Most people reading this already know that Walt is taking the year off to focus on qualifying for the Olympics in biathlon. Naturally, such an ambitious goal requires an ambitious training plan. Last spring, we had a few conversations with USOC physiologist Jay T. Kearney in which we discussed Walt's strengths and weaknesses and how they might shape his training plan. We determined that Walt needed to make a significant increase in his VO2max in order to have a shot at the Olympics. To address this need, Jay T outlined an aggressive VO2max building plan based on his research with nordic combined skiers and kayakers. The plan was simple and brutal: 3 workouts each week of 5x5min treadmill intervals at VO2max (speed and grade determined by testing), alternating with 3 weekly threshold rollerski sessions of 30 min each. Walt did this routine in 3 blocks of 3 weeks each, with a couple weeks of lower intensity, higher volume training between blocks. He completed the protocol about 3 weeks ago, and I'm pleased to report that we did indeed see some major VO2max gains - an increase of about 12%, which is quite high for an already well-trained athlete. As importantly, Walt gained some serious mental toughness training and confidence from completing one of the toughest training protocols I've ever heard of (lots of skiers are doing blocks that are more densely packed with intensity sessions, but the blocks are usually shorter and spaced out by several weeks).
As you've probably guessed, there are plenty of risks associated with such an intense training plan. Lots of skiers have experimented with intensity blocks, and many have crashed and burned. Obviously, we felt that the risk was justified - Walt has amazing shooting ability, good technique, and a solid fitness base, but his engine just wasn't big enough to compete at the highest level. So far, so good. It's still very possible that Walt could break down as the season goes on, or just peak early and be fried for the races that count. However, we're feeling pretty good about where things stand at this point. Walt's feeling great in training, and he's held his own in recent workouts with other Olympic hopefuls. The hard part is over, and from here on it's just a matter of maintaining the VO2max gains and translating them into an increase in actual skiing speed (by choosing treadmill running over rollerski hill repeats, we sacrificed some specificity in favor of more precise control over workloads - this means that more fast rollerskiing is needed now). Volume is a little higher, and intensity is a lot lower - Walt says that his 2 weekly intensity workouts feel like a walk in the park now. We'll find out soon enough how well the plan worked. Walt is headed out to Soldier Hollow for a few weeks of training with the national team, culminating in a pair of rollerski time trials that will partially determine who goes to the early season World Cup races - an important first step toward qualifying. Keep an eye on the US Biathlon site for updates.
So, if Walt goes to the Olympics will I put the rest of the team on this plan next year? Absolutely not! First, this kind of training requires a big base - Walt is 26 and has been doing solid (if not huge) volume for several years. An 18-22 year old college student would have a hard time absorbing this kind of training. Second, 3 months of treadmill intervals is soul-crushing - you'd better have a pretty urgent need for this kind of training before sacrificing the joys of outdoor training for stale air and CNN. I want my athletes to love skiing when they graduate. We'll do our share of VO2max training - a bit more than we've done in the past - but building a fitness base through volume and threshold work will remain our priority, regardless of how things go for Walt.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Team That Spells "Colman" Together Stays Together
Here's Sanville:
Many outsiders to the Nordic Ski Team world wonder how we can call ourselves a team sport in the same way that football and soccer call themselves team sports. Despite what many endurance athletes contend, this is in fact a legitimate question, and the simple answer is that we’re not. In skiing there is no ball to pass, no assist to be had. For the most part we don’t even do relays. Though skiing with a teammate in a race is a nice morale boost, it isn’t intrinsically part of the sport, and even though our times and places are pooled to create a team score, success or failure is the aggregate of individual efforts, not the result of a team effort within the race.
However, to say that skiing isn’t a team sport is to tragically misunderstand it, and a much more complicated answer exists. I offer last Saturday as proof. Last Saturday the Bowdoin Cross Country team had a meet at Pineland Farms, an area not too far from
The pounding of feet altered us to their approach, and sure enough, there was Colman at the front of the pack, face set, grim in cross country concentration. “Go Colman!” we screamed, “Hiyah, Hiyah, Hiyah!” For a second his focus broke and we were gifted with the happiest, most rewarding grin I’ve ever seen, and then, he was gone. We quickly tried to arrange ourselves for Scott, which we unfortunately didn’t think through very well, having the back letters in a different order. Not a moment too soon, Scott cruised by us as we shouted ourselves hoarse at him. Unlike Colman though, he suffered no such moment of weakness. As we sprinted back to try and catch the finish, I heard one of our fellow spectators tell her husband, “Now that’s what it’s all about.”
And she was right. That is what being on a ski team is all about. It’s about having a group of people around you that do what you do, love what you love, and truly understand like no one else can, the work, pain, and sweat that you’ve put into this sport. It’s about how much more wonderful practicing together is than practicing alone, about someone being there to celebrate with when you’ve had a good race and commiserate with when you’ve had a bad one. We may have no ball to pass, but I guarantee that come race day, each and every one of us would perform significantly worse if we had trained alone all season. It’s about pushing each other to the very limits of your endurance. And perhaps most importantly, it’s about waking up at balls-o’clock in the morning, covering ourselves with purple magic marker (which despite vigorous scrubbing, still hasn’t come off), and screaming “hiyah, hiyah, hiyah” until our voices give out. Without a doubt, Nordic skiing is a team sport, and for me it is one of the greatest aspects of the sport, both on and off the snow.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Buck Center
The Peter Buck Center for Health and Fitness opened on Tuesday. This is a huge leap forward not only for Bowdoin Athletics but for the campus as a whole - it's a beautiful, spacious facility with a wide array of resources. Bowdoin does a great job of supporting a culture of physical fitness and overall wellness, and this building will do a lot to further that cause. Read the press release here.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Fall Meeting Notes
On Monday I went to the EISA Fall Meeting at Middlebury. Mostly just nuts and bolts, but there were two very significant developments:
1. UMaine-Presque Isle was officially accepted as an EISA member - sweet! They've been racing in a few EISA races here and there over the last few years, but now they'll be racing the full schedule and contending for NCAA spots like the rest of us. It's always a good thing when a school adds a ski program or increases its level of support, especially at a time when other programs are being cut or threatened. The fact that we've added a fellow Maine school to the league is even better.
2. AMAZING donuts were served at the meeting. Ignorant people might not consider this noteworthy, but it is - anything pertaining to donuts is noteworthy. Judging by my very limited sample, I think it's possible that I may have to reassess my Top 5 list of donut shops. This is a big deal, people! Apparently these donuts were from a local bagel shop, so I'll have the chance to do further research when we head there for Regionals this winter.
1. UMaine-Presque Isle was officially accepted as an EISA member - sweet! They've been racing in a few EISA races here and there over the last few years, but now they'll be racing the full schedule and contending for NCAA spots like the rest of us. It's always a good thing when a school adds a ski program or increases its level of support, especially at a time when other programs are being cut or threatened. The fact that we've added a fellow Maine school to the league is even better.
2. AMAZING donuts were served at the meeting. Ignorant people might not consider this noteworthy, but it is - anything pertaining to donuts is noteworthy. Judging by my very limited sample, I think it's possible that I may have to reassess my Top 5 list of donut shops. This is a big deal, people! Apparently these donuts were from a local bagel shop, so I'll have the chance to do further research when we head there for Regionals this winter.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Pink is the Fastest Color
Wilson is spending the semester in Peru - here's his latest:
Cusco, Peru, is of course an incredible city. It is situated in the heart of the Andes at 11,000 feet and was once the center of the Incan empire. The city extends from one end of the valley to the other, probably about an hour long drive. I have been working with a small school that provides a free education and is exceptionally accomodating to the families, many of whom are single parents and all of whom are incredibly poor. My first weekend here I hiked up into the mountains. On the Eastern side the mountains are lower, but completely classical Andean. Just wandering by myself, with no directions, I found myself in a canyon with a small stream that cut completely unique shapes into the side. A solid three hours after starting my adventure I reached the top of the canyon where I saw free ranging sheep and alpacas; a bit further and there was a group of Indian children who were clearly terrified of me.
My second adventure into the mountains occurred not much later and this time on the western side where the peaks are more prominent. Again there were no directions and no trail signs, so I just took the bus as far west as it would take me and that is where I began my hike. I got higher and higher in the neighborhoods, but there was no clear break where I could begin hiking (trail or not) so I just kept wandering. At the top of the houses I thought I saw a way into the trees but as I started in I saw an older woman so I decided to ask for the way. I quickly realized that she only spoke Quetchua (the Indian language) but through signs she was able to tell me that this trail went nowhere and that I needed to backtrack a bit and so on. I found a way that started up and hit a road that resembled the access roads that we have in the mountains in the states, so of course I followed it. Shortly however I saw a pallet of adobe bricks so I got a bit nervous that I was treading on someones property... and of course that was the exact moment that I heard the sound of two dogs standing up. I just ran. Of course I can't out run guard dogs so I picked up some rocks and just started throwing them while I continued to run. It was probably up there in the most terrifying moments of my life. The rest of the hike was fortunately much less eventful, switching from trails to bushwacking before coming out of the trees. The top was a beautiful Andean peak - there is something really gorgeous about the short brown grass that coats all of the mountains here. Everyone talks about how unfair of an advantage the locals have in the mountains because they live at this altitude, but of course I don't accept that. On the way up I caught a group a Peruvians and totally housed them to the top... I'm pretty awesome.
Unfortunately, that has really been the extent of my adventuring. The majority of my time is spent working with the kids at the school here (by the way, I am volunteering at a school called Helping-Hands Cusco). Also I have had a cold that I haven't been able to shake for the past two weeks... probably the swine. And unfortunately I cannot run because the horrible horrible dogs, who are all incredibly gross and chase you if you are so much as walking fast. There is just no way I can run here and it is driving me mad. But today was a bit of an exception. Today the San Sebastian district of Cusco (where I am living) had a huge running race. The master blasters of the states would have been breathing fire. The race started an hour and 45 minutes late. Also about a mile in to the course it took a 180 turn and about 3/4 of the participants cheated and went down the stairs beforehand (about a 45 second advantage). They said that it was 8 K... but it was probably more like 6. They didn't give you a finishing time or place. But we all got shirts. In total I have more excuses than I know what to do with for being slow today, but it was a bit humbling to be running with some slightly older Peruvian men. The three year old daughter of the project manager here gave me some great racing advice however. First, pink is the fastest color. Second, you always need to bring your purse while you race (she didn't tell me that but I am learning by example). Finally it is always important to run your own race, being pushed in the carriage doesn't count (she threw a very large tantrum about sitting in the carriage).
Well with the lack of running and moving in general I am getting a bit stir crazy here. So the plan right now is to head out on Wednesday or Thursday to Arequipa (the second largest city in Peru) and then on to Cotahuasi Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world by some measurements, on Friday. There I'll be doing a solo 7ish day trip through the canyon. But there is a bit more that I have to figure out before I can do that.
Well, I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting the freshmen in January! I guess I kinda forfeited the Sophomore Responsibility contest by forgetting to show up to Bowdoin... a bit worse then the classic Sanville-van-chasedown.
I hope everything is wonderful in Maine!
Cusco, Peru, is of course an incredible city. It is situated in the heart of the Andes at 11,000 feet and was once the center of the Incan empire. The city extends from one end of the valley to the other, probably about an hour long drive. I have been working with a small school that provides a free education and is exceptionally accomodating to the families, many of whom are single parents and all of whom are incredibly poor. My first weekend here I hiked up into the mountains. On the Eastern side the mountains are lower, but completely classical Andean. Just wandering by myself, with no directions, I found myself in a canyon with a small stream that cut completely unique shapes into the side. A solid three hours after starting my adventure I reached the top of the canyon where I saw free ranging sheep and alpacas; a bit further and there was a group of Indian children who were clearly terrified of me.
My second adventure into the mountains occurred not much later and this time on the western side where the peaks are more prominent. Again there were no directions and no trail signs, so I just took the bus as far west as it would take me and that is where I began my hike. I got higher and higher in the neighborhoods, but there was no clear break where I could begin hiking (trail or not) so I just kept wandering. At the top of the houses I thought I saw a way into the trees but as I started in I saw an older woman so I decided to ask for the way. I quickly realized that she only spoke Quetchua (the Indian language) but through signs she was able to tell me that this trail went nowhere and that I needed to backtrack a bit and so on. I found a way that started up and hit a road that resembled the access roads that we have in the mountains in the states, so of course I followed it. Shortly however I saw a pallet of adobe bricks so I got a bit nervous that I was treading on someones property... and of course that was the exact moment that I heard the sound of two dogs standing up. I just ran. Of course I can't out run guard dogs so I picked up some rocks and just started throwing them while I continued to run. It was probably up there in the most terrifying moments of my life. The rest of the hike was fortunately much less eventful, switching from trails to bushwacking before coming out of the trees. The top was a beautiful Andean peak - there is something really gorgeous about the short brown grass that coats all of the mountains here. Everyone talks about how unfair of an advantage the locals have in the mountains because they live at this altitude, but of course I don't accept that. On the way up I caught a group a Peruvians and totally housed them to the top... I'm pretty awesome.
Unfortunately, that has really been the extent of my adventuring. The majority of my time is spent working with the kids at the school here (by the way, I am volunteering at a school called Helping-Hands Cusco). Also I have had a cold that I haven't been able to shake for the past two weeks... probably the swine. And unfortunately I cannot run because the horrible horrible dogs, who are all incredibly gross and chase you if you are so much as walking fast. There is just no way I can run here and it is driving me mad. But today was a bit of an exception. Today the San Sebastian district of Cusco (where I am living) had a huge running race. The master blasters of the states would have been breathing fire. The race started an hour and 45 minutes late. Also about a mile in to the course it took a 180 turn and about 3/4 of the participants cheated and went down the stairs beforehand (about a 45 second advantage). They said that it was 8 K... but it was probably more like 6. They didn't give you a finishing time or place. But we all got shirts. In total I have more excuses than I know what to do with for being slow today, but it was a bit humbling to be running with some slightly older Peruvian men. The three year old daughter of the project manager here gave me some great racing advice however. First, pink is the fastest color. Second, you always need to bring your purse while you race (she didn't tell me that but I am learning by example). Finally it is always important to run your own race, being pushed in the carriage doesn't count (she threw a very large tantrum about sitting in the carriage).
Well with the lack of running and moving in general I am getting a bit stir crazy here. So the plan right now is to head out on Wednesday or Thursday to Arequipa (the second largest city in Peru) and then on to Cotahuasi Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world by some measurements, on Friday. There I'll be doing a solo 7ish day trip through the canyon. But there is a bit more that I have to figure out before I can do that.
Well, I am looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting the freshmen in January! I guess I kinda forfeited the Sophomore Responsibility contest by forgetting to show up to Bowdoin... a bit worse then the classic Sanville-van-chasedown.
I hope everything is wonderful in Maine!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
New Assistant Coach Tim Whiton
I'm pleased to announce that we've hired Tim Whiton as our new assistant coach. Tim graduated from Bates in 2009 with a double major in History and Political Science. He had a successful ski career at Bates and Gould Academy, highlighted by a top-10 finish in the 2008 EISA Championship classic race and a victory in the inaugural Bretton Woods Marathon last March. Tim brings a wealth of ski knowledge to the team - he'll be a great asset to the program, and we're thrilled to have him joining us!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Incoming Skiers
Now that everyone's back on campus and things have settled down a bit, we have a pretty clear picture of our roster for the year. We've had a number of changes - here's the list of newcomers:
Jessica Caron - Fort Kent, ME
James Crimp - Anchorage, AK
Emma James - Avon, ME
Rainer Kenney - Brandon, VT
Will McCartney - Sudbury, MA
Tom Ryan - Portland, ME (sophomore transfer)
Yasmine White - Arcata, CA (current Bowdoin student - junior)
Hannah Wright - Rutland, VT
This is a great group - they've all been successful at the state level, and some have put up good results at Junior Nationals or Eastern HS Championships as well. Expect to see several of these skiers on the carnival team. Overall, we're in a great position to take another step forward this year. I can't wait to start working with this team! Official practices start Oct. 6th.
PS - Perceptive Bowdoin Nordic fans will note that I'm finally getting my wish with two Vermonters on the team - this is good.
Jessica Caron - Fort Kent, ME
James Crimp - Anchorage, AK
Emma James - Avon, ME
Rainer Kenney - Brandon, VT
Will McCartney - Sudbury, MA
Tom Ryan - Portland, ME (sophomore transfer)
Yasmine White - Arcata, CA (current Bowdoin student - junior)
Hannah Wright - Rutland, VT
This is a great group - they've all been successful at the state level, and some have put up good results at Junior Nationals or Eastern HS Championships as well. Expect to see several of these skiers on the carnival team. Overall, we're in a great position to take another step forward this year. I can't wait to start working with this team! Official practices start Oct. 6th.
PS - Perceptive Bowdoin Nordic fans will note that I'm finally getting my wish with two Vermonters on the team - this is good.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Important News
It's been a slow news week for Bowdoin Skiing, but that's all over now. Summer break is over, which means that it's time to announce the final Sophomore Men Responsibility Rankings. Here's how it all went down:
Sanville jumped out to an early lead and never looked back - he buried the field and cruised to an easy win. Polasky and Spencer were locked in a tie for the better part of the summer before Polasky broke away to claim a solid second. Could Spencer hold on for third? No! Wilson, the early favorite for Comeback Skier of the Year, overtook him with a strong late season effort, leaving Spencer languishing in fourth. Sadly, Scott and Woody stayed mired in the basement throughout the summer, providing no basis for distinguishing between the two of them.
So, it's official: Sanville is the most responsible sophomore man on the team, and thus he'll be our chosen driver in any emergency situation.
Sanville jumped out to an early lead and never looked back - he buried the field and cruised to an easy win. Polasky and Spencer were locked in a tie for the better part of the summer before Polasky broke away to claim a solid second. Could Spencer hold on for third? No! Wilson, the early favorite for Comeback Skier of the Year, overtook him with a strong late season effort, leaving Spencer languishing in fourth. Sadly, Scott and Woody stayed mired in the basement throughout the summer, providing no basis for distinguishing between the two of them.
So, it's official: Sanville is the most responsible sophomore man on the team, and thus he'll be our chosen driver in any emergency situation.
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