Xiahe Road is quiet and empty. Francis, Utah-2 miles from a remote area-is where I drink coffee and watch the sunrise on this particular morning. At the prompt at 8 o'clock in the morning, one after another vans came out of the first corner and parked next to myself to homogenize the choice of endurance cars. A man in a fluffy down jacket jumped from the lead car. On the back of his jacket read "American Ski Team".
Technically speaking, I have gone to Park City to complete the internship part of my Master of Sports Science. When I produce written content for Nordic Team Solutions (Newell’s online education platform for skiers, coaches and teams), I’ll provide four-time Olympian Andy Newell (Andy Newell) and his Bridger The ski foundation elite team provides guidance.
Unofficially, I'm here to follow a story-to learn more about the most important pre-season autumn training camp in this country's best Nordic skiers' race for the Olympic roster.
Deep down, I myself am also playing for the American ski team.
When I found my roller skates for a 2.5-hour skating lesson with about 60 young people, this absurd final thought reverberated strongly. There are very few jackets; the most envious of them.
The journey of putting on the latest Ralph Lauren opening suit was neither easy nor easy. By February, fans will digest a lot of stories about Jessie Diggins and Mikaela Shiffrin. Below are many "Rudy", their pursuit of the reputation of the Five Rings depends on their ability to seize opportunities, maintain unshakable inner beliefs and insatiable happiness in the pursuit. Like Pete, this childhood friend never wavered to support the unlikely goal of the ultimate Notre-Dame icon. He said sadly: "Well, you know what my father often said,'There are dreams It's what makes life tolerable.'"
This is what really brought me. I went to uncover the story of the dreamer.
For decades, national cross-country ski teams from the United States and Canada have come to Park City every October. The stadium of the Beijing Olympics is 1,700 meters above sea level. For American head coach Matt Whitcomb, cycling, running and skiing in the annual two-week autumn training camp are more important than ever.
"The actual physical training has been a huge success," he said of the camp in a recent interview on the Fasterskier.com podcast.
Whitcomb allows clubs of non-ski team athletes to plan key exercises with national members, thereby promoting the growth of the entire pipeline.
"An important thing about Park City is that this is an opportunity to bring the best club players together with the national team and really break the barriers of the team," he said.
Strong, lean, motivated men and women from Alaska Pacific University, Stratton Mountain School, Bridger Ski Foundation, Sun Valley, University of Utah, and other places put on their signature jackets and sponsors within a week The helmet was repaired by the manufacturer to improve speed, spacing and competition. Many people hope that Whitcomb employees will not forget it easily.
As the project matures, especially in the women's team, breakthroughs become more difficult. When entering the Finnish Luca World Cup opener at the end of November, the Nordic nerds had reason to be optimistic about the sugarcane spandex bundle. The 2018 Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins participated as the defending championship. This is the first time a Stars and Stripes female athlete has participated.
When the coaches got together to discuss the morning exercise, my observation—or admiration—was interrupted by my master for a week. Newell shook hands quickly, welcomed me and pulled me into his team's van. When he took the familiar—for him—course like an F1 racer, he gave me a low point in the meeting. My brain struggles to process his instructions and a wealth of information about anything, from a week’s schedule to general double pole mechanics, while learning lessons, paying attention to any potentially dangerous things I will take when the two of us park and slide back. Downhill group.
Newell is the soufflé who Tom Cruise meets Bode Miller, with a hint of doctor-sports scientist-guy icing on the top: gentle and sophisticated in conversation, talented and bold in innovation when skiing. When I tried to download any hills I expected he would send with all his strength, he chopped up and tore off fragments of impromptu backflips in remote areas-on skinny skis-hovering in my prefrontal cortex. Sure enough, 16% of the 600-meter behemoth was my starting point for camping. Newell baptized me with fire, hugged his feet violently with the brakeless death device, and began to warm up and descend.
I decided to proceed with caution. On the next 1,800-foot uphill, when I pass a group of skiers, my Leadville-trained lungs glow. After 2.5 hours of rolling over the perfect asphalt road in the gated community of Jiuzhongtian, this rarely used route was provided by the long-term relationship between the American team and the locals. I walked to Whitcomb and he was using his The camera captures incredible mountain peaks and fallen leaves. Despite my low level of skiing, Whitcomb called me by name and had real conversations on various topics, even mentioning a mutual friend who lives in my woods.
The conversation reminded me of my time in Maine. I am a first-year coach at a small university in the remote north, and it seems—perhaps technically—closer to the Arctic Circle than Colorado. I participated in a coaching conference in New Hampshire in my first month of work. Fearing to chat with the legendary coaches and athletes in attendance, I accidentally sat down for dinner next to Whitcomb. He might have quarreled with long-time club leaders and donors, but he listened to my abuse, saying that his journey from music teacher to ski instructor was like reuniting with a long-lost childhood friend.
The best way to describe him is to say that when hope is shattered and you fight to the end, he is the person you want to be in the bunker with you. He will be someone who inspires and instigates a 300-style performance, or he will be ready to use words to satisfy everyone's ears and bid farewell to life itself.
I remember an anecdote shared during an interview with current U.S. ski team members and 2020 NCAA champion Ben Ogden during the pandemic. Ogden is one of the young male candidates who won consecutive 4x10K relay gold medals at the 2019 and 2020 World Youth Championships, this is the country's first time. When he was a middle school student in an elite group camp in July, Whitcomb came up with a theme, "80 days of tenacity."
"I hope you do one thing every day to get you out of your comfort zone," Ogg registered coach's sermon. After that, the boys were enlarged.
"Everyone in that camp went out and started wrestling; Matt Whitcomb talked about being strong, which made us very excited." Even listening to Ogden's exciting retelling made me shudder. You want to join this team for a reason.
The free time on the recovery day is a leisurely 3-hour double pole training centered around the "Town Loop". Newell is one of the early maturing geniuses among men in Northern Europe in recent days. He came directly to Park City from the high school in Stratton Hill, Vermont, so he clearly distinguished his extensive training routes. If he has not received a formal university education, he will not show it. He is more likely to discuss the details of a recent scientific journal article about lactic acid accumulation than to say "Let’s send it, man!" The union of all people is an enjoyment worth observing. He took part in each exercise happily and ably, knowing when to slide away from the athletes and when to walk to the side to listen to them vent.
Sometimes, he is responsible for sympathizing with high-level skiers trying to break through the dilemma on the big stage. All his athletes in BSF are currently members of the non-ski team Whitcomb, and I am very happy to participate in the time trial, training and key training of this camp. However, they know the importance of jumping on the train before the train is too far off the track. Sometimes it feels more like Polar Express: only a few people have golden tickets.
Skiing is a mechanical sport that relies heavily on speed. Winners can use the fastest hand-selected planks, the most basic grinding options, and the largest selection of the most expensive high-fluorocarbon waxes--and the PhD who can choose the right combination of the three to minimize friction--final promotion A place where the rich in the system are richer. Young athletes who are fortunate enough to receive this support are in an advantageous position in regional and national competitions. When they win, they will be noticed. As a result, they get more support, which in turn helps them win the next game. Next.
For those who are late bloomers, it is difficult to break this cycle and qualify for the U.S. ski team group. This is an inherent problem of the sport, so it is not easy to solve. Fortunately, the national coaches, development coordinators and support staff are developing the program in the right way, first training the athlete as a person.
American ski and snowboard development manager Bryan Fish participated in many regional and national elite group camps to provide services to promising high school students, including a camp in Park City this week. He is very clear about the challenges of identifying young talents. A thorough study of the program’s coaching education curriculum showed that their main concern: the rational application of the athlete-first approach, which takes into account athlete’s age and "training age" to plan developmental training activities and competition schedules. For American skiing, it is to expand the foundation so that more people can enjoy the fun of skiing throughout their lives. Cultivating club teams, the Bill Koch program, high school leagues, the American College Ski Association and NCAA programs, as well as graduate teams like BSF are essential to the overall plan.
Nonetheless, athletes at the graduate level—perhaps their last chance to jump from the Super Tour regular season to World Cup starters—feel the pressure to put themselves in a position to confront current members of the national team. This is the background of a persuasive ride-hailing conversation between Newell, me, and an athlete later this week. We are on the way to the Soldier Hollow roller ski track, with the American team members at "speed" (15-30 seconds of high-intensity burst on different terrain). Although most people choose to give up this opportunity, this person, a person who has won the NCAA National Championship multiple times, feels that it is in her best interest to be seen.
On the way to the venue of the 2002 Olympic Games, she vented her disappointment in the competition in her junior year. The pair of skis she picked from the Boulder Nordic display stand had no chance of winning in the quiver of skis carefully selected by competitors, which were specially polished with stone. "If I were in the top three on that day-instead of 10th-I would be invited to the regional training camp," she said, seeming to beg Newell's approval. After outlining the butterfly effect on her career, she concluded: "Now, I am looking outside."
The qualifications of the Olympic team depend on a combination of objective and discretionary standards, but some of these objective requirements involve World Cup results. Preparing bibs for these people is not like registering Birkie. It can be said that you have to give Tom Hanks your golden ticket and have already taken the Polar Express to sip thick hot chocolate.
The reality these athletes face and the pursuit of common goals have enhanced the cohesion of BSF. I have witnessed this close-knit culture throughout the week as the athletes train on their ridge mansion base. During the short 4-hour respite between the morning town cycle roller skiing and the scheduled afternoon run and strength training, the athletes in sweatpants and sweatshirts will have a hot drink and then settle down for graduate courses, part-time work, and sponsorship. Exhibition activities or intense sports in the basement of billiards games.
Hannah Rudd needs to write a blog post for EnjoyWinter in the world. For Graham Houtsma, a native of Aspen, it is entering customer data into a spreadsheet for his boss. For Lauren Jortberg, these are several phone conversations with a consulting company she works for — her boss is Newell's wife. Reid Goble (Reid Goble) overcame dizziness in the roller skating sprint on the second day and entered the top five. This was a consultation with Newell on potential sponsors. Logan Diekmann came out of the basement and agreed to invite his girlfriend Grayson Murphy to participate in the running activities the next morning. I jokingly asked him if he thought the former Ute and the 2019 world mountain running champion and XTERRA trail running world champion could keep up.
After exercising in the rain at 4 pm, Jortberg, Goble and Rudd hurriedly prepared a dinner for the hungry people. Jortberg is the mother in the kitchen, making sure to assign the task of preparing meals at the beginning of the day and execute them when needed. At the beginning of the meal, the table was basically quiet because the food was shoveled away. Once the calories are replaced, the conversation begins.
Share the story of the day, past games and internal jokes. Suddenly, all eyes flocked to a mouthful of Goble, his face flushed, indicating that he only needs to pay attention. "Only when you are eating with your family, are you like this?" Someone asked sarcastically, referring to his quiet but joking temper.
Later, Finn O'Connell, a graduate of the University of Vermont who grew up in Steamboat, made a juicy statement related to the game, which caused the biggest laughter, which quieted the table, all All eyes were on him, and then he continued to swallow an original carbohydrate-filled mixture: a forgotten enchilada remnant, avoiding his mouth on the first detour, piled high in a pile A huge double-layer wheat bread on a plate. Everyone at the table hung in silence, dealing with the devoured creation they had witnessed, and then burst into laughter in chorus. However, for an athlete who burns 5,500 calories a day, it is perfectly normal to help add an evening snack one hour later-a pile of cereal, granola, yogurt, berries, and peanut butter Matt Stoni may not be able to eat it all.
When most of the team returned to the kitchen and bar for late night energy replenishment, Newell traveled frequently and had extensive knowledge of all things related to Nordic culture, which told me that this is part of the long tradition in Norwegian skiing legends. During the endless 22-hour training week, I went back to the refrigerator to get more cultural verification of almond milk and oatmeal, which made me feel gratified.
Looking at the athletes preparing for another cycle of eating, sleeping, training, and repetition, I remembered that in the pursuit of excellence, the definition of success and the journey to success are everything. This is the silence of a road, waiting for skiing. The rising sun invites you to attack the next day, the next goal, the next dream.
The business development manager in this demanding role is responsible for the development of new customers (owners) and the development of Summit Mountain...
Colorado Mountain News Media is looking for part-time/full-time drivers! Full-time: 5 nights a week, there may be no CDL experience on weekends and holidays...
Design Mechanical, Inc Breckenridge. Now recruit skilled HVAC/R technicians for more than 5 years. Competitive salary ranges start at $30 and offer signing bonuses. must…
Join our award-winning team to create a better Eagle County for everyone! Full-time position: Executive Legal Assistant-Up to 36 USD/hour Early...
Vail Backcountry Tours is currently recruiting new positions for the upcoming winter, including: tour guides, support staff and reservations. Work…
We are looking for a full-time retail sales assistant to join our new RAD team in Vail Village! a lot of…
BS requirements. Can be certified in teaching.
Now accepting applications from full-time professional assistant managers in the busy full-service car wash and speed details...
Aspen Valley Ranch is looking for two experienced construction maintenance technicians to assist in maintaining the ranch. Previous…
High-end private transportation company looking for drivers. Must have driving skills, personable, punctual, self-starting, problems...
C&C Plumbing & Mechanical is looking for a service technician, a plumber and a tin worker. We provide competitive salary, PTO,...
Hiring! PT/FT: front desk butler maintenance
Assistant Store Manager-Lone Star (Breckenridge), Snowflake (Copper) & Snake River (Keystone) WAREHOUSE TECH / DRIVERSales-Hardgoods /…
The Director of Corporate Relations is responsible for the creative development, design, implementation and evaluation of corporate fundraising strategies, as well as...
Competitive PayStart for light preparation, dishwashing and cooking starts immediately
UPS is hiring! Multiple positions PT Parcel Center Supervisor (PT, permanent; 24.20 USD/hour.) Warehouse worker-parcel handler (PT, permanent; 22 USD/hour.) Preloading (MF, 3:00...
Winter recruitment CUSTOMER CARE online and telephone sales, day shift transportation assistant picking and packing, day shift and night shift replenishment assistant part-time night shift MARKING ASSOCIATE...
Looking for professionals to join our team: Bell PersonConciergeNight Manager Benefits: Competitive salary, well-paid benefits, health plans, discounted bus passes, apply online at careers.timbersresort...
Full-time CDL propane delivery driver in Granby, Colorado. Must have dangerous goods and tanker approval. Up to $30 each...
Are you easy to smile? Do you like a fast-paced environment? Crew opportunities are $19-21 per hour. No experience required. Promotion opportunity bonus plan...
Thursday H: 36° L: 6°
Friday H: 49° L: 19°
Saturday High: 47° Length: 23°
Sun H: 49° L: 24°
Monday H: 55° L: 24°
Submit a request to update the crime story
Do not sell my personal information