First Race Of The Season- First Place Of The Season

Classic sprint today- it went very well for almost everyone. Nate was 3rd overall in the open (non-college) division, which was arguably as competitive as the college division, and 1st Junior. Check out these pictures from today!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The team has been on snow for two days now, and the adjustment period to real skiing has gone extremely well. We have had great weather both days (after driving through a downpour the whole way up from VT) and we have already done some specific strength work, lots of technique work, and some video! The group is a little tired (in a good way) after today's doublepole workout so we are going to have a somewhat lighter day tomorrow in preparation for the weekend of races. They just laid some track outside my window, so it looks like everything should go as planned. Hopefully everyone had a satisfying feast tonight.. we did NOT. The food here leaves much to be desired, but not driving to and from Stoneham every day, showers right after workouts, and beds in between workouts has definitely made it more than worth it.

Another Beautiful Day In Sun Valley

The kids all survived the intensity block we did over the past week. It was not easy. Lots of L3 and L4 intervals in a short 5 day timespan. Everyone seemed to actually enjoy the work though, especially Jane, who liked telling me how much fun she was having as I was panting on the ground after another 10 minute lap of natural intervals.
The weather has progressively cooled through the weeks we have been here, but we have still at least seen some sunlight every day, and we have only actually been rained on during a workout once. Saturday most of the kids took the SATs, which was an interval workout in and of itself. In the afternoon we did a pace run on the trails up beyond the Sun Valley ski center, and yesterday was completely off. For the next few days we are doing some hiking, biking, and other fun things to finish off the camp. Keeping active but nothing too strenuous.

Sun Valley- the First Blog

While we have been planning on updating this blog for the past week and a half straight, it is really difficult to draw the motivation, nay, Courage- to sit inside when it is 75 degrees and sunny every day. But here we are, ready to blog as the kids are outside driving golf balls from our back yard (don't worry, its safe.)
Everyone is pretty much fully adjusted to the altitude by this point. Since we have been here we haven't had a full day off, tomorrow is off, and the day after that starts our intensity block. People are looking really good, keeping their heart rates low, and seem excited to get working before every workout. A few days ago we ran around Redfish Lake about an hour north of here, which was as beautiful as anything we've seen, and today we hiked to Pioneer Cabin and looked out at some 12,000 foot mountains up close. Very cool.
It's time to head out to hit some balls. Check back in, we will keep you up to date better in the future!

Day 2 on Snow: Still Skiing!

The title of this blog, still skiing, may seem obvious, we are in fact, still skiing.....BUT this is skiing at its finest. Each morning we swing open the curtains holding our breath hoping to be greeted by sunshine. So far, so good. This morning up on snow was cloudless, the boys spent their time constructively, working on weight transfer, correct poling and perfect eye-to-norwegian girl-in front of you- technique.

Needless to say this place is full of very "fit" people. This place has it all, beautiful mountains, incredible skiers, skiing in the sun and homemade bread among many things. The crew of "americanos," as they have been affectionatly dubbed by the Norwegians have disocvered the secret afternoon hangout on the roof. The warm metal surface in direct mountain sun provides a perfect playground for some serious sun bathing and mingling. Norwegians must love the sun because day after day the overall skin tone in the dining room becomes a deeper shade of red. (I guess it is their national color) Both groups skied a solid amount today as we endeavour to fill our week with hours on snow. The older group logged an impressive 5 hours training today, so perhaps the halls will be a bit more peaceful tonight, save the ever constant practice of the "twerk" dance. You best ask later on that one, it is truly a long, strange story.

We are looking forward to a few more sunny days in the forcast as we burrow into our bags for our higher SPF options. Looks good as of now!

-Lucy (guest writer)

Sognefjell Norway: Home of the Norwegians

It is pretty late so ill just put up a picture or two for now with some more in depth coverage tomorrow. Everything is going well in Norway!

The Hallsta Test

This morning we ran up the ski hill past the hotel almost to the top in the annual Hallsta Test.. a much anticipated/dreaded event for yanks and swedes alike. The general feeling before- nervous; the general concensus after- "That was HARD." Charlie had the fastest time for the non-coach men, and was only about 10 seconds off one of the members of the Swedish National Team. He told us that he paced himself really well out of the start and could tell he had a good one right when he was finished. Jane and Lucy had really good times for the women, Lucy was the first non-coach and Jane was around 3rd overall! This afternoon was another rollerski workout for the group, working again on classic technique- double poling, kick double poling, striding, and working transitions. The athletes are getting lots of good information and everyone is improving dramatically day by day. Tomorrow is yet another adventure- the Bog Run- 3 hours of running through a deep, wet, marshy bog! The kids are resting up tonight to get ready for that, as well as having one-on-one meetings with the National Team athletes and coaches!

More fun and hard work in Solleftia!

A quick post before bed...

I think it is safe to assert that the last few days have flown by for our whole crew. There has been barely a moment to rest with 2 full workouts a day, meetings and information sessions in between, plus 4 full meals (5 yesterday) to keep everyone occupied. The Swedes are extremely quiet and its been hard for the kids to fully integrate, but there are a few that hang out with the Americans quite a bit and the others are starting to fold too! The rollerskiing technique training has been really valuable for all the athletes and even Cal who had never been on rollerskis before this trip is really impressing everyone with his skills and quick learning.

Yesterday we were on classic rollerskis, which despite a few bad crashes seemed to be a fun and valuable experience. The kids also got to learn about orienteering (which was good, because everyone did an orienteering race today!) and shoot guns in the biathelon range. Cal once again impressed everyone with his skills and the biathelon coaches were "joking" about recruiting him for their program. Last night the whole group went on a leisurely rafting adventure down the river that flows through Solleftia and ended at a nature reserve where we grilled hot dogs and the Athlete/Coaches from the Swedish National Team answered questions about how they got in the sport, training tips, and many other skiing related topics. Tomorrow morning is the Hallsta Test, an uphill running time trial that happens at this camp every year. Hopefully the kids are all in bed resting up for the effort, but they might be playing cards with the Swedes. Either way it should be yet another interesting and exhausting day

Sweden: Solleftia! The First Days..

We gathered the remainder of our crew at the Stockholm airport yesterday afternoon and began the beautiful drive north along the Baltic Sea towards Solleftia, the site of the Swedish junior camp our athletes are participating in. We rolled into town around 9:30pm and found a pizza joint that was still barely open, so we grabbed a bunch of pies and headed up to the top of the Ski Jumping hill where we are staying for the week. We ate some very Scandinavian Bacon and Egg pizza while we watched the sunset around 11pm, then headed to bed; exausted, but still somewhat disoriented from the time change and daylight.
This morning we headed back over to the Baltic coast where we went on a run/hike for most of the day. We were expecting some rain but instead we got pleasantly warm weather and sun the whole way around and plenty of awesome views! The receding glaciers left some really cool geology in the area, including a chasm 100m long and 9m across that the trail passes through. It is pretty dramatic, and pretty daunting when you are above it looking down the cliff! Towards the end of the hike the trail comes out at a beach at the end of a long inlet on the Baltic Sea that almost everyone had the courage to swim in.. even Yannick eventually took the plunge after the girls all jumped in ahead of him. Tomorrow the Swedes arrive and the camp officially begins. The kids are excited, but a little nervous about the swedish kids moving into their rooms- there is a rumor going around that Scandinavians aren't immediately the most outgoing people in the world!

"The Sweden Trip" A training tour of Sweden and Norway is ON for its 10th year!

The Ski Gymnasium in Solleftea, Sweden has sent the official invitation, the dates for the Summer Ski School are set and we are getting the word out early so interested parties can do some planning. The trip is an immersion in the training culture of two of the world’s top Cross-country ski nations and an opportunity to get a first hand taste of Scandinavia from the shores of the Baltic to the Sognefjord in Norway. It isn’t just a look. Participants are there, in it!. During the first week participants live with Swedish kids, and work with top athletes and coaches including World Cup winners Emil Joensson, Robin Bryntesson, Britta Nordgren, Anna Haag, and Solleftea alum and World Junior skier Jesper Modin. The second half of the trip is in Norway’s Jotunheimen region above the fjord country. On-snow training on freshly groomed trails takes place twice a day. There are always top club teams and frequently National teams here. It is educational and inspiring to be surrounded by so many great skiers.

The trip is early in the summer when the Solleftea Ski Gymnasium in Sweden is best able to schedule the guest athletes. Early also guarantees the best snow in Norway. This year’s dates for initial planning are June 9-29. Participants from J3 — OJ are welcome to apply. Space is limited to 12 athletes. Interest is already active. Applicants should be eager about the sport and familiar with it. It is a training trip. We keep careful track of athletes to make sure the hours and training loads are appropriate to age, and to previous training and later training plans. For this reason we like to know a bit about plans and training histories.

Flights can be arranged individually according to a group schedule. This allows “Air Miles” to be used. We try to fly close in to our final destination (normally Ostersund) to minimize the time spent on the road, and maximize the time on the ground. The ground cost of the trip is $2500.00.

Word Pictures from Previous Trips

First Report: “The Sweden Trip” 2008
The Solleftea Summer Ski School got underway this afternoon with interval and strength sessions. Strength moved two groups back and forth between a variety of circuits and a double pole exercise. The interval session succeeded in instruction, illustration, and creation of a hard workout. Without really noticing the transitions athletes learned and practiced techniques of ski-walking, and moose-hooves, and light, ankle-driven skate hops from short max-power bursts. These were followed up by short, 15-on-15-off, medium, 3 minute, and long, 7+ minute, intervals. After an hour and a half groups switched and guys went to strength and girls went to the interval hills.
This evening the whole camp got together for some games and laughs and then went on to “Second Dinner”. The stucco-cracking thump of a soccer ball against the wall of the building and a happy crescendo of American and Swedish expletives is a clear sign of a good start. It is now after ten o’clock and things are quieting down. There is a light rain and the sky is over cast. A deep-salmon colored slash in the north shows where the sun will take its brief sojourn below the sub-arctic horizon. It doesn’t get dark. The river is silvery down in the valley and the town is still brightly colored dabs against the spring forest. Nice evening.
So far the trip has been smooth. No matter how you cut it the travel is long. After drives, flights, layovers, and drives again, bed …sleeping bags in the moss and lingonberry bushes, or bunk space in the old hunting cottage…felt pretty good. Working on the theory that the best way to confront jet-lag is to stay busy we have reconnoitered the roller ski track, played three rounds of capture the flag with the twist of various core exercises when tagged, grilled chicken on an island, swum in the river and a lake high over the coast, put in a three hour OD session on the “High Coast Trail”, visited the town of Ornskjoldsvik for dinner, killed thousands of mosquitoes, and consumed ten pots of “cowboy-coffee”. The hotel bed…a real one with a down comforter and clean sheets looks pretty good. The troops have settled in with their new Swedish roommates. That all sounds largely good with initial ratings from “My roommates don’t talk,” to “Gustaf is cool”. The halls have fallen silent and after a short minute just to enjoy being back here and to touch base with the special and somewhat eerie stillness of the Northern summer night…no shortage of evidence of why Trolls and nisse populate the folklore…I am headed for the sack.
Eight bells on the evening watch and all is well. The sun has just dropped down between the cloud cover and the horizon and the colors and patterns of light over the midnight country side are fantastic.

"Jakt Stugo” Bengt Stattin’s hunting cabin near Solleftea

Olympic Gold Medalist Charlotte Kalla demonstrates Double Pole Kick

Third Day, Solleftea Camp 2009
Today was busy. On the docket were an uphill running time trial, a multi station classic roller ski work out, and the raft trip postponed from earlier in the week. All went off smoothly and the kids really acquitted themselves quite well in all three. The Hallsta Test is a time trial up a long two km of road that starts near the base of the ski area here and ends midway up one of the steeper pitches. Fifteen second interval starts send the athletes running and ski-walking for personal best times. The staff of the ski gymnasium uses it as a measure of engine capacity. It is tough. The men’s record is in the 7 minute range and women’s in the nines. Those were Olympians. Our kids all had strong performances led by Jack Hegman, with a 9:53, and Mitch Prevot in 10:01. Winning today was the Vancouver World Cup sprint relay gold medalist Robin Bryntesson with a 9:18. Hannah Boyer was our first girl at 11:11. Our two youngest were the two fastest today. Working as a team blind skier Zebastian Modin and his guide Albin Ackerot finished in a respectable 12:10.

Alaskan Hannah Boyer in “the Hallsta Test”

Final Day, Solleftea Camp 2009
We finished up the camp in fine style...the kids were instrumental in getting the last night's disco hopping, and luring unprepared Swedish kids to think about sleeping out, and consequently a midnight, but daylight coaches' sweep of the lift tower cabins to round them (the Swedes) up and get them to bed. Ours stayed out...I knew the bugs would be ample censure and indeed they were.
Last work out was a fast paced series of gear-shifitng drills in skate technique. We went down to the Ski Gymnasium for the closing comments and were entertained again by Robin Bryntesson, the sprinter, who definitely has a career as a commentator waiting when his skiing days come to a close.
We then went out to Bengt's hunting cabin...everyone opted for that as opposed to the hotel for the last night in Solleftea, and then to Bengt's house for the traditional BBQ and game of "Kubb". I am sure that will sprout on the Burke campus this year. We didn't know that the night of the 18th was Bengt and Marits 28th anniverary, but Bengt told Marit that having us come and do the cooking was his present to her. A good time.
The cottage really is a special place, lost back in the forest near a little pond. Sleeping bags and bug nets went up and out and by midnight things were quiet. I know when I awake that I am in another world when the wake up comes from a cuckoo...a real one.


Bruksvallarna, 2009
We are now in Bruksvallarna in the west of Sweden at Erik's family cabin. I am stealing a moment or two to catch up on business. The kids and Erik are out for a run with none other than Anders Sodergren...among other things on his CV are the gold medal in the 50 km at the Holmenkollen World Cup two years ago and silver at the World Champs. He had back surgery last year so missed most of the season but is back training. Erik and I were out for a walk last night and ran into Anders, who has a cabin almost next door to Erik. He was very interested in what we were up to and invited the kids on a training run with him and his two happy black labs, Alfonse and Nils. Pretty cool. He is a good model...one of the quiet champions.

Erik Nilsson on the left and Anders Sodergren, Alfonse and Nils and the gang at Erik’s cabin

We'll have a second workout here on roller skis this evening and then tomorrow head for Sognefjell. The clouds are breaking up, sun is peeking through. It should be a nice afternoon. Time to lay out a strength workout to go along with the roller ski. All is well.


Solleftea, Summer Ski School 2009
The afternoon was devoted to classic technique. I have been really pleased with the active involvement our athletes have had; they are listening to suggestions, trying them, and asking good questions when they have the chance. Four groups spread out around the roller ski track and each works on a different aspect of technique for twenty minutes then skis on to the next station. It is a great way to keep things moving and minimize stand-around time. Today the stations were; starts and impulse double poling, DP Kick, striding, and a transition cycle of downhill, double pole, kick double pole, stride, kick DP, DP and tuck. Robin, Tio Soderhielm, Charlotte Kalla and Britta Nordgren worked individually with each group. Our kids are enjoying the contact with top skiers. Each is very good at working with kids and open with his/her time.

Sognefjell, Norway –on snow!

These little bits give a pretty good picture of parts of the camp. It has proven to be an inspiration to a lot of US skiers, and has forged friendships across the country and the ocean. Two camp alumni were on the US team in Vancouver, and two of the Swedish alums won medals there!
Six athletes are signed up and there is a lot of interest. With successful Olympics for both Sweden and Norway enthusiasm is high and it should be fun year to be over there. Please contact us with interest or questions.

Pete Phillips
Head Nordic Coach
Burke Mountain Academy
pphillips@burkemtnacademy.org
gamlefisken@yahoo.com
802-626-1516-ext 1012, or 1527

518-524-4127 cell