Where Greatness Spreads its Wings

Camp Condor in photos. The title of this post was the motto for our end of summer training camp at the Regan's summer house on Sebago Lake. Huge thanks to them for housing and feeding 10 athletes for the week.

The volume week included rollerskiing, rollerski intervals, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, water polo, biking, running, strength, ziplining, swinging from trees, yoga, & grilling.

In between training water sports

waiting for dinner

tired Jane

Backyard core

Jetskiing

Nick and Condor manned the grill

Sunday AM ODpaddle

Ben evening relaxing

Distance ocean roll on Cousins/Little John Island

Post- strength stretches

Right top corner- Hallie swinging

just finished a very cold swim

Water Polo

Learning How To be a Badass

On Monday the 18^th I arrived at work. When I walked in the site trailer, my dad’s co-worker Stanislav (Stanley) Vrba told me that we were going to climb the Diamond on Longs Peak on Wednesday. I looked at him and laughed because I thought he was joking. He wasn’t.

Stanley is definitely one of the coolest people I have met. He has such a cool history. He came to the US from the Czech Republic many years ago. He has spent a good deal of time in the Midwest, Texas, and here in Colorado. One of the coolest things about him is that he is an excellent mixed route climber. This means that he climbs rock and ice in the winter. Some of his climbing stories have given me the shivers because of how insane the trips have been. One relevant one is from this past winter when he and a friend set the speed ascent record of the Diamond. In the winter he is always climbing, and he is staying in shape in the summer by going to the rock gym and doing endurance sports. Stanley is always training, and it is pretty cool to see how much effort he puts in even though he has a full time job. His determination and commitment is one of the strongest I have seen in any one.

So the Diamond trip came up earlier in the summer. He wanted to take me to do the route called D7, but after a couple of training climbs together he decided that we would take it down a notch and climb Pervertical Sanctuary because it is mainly a crack climb. The climb is classified as an alpine route because you have to hike in and it involves an actual mountain route. To be honest, I was pretty darn scared. A part of me wanted to back out and not take the risk of not being able to complete the route and having to rappel down mid-way through the climb. I ended up just telling myself that the experience would be worth it and that I should just go ahead and do it. That’s what I did.

We left my house on Tuesday the 19^th at 7 and drove a little over two hours to Longs Peak. We got there a little after 9, and immediately hopped in our sleeping bags to rest up before the adventure in the morning. At 2:15 a.m. Stanley’s alarm went off. We woke up, grabbed a bite to eat, chugged a Nalgene, popped on our headlamps and started off at 2:30. We went at a fast pace that had us both breathing, and we passed some hikers around forty minutes in who had started around 1:00 a.m. After that we continued passing hikers. It was not too cold because we were moving. Around 4:30 we got up near the base of the wall. We passed by a large boulder with people camped underneath, and continued up the boulder field to another large boulder where he hid our main backpacks. When we got there it started to snow. Needless to say, we were both a little ticked off and were hoping that it would not ruin our chance to climb. The forecast for the day put precipitation at around a 50% chance so we were chancing it. The snow cleared up and we geared up. We put on our harnesses and our small daypacks. We each had a liter of water, two base layers, rain jacket, and helmets.

We started up the first route, the North Chimney (which was a pretty steep scramble up some lose rock) around 4:50 with our headlamps on. It was still dark. After a few pitches up it we arrived at a large ledge. We were able to watch the sunrise! Here we placed our approach shoes under a little overhang. We then traversed over to the start of Pervertical Sanctuary 5.11a.

Sunrise on North Chimney!

Traversing over

We were climbing on trad protection/gear. That is camalots, and nuts for protection. The first three pitches were rated around 5.9 and were not too bad, but climbing pretty high above the ground already got my nerves going and I was nervous on the first two. That subsided as we got higher up the wall. The second two pitches were the hardest at 5.10c and 5.11a. They were true crack climbing and slightly overhanging so I had to really trust locking (twisting in crack for friction) my hands and feet, and the belay that Stanley was giving me. We made it up in a good amount of time. For some reason when I was belaying I could not stop looking around me and at the ground. It was just so fricking cool how high up we were and how the gear we were anchored into was protecting us from falling over a thousand feet to the ground. There were no butterflies in my stomach even when the occasional thought about how it would be a long fall and fast death if anything were to happen.

Stanley Vrba

Me!

After those two pitches it ended with a 5.9 pitch to top out on a ledge near the summit. We celebrated, and then traversed over to the rappel station. It took several rappels to get down to the ledge where we left our shoes, and then several more to get back to the snow field we had crossed in the morning. We grabbed our bags and packed up. Our descent was around and hour and a half and we were back in the car by 5 p.m.

Top out!

We got lucky that it was just a windy and sunny day. There was no rain. We were also lucky that there was only one other party of two on the wall. We did not have to worry about leaving gear and rappelling down before finishing in order to escape the weather.

Personally, I think that rock climbing is one of the most badass sports out there. The people that do it have incredibly focused minds. Sure their bodies are in amazing shape, but if it weren’t for their heads they would not be able to do the awesome things they do. When you are climbing you are battling fears and learning to control yourself under extreme circumstances. One poorly executed move or action could cost you your life. If you climb safely your chances of injuring or killing yourself are smaller, but they are still there. So there is a battle between believing in and doubting yourself. Before I did my first lead climb and my first multi-pitch with my dad the danger of climbing never really occurred to me. I was happy just hanging there on the top rope. After leading and taking my first falls it dawned on me how intense the sport is. In order to succeed you need to believe in yourself and treat each route like a puzzle. I find it so cool to see how much easier a route becomes if you plan out the moves and execute everything in the way that makes it easiest. After climbing the Diamond with Stanley I have a new-found respect for the world of rock and alpine climbing. All of those people that climb the huge mountains and big walls are risking a ton. The determination found in them has opened my eyes to another sport that is similar to Nordic because you have to make sacrifices and give it your all to be successful.

Right now I am on my way back to Maine for the start of Connor’s training camp. I am so excited and am thankful that I have had a great summer in Colorado. I will leave you with a quote.

"Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion." -Anatoli Boukreev

Wade Rosko

Project Soul Food

Here we are, nearing the end of the summer, which for college skiers means that the time of endless outdoor training and adventuring is coming to a close and we will be reunited with our teams (!!!!) and with our school books! It is also a time when people like me remember that the wisdom teeth we haven’t had time to get taken out for the past 3 years REALLY need to come out, and now.

So after a couple months of being outside for 12+ hours everyday, landscaping and training, I managed to work my way onto the oral surgeon’s crammed schedule and got those bad boys forcibly yanked from my head. This is an experience that nearly everyone has had, so I’m sure you all understand why I was rendered incapable of doing much other than sit on the couch with ice bags around my head and drink smoothies. While this may sound like quite a treat to some people, it felt like some type of cruel punishment and I was sick of it after the first 2 hours. I was so desperate that feeling well enough to go for a short walk up the street on the second day was complete blessing.

Just a over a week ago I was definitely ready for my recovery day, when I could just relax after so many hours of training and a busy work week. Then suddenly all of this “relaxing” was driving me crazy! You know that itchy under your skin feeling that you get when you are parted from your passion? I get it when I am traveling for long periods of time, if I am injured, or, in this case, after I got my wisdom teeth out. Well, I have a theory about that itchy feeling; I think it is the feeling of a hungry soul.

I don’t know if our souls like active life styles because we are athletes or if we are athletes because our souls like active life styles, but one way or the other the two things work well together. Anyway, I think that adventuring and being active in many different forms is fuel for the soul. If a healthy diet for our bodies is balanced with lots of fruits and vegis, whole grains, proteins, etc. then a healthy diet for the soul would be well balanced with interval sessions, strength workouts, obstacle courses in the park, adventure runs/hikes, rollerskiing, actual skiing, playing speed ball with the team, rock climbing, family fun time, kayaking, yoga, you name it! Most importantly, just as good food should be enjoyed and shared with good company, so too should the adventuring for the soul be shared with great teammates who you love and trust and with whom you can create mounds of positive energy to grow stronger physically, mentally, and in the soul. It’s time for the wolf pack to be reunited, under two weeks!!

Looking forward to this year's adventures!

-Janey

Finding that Flow

            I recently read an article in Running Times about flow and peak performance. The cover of the magazine read “Feel Invincible” and I flipped to the article, interested, but skeptical. The article ended up being great and applicable to much more than running. The author wrote that in flow, “you feel invincible, confident that your that your well-honed abilities will meet any challenge you encounter, even as the energy you expend feels effortless. You become ego-less as your awareness and movements merge. Time speeds up. This is a peak moment, the essence of being alive. Not surprisingly, many of the best outcomes in sports and other areas of life come from people in flow.” Sound familiar? We’ve all experienced flow, whether in that perfect race or while running alone on a forested trail. 

            Sometimes I tell people that I do yoga as a break from the stress of ski racing, among other things. After reading this article, I started to reassess. Since when is ski racing stressful? It’s all about having fun, right? I should be able to find the flow that I find in yoga in skiing. And that’s where the separation lies. Ski racing has expectations, goals, reputations to uphold, things that can definitely cause stress and prevent flow. 

            I got to thinking about times when I’ve experienced flow. Senior year in high school I was living in Sun Valley for the year and made it to states for XC running. I wasn’t really training for running and had just jumped into a few races throughout the fall. Suddenly, I found myself lined up with over a hundred other girls who dedicated their time only to running. I didn’t have any expectations, how could I? I just wanted to run fast and I was determined. To do what? I don’t think I knew. I ended up placing fourth and running a PR. Overjoyed I called my coach, Rick Kapala, to tell him the news. He went, “Uh huh,” as he always would when I raced well, then he’d tell me it was time to move onto the next one.

            No expectations worked for me there and worked once again during this past carnival season. At the Williams Carnival, Becky asked us our goals for the classic race. Instead of saying “Oh Christ,” like I had the first time she asked, I told her that I had no expectations besides skiing smooth. I might have even used the word flow to describe how I wanted to ski. The next day I had my best carnival finish of the year.

            I’ve been thinking a lot about goal setting and how it plays into finding flow. For some, having lofty goals makes them determined to reach them, for many others (myself included) it can result in stress. The article outlined how there is a fine line for setting goals. Not too hard, not too easy, some murky place in between. How does one set a reasonable goal, then? Having no goals isn’t right. Having some nerves before a race is a good thing and results do matter. There needs to be some kind of process before the result, though, and that’s where flow comes into play. Going from Point A to Point Result could potentially result in poor skiing in between. 

            What I’m trying to get across here is that flow is essential to racing AND training well. We must practice flow in training in order to find it in racing. Olympic marathon silver medalist and Mammoth local, Deena Kastor, has said that there is no reason to be nervous before a race. In the end, you’re just executing what you’ve practiced and prepared to do. Find that flow that you've been practicing in training and the results will follow. That's certainly a better way of looking at it. 

            A few days ago we did a track workout. Our track is only a year old but sits at 7,000 feet, not the most ideal place to run 400m repeats, but we forged ahead anyways. Before the last one, my mom told everyone to not try too hard, to just let ourselves run fast. So I didn’t force it, I just focused on running with good technique. I looked down at my watch at the end, surprised to find that I’d run my fastest repeat of the day. Overall, it was the best 400 workout I’d ever run. Am I in the best shape of my life? No. Did I find that flow? Most definitely.

Keep up the good work, Bobcats!
-Laurel 

Keep on keepin' on

Last summer I found myself struggling to motivate myself to train or get out and do fun activities. Thankfully, the transition during my first year here at Bates helped re-initiate the love and passion I have the sport. After finishing the season, I was (and still am!) so excited for the next season. I could not wait to do some hard intervals, or put in the long ODs, or even take the time to stretch and do core. What I wanted was to be able to go into the next season in much better shape than last year, and be able to perform the way I know I can. Boy have I been put to the test.

This summer has been one of those times that seem to go on for ages, but when you look back everything seems to have gone so fast. I have been at home in Summit County (Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon, Keystone), CO for most of the summer. I am doing half-day construction work, and then training on the flip mostly by myself. Strangely, I expected myself to have motivation at the start of the summer and then slowly lose that motivation as I get closer to the school year due to a lack of training partners. But my motivation has actually been growing more and more. I think it is because I am back at home in the mountains. I missed them so much during the school year, so now I just want to continue being in them and make the most out of every opportunity.

The occasional workouts I have with teammates and friends have helped me to stay motivated. I have dropped in on some workouts with Summit Nordic Ski Club and it has been great being able to switch things up with them. For strength I have been doing a good bit of rock climbing with my family, and friends. I have been doing some multi-pitches with my dad’s coworker and we plan to climb the Diamond on Longs Peak before I head back East.

Even though I miss the team, I think that being home has been good for me. It has allowed me to really find myself again, and know that I am not doing Nordic because I feel obliged to. I am doing it because of the experiences it yields. The unforgettable outdoor experiences, the ability to be content with being alone with my thoughts, being able to race, feeling accomplished after a workout, being able to test myself, meeting other people who share the love for these experiences, and knowing that in the end I’ll be happy with all of the time I’ve put in.

Readers, I ask you to do one favor for me within the next couple of weeks. Go do something outside by yourself. Whether it be a walk, run, bike, ski, or swim just go and do it. No music devices allowed. Listen and observe what’s around you and just be reminded of who you are and how rad it is to be outside.

I've also been racing mountain bikes. I ended up losing my brakes due to mud and rain with a mile and a half to go on the downhill so I had to run my bike for some portions of the downhill. It was intense and I'm surprised I survived a couple of turns right after my brakes went out.

Taking a quick break by Lake Dillon on my first classic rollerski at home back in June.

Summit has an outstanding bike path system. It goes all around the county and provides some really great views.

I love getting above treeline!

This is from this past Saturday when I joined the Summit, Boulder, and Vail Nordic clubs on a large OD day. It was perfect to wrap up the volume week with this 3.5 hour and 14 mile run/hike from Vail to Frisco, and then a sweet 2.5 hour rollerski from Dillon to the top of Vail Pass.

Johann has been a pretty good training partner cause he never seems to slow down.

I am counting down the days to Connor’s training camp. I cannot wait to train with the guys again, but in the meantime I will be satisfied with the mountains as my training partners.

Keep on keepin’ on

Wade Rosko 

Western Maine Mini Volume Camp

The Maine adventure weekend began when Janey and Gracie rolled into Tara's house mid-day on Saturday after busy weeks at work and promptly climbed into her bed and fell asleep. Two hours later they were all on the road to Sugarloaf. The day was quickly slipping away but we had a tough OD moosehoofing interval workout planned and hoped to watch the sunset from the top of Sugarloaf. In the car we heard flash-flood and severe thunderstorm warnings for the area, but figured we'd go anyways (ended up to be a beautiful evening and starry night!).

 (fueling up in the car)

They were some gnarly L3 (for t) and L4 (for j&g) intervals, which, to our delight, ended with abundant wild strawberries all over the mountain. The cool-down included foraging for berries and a lot of sitting down and eating.

killin' it

score!

At 9 pm we arrived back at the cabin and made a delicious dinner. Condor and NateDog arrived later on and we caught up briefly and went to bed. The big adventure began on Sunday AM. Us ladies planned the route, not paying much attention to adding up mileage and paying a LOT of attention to what looked awesome. After dropping a car off at a trailhead (our bailout point... which we ended up utilizing), we took of on a 5mi uphill dirt road run on the carriage rd in order to connect to the AT. Handfulls of wild raspberries and blackberries later, we ascended Little Bigelow and West and Avery Peaks. The run hike was great, with many'a false peak, many laughs, stories from abroad, streams, and Deb Regan's granola baggies. We also ate an entire jar of peanut butter in less than 24 hours. AND speaking of food there were wild blueberries ALL over! After one wrong turn and 21.5 miles of running/hiking, we stumbled into the parking lot... thrilled to be finished with out just over 7hr workout.

 mapping

 tara and gracie snacking on gummyworms+apples

 we avoided these stormclouds!

 nate dog

After the hike we took cold swims in Carrabassett stream and ate massive chunks of watermelon. We were happy to be done, almost as happy as we were to learn that Jane had water purification drops when Nate, Tara and Condor ran out of water with 2hrs to go. Everyone dunked in the river except Natedog. 

Teamwork came into play with the cooking of dinner- huge salad, chicken curry, Jane's special tuna thing, bed time cereals, and tea. We all passed out early. Natedog and Condor slipped out early, Gracey and Janer did a rainy TRX strength workout and trail run, and Tara stayed in and drank tea.

 

Lots of happy, tired, lots of miles, good eats, friends, tea, berries, tuna, hours, pics of jane eating, lots of peanut butter, granola, sweat, sore feet. Not enough, never enough, Bobcats. Can't wait to be together again!       ---Gracie Janer and Tara