Sunday, September 22, 2013

Back Home


I'm back in Colorado for awhile after having a great camp in Lake Placid. We had an awesome and productive camp. It is always very important for me to get some good sea level training in because it allows me to work on my speed. You develop fast twitch muscles better at lower altitudes and while I choose to focus my skiing on distance skiing where I'm not using my fast twitch muscles, you need them for when you do need that extra little sprint.

We had a team sprint, two speed workouts, a L4 hard bounding workout,  threshold bounding session, and a very hard, camp-ending, uphill rollerski race to the top of Whiteface Mountain. While this race isn't necessarily my favorite, it is a great race out on by NYSEF. Reminds you of what it's like to really make your thighs burn.

I am back now, able to spend some time with Sarah and have a little rest week before Tad makes it to town for another good, productive week of training. The weather has been a little funny here but the running has been great because the leaves are beginning to fall.

I will be in a supportive role next weekend helping out Sarah in her 50k race in Vail. She will be racing up Vail, down the backside into Minturn, around Minturn, back up to the top of Vail, and then down Vail to the finish. About 32 miles and I think about 12,000 feet vertical. Woof.

I'm excited for her and she's been training really hard for it so I know she wants to do well. I know she will.

Heading out to Park City next. That's where I'll be checking in from. 

S














Saturday, September 7, 2013

US Ski Team Camp - Lake Placid Edition

Hey all-


I arrived this past Wednesday in Lake Placid, New York which to me is the beginning of the season. From this point on, I am going from camp to camp to camp to race to race to race to race.

My schedule until January 2014:

Lake Placid: September 1st - September 16th
Vail, CO: September 17th - October 5th
Park City: October 6 - October 16th
Canmore, Alberta: October 17th - October 28th
Vail, CO: October 29th - November 19th
West Yellowstone, WY: November 20th - December 1st
Bozeman, WY: December 2nd - December 8th
Silver Star, BC: December 9th - December 15th 
Rossland, BC: December 16th - December 22nd

US Nationals/Olympic Trials (Soldier Hollow, UT):
- Skate Sprint on January 4th
- 15km Classic on January 6th
- 30km Skate Mass Start on January 8th
- Classic Sprint on January 10th

Also here is out National Calendar for the year:
http://my.ussa.org/sites/default/files/documents/athletics/nordic/2013-14/documents/2013-2014%20SuperTour%20Schedule.pdf

I am so excited to be on this track. It will go by quick but I will be taking all of it in. It is so exciting to competing for the top spots in the US.

As for Lake Placid, things here have been amazing. The weather has been great and it is always a great time to catch up with old friends and get some really solid training in with the best skiers in the country. We have had many interval sessions so far and I have been feeling great through them so far. 

The one big difference between my training last summer and this summer is that I have been able to run more this summer. Running during the summer is very important to me and I believe gets me into better shape. Two years ago before I qualified for my first World Cups I was able to run a lot, but last summer I had to resort to biking because of my foot injury. Biking was a great alternative but I requires a much different kind of fitness.

Here is some video from the week if you have any interest:

Classic speeds (blue shirt, green gloves, white helmet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx-k8PoJtIM

Bounding and Double Pole (no shirt, grey shorts): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugzKADdGiJs

Easy Skate Ski (very colorful shorts, black t-shirt, white helmet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m0jAHiwhTg

Skate Intervals (no shirt, maroon spandex shorts, white helmet): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVOaBD4xxIs

Also last and probably most important (two things): 

1) I began a Facebook Fan Page and you DO NOT have to have Facebook to see the page but will probably be the best way to keep up, visually, with where I am and what I am seeing:

www.facebook.com/sylvanellefsonathlete

2) As I mentioned before my brother has been putting together amazing footage of the trail to Sochi and you can view the first episode here, with many more to come:

http://vimeo.com/71831390

Hope all is well!

Best,
Sylvan

Another year with HWK (www.hwk-skiwax.us)

Brother-in-law's new puppy

Surfing boat wakes

Lake Champlain

Double Pole Speeds

Start Speeds

Bounding Intervals

Never lose sight