Hi All,
It’s Luke here with an update on the week. The quiet period in North American racing after U.S. Nationals offered a nice opportunity to settle back into the Bozeman groove and get some quality training in. Even though Bozeman hasn’t had a fruitful snow harvest in a while, we are fortunate that the groomers at Crosscut are maintaining a quality track. In addition, the Lone Mountain Ranch trails near Big Sky and the Rendezvous Trails in West Yellowstone have plenty of snow and great terrain.
Saturday called for a snow-foraging trip to West Yellowstone. The three-meter snowbanks were slightly enviable, but the skiing was mint. The Rendezvous Trails are relaxed and meandering, making for a great environment for an easy classic ski (also a prosperous master-blaster habitat). The day was capped off with a burger and fries from a local lunch spot. The Rendezvous Trails also featured a self-service ticket-purchasing machine (pictured below)—a rarity in the Nordic world, but a convenient alternative to traditional in-person or online options.
On Wednesday, the team drove to the Lone Mountain Ranch (LMR) trails for a classic interval session. It was my first time skiing at LMR, and I was impressed by the trails: lots of twists and turns, steep climbs, and nice views of the surrounding landscape. Our session was 8 × 5 minutes in L3, and due to the higher elevation we kept the effort controlled. The long, steep hills provided a great opportunity to focus on diagonal striding technique. Personally, I was thinking about maintaining a snappy kick in sync with my arm swing. After the session, we treated ourselves to complimentary hot chocolate and peppermint marshmallows in the LMR lobby, delicious. There were also some cute horses hanging out near the parking lot (pictured below).
On Thursday afternoon, a few of the pro team athletes helped out at the local BSF practice at Lindley Park. I joined the Rainbow Group (grades 3–4) for a session focused on skate jump drills. In many ways, it felt just like a pro team practice: about half the group forgot their gloves, and motivation was primarily driven by the promise of Sour Patch Kids. We wrapped up with a game of capture the flag and some pop-up tag. Helping out with the session was a great way to connect with the Bozeman Nordic community and meet the younger skiers.
Saturday’s session was skate intervals at Crosscut. Since Bozeman received a new dusting of snow, a couple of new trails were groomed at Crosscut and served as our loop for intervals. We did 4 × 10 minutes in L3, with the final 10 minutes structured as 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off to increase speed and intensity quality. We finished the session with a few speeds. Practicing speeds after intervals is important for getting used to moving quickly under fatigue. With a solid block of training behind us, the focus now shifts toward the upcoming stretch of racing.
Some members of the BSF Pro Team are traveling to Canmore next week to compete in Canadian FIS races. These races serve as the qualifying events for the Canadian World Junior and U23 teams, so for me, as a Canadian, they are particularly important. The schedule includes a 10 km classic, a 20 km skate mass start, and a skate sprint. To follow the results, check zone4.ca. After Canmore, the Boulder Mountain Tour, a 30 km skate race in Sun Valley, is on deck in early February, followed by the Minneapolis SuperTours and the Birkie.
That’s a quick overview of some key sessions from the Pro Team’s week in Bozeman. Looking forward to what’s ahead.
Luke
