Fall update

Deep breath! It is a nice relief to finally have enough free time to just sit down in front of my computer without anything immediate on my schedule. As a winter athlete, fall season is pivotal in bringing everything together that you worked the last five months to build. All the gym strength, all the slow and deliberate shooting, all the long rollerskis staying focused on technique over the summer need to come together and contribute to the overall goal. Fall for me is about tweaking and fine tuning the body so it is running perfect come the end of November. Of course that means hard training but what is often over looked (even by athletes) is taking no risks, having a near perfect diet, and doing everything possible to recover and stay healthy. It’s not worth staying up late and getting a cold to lose an edge you've been working all year to gain. Some of the efforts I've made are that I've cut down my work hours, committed to proper eating schedule based around my training, and nap most days to make sure that I’m rested going from session to session and week to week. Proper recovery is underestimated by most people I talk to outside of sport but it is in fact one of the major components to performing. It comes down to lifestyle and doing everything you can do to improve. Recovery on a day-to-day basis is essential but also after completing a thirty hour training week, a full rest day or active recovery day is certainly deserved too!  

With the season approaching, I’ll be heading to snow in a few weeks and have my first race at the end of November. North American Cup #1 (November 24-25) in Canmore will be the qualification race for the IBU Cup #2 tour (Estonia and Russia) which I am aiming to qualify for. But for now I am enjoying the crisp mornings and amazing fall colours for the last few weeks I can! 

Cheers and thanks for following!

NFA Continues Support!

The National Firearms Association has continued their phenomenal support for the fifth year running.To Sheldon Clare president and NFA members and supporters I am inexplicably thankful for your support. I look forward to representing the NFA at a local, provincial, national, and international level. I would not be able to perform at the level that I do without their help. I encounter many expenses that I must overcome in order to achieve my goals. I truly appreciate the NFA’s dedication to youth in sport, marksmanship and biathlon. I am very grateful. The support was for $2500 and will make NFA my biggets sponsor since they began sponsoring me in 2008!

Training Transitions

Time to put my bike addiction aside 'till next year. I finished my last bike race of the year with a 5th place in the Alberta Superweek: Jason LaPierre Memorial Hill Climb (August 10th-pictures below). Ill admit, I was disappointed with the result (http://zone4.ca/results.asp?ID=5023&cat=304) but all in all had one of my most rewarding summers yet, finishing the year in Category 3. I'm excited to pick up where I left off in April but for now my focus and goals are winter-based! 

So, for the Fall I have one goal and one requirement. My goal is to give all my efforts to Biathlon and get the most out of the training left before hitting the snow. My requirement is to make enough money to do so. Its a fine balance but I'm up for the challenge and honestly the excitement of racing makes the hard work and sacrifices back ground noise. I'm working a part time job this Fall at the Canmore Golf Course and with the support from my awesome sponsors I cant wait to get on snow and do what I love!

photo credit: Masa Higuchi

National Firearms Association and the Prince George Ramada have literally made it possible for me to race this year with their support! Thanks also to Devinci, Rudy Project, and Icebreaker for supporting my cycling and biathlon season...at least I look good! Cheers

Thanks Ramada Prince George!!

Thumbs up for Prince George! This year I am more than  grateful to have the support of Ramada Prince George as I continue to pursue my goals in Biathlon! It is exciting to see a big business in Prince George establish their interest in our community leading up to the 2015 Canada Winter Games to be hosted in PG. I have attended two CWGs (2007 and 2011) and I know first hand the inevitable excitement and energy they bring to a city. A big shout out to Ramada Prince George for their support and involvement in our community, I'm proud to be a part of their vision. Ramada Prince George will be hosting a wine pairing evening on September 29th with proceeds contributing to my Olympic aspirations! Cheers.

Just Ride Part III

Banff Bike Fest

Just Ride Part II

Highwood Pass (2206) is the highest paved road in Canada! As you can see, it still feels like winter up there. (Photo cred to cycling buddy Tyson Smith)

Pigeon Lake Provincial Championships below (leading a break away)

Just Ride

What are my goals? Am I working too much? Do I have enough $$$? Am I doing too many/too little training hours? Is my equipment up for the challenge? Whats the  weather going to do today? With new goals, new challenges and new perspectives another season is under way. Unfortunately, over analyzing can be accompanied by uncertainties. This season one thing is obviously and simply certain. I just want to go! I just want to ride my bike, I just want to race, I just want to push-HARD!

I have made a commitment to dedicate all my resources and effort I can leading to 2014 and that is daily motivation. I hope you enjoy following my path this year and find excitement in the thrills, memories and glory that come from sport! I look forward to keeping you informed and entertained as I pursue this chapter in my life. I draw a huge amount of motivation from all my supporters so I'm grateful for God, family and sponsors to help me along this road! 

Cheers to,

Pigeon Lake Alberta Provincial Road Cycling Championships this weekend (road race is tomorrow)!

International Racing (In My Back Yard)

Despite never leaving the town of Canmore, this past week was my first time competing with Team Canada in an international field on the IBU Cup circuit. It is always fun competing in Europe, but it was convenient to sleep in my own bed, make my own food and drive my own car to the race site every morning! I also knew every inch of the biathlon trails and what to expect out on course.

I had a solid set of trials races the previous weekend so I started the weekend maybe a little too eager to have the best race of my life in my first IBU Cup. I had my fastest skiing on the first race day (10km sprint) but finished in 31st due to some "anxious" shooting. The second day was the same race and I finished in 32nd.

We had a two day break before the 20km Individual and another 10km Sprint and I used it to get back into my normal rhythm. My best races usually come together when there's a combination of high pressure, high motivation, and the ability to shut out everything but moving forward as fast as I can. The Wednesday Individual came out as a sort-of-a-variation of that. I had decent shooting (17/20) and was made top 16 by a few seconds. I wound up top Canadian that day too which was neat. I finished on Thursday with a 29th place in the final 10km Sprint. I laid down everything on the last lap but felt the past few weeks catching up and just didn't have the legs to make another top 16. ( Unfortunately for my pride and momentum I also managed to slip out on the only icy patch on course-image below)

(TURN DOWN volume before watching!)

Nationals in Valcartier Quebec are coming up in mid-March and that is what my next few weeks will be focused on preparing for! Cheers and as always, thanks for the support:)

IBU Cup 6/7 Come to Canmore!

It has been a slow start with some uncertainty and self doubt but this past weekend I put that aside and did what I love and train for! I had one of the better races of my life on Saturday in the Sprint (hitting 9/10 and skiing close to my best) and topped it off with a solid mass start on Sunday. I put a significant amount of work and prep into these trials races and it was rewarding to earn a spot representing Canada on home soil at IBU Cups 6 and 7. I am obviously very thankful for everything God gave me to work with and the opportunity to race in Canada colors again! The first of four races is this Saturday.

Always good to be back at the WOP

Finally! Something encouraging this year! For those who don’t know, I had a really slow start this season with some health issues taking over the majority of my focus and energy. This past weekend I had my first GOOD race this year in the 30km pursuit (15km classic/15km skate). I actually had a bad start and lost 4:47 to the top open men in the opening classic leg but the final 15km were the best of the year. I got in the moment and really pushed my comfort levels to move up 8 positions and wind up with the second fastest U23 skate time. I only ended up 17^th overall (8^th in U23) but it’s the feeling I’ve been looking for all year. I’m so thankful for a little bit of motivation and being able to give a full effort! Next race is this Sunday (Canadian Westerns-15km skate mass start) followed by the next IBU Cup Tour Trials on February 4^th-5^th!


Great pics by Jesse Winter at: http://www.jessewinterphotography.com/Sports/Callaghan-Valley-NorAm-and/21007420_cTvXbc#!i=1669815026&k=2brpBnn

I apologize for my procrastination in keeping you up to date. My attention and time have being completely centered around the start of the season, getting into race shape, daily training, daily diet, and contemplating issues like, "what can I possibly do to ski faster and shoot straighter?" Despite my stubborn effort to ignore how I can afford all this, reality still seems to pop up on occasion and remind me that traveling the country and  skiing for a job is expensive! (So that's my excuse for the postponed blog update.)

I started the season with the most important race of the year; IBU Cup trials in Canmore, AB. Despite my sincere efforts to be ready for this race, there are factors in Biathlon that are hard to control. I gave my strongest effort but fell well below my goal. Not a good start. I felt I had a great summer and had skied as hard as I could. I have never in my life went all out and skied so slow. My blood tests that week had some answers. I had shockingly low ferritin (indicating low iron stores) and my testosterone levels were 1/3 of their normal. It took me a few weeks to accept to myself what had happened with the trials results but I made it my first priority to get my health back. 

I'm at home in Prince George for Christmas and spending some time on my home trails at Otway Nordic Ski Centre. My focus right now is on diet, recovery, and health as I prepare for my next races U23 Cross Country World Champs Trials in Whistler BC (January 12-15th). 

Merry Christmas!

(photo by Sylvain Beaudry)

A little bitta snow on the mountains!

Days like these, I am really thankful for the opportunity I have to train full time. I'm healthy, I had a great fall-day training session and I'm feeling the excitement of winter/skiing/racing just around the corner. I had a sweet day today skiing just under 3 hours finishing with Moraine Lake road (which was a first for me). I've had a great fall in general with some really good training opportunities and cooperating weather. This time of year goes by quickly for me and it's easy to get caught up in what I want to accomplish this winter. I've tried to switch focus from what I want to happen this winter to what I need to focus on now to get there! The first race of the season is November 14 in Canmore (first IBU Cup Tour Trials with the Canadian Team).

Thanks Rudy Project for the new fluorescent sterling helmet and glasses to keep me visible on the road!

(photo skills courtesy of Cynthia Clark)

Moraine Lake (Lake Louise) lunch break with snow on the mountains!

Switchin Gears

(Rocky Mountain Racers at Haig Glacier)

Despite the glorious weather lately in Canmore, summer training is coming to an end and the focus is narrowing for the ski season. I just finished a week training at the Haig glacier which was a blast and am heading up again next week (Sept 6th). I am feeling good about my summer and hopefully everything runs smooth through the fall. I have less than 10 weeks before my first race and I'm starting to feel the excitement of racing!

Feeling Hot

I am excited to say that summer has finally arrived in Canmore! I am also excited to say that the Tour de France is in full swing and providing some excellent daily inspiration heading to training! This past weekend I had a personal best time up Norquay (15:14) from the gate at the bottom to the Norquay sign at the top. It was a good indication my training is on the right track and that all my cycling in the spring went to good use. I had a large block of cycling hours in May (2500km) and I am getting more and more efficient on my bike. The summer is young and I am looking forward to see where my training can go from here!