Kotzebue, Ak and Home (first time since Oct 1)

At the end of the ski season, some ski racers are excited to go somewhere warm for vacation.  This year I have been looking forward to a different kind of trip.  Some fun in Alaska. 

 

I showed up at Paul's house and he had the gear all set up for our little adventure: pack raft, ice axe, crampons, beacons, snowshoes, hammer drill, bolts, rope, and ski poles.  We were pretty well prepared for anything in our little winter canyoneering adventure to scout out placing some safety equipment for a drop on the Willow river.  These guys paddle some pretty amazing things and it was fun to learn a bit about a different type of activity.  I was grateful to be invited and I think they were pretty psyched that I carried the drill.  Our goal was to explore the possibility of rigging some equipment to avoid a long portage around an unsafe drop in the river.  We ended up deciding not to set anything but it was pretty fun exploring and I enjoyed being out in the mountains with my friends. 

 

I had a little too much fun and had to stay up late to pack my bags for an early morning flight to Kotzebue, AK to teach skiing with NANA Nordic to the school kids in town.  My first trip to an Alaskan Village and above the artic circle. 

Kotzebue, AK: A beautiful place with a great community.  I will certainly be back, perhaps someday as a school teacher.  Caitlin did a fantastic write up on our trip on her blog at: http://in-the-arena-ccompton.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-week-above-arctic-circle.html

We had so much fun skiing with the kids for 9-5 each day.  To cap things off we skied to the neighboring village of Noorvik, AK on Saturday.  We caught our bush plane flight back to Kotzebue and then my body finally shut down.  I was ready to be home in Minneapolis.  We spend a lot of time carefully choosing our flight times during the season but now at the end we had a red eye flight back to Minneapolis through Chicago with a four hour layover.

We embraced the less than ideal travel day and met some really fun people.  Most notably Nastassja whose carry on luggage kind of stood out.

 

Nastassja and her huge trophy for winning the Under 10 section of the 11th Annual Kasporov Chess Federation All-Girls National Chess Championship at Age 9 none the less.

The Thomas Ave Kids welcoming us home and excited to go for a run with us. 

Our good friend Tim who has cared for our dog Lahti and watched our home throughout our travels made us a fantastic meal of Bulgogi.  It is so good to be home and eating again in our little dinning nook.

 

Team USA visits the White House

Visiting Washington, DC was a great experience to share with Team USA. An opportunity to connect with my Olympic teammates in a relaxed environment.  It was fun to connect with athletes from other sports.  Sharing a private car from the airport with Gold Medalist Maddie Bowman, eating breakfast with the silver medalist bobsled team, going to dinner with the Speedskaters.  The highlight of the trip easily being meeting President Obama and the first lady. First of all we toured the white house and the grounds.  Waiting excitedly as we had before the opening ceremonies as well.  We all shook hands with the president and hugged Michelle with some time for a few words.

 

I asked if he had ever cross country skid. He hadn't but said he was up for trying it. I said I would take him out if he was ever in Minneapolis. He liked that but reminded me that Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybek had a heart attack cross country skiing at Wirth Park this winter.  I said yeah but he is okay and in the same tweet announcing the heart attack also complimented the excellent ski conditions for the day.  I thanked Michelle for her efforts in encouraging a healthy lifestyle with today's youth and my passion for that as well.

 

After the white house visit the USA ran an Olympic Summit on the transition from ones athletic career to their professional career.  The white house visit had maybe 200 Olympian and paralympians. To my surprise the symposium had less than 50 participants.  I found the summit to be extremely educational and beneficial with very little fluff.  The small size made for a really personal experience.  Panel discussions included the former CEO of Charles Schwab, Olympic Medalists from many different years and first hand advice on the keys to their success and the mistakes they had made and corrected.  I plan to race another Quad for sure but at some point all athletes will retire from sport and it is important to be prepared for that transition.

Back in the U.S. of A: Alaska Super Tour Finals

One of the surprises I have been looking forward to is meeting Caitlin in the Frankfurt airport for our return to the USA. Originally we were scheduled to meet up in Denver to fly to Alaska together but shortly after making the reservation I discovered we would be on the same flight from Frankfurt.  I decided to select seat assignments next to each other and surprise Caitlin.  It was super nice to see each other a little sooner and to take the 10.5 hour flight together.

Caitlin and our plane.  I have always wanted to fly on a double decker plane. I didn't get to go up top though, maybe next time.

Team Gregg back together again

Brent Knight and I out for a ski in Kincaid Park

We are staying with Jim and Sally Burkholder and my friend Brent Knight. Brent and I skied together in college.  Our freshman year we were pretty even.  Then he continued to get a lot faster.  My junior year I transferred from Western State College to the University of Alaska Anchorage and Brent's improvement was a big factor in that decision.  

Fredrick and the University of New Mexico have been doing our skis here in Alaska.  They are fantastic and we are very fortunate to have their support and friendship.

Alf was on course cheering for the classic sprint.  Turns out it was actually Heidi and we already had an invitation from her parents for dinner the same evening.  How sweet is that?

Cheering Caitlin up the final climb in the women's 10 km Freestyle individual start

The first event of the week was the 10/15km individual skate.  I had a so-so race finishing 9th.  I felt pretty good, but didn't quite have the snap and power on the course.  Perhaps it is all the time I have spent at altitude this winter. Regardless of my result the race was really fun.  After the race I went out on course to cheer and give Caitlin some splits.  She led the race at 5km before slipping to third.  All of the top USA girls are here and I am really proud of her result.  She has also secured the Overall Super Tour lead which will give her start rights and FIS funding for the Period 1 World Cups next year.  Congratulations babe!

Caitlin and I out for an evening jog before the 10/15 km

Our hosts and super volunteers Burky and Sally with Caitlin and I

OPA Cup

Resting up and staying warm

The last two weeks have been a lot of sleeping, resting and trying to either stay warm or cool off.  I caught some sore of illness at the hotel in Munich directly after Sochi.  As soon as I started feeling off I stopped training and focused on sleeping and resting.  This bug laid me out for over a week with a sore throat progressing to fever and headache.  It was terrible.  Thankfully I was able to avoid passing this bug on to any of my teammates by living a pretty isolated existence these last 10 days.  I am now back in the Game and if feels great.  If you are healthy right now take a moment to appreciate the ability to breathe easily and feel good.  Remember to take good care of yourself to keep it that way.

Looking out at the race trails and Stadium for the Swiss Cup

We lived on the trails in Silviplana, Switzerland and had gorgeous weather for most of every day.  It was hard to stay in and after a few days I came out to ski and prepare for the races.  I really wanted to race in the 15 km freestyle on Sunday and after a decent warm up decided to start.  Not good, I made it one lap and felt terrible.  Plus I went in to remission, by the end of our drive to Slovenia I was feeling terrible again.

One of my favorite parts of being in Europe is the ability to watch skiing competitions live on the television.  I watched Cailin and the World Cup women in the Holmenkollen 30 km World Cup this afternoon.

 I rested hard with the goal of being back in form for this weekends Organisation of Alpine Nations (OPA) Cup race in Rogla, Slovenia.  I raced the classic sprint on Saturday.  I finished 41st, one place ahead of my ranking prior to the race of 42nd.  Not good, but it felt so good to finally feel good again.

Ben Saxton (in red) in his Quarter-Final Sprint Heat.  Ben qualified in 10th and went on to finish 10th in the sprint rounds.  We had 3 guys qualify in the top 10.  Tyler Kornfield 4th, Miles Havlick 6th and Ben Saxton 10th.  A great showing in Classic Sprinting.

Testing skis the day before the race.

 Today we raced a 30 km Freestyle.  I finally felt good again.  We had a big pack and stayed together for about 20 km.  I felt good enough to even be able to push at the front for part of the race.  I fell off the pace a bit at 22 km but still had fun battling it in to the finish with a group of 3 German skiers. I ended day 18th.  Congratulations to Miles Havlick, the top American in 11th.

We live in these little bungalows right on the trail.

The USA OPA Crew in Switzerland.

Bryan Fish, Mike Mattison, and Gus Kaeding are our coaches/techs for this trip.  Colin Rogers joined us in Slovenia for the final two weeks of our campaign.

 Tomorrow we travel 8-10 hours by van to Valdidentro, Italy for OPA Finals.  I am so excited to finally be feeling good again.

Olympics: 17 days of Dreams

When we arrived in Sochi, 3 weeks sounded like a ton of time. I enjoyed every second of it and it is hard to believe it over.  Upon landing in Germany my body proceeded to force some rest on me with a quick illness that I am just now coming back from.  

Racing in the 15km Classic Individual Start

What was your favorite part of the Olympics?

Racing, I competed in three different events and the races themselves were my favorite part of the entire games.  Going in to the Olympics I was only guaranteed two starts and I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to race the 15 km Classic.  The courses were challenging which suits me well, my skis were great and I feel that I am in perhaps the best shape of my life. 

Team Gregg: Jim (Dad), Tara (Sis), Jan (Mom), Chad (Bro), Manuela (cousin in law), Bill (family) and Alieta (sister in law) 

Outfitting Team Gregg in Olympic Gear

Was there a special moment that stood out in the Games?

When I broke through the starting want at the start of the 15km classic I swear I could hear my family cheering.  They were scheduled to arrive at 6 am that morning in Sochi but didn't have tickets to the race.  Sure enough when I climbed up the big climb the first time I could hear their unmistakable voices.  The same voices that have cheered me on from races and relays from the very beginning.  I didn't look over, I stayed focused on my race but I know I was smiling.  My family, Team Gregg, has done so much to make this Olympic Dream come true.  I had so much fun sharing the Olympic experience with my mom, dad, brother, sister, and sister in law in Sochi. My wife, Caitlin and brother in law, Simon weren't able to make the trip but we were able to connect with them on the phone often.

Caitlin and the Boys and Girls Club crew cheering from back home.

What was the support like back home?

I have the best supporters and fans ever.  I loved waking up each morning and downloading nearly a hundred well wishing emails and photos from all around the US.  So many people have directly been a part of my athletic career and it is just fantastic to share it with them.  I feel like I have several hometowns from Winthrop, WA to my adopted hometowns of Minneapolis, Hayward, and Hawarden. My favorite emails were the ones with pictures where you could just see the excitement of everyone.

Who is that?

Boots fit, suit fits, bib fits, face matches id... let the man ski

Anything special about being at the Olympics with your Twin?

Security was real tight at the Olympics.  Many areas required accreditation to enter.  The nice thing is that most accreditation is verified by a photo id.  I was able to surprise my brother after watching the Women's 4 x 5 km relay with a ski on the race course.  I had my Skiathalon boots and an extra suit.  We helped test skis for the men's 4 x 10 km race the next day and enjoyed the afternoon on the trails together.  Chad also may have enjoyed a few snacks in the dining hall.  My brother hooks me up so many times it was nice to return the favor.

Pig towel...awesome

What were the volunteers like?

The volunteers all wore these colorful uniforms and a big smile.  I have never been somewhere with so many friendly and helpful people.  I really enjoyed getting to know their stories of the Games.  Many of them worked over 12 hour shifts, but they were loving it.  My favorite quote from a bus ride was "you couldn't pay me to work this hard, but to be a part of this Olympics is just incredible."  Thank you to all the volunteers for making the games so wonderful.  I only wish I had more USA pins to give away as thanks.

The view from the Endurance Athlete Village

Did you go to the other villages and venues?

The Endurance Athlete Village was one of three athlete villages and home to all the cross country and biathlon athletes.  The village is at 4,500 feet and requires a 15 minute gondola ride to reach. Originally I thought I would explore a bit more buy my focus on the races left me with only one day 'off of the rock' between the opening and closing ceremonies.  I met the family at the train station and we went down to the Olympic Park.

Enjoying lunch at the Team USA house. Each athlete receives just 4 single day guest passes to the house so it is quite VIP.

The Flame.  A bit of a contrast from the Endurance village.

How awesome is the P&G Family Home?

I am now a lifetime fan of P&G.  To kick things off they offer each athlete a Thank-You-Mom gift of a $1000 visa gift card for the Mom.  Plus the whole family can come to the house for three meals a day.  I don't know that the family ate much while in Sochi until they figured out they could take the train down to the P&G house.  The house includes a Salon and the Team Gregg guys got set up with shaves and hair cuts and the Team Gregg girls had their nails done.  A sweet thing got even sweeter when P&G set the family up with event tickets for ski jumping, ski half pipe, biathlon and the bronze medal hockey game.  They also set my dad up with a Samsung Galaxy smart phone so that we could communicate with each other.  

Thank you P&G

Rockstar grand stand seats at the Women's Biathalon Relay

What other events did you see?

Our suites included televisions with the live feed off all of the Olympic events.  My athlete credential granted me access to pretty much any event at the Games, but my focus of the games was my races.  I did watch the Women's Biathlon Relay race with the family.  It was awesome.  We all got to watch from the athlete section at the top steps of the grand stands. The event started at 6:30 pm which meant it was under the lights.  I think Biathlon is my favorite Olympic sport to watch.  It is fun to watch on television, but even sweeter in real life.

Everyone wanted to get a photo of the Americans.  Me included.  Alieta, Tara and Dad.

The Best Wife and Teammate Ever.  Winning her 3rd American Birkebeiner Title

Where was the other Team Gregg Olympian?

Caitlin was so close to making the 2014 Olympic Team and we were disapointed she was not named to the team.  Still, we find satisfaction in that when we started the year we knew that she was pursuing a very challenging goal.  We laid out a plan of what she would need to do to even have a chance and honestly she did that, including her commanding win at US Nationals.  We had to make the tough call on whether she would come to Sochi as a spectator or return to the USA to race.  We decided that she should show where her fitness and training is at and that as nice as it would be to have her in Russia it would mean missing too much of the racing season and be too expensive.  Her goal was to peak for February 22nd which was the Olympic 30 km but also the American Birkebeiner.  She broke away from the women's pack and won by over a minute.  She also continues to lead the Super Tour which gives her start rights and partial funding for the rest of the World Cups this season.  Congratulations Caitlin!

The 50km crew with Joey, Head of USSA Nordic

Team Gregg taking on Sochi, Russia

What is next?

After the 50km we had a few hours to pack up our bags and check them in remotely for our flight.  We then headed to the Closing Ceremonies and then to the airport.  This departure plan was a bit agressive and I got sick shortly after arriving in Munich.  The national team flew up to Finland for this weekend's World Cup races (Caitlin will be racing the World Cups this weekend with the USST).  I met up with my former Coach Bryan Fish and another group of Americans for three weeks of racing in Central Europe.  I have decided not to race tomorrow to give myself one more day to recover from my illness but plan on racing the 15km Freestyle Swiss Cup on Sunday.

Team USA climbing aboard the 3 am charter to Munich, Germany

First Olympic Race

That was awesome!  First Olympic race in the books today with the 30 km Skiathalon.  The Skiathalon is an event where you classic ski for the first half of the race and then make a 'pit stop' and switch to skating skis.   This has been a World Championship and Olympic event since 2002, but is seldom contested in North America.  The last Skiathalon race I competed in was in March of 2009.  Although I don't have a lot of experience racing it, I have practiced for it by doing time trials and intervals starting classic and switching to skate.

Practicing my exchanges in the pit before the race

Overall I had a good race.  My goal was to start quickly and hang with the main pack for the first lap and then find my own pace.  I lost a fair amount of time in the classic portion of the race but felt that I skied well.  My skis were awesome and I felt that I skied technically well.  I switched to my skate skis in 57th position which is pretty far back.  After a few kilometers skating my legs adjusted to the different technique and I was able to move up in the pack.  I caught many of the skiers in front of me and moved as far us as 45th place.  I finished the day in 47th, but with the 37th fastest skate time and just about one minute out of a top 20 skate time.  This is a good sign for me to earn a start in the relay and for a possible top 30 in the 50 km Freestyle.

Noah, Erik and I all had our first Olympic start in the Skiathalon.  About 10 minutes before our start I think this photo captures our nervous excitement.

Conditions are ideal. We have had sun nearly every day, the tracks are groomed perfectly and the views from our mountain top venue are gorgeous.

Zach Caldwell is my Wax Technician for the Olympics and has made me great skis.  He has several pairs of skis freshly waxed up and ready for me to test each day.  This is a luxury I am not used to and is really nice.  Zach works with Kris Freeman and myself and works long hard days.  My skis have been great, thanks Zach.

Watching the Opening Ceremonies live was simply amazing.  I believe these animals were programmed robots and they looks almost real skiing, skating, snowboarding and waving at the crowd.

The opening ceremonies is a long process for the athletes.  We were told we would leave the Endurance Athlete Village at 4 pm and not return until 1:30 am.  Thankfully we ended up leaving at about 5:30 pm and returned at 12:45 pm.  Still it was a lengthy process.  Some athletes chose to walk in the ceremony but not stay for the show.  I was actually the only American athlete from the village to stay for the show.   Our competitions do not begin until 2 pm so I decided I could afford to stay up late.

Me and Todd Lodwick.  Todd is and nordic combined athlete and carried the Flag for Team USA in the opening ceremonies.  He is the first American to compete in 6 winter Olympics.  

Add caption

Team USA representatives from the Endurance Athlete Village (Cross Country and Biathlon) preparing to head to the Opening Ceremonies.

I am eating lots of vegetables.  The dining hall has plenty of options and variety.  Plus it is open 24 hours a day.  I want to try a little of everything, but I control myself to keep my diet normal.

My home for the next 3 weeks.  My teammate Erik said yesterday that he could just stay here forever.  I would have to agree, it is very nice.