REG and ELITEAM

This week was full of excitement with the Regional Elite Group (REG) camp in town.  This is a group that each region of the US has, and they get together for a training camp each summer.  From these camps, USSA picks some athletes to come to the National Elite Group (NEG) Camp.  It was really great to have these awesome athletes in town to train with and get to know some of the up and coming athletes that will represent our next generation of US skiers.

MBSEF Athletes and me

Classic threshold intervals up East Canyon

Matt, Western REG athlete, Emily Hannah from Steamboat, who transferred from Harvard to Dartmouth for this season, and her coach Josh Smullin.

Western REG Athletes at the top of Guardsman Pass in Utah last week

OD classic ski up Big Cottonwood Canyon with the Western REG athletes

Doug Lewis and me

  ELITEAM is a camp for kids that was started 22 years ago by Olympian Alpine Skier, Doug Lewis and his wife Kelley, who was also a very high level alpine ski racer in her time, until an ankle injury ended her career.  I went to ELITEAM when I was about 9-11, I would say, and this week I got to join the camp again as a guest speaker.  I was instantly reminded of the qualities I learned were important when I was there 17 years ago.  Supporting on another, pushing each other to be their best and in turn also become your best, love what you do, conquer your fears, work as hard as you possibly can and have an insane amount of fun while doing it.  It was the same feeling when I spent 3 hours with these kids last week, and Doug and Kelley still bring such positive and encouraging energy to each session, each day.  I feel really lucky to have been involved with such great people at a young age.  It is the time in life when other people can have a real effect on who you want to become as a person, and I believe very much so that Doug and Kelley had a very positive and giving effect on me.  When I was really young and still alpine racing as a J6, I was so small and weak that my hands were not strong enough to hold onto the rope tow at Cochrans Ski Area, and so each run down I would stand in line only to shred my gloves and maybe make it 10 feet up the trail before sliding backwards down the rope and having to start all over again.  Doug used to sweep me up and put me on his shoulders and take me up the rope tow so that I could take another run.  Good times, good times.  Thanks for always believing in me, Doug, and for instilling this same belief in so many other kids for the last 22 years.

One of my Mom's best friends and work partner, Sue Arbogast, was in Salt Lake City last week for some big PT meetings, as she was appointed one of 2 Vermont State PT representatives.  Pretty great to meet up with her, walk the city (she showed me around, even though I am the one who lives in Utah!) and get some delicious dinner.  It was almost like going home getting to spend time with someone so close to my Mom.  Thanks Sue!!

Matt and I did a really awesome run together yesterday that went all over the Wasatch Mountains that separate Park City from Salt Lake.  We ran on beautiful trails for hours and hours and did a big loop that was over a marathon in distance and had a great time.  Big running loops are by far my favorite training and so I am still riding a high from yesterdays awesome adventure.  BIG props to my coach, Matt for being able to, at the drop of a hat, still run a marathon without complaint.  Impressive.

Some of the sights of yesterday's loop.

The wild flowers are all in bloom right now and Utah is hot, dry and summery.

But Matt still managed to find a patch of snow and took advantage.  It's not often that it can be over 90 degrees out and be playing in snow.

Post run smiles.  I feel so lucky to be healthy, happy and able to do what I love with great friends, coaches and supporters at my side.  Train hard, live harder.