July 26, 2013 – Is the Hole Too Deep for Chandra Crawford to dig her way out and perform respectfully this coming winter, especially in Sochi, at the Olympics? The announcement of her departure from the team came in Feb. – here. We are three months deep into the summer/fall training program but there is nothing very positive that would lead any coach, here or internationally, to believe that things have been going well in her preparation. To catch up on her past year when she left the Canadian Team suddenly after the Xmas/New Year listen here.

Chandra declined her invitation to be a member of  CCC’s 2013 edition of the Women’s National Team, so she could be in charge of her own program, content and financing, plus hiring a Swedish coaching friend to over see her program.

An update shows that a roller ski time trail held a couple of weeks ago on the road to Mt. Norquay (near Canmore), held annually, did not go well. The competition also included a group of biathletes (her sister Rosanna raced), and Perianne Jones from the National XC Team along with other locals. The biathletes were over a minute ahead of Jones, and Crawford was more than four minutes back of Perianne and almost two minutes slower than her time last year. She had said in an e-mail earlier in the week that her form was not good – but this was just plain bad.

She was in Alaska for the for the NAWTAC camp, about  a week ago but had to leave due to sickness. She caught a cold on her way to Alaska and it morphed into laryngitis and she made the decision to abort and head home to get healthy.

I exchanged a couple of e-mails with her early this summer and in the last one I encouraged her to go back to the team ASAP! Being on your own is a losing proposition, with way too much to be worried about (not to mention spending your own money) and all the logistical things you have to take care of. Things like this beat that old immune system down, affect your training, and mental state along with energy levels. Run your own training program, but let the coaches take care of all the other support mechanisms that are so important to getting the job done – that’s what getting back to the team will do for you. She’s in the pit now! The only saving move is to get that paid-for support and program that comes from being on the National Team.

Birkie Ski Foundation (more thoughts) – read this here. So what is it now Marty? Well, with an estimated $5 million dollar impact and 15,000 participants in and on the Bayfield/ Sawyer county region with all the events  hosted and run on the Birkie trail system I’m even more focused on the B/S county region becoming the “Silent Sports Capital” of North America. The big hurdle to make this happen of course is the purchase of Telemark Lodge, and its 900+ acres of trails, alpine ski area and real estate. As you read above, I suggested the BSF give consideration to this  idea as it would stabilize  what would become the center of all that would go on in this program – stabilize being the key word.

In talking with some locals, they say the real numbers are WAY bigger than what I mention above. One of the colleges in the state will soon be completing a study that says the annual $-impact by all of the programs focused around “silent sports” facilities is approaching $40 million – according to a leak. Remember, I said leak, but we will know soon. If this is true, it can even be bigger with the business venture I am suggesting.

But, to do this, it is probably going to take some partners with the BSF to make this happen – who are they? The two towns that share in the best part of the $5 million realized during the year- Cable and Hayward. How does this happen? I don’t know the semantics, but towns all over the country run swimming pools, recreational facilities, ski areas and I can go on. And in some cases they own the facilities. So, this is a recreational facility with a little different perspective and if this was to happen this facility could once again become the biggest employer and dollar generator in the two towns. Foresight and big thinking can make this happen – and a lot of talking. Who are the biggest talkers and movers in the Birkie army? Denis Cruse, Tom Duffy are two that pop into my mind – and oh, Popp… Ben is the first name.

Len Valjas – the only reason he finally had his knee scoped this late in the summer, may be the age-old problem of getting operations taken care of in Canada. The normal window is a two-year process for this kind of surgery. I hope that wasn’t the case, because I’d like to think that CCC could pull strings to expedite this setback. Still the lat date is befuddling – 12 weeks earlier makes more sense. Best of luck in the recovery.

Blogs and Twitters – I want to encourage more people (skiers of course, coaches, organizers, groomers) to blog and twitter. Maybe you have something to share that is going to help some other skier or ski operative having the same problem. I’m a great believer that some of the gains that have been made by the NA XC programs these last 5-10 years is because of the dissemination of related information through blogs and tweets.

Back To the Birkie – In reading Ben Popp’s interview (new ED for the Birkie) he talks of growing (more skiers), the Birkie races and feels that widening and completing the classical trail is the way to accomplish this goal. I think it is the more expensive way and a bigger logistical headache. In my estimation the Birkie needs less trail, as was demonstrated this past winter, as the grooming was way below Birkie standards for this year’s race. Essentially, when we left the stadium area the classical skiers in the Kortelopet were skiing in mashed potatoes – it was hard to tell if a machine had passed on the trail after the 9km turn off at all – maybe part of the trail, but not all of it.

To complete the classic course and widen the full Bikie is a time-consuming and fairly expensive project, and on top of that it will require additional grooming equipment at $300 thousand a pop… and of course the year-round maintenance of all these additional kilometres. Another concern of widening is that it exposes the trail to more sun exposure, making it a more delicate situation in low snow years.

My suggestion for expansion is going to a two-day format – classic one day and skating the other day. It works well for the Gatineau Loppet, the only other WorldLoppet race here in North America. It would increase the economic impact on the area with more skier nights required for more days and would enable each race to grow its population.

The big hurdle here is the volunteers who would have to work two days in a row. You might realize some relief in numbers of volunteers for each day as the races are going to be smaller in total numbers. Your search for more volunteers will just have to reach out further. I always talk to as many of the volunteers in the finish area as I can – the enthusiasm is that they love their involvement – you can tell they feel needed. I think it is the best solution for all – 2 days – 2 races – it’s the best solution for all parties.

CCC’s Men’s National Team – They sure have changed this year’s summer camp program focus from their gadabout style last summer. As I commented in my team evaluation (SkiTrax Spring 2013) and during the season… they never settled down and just plain stayed at home last summer. They were all over the map both domestically and internationally. I’ll bet this year there summer travel will be 1/2 of what it was last year. They can lighten the load even more with an altitude/on snow camp on the Haig Glacier in Sept in stead of heading out of country.

Olympic Studs and Studettes (written this Spring) – Have you checked the Olympic schedule for the cross-country events in Sochi yet? As this is planning time I would assume that all coaches and skiers have gone over it carefully and see that there is a good window for doing all the events – yes, all of the events.

I think there will be about 15 men and 10 women (I might be a bit high in each sex) that could give this consideration. Again the balance thing – both techniques and distance/sprinting come into play, as to your first consideration as to whether you would attempt it or not. Also, the doubling up of the sprints and sprint relays on the same day give the men one extra day off before their next event each time – a real bonus.

I can see Petter Northug and Justyna Kowalcyzk drooling over this schedule, already, and I’m sure [Marit] Bjoergen is giving it the full-eye treatment. But she is 34 this year and recovery is now starting to be an issue.

My first committer has just come forward (read here) Petter Northug… are Bjoergen and Justyna far behind in making this decision? Kowalczyk has a bigger decision with the sprint relay. Does she have a partner she can medal with? A big no in my estimation, but there may be the coming of another teammate who can hold up her end of the bargain.

Example: does Kikkan even think of this…? Doing the 1st event is a No-Brainer, the 7.5km CL +7.5km FR Skiathlon. Then take two days off and it’s the FR sprints (another NB). Another day off and then her big decision… the 10km CL individual start and a day off – onto the relay – two days off and the team sprint – two days off and the final 30km mass start in FR. The 10km CL is maybe not so tentative if Randall has continued to improve her classic skiing.

Or does the whole thing come down to focusing on that one or two events that you think you have your best chance to podium in????

PS – Just a thought – is this Kikkan’s last Olympics?

Talk To You Soon.