So what exactly have I been up to? Well first off, we started our season training the beginning of April. It was right around then that we did our first VO2 max test. For the first intensity of the year, I was really happy with the numbers and how the tests went. I scored my second highest Vo2 max(81) test of my young career which will only get better as the summer goes on. At the beginning of May I moved into a new place, that I am very excited about. I managed to find a HOUSE 2x the size of my apartment I was renting last year for cheaper. I moved in with my good friend Logan Oxford, and my old roommate Ben Fick. Also joining us is Up and coming Nordic combined athlete Ben Berend. Ben Berend is extremely talented for only being 19. I am looking forward to training with him and watching him grow as a promising skier.
Also, May means May Term at Westminster College. I am looking forward to a full summer and fall of classes and continuing my education at this amazing school. With a summer mostly in Park City, due to the lack of funding for training camps in Europe, I have sat down with my academic adviser and made a plan for classes for the next year. Lets say that I am well on my way to graduating in 5+ years of college.
A Couple weeks ago, I went up to Bend Oregon for the Pole Pedal Paddle. This is one of those adventure races where there are multiple legs during the race. Last year was the first year I did it, and it was safe to say I had the time of my life. Not only do I get to do a Cross country race in Mid May, but it end up being a personal training camp on snow. This year we got tons of skiing in on perfect tracks. I also went mountain biking for the first time since last summer, and even got a round of 18 holes in with the USA Biathlon team. I am already looking forward to next years race!
Lastly, I have been Biking a lot again. I honestly feel that it is one of the best methods for early season training. It pushes me to be more fit but also gives me something to strive for during the long summer. This past weekend, I entered myself into a Pro 1/2 Stage race. During the road race, I attacked the field on my own and was off the front for over 50 miles. At one point I had a lead of three minutes and felt great. Unfortunately, it was very windy and hot and being out in the wind by yourself is very difficult. With about 20 miles left in the race the field caught me and dropped me right away and it was all I could do to ride back to my car.
In the next week, we will start jumping again on the Normal hill. I am looking forward to a new summer of jumping and fixing everything that didn't go well last year on the hill.
Stay tuned as I am going to update a lot more this summer and try to do it with more pictures of yours truly training!