May 13, 2013 (Tabernash, CO) – Here’s one of our 2014 product vids that was missed during our coverage of the SIA 2013 Demo at Devils Thumb in Tabernash, Colorado where SkiTrax caught up with Atomic’s Isaac Wilson who introduces the newly released Boa Race Skate boot for 2013/ 2014 – the only skate boot on the market using the Boa system.

February 22, 2013 (Devil’s Thumb Ranch, CO) – Check out these videos of Alpina’s latest offerings for the 2013/14 season, including Alpina Action and ASK skis and boots, Alpina ESK Pro Skate boot, and Yoko’s 7100 HS Carbon Skate Pole. With its bold graphics and affordable price points, Alpina’s Action skis and ASK line of boots are aimed at a younger market of skiers that Alpina feels has been overlooked in the past. The brand’s newly redesigned ESK Pro skate boot is a top-of-the-line race boot based on a Rottefella sole and features the stiffness, fit, and performance that top level skiers expect.

New 2013/2014 Yoko 7100 HS Carbon Skate Pole.mov

January 14, 2013 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Senior Miles Havlick recorded his seventh career victory in the 10-km Classical at the CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

The Utes ended up fourth in the team standings with 723 points, which trailed third-place New Mexico by 18.5 points. Host Colorado came away with the meet title with 878 points. Utah put up a meet-high 124 points in the men’s 10-km classical race on Sunday with a pair of Utes in the top three and three in the top 10.

Havlick turned in his second straight podium finish to start this season and he has finished third or better 21 times during his career as a Ute. The Boulder, Colo., native won the race by more than 10 seconds.

“Today, our team really demonstrated the grit and determination that make us so strong,” Havlick said. “When it’s -3F at the start of the race and there are smiles all around, you know it is going to be a great day.

“I want to dedicate my race today to my former teammate Charlie Smith, who finished on the podium at the NCAA Championships in the 15-km classical on this same course in 2010. He passed away over the holidays, but continues to be an inspiration to us all and constantly in our thoughts.”

In his first year at Utah, senior Einar Ulsund turned in his first top-three effort with a third-place finish. Ulsund, a Trondheim, Norway native, finished fourth yesterday in the 20-km freestyle to cap an impressive debut weekend.

Noe Bellet and Tucker McCrerey finished 10th and 11th, respectively. Bellet rounded out Utah’s scoring as its third finisher with his second consecutive 10th-place finish to start the 2013 season. Freshman Niklas Persson rounded out the Ute effort on the day with a 16th-place finish.

On the women’s side in the 5-km Classical race, the Utes ranked second in the meet with 107 points as a pair of Utes finished among the top eight.

Senior Rose Kemp registered a third-place finish for her second straight top-10 effort to start this season. The Boise, Idaho native has now finished third or better three times over her Ute career.

Freshman Sloan Storey turned in the first top-10 finish of her career with an eighth-place effort after coming in 12th in yesterday’s 15-km Freestyle event.

Senior Parker Tyler was Utah’s third scorer with a 13th-place finish for her 18th career top-20 finish as a Ute. Marta Larsen completed Utah’s effort with a 28th-place finish.

The Ute Alpine squad concluded its races for the Denver Invitational in Winter Park, Colo., on Sunday. Heading into next weekend’s Nordic events, Utah stands in fourth place with 376 points, which is just eight points shy of third-place New Mexico. Host Denver leads the way with 457 points halfway through the meet.

“Congratulations to the whole team for their effort this whole weekend,” Utah Head Alpine coach Jaka Korencan said. “We could not be more proud of this small group of athletes. We scored a lot of great results for NCAA qualification and performed well as a team at the same time. Unfortunately, Tim [Hribar] was not able to help us because he suffered a knee injury last weekend in Eldora. We all just hope he can return in Loveland in a couple of weeks.”

In the ladies’ slalom race, a pair of newcomers led the way for the Utes. Sophomore Ana Kobal turned in a fourth-place effort for her second top-five effort of the young season and the fourth top-10 performance.

“I am really impressed with our small women’s team performing so consistently and glad that I can do my part,” Kobal said. “I’m still not completely satisfied with my own performance. I know I can be much faster, but now I’m just looking forward to some rest and training.”

Kobal’s classmate, Kristiina Rove followed in fifth place as the Utes’ second competitor among the top 10. Rove, an Espoo, Finland native, has been among the top 10 four times already in 2013. Junior Jaime DuPratt capped Utah’s performance with a 26th-place finish.

“Our women’s team again had a very solid performance today in the slalom,” Korencan said. “To compete with just three women and have them all strong and safe in the finish is just a great accomplishment. They did an awesome job.”

Utah’s performance in the men’s slalom was highlighted by freshman Andy Trow and junior Jeremy Elliot, who took 10th and 11th place, respectively. Trow has already finished in the top 10 three times in 2013. Senior Ryan Wilson placed 24th, while Eian Sandvik was disqualified during his second run.

“The highlight of today was Jeremy, who had won the second run and proved to himself and his teammates that he can really ski slalom,” Korencan said. “I am just so excited for Jeremy to finally show what he has been doing in training in a race. Andy had a great day as well and finished strong. Unfortunately, Ryan and Eian made a few mistakes today, but I know they will return strong in Loveland.”

The Utah Nordic team completes the Denver Invitational next weekend at Minturn, Colo. The 5/10-km Freestyle will be held next Saturday and the 10/15-km Classical race will be ran on Sunday.

CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational Results HERE.
DU Invitational Results HERE.

October 24, 2012 (Boulder, CO) – The Boulder Nordic Ski Swap will be on Wednesday, November 14, at Boulder High. The doors will open to set up will be at 5:45pm. We are hoping to be cleaned up and out the door no later than 9:30. 15% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing Team.

www.bnjrt.net

October 10, 2012 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Start cleaning out your garages and storage now! Mark November 9-10 on your calendar to sell your gear you no longer use or fit into and get yourself and your family some new gear! Tags will be available in just a few weeks, so get your stuff together now. We also will be looking for volunteers in a few weeks, so watch for that too.

August 19, 2012 (Aspen, CO) – Recently, Noah Hoffman of the US Men’s XC Ski Team, was a featured guest on The Local’s Show, an Aspen, Colorado local TV talk show hosted by Erik Skarvan. Watch yesterday’s program online and learn more about this rising cross country ski star HERE.

May 14, 2012 (Denver, CO) – The 2012 SIA Snow Show, launching all that’s new for 2013, was held in Denver, CO earlier this year and SkiTrax caught up with many exhibiting companies to find out about their latest product offerings from the top end on down, including some fun stuff, for next season. Part 2 of our series of interviews offers a look at what’s new from from Rossignol, Atomic, Toko, and more from Swix – plus we stop in at the Madshus Aquavit Party…

February 16, 2012 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Sven Wiik, a pioneer of “Ski Town USA’s” booming Nordic skiing scene, recently celebrated his 91st birthday and will mark the occasion with an open house at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center on Feb. 26.

Wiik immigrated to the US from Sweden in 1949 and went on to become the USST’s Olympic Nordic Coach. He and his family later built a Scandinavian Lodge, then called the Mount Werner Training Center, now named the Steamboat Ski Touring Center. The center is home to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC), which has developed many Olympic skiers over its long history, including Vancouver 2010 Nordic Combined medalists Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane, who trained with the club in their youth. Steamboat has sent more skiers to the US Ski Team than any place else in the country and seventy-nine Olympians have accounted for 135 Olympic appearances

In 2003, Spillane won Nordic-combined 7.5km gold in Val di Fiemme, Italy, becoming the first American athlete to win a gold medal at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. In 2009 at the Nordic Worlds in Liberec, CZE, Lodwick won two NC golds. Then at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, Spillane won the U.S.A.’s first Olympic NC medal, winning silver in the individual 10K/Normal Hill missing out on the gold medal by 4/100ths of a second, the closest margin in Olympic history in that event. Lodwick, Spillane, Billy Demong and Brett Camerota won their first Olympic team medal, a silver. Spillane took home his third Olympic silver medal in the 10K/Large Hill event, while Demong won the gold in the same event.

Over one thousand athletes are currently members of the SSWC, training in five alpine and nordic disciplines. So when Colorado Springs and the US winter sports community celebrates Wiik’s this month, they also celebrate a legacy of athletic excellence he helped create.

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) is featured in SkiTrax’s Feb/Mar 2012 issue now on sale – for more info on the Steamboat click HERE.

September 09, 2011 (Boulder, CO) – What does it mean, to train? Does it mean that every day you go out and pound your muscles until you cannot stand? That you go and charge up the biggest, steepest, hottest hill there is? Or do you go and seek something else? Do you choose an easier path so that you can push harder tomorrow? The hardest sacrifice we can make is to fight a little less hard so we can die another day.

Training your body is much easier, I think, than training your mind to accept that it cannot always fight. Sometimes you have to turn around and walk away, and embrace the fact that you cannot always push your limits. College is not for making yourself the best you can be at every minute- college is for showing you what doesn’t work, so you can figure it out in the middle of the night when you have a research paper due the next day.

So here we are, in college now. Some important lessons have been learned, like coffee really is the most important food in college. All nighters? Let’s have ‘em EVERY DAY!! Workouts at midnight and 2am? Let’s do it. That’s really the stuff that keeps the collegiate athlete going. You didn’t finish your paper until 10pm? That’s okay, just cram in a few interval sessions in the dark, run around your living room for a while and crash on your couch with your head shoved in-between the cushions. If you forget to set an alarm you can be woken by the hysterical screams of your roommate informing you that you are late for the workout this morning, only four hours after you finished your last one in the dark and rain and storms of the ever changing and indecisive weather of Boulder.

That European roommate is flapping her arms and jumping around the living room trying to wake you up, the same one that two nights ago made tin foil hats for you both and raced around on a flat field in a thunderstorm in the pouring rain. But someone told us we were dumb jocks, we were really just living up to their expectations.

A fireball of energy from the Czech Republic, she is as ferocious on the ski trails as any hulking male Russian sprinter, but at home she is bouncy, laughing, opinionated, and ginger-loving. Perhaps a side effect of the bright red hair that adorns her head- gingers love ginger? You need not go to the Czech Republic to know everything about it, you need simply to live in the same apartment for a while and you will learn all there is to know about everything from the washing machines to the food to the training.

She is too flustered now to speak English, she is chattering away in a flood of language you don’t understand but you imagine means something like “move your butt, workout in ten minutes!!!” You whirl around, grabbing your roller skis, boots, helmet, gloves, dropping things everywhere and running out the door, sparing a last glance at your other teammate and roommate.

Your engineering roommate hasn’t gone to bed in the last three weeks, her fingers are fusing with the keyboard of the laptop computer that is her major and her life and her love. Yelling her name in her ear only spurs her to even more impressive words per minute, stopping only to tap on the TI-89 Titanium Plus Edition graphing calculator beside her. She mutters something about torsion, gesticulating furiously at a screen full of Mathematica code. “See? See?” You don’t see. Her external monitor is bigger than you are, but so full of files of Java, C++, and random math equations that nothing can be deciphered. She doesn’t go to the team workouts, she doesn’t ever stop her eternal march of death grinding away at the pile of homework that is always in attendance next to her, interwoven with a stack of math and computer science textbooks as high as your ceiling.

You know she trains, her roller ski boots are always sweaty, her shoes always spattered in mud from workouts in the rain. But when she goes, you have no idea, because evidently it’s true- engineers do not sleep and the engineering jocks must clone themselves in order to get their training in – something they must teach in the intro level engineering courses.

She is a walking encyclopedia, any math or science question you ask will be answered if not by her, by one of the nerd friends eternally glued to the other end of her phone. But rarely will the answer be understand any more than the t-shirt she is wearing that reads “304 Not Modified.”

It is no wonder the US Ski Team discourages their athletes from attending full time school. The lessons you learn while living at college are the lessons that last a lifetime, that teach you about the other world, the world of academia. If our skiers stepped into this world, their view would be tainted, and they would realize there is more to life than just sports. And sports are really about doing as your job something that is, in the grand scope of the world, completely irrelevant.

It is much better to struggle through years of books, and spend a lifetime developing your mind so that you are not satisfied with living in simplicity. To fight a bitter battle in school and come out on the other side facing a lifetime of work that has no joy, is simply work. Or perhaps, as my roommate likes to put it, work where the distance is perpendicular to the force.

Be careful if you choose to live the dream, because if you fall too far, burn too many bridges, walk the wrong path, your life will shift more suddenly than a Czech sprinter can down a beer, and the dream will disappear into the vast collection of the BFG.

Every side of the world lives in this apartment, the ex world cup skier from the Czech Republic, who declined the Olympic team to come here to America. The Californian surfer, whose bloodlines are so full of athleticism she might as well have been bred to compete, who instead chose the most difficult major at the most difficult school she could. And then there is me, I am the broken skier. No one wants a broken model, they return it to the store and get a new one. If the warranty is past, they simply buy another. But sometimes, you find someone who loves you because you are different, and keeps you and embraces all that is you. Sometimes, people take the time to fix that which is broken, and it comes back stronger than before.

Who isn’t broken, really? That is, if you take the time and effort to look. But in all our shattered glory, in a time of need, we found each other. And it is this school, this team, that brought us together to rebuild ourselves again, which is really what college is all about.

August 31, 2011 – Simi Hamilton grew up in Aspen, CO with skiing in his blood. Since before he can remember, he spent every non-school day during the winter either on the alpine hill or out on the cross country trails around Aspen.

His dedication to the sport paid off in a huge way in 2010 as he marked not one, but two U.S. titles in Anchorage and earned a spot on the 2010 Olympic team. Read on to see what makes this Aspen, CO native tick.

How/when did you decide you wanted to compete?
Simi Hamilton: Both of my parents were competitive runners when they were young and they got into cross country skiing after they were fed up with getting injured from running. Naturally, we ended up cross country skiing a lot together as a family when I was young. I have a very competitive personality, so cross country racing seemed like a great thing to start doing when I was about 12 or 13. That and my mom basically forced me to do it, which I’m glad she did. It’s the best sport in the world, and I know I’ll still be getting out on the cross country trails when I’m 90 years old.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your career so far?
Competing at and getting top-30 at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for team USA is for sure the accomplishment I’m most proud of in my life. Just being able to be part of such an awesome team and take part in such a mind-boggling experience was absolutely incredible. I got enough Team USA clothing from Polo and Nike that I’ll never have to buy Christmas presents ever again!

What are your goals for next season?
Race in the Tour de Ski (a multi-stage cross country race in Europe in Dec. and Jan.). Improve my distance racing while still focusing on sprinting. Beat Andy Newell in a weighted pull-up competition.

What is your favorite snow destination?
New Zealand is probably the coolest place I’ve trained, while the Holmenkollen venue in Oslo, Norway is by far the coolest place I’ve raced.

What is your favorite non-snow destination?
Man, there are a bunch of these. Surfing and running on Kauai, mountain biking in Sun Valley, climbing in the City of Rocks, kayaking in Costa Rica, fall training in Lake Placid and the surrounding Adirondacks.

If you weren’t a professional athlete what would you be?
A pilot or backcountry ski/climbing guide.

What is the time you’ve been most scared in your life?
I climbed Teewinot Peak in the Tetons one summer after work one day and a huge lightning storm suddenly rolled in when I was about 50 feet from the summit. There were about four or five lightning strikes within 30 feet of me as I launched myself down the east face. I was completely alone, which made it worse, and ended up sobbing and yelling at myself for about half an hour when I reached the safety of the trees. I had to get stitches in 4 places on my body from crashing down the rocks the whole way down.

What is your biggest vice?
Coffee

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People that talk on their phones on chair lifts and bad drivers. It’s a tie.

What is your advice to others who want to follow in your footsteps?
Find a way to make it fun every single day. If it isn’t fun, it’s lame, and you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

March 17, 2011 (Clark, CO) – On March 19, the U.S. National Marathon and Ultra-marathon Championships takes place in Clark, Colo. The seventh annual North Routt Coureur des Bois offers participants the choice of a 45-kilometre loop or a 90-kilometre loop in either classic or skate techniques.

Both races go through Steamboat Lake State Park, Routt National Forest and the National Continental Divide Trail. The North Routt Coureur des Bois is the only time these trails are open to skiing.

The 45-kilometre loop takes place on rolling, technical trails with close to 3,000 feet of vertical climbing. There are four feed stations on the course and a good mix of challenging climbs and descents.

The 90-kilometre loop is considered to be highly challenging with several long, solitary stretches. The total climbing is more than 6,500 feet. Racers choosing the 90-kilometre option will be required to carry appropriate food, water, clothing and gear, in case of emergency. There are feed stations approximately every 15 kilometres along the route.

Both courses are expertly marked and groomed in addition to having contingency courses set up in case of either poor or excessive snow conditions.

To learn more, check out www.coureurdesbois.org, or to register, go to www.imathlete.com.

March 01, 2011 (Hayward, WI) – All winter long, we’ve been testing and finding HF Blue with Jetstream Blue over the top to run extremely well in cold weather, and at the 2011 Birkie, this was proven once again – We went with HF Blue covered by JetStream Blue and had fantastic skis.

Looking at forecasts a few days out, we knew that the weather was going to take a dive from Thursday night until Saturday, so we held off on testing too much until 6am on Friday morning. After some quick runs on the skis at Boedecker, I came back to Telemark Lodge, assembled CXC’s crack team of waxers, and we started running through skis. Part of the privileges of being on the CXC Master Team is getting your skis waxed for the Birkie, so we had 50+ pairs to wax for them, plus the CXC Elite Team skis. Between good organization, good tools and good workers, we were able to get the skis glide waxed before 7:30pm.

The Birkie classic has definitely grown, and we had about 20 pairs of skis to binder and wax. We used a mix of hard-wax binder and a few drops of green klister ironed in with it. Between the forecast and the length of the race, we went slightly warmer than starting conditions would call for — a few layers of blue hard wax covered with green. As it turned out, the weather didn’t warm up as much as we expected, but the kick definitely stuck around.

All in all, I was pretty pleased with the CXC Team’s results — wins in the women’s skate (Caitlin Compton) and classic (Jennie Bender), with Maria Stuber coming in 5th. On the men’s side, Karl Nygren and Eric Wolcott went 2-3 in the classic and in the skate, Bryan Cook came in 5th, with Brian Gregg 8th, Matt Liebsch 9th and Santi Ocariz 17th.

– Jason Cork, Head Coach, CXC Elite Team

Report from the Winner – American Birkebeiner
Heading into the Birkie I had a plan that I set up with my coaches over two months before. We sat down and laid out both the races and the travel that I would be doing in preparation for my peak at the American Birkibeiner.

The weeks before the Birkie were the most important. I was entered in both Super Tours and Marathon races and had a heavy training load. My plan included a two week altitude camp in Aspen, CO. I raced my Hometown City of Lakes Loppet the day before I left and ran into a lot of mishaps along the way. I felt great at the start and was ready to go. The men and women start together which leads to a very tight and busy first couple of kilometers. I was swallowed up quickly in the crowd and proceeded to try and maintain contact with the other women in the race. Unfortunately I maintained too much contact and a little tangle with another woman left me without the bottom half of my pole. I went on to race without a pole for the next couple of K, then with a long pole for another couple of K, before getting a pole that fit for the remainder of the race. I stayed relaxed and was able to hold onto the lead to the finish despite my pole mishap.

When I got off the plane in Aspen I knew I was in for a treat. The mountains were beautiful and there was plenty of snow. I was staying with a fellow racer’s parents and they were some of the best host parents I have ever had. After only a few days I knew I made the right decision to train in Aspen and race the Owl Creek Chase. The altitude was very high but the terrain and ski trails were incredible. The morning of the Owl Creek Chase came and the temperatures were soaring into the upper 40’s. I chose a pair of skis with more structure anticipating a slushy finish of the race. At the start I was on the front line ready to go. I wore my drink belt in preparation for the Birkie and took of double poling when the gun fired. I found a great spot in second place behind a fellow competitor but suddenly I was swallowed up by the girls charging behind me. I went down and found myself leaving the stadium in last place. Thankfully I had both poles intact but I had a lot of work to do to get back up with the lead pack. I made my way up through the women’s field and found myself with the lead group at the 5K mark. Suddenly the altitude caught up with me and I felt like I was carrying a load of bricks on my back. I watched as the other girls skied away from me and those who I had just passed pass me back. I stayed positive again and focused on skiing the rest of my race within my limits. During the last 5K I gave a final push and found that my body had recovered and could respond. I was able to pass seven women and finish the race strong and happy in 7th place.

The week of the Birkie quickly approached and I realized that I hadn’t skied much of the Birkie course in the last 6 years. Brian Gregg took me out daily to the key locations and as we trained we discussed strategy and tactics. As the Birkie morning approached I was feeling great and ready to go. The only question was the temperature. At a frigid -8F I arrived at the start having left one of my Toko mittens at home in Minneapolis. I did however bring my Toko Windstopper gloves and knew they would work well. But how well??? My excitement was high and I found myself jumping and jogging around a lot before the start, swinging my legs and arms often to keep the blood flowing. I have had problems with my feet hands and face in the past when the temperatures have dipped below zero and my fear lay in the fact that I had 50K to ski with temps remaining frigid the whole way. As I approached the start I strapped on my poles as the gun went off and the banner went up I found myself double poling to the best start position yet this season. I ducked into second place behind a Swiss woman and suddenly realized just how fast my skis were moving! I easily free skating behind her and standing up on the slightest of down hills to avoid colliding. Awesome!!! As we cruised through the first part of the race I was also psyched to realize that my hands and fingers were warm and cozy! I stayed at the front of the pack through the entire race avoiding collisions but never pushing too hard to bury myself. My skis continued to soar along the snow without the slightest hesitation and my hands were so comfortable even on the longest of down hills. I was able to get every feed I needed and respond to all attacks that were made.

With 10 kilometers to go I decided to make my move. I knew my skis were awesome and my body was ready so I took off at the front of the group. The other women responded and stayed close behind but I could sense that I was gliding a little further on every downhill and could rest a little longer. As we approached the final 2 kilometers three other women were still with me and the snow began to fall as we were crossing Lake Hayward. Amazingly I felt my skis speed up even more! Wow I thought my skis are still rockets after almost 50K of skiing. I pushed hard and felt the gap between myself and the other women starting to widen. I upped the tempo and power and found myself in the lead as we headed up Main Street. As I approached the finish I saw Brian waiting on the other side. Nothing could have made me happier and ski faster then seeing his smiling face. I charged to the line and realized I had just won as I gave Brian a huge hug.

The weather was still frigid but I couldn’t even tell through all of my excitement and happiness. A little frostbite on my nose was the only effect the cold could have on me that day. My fingers were warm and my spirits were high.

The plan worked and despite setbacks along the way everything went seamless on Birkie morning.

– Caitlin Compton, Women’s Race Winner

Razzle your Drink Belt Contest
Decorate your Toko drink belt and post the image on the Toko US Facebook Page. On 15 March, we will select our favorite. The winner will receive $500 worth of Toko product in the fall when we have everything in stock. Here’s the link to the Toko US Facebok page.

Race Wax Recommendations for the Masters Cross Country Ski World Cup 2011 will be posted on www.TokoUS.com. Direct link to the page HERE. They will also be tweeted (TokoUS) and posted to the Toko US Facebook page HERE.

For Toko Wax Tips for Canadian Cross Country Ski Races, go to the Toko Canada Facebook Site HERE.

January 14, 2011 (Boulder, CO) – After two years of traveling across the country to compete at The US Nationals in Alaska, the races finally were held on my home turf: Rumford, Maine. Ironically, I was unable to compete. I’m on the long road to recovery, after suffering from a severe digestive disorder for the past eight months. Lucky for me, these races will be back in Rumford at this time next year!

For now my job is to rest, recover, and enjoy college life. This week I started classes at the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO as a freshman. Being a student again is an adjustment after being out of school for a year and a half, but I think I’m going to like it!

Summary of my illness
The human body has one goal: to live. Left alone, it’s pretty good at it. However, when outside stress amounts to more than the body can “handle”, occasionally, the body’s natural coping methods become detrimental to this goal of simply living. Apparently, the body starts to shut down the less necessary systems, like the digestive and the immune systems, and focuses all of its energy on the heart, lungs, and brain, when it reaches a state of chronic fatigue.

Just as technique is one movement, the complex internal network that gives us life is one, unified collaboration. So it makes sense that a slight imbalance can trigger a domino effect. There is a tremendous amount of research and scientific findings in the medical field for the typical sedentary human, but there seems to be much less information about the athlete’s body and how it copes. I hope that by sharing my medical experiences, other athletes will be able to avoid getting lost in medical mysteries.

According to my latest medical diagnosis, two stress fractures, a long standing infection, two invasive surgeries, plus daily training and racing demands, all occurring in just one year’s time – on top of long standing asthma and extreme food intolerances – fatigued my body beyond it’s ability to function normally.

In order to cope, my body began shutting down systems, one of which was the digestive system. I’ve seen a wide range of doctors, all of who contributed a piece of the puzzle, and continue to add to my growing quiver of medical knowledge and recovery process. I do not have one clear diagnosis, but rather a collection of theories. The recovery process is going to be long, occasionally with small set backs, but I have faith that my health is improving slowly.

I would never have imagined that I would experience this medical nightmare, but it has opened my mind to whole new fields of knowledge that I might not have explored otherwise. I have become fascinated by both traditional and alternative medicine (now understanding why it is called the “practice” of medicine). I have explored my artistic passions (spending hours designing and decorating elaborate gingerbread castles, creating my own crochet stitches and patterns, making brochures); and have learned what it means to hold out hope. It’s not always easy to have faith in a better tomorrow when there is no foreseeable solution in sight. I learned how to live day by day, and remain in the present moment; relishing in the limited pleasures, fighting to overcome the seemingly surmountable obstacles, and always believing that I could, and would, overcome this illness.

I am not alone on this journey. I’m forever grateful to the dedicated team of family, friends, coaches and doctors who have stood by my side, advocated, listened, fought, laughed and shared stories with me. (My parents are probably qualified for medical degrees after these past eight months of accompanying me to all of my various doctor’s appointments!)

Now I am at the University of Colorado in Boulder starting my college experience. I won’t be racing for the team this year as I recover, but will hopefully be on the roster in the fall. Bruce Cranmer, the CU Nordic coach, has been extremely flexible through my set backs and I’m looking forward to have him as a coach.

Good luck to everyone for the 2011 season ahead!