to share the work of pulling at the front of the pack. Matt even carried a backpack with spare water bottles for both of us.

Our main competition were two locals from Thunder Bay who are although semi-retired from racing professionally are very fast. We had raced Adam a few weeks earlier and he beat both of us.

20km into the race Matt and I made our move. Charging hard off of the front of the lead pack and rotating leads until we were out of sight of the chasers. Our plan worked perfectly and Matt and I were able to break away to come in for the win, albeit just 20 seconds ahead of third.

Matt is one of my good friends and training partners. Although we are good friends we are still both fierce competitors when we are racing. It is all business from the start gun to the finish line, but as soon as one of us cross the line we are cheering for the other to come in too. It was fun to do a race working and finishing together.

Another part of the team that is often not seen when the winner climbs to the top of the podium is the support team: Coaches, Wax Technician, and Feeders. Sometimes it takes doing a race without your regular support crew to realize how great they are. A bit thanks to Jason, Gus, CXC and my many supporters for all your hard work behind the scenes.

Barnebirkie

2011-02-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

1,000 skiers

kids only

kickoff to Birkebeiner weekend

joy

Delaney and Garrott at the start early and excited for the Barnebirkie

What is the best way to find your kid at the end of the race. This wasn't this brother and sister's first rodeo.

Neeandweah, Shaylena, and Jayden part of the crew representing the

Boys and Girls Club of Lac Courte Orielles

I want a dragon suit in my size.

Get Outside

Ski

Have Fun

Mid Season Altitude Camp

2011-02-13T19:06:00.000-08:00

Everything is better when you are skiing

After the Houghton Super Tours, the next stop on the Super Tour circuit is Aspen, Colorado. My season goals changed this year after US Nationals. I decided to stay stateside and pursue the Super Tour Distance title. With Aspen at 8,500 feet, the Boulder Mountain Tour offering $3,000, and a cheap Southwest Airlines flight into Boise a trip out west was born.

Previewing the finish of the Boulder Mountain Tour. Course Description: Slightly downhill and flat

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation hosted a co-ed sprint race on Thursday before the BMT. It was a great spectator event consisting of 3 rounds of 2*300m laps. Bonfires, a band, and $1,000 on the line brought a big crowd to the park downtown.

Me and ITA teammate Kate Whitcomb skied to 5th place. Thanks Kate for coming out of 'ski' retirement and a full work day for the race

I am not sure how Ian took this picture of me by myself. I spent the entire race in a pack of skiers until the finish. Photo: Ian Harvey

Boulder Mountain Tour Champs: Sylvan Elefson and Evelyn Dong

US National 50km Course and Super Tour Finals Venue

I will be back in Sun Valley in March and it was great to preview the courses and hammer out some intervals on them. I skied the 50km course clockwise my first day in town and it was ridiculously hard. Thankfully we go counter-clockwise in the 50km. Still the course has two ‘A’ climbs, one with 50m of climbing and the other with 37m of climbing. We will do each 7 times. It is going to be awesome.

Midwest Super Tours: Ups and Downs

2011-01-30T19:01:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Gowtham [Michigan Tech]

The last two weeks have been a bit of a struggle for me. I travel well, but I hit the training hard on Monday after flying in from Lake Placid and I caught a virus. I took it real easy most of the week and started feeling better near the weekend.

Last year, I won my first individual SuperTour at the Mayor's Challenge in Minneapolis, MN but this year I didn't even get out of bed for the first day of racing. Feeling better on Day 2 I raced but when the pace picked up, I started hurting in a hurry. My results matched how I felt and I began to focus on the coming races in Houghton, MI.

The first two races in Houghton were decent races for me as far as time/percentage back from the leaders but my placings were some of my worst of the season 14th and 11th. I was really starting to loose confidence.

The good thing about tough or poor races is that they make the good ones all that sweeter. Today's race, a 15km Freestyle mass start was just that. I went out hard from the gun to keep the crashes and chaos to a minimum and settled in for a good pack race. My friend and teammate Matt took some long pulls at the front and brought the lead pack down to ten skiers. Knowing that I was still not back to my 100 percent form I skied a conservative race, trying to use as little energy as possible. With 2.5km to go my roommate Garrott had broken away by 15 seconds from me and a group of four other skiers. I waited for the anticipated attacks of the other skiers in my group and decided to make a break for it as soon as their pace seemed to back off a bit. I was able to get a few meters gap and come in to the finish in second place for the day.

It feels great to be back on the podium and back in the mix at the front of the race.

67 Days On The Road

2011-01-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

I left Hayward, WI 67 days ago on November 11th to travel to 7 different training/racing venues and compete in 7 races. Today I flew back to the Midwest and tomorrow I am headed home to unpack my bags and recharge for a few days. Minneapolis has more snow than I have ever seen here and I am looking forward to skiing in the Midwest for a few weeks.

15k Freestyle Lake Placid Super Tour (click to see the evil eye) Photo Credit: Fasterskier.com

Originally I planned to fly back to the Midwest after US Nationals in Maine, however the Super Tour series was headed to Lake Placid along with a good portion of the skiers headed to World Championships. I didn't want to miss it.

Men's 15k Freestyle Podium

Each fall I have traveled to Lake Placid with my teammates for our hardest training camp of the year. It was fun to see snow on the ground and check out the ski trails from the 1980 Olympics. Although I have been ski racing a long time it is still very exciting for me to experience a new venue, plus I love to race.

Western Race Tour Complete

2010-12-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

CXC Elite Team post race in Silver Star, BC

Garrott, Gus, Bryan, Brian, Caitlin, Jennie, Brooke, Jason, and Jessie (photo: Rob Whitney)

The 'Western Race Tour' as I like to call it came to an end today. It has been a great start to the season with 8 races in 3 venues. Here is a short synopsis of period 1 of the race season.

West Yellowstone, MT

Arrived 12 days early to adjust to the altitude and get on snow.

4 races in 3 days kept the body working hard.

Day 1: Classic and Skate 1.6km Sprints- 15th and 8th solid sprint qualifying positions for me.

Day 2: 10km Skate- 9th went out hard and paid for it. Result a bit disappointing but felt great.

Day 3: 15km Classic- 3rd best FIS points race ever, felt great (especially after skiing alone most of the race)

Popped the big question to Caitlin during our weekly over distance ski... she said yes... very happy guy.

Stayed in West Yellowstone for a big week of training. Plus a lot of planning and dreaming with my wonderful Fiance.

Silver Star, BC, Canada

Easier week of training in prep for a big race performance

Day 1: Skipped Classic Sprint Race- decided to save some energy in the tank for the next day and the next week of racing.

Day 2: 15k Skate- 3rd- went out conservative and skied progressivly faster. Lars caught me from 30 seconds back at 6km, I picked up the pace and hung with him almost to the finish. Very good result/race for me.

Rossland, BC, Canada

A lot of racing but also a lot of training in preparation for US Nationals the first week of January.

Day 1: Skate Sprint: Qualifed 22nd, Finished 18th- slow qualifying, but went for it in my heat race led until final 200m. Felt good but out skied.

Day 2: 10k Skate- 29th place- fast course and competitive field. Tight time gaps, fell on a hard left corner. Felt good but 1:08s out of first.

Day 3: 15k Classic Pursuit Star- 8th- Went out hard and hungry to make up time I had lost. Great race/result for me in a super competitve field. 27sec out of the win for the day and 7sec out of 3rd.

Overall Tour- 14th

Merry Christmas

Caitlin and I are off to the Methow Valley tomorrow for a 8 days of training and enjoying the holidays before flying out to Rumford, Maine for US Nationals.

Training Week

2010-12-05T21:33:00.000-08:00

3rd Place in the 10k Classic SuperTour and my best FIS points ever (44.11)

After a great start to the race season, plus an engagement, My CXC Teamates and I have stayed in West Yellowstone, MT for a week of solid training. It has been a tough, but good week with just under 24 hours of training in six days.

Cisco working on his 'ups' in a relay at the West Yellowstone School. Caitlin and I spend two afternoons helping the kids stay active.

Bear Walk Race

My favorite is playing outside. The school plows up the playground to form perfect 20' sledding hills.

After a solid week of training Caitlin and I ski toured in to Yellowstone National Park for a nice easy long distance ski.

After Training and After School in West Yellowstone

2010-11-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

My CXC teammates and I are in West Yellowstone for just under a month this year. That is a long time to be living in a hotel room. This is my 5th winter in West Yellowstone and I arrived with the goal of making a greater connection with the local community during my stay.

Caitlin and I gave a presentation to the after-school program about life as a professional ski racer and the big Yellostone Ski Festival and Super Tour races in town.

Happy Thanksgiving pop-up cards. My mom made pop-up cards with me when I was younger and they were awesome. Although the finished products from Annie, Lillith, and Mason were really cool.

Show-and-Tell of Skis and Poles

Drawing Biomes

Having fun training, living, and playing in West

It has been a hard week of training. Visiting and working with the kids was a great way to add energy to the day and take a mental break from training. It was fun to see the excitement in the kids eyes for the first big snow storm. Plus I like seeing how new kids respond to my favorite games of Squirrel Olympics, Last-Man Standing, and Speed Tag.

Tie Dye Art

2010-11-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

: Estasha, Alison, and Sariah Rockin' their new Tie Dye T's

One year during High School our cross-country running team warm-ups were misplaced so we decided to Tie Dye long sleeve shirts for the Team Uniform. One of the guys on the team Pete had done a fair amount of Tie Dye and he helped everyone create some sweet shirts. It was a lot of fun and something I have wanted to do with the kids at the Lac Courte Orielles Boys and Girls Club. Again Pete coached me along about where to get the best dye and get the project started.

: Aaron working on his spiral shirt

: A huge thanks to my neighbor and friend Kay for helping keep the chaos organized

Tomorrow I hit the road for 2 Months: Nov 11 - Jan 11. After a great spring, summer, and fall of training I am excited to get back on snow and to race. One of the things that I will miss is everyone at the Boys and Girls Club.

: What does Brian do when he is not at the Boys and Girls Club?

I gave a presentation to the kids about my travels, struggles and triumphs of last season. Plus, my plans for the next two months on the road.

: "I want to see what my shirt looks like!"

We tie dyed over 60 unique shirts on Monday night. It was fun to see them all. I was hoping to get the kids the shirts on Tuesday but it took me over 2 hours to cut/pull out the rubber bands and rinse the shirts. There were a lot of curious kids yelling at me as I walked down the hall on my way to Mrs. Johnson's 5th Grade classroom.

: Mary, "Check out my Shirt?"

: Josephine

: Adding letters and drawings to the shirts with Sharpies

: It is still pretty warm here in Wisconsin. Bad for skiing, good for flashlight tag

I had a great final night at 'The Club' tonight. The kids loved the slide show, were super excited to see their shirts, and we had a huge game of flashlight tag down at the Pow Wow Grounds.

Tomorrow we head for snow.

One Last Big Week at Home

2010-11-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

Enjoying one of my few weekend at home in Hayward, Home of the American Birkebeiner.

Birkie/ActivEdge Clinic in Seeley, WI analyzing video immediately after skiing. Last year I bought a Netbook with a 10hour battery life. The screen is small but the portability is fantastic. It is great to go over video while the workout is fresh in your mind.

Santi and Eric cooling down after 3(6*60s) HARD. We saw every kind of weather on this workout: rain, snow, sun, wind.

Alright I didn't stay at home all week, I drove down to Minneapolis on Saturday after dinner to surprise Caitlin for her Birthday. We enjoyed our 4 hour Sunday OD with the large group of Vakava skiers. There were over 40 skiers out on the road together.

Let the snow fly.

Nature's Playground

2010-10-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Check out our Fort. Helena, Caitlin, Idanias, Brian, Jayden, Shaina.

I am settling back in to life in Hayward after Lake Placid and Chicago. This is an important recovery week for me to absorb all the training from the last three weeks. With several afternoons off I have been enjoying spending time with my kids at the Boys and Girls Club.

Enjoying a good meal around the table: Jayden, Kaynen, Brian, Idanias

We built a little village out in the woods. Complete with living quarters, kitchen, table, cupboards, gates, doors and windows. We braided grass for rope and used it to tie the sticks together.

The kids loved having Caitlin come to visit

My favorite playground is nature’s playground. It is amazing what you can build with just what you find in the woods. I think more playgrounds should be like this one…

http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=4125

Climb to the Castle Rollerski Race

2010-10-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

We awoke to a crystal clear day here in Lake Placid for the Climb to the Castle roller-ski race. On Wednesday we had to move out of the OTC and it rained for 48 hours in a nice reflection of our disappointment to leave the comfort of the cafeteria, laundry, ice baths and warm showers. We did move in to a really cool house though. Jenny has a college friend with a beautiful place on Lake Placid. I wish we had played hide-and-go-seek there, it was huge. Each of us had our own bedroom. On the downside the place had already been winterized so we were without water and such a big place took some time to warm up. (Thankfully we were able to flush one of the toilets by filling up buckets of water from the lake)

Beautiful Day in Lake Placid

It was fun to ‘race’ again today. Newell, Liebsch and I skied most of the race together. We had a fun last kilometer to the finish with the strong headwind. The draft was pretty intense and it took awhile for us to break apart. After several failed attempts by each of us Newell was able to pull away. When he went it was very decisive and impressive. The guy is fast. It was great to race again. The day also marked stage 2 of the Liebsch/Gregg Tour de France (Stage 1 was the City of Lakes Half Marathon). Matt has the yellow jersey by just 2 seconds.

Results

The Finish

Karl and I are enjoying the free wireless in the Albany Airport. Our flight is delayed a bit but we are hoping to make it to the second half of the Bulls/Wizards game in Chicago tonight. After a solid 17 days of training camp I am looking forward to taking a break.

Karl and I will be leading a clinic for Chicago XC on Saturday and Sunday. If you are in the Chicago area come to our presentation Saturday night at the Univerity. Email me for details. Brian.Gregg@xcSkiLife.com

Work Hard, Play Hard

2010-09-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Cooling down with the boys after a Classic Sprint Simulation 4*3min All Out.

The Boys and Girls Club is closed for staff in-service these past two weeks. I have taken advantage of this 'vacation' time between Summer and Fall to train hard. My days have been increasingly busy and it was nice to be at home in Hayward and enjoy some good recovery between sessions. One night the mercury dipped to 33 degrees. The colors are changing and Fall has arrived.

Weight Vest Strength

Our next training camp is in Lake Placid, NY at the US Olympic Training Center in 11 days. I have found that it is important for me to take some time to recover after hard training camps. This weekend I have been enjoying spending some time down in the Twin Cities with my girlfriend.

Cherry and Spoon at the Walker Art Museum

Caitlin and I have been having a great time in Minneapolis enjoying some creative dates. We kicked things off by cutting each others hair. This might make many people nervous but check out the picture above, I think we both did a pretty nice job. There are a lot of things you can do that cost very little but are still a lot of fun.

Yesterday while at the local library we came across the Museum Adventure Pass Program and got free tickets to The Works: Hands on Minds on Museum. We played with gears, mirrors, lasers, robots, pulleys and more. Everyone at The Club would have loved it.

One of our friends, Audrey, had told us about how you can check out tickets to local museums at the Library. This is awesome. With your library card you can check out two adult tickets to a museum/organization which are good for 1 visit and can be used up to 7 days past the checkout date. Who wants to go on a free trip to the zoo? There are plenty of cool places to check out in the Twin Cities.

Which museums/organizations are participating?

The American Swedish Institute

The Bakken Museum

Bell Museum of Natural History
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory
Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Firefighters Hall & Museum
Foshay Museum and Observation Deck
Hennepin History Museum
The Landing - Minnesota River Heritage Park
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minnesota History Center
Minnesota Streetcar Museum
Minnesota Transportation Museum
Minnesota Zoo
The Museum of Russian Art
Walker Art Center
The Works: Hands-On, Minds-On Museum

The Museum Adventure Pass is presented by Macy's. Learn more about it at
http://www.melsa.org/MuseumAdventurePass/index.cfm

Eagle Glacier Camp

2010-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

APU invited me to their summer home, the Thomas Training Center on the Eagle Glacier. The training center alone is a remarkable facility nestled on the ridge 5,500 feet above Girdwood, Ak about 40 minutes south of Anchorage. The real gem however, is the 7.5km loop of skiing meters outside the door.

Mikey and I super excited for our first helicopter ride.

Day 1: Awesome

Several Sun Valley skier: Mike Sinnot, Colin Rogers, and Nicole Deyong and I joined up with the APU team. It was really fun to catch up on everyones summer training and endeavors. Through years of training and racing together we are all good friends. I think I spent a bit too much time reading the trashy Cosmos laying around the Thomas Training Center (yes 30 minutes is too much time). In addition to staying in tough with the feeling of snow one of my main motivations for this camp was to train with the many strong athletes who make up the APU and SVSEF elite teams.

Most mornings I drank my tea outside and enjoy being surrounded by mountains

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The beautiful days are burned into my memory, but 75% of the time the weather was more akin to this. We might not have had good weather, but we had great skiing every day

The drying room, important to staying comfortable and staying healthy

We had beautiful days for our first and last skis of camp

Is that a Thule rack?

Last season I felt I made a big jump in my ski racing. There were a number of factors contributing to that but I felt getting on snow in the summertime was huge for me. Last year Matt and I went to the Haig glacier. Classic striding has been a focus of mine and skiing on snow in the middle of the dry land season has helped me make some major efficiency improvements.

It was a challenging decision for me to miss the first 10 days of the CXC Team Vertical Limit camp in Ironwood, MI. Especially when the glacier camp cost about $1,000. It is an investment in my ski racing which I hope to regain this season. I did make it back for a few days of August camp. There is a V1 roller ski climb in Ironwood which is worth flying in from Alaska for.

Go Training! Classic Intervals in Afton before heading up to Ironwood. We don't have a lot of big climbs in the Midwest be we have some and they are awesome

Waxing Every Month of the Year

2010-08-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

I skied every month of the year last year, this year I have waxed each month. I haven't skied in July or June, but today is August 1 and and I am going skiing tomorrow!

Grinding everything this spring at Nordic Ultratune

I have always had a good ski quiver, but this year a goal of mine is to have a really good quiver. I worked with Mark and Nordic Ultratune to touch-up all of my skis with fresh grinds for the 2010-2011 ski season. I have a big ski bag this year but feel good about everything that is it. I am really looking forward to trying the new pair of zero skis Salomon sent earlier this week. they are a bit shorter (201cm) and softer that what I have used in the past.

Yesterday on the Eagle Glacier

I flew up to Anchorage, AK yesterday thanks to my United Airlines credit card miles and $10. My good friend and college roommate Paul picked me up from airport. Paul is the man. He picked me up right on time and brought me back to his place for some left over steak and potatoes. Something about flying and airport food is that pretty much the first thing I want to do after flying is go get some regular food. After a quick lunch we wasted no time and headed out for a run/hike up O'Malley. I love being back in the mountains.

We are going to try and fly in to the glacier this evening and get settled before getting after 7 days of solid training. Casey and Erik are up on the Eagle getting everything ready. It is overcast and drizzling in town here, but Casey sent me these photos from his iPhone from last night.

Thomas Training Center, ready for skiers!

Canoeing to Disney World

2010-07-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

Mondays and Wednesday afternoons are special days at 'The Club,' we get to go canoeing on the Namekogon River. Many of the kids have experienced canoeing in the fall on the lakes surrounding the club, but that doesn't even compare to the experience of canoing down a river which eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico. We have been going for the 3-4 hour afternoon float but I am already looking forward to the first kid who follows their dream of canoeing to Disney World.

The Boats more than ready to go. Thanks Mario for catching the escapee.

The girls were in a canoe for the first time ever and although they flipped several times they wore some big smiles by the end of the day.

At the halfway point we take a little snack and swim break.

Shaylena, Cheyenne, and Me full speed ahead

Kiera and Shana enjoying summertime

A canoe trip down river requires many more logistical challenges than lake canoeing. Thankfully we have had the additional support of community volunteers and our summer teen staff to make it happen. Thanks especially to my sister Tara, who was in town visiting and joined us for the day. Kiera and Shana had a great time sharing a boat with you sis. I have witnessed the kids talking about a lot of big ideas and dreams while we are out on the river and it makes me smile. The Namekogan flows into the Saint Croix River which makes its way to the Mississippi river, there is a lot of river to explore and adventures to be had.

We're Going to Valley Fair!

2010-07-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

'We are going to Valley Fair!' The kids have been talking about it since April. The weather was beautiful and everyone was up early for the big 'Club Trip of the Month.' Over 40 kids packed into the school bus at 6:45am for the drive to Minnesota's best amusement park Valley Fair.

Shana, Michela, Paige, Soriah, Kiera, and Brandon up early and exited for the trip. It is a long 4 hours on the bus to Valley Fair when you have so much energy. Thankfully my brother Chad helped provide me with plenty of riddles and car games to keep everyone thinking throughout the trip.

Cheyenne, Shaylena and Aaron ready to get wet on the log ride

My group The Blue Eagles spent most of our time on the water rides and in the water park. My clothes were soaked after the first ride and pretty much stayed that way until we loaded back on the bus.

Valley Fair is Fun, but now I am tired. The entire bus pretty much took a quick nap before it was time to stop at McDonalds for dinner and a game of tag.

Olympic Day at 'The Club'

2010-06-24T04:26:00.000-07:00

: 2010 Olympian Garrott Kuzzy starting the relay

June 23rd is Olympic Day in celebration of the birth of the modern Olympics. The LCO Boys and Girls Club celebrated the day with 2010 Olympian Garrott Kuzzy and several members of CXC Team Vertical Limit.

Getting Fired up watching highlights from the 2010 Games

Santi cheering Delilah on in the Pineapple Slalom

Ardepol Puppin.

One of the most challenging legs of the relay was Ardepol Puppin. I am nearly positive I am spelling it wrong, but one of the funniest and most challenging games was Ardepol Pupping. Everyone had to set a potato on a chair, sit down and pick it up, waddle over and drop it in a bowl. This was a fun one to watch.

Running the Jump Rope Gauntlet

Potatoes make you strong

Refueling our hardwork with fresh Pineapple. 90% of the kids were enjoying fresh pineapple for the first time

CXC Team joins Minnesota Youth Ski League Practice

2010-06-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

CXC Team Vertical Limit had a great training camp in Marine on St. Croix, MN. The old mill town was quiet and peaceful allowing us to get our work done. Roller skiing, running, biking and weight lifting were the names of the games.

2010 CXC Team Vertical Limit

One of the highlights of the week for me was joining the Minnesota Youth Ski League Practice. We brought our agility and coordination strength equipment and with a little imagination has some great ski specific games, relays, and activities. 30 of us enjoyed a beautiful afternoon.

Diggins and the girls warming up

Tad getting some air...The hurdle jump station was a big hit.

There is more than one way to get over a hurdle. Bryce, getting after it.

Impressive

I will be brining the hurdles and ladders to the Boys and Girls Club this Wednesday, June 23 for 'Olympic Day'. Who is ready to show they have the ups?

Final Ski in Washington

2010-06-09T11:39:00.001-07:00

I have been in Washington State the past 3 weeks. I come out each spring to take advantage of some late season skiing on snow. It snows a lot high in the mountains and it takes all that snow a long time to melt away. During my trip I had 12 days of skiing on snow. It is also very nice to be able to go back to where I grew up and visit with my friends and family. I also like to be able to help my mom and dad out around the house and with the yearly firewood. There is a lot more work to be done on the wood pile with nearly 30 cords left to cut and split.

Lots of snow up high but I decided a roller ski would be a better workout for the day.

Dad setting the pace

My brother Chad, my favorite all-time training partner

Why am I roller skiing with all this snow around?

The Boys and Girls Club opened for the summer on Monday and I am ready for some summer fun. I will be at 'The Club' next Monday. I am excited to check on the plants in the club garden.

I am currently putting in a solid week of training with CXC Team Vertical Limit teammates in Marine on St. Croix, MN. We are roller skiing, running, weight training and canoeing. Check back for pictures later in the week.

Paddleboarding

2010-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am out in Bend, Oregon for a ski camp this week. We ski on snow in the morning and train 'dryland' in the afternoon. Yesterday we tried a little paddle boarding. It was really fun.

Dennis getting us all lined out

I need to work more on my balance. In the first 20 minutes I took a step back and walked off the board. The cold water made me really work on my ankle angle to make sure I didn't get wet again.

Flexing Skis

2010-05-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

I picked up a few new pairs of 2011 Salomon skis this year while I was racing in Europe. They are awesome. Chuck, you have to try this wet klister ski.

: 2011 Salomons- these skis are awesome

: Mark has a really slick system to flex the pockets of each ski. I mark each ski the same to help speed up the process of how best to wax them.

: Mark and the Mantec

Mark and Nordic Ultratune help me manage my ski fleet each year. Mark does some of the best stone grinds in the world including many skis that were used in Vancouver in February. The Ultratune shop is a ski technicians dream and I could and do spend a lot of time in there. You can tell Mark is an engineer; everything is very organized and exact.

I spent the morning using feeler gauges to mark the kick pockets on my new skis. After fresh grinds they will be ready to go for the 2010/11 race season. It was pretty entertaining to watch the stone grinding process and how excited Mark would get when each grind came out. Each time he would bring the ski over to me to show how nice it looked, just like a proud father. Mark is way in to it and a great guy to have working with your skis.

Biking with Dad

2010-05-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did a bike ride with my Dad. We were lucky to not get wet.

Time to put the watch back on

2010-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

I put my watch on at the beginning of the week. I now have wear it constantly. I even sleep with it. I take my morning heart rate to monitor my recovery/health, record my distance and interval training and make sure that my naps are just the right length. I have enjoyed the month of April, taking more time to 'recover' than ever before. It has served it's purpose, I feel great.

The first CXC Team Vertical Limit training camp of the 2010-2011 this season has begun. We got right after it with a VO2 Max Test on the treadmill on Day 1, Friday. (This is a running test on the treadmill where the speed increases every minute until you can't go any faster. I made it to 10mph at a 9% grade.)

Saturday we rode the RASTA (Rhinelander Area Ski Trail Association) bike race. This was a big move for me as my biking skills have plenty of room for improvement. The trails were covered with a dusting of fresh snow and overall it was slick and muddy. I felt great though and had a really good race. It is great to be back at work.

Some of the hills I had to get off my bike and run

The Cook Brothers battling it out

Great skier representation in the race: Bryan Cook, Me, Garrott Kuzzy, Karl Nygren... plus others like Steve Pribyl, Adam Swank, Chris Cook, Kenny Statz, Matt Zak...

Right To Play

2010-04-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

The springtime in the Midwest has been beautiful. I alway enjoy playing outside but the warm sun of spring is hard to beat.

Get off the computer and play outside

The last few weeks I have had the chance to be at the Club everyday. It is great to be with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club regularly. My main goals are to get them active, preferably outside. This spring we have enjoyed all of our favorite games and a few new ones.

Last Man Standing- A form of kickball. The game starts with one pitcher (usually me) against everyone else. The pitcher works to get everyone out by tagging a base or hitting them with the ball. When a player gets tagged out they join the outfield until there is one person left standing.

Worlds Fastest Game of Tag*- everyone is it. If you tag someone they must freeze. If one or more people tag each other at the same time, they both freeze. If you tag a person who is frozen, they are unfrozen.

*I learned this game from Warren Elementary in VT. Thanks guys, everyone really likes it.

Soccer- Right to Play donated a mini-soccer ball for every kid. In addition to playing games, we are enjoying working on our juggling and passing skills.

Shana, Coral, and Zoe happy with their new soccer balls

Right to Play is an Organization working with volunteers and partners to use sport and play to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage. Learn more about Right to Play and how you can help atwww.RightToPlay.com

Shana found the most clues in the Treasure Hunt. She won the Right to Play Ball signed by Beckie Scott

Gabe

Victor, Bahi, Joe and Koons

First Day of the 6-week Spring Run Series

Each Wednesday the Boys and Girls Club hosts the Spring Run Series. Over the next 6 weeks the community will build from running/walking 1 mile to 5km. It is great to see everyone out running. The top 15 in both the short and the long run won baseball caps donated by the Madison Winter Festival. Additionally, the winners of each race won a soccer ball signed by Olympic Gold Medalist Beckie Scott

Winner of Short Run- Steven

Winner of Long Run- Brandon

Thank You to Right to Play, Madison Winter Fest and Becky Scott for your support of the LCO Boys and Girls Club.

Durian

2010-04-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Walking through China Town, I saw a spiky fruit I had never seen before.

What better way to experience a new piece of fruit than to buy it and bring it back to the LCO Boys and Girls Club.

The Treasure Hunt is on!

The Next Clue is... 'Let's play basketball outside'

What is it?

Durian Fruit

Together we goggled ’spiky fruit’ and were able to find images and information about the Durian. The fruit doesn’t smell very good. One article mentioned that in some places the fruit is banned in public places. The taste is described as delightful, but our fruit might have gone bad. It was all I could do not to throw up. Still, we did enjoy learning about a new fruit and it was fun to play with the spiky husk and slimy insides.

See if you can find out more about the Durian. You can start by reading this article http://asiancuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/durian__the_king_of_fruit

NYC

2010-04-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

I spent the past weekend in the Big Apple. I really have never lived in a big city so everything was pretty new to me. Experiencing such a different lifestyle was fun and a great way to mentally recover and relax after the race season.

Enjoying some $1.99 pineapple on the 8hr train ride

The train was a great way to arrive into the city. The final part of the journey is underground and it was really quite the entrance to finally pop above ground at see daylight at Penn Station.

Time Square (for Chad)

Running around Central Park

An 843 acre park in the middle of such a metropolis is really quite incredible. There were thousands of people out enjoying the park. It is my understanding the the park is entirely landscaped including the rocks, streams and lakes. Read more at http://www.centralpark.com/pages/history.html

Fantastic Fruit, the best deal we found were strawberries for $1

I think I may have been the only one in the City wearing a Toko drink belt, or fanny pack.

I have always wanted to see a Broadway musical

Broadway shows are expensive, even at 40% off from the discount booth at Time Square. A tough decision for those living on a budge but an incredible experience to have at least once.

Didn't make it to the Empire State Building to see this guy swatting planes. Maybe next time...

New York is indeed the city that never sleeps. The trip was great mental recovery but it feels good to be back in Hayward, get plenty of sleep, and eat oatmeal. Visiting the big city was fun but it is good to be home.[caption id="attachment_167" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Running around Central Park"][/caption]

An 843 acre park in the middle of such a metropolis is really quite incredible. There were thousands of people out enjoying the park. It is my understanding the the park is entirely landscaped including the rocks, streams and lakes. Read more at http://www.centralpark.com/pages/history.html

[caption id="attachment_168" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Fantastic Fruit, the best deal we found were strawberries for $1"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_166" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="I think I may have been the only one in the City wearing a Toko drink belt, or fanny pack."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_170" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="I have always wanted to see a Broadway musical"][/caption]

Broadway shows are expensive, even at 40% off from the discount booth at Time Square. A tough decision for those living on a budge but an incredible experience to have at least once.

[caption id="attachment_171" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Didn't make it to the Empire State Building to see this guy swatting planes. Maybe next time..."][/caption]

10 Races in 18 Days

2010-03-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy March. 10 races in 18 day including 2 50km and a trans-atlantic flight. I am thankful that I was able to stay relatively healthy and felt good through all the races.

One of the reasons I race all the races at Super Tour finals was to defend my Super Tour Distance Lead. The title includes a cash prize which translates to a new car for me.

Thanks Coach Fish for a great season... my best ever... so far

Understandably, fatigue is starting to set in. I am looking forward to a little 'vacation' and change of pace in Vermont and New York City.

xcSkiLife.com is Back

2010-03-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

I have integrated my two websites http://in-the-arena-brian.blogspot.com/ and xcSkiLife.com so that they are easier to update and so that they can 'talk' to eachother. I am in Oslo, Norway preparing for Saturdays 50km Hollmenkollen World Cup. Check back daily for updates.

Holmenkollen Arena

2010-03-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful day here at Hollmenkollen arena. I skied in the afternoon to get my body used to going at 2pm (qualifying time for Drammen sprints). Hardwax barely worked and I could have skied in my t-shirt.

The new jump and stadium

Happy to have this opportunity

Chris, this picture is for you

The ski world is small. I ran in to Anders Folleras (former UVM and MSU skier) on the trails today and we did some speed together. I enjoyed dinner with my good friend Kjetil Dammen and his parents. It was fun to recall our years at UAA together and to catch up on our recent adventures.

We catch the transport bus to Drammen in 20 minutes. I am excited for my first Euro World Cup. Classic City Sprint. 5 racers (Newell, Hamilton, Hinckley, Me, and Kikkan)

Info at: http://www.worldcupdrammen.no/engelsk

Live Results at: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?cal_suchsector=CC&event_id=27069

First Time to Norway

2010-03-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

Norwegians are very proud. For years I have been told how great the bread is in Norway. My friend and college roommate Kjetil would try hundreds of loaves of bread but never found any to his satisfaction. This morning I understood why, the bread here is awesome. Kuzzy and I have made some pretty awesome loaves at home in Wisconsin, but the bread here is unreal.

It is a good thing that I am racing a 50km this weekend. The bread/crackers and Gjetost (Norwegian Brown Cheese) is really good.

We are staying in a very nice hotel. I am trying not to think about how expensive it is ($220/night?). As the leader of the SuperTour on (Feb 1) much of my expenses are covered by FIS although there are a days that I am responsible for. This high expense lifestyle is not a norm for me but I am trying to just enjoy it and focus on what I need to do to race fast.

The hotel is called the Soria Moria and is really cool. We are just above the Hollmenkollen Ski Jump and race trails. The weather has been beautiful and I can view the entire city from my bedroom window.

Soria Moria Hotel with Hollmenkollen Jump

The Hollmenkollen ski jump and trails have been redone and are brand new. They actually just opened about a week ago. I have heard that the project cost over $300 Million. Pretty amazing investment in ski trails. World Championships here in 2011 will be amazing.

These guys were walking around the course raking rocks out of the trail. Committed volunteers? (The snow was natural and clean to start with)

I spent the morning getting this blog up and rolling. Updates are easy and I will take my camera skiing with me this afternoon.

Over 1,000 Kids Ski Barnebirkie

2010-02-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

Over 1,000 young skiers slid to the line on thursday for the Barnebirkie. Pretty impressive considering the town of Hayward has a population of about 2,500. We had a good group from the Boys and Girls Club. Beautiful weather, good snow, cookies and hot chocolate...pretty hard to beat.

Shana and Raleighna await the starting gun

Shaylena

LCO Boys and Girls Club Barne Skiers

Enjoying the obstacle course as part of the games and celebration at the finish line on main street.

The Wall of Fire

Check out this video of the Barnebirkie. Can you find anyone you know?

Good Luck Kuz

2010-02-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

For the past four years I have had the privilege of living and training with an Olympian. That Olympian will start his first Olympic race tomorrow in the 15km Freestyle. Garrott has many talents and is a well balance skier, performing well in every event: skate, classic, distance or sprint, however, the 15k is arguably his strongest event.

Although I am sad to not be toeing the line tomorrow, I am very happy. It has been a great season for me and there are many exciting opportunities still coming my way. I have improved greatly these past few years and I have many people to thank for that. My main training partner and friend Garrott has perhaps taught me the most.

I first met Garrott in June 2006 in Cable, Wisconsin. We were both 'freshman' on the new CXC Elite Team and were ready to become professional skiers. We have had a lot of fun and shared in many unique experiences over the years, but some things have always remained the same. Every morning, the bread machine beeps and it is time to wake up and train. I get out of bed knowing that Garrott is probably already getting ready to work to get faster. We don't necessarily talk about it, but the Goal... the Olympics... The 15k is certainly on the mind.

I am very competitive and so is Garrott, and that is a good thing. Everyday I try to beat Garrott, sometimes I do, most days I do not. He more or less does the same thing. I believe it has made us both faster. We are smart about it and make sure that our competition matches the goal of our workout. We used to do specific strength sessions and race each other but we quickly determined that we couldn't race each other without completely exhausting ourselves and taking away from other workouts. Actually, Garrott is smarter about it and over the years I have learned from him about staying focused on the long term goal.

Me and Garrott at our first World Cup in Canmore, AB in 2008

One of my more memorable experiences as a ski racer is watching Garrott in our first week of World Cup Competition in 2008. Garrott's first race was the 30km Duathalon. It was a tough race for him and he fought hard the whole way. He actually threw up when he crossed the finish line, It wasn't pretty. It was a mass start race and Garrott passed several skiers but they all dropped out and he ended up dead last. Three days later Garrott had a World Cup top 10 in the Freestyle Sprint. It was awesome. Those experiences are a testament of Garrott's character and I will always remember both those races.

Me, Garrott, and Coach Fish at the Canmore World Cup last week

Good luck to all the Americans tomorrow, but everyone should watch out for Bib 59.

Methow Super Tour

2010-01-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

The Super Tour made its debut in my hometown this weekend. The McCabe Trails at the Liberty Bell High School offered a fantastic venue for Saturdays freestyle sprint. It was pretty cool to get ready for the big races in the same locker room as my junior high and high school years. The entire community came together to bring the Super Tour to the Methow Valley and to make it such a great event. We had some uncharacteristically terrible weather with warm temperatures and rain early in the week. An impressive amount of shoveling and salting were needed to make the races happen. Thank you to the many volunteers and the entire community for all you hard work. I am very luck to have 5 different Super Tour races in my dual hometowns of Winthrop, WA and Hayward, WI. I had two of my best races of the season this weekend and I will write more about those races tomorrow on my recovery day.

Something about racing in your hometown makes it feel like your skis aren't even touching the ground. Plus this has to be the coolest photo ever taken of me.

(Photo Credit: EA Weymuller)

I am looking forward to racing in Hayward in two weeks for the Telemark SuperTour.

US Nationals Day 1

2010-01-03T21:06:00.000-08:00

Top 10 at US Nationals has been a goal of mine since high school. I have had some really good races over the year, but I have never achieved this goal. I have raced at a level clearly within the top 10 in the nation, but for some reason things haven't come together for me at a National Championship race. Until now.

Qualifying Time Trial of the Freestyle Sprint Photo: Toko USA (Ian Harvey)

In a cross country skiing sprint competition, racers start the day with a time trial race against the clock. After a few hour break, the top 30 fastest skiers compete head to head in heats of 6, with the top two in each heat advancing to the next round. I qualified 8th on Saturday morning which is a strong qualifying position for me. Generally I ski well in the heats and can improve my finishing result.

If you aren't familiar with it, the whole thing can seem rather complicated. The important thing is that on a sprint day you can end up racing the 1.1 kilometer course for times. I really enjoy skiing head to head against other racers. There is a lot of strategy involved and it can be pretty intense.

I had an exciting quarterfinal with five skiers finishing within 2.2 seconds. I had to work pretty hard in the final 200 meters to advance to the next round. My semi-final heat was in 10 minutes so I didn't have much time to recover. I went out hard but was tired and found myself looking up the course to a pack of three other skiers. I found myself in a difficult decision. I could really hammer and try to catch the group or I could conserve some energy for the B final. This was a challenging decision to make and I had to do it in just a few seconds. I gave a few hard pushed and then decided to hold back a bit and save myself for the next round. I don't think it is ever good to give up, but sometimes you need to pick your battles.

Ten minutes later and feeling much more rested I went hard out of the gate of the B final (racing for 7th-12th place) . I skied relaxed in second position pretty much from start to finish. Peter Kling made a move to takie the lead with 500 meters to go which I was unable to match. Peter finished first in the B final and myself second.

Finishing second in the B final put me in 8th place for the day and a new personal best at US Nationals. My favorite event, the 15km skate is tomorrow and I am ready to go. My goal is now top 7.

Matt cooking up a mean meal of Chicken Curry and Tomato/Avocado Salad.

The sun doesn't get very high in the sky here in Alaska, but it does provide for some great sunrises and sunsets here at Kincaid Park.

Back in Washington for Christmas

2009-12-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

The first period of racing is complete for me and I drove down with my family for two weeks of training at my other 'home' in the Methow Valley. Driving up the valley, snow conditions were pretty sad and thin. Thankfully fresh snow fell overnight and although coverage is thin skiing has been great.

Caitlin and Hons waxing up the boards

One of my favortie things about visiting home is skiing and catching up with friends. Caitlin decided to stay in the Pacific Northwest between Silver Star and US Nationals and has been an excellent training partner. I have also really enjoyed skiing with my good friend and climbing partner, Hons.

Fresh Tracks

We even saw a Reindeer out on the trail (my brother)

The Methow Valley Nordic Camp was held this weekend. One of the best technique camps/clinics in the country. I have coached at the clinic before, but opted out this year in order to finish up a good volume block of training. My brother, Chad helped out with Ski Patrol and I matched many of my workouts to ski around with him. I always enjoyed getting on the trails and skiing around looking for 'someone who looks like me, with reindeer antlers and an orange vest.' That hat, and my brother are awesome.

It feels great to train hard and be in one place for more than a few days

Tara, Simon, Me and Caitlin

Last night we enjoyed a community theater presentation of 'It's A Wonderful Life.' The play is great and going dressed up made it even more fun. Thanks Sis for some excellent curry and thank you Tim for the tickets.

2009-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

The last 5 weeks I have been very focused in my training, racing and recovery. The races in West Yellowstone were a strong start to the season, and I felt even better about my performances in Bozeman. No spotlight races, but very consistent across distance, sprint, classic and skate which has been a major goal of mine the past few years. We are now up in Silver Star, BC getting ready for this weekends NorAm. All of the non-World Cup skiers from North American are here. It will be a highly competitive race. It is my understanding that for the Canadians, the winner of the race earns a spot on the Olympic Team. After a good hard day of intervals in the morning and strength in the afternoon on Wednesday, today was a recovery day. Matt, Karl and I went for a long circumnavigation ski adventure of the Silver Star and Sovereign Lake Trails.

Today was a warm day at 10F. It is nice to wax inside and Matt is excited to try his new Nordic Ultratune XC02

We can get on the trails right from the door to our condo.

3 inches of fresh powder turned us into downhill skiers

Silver Star allows you a few trips up the chair lift.
Normally I prefer to ski up the hill, but today was a recovery day and it was nice to gain the vertical

Matt, Karl, and I enjoying Alder Point. A beautiful spot even on a cloudy day

We finished our 3 hour ski by skiing down main street which is actually a groomed ski trail. This town really is a skier's paradise. I really wish I had brought some money to hit up the Bugaboo Bakery

2 Months on the Road

2009-11-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

I left Hayward on November 12th and will return, at the earliest, over two months later on January 25th. The travel plans include:

West Yellowstone, MT

Bozeman, MT

Silver Star, BC, Canada

Methow Valley, WA

Anchorage, AK

Methow Valley, WA

Minneapolis, MN

I do get a chance to go 'home' to Washington for Christmas, so it really isn't two months on the road.

I packed only have 5 shirts, but the 12 pairs of skis keep my bags full.

I am in West Yellowstone, MT right now for the Yellowstone Ski Festival. 'West' is know for dependable early season snow and over 3,000 skiers take over the town to celebrate skiing, snow and the start of winter.

'West' is also like Christmas for many 'pro' skiers with the arrival of new skis, boots, poles and the latest colors and styles for hats, gloves, jackets, pants, and tights.

Enjoying Blue Skies and Fresh Snow in our new Vertical Limit Gear

Filling up the tub for a little ice bath after a hard week of training.

The first race of the season is Wednesday.

Sean McCabe: a Friend, a Teacher, an Inspiration

2009-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

I decided that I wanted to be a professional cross country ski racer when I was 15 years old, during a 72 hour fast in the High Sierras of California. Sean my friend and teacher made the trip possible. Every year he applied for a scholarship for two high school students to attend an Outward Bound course. He and his wife Laura are two of my greatest role models and inspirations in life. Sitting near that stream many of the life goals I wrote down were a reflection of my goal to be like Sean. I still have my old journal and list of goals, several of which have been achieved. In May, Sean was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and given two weeks. Sadly Sean passed away last Saturday. Sean has made a great influence in so many lives and I will miss my friend greatly.

Sean McCabe working on a Self Portrait (Photo by John Hanron)

Sean turned one of the unfinished classrooms into the best rock gym I have ever been in. He would pick my brother and I up at 6:30am and we would go to the climbing gym at school. My brother and I pretty much lived in the gym, trying to work up to the incredibly challenging routes that Sean would pump out. Climbing with Sean there just made it more fun. Sean was usually the last teacher to head home at the end of the day and often we would climb after cross country running, ski or soccer practice and catch a ride with him. Sean spent long days at the office but always loved being home with Laura and their two beautiful girls Novie and Dashe. Although he loved his students he relished the summer months and the family's climbing trips.

In September I made it back to the Methow for my brothers wedding. Sean was having good and bad days, so wasn't sure if he would be able to make the celebration but was certainly going to try. Just before the ceremony started I saw Sean with the girls out in the driveway. Already so happy for my brother and Alieta, I was amazed that I could smile any bigger.

Chad, Alieta and Sean

A few days after the wedding I stopped over at the house to bring the McCabes some of the fresh apple cider we had pressed at the wedding. Sean and I had our last face to face conversation. As a testament to Sean's character he was more concerned about me and my well being than himself. Although he did talk about his illness and the changes in his life. He talked about staying positive and of his love for his girls: Laura, Novie and Dashe.

The McCabe Family: Dashe, Laura, Novie and Sean

For my birthday this year my mom and dad gave me a print of one of Sean's paintings. Like the good twin brothers we are, Chad and I selected the same painting, 'Cutthroat Pass'. Sean told me that he painted it from memory after running the 30 miles from Rainy Pass to Harts Pass solo. Cutthroat Pass, the name of the piece and one of the features of the run, is one of my favorite spots. It is a beautiful painting but holds even more meaning once you have run there early in the morning. I have yet to complete the full 30 mile journey, but I did get to run with Laura and Leslie the first few miles back in September.

"Cutthroat Pass" by Sean McCabe

Check out more of Sean's work online at www.SeanMcCabeStudio.com. In addition to the originals, canvas and paper prints are available as well.

Thank You Sean for everything. Everyday I try to be more like you. I will always look out for your girls. My thoughts and prayers are you, Laura, Novie and Dashe.

Excited to give Slacklining a try?

2009-11-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

Kiera, ready to give it a go

Balance is an important part of any sport, especially in cross country skiing when you are gliding on one ski. Slack lining is one of my favorite balance training exercises. Similar to tightrope walking climbers started this sport of walking on climbing webbing. The webbing is flat so your foot doesn't roll off and the line has a bit of give to it similar to a trampoline.

Delila making the 20 foot gap. The world record is over 200m.

Ross and Jolyn supporting Koons. He is pretty close to being able to cross unassisted

Shanna without much help

We had a large group today, so we didn't spend too much time on the line. Everyone did get a try and be assured that the line will be back. We took advantage of the warmer weather for an epic game of Hide-and-go-seek throughout the Pow Wow Grounds.

As our balance improves, youTube provides a few ideas for some tricks we can work at mastering.

Check out this video on how to set up your own slackline:

350

2009-10-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

www.350.org

On Saturday, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

What is the Deal with 350?

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Scientists have concluded that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

ActivEdge hosted Garrott and I for a CXC/Birke XC Ski Clinic and 350 Campaign

I tried to embed the show on this site, but I couldn't get it to work, So you should check out 350.org to view an amazing slideshow of some of the best '350' photos from around the world yesterday.

I have read on the web that some of the highlights from the day included a planet-scale game of Scrabble, with citizens in Wellington and Sydney forming giant human 3s, London and New Delhi enormous human 5s, and Quito and Copenhagen massive 0s. “The point was you had to put them together across global borders if you wanted to solve the puzzle,” said 350.org media coordinator Jamie Henn. “Just like the climate negotiations set for Copenhagen in December.

Working on 'Dryland' Technique

The sport of cross country skiing depends on snow and we all need to do our part to make sure it continues to fall. As a cross country ski racer I travel frequently and sometimes by plane. Although jets are one of the fastest modes of transportation they are also amongst the most inefficient. One way I do try to limit my CO2 output as much as possible it by organizing my travel to be as direct as possible and to include carpooling, ride sharing, public transportation and hitchhiking. What changes can you make in your lifestyle to reduce CO2?

Getting ready for winter, snow and skis

For more information, visit www.350.org.

Mt. Triumph: Climbing with the Boys

2009-10-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

It might be obvious that I love cross country skiing and playing tag on the playground because I do those things a lot. One of my less known passions is climbing. When I was in Junior High I used to climb 1-3 hours every day. I have drifted away from climbing recently so it was a real treat to join my best friends and climb Mt. Triumph in Washington State's North Cascades. It was my first time on rock for the year and just my second real climb in four years. For me a trip into the mountains is very refreshing and a great way for me to recharge.

Me in front of Mt. Triumph. Our route followed the North East Ridge (above right)

It is hard to tell, but I am standing on a big patch of snow which is shaded my a mountain. I have now been 'on snow' every month of the year so far.

Thornton Lake with Mt. Triumph peeking out from behind the Col directly above the lake

The climb took us a really long time, unfortunatly the view from the top was from inside a cloud

Chad and Hons halfway up the ridge with the spectacular Picket Range behind them. The Pickets are considered one of the most remote mountains in the lower 48.

Guess Who is Married Now?

2009-10-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Plenty of people have been telling me congratulations this past week, but they have the wrong twin.

Chad and Alieta were remarried with a Methow Valley wedding last week, hence my trip to Washington. Over 140 guests enjoyed the celebration. Surprisingly, the only repeats from the August wedding were the bride, groom, their parents, Ardis and me. We had a cider press to make fresh apple cider, a live band, home grown pork and great company.

My dog Tilly was the Ring Bearer

The 'Big House' as we call the Gregg Homestead, really looked good for the big event. When I left Wisconsin to fly to Washington someone told me have a great vacation. The trip really was a lot of fun, but certainly not a vacation. We all did a lot of work in the yard to make the place look great. The pond really looks good.

With two wedding there are a lot of pictures. More than I really know what to do with. My favorite is
the ones of me pretending to be Chad. There are some great ones. Below are a few shots from Chad and Alieta's August wedding.

Chad and Alieta are looking forward to their honeymoon in Disney World in November. Congratulations lil' brother and my new lil' sister.

Getting Lean

2009-09-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need to burn off a little extra fat. My most recent training partner and I have been working on this. After our September training camp I took advantage of a $59 Sun Country flight to Washington for my brother's second wedding. Pork is on the menu, we are down to one bag of food and the pig Chad and Alieta bought in the spring should feed about 140.

Pigs are intelligent animals and it is relatively easy to train them to walk, turn, and stop with a cane. Pork has a rather high fat content so taking a pig for a walk or run and leaning them up before they go to market can make a big difference.

Back in high school, the Gregg kids had a little known talent for raising, fitting, showing and selling hogs.

The pigs gained about 200 pounds in 4 months (photo from June 1)

Tara and I gave the newlyweds a RolyPig Composter to help ease the loss of the real pig. These things are pretty cool. Check out the demonstration video atwww.RolyPig.com

Fall is a busy time of year for me, hence the lack of posts. The more serious and focused the workouts the fewer pictures I take. The wedding preparation and celebration is done now and training this week is relatively easy so more updates are coming soon.

What does a cross country skier do in September?

2009-09-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

I stopped by 'The Club' on friday and Kiera asked me when I would be back to stay for a while and hang out with her. What do I do when I am not at 'The Club'?'The Club' re-opened for the fall this week after the bi-annual two week closure for in-service. This week, all of my teammates are in town for our monthly training camp. The harder training of camp makes it so that I have only been able to stop by 'The Club' for a few minutes to say hello before taking off to meet my team for afternoon training.

When I am not at 'The Club' I am usually: running, biking, roller skiing or strength training. I am a ski racer and in order to be fast and improve I must train a lot. Sometimes, I work out 2-3 times a day and it takes all day. These are my hard days, on my easier days I may only train once or not at all and these are the days I am usually at 'The Club.'

My teammate Gus doing a strenth workout with 90lbs added to his waist.

That is the same weight or more that many of the kids at 'The Club.' Maybe I will try to do a pull up with you on my back next time we are at 'The Club.'

Waxing skis in September?

Skis are an important part of ski racing. I have over 10 pairs of skis. Athletes and coaches spend a lot of time on their skis. It is not unheard of for a pair of skis to have over $250 of wax put into them for a single race. Right now I am only working on my skis so that I can flex them and see how them compare to the new 2010 Salomon skis.

Kevin Johnson of Salomon USA flex testing skis

I am looking forward to being back at 'The Club' this fall. Unfortunatly I have some travel scheduled for the next few weeks so I won't be back at 'The Club' until October 10th. Still, I am excited for the trips. I am flying to Washington State tomorrow to visit my family and for my brother's wedding. My brother is a good person to have an adventure with and I will post some pictures of my trip.

After two weeks in Washington I fly to Lake Placid, NY for a 10 day training camp at the Olympic Training Center. I will post pictures and stories from my trip on this blog so keep checking for updates.

Flip Video from Copper Falls Hike

2009-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Check out the video from our adventures in and around Copper Falls State Park. Click the image above or click here.

Copper Falls State Park Trip

2009-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

Which one is Brian?

We had a great trip to Copper Falls State Park. My twin brother joined me for the adventure. We had a good time switching up with kids. Late in the afternoon I shaved my beard and we both wore In The Arena shirts to make everyone really think.

10 of us took an Epic hike which included 2 miles of river hikining

Brandon, Me, and Sequia leading the charge

For a Twenty you won't have to go the long way

Actually Leroy was all about going for the full adventure. I brought my backpack to keep a few of our things dry. Including Leroy's cash.

The 'Epic Adventure' Group all went for a 3.5 hour hike.

Everyone had a great time hiking, swimming, and scrambling the big loop around the park. Thanks Chad for joining us. Also, thank you Becky for waiting for us to get back and having lunch ready for us. Hamburgers never tasted so delicious.

I pulled the photos above from my Flip Video. I will post the video tomorrow.

A Long Trip Home

2009-08-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to the Haig Glacier with ideal conditions and great weather...Joel and Matt looking off at the French Glacier

Except our final day. We woke up early so that we could get in a quick ski before the 18km run back to the cars. When I opened my eyes and looked out the window I knew we would be sleeping in. The strobe of lightning made me nervous to walk from the bunk house to the dinning house. This meant no skiing, but more unfortunatly it meant the helicopter wouldn't be bringing our gear. Thankfully my friend Kit who was also on the Glacier lives in Canmore and let me spend a few days with him.

Kit about to enjoy our post glacier camp Ribs

The clouds hung low for several days and I had to miss my original flight back to the midwest. Thankfully I awoke to beautiful blue skies on Friday and was able to make it home for my Cousin's wedding.

Our skis and clothes are wrapped in these big nets for the helicopter to fly them to the glacier. 40 skiers have a lot of stuff so it took several trips.

This has been a busy week for me. Helping my brother get ready for his wedding. I will post pictures from our trip to Copper Falls State Park soon. Plus some picture from the wedding. I will be curious if you can tell Chad and I apart when we are all dressed up.

Chad, Brian or Bullwinkle?

Mt Jellicoe (10,640) aka The Big Guy Above the Ski Trails

2009-08-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our workouts have been very focused but one can't help but to look around at the awesome mountains. Mt. Jellicoe shades the ski trails in the early morning keeping them semi-firm. It is pretty wild contrast between skiing in the sun or the shade. We have been talking about climbing it all week but have been waiting for a good time. Each Day at Altitude Matt and I have been feeling better and better. Yesterday we tried a few threshold intervals and both of us felt the best we have all week. We kept them pretty relaxed and controlled testing just under 4mmol blood lactate for 8x5 minutes. Today we felt good after our morning over distance ski so decided to give it a go. John led us up the scramble for our afternoon workout. We had a great time. Although my legs are looking forward to a good stretch and roll, I think hiking mountains is my favorite mental recovery workout.

Matt

Our home every morning for the past week

This is a classic John smile. Thanks for taking us on a Canadian Rockies Adventure

The ridge is a fun scramble, but you don't want to drop off either side

Enjoying the Mountains

We made great time getting down the mountain by Glissading on the scree and snow

Taking a swim after a great week.

Skiing on Snow in July

2009-07-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

The other day I only made it to 'The Club for our quick Treasure Hunt. I had to take off early though in order to catch a plane to Canada. My teammate, Matt and I are joining a group of Canadian skiers to the Haig Glacier where we can cross country ski during the summer. We are looking forward to a great volume block with eight days on snow.

Thanks to Steve for putting us up in Canmore. It is great to get to know your family. Your alligator is pretty cool too, I wish we could take him with us to go sledding on the Glacier.

Kit and Matt at the trail head ready to run in. We dropped our gear off to be flown in by Helicopter so we only had to carry water and a light jacket for the 18km run in to base camp.

The Canadian Rockies are beautiful

Matt Ready To Ski on the Haig Glacier (background)

Our home for the next week. 45 minute hike to the trails/snow.

We have a 45 minute hike to get to the snow each morning. This is a long hike to do before the real workout even starts.

Beautiful Conditions and Excellent Training.

Matt testing out this years new Salomon boots

We are skiing nice and easy up here. I have been trying to keep the heart rate low. The altitude (2700m) makes it feel really hard up here. We did some lactate testing today and I am pleased to be at 1.0mmol for 130bpm. We are looking to stay under 1.5-2mmol.

The afternoon the weather really cleared up and we enjoyed a nice run followed by a stretch on the heli pad.

Thanks John and Joel for the excellent grooming

The trail loops back and forth on the glacier for 7.5km

Prepping skis for tomorrow

This has to be the coldest water I have ever iced my legs in

John prepping the mussels for dinner.

John and Joel have been treating us really well. I have never eaten so well at a training camp. My appetite has been suppressed with the altitude but everything is so good that I have been getting enough still. It is luxurious up here with great food and warm showers. I am off to see which movie is playing tonight. Let me know how what you all are up to at 'The Club.'

The Minnesota Zoo

2009-07-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I caught the school bus with about 30 kids on Monday for the long ride to the Minnesota Zoo. I really like going to the zoo especially to watch the bears. This trip I found a bond with a new animal, Giraffes.

Giraffe's have 18 inch purple tongues

Larry and Connor feeding the Giraffes.
Thanks Corey for hooking us up with the Giraffe feeding.

Jaden and Jazzy working on their knot tying skills

Darien, Connor, Kayliegh, and Larry.

Our first stop at the zoo, my favorite exhibit Russia's Grizzly Coast. Unfortunately the long drive meant that we missed the bears morning activity so they were napping. We did make several trips back to the exhibit and were able to catch Sadie, the biggest bear, swimming in the afternoon. Last year all three bears were playing tag when we visited, check out the archives for those pictures.

"Sadie" taking a bath

The Big Pig

It was a great day at the Zoo

Oh Yeah, look for the next Treasure Hunt clue at the picnic table north of 'The Club'

What's the Best Thing About Summer

2009-07-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of summer is the delicious inexpensive fruit. Growing up in Washington I became accustomed to having a big box of cherries, peaches and or nectarines around. While you can't buy a 40lbs box of nectarines for $20 from a roadside stand the grocery store has had a great selection. These are my favorite snacks by far. A good cherry, peach or nectarine is even better than candy and I have quite the sweet tooth. The great thing about fruit is that it is good for you.

The last week was a large volume week of training and I have been refueling with lots of fruit. I did enjoy my recovery day on Monday at 'The Club.' I joined the garden club for the first time. The group is working hard on a plot about a mile away. I am looking forward to some great fresh broccoli and spinach soon.

I need to do a better job of bringing my camera to a few workouts during the week. This was perhaps my favorite workout of the week. Skate Threshold Intervals 4*8min at L3 on Cty OO. Previewing next weeks time trial course. Jay from ActivEdge passed by on his way to pick strawberries and left a box on Kuzzy's truck. Awesome.

Thanks Jay for the Strawberries, what a great way to finish a workout

Treasure Hunt

2009-06-29T07:37:00.001-07:00

Check the 'comments' for the clue