Back to Vail, Back to Business

Have had a great couple of weeks training back in Vail. We finally have been getting some serious snow and look to be getting on snow next week. For us at Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, we have snow blowing capability at the base of Vail Mountain and every year get about one kilometer of track groomed for us to ski on starting on November 1st. Pretty awesome stuff.

The past 2 days I was in Fruita, CO doing some biking with my buddy Paul, who is getting married tomorrow, and some other buddies. We had a great time and it is always so awesome to me that we can be skiing on snow in Vail and then drive 2 hours west and ride bikes in the desert. Some pictures are below:

I also had some buddies come from out east to do some biking all over the valley. One of them said the riding that he has done in Colorado is better than the biking in Moab. Nice compliment!

As for my school placement, I couldn't be any happier. I have loved every second I have been in my 4th grade classroom. On Monday we are having a Halloween Party! Should be some good stuff. I'll have some good photos!

Racing starts in a month. Time to start crankin'!

S

SSCV Team HomeGrown in Park City

We are just finishing up a ski camp in Park City. It was a great week here with some pretty incredible weather for the middle of October. We had a great crew from Vail come along consisting of our coach Eric Pepper, Mike Vigers, Christian Shanley, and Cal Deline. I think it was a great camp for me but also for these young guys to see what the level of training is here. I know I never went to these kind of camps when I was their age. Something good to be exposed to at the high school level. It has been pretty fun to see these guys mix it up in the speed workouts, sprint workouts, and distance workouts. I'm pretty excited to see where all these young guns will be in the next 10 years.

For me it was a great chance to catch up with some old friends and to get some training in with some people that can really push me in workouts and kick my butt. Thats what you need to get to the next level.

Like I said the weather has been so awesome here. We got a chance to head out for a little run yesterday afternoon. Right after I had a chance to throw a quick little video together:

(I'd recommend watching it at full size)

Some pictures from the week:

Also on Monday I will be starting my new volunteer placement at Red Sandstone Elementary School (where I went to elementary school). Very excited to go and hang out with that class. I went to pizza party there last Friday because they had just finished up doing a serious week of testing so Mrs. Chalk was nice enough to get them some pizza.

We're having the rest of Team HomeGrown over for dinner tonight and the Kate/Simi show. And not to mention the man, the myth, the legend Nathan Winebaum. Good to see old college buddies!

Remembering Dad

I cruised up Vail Mountain yesterday with one of my dad's old buddies, Hooker Lowe, to go see a memorial he had made for my dad after he passed 13 years ago. I opted out of some bounding intervals with the team, and instead did them on my own as I headed up Tourist's Trap and Rivas Ridge on Vail Mountain. It took me about 50 minutes to get from Golden Peak to the top of Chair 3.

I had been wanting to go to this spot for some time. Anyway, Hook brought up some new pictures of him and we had a beer in his honor. Quite an emotional experience for me to go up there, but always reminds me how precious life is, to love, and live life to the fullest. Carpe Diem.

Here are some pictures of the afternoon:

I am also excited to announce that I found a placement to be a Classroom Assistant at Red Sandstone Elementary School. I went to RSES from Kindergarten to 4th grade and had some great years there. Pretty excited to go back and give back to a school that gave me so much. I will be in the classroom with Kristine Chalk, a former teacher of mine at Vail Mountain School.

S