GRP Ski: A Whirlwind Lake Placid Week
Seven of the GRP skiers just returned from a week-long camp in Lake Placid, NY. There’s nothing quite like travelling to make you happy to return home, but we also had an awesome week training with friends from the Stratton T2 team and the US Ski Team.
The week flew by, but was also jam-packed with activities: from Friday July 13th to Friday the 20th, 6 rollerskis including 3 intensity sessions, 3 long runs, and 3 hard strength sessions. Interspersed with the training was cooking, swimming, lounging on couches and in hammocks, watching an evening concert, watching part of the Harry Potter movie marathon on TV, mini golf, and lots of sleeping. The camp was a great opportunity to get together with the athletes of Stratton, and to train in new places with interesting variations on the workouts. The team sprint workout on Sunday was the first time this year that any of us had been on a rollerski track, and it’s always surprising how much different the turns and rollers of a track are from straight country roads!
For me personally, there were a few notable highlights to the camp. Our L3 skate rollerski workout on Thursday July 19th was a highly beneficial session, where I was able to work on skiing in a pack and the accelerations and pace changes that result from rolling terrain. I was pleased with how I was able to push through some early leg stiffness, start to relax, and catch back up to a fast group to ski out the rest of the 10×5 minute intervals. Another highlight was a long 4hr run around the Adirondacks to the top of Mt Marcy and out past Lake Colden and Avalanche Lake, treated to beautiful views of mountains and waterfalls. I did miss running with the women and catching up with them during the run, as I decided to run with the men’s group and be the map-reader to lead us around the loop, but we had an excellent and amusing run.
Lowlights… a camp wouldn’t be real without a few of those too. Smacking my shins on a wooden box during strength box jumps, and then falling and scraping my shin during a run; those two instances definitely take the cake for low points and extreme discomfort. Oh well, skin heals!
We’re back in Vermont now, finishing off our week of training with a 4hr OD this morning. I’m enjoying the easy lake access for swimming, the good pavement, visiting with our biathlete teammates, and seeing the latest progress on the dining hall renovation project. Next up — a restful Sunday and then 2 more big weeks of training coming soon!
Team sprint workout start. L-R of the skiers crouched to start: Lina Sutro (our GRP summer training partner), Kelsey Phinney, Liz Guiney, Katharine Ogden, Caitlin Patterson, Alayna Sonnesyn. Photo: Matt Whitcomb
Ida Sargent leads a loop of the Team Sprint workout, with Julia Kern, Sophie Caldwell and Jessie Diggins. Photo: Pat O’Brien
Ben Lustgarten charging around the sprint course at the Lake Placid rollerski track. Photo: Pat O’Brien
Both in pink tank-tops, Liz (back left) and Caitlin (front right) holding their own during the team sprint workout. Photo: Pat O’Brien
Let’s not forget our fearless leader, Pepa! Excellent coaching support for the camp, as usual! Pictured with L-R Adam, Ben, Akeo
Ben and the guys heading for the fire tower on Hurricane mountain
Starting the descent off Mt Marcy
Men’s cruise on rollerskis. Photo: Matt Whitcomb
Women’s double pole train on an easy distance session. Thanks to all the great athletes for sharing the road, and to the coaches for supporting our training! Photo: Matt Whitcomb