Quiet Time

It has been quite quiet for 2 weeks. I usually try to use some time during the season to sit back, let all my training sink in, and enjoy the lifestyle that I train so hard for. Most times this leads to me getting into some fun backcountry skiing. The last week we went and enjoyed some backcountry skiing for my friend, Sarah's, birthday.

Otherwise I had been resting, catching up on some work and getting ready for the Birke!

The Birke this year I thought I had prepared the best for than I ever had. For those who don't know it is a 50km skate race from point to point in Wisconsin, finishing on Main Street in Hayward. Really cool scene at the finish. Because the prize money is so great, many foreigners come with their team to win some money.

This race is no piece of cake though. If you want to win the Birke, to have to have many things come together. For me this year unfortunately, not much came together except for my fitness. I, all blame on myself, picked the wrong skis to race on so much of the race. Was struggling just to stay with the lead pack. I also don't get my second feed bottle until 30k and when I finally took it, I think it was such a shock to my body, it didn't know what to do with it. I managed to lose the group around 40k, catch back up at 42k, crash, get back up to the group, and then lose them the last time around 6k to the finish.

Unfortunate but this race is a really great time and I love coming to back to do it. I'm looking forward to future years of the race!

S

Colorado Racing

So nice to be home and racing. I am happy to say that the feelings in my body have been really good recently as well and have translated into some good results in the 2013 season so far. The past two weeks have been very fun racing under the Western Sun.

Last week I went to Sun Valley, ID for the Boulder Mountain Tour. I came out on top the last time I raced there after breaking from the pack with 5k to go; however, this year the group stayed together right until the very end. Pretty exciting stuff. Watch the last 3k here:

 (I am leading)

After The Boulder Mountain Tour, I stayed in Sun Valley and trained with some good friends/competitors on mine. Hit the road on Wednesday for a 13 hour drive back to Colorado and then stated up racing again on Friday.

ITA teammate, Brian Gregg, and I duked it out on Friday at the Vail Mountain Games 10k Skate. I really wanted the hometown win, but couldn't quite manage as Brian took off in the last 500m. I finished 2nd. After the race I had to pack up for the next two days (and 3 races) in Aspen.

Saturday brought tons of snow and slow conditions and we raced once at 9am and then again at 11am, a race format unlike many others in the US. I again managed 2nd in both races.

Sunday was a race that I have won in the past, the Owl Creek Chase. I worked again with ITA teammate to pull away from the pack but again it was Brian that had the legs in the final 500m. 2nd again. After 3 days of racing, 4 races, and 4 - 2nd places, I am ready to be home and resting for a little bit. It had taken a bit out of me but will be inspired to train well for the Birkebeiner in Wisconsin coming up on the 23rd of February.

Haven't been in my classroom recently because of the teacher's warnings of sick children. I love to help during the season but I'd rather put all of my focus and energy into helping in the classroom instead of trying to exercise heathy habits in the classroom.

Also a promotional video I did for a non-profit in Denver called Ski Denver:

Ta-ta for now!

S

A Productive Lull

The past two weeks have probably been the least two enticing weeks in the past three years.

However, I did have 3 wins in the past two weeks which also happened to be my first wins in over a year. I needed them.

Since I began this trip to Sochi 2014, it has always been an upward trend for me starting at the low of the low end. When I started this journey, seriously 4 years ago, I was placing outside the Top-10 at SuperTour Races and was just breaking into the Top-20 at National Championships. Three years ago I was in the Top-10. Two years ago, finally breaking into the Top-10 at Nationals and breaking onto the podium on SuperTours. Continuing to train hard and smart, I got my first podium at National Championships and then got a World Cup birth last year. Wanting to continue this upward trend, I wanted to improve a personal best, 43rd, on the World Cup to a Top-30 this season.

Not even close.

How about Nationals? I wanted to win a race and podium on a couple others.

Not even close. Well, kind of.

It was hard for me, but at the same time it was a healthy dose of positive reflection on a season that hadn't gone to "plan." By plan, I think it is what I wanted to expect from myself but didn't know if I could realistically produce. I let it get to me. 

After Nationals, I had to look at what made me excel and what was lacking in my physical and psychological output.

What I realized was that I wasn't having fun. Sure on the road I get to go to sweet places and hang out with some awesome people, but I wasn't entering races as I normally do. I had put a pressure on myself that I was unfamiliar with.

With a lull in the season I have had the past two weeks to be home and enter races that would be hard to put too much pressure on myself to do well. I entered the past three races, post-Nationals, with a calm before the races. I calm confidence that I hadn't had since last March.

It felt good. And it is back.

I am really excited for the rest of my season. I will be going to some races I got to compete in 2 years ago that really set me up well for my past season. Excited to see how things go. As for now, some pictures and a video.

Front of the local newspaper

Striding in Vail on the home course

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

My wife, Sarah, and I

US Champs...CHECK, Reality...CHECK

Hey all-

It has been awhile since my last update to you all but wanted to have a chance to gather a long line of thoughts and response from recent travels and racing.

We recently finished up at US Nationals in Soldier Hollow, UT.

I would honestly say that US Nationals was not nearly as successful as I had anticipated but I did learn many things about myself during the week.

Classic Sprint: I had a decent qualifier landing in 12th. Didn't have quite the strength I was looking for and it showed in my quarterfinal as I played the downhill into the stadium not as great as I had hoped. It is a very tactical course, you hav to be smart. On the last downhill I moved into the right lane before the left-handed turn into the bridge because the inner track had been blown in all morning but may have cost me space into the final 100m. Ended up 24th on the day I think.

From FasterSkier: http://fasterskier.com/article/no-stranger-to-soho-koos-gets-redemption-in-classic-sprint/

Video: http://fasterskier.com/?post_type=article&p=93034

Skate 15k: Unfortunately going into this day my head was in a place to win, but my body was not. It wasn't cooperating with me. Sometimes this happens and I do not know why. I didn't feel great on the warmup and was going to ski the same race I did last year when I was 3rd in the same race the year before. I knew I was in trouble when I caught the guy in front of me but couldn't shake him. Shaking a skier is positive reinforcement for me that I am skiing well, and then he passed me back, but I got him before the finish. Ended up 21st on the day. Not good for me. 

From FasterSkier: http://fasterskier.com/article/sprint-specialist-no-more-bjornsen-claims-first-national-title-in-15-k-free/

Video: http://fasterskier.com/article/u-s-nationals-mens-15km-freestyle-video/

Classic 30k: This race result was probably my most important of the year so far. It reminded me that my fitness is hanging around in my body somewhere and that I can be up there. 6 laps of 5k. Awesomely brutal. Great to ski with the lead pack until I was taken out by an undisclosed member of an Alaskan university skier on the 5th lap right before Hermot's Hill (the biggest hill on course). I jumped back on the group but it was right after that, a surge was made to split up the group. It did split up. I ended up 8th on the day.

From FasterSkier: http://fasterskier.com/article/koos-makes-it-a-double-with-30-k-victory-at-soldier-hollow/

Video: http://fasterskier.com/?post_type=article&p=93377

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piX1Plj3-gA

Skate Sprint: This race was without a doubt the toughest I have ever been in a ski race. I woke up that morning feeling terrible still from the 30k. Tired and restless sleep added up. I wanted to have a great qualifier so that I could focus on skiing top-3 in the heats and moving on. When I finished my preliminary sprint, I was 12 seconds off the pace...12 SECONDS!!! I hadn't been that far off the sprint pace since I was a freshman in college. I kept seeing my time slip back all the way until I thought my day was over. But with no more skiers in the field my time was the 28th fastest and just enough to keep me in the rounds. Thanks to chats with one of my best friends and role models, Kevin Hochtl, and a nice leg rub and chat from my wife, I was able to turn a terrible morning into a productive afternoon. I convinced my body it wasn't tired and warmed up and competed mike I was going to win, and I did. SO BAD. I made it all the way to the final qualifying in the rounds without have to expend too much energy. In the final, there was some separation but coming into the last 100m it was anyone's for the last podium spot. Unfortunately, I had not gotten myself into the best position for the last 100m s I had in the rounds and got boxed out and pinched, had to go around the outside and settle for 5th. Still a great, uplifting day for me.

From Fasterskier: http://fasterskier.com/article/with-gritty-closing-speed-blackhorse-von-jess-takes-first-national-title/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV3RCfH5Yqc

My schedule for the rest of the season is below:

Jan. 19 - 20: College races in Vail, CO

Jan. 26 - 27: Off

Feb. 2: Boulder Mountain Tour in Sun Valley, ID

Feb. 8, 9, 10: Vail Mountain Games, Owl Creek Chase in Vail/Aspen

Feb. 16 - 17: Off

Feb. 22 - 23: Birkibeiner in Hayward, WI

March 2 - 3: Off

March 9 - 10: Off

March 16 - 17: Off

March 23 - April 11: Canadian Nationals in Whistler, BC and SuperTour Finals in Truckee, CA

I am really looking forward to some time home and resting from a LONG fall for me, something I was not accustomed to before this year.

Hope all is well and hope all had a great New Year!

I sure did!

S

Here comes US Champs

Oh the past two weeks has been really nice for me. Coming off of sickness in Canmore, I was very excited to head to the Midwest to spend some time with Sarah's family for Christmas. But I won't get ahead of myself because before we left for the Midwest, Sarah and I got to hang out in Banff and Canmore for a couple extra days thanks to my great friend Chandra Crawford. She hooked us up with a place to stay in Canmore and in Banff, two places which I would highly recommend visiting someday. We stayed at her house in Canmore and then Chateau Lake Louise the next night.

Christmas time in Minnesota was great. Comfy, happy, and really just a great place to train and reset the body from the 1st period of World Cup racing.

I headed back to Colorado and then onto visit my mom and her her side of the family in Fort Collins. It is also so nice to be around my family this time of the year. My aunt from Montana comes and my world-traveling uncle sneaks in some good time to make it to Fort Collins every year. I love hanging out with them and my Nana makes some mean cranberry pudding. And hanging out with my mom is always a special time for me.

Then into the mountains where I didn't unpack and just kept the same duffle for my races here in Soldier's Hollow, Utah where our National Championships are being held this season. We have a great house and a great group of skiers who are ready to get down to business at these races.

I am excited as well for these races. I'm excited to see ow my sprinting will have turned out after much intensity and altitude training over the years. I am hoping to win at least me of the races here this year, but who knows how things will turn out.

I am also very hopeful on making the World Championships team come late February. Right now my points put me right on the edge of making it. Again, we'll see...

I hope my next post brings good news. Ill check in soon. Hopefully with some more pictures!

Best,
Sylvan

The Last World Cups

Hey all.

My last world cups of the first period were this weekend. To say the least, they were a learning experience. I got sick last week and tried to get healthy all week. I mostly did, and took a shot at the weekend races, skipping out on the 15km classic on Thursday. My movements were good, but my body was not.

I had to drop from the 30km classic after 2 laps. Only the second time I have ever done that. Hard, but I couldn't dig a hole any deeper.

I'm now on the road to recovery hoping to have some good races in Utah at US Nationals.

Hopefully get back into the classroom quite a bit in January and February too!

As a last note I really felt the hurt of the recent Newtown, CT shootings. After spending much time in an elementary school and having a mother-in-law that is also an elementary school teacher, I really affected me. All my weekend efforts went to those who lost their lives. It was the least I felt I could do.

S

The First World Cups

We have just finished the first two weeks of World Cup racing in Sweden and Finland. For most of the time we have been above the Arctic Circle, but it hasn't been as cold as you might think it could be. Both locations we have skied at in Gallivare, Sweden and Kuusamo, Finland haven't gotten below 0, but it has been close.

My results here I think are not very exemplary of my best skiing. Whether it is the pressure I have put on myself to ski well or whether my fitness truly isn't where I want it to be, I am not skiing as fast as I would like to. Not to mention I froze my toe today, so its as tender as a well-cooked pork loin. Starting to turn some colors = not good.

We now head to Quebec for some sprints next to parliament and then to Canmore for the last World Cups of Period 1. In order to get back to the World Cup I will have to race my way through the season gaining points on our national circuit. I am looking forward to racing again in the US. I have been feeling a little out of whack over here.

National Team members Andy Newell and Skylar Davis. I'm the meat of the sammy.

Turns out I made the cover of BNS Magazine. Cool.

Starting the first race of the season.

Andy, me, and Simi supporting Movember efforts.

Simi and I were prime media workers. The US ladies were a historic 3rd place in the team relay.

We got to go to a school in Muonio, Finland and talk with the local kids about being ski racers. It was a great experience and I got to sign some cards, hats, and foreheads...