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.  

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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.

Sochi Olympic Winter Games

The Road to Sochi has never been easy or simple.  So many people have been a part of the journey.  Twists and turns, uphills and downhills it is AWESOME!

I first wrote it down on paper when I was 15 years old that I wanted to go to the Olympics.  I had plenty of time to think during an Outward Bound "solo". My "solo": was a 72 hour fast where everyone in the group sat in a secluded spot near water and just thought.  The nice thing about writing down big life goals when you are 15 is that I was not influenced by money or what makes sense.  I chose something that I thought was really fun.  I have a big smile on my face because I have a lot of fun.  Some of my best friends and greatest coaches have taught me that hard work can be a lot of fun.

"My husband is headed to Sochi"- Caitlin "My wife is the best teammate ever!"-Me

The 2014 Olympic Team was named at 11am CST on Jan 22.  The anticipation of the naming of the team was intense.  I knew that I had done everything that I could to make the team but I didn't know if that would be good enough.  I am so happy to have the honor of representing the USA in the Olympic Winter Games.  My focus events will be the 30km Pursuit and the 50km Freestyle.

The year has been my best year Skiing ever.  Caitlin and I are  having so much fun through it all

Today I had one of the best skis of my life.  I had a 3-3.5 hour distance classic ski on my schedule and a trail out in front of the house.  I have skied left several times but today ventured right for the first time.  The tracks were freshly groomed, the vistas incredible and right when I started to bonk a bit we found a restaurant that served apple strudel.  Sometimes opportunities can be a little scary and offer plenty of unknowns.  I encourage everyone to go for it, because the worst thing is to look back and wonder what if.    

Caitlin certainly has taught me that this year. The US Women's team is the strongest ever, we knew that going in to this year but Caitlin still went for it.  She is not afraid to put it all out there and she has done that.  Watching her win nationals by 3:36 seconds was incredible.  She did not get named to the 2014 Olympic team but I am incredibly proud of her. She did everything she could and we have no regrets.  We are so thankful for the opportunity to pursue our passion.  Thank you to everyone who makes this possible.

Originally my plan was to fly back the the USA after the Period 2 World Cups but with the stress of the travel we took the gamble on heading to Sochi and decided to do a training camp in Northern Italy. This is my 5th time ever to Europe but both Caitlin and I are pretty good travelers (We have been on the road from our home in Minneapolis since October 1st.).  We found an apartment on kayak that looked like it was close to the ski trail in an area that should have snow.  20 miles away things were looking grim but everything worked out great.  We have a little kitchen, bathroom, and studio about 100m from the ski trails.  There is a well equipped gym here in town and the owners graciously have given us a key card for 24 hour access.  We also just discovered that if we position our computer just right down in the lobby we can pick up an internet signal.  Life is pretty good.

US Nationals to the World Cup

Skating to my first US National Championship Podium.  2nd place to my In The Arena teammate Sylvan Ellefson

One of my focus races this Summer and Fall has been the 30km Freestyle National Championship.  My goal is to race the 50km Freestyle at the Olympics and the 30km is really the only long distance skate race this year that will be used to qualify for the Olympics.  My plan was to ski a defensive race and attack in the final 5km.  Many other skiers must have had a similar game plan as the pace over the first 20km of the race was real relaxed.  The main pack contained over 20 skiers With just under 10km to go Sylvan picked up the pace and built up a ten second lead.  I thought for sure that he was going to get sucked back in, but he kept building his lead.  As we entered our last lap and 5km to go I was able to bridge up to the chase group of Kris Freeman and Matt Liebsch.  It took more out of me to catch those guys that I thought and as soon as I caught up to Kris he started to pull away on his own.  I was able to respond but couldn't get in his draft and followed about 10 meters behind.  Over the top I was able to catch up with Kris when he slowed to take a final feed.  At this point Sylvan had over 20 seconds on us.  I decided to catch my breath briefly and go on Hermods Hill one of the largest climbs on the course.  I skied the hill well and closed to within 8 seconds of Sylvan.  I put it all out there but my final sprint was spent going up the hill.   I am happy for Sylvan to take his first National Championship.  He made a bold move going off the front and certainly earned the win.  I am also pleased with my own race.  This is my first ever US National podium and more importantly was my second best FIS point race ever.  World ranking by FIS points are an important criteria in the Olympic Team selection.

My sister turned our Team Gregg jackets into Monster Jackets.  Having fun and smiling goes a long way towards racing fast.

My sister, mom, and dad made the trip down to Midway, UT to support us in the race.  I am not sure what we would have done without them.  The final two days leading up to the race were packed with various logistics and preparation.  Both Caitlin and I flew from Salt Lake City to Prague, Czech Republic directly after the race. It took all 5 of Team Gregg to get us to the airport for the 5pm flight.  

We raced the 1.3 and 1.6km Freestyle sprint on Saturday.  I felt pretty good in the race but when I crossed the line the racer behind me had almost caught me.  We went from feeling like winners to feeling like losers quite quickly.  The World Cup is the best skiers from around the world.  We are remaining positive as we now have burned the travel out of us.  We are looking forward to next weekends 10/15km Classic mass start race in Poland.  Ideally we would prefer to race distance skate races, but we need to capitalize on the World Cup start opportunities we are presented with.

15 hours after the race we did our 'cool-down' jog in Nove Mesto no Morajve, Czech Republic

After cooling down we were able to cheer Andy, Simi, Sophie and Kikkan on in the rounds.  Before the heats I told Kikkan I had never seen an American win a World Cup live and asked if she could help with that.  She didn't disappoint and it was fun to cheer her on to her 12th World Cup win.  The USA is now ranked 4th in the Nations Cup which is real exciting.

The Olympic Team will be named on or before January 22nd.  We have done everything we can.  We have no regrets and are excited to hear the official word.