Sunday, December 28, 2014

Dec 29- January 4, 2015

Happy New Year!!!!

Great job crew on getting the worst practice of the year complete! It's all smoother trails from here!:D  With Christmas behind us and lots ahead please remember to go for some long slow skis with friends/ family/ random people... But have fun too!!

Important! Please confirm that you will be attending Westerns/AB Cup 5&6 with me ASAP please!

Tuesday-  Skate practice. Bring a headlamp. water bottle and your great attitude!!!

Thursday- Happy New Year!! No practice

Saturday- Classic practice- the forecast says -25... let's hope it changes between now and then! Long slow ski- the usual cold weather day ski...

Sunday- 6 Pac #2- classic race, mass start I believe- keep an eye on the temperatures as the race will be cancelled if it's -20 or colder by noon on Sunday. Race start is 2:00pm; registration closes at 1:30, please be there in advance prepping your skis (if you need assistance please email or call Claire) remember that it takes close to 1 hour to prep skis for some people. See you all there!!

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Junior Race Team

It seems that the weather may be against us this week with the schedule. There will be no practice on Thursday BUT it seems that the forecast is showing for a high of -25...Taking the kids out for a few skis this week before the cold weather hits is highly recommended. Unfortunately Davis is working on Tuesday as am I, so we will not be able to facilitate an earlier practice for this crew on Tuesday. 

Sunday- it's a 6 pac race!!!! Please see the note above regarding this event. Thanks a bunch and see you out on the trails!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

December 22-28, 2014.

What an phenomenal weekend of racing!!! Thank you so much to each of the parents that came to the race. You each were a big help in the success of such a great weekend: from organizing, chauffeuring, shuttling, hauling, waxing, scraping, warming up, cooling down, coffee fetching, feeding, cheering, herding… you name it, you were all a significant help and thank you SO much!

A HUGE congratulations to ALL of the racers!!! Bling and ribbons galore with awesome racing by EVERYONE! I will be making some significant changes to the training plans over the holidays as you're all advancing along the program very nicely!! Please ski as much as you can over the holidays- keep it long (1-2.5 hours), slow (zone1) and plentiful (4-5x/week) skiing only. Enjoy the beautiful trails here or wherever the holidays find you!

For those of you who won't be at practice on Tuesday, have a very Merry Christmas filled with love, peace and presents! ;)

Christmas Schedule: There will be practices on Dec 23, 27, 30 and Jan 3. IF you have the time and the inkling- please go for long slow skis with your family or another team mate… the more skiing the better!!

Tuesday: It's rest week… so we're doing YOGA!! Jodi (the instructor from London England) will be joining us and putting on an hour session. Bring your yoga mat and $5 to pay her for her time and teaching us and bring some inner chi! Please pick up your gear from the weekend of races.

Thursday: Merry Christmas!

Saturday: Skate skiing- it'll be a beautiful day!!! See you then!

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Junior Skiers!

SUPER AMAZING job at the races!! Everyone won a ribbon or a medal or two… and I think, just maybe… that everyone had a great time!;) I sure hope so anyway as you all did an amazing job racing this weekend, and for those of you away… we look forward to having you join us another time!

Please feel free to join us on Tuesday for a yoga session starting at 5:45-6:45. If you do come please bring a mat (if you have one at home) and $5 per person to pay the instructor. I look forward to seeing you all there if you can make it.

Saturday: Classic ski with a guest coach. I will need the assistance of a parent or two for this session please! 10:15-11:45. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

December 15-21, 2014

We are officially 1/2 way through the season!! Can you believe that?! Please read all below as details for the races in Edmonton will be important to know for those attending and those not attending!

Christmas Schedule: There will be practices on Dec 23, 27, 30 and Jan 3. IF you have the time and the inkling- please go for long slow skis with your family or another team mate… the more skiing the better!!

Edmonton: Please register your athletes for this race on zone4.ca before Wednesday, Dec 17 @11pm.

Tuesday: Classic- it'll be cold and the snow will be icy. Be prepared to double pole a bunch or put on klister! :) After practice, if you plan to spend an extra 10-15 minutes on your skis prepping them for Edmonton, this would be useful!

Thursday: Skate- before practice work on your classic skis. If you are not going to race in Edmonton, there will be a full practice still. After practice, to going to Edmonton work on your skate skis. Please clean off your skis properly! Wax both pairs with Rex Blue ONLY. I am unable to ascertain what will be going on top until the evening of Thursday- so please bare with me. If I know earlier I will let you know- but seeing as Environment Canada is saying that the temperatures look on the warmer side (+ temps) it will be a last minute decision and perhaps one not made until we get to Strathcona Wilderness Centre on Friday.

I'm assuming that dinner will be provided to those prepping for Edmonton this evening. Please watch your emails for details from Carrie Lundstrom!

Saturday: THERE WILL BE NO PRACTICE IN GP!
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Edmonton Races: are being held at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre . Check google maps or your phone apps to find it!! It's past Sherwood Park… :D

FRIDAY: Please be at the centre for 2:00pm. We will be there for 2.5 hours going over the race courses and getting some skiing in. Please plan appropriately for this. Supper will be on your own and a group text will be issued in the evening (8:30ish pm) on what time I would like the kids to be at the lodge for, Saturday morning. There lodge is not very big and waxing is done outdoors- please dress appropriately and bring all the warm clothing that you own!! I will be able to spend some time with the athletes discussing their race course and the kids will sit down and put together their race plans according to their age group in this 2.5 hours. I will also be wax testing too to prep for Saturday and Sunday. Parents and those NOT racing MUST purchase day passes for each of the days that we are there if you're skiing. All registered athletes DO NOT have too. 

SATURDAY: It's a classic race day! The race notice can be found here. Please read this for all race information. I will text you the evening before to let you know when your athlete is starting their race. Typically I ask athletes to be at the facility 2 hours before a classic race day (junior athletes, an hour is sufficient). We will most likely be applying klister… please be aware that this is a very time consuming process and we will be doing our best to get your skis to you on time!

Saturday there will be a team dinner (details to be determined if they haven't already been distributed). Please plan to be with the team during this time. I will again be texting everyone details for when to arrive for Sunday. Usually it's 1.5 hours before race start for a skate race (junior athletes an hour is sufficient).

SUNDAY: It's a skate day- less chaos and stickiness! Plan to cheer on the younger athletes after your races as they will have cheered you on! It's a lot more fun for everyone!

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Junior Racers

Christmas Schedule: There will be practices on Dec 27 and Jan 3 only. IF you have the time and the inkling- please go for long slow skis with your family or another team mate… the more skiing the better!!

Thursday: Skate skiing- practice will be shorter to help get skis prepared for Edmonton races. It is my understanding that Caitlyn and Seamus are the only juniors not attending in Edmonton, so Lynch's and Rickett's please pick your children up earlier if you can.  Davis will be helping with the preparation of the kids skis as much as she can, parents your assistance would be greatly appreciated, please ask questions if you're unsure. Rex Blue will be applied to all the skis in preparation for Edmonton.

Saturday: There will be NO practice in GP!

Edmonton details are above. Please consult your junior race team manual for information too. 

Sunday, December 7, 2014

December 8-14, 2014.

What a great week of training AND a great weekend of racing!!

A huge thank you to Lori, Clayton, Carrie, Darrel and Jake for pulling off a great weekend of racing in not the greatest conditions! Congratulations to Lyndon (Slip n Slide), Makena (Big Mak), Jordan (Marco), Hannah (Cling-on), Jake and Nicholas (Meathead/Niki)-who still has one more race- for conquering some impressive goals this weekend too! Check out www.zone4.ca for some impressive race results or bring sunglasses to practice on Tuesday as it's going to be pretty flashy with all those medals!

IMPORTANT: For those of you who still have roller skis- please bring them to practice on Tuesday and load them in the back of my car!

Tuesday: Classic technique- bring water bottles and be ready for intervals!:) … and maybe an umbrella

Thursday: Skate technique- see above. ;)

Saturday: Skate technique- bring a snack and water bottle!

Confirming athletes for Edmonton Races: Please if there are any changes let me know asap!
Katie and Nick Bardak, John, Matt, Pat, and M Davis, Megan and Miranda Hopkins, Hannah and Jordan Lundstrom, Kelan Lynch, Ella and Makena Pruden, Nicole Staples, Amy and Johanna Redmond. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE?

Edmonton Races: Classic and Free Distance will be held at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. Please see the race notice here: AB Cup 3/4 and read all of the details. For hotels- we will be staying at the:

Ramada Limited Hotel Edmonton East Sherwood Park
30 Broadway Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2A2 

please call and book your own room(s) that you will be needing for this event. We will be arriving on Friday, the 19th around 1:00pm to be able to get some training in.  Please plan accordingly for this. Team supper will be for Saturday- also please plan for this. Details to come. 

PLEASE WHEN EMAILING INFO ABOUT THIS EVENT, ENSURE EVERYONE IS ON THE EMAIL LIST! 
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Junior Team

Thursday: Classic technique- bring water bottles and maybe rubber boots (the weather is getting whacky this week) :D

Saturday: Skate technique- bring a snack and water bottles. 

*If you are planning on attending the Edmonton races and I'm not aware, please let me know by calling (780-933-0853) or emailing (clairerichter@me.com) me to confirm that you're coming and please read the notice above in orange (and below it). Registration will be done on zone4 and peewee/atom athletes  (junior team age categories) do not need to worry about licences or anything other than the registration fees. Please ensure that you're registering your athlete in the right category (the birth dates are usually beside each category name) but if you're child is 8 in 2014, I believe they are a peewee athlete. Girls and boys may race together in this category but their results are separated into genders and awarded appropriately that way. Sometimes it is nice to have a bunch of other athletes, boys or girls, around to keep up the hype of the sport. We will be skiing around the course a few times on Friday to ensure that the kids know where they're going and we will also have the senior race team strategically placed around to cheer on the junior race team. It'll be a great time!

Sunday, November 30, 2014

December 1-9, 2014.

Thank you everyone for being flexible and rolling with the weather (and everything it brought with it) that we've received in the past 7 days!

Canmore was rescheduled for this coming weekend. So far Bardak's, Lundstrom's and Pruden's will be attending. IF there is anyone else, please call me so that details can be figured out.

IMPORTANT: On February 21 & 22 Grande Prairie is hosting the Alberta Special Olympic Winter Games and the ski club is hosting the skiing. At the beginning of the year I put this out a mandatory team volunteer (Volun-told) experience, parents are encouraged as well to help. Please ensure that you're names are down to volunteer by contacting Grant Bourree: grant.bourree@weyerhaeuser.com and confirm your numbers. Again, this is a MANDATORY TEAM EVENT which was introduced to everyone at the beginning of the year.

REMINDER- if the temperature is below -15oC we will be classic skiing unless I state otherwise (i.e.: we're prepping for an important skate race).

Tuesday: We will be classic skiing and there will be 2 groups again. Group 1: going to Canmore; Group 2: staying here in GP. Group 1 (will use the classic revolution skis for training and start prepping your classic skis for Canmore- see details below) & Group 2 will be training for the first 45 minutes together. Then Group 2 will stay outside with me and Group 1 will go in and complete prepping their skis. Group 1: clean off your classic skis, wax with Rex blue and then with LF4. Don't bother scraping of the LF4 unless you have time after practice. Your skate skis are ready to go so don't worry about them, you will load all skis and poles in the black fischer bag and Jake with load up a table and wax box.

*Those attending Canmore please keep checking the website: www.canmorenordic.com to keep up-to-date on your race notices as they've changed again today (Sunday)- best to check it daily for right now.

Thursday: We will be classic skiing as the weather looks like it's going to be warm enough we will get some good stuff in!!! Be prepared to huff and puff those lungs out! Bring a headlamp please as there's an adventure in this workout.

Saturday: We will be skate skiing. Be ready to get some work done with this workout as well, with this cold snap/snow dump that we've had we have lost our cycle of training and so be ready to get it going!!! :)

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Junior Race Team

Thursday: Classic Skiing- remember water bottles, headlamps and to be on time on snow please.

Saturday: Skate Skiing- remember snacks and the weather will be great! See you on snow!

Any questions or concerns, please just email or call Claire. Thanks!

Sunday, November 23, 2014

November 24 - 30, 2014.

I swear it was just Halloween last week!!! Where's the time going?

Great first race of the season everyone! It's good to get the cobwebs out of the body and moving forward into areas that need to be worked on to be faster and just plain ol' awesome. :D

Tuesday: We will be splitting into two groups for this practice:

Group 1- will be led by Megan- this is everyone who isn't going to Canmore. You will be classic skiing- long sustained distance of an elevated heart rate but not too hard that you can't keep going for the whole practice. Bring a headlamp, water bottle and if there are any parents who aren't going to Canmore who can ski with the group, it would be greatly appreciated.

Group 2- those of you going to Canmore; you will wax your skate skis before practice and then your classic skis after practice. We will be doing a 45 minute workout in the stadium/clawridge on your classic skis. Please wax your skis with Rex Blue first, then LF4 and scrape them. All of our gear will be going with the Davis' in their van.

HOME GROUP:

Thursday: This applies to those who are not going to Canmore. Ken will be leading this practice and again, if there is an adult who isn't in Canmore who can help him with this practice I'd really appreciate it please. You will be skating this practice. Come prepared for intervals and a hard practice. :D BRING A HEADLAMP.

Saturday: Ken will be leading the team for a ski (please let him know if you're available for training). Classic skiing- long, no stopping zone 1 except for zone 3 uphills- workout.

CANMORE GROUP:

Friday: Meet Claire at the main lodge for 1:00pm. Parents please purchase day licences for your athletes and yourselves if you will be skiing. Keep your receipts for these. We will be skiing over both courses for the kids on Friday and discussing race prep etc.

Saturday:
Be at the lodge for 8am and ready to prep for your classic race. Depending on how close they stick to their schedule there will be time to return to the hotel to rest in-between qualifiers and heats. Parents please plan for this. Exempt from this will be Ella, Mika and Caitlyn as they race at 11- perhaps we can have a parent bring them up around 10am? Team supper at the hotel I believe.

Sunday:
TBD based on the start list.
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Junior Team

Davis will be staying in Grande Prairie so there will be training for the team Thursday and Saturday

Thursday the team will be classic skiing. Please ensure that your athlete has their headlamp! On snow for 5:45pm.

Saturday the team will be skate skiing. Please ensure that your athlete has their water bottle and a snack. On snow for 10:15am. 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

November 17-23, 2014.

HEADLAMPS- Please don't forget these, it's a safety concern!!

As always, in the beginning of the season there's lots to cover as well as preparing for race season. I have advanced technique work to do with the older athletes, preparation for the races with the middle aged athletes and general technique to work on with the younger athletes… on top of this, we need to recap waxing and spend some time with EVERYONE recapping how we should wax our skis. Last year there was a lot of skis (senior and junior) that were not up to my (and should be your) standards. SO… things to go over and get done. I will need your patience and attention and a few adult bodies on Thursday to help me out this week please.

Tuesday: Waxing session- 5:15-6pm athletes only; On snow for 6:15-7pm skating.

Thursday: Skating practice- splitting up into 3 groups. Each group will be with me for 30 minutes and then skiing around in their group. I will need 2 other parents for this session please. The first 30 minutes will be technique work with Group 3 (Group 1: (BRING HEADLAMPS) will be doing fartleks around 1/2 moon for 1 hour; Group 2: will be doing zone 3 uphills and easy otherwise for the first 30 min around entire lit loop x 1 lap and laps of Claw Ridge until their 30 minutes is up). The second 30 minutes Group 2 will be with me and Group 3 will go and ski continuous laps of the lit loop for 1 hour working on their technique and skiing in zone 1. The last 30 minutes Group 3 will be with me, Group 2 will then go back to their zone 3 uphills and easy otherwise for the last 30 minutes around entire lit loop x 1 lap and then laps of Claw Ridge.

Saturday: Classic- practice sprints for the first part of practice then continuous skiing… bring a snack and water bottle. Parents- waxing session with Jim, Randy and Ken during this time 10-12.

Sunday: Our first 6 pac race. Show up around 12:30 to get your skis ready and get a warmup done (I'll talk more about this at practice on Saturday). Registration closes at 1:30, bring your $ and be ready to race!:) This is a great way to get ready for Canmore- practice going fast and faster and use the technique that we've been working on throughout the past few weeks. :)

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Junior Team

It's long- but please read all of it.

A few notes- I recognize that there's some concern over the cold weather policy. Unfortunately after -20oC there is not enough manpower/assistance to keep the kids moving outside and not get cold. I was just recently informed that jackrabbits has it's temperature set to a colder cutoff- however on Thursday's in particular, it's pitch black out, the team hasn't figured out how to be on snow on time (which has kids standing around outside before practice starts for up to 20 minutes past the start time) and we have just Davis out there. Especially on Thursday's, there are too many risks that I'm not willing to put the team at, at this point. Also, starting soon, we will not be the only users of the lodge on Thursday's which means that we wouldn't be able to use the lodge for programming on cold days for the younger kids. I also realize that an hour before 5:45 doesn't give some of you enough time to figure out if you're going to be training or not, but unfortunately it's a necessary evil as last week proved… at 4pm it was -13oC and at 6pm it was -23oC out at the lodge. If the temperature is close to cutoff (such as last week) some of the kids were out on snow for a bit just to get out skiing, parents you are encouraged to ski with your athletes or have them ski around candy cane lane if you feel comfortable with that, however Davis will not be there if at 4:45pm the temperature on Environment Canada is -20oC or colder. 

Saturday is a different story as the day is warming: I do not encourage skiing past -20oC for the junior race team due to concerns about going too fast for their little lungs and freezing them, which is very easy to do, or them getting too cold and discouraged. It is difficult for the younger kids to recognize when it's important to not work too hard, some, like Mika have to work hard all the time to keep up… I do encourage slow skis for fun, if the kids are dressed warmly, but again will need assistance out on the trails with the team. Davis will be out on Saturday's even if it's past -20oC but am leaving it up to your (the parent's) discretion if you want your athlete to be out skiing. This will be just a group ski and no other training will be provided on these days, they will also be shorter in time, again as the kids get cold quickly. 

Waxing skis needs to be helped by parents please. Hot waxing DOES NOT need to occur weekly with this group- Davis will be doing monthly hot waxing sessions with the team as time permits. Grip waxing classic skis needs to be done with assistance from parents. Davis will be available if you text her in advance to request some assistance in helping you and your athlete. Training starts on time as we can't have some kids waiting around/goofing around outside while others are inside. Parents please, please, please- help your athlete as much as you can to get them outside on time. It's all learning stages right now and things will run smoother as we all get used to the changes. However, please be aware that if your athlete is not ready for the start of practice, you will have to ask Davis where you and your athlete can meet her and the team as she cannot be late- this affects everyone on the team. I am available for comments/discussion as we iron out any other concerns that may arise this season. 

If you haven't done so already, please email me: clairerichter@me.com to let me know which Alberta Cup Race(s) you and your athlete plan on attending this season. Reminder- this is a requirement of the junior race team.

Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm. I am very encouraged as to how well the team is skiing currently and am looking forward to how the rest of the season will go. 

Thursday: Classic skiing. There will be a waxing session for parents/athletes beginning at 5pm in the lodge. If you cannot be there for 5, please show up as early as possible when dropping off your athlete and stick around to see how you can help get your athlete out on snow with skis that will be enjoyable for them.

Saturday: Skate skiing. 

Sunday: 6 Pac race- first of the season. Show up around 12:30 to get your skis ready and get a warmup done (Davis will talk more about this at practice on Saturday). Registration closes at 1:30, bring your $ and be ready to race!:) These races are great ways for the kids to get comfortable going fast and skiing against each other. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

November 10- November 16, 2014

THERE'S SNOW!!! In case none of you noticed!! Thanks for those of you who joined us skiing on Saturday! Lots to go over in this post, please read all of it!!

TIME CHANGE: We will be on snow for 5:30-7:00pm on Tuesday's and Thursday's, 10-12 on Saturday's. From 5:30-5:45 you will be on your own to warm-up. The warm-up loop is XC Stadium, up to Biathlon Stadium, down around Claw Ridge and back in. 2-3 loops of this is good all done in zone 1, PLUS 1 quicker loop of just Claw Ridge. As you guys are looping you are kind of 'skiing together'. Please ensure that your equipment is ready and that you're on-time. Skis need to be waxed, buffs need to be on if it's -8 or colder, toques on your head, water bottles around your waste, headlamps on and mittens/gloves as per the temperature. I find that a lot of time is wasted from people running in and out of the lodge constantly forgetting things. We have a very limited amount of time to prepare for our races, please don't waste everyone's time. We will always have practice unless it's stated otherwise on the blog. IF the temperature is colder than -25oC on Environment Canada (link below) 1 hour before practice, then we will do yoga in the lodge or find a space to do an intensive workout- it will depend on where we are in our training cycle. Remember, we don't worry about the windchill factor as we're really covered by the trees out there.

Canmore: We have 6 training days left until we are leaving for Canmore. Any free days that you have, I strongly suggest you get out to the trails to do some skiing on your own. Just zone 1 for a minimum of an hour is fine, but the more you get in now the better you will feel in Canmore. One race is a classic sprint and the other race is a skate distant. Please remember to renew your race licences (juvenile and older- CCC website (link below) and CCA website: http://www.canmorenordic.com/dbfiles/231.pdf for the race notice and zone4 (link below) to register your athlete.

Tuesday: No team practice, but I do recommend turning one (you were supposed to do 2 or 3) of the 45 minute run workouts I had asked you to do, into a ski instead. The trails are well groomed and awfully nice out!

Thursday: We will be classic skiing. Come prepared to ski, wax YOUR skis, hot wax your skis and be ready and on snow on time. Please help those that need some help if you're ready early. I would recommend not using your racing skis for this workout- although the snow is in good condition, there are a few roots and such hanging out. I know at practice I said on Saturday we will use the Revolutions- I didn't think we would be classic skiing yet, so I stand corrected. Come with your own gear for this workout.

Saturday: We will be skate skiing. The temperature will be warmer, and we will be using the Revolutions for this workout.

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Junior Team: 

Welcome to snow season!! There are quite a few changes now that snow is here- please keep reading and don't skip any bits!

1. I need to know which races your and your JUNIOR athlete are planning on attending for this race season please. Just send me a brief email. The 6 pack races are on the website and the Alberta Cup races on in the manual- middle section. 

2. We have a TIME CHANGE for practice times. I realize that the manual says one time but it's actually going to change to 5:45-6:45 on snow for Thursday and 10:15-11:45 for Saturday. This gives the kids a bit more time to get ready and to clean up outside of the Race Team athletes milling around. Please give your athlete about 30 minutes before practice starts to get their gear ready, waxed and be on snow on time. Please DO NOT show up 5 minutes before practice starts and expect your athlete to be on snow on time- it just doesn't happen. 

3. Athletes need to have: skis waxed, buffs need to be on if it's -8 or colder, toques on their head, water bottles around their waste, snacks in a pocket, headlamps on and mittens/gloves as per the temperature. 

4. Weather cutoff- somehow I missed putting this in the manual BUT, 1 hour prior to practice starting, please check Environment Canada website. If it is -20oC or colder there will NOT be any practice for the athletes. This does NOT include the windchill as we are so covered by the trees that it's not a big factor for us. So please- just look at the number. 

5. We are needing a parent please to be on snow with the kids. I have 1 parent at this point but need another to help encourage athletes along the way and to ensure we don't lose anyone on the trails. You don't need to do anything specific even if it's just trailing along at the end of the group that would be great. You will need a headlamp as well please. We appreciate this support and if there are a few of you interested and able, perhaps a rotation of parents would be great- it's mostly for the Thursday evening sessions as it's harder to practice in the dark for the kids. Thank you!


Sunday, November 2, 2014

November 3 - November 9, 2014.

!!! 4 weeks until our first race!!! Where is the time going?!

Fitness test is done, I will get your results out to you when I can. :D Good effort you guys and we're well on the way to getting ready for this year's racing season. 1 minor detail... we need some snow to ski on and there isn't any in the forecast!! :l Soooo… more ski bounding, pole work/technique and dry land training!!! YAY! Dress appropriately please, in layers, as it's going to be cooler than what we've been used too and dark. :(

Tuesday: Meet out at the lodge, bring runners, poles, headlamp and water bottles.

Thursday: Stefan Kuhn from the World Cup Academy will be joining us OUT AT THE LODGE. As you guys have chosen, we will be doing a doubles circuit, bring poles, head lamp, dress in layers and runners. Practice will be ending later than normal IF your athlete would like some work 1-1 with Stefan. Please let me know at the beginning of practice if you will NOT be staying late. Please see his Bio below.

Saturday: Roller skiing. Yup, you read it right. :( But that's ok- it'll be cold enough that it'll be like skiing! If the frost is too much, then we will be all heading back to the lodge for our workout- bring roller skiing gear AND shorter poles for running. Parents, please don't just drop your athlete and drive off, we will wait until 10am to make the final decision. Don't forget any gear!

compliments of Wikipedia!;)

Stefan Kuhn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stefan Kuhn
Stefan Kuhn (born October 1, 1979) is a Canadian cross-country skier and chef. Kuhn was born in Banff and competed in various international skiing events from 1998 to 2000,[1] before retiring in 2001 to become a full-time chef.[2] In 2005, while working at a fine restaurant in Edmonton, Kuhn decided to relaunch his cross-country career.[2] He participated in his first World Cup race in December 2005.[1]
Kuhn's best finish in the World Cup is a 15th place in a sprint event in Kuusamo in 2008.[1] He competed in the 2006-07 Tour de Ski, the 2007 World Ski Championships,[1] and the 2010 Winter Olympics.[2] Kuhn currently lives in Canmore and coach's with the AWCA ski team, he also appears at the Paint Box lodge as a guest Chef. Canmore.[1]
He finished 15th in the individual sprint event at the 2010 Games. Holding Canada's best ever male result result in this event.
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Junior Race Team:

Thursday: MEET OUT AT THE LODGE. Apologies on the change of location, but with our guest coach coming and training, it's easier to be at the lodge for this workout. Davis will meet you in the stadium and the time stays the same: 5-6pm. Training times will change when we are actually skiing. Please have a headlamp for your athlete and the usual other equipment and ensure your athletes are dressing in layers with the temperature changes coming. 

Saturday: Meet at the lodge, and please have your athlete bring all of their ski equipment. They will be working with their ski poles to learn some new technique stuff. Also, please bring the athlete/family wax box  as Davis will be doing a waxing session with PARENTS AND ATHLETES during training time. Have a great week! 

And please, if you have any questions or concerns please contact myself: 780-933-0853. Thank you!

Sunday, October 26, 2014

October 27- November 2, 2014.

IT'S SNOWING!!!! AND I JUST SPENT THE PAST 5 DAYS SKIING!!! YYYYEEEEEHHHAAAWWW!

Yup, I'm excited and I hope you are too!!! We're getting close to being ready to ski, so please, please, please ensure that you're equipment is ready and that there's gear for you that will fit. If you have gear for sale please email it out or bring it to practice! If you have a need, please email it out and we will also talk about it at practice. Five (5) weeks until our first competition!

Tuesday- Meet at the lodge, bring poles and shoes that are ok to get wet, it's going to be sloupy (mix of sloppy and soupy) out there! :D

Thursday- Meet AT THRILL HILL. Bring poles and be ready for a doozie!!

Saturday- Meet at the lodge! Be ready for a fitness test AND a workout.

*Please note a change for NEXT Thursday (November 6)- we will ALL meet at the lodge.
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Junior Race Team

Thursday- Meet Davis out behind of Muskoseepi pavilion.

Saturday- Meet at the lodge, 10:15-11:45.

*Please note a change for NEXT Thursday (November 6)- we will ALL meet at the lodge.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

October 20-26, 2014.

Build Week 2: You will all be happy to hear that I'm putting off the fitness test for yet another week- the weather has been too nice that I don't want to waste a roller skiing day for something we can do in the rain or sleet or snow. :D It's not going to be as warm this week- but it's definitely not normal temperatures still, so being thankful instead of cranky that snow isn't here yet… we are still doing some awesome dry land training!!! From here on in, always bring your poles (shortest ones you have for running with and otherwise what you use for roller skiing will be fine) to practice. 

Tuesday- meet at the lodge. Bring your short poles and water bottle etc…

Thursday- meet Mallory at Muskoseepi. I left her with words such as: hills, hard, long, abs, poles… basically, you'll have a whack load of fun!!! :D And I look forward to receiving her feedback on you guys after her workout.

Saturday- meet Ken and Mallory out at the correction line. You will be roller skiing unless the pavement is wet, then running with poles. Either way, bring both sets of poles with you and be prepared. Bring a snack, water etc…

*I will be away working in Canmore for this week (Wednesday onwards), please respect the volunteers that are helping me out to continue our journey of getting the best out of you. If you have any questions or concerns I will be reachable via phone but please keep in mind I'm working a camp there and may not be able to respond to you right away. I expect respect and best behaviours for our guest coaches! Have a great week everyone!

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Junior Race Team

Thursday- please meet Davis out back of Muskoseepi pavilion from 5-6pm. Please bring a water bottle and holder and be on time- ask Mika how the burpies are!:)

Saturday- Reminder to the time: 10:15-11:45 out at the ski lodge. Again water bottles are a must and a snack for these young athletes is very important- an energy bar that's not loaded with sugar is recommended, a banana, a bagel with peanut butter (no athletes on the junior team have allergies to peanuts at this point)… something filling, easy to eat and enjoyable are all pluses!

Again, if your athlete won't be able to attend practice, or will be late please either text myself, 780-933-0853 or Davis- 780-978-4582 to let us know- it helps with the waiting around before practice starts and with the preparation as well. If you have any concerns please bring them up with myself, Claire 780-933-0853. No concerns are to be dealt with through Davis, she is a volunteer coach and under my guidance. Thank you for respecting this. 


Monday, October 13, 2014

October 13-19, 2014.

Well, I must have eaten too much turkey last night as I forgot to write in the blog until now… my apologies and I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Rest week/build week #1:

Tuesday- will be a good workout. Although we're in rest week, we can still workout hard. :D Who knew huh?!! We will be out at the lodge and will be doing some striding and bounding so bring short poles please.

Thursday- Meet at Muskoseepi for an awesome workout. It's a new one!! SO EXCITING!!

Saturday- Meet at the correction line for a roller ski workout- hopefully fall will let us get in one more good roller ski practice in. :D Or it can snow, in that case we will still be out there.


______________________

Junior Race Team

Thursday- Meet Davis at Muskoseepi Park out back behind the pavilion for 5pm. Bring a water bottle and holder and runners. For those of you new to the group, there will be a few handbooks there. Please be on time- burpies for those of you who are late… right Mika?:D

Saturday- Meet Davis at the lodge out in the XC Stadium. Please remember the time change- 10:15-11:45. Don't forget your water bottles and holders!!! 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

October 6-12, 2014

Good job this week on build week 2… however, for those of you who enjoyed a holiday on Saturday (that's all but 4 of you…) expect more awesome workouts this week. I hope you were all sore on Friday past!;)

Tuesday- meet at the lodge and be prepared to run with a water bottle in tow.

Thursday- meet at Muskoseepi pavilion out back with Davis and crew. We will be dispersing from there shortly after 5 and working out at the bottom of the green bowl/by the dam… for another awesome workout!!!

Saturday- NO PRACTICE. Spend some time with your family and enjoy some turkey. This is heading into our rest week- which means by next Thursday, rest week will be over… be forewarned!!

BUT- As you all (or almost all of you) have a set of roller skis now- I highly recommend you going out twice on those suckers and get some practice (1 hour easy minimum) in, working on the tips that I told you to work on in training. IF you can prove to me that you did this, there will be a prize for you at training on Tuesday next!

______________________

JUNIORS

Thursday practice ONLY. Saturday there will be NO practice as it's Thanksgiving and the little ones seem to be on the sick side right now- so it will give them some time to recuperate. 

Meet out behind the pavilion at Muskoseepi Park and will see you there with Davis. Please if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

September 29 - October 4, 2014

One month down already!! I'm not sure where the time is going!!!

Week 2 of our 4 week cycle… This week it's going to be a doozey. Come with lots of water and bring your inner Russian. :D

Tuesday- At the lodge: Runners, water bottle and if you're not able to show- let me know before 4:30 as it helps with preparation for the program.

Thursday- At Muskoseepi: we will be working out of one main area, come with a yoga mat that's dirty if you have one please. If not- don't worry about it. Runners and water bottles.

Saturday- Roller skiing- meet at 10-12 on correction line with all your gear for roller skiing. If the PAVEMENT is wet, not the grass from dew, but the pavement from rain… we will be running out there, so be prepared for both activities and dress appropriately.

___________________________________

Junior Team:

Thursday- meet Davis & Coris at Muskoseepi in the field in behind the pavilion. Come with a water bottle and dress appropriately for the weather, it's cooling down really quickly in the evenings now.

Saturday- TIME CHANGE: 10:15 - 11:45 please. Meet out at the lodge with Davis. Don't forget a snack and water bottle for this workout! 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

September 22-28, 2014.

Hopefully you guys feel a bit rested from the past few days of 'rest week' training (not including Tuesday). This week we're heading back into our first build week- it's harder than last cycle but not as hard as last Tuesday's workout… hopefully this makes sense to everyone. :)

Tuesday: MEET AT THE LODGE- bring your water bottle and be ready for a run.

Thursday: MEET AT MUSKOSEEPI- PARENT MEETING IN PAVILION WITH CLAIRE (bring check books). Please check your emails and tell your parents to check their emails prior to coming to this meeting. Bring water bottles and come for a good workout.

Saturday: Roller skiing- meet at 10-12 on correction line with all gear for roller skiing. If the PAVEMENT is wet, not the grass from dew, but the pavement from rain… we will be running out there, so be prepared for both activities and dress appropriately- last week it was pretty chilly.

_________________________________

Juniors:

Thursday- meet at Muskoseepi with water bottles

Saturday- meet at the lodge please. 

Parents- please text me, or call and leave a message, if you need to let me know that your athlete won't be at training, it's usually easier for me to check then email.  780-933-0853. Thank you!

Sunday, September 14, 2014

September 15-21, 2014.

Week 4 already!! It's kind of a rest week- but not really… you guys had a long summer off! :) SO, this week I'm looking for a volunteer to run (literally) Thursday's practice for me. I'm off to Calgary and need a runner (or cyclist) to run this practice please.

Tuesday- MEET AT THE LODGE. 5-6:30, be prepared for a run. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A T-SHIRT- they are $15, please bring cash or check made out to Claire.

Thursday- Meet at Muskoseepi. 5-6:30- this is a long run in zone 1 or 2 max. Please run in pairs and NO ONE RUNS ALONE. I will be away for this practice. I suggest a group warm up and stretching for about 15 minutes, then a run where you run 30 min one way, turn around and run back all meeting back in the park for a 15 min stretch fest.

Saturday- There will be 2 groups for this practice. Group 1- Mat, Pat, Em, Meg (?) & maybe Nick &Marco; you already know the workout for this, meet for roller skiing. Group 2- bring poles- shorter ones, and if your name isn't in Group 1 then you're in this group. Meet Mallory (or someone else) and Davis for the warmup at the lodge at 10am. Come prepared to run.
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Junior Team:

Thursday- Meet Davis at Muskoseepi park in the open field by the spray park.

Saturday- Meet Davis at the Lodge with the senior team for a group warm up and then training. Be prepared to run for this workout and bring a snack too please.



Sunday, September 7, 2014

September 8-14, 2014

It's week 3 and you guys are doing great!

Tuesday- meet at Muskoseepi Park for 5-6:30pm practice. Bring snow pants cuz it's snowing!!! Actually- just kidding, it's supposed to be warm again- we will be outside obviously and working hard! Bring a water bottle and holder!

Thursday- meet at Muskoseepi Park fro 5-6:30pm MANDATORY TEAM MEETING. Bring paper, pen/pencil and a water bottle to this please.

Saturday- meet at the Correction Line parking lot ready to roller ski… if the pavement is wet, we will just do the workout in runners instead. 10-12 for this workout.


Junior Team

Thursday- Muskoseepi park- 5-6pm. Bring running shoes, workout clothing- no jeans, or heavy sweaters, dress in layers and a water bottle with your athlete's name on it please! 

Saturday- meet at the lodge- 10am-12pm. Bring a snack and water bottle, dress in layers and be prepared for some fun!! 

Monday, September 1, 2014

It's a New Season!! Welcome BACK!!

Let's get this season started!

Training this week will consist of meeting at Muskoseepi Park for Tuesday AND Thursday this week AND next. We will transition back into our regular schedule the week of September 16- training at the lodge on Tuesday's and some Saturday's (weather pending) and Muskoseepi on Thursday's.

In my email that I sent out mid August I had mentioned that training would be 1.5 hours in length for dry land training. Due to some scheduling conflicts at the moment- I am asking for your patience regarding timing. I would ultimately like to see training run from 5-6:30pm. This may have to change but there will be follow up to this in the coming weeks.

For this week- training will be 5-6:30pm Tuesday and Thursday at Muskoseepi and 10-12 at the lodge for fitness testing.

See you all there!


IMPORTANT: There will be a mandatory athlete meeting with Claire on Thursday, September 11 at Muskoseepi Park Pavilion at 5pm. Please ensure that you/your athlete make appropriate plans to attend this meeting. Parent meeting date and time to be determined still. 

Looking forward to another awesome year! Hope you all had a great summer!


Sunday, March 23, 2014

March 24-March 31, 2014.

WE'RE BAAAACKKKKK!!!! What an awesome week away full of tons of great competition, fantastic weather, amazing people, FUN and most of all an awesome team of athletes and coaches!

I'm not sure where the time has gone- but this is our last post for the 2013/2014 season!!! Lots to put in so please pay attention! :D

1. Sharkfest- is now being held in Canmore and we're scheduled to be there. Please, if you're coming, let Randy know so that hotel rooms can be confirmed and our numbers known. This is the last race of the Alberta Cup Series and is always a lot of fun!

2. Club Wind-up Party- The Wapiti Nordic Ski Club is hosting their wind up party on Saturday April 12 if you would like to attend:
Pot-luck Banquet on Saturday April 12th
Family Event, Awards, Potluck Buffet
Spring Meeting at 4:00pm
Dinner at ~6 pm
Come early for the Spring WNSC Meeting & Elections commencing at 4:00 pm
Share your ideas with next year’s Executive.
Potluck Buffet contribution suggestions: One Main course dish
and a small dessert item.
Plates, Cutlery & Beverages provided

3. TEAM Wind-up Party- This is our team wind-up party!!! Second best time of the year- the first being the whole season! ;) Is on Tuesday, April 15th. See email for details please, and yes, athletes come dressed as your favourite animal!:) Games, activities, potluck supper, awards and fun!:) Coaches welcome, parents can stay if they would like.

4. This week
     Tuesday- short skate ski if the trails permit with rock skis I'm guessing. Unpacking from Arctic Winter Games and re-packing for Sharkfest.

     Thursday- travel to Sharkfest, so for those of you not joining us in Canmore for Sharkfest, Tuesday will be your last practice.

5. Summer plans- I would like to do an exit interview with each family, as I've done in previous years to discuss goals/plans/future. I will have a schedule by mid April to sit down with families to discuss this past year in general and training for the summer/fall. Fall training to begin August 26th, 2014. :D Happy Spring and thank you for letting me work with you this past year!

And so for the last sign-off for this ski season- keep the rubber soles down and the toes facing forward and have a great spring and summer!!! Claire

Sunday, March 9, 2014

March 10- March 23, 2014.

You read this right- this is a two week blog as I won't be accessing the blog while I'm away.

I'm not sure where time is going but it's FLYING BY!!! SO much to do and so much to prepare for still, so bare with me and this blog please.

Tuesday (11): Swim suit edition FOR SURE!!! We will start out with the swimsuit photos and then move into training. Be ready to workout together after our photo-shoot please- so have clothes to throw on so that we can get to work. We will need a parent or two to take pictures please?! The rest come ready to show off those sexy white legs we have!! Except bushwhacker of course- she's still got Hawaii written all over her!:) I know I said that Saturday was the end of our week 3 and hard practices… we have sprints to do still and it'll be skate skiing. :D

Thursday(13): The AWG group will be going for a 30 minute ski in groups of 5. One group will be out skiing for 30 minutes and the other will be prepping gear and vice versa. Rex blue will need to be applied to skis but NOT taken off. Prep skis properly and if you don't know what that means- please ask. The rest of the team will be going for a group SKATE ski on the lower 5km trail and do 2 laps of the lower loop before venturing up to the lit loop and finishing their ski. I will need parental assistance with this group please.

Saturday(15): long slow ski- I recommend centre blue for this workout. Also, I recommend bringing a water bottle and snack. NOW- if you're planning on doing the loppet- then go for a 45 minute easy ski and do the loppet on Sunday! Push yourself and try the 10 or 20km. Just bring your water bottle and snacks for this one please! Have fun!! The Arctic Winter Games team leaves today: be at the airport for 11:30am please.

Sunday(16): Svensgaard Loppet!

Tuesday(18): If there's still snow to ski on, I'm assuming that it will be skate skiing weather. With parental support- I recommend intervals this day as we're still preparing for Sharkfest and need to get in some sprints and hill work.

Thursday(20): Skate- and a special workout will be provided this day for the team. Come with a good sense of adventure and a water bottle.

Saturday(22): Similar workout to the previous Saturday. If you can classic- go for it. If not, then skate and if need be- use the rock skis from the club. :S How quickly the snow melts.

I will be back in Grande Prairie on Sunday, March 23 and will update the blog that evening. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE- SHARKFEST:
Please remember that Sharkfest is the following weekend- with everyone leaving Grande Prairie on the Thursday evening hopefully and everyone being in Canmore for Friday to have a ski at Mt. Shark in the afternoon. Details to come on Tuesday, March 25 as we prep our skis and prep the kids for these races. Parent meeting will be Tuesday the 25th around 6pm while the kids are prepping their skis. If supper could be put together for this evening that would be really appreciated.

Thank you everyone for your support and assistance while I'm away for Arctics.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

March 3- March 9, 2014.

Well, sure hope you guys survived the deep freeze this weekend!!? What's up with winter this year? Anyhow- it's going to be a balmy -17 on Tuesday & Thursday; dress warmly please AND plus temps for the weekend…

Tuesday: Classic- bring a water bottle and holder as we won't be spending time at the lodge; as well as warm clothes, again, we won't be spending time at the lodge. I will need parent support for this practice please.

Thursday: Skate- see above for the notes!

Saturday: It's going to be +4… maybe time for our swimsuit ski?! Actually, we will have a hard skate practice for the hour and a half before and the last thirty minutes will be our swimsuit ski. Bring your swim suits and cameras!!! And your water bottles and snacks. :) And be prepared to work hard before the fun begins!!

This is our third build week- nice and hard, having said that we need to be careful with the cold temps so bring buffs and ski masks and we'll see what we can do!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

February 23-March 2, 2014.

We're heading into build week #2. Please let me know if you're sick as this will affect the training plan. Also, as I stated before- with only 3 weeks left with the full team and only 5 weeks left to the season, each training session is important and I'm not able to cover what was previously taught. We have lots to go over still and very little time. Therefore, it's important to not miss practice, if you do miss practice because of illness, drink lots of water and rest lots- email me and I will do an extra 30 minutes training session with you on the coming two Sundays (barring that I'm here this weekend & that you're feeling better).

Tuesday: Skate- working on hill technique, both up and down. Using those awesome intervals and such!:)

Thursday: Classic- it's supposed to be colder this evening- please dress appropriately for the weather. A few of the athletes will be preparing their skis for the Alberta Youth Championships in Bragg Creek. You will be preparing your skis after a 45min ski with the team. Wax to be determined as the weather keeps changing!! The rest of the team we will be doing some more tactic training as we did Thursday & Saturday last week.

Saturday: Skate- this practice is to be determined. If I am here, we will be doing something completely different to if I'm away. I will know by Tuesday and if you receive an email titled: "Saturday's practice" then you will know to read this and will therefore know what to expect for training!:) If I'm here- be ready to ski for the entire 2 hours!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

February 18-February 23, 2014.

Sorry this is late, we didn't get home until late last night. Hope you all had a great Family Day Weekend!

Tuesday: Skate, be ready to work hard!:)

Thursday: Classic skiing- come prepared to not be back at the lodge for the full evening.

Saturday: Classic again. Lots to work on this practice- also come prepared to not be returning to the lodge.


Sunday, February 9, 2014

February 10- February 16, 2014.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ALBERTA WINTER GAMES TEAM!!!

Well done athletes on some great racing and on bringing home some bling!! All 13 of you should be proud of your results and proud of what you accomplished at these games! I know that I sure am and it was REALLY hard being here and not with you!:)

A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO: Head Coach Jim, Coach Yolande and Coach Jake!!! Thank you so much for taking our awesome team to Canmore and for doing everything you did! Thank you for volunteering your time to do this and for encouraging the athletes every step of the way!! Athletes, please thank these amazing coaches!!!

Events to Come: 
*Please let me know if you're planning on attending the Alberta Youth Championships. 
*Please register your athlete for this event: https://zone4.ca/reg.asp?id=5602&lan=1&cartlevel=1
*Please read the event notice: http://www.xcountryab.net/dbfiles/415.pdf
*Please register yourselves, parents as a chaperone- 1 per every 2 kids preferably- this can be figured out at the team parent meeting on Thursday Feb 13 at 5:45. 

Important Team Name information: Grace has a new nickname- it's "bushwhacker"- ask her how she got this. :) AND Carla is now officially "pop ski"- again, ask her about her adventures this past week. :)

Tuesday: We are entering our last(ish) week of rest. Which means actively resting, not laying in bed and refusing to come to practice!;) We will be classic-ing this practice- dress warmly and come for a no-stopping, continuous team ski. I look forward to hearing about the journeys/adventures at the games.thletes please inform your parents about this one! :)

Thursday: We will be skate skiing today. Again, come for a no-stopping, continuous team ski. Team parent meeting on Thursday Feb 13 at 5:45 regarding Alberta Youth Championships. Athletes please inform your parents about this one! :)


Saturday: I will be away this practice, as some of you will also be. Happy family day weekend!! Please go for a long ski (skate or classic your choice) and practice great technique for the full two hours. Enjoy the journey and prizes to those who ski the farthest- you must be able to show me on a map where you went!! Happy Trails!

And remember: keep the black side down and the tips facing forwards!;)


Sunday, February 2, 2014

February 3 - 12, 2014.

It's Alberta Winter Games week!! 

Tuesday: Is going to be cold- dress warmly and everyone be prepared to go for a 30 minute classic ski. There is going to be two groups this day- those going (13 athletes) and those staying (12 athletes). Those who are staying in GP/not going to the games, I would like you to help those that are going to be madly waxing their skis and trying to get everything done on time. If you don't think you can help, then you are free to leave- unless you are a Junior aged athlete and I'd like you to stay and help make sure that the Mini-midget skiers and Midget skiers get their skis cleaned well enough to go into the ski bag. Skis that aren't cleaned well add an extra 30-45 minutes onto an already hectic waxing schedule that Jim will be doing solo this time around. Please make sure that those skis are clean!

Classic skis need to be cleaned and waxed with rex blue.
Skate skis need to be left in the furnace room AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE AT PRACTICE!!! This way we can get a head start on the skis. If you are done your classic skis and have time, we'd like you to apply LF4 to your classic skis. If you're inexperienced with this wax- please ask for help from the older athletes- it's not easy to put on or scrape off.

Bring both sets of equipment, your sleeping bag and if you have a large duffel bag- bring it please.
Can we please have 2 parents help with bag tags:
                           Bag Tags: We need one or two parents to organize luggage tags.  Jim will have the tags, and will 
                                      explain what to do on Tuesday.
Could we please have someone organize the food again?

I'd like to be done by 8:00pm again please- last time with Red Deer we were done by 7:30! Thank you to everyone who can help out!!

Thursday: Skate skiing. Dress appropriately for the weather!

Saturday: Skate skiing again- but bring your classic gear just in case we need to change. Bring food and water bottle as we won't be staying around the lodge.

Good luck to those attending the Alberta Winter Games this year!! Am super proud of you and looking forward to hearing how it goes!! The chaperones are there for you to listen too and follow their rules. Just because I won't be there doesn't mean you won' thane to do any burpies for doing silly things!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

January 27- February 2, 2014.

A huge congratulations goes out to the team for some awesome racing on Saturday!! Way to go guys, the conditions weren't the greatest, but you persevered and you all rocked it!! Amazing work to each and everyone of you! Thank you to all the parents that drove, organized, waxed, fed, cheered, started, skied with, finished, loved and helped all around to make this weekend a great weekend. It's too bad about today, but as we've seen from this, there's no control over the weather and we will enjoy those awesome race skis that are all waxed and ready… on Tuesday instead!!! Thank you Red Deer Nordic for hosting a great race- the environment of the event was fantastic and Les, you rocked with your announcing- thank you!

Where is the time going?! I'm starting to panic that we're running out of ski season!!! This season feels shorter than usual, by about 3 months and I'm not sure where the time is going. There is only a few days of training left before a group of you are going to Alberta Winter Games, then a few days of training and group going to Westerns potentially, then a few days of training and a group going to the Alberta Youth Championships in Bragg Creek, then a few days of training and 1/2 of the team will be going to the Arctic Winter Games, then a few days of training and it'll be Sharkfest in Canmore, then a few more days of training that will include our swimsuit edition ski and the team windup party… As I said- WHERE IS THE TIME GOING?!!

So- as you see- we have lots of things to do in a little bit of time.

Please email me if you are interested in the Youth Championships, hearing more about them or planning on going- they are for Atom to Midget athletes only. These are an 'all inclusive' event in a very relaxed environment that focuses more on the fun side of racing and the snowball fights, then just the racing that we typically see in AB Cup races.

Tuesday: Classic skiing

Thursday: Skate skiing- maybe classic, depending on how much snow falls on Wednesday. Basically, be prepared for either!

Saturday: I'd like to skate and we will be splitting up into a few different groups so if there's any parents available please let me know! Bring a snack and a water bottle for this workout.

Keep the black-side down and the tips facing forward!! Woohoo to a great week of training!!


Sunday, January 19, 2014

January 20-26th, 2014

Please register on www.zone4.ca for the Alberta Cup Races in Red Deer. Yes, it's warm there but we're still planning on going as they also had lots of snow before the warm weather and as much as I dislike klister… we'll be using it! If you haven't indicated that you're attending the races or not attending the races to Randy or myself- please do so ASAP- we need to know if you're coming or not coming. It's a great event and will be a lot of fun as it's been years, I mean years, since a race was hosted in Red Deer!! Very exciting!

Tuesday: Be prepared to stay until 8:00pm. Skis will be waxed and prepped at training in two groups. When you get to the lodge please start cleaning your classic skis and waxing them with Rex Blue and LF 8 or CH8 unless you're a juvenile or junior- then only do Rex blue. Your wax will be determined once we get to Red Deer. :) I will then have the juveniles and juniors go for a skate ski- and the midgets will continue to work on their skis. After their ski, the juniors and juveniles will come in and finish waxing their skis- depending on how quickly the mini midgets and midgets get their skis done, depends on if we will be skiing or not (it'll be skate skiing). Everything needs to be packed up and ready to go on Tuesday by 8pm. If skis aren't ready, they will be required to be transported by the athlete. Parents: please discuss transportation amongst yourselves- I'd hate for people to be driving down if they don't need to be, as well, we need someone to please take the lead on the hotels, Randy has booked stuff, but we need someone to put us into rooms please. I am also unsure of who exactly is coming and who isn't… please let use know!

Thursday: Most people will be on the road Thursday evening, traveling to Red Deer.

Friday: Meet at the Red Deer Nordic race site- Read the race notice: http://reddeernordic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AB-Cup-5-6-Race-Notice.pdf for directions and information at 1:00pm (?)- this may be earlier due to the weather, however the race notice says training is from 1-4… will see for this!

Saturday: Skate technique

Sunday: Classic technique and return to GP.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

January 13-20, 2014.

Great racing for those of you who raced the skiathlon in the 6 PAC!!! Appropriately chosen for a race today as that is what they were racing at the Olympic trials today in Canmore! What an awesome event and a great experience to see it and see people I've either trained with or trained, cross the finish line in first place and qualifying for the Olympics!! Amazing athletes and amazing families, coaches, wax technicians, volunteers and officials to pull off an event like that and I'm referring to our six PAC event! It all starts somewhere.:)

We're on week 2 of our build cycle:

Tuesday: Well we're going to try to classic ski. It'll be our last day for the week it seems judging by the crazy weather. Come early to wax your skis and we shouldn't have to use klister. Just some gooey wax.

Thursday: Skate practice

Saturday: Skate practice. It'll be splitting the team into two groups. I will work with one group for an hour while the other group is out skiing an then will work with the second group while the first group goes for a ski.

I sent an email out last week regarding races and knowing which athletes were going to be going to which events. I have heard back from one family. Please ensure your family responds. 

Sunday, January 5, 2014

January 6-January 12, 2014.

Super great to party with you guys at Coris' house! Thank you North, Davis and Coris for putting on a great party! Hope you guys stayed warm this chilly weekend and now we need to move forward as we have lots to train for!!!:)

Congratulations to everyone who raced!! Well done to all!

The Alberta Winter Games team:
(that we know so far- the people on the draw list will be placed hopefully within the coming week)

Mini-Midget Girls:
Hannah Lundstrom & Katie Bardak

Midget Girls:
Nicole Staples

Midget Boys:
Alex Malmsten, Jordan Lundstrom & Lyndon Brough

Juvenile Girls:
Emilie Davis

Juvenile Boys:
Zachary Malmsten, Patrick Davis & Mathieu Davis

Draw List:
Makena Pruden, Isabelle Hansen-Yang, Grace Bertozzi & Miranda Hopkins
Donovan Wallace, Kelan Lynch & Reese Switzer.

The Arctic Winter Games team: To Be Determined still. :)
 ______________________________________________

Tuesday: It's going to be chilly- but the good news is that it's forecasted to snow… be prepared to classic. :D (And shovel)

Thursday: Is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL!!!! Yay to skate skiing again- finally, and to a fabulous workout. Bring your water bottle and be ready to work hard!

Saturday: More snow, but we will try to skate again. Be prepared for a long, no stopping, even speed over a long distance ski- i.e.: Bring a snack and a full water bottle. Juniors and Juveniles will stick-ish together for this workout. Please write this down as I want to make sure you do the right workout!! Start with Burgess, Bootloop, Right at Big Antler Junction to the North parking lot where you will keep going straight onto North Blue, ski the camel back hills to little antler junction and 1/2 moon, up big dipper, down onto Sun Dog and around claw ridge, left onto Sidestream and up the lower 5km trails back into the lodge. This is 22km and will need to be done with even, zone 3 skiing, always ski with a partner and don't split up from your partner. Midgets/ Mini Midgets will ski Burgess, boot loop, 1/2 moon, big dipper, sun dog, claw ridge and highway 40 (lower electric avenue) for a total of 13.5km. It's a big day but I know you guys will be able to do it all!!
*I will need parent help this day please- skiing with the Midgets and Mini Midgets.

Sunday: If you get a chance I'd recommend a classic ski around full electric avenue please in zone 1.


March 25-31, 2024.

I am not really sure what happened to this season. It went by so quickly!! Thank you team for a great season and a very special thank you to...