July 26, 2008 (Anchorage, AK) – Kikkan Randall just wrapped up a session of training with her club team, the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center on Eagle Glacier in the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage, AK. Weather would not allow for a helicopter so Randall, along with a group of APU athletes, hiked three hours to reach the glacier for their second time there in a month.

“The hike in was quite exciting. You ascend 5,000 feet. We had everyone in good spirits so we kind of took our time getting up there and then we got into the training center and it was time to get to work,” Randall said.

Following the hike in, the athletes used their time for intense training to work on both classic and freestyle sprinting combined with distance exercises.

“It was my third camp so far this summer. I’ve been back in my training since June 1 and it was great,” Randall said. “In training I like to jump in on the tail end of the boys to push myself, that was a lot of fun.”

During a previous camp, Randall pushed herself to the limits, which, while garnering her fastest split time during training, also maxed out her heart rate.

“It was a little scary but it was probably due to being up at altitude and being a little dehydrated,” Randall said.

However, training at the most recent camp went very well according to Randall. “I feel great and everything’s gone back to normal.”

After leaving, Randall enjoyed a slight let down in training for a few days before building back into the next period.

“This week was a chance to let the body absorb the training and take it easy. Overall, I’m feeling really good,” Randall said.

Randall might have taken a break from training, but next week she trains in Anchorage, followed by another week up on the Eagle Glacier.

Over the course of the summer, Randall will have skied 85+ hours on snow, almost as much as a typical winter in many parts of the US.