May 31, 2013 – Northug vs Legkov vs Hall (joke) – Please read the following article and see if you don’t have the same reaction I did. Of course, I wasn’t able to be there for the first two parts of the competition, but the  last test, we all can do – read the article here.

You, can’t tell me that when you see they’re only lifting 60kg – 132.5 lbs – it was down to the cellar for me. The big test was on… Legkov 25 reps and Northug pushed out 24 reps and Marty did 13 reps. I know pretty wimpy – but for a 75-year-old I think I was in the ball game and I’ll give it another go in the fall when I’m ramping up the weights. Yeah, have some fun – give it whirl – take on the big boys!

Nordic Dave, ND, Dave Knoop – I call him Doc D…the D being for Development. Doc Development is in charge of the only funded Development Nordic Program the USST has. This guy is a fund-raising machine the Nordies in the US have never seen the likes of – over $200 thousand dollars raised this past year and somewhere between $500 and a million dollars in the short number of years he has been doing this, and spent on all levels of development programs. Big emphasis on supporting those trips and  programs in Europe, that are so important in learning that those guys over there put their pants on just like we do over here. Like – the current US Nordic team, definitely knows how to do – one leg at a time!!!

So, remember, in the months ahead, the call will come from Doc D or ND to help out and let’s be ready to help him hit his target – big time!

Oh, one other little point I would like to make, since the USST/USSA hardly puts piddily-diddly into development, you would think, the least they could do, is give him some sort of recognition with one of the awards they hand out at the AGM every year. Park City – do something for God’s sake…

I’m Worried Big Time – I brag big time that I read everything Nordic – not true – but, I sure as hell try to and I’m seeing lots of little adjustments and verbiage that says Kikkan is still have problems with her feet. She every now and then cuts a workout short or misses a workout or spends time doing other types of training to reduce the load on her feet.

I’m sure after last year she and her support team are on top of this and have all the experts involved in the direction and adjustments to make this all get better. Not an easy chore, as she is in the early part of the season and the hours are going to continue to ramp up big time!

I’m sure she has orthotics and has Salomon doing everything they can do get her ski boots and running shoes adjusted and are tearing their hair to get it done. The hard part is that she is here in the US and Salomon is in France – distance kills these types of exchanges. It is a real hands on operation.

There is another possibility, about 3-4 years ago [Petter] Northug changed boot companies for the same reasons, as his boot last then just did not work for his feet. He went to the other company and low and behold they made boots for his feet that fit or their last was just more suitable to his feet.

Stay tuned.

Mr. Alpine, Ken Read – Are you surprised to see his name here? If you happen to know who he is? Read this so you can get to know him better.

Well, he is staying with the snow sports, but he is coming over to Nordic and is running for a BODs position at Cross Country Canada – beats the hell out of me! I’m sure stranger things have happened. His chances of getting elected – damn gooood in my estimation- he wouldn’t try it if he thought he would fail. Politics takes the cake!

Talk To You Soon.
misterxc@aol.com