​So far this ski season has included a lot of “hurry up and wait.” Last month, I was bummed to find out that Covid was causing more obstacles in an already turbulent season. For understandable safety concerns, the US Ski Team decided not to fill all of their start spots for the Tour de Ski world cup races. I was feeling quite defeated, but I decided to make the most of the situation and head home to spend Christmas with my family.

​I was hesitant about unnecessary travel, but ultimately, I realized that my head and heart needed the time at home if I wanted to keep chasing goals the rest of the winter. Spending mornings reading my book next to the fireplace (waiting for my brother to wake up), afternoons skiing with my family on the Birkebeiner trails and evenings cooking up a storm with my mom and sister in the kitchen… one week at home was just what I needed.

​With the time at home to lick my wounds, I returned back to Vermont feeling energized and ready to set my eyes on some new goals. That is, after I did a week-long quarantine in southern Vermont and then got a negative covid test. A week before Christmas, Stratton, VT got hit with a snowstorm resulting in 42 inches of fresh snow, a record snowfall for the state of Vermont! However, mother nature wasn’t feeling great and decided to follow that up with 2 inches of rain over Christmas. By the time I made it back to Vermont, it was looking grim.

​I did the best I could to stay positive and hope for more snow in the forecast. I adjusted training so that I could ski up the access road on Stratton Mountain before the lifts opened at 9 am. I also went on a few runs and hikes and did more strength at home. I knew in the back of my mind that there was a possibility I could qualify for period 3 of world cup races in Europe, but the decision wasn’t supposed to be made until January 4th. There wasn’t much I could do besides try to train and wait around for that decision.

​January 4th came around and I busied myself with work and yoga. I tuned into a virtual Maine high school practice and worked with junior skiers on drills and goal setting. I even made more cookies with the cats! My thought was that I had two options... Plan A: qualify for period 3 world cups, train in VT for a few more weeks and then fly to Europe. Plan B: not qualify for races, pack my belongings into my car and drive west in search of sun, snow and mountains to enjoy for the rest of the winter! Towards the end of the day, I finally got a call from my coach. He said, “don’t pack your bags just yet.” Which essentially meant that nothing had been decided for world cups but don’t start your ski-cation. More waiting....

​To be completely honest, I was feeling extremely frustrated about the situation. I had already done a whole lot of waiting! Sadly, there was nothing I could do about the situation except take a deep breath and move forward with training. By this point, I had finished my quarantine and was able to travel up to Craftsbury, VT where my male teammates had been training over the holidays. Seeing my teammates and coach again after a few weeks apart put a smile back on my face! There was more consistent snow up north, so I was able to jump into hard training right away.

On the easy days, I occupied myself by meeting up with an ex-UVM Catamount teammate, Mk Cirelli. We went skiing at the Trapp Family Lodge, which is where the UVM team did most training waaaay back in the day. ;) It was really special to be back there with Mk and it brought back so many great college memories. It was also a beautiful day that reminded me just how much I love this sport, despite the challenges and obstacles it brings. 

It's funny how much some sun, fun skiing, and seeing a friend can boost you back into a better mood. I really feel like my ski with Mk was just what my ski soul needed and I started feeling more positive about my situation.

Sure enough, the following day was when the postponed decisions were meant to be finalized. Again, I busied myself with more work, some yoga, laundry... by dinnertime I received another phone call from my coach. This time, a much happier one! It was official that I had been nominated as the COC Leader for the US. (COC leader spot is for the top ranked domestic skier, not including anyone already racing world cups). After weeks of waiting and beginning to think that there wouldn't be much of a race season for me at all, I let out a big sigh of relief.

I am so SO excited to be heading to Europe in just a few days! I will be over there for three weeks, racing in Finland and Sweden. I can't wait to be reunited with my female SMS teammates who have been there for a few months now. In the meantime, I will spend this last week doing a few more hard workouts and preparing to travel. I will also be packing plenty of local coffee, peanut butter and Vermont Maple Sriracha to add to the potatoes that I know we will have for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Finland. 

After watching my teammates CRUSH the Tour de Ski, I am feeling very inspired to head over there loaded with positive energy! I was so impressed watching my teammates bury themselves in these races, day after day. I am so proud of Jessie and the team for believing in themselves and daring to chase those big, scary goals. 

I would like to include one final thought: Covid has thrown obstacles into all of our lives. I know that I could blog only about the beautiful skiing I get to do and places I get to go, which I really am grateful for. However, I believe sharing the positive moments AND the challenges that cross country skiers face is important in order to depict a realistic outlook on what life as a skier looks like for me. As always, thank you for the continuous support, it's time to race!

​The weather gods seem to be teasing us in northern Vermont! After weeks of dealing with little to no snow, a huge “nor’easter” storm decided to dump over three feet of fresh pow all over New England, with the exception of a little pocket around Craftsbury.

​I have been living and training in Craftsbury, VT for 4.5 weeks now. We’ve had hopeful dustings of snow, crushing rainstorms and frigid winds test our patience and desire to do this crazy sport called cross country skiing. However, I have still been enjoying my time here. After quarantining and getting a negative Covid test, I was able to move in with the Craftsbury Green Racing Project and thereby join “the pact.” This gave me a safe place to live, food from a dining hall and access to a gym and man-made snow. It also allowed me to hang out/train with ski buddies and high school/college friends who are on the GRP team.

​We started out with a 200-meter stretch of snow, looping up and down a big hill. This turned into 300 meters, and then 500 meters… and we slowly inched our way up to a 2.5-kilometer loop. Although, this did not come without a fight. The motivation to train hard up and down a hill while it’s freezing rain, day after day, can take its toll on your spirits. I was having a tough time staying positive through this, but my friends, teammates and coach were there to keep me going. 

We made Christmas cookies together, chopped down a tree, listened to carols around the fire and enjoyed each other’s company.

​Finally, we were able to scrape together a rough plan to coordinate a few self-timed, race-like efforts on snow. Vermont Covid restrictions are pretty tight, so we weren’t allowed to host any type of event. Instead, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center granted access for local Vermonters to book a time slot to ski, rent a bib, wear a mask and follow a “course” during their timed effort. This was FAR from a normal race scenario, but it did give me a glimmer of hope. I save a very special mindset for race day that I just can’t seem to tap into during hard workouts or roller ski time trials. I treated these timed efforts on snow like a race; I was focused and determined, yet relaxed and confident. 

With two 10k’s and two sprints, I really gave these “hard efforts” everything I had, not knowing when I would get another chance to do so. I did everything that I possibly could to try to prove that I deserve an opportunity to take the next step this season. I laid my heart and soul out there; I skied my best; I wanted a spot on the World Cup; yet, there are variables out of my control.

The US team has open start spots on the World Cup for the Tour de Ski, but a global pandemic means that bringing other athletes over to Europe comes with risk and potential consequences. The last thing I would ever want would be to jeopardize another athlete’s health and well-being. However, I am at the point where I am willing to get on a plane with 24 hours of notice and do a two week quarantine in a hotel in Europe.

Without having any real racing opportunities in Vermont, we're trying to do things the smart/safe way. But as an athlete who has achieved success at the national level and has broken the bubble onto the World Cup, seeing an open spot in the Tour de Ski is like dangling a chocolate donut two inches from my grasp. I understand the logistical nightmare that comes along with a tour; I completed the Scandinavian Ski Tour last February. I witnessed first hand just how similar the World Cup circuit is to herding sheep!

I also recognize that racing in a Tour is no easy feat. I haven't raced 200 World Cups, I am not an experienced racer internationally. Last year, I went into the Scandinavian Tour absolutely gassed from the previous World Cups I had completed and it took everything I had to get through that series of races. Having chosen the grueling ski tour as a developmental challenge, I forfeited the opportunity to race domestically - holding on to the Supertour Leader position that would have granted me start spots in Period 1 and 2 of World Cups this year. My Ski Tour results were far from glorious, but I stuck with it and learned a lot along the way. That experience motivated me all summer and fall to chase after my teammates. It inspired me to be an athlete eager to race, prepared to travel through Europe and to compete ferociously in a Tour.

I don't believe that my frustrations are unique to me alone. Many other people recognize that there are opportunities being missed. Due to Covid, individuals are disappointed to face job loss, career changes, cancelled weddings & graduations, less than ideal learning situations and so much more. 

I continue to try to find acceptance with this outcome. On the other hand, I can't help but ask, what's the point? I understand that there are so many complications during 2020/2021 and that everyone is doing their best to keep risks low and loved ones safe. As I grapple with the thought of an entire winter with the potential of no races, I try to remain calm. I know that all I can do is continue to work hard, make the most of the opportunities I have in front of me, and hope that more will come in the future.

​A Thanksgiving spent alone in quarantine? That’s 2020.

​A few weeks ago, my teammates Bill, Ben and I traveled to northern Vermont in search of snow and more training partners. Most of the SMS team started Period 1 on the World Cup, so they flew to Europe and their races have already begun! Meanwhile, our domestic races were cancelled back in September leaving us with limited options. The New England Nordic Ski Association worked quickly to put together regional races for the winter that would have allowed New England skiers to safely day-travel to races and compete at a distance from everyone. However, as Covid cases started popping up more frequently in Vermont, these races soon looked doubtful.

​The boys and I decided to make the most of it and came to an agreement with the Craftsbury Racing Team (in northern Vermont) that we would try to plan for time trials in December, in the hopes of getting a glimpse at cross country ski racing. Because of the strict Vermont guidelines Bill, Ben and I stocked up on groceries and moved into a host family’s house near Craftsbury, while they were not in town. We tried as hard as we could to create our own bubble and limit outside interactions. We spent mornings training hard and afternoons recovering. I sat for hours right next to the wifi rotor trying to continue with my remote work. In the evenings, we would make a fire and play games to pass the time away. Settlers of Catan, Lord of the Rings Risk, multi-person solitaire… we were up for anything!

​Originally, we traveled to Craftsbury anticipating snow to fall and the ski season to begin. Although there have been a few flurries here and there, unfortunately it has accumulated to be just barely NOT ENOUGH snow to ski, but too much snow/ice to roller ski. Alas, we have worked our running legs, explored new hikes in the area and skied on a thin layer of dust on top of pavement.

​Although the boys and I were not interacting with outsiders, we were not yet included in the “Craftsbury bubble,” which meant we could not train with them. We waved to them from across the road as we ran by and spread out from each other by 30 minutes for a roller ski time trial, seeing the Craftsbury team out there working inspired us to get working too. Bill and Ben would frequently let me tag along with them on runs or for a few minutes of skiing, but in the end I was left without a training buddy most days. 

​I don’t have a problem working out by myself and would qualify myself as a pretty good solo-trainer. But friends are nice too! Without any racing or traveling prospects in the near future, I realized we better get into a routine around here. So, when the Craftsbury team extended an invitation for me to join their “pact,” I did not hesitate. Joining the pact entails a 3-4 day quarantine (if you're already a Vermont resident), a Covid test, and waiting for that result to come back negative. Once cleared, I am allowed to move into the Craftsbury team house (home to many of my closest ski friends), train with the other athletes, use their gym and eat in their dining hall. However, I am not allowed to go into a grocery store, a friend’s house, or put myself in any scenario where there could be risk of exposure. So, here I am, six days into a quarantine just waiting to get my test results back…

I'm sure everyone's Thanksgiving holiday looked far from normal this year and I truly hope you were all able to make the most of it. At first, I found it strange spending the day by myself in a cabin, but then I realized it's pretty similar to every other day in the life of a skier. So after training in the morning I worked on a puzzle, finished a book (The Mermaid Chair), started a new book (Lost Girls), binge watched The Queen's Gambit and still got stuffing and cranberries to-go from the Craftsbury Dining Hall!

Something I've been able to reflect on throughout my recent quarantine as well as the year of 2020, is how much consistency can effect your goals. For example, since April I have been doing 30-45 minutes of yoga 1-2 times a week, without missing a single week. I've always told myself I'll do more stretching, but it took a global pandemic for me to actually create the habit. For the first time in my life I can finally touch my toes! I've also been working on cutting back my coffee consumption. This is bittersweet to me because I absolutely adore the smell, taste and energy rush that comes with coffee, but I found myself frequently laying awake at night, unable to fall asleep. I'm down to half a cup a day now! 

I admit, I spent a few hours dwelling on my solo Thanksgiving day, but I quickly realized how lucky I still was. I had a beautiful cabin in the woods all to myself, the most delicious fresh food served in a box for every meal and training right outside my door! I was able to virtually connect with friends and family all over the world and appreciate all of the little things I had to be thankful for. Thank you friends and family for your continuous love and support, I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving. I can't wait to hug you all once we're through this!

​October brought us a lot of things… peak foliage, election stress, unseasonably cold weather, unseasonably warm weather, lots of hard ski intervals and a hard transition from summer to fall. Now we're well into November and we've had plenty of training days of 35 degrees and rain, but there were also days of 75 and blue skies! My teammates, Ben S., Bill and I are up in Craftsbury, VT hoping to get on snow any day now.

​As the temperatures drop though, skiers (all athletes) need to be even more prepared to face the day with the appropriate amount of calories and nutrients. People burn more calories when they're cold; metabolism picks up its pace to keep your internal temperature on track. Also, when you add hard training sessions on top of that you suddenly need extra fuel to stay healthy, energetic and recover faster. Once the backyard garden is ripped up and the farmers markets have closed for the season, it can be tricky to find the fresh, local produce that every athlete should strive for. In addition, my teammates and I are trying to create our own quarantine bubble and limit our trips to the grocery store, which means we might need to stock up on what we can! These obstacles could lead toward a plate full of bland, colorless food. However, I’ve collected a few ideas on how to keep fueling in a delicious and nutritious way all winter long!

Figure out what produce is in season! Your tomatoes may have frozen over,  but apples are still crushing! (Disclaimer- Sonnesyn family members will typically eat a garden fresh tomato like we're biting into an apple, not sure if that's weird)? I find it so helpful to understand what produce is being harvested at what time of year. Here is a link to a seasonal food guide that can help you navigate the supermarket during the chilly months: www.seasonalfoodguide.org. 

(Click on the images to find the recipe)

A few weeks ago, Jessie and Wade packed up their belongings and drove off. Jessie went back home to MN for a few weeks before traveling to Europe for Period 1 of the World Cup and Wade went back to their apartment in Boston to work. Before they left though, we made sure to have one last pizza party featuring some seasonal inspiration, but also some of Wade's Polish heritage with a Pierogi pizza!!

Aside from trying to find inspiration in seasonal produce, I also get a little bit lax with always using fresh fruits and veggies in the winter. Sometimes it is just not realistic! So I'll buy some frozen vegetables and incorporate more legumes into meals with soups, stews and curries that are the perfect way to warm up after an afternoon ski or run in the frigid air.

When in doubt, add more garlic and ginger. If your winter cooking is getting a little bland and you're not sure how to make it more exciting without constant access to fresh produce, throw in some garlic/ginger! Garlic and ginger are both root vegetables that are relatively inexpensive and contribute LOADS of flavor. They also keep for a really long time without going bad so if you're trying to limit grocery store runs, you can stock up on them.

As the season ramps up, intervals get harder and racing becomes more prevalent (fingers crossed), it is extremely important for us endurance athletes to remember that the ratio on our plate should look a little different. For example, during an easy week of training with few hours or intensity sessions, it's important to prioritize the colors and protein at each meal. However, as we start demanding more from our bodies, we need those simple carbohydrates!

I never realized how valuable that key point was until I did my first ski tour last season. The world cup circuit completed a Scandinavian tour with six races in nine days. By the fourth race I was starting to have stomach issues and was hitting a major energy wall. No longer did I have that fight in me to chase down every second I could in each race, instead I was just trying to make it to the finish line. I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with a nutritionist from the US Ski Team and she pointed out to me that my body didn't have the time or energy to digest leafy greens when we had back-to-back race days for over a week. Something so simple was eye-opening to me as I realized it might actually be more beneficial for me to turn down the salad bar and head straight toward the bread and butter.

Aside from fueling properly, I typically view cooking and eating as a time to bring people together, converse and get a belly ache from laughing too hard (or maybe fueling too hard). Especially during this time of year, family and friends want to come together to celebrate the holidays, but are probably finding it challenging while following Covid regulations. However, I think we can still get the best of both worlds by taking advantage of the warmer/sunny days we still have and venturing outside for meals.

Or by bundling up and embracing the cold weather while enjoying treats outside with friends and family.

It may not always be the most glamorous way to celebrate birthdays & holidays, but it's what 2020 has given us and we're making it work! When it comes to cooking and dining, whether you're fueling for a long ski the next day or making a fancy dinner with your household, my advice is to keep it balanced. That doesn't mean you need to have a salad for every meal, but try to maintain as colorful a diet as possible. And don't forget to treat yourself to the seasonal treats too! ;)

Now that I'm fueled properly and feeling energetic, I'm ready to bring all of this hard work I've done roller skiing onto the snow and get this party started! Any day now snow gods, we're ready for you...

​It’s October now and “happy hour” is looking a lot different than it did a few weeks ago for me. September went by in a blur and consisted of many hours driving along I-90 singing to Lizzo, creating flower arrangements, baking cakes, setting up twinkle lights outside, trying on shoes, car shopping, celebrating happy hour more evenings than not, hanging out with relatives AND MY SISTER’S WEDDING! Oh, and some ski training too. 

​Over a month ago, my friend Kristen Bourne and I caravanned from Stratton, VT to the Twin Cities. Because of Covid, we didn’t want to stop for a hotel and we both needed our cars in the Midwest so we woke up at 3:40 in the morning and were on the road by 4:00 for a 21 hour drive. I’ve done long drives before but never a solo one over 13 hours, so this was a real test. I was so grateful to have Kristen by my side on the interstate to crack jokes with me during bathroom breaks, share homemade snacks, and explore some new flavors of Red Bull (never thought I’d be a fan, but their new peach flavor is like juice)! While driving, I listened to “White Fragility,” which I highly recommend, called a few friends, and thought about how much popcorn a human could consume. Do you think a person could eat his or her weight in popcorn in one sitting? Kristen and I had a few rough moments (mostly me getting impatient, tired and cranky after 18 hours) but we made it safely back to Minneapolis!

​Right away, I jumped into wedding mode. My sister, Marit, and her now husband, Nick, have been together for 7.5 years and got engaged last fall. Our friends and family had been waiting patiently to celebrate this marriage that we always knew would happen and although we had obvious Covid concerns for the event, Marit and Nick decided to go through with their plans. So, 36 hours after driving halfway across the country I put together a bachelorette party for Marit. That being said, it was not a typical bachelorette party. In fact, Marit refused to call it that so we referred to it as “Not a Bachelorette Party.” We started the day with six ladies and a 10-mile run (yeah…) followed by a boat ride out on Lake Minnetonka (I always crave Lake Life after being in VT for a while). Later that evening a few more ladies, moms and aunts joined us in the backyard for an outdoor dinner celebration. Only one game was allowed the entire day and one “outfit” which was a flower crown I created for Marit the day before – also, the most creative thing I think I have ever made, I was quite proud of myself. Don’t ask how long I worked on it.

​Soon after “Not a Bachelorette Party,” my mom, sister and I drove up to our cabin in Hayward, WI to get ready for a small ceremony weekend with just close friends and family. The Spider Lake Lodge, located half a mile from our cabin, was the perfect place to hold the weekend celebrations. We spent most of the weekend outside running, boating, kayaking, swimming… 

​It was such a beautiful ceremony that kept tears slowly streaming down my cheeks the entire time. So many smiles, laughs and references to “marriage is like a marathon…” I’ve always looked up to Marit and it feels like Nick has been my older brother for years already. In a way, the wedding seemed so natural to me, but hearing their vows to each other just reinforced how truly happy I am for the two of them and can’t wait to see what their future holds. 

​Although it was a precious, small ceremony at our cabin, Marit and Nick still wanted to celebrate with more friends and family back in the Twin Cities. So, we had one week to clean up, recover from dancing, prep a new venue (Nick’s mother’s backyard) and refuel. During this week, I took a few days to connect with the Midwest ski community. 

I spent an afternoon working with the team at Gear West to make sure we were all feeling prepped and ready to go for whatever this ski season might bring us. I also hosted a live and virtual strength workout for anyone needing some new at-home exercise ideas. It was fun to see a few familiar faces and work with some new folks, as well as support a giveaway to some Midwest Juniors sporting some of my favorite sponsors!

​The following evening, I joined The Loppet Trail Kids practice and hopped into their adventure run. It’s so fun working with these kids and seeing their excitement about getting outside and staying active! After running and completing an orienteering hunt, I chatted with them all a bit about goal setting and chasing dreams. I explained to them that I was standing in their exact same shoes 15 years ago and never would have thought I’d be training as a professional athlete. 

Although working with kids is by far my favorite way to give back to the ski community, I also had a great time joining The Loppet Ladies ski session the following morning to work on technique, balance and strength. Strength is such a huge component to cross country skiing, but can often be intimidating to females, so it was nice to see so many of these women working hard to get stronger and fitter with coach Kim Rudd! (Also, huge thanks to Kim for setting up these sessions for me. She’s such an awesome female leader in the Midwest ski world and so great to work with!)

​After running around for a few days, I took one deep breath and jumped back into wedding week. It was so special to spend time with cousins I hadn’t seen in a few years (yikes, love you guys), celebrate my aunt’s birthday and my grandparents 55th wedding anniversary! We then had a backyard party full of good food, delicious cocktails, gorgeous flowers and so much more dancing. My brother, Anders, and I gave a toast to the lucky bride and groom, which entailed Anders wearing Marit’s veil. That was fun!

All in all, it was a great month being home in the Midwest. Of course there were concerns by everyone about Covid regulations and social distancing, but I think all of our friends and family did a great job being smart and cautious when necessary, while also celebrating Marit and Nick! Spending time with family always makes me a happy girl, which in turn I believe makes me a faster girl when it comes to ski training. That life balance is so important to me and allows me to better focus when it's time to buckle down for training. Although I'm bummed to be leaving behind semi-ritual happy hours with my family, it feels good to be back in Stratton, VT (after quarantining, driving back east and getting a negative test). Recently, there have been discussions about the season that seem more promising than they had a month ago. In all honesty, the domestic ski season was looking pretty grim and I was facing a serious lack of motivation for a few weeks, but nothing gets me more fired up than resetting goals, being back with teammates and getting back to work! Time to switch those evening happy hours into strength power hours!

​On one hand, it seems as though the summer has gone by so fast! On the other hand, 2020 has been a tough year and it feels like April was eons ago. This summer, my teammates and I have probably spent the most time ever training and hanging out around the Stratton area in Vermont. With the exception of a one-week family vacation and a few weekend trips around New England, I’ve been living up on the mountain since mid-May. Being a part of a team that is used to traveling for camps almost monthly and as an individual who can get restless when there “isn’t much going on,” the thought of this intimidated me back in the spring. 

Week 1: 8/10-8/16
Monday: Day off! This might seem strange to start the week with a day of rest, but we usually put in a lot of hours over the weekend so it’s very necessary for us to put our feet up for a bit. I typically spend my Monday’s doing a few hours of work for my online job, go grocery shopping, get a massage (maybe twice a month), afternoon yoga and cooking up a more extensive dinner meal (frequently homemade pizzas).

Tuesday: Solo threshold/L3 classic rollerski workout with 5x10 min of gradual climbing. For whatever reason, my female teammates all had different schedules and we were unable to do this workout together. It was freaking HOT AND HUMID so this workout took a little extra out of me. In the afternoon, I did a 30 min run as a warm up for an hour long strength session.
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Wednesday: A 2.5 hour gravel bike ride with Sophie, Jessie, KO and Ida. The purpose of this ride was to be a super easy recovery after yesterday’s workout and before hitting it again hard tomorrow.

​Thursday: 5k skate pace project. This is a new workout that our team has incorporated into our summer training. We found a 5k stretch of road that is super hilly and twisting/windy so it could act as a model for a real ski race course. The idea is to do 3x5k at a time trial or race effort, although we aren’t quite there yet. When we first did this workout in early July it was completely as L3/threshold. In August, we ramped this up to one run at threshold, the second a mix of L3/L4 and then the final was more of a time trial effort. This is a VERY hard workout and should only get harder as the training season goes on. We also followed this up with an afternoon strength session in the gym.

​Friday: 2.5 hours classic roller ski with Jessie and KO in the morning. Then, 1.5 hour afternoon run/hike up the back side of Stratton Mountain and back down the front.

Saturday: Classic roller ski speed workout with 4x6min of 15 seconds on and 45 seconds off to help build power while also practicing flushing out lactic acid in our legs. In the afternoon, I went for a 1 hour shakeout run and then met my teammates in the gym again for some core.
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Sunday: 3.5 hour solo run around the lakes/ponds behind Stratton Mountain. Again, my teammates and I were on slightly different schedules and few foot injuries prevented anyone from joining me on this one. :( But it capped off a 21.5 hour week!

After a big week of training with three major intensity sessions, I was desperate for another day off before starting one of my last big volume weeks of the summer.
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Week 2: 8/17-8/23
Monday: Day off, phew! 
Tuesday: Classic roller ski threshold/L3 workout of 2x25ish minutes of double poling on pretty fast terrain to work on high speed, neuromuscular motions. Not a workout that exhausted me but definitely made my back a bit (a lot) sore and challenged me to double pole with power and speed for an extended period of time while following my super strong lady teammates. We followed this up with an afternoon strength session. 
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​​Wednesday: Went for a longer run with KO, Sophie and Ben. We chatted about a lot of "girl stuff," so I was impressed Ben didn't take off and ditch us after 30 minutes. In the afternoon, I went for a short, easy skate ski.

Thursday: 2.25 classic roller ski in the morning followed by an afternoon rip around on the mountain bikes with KO and Bill. I was immediately dropped during the bike ride, but then waited for so I could be the "water carrier" while Bill went for a downhill KOM Strava segment... this is what teammates are for!

Friday: Skate roller ski workout with 8min L3 warmup, 4x2min at L4a with little recovery, and then 3-4x8min L3 to practice skiing well with tired little leggies. I was definitely suffering by this point in the training block with a lot of intensity and hours under my belt, but I was able to get things together for another afternoon strength session.

Saturday: 4 hour run on the Appalachian Trail going up and over Pico and Killington Mountain. 
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Sunday: Another day of easy distance consisting of a ski in the morning with Jessie and an afternoon gravel bike ride to round out a 25 hour week of training.

After finally coming to the end of a pretty solid and significant training block, I was very ready for an easy week. As I've ramped up my training in the last few years I have come to realize how necessary easy weeks are. In order to find improvement in my skiing and fitness, I need to be well rested, but I also need to be mentally prepared to keep things firing. I frequently try to get away from Stratton during an easy week, sometimes I don't bring my roller skis or walk into a gym at all and instead go running, hiking and biking with family and friends. However, this year it has been more challenging to get away during easy weeks. So, when I am in Stratton for some chill time it usually looks something like this.
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Week 3: 8/24-8/30
Monday: A day off with more yoga and maybe some "corona-safe" socializing.

Tuesday: Morning run that was supposed to be easy but didn't feel very easy. Clearly, my body was still tired. Then a mini core session.
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Wednesday: ​Very chill mountain bike ride!

Thursday: Back on roller skis for a short skate workout of 1x25 mins of L3 to wake up the rested body, followed by an afternoon strength session.

Friday: App Gap roller ski race in Northern Vermont, put on by NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association). Our team woke up early to make the drive north for a 7.5k race up a mountain. The race had been going on all week with various teams competing one day at a time, or virtually. It was a great and safe race that tested out a few ways we might be racing this winter. I then hopped in the car to visit my brother, Anders, at UNH before he starts classes this week.

Saturday: Run in the rain with Anders and some of his UNH teammates.

Sunday: Longerish skate roller ski to end a 13 hour training week.

Summer training involves A LOT of volume! I come from a background in ski training with fewer summer intervals and higher hours. Although, I have gradually incorporated more intensity into June-August, it is still an adjustment I am working on. In addition, reflecting on what I am able to accomplish at this point in time versus what I was capable of handling 4-6 years ago is drastically different. If I tried to train this much in high school or even in college, I would be burnt to crisp before any colorful leaves could fall. Back in high school, my biggest weeks in the summer would MAYBE reach 18 hours and in college they were around 21-22 hours. It is pretty cool to see the progress though and to realize how much I've learned about training from my coaches at UVM, in Bend, OR and here at SMS. Not to mention everything I have learned from following teammates out on the roads or around the trails. It's pretty great to be able to take advantage of the people you're surrounded by and take something away from them every single day. They're not lying when they say team work makes the dream work!

PS- I'm a big Strava girl as of the last 10 days so if you're interested in following along with more workouts, go check out my Strava account!

​When training is going well, it’s hard to justify taking some down time. Most skiers want to keep pushing themselves and working hard until their body breaks, but I’ve recently found myself feeling more burnt out mentally than I am physically. That’s why I was really appreciative of Coach Pat including a mid-summer break in our training schedule so that my teammates and I could travel if necessary.

​With Covid, traveling becomes really tricky and it requires much more time before and after to quarantine, get tested, etc. Add to that the paranoia of a bunch of athletes worried about exposing themselves and their loved ones to something dangerous… there are a lot of hoops to jump through! A few weeks ago, some of us experienced flying during a pandemic for the first time and I traveled out to Colorado to meet my family for a one-week vacation. I didn’t pack roller skis and I actually forgot to pack my heart rate monitor *gasp*. I had just finished one of my biggest volume weeks ever and suddenly I felt free to relax!

​I went on walks with my mom, 10-mile bike rides with my 80-year-old grandpa, and hikes with my aunt, uncle and cousins. No longer was I worried about getting in enough volume or keeping my heart rate high enough (or low enough ehem, altitude…) and just appreciated the people and nature that I was around.

Somedays, we hiked for 8-10 hours. Other days, I went for a 30 minute jog with my sister. My mom, sister and I sat by the pool in the afternoon and cooked up a storm in the evenings. By the end of the week, my siblings and I decided it wouldn't be a family vacation without a Sonnesyn team race. We were in Vail, CO and somehow found one of the only running races that was actually happening this summer: a 4.5 mile run up the mountain. Of course! We wore face coverings at the start/finish line and with the steep grade the crowd spread out pretty quickly.

With my heart feeling full and happy again, I parted ways with my family and made the trip back east. I quarantined in a separate condo for a week and did all of my training alone. Normally, I would be bummed about this, but with all of the activities and excitement with my family the week before I was feeling okay with a little down time. Also, with such a long break from roller skiing and hard workouts, I was suddenly so excited to do roller ski intervals again and get back into working on my weaknesses. 

After a negative Covid test and lots of hand sanitizer, I rejoined my teammates for training sessions in Stratton. We've been able to pick it up right where we left off with plenty of intervals and lots of volume. However, I think the most important thing to realize is that I wouldn't have been able to do this without a week away. Reflecting on summer training in previous years, the high amount of intervals that we do as a team can be really hard for me to keep up with. I've tried just pushing through the summer, attending all of the team camps and jumping into every workout without realizing how much stress my body has been under. This year, I'm feeling grateful for the break I've given myself both physically and mentally!

Cross country skiing is a very unique sport. It requires self discipline and goal setting, which can be difficult to motivate yourself for. Not to mention all of the equipment and clothing you need in order to glide across snow when it's -5 degrees! Luckily, you don't have to do this alone. Gear West Ski and Bike shop is always around to help!

I so vividly remember the first time I walked into Gear West in search of a new pair of skis. I was in 8th grade, had made some major gains in my skiing ability and also grown a lot in middle school. Grateful that my parents could support my skiing so much, I was still nervous to step through that door and get fitted for a new pair of classic skis. However, the staff was so welcoming, working hard at 7:00 on a Friday night in November to make sure that I was ready to chase my goals when the snow fell. With their help, I found the perfect pair of Rossignol skis that I soon referred to as my "magic skis" because they were so fast, yet I could kick up any hill I came across!

Gear West isn't just a shop for outdoor equipment, it's an access point to a whole new world. With a tremendous crew of hard-working, dedicated athletes, the team knows how to lead by example. The owner, Jan Guenther, is the epitome of a badass lady (excuse my language). She has opened the door to female athletes to make sure they feel safe and comfortable trying new things and she inspires them in the process. She also gives most Birkie Elite Wave men a run for their money! Not to mention all of the time and energy Jenny Beckman puts into making sure every little detail is taken care of so outreach events and races can run smoothly. It's pretty exciting to be surrounded by such strong women and they motivate me to keep chasing my goals!

It's impossible to predict what this ski season will look like, but I know that Gear West is determined to support it in any way possible. I am really looking forward to working with the shop to create safe and creative options to get more adults feeling fit, juniors challenging themselves and setting goals, and youth playing outside!

​We have finally reached the middle of the summer which means training volume is high, intensity is high and if you’re in the east (or Midwest) the humidity is HIGH! This means that EVERYONE needs to take certain precautions with hydration on those hot, steamy days, but athletes, at any level, especially need to prioritize refueling. 

My friend/teammate, Jessie Diggins, wrote a blog post last week about the emotional and support side of fueling. Many athletes face challenging relationships with food; this can be in the form of disordered eating or simply not knowing the best way to fuel their bodies. In her blog post (click here), Jessie answers some tricky questions about the conversation and if you, or someone you know, is struggling with a relationship with food then I highly recommend reading it (and seeking professional help if necessary). Jessie and I live together, cook together and eat together. We feel very comfortable chatting about fueling, food, etc. so we decided to bounce some ideas off each other this past week and share each other’s work. In contrast to her Q&A blog post, here is a light-hearted, fun collection of the yummy and delicious ways that Jessie and I have been getting creative to refuel and stay cool this summer so we can continue to train our hearts out… (Side note: I also wrote a blog post last fall about some of the meals we had been cooking at that point in the year).

​Often times, Jessie and I start refueling THE NIGHT BEFORE a big workout. We’ll place our running water bottle or ski drink belt in the freezer with a bit of water in it to freeze overnight. We also sometimes make coffee ahead of time, so we have iced coffee in the morning and/or we’ll make overnight oats for a breakfast straight from the fridge. Starting with a cool body temperature can help so much when you’re heading out the door at 8 am for hard intervals in the sun! Of course, we don’t forget to grab our hydration pack from the freezer in the morning, top it off and add electrolyte mix (my personal favorite is Tailwind Nutrition, which can be found at Gear West Ski Shop in MN or online). Also, we make sure to pack a snack for during the workout (such as Honey Stinger gummies or waffles) and after the workout while driving home. Our go-to snack these days for the car? SMOOTHIES! It’s pretty quick and easy to mix before leaving the house: a frozen banana, a bunch of frozen berries, some protein powder and almond milk thrown into a little blender, then into a Hydroflask to keep our smoothies cool while we train.

I think it’s pretty easy for athletes to prepare themselves for a long day in the sun by packing extra bars and gummies for fuel. It’s been engrained in our brains through so many advertisements over the years and there are copious amounts of easy products out there that can help us fuel on the go. However, whenever I have the option to fuel with fresh, "real" food, I take it and save the bars for emergency bonk circumstances.

One green, mean fighting machine smoothie contains: a handful of spinach or kale, 6-8 slices of frozen zucchini, half a frozen banana, half an inch of freshly grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and about half a cup of almond milk/water (depending on the consistency). This is much easier on the stomach and still contains lots of nutrients! For lunch, I'll usually have this plus eggs or some leftovers from the night before.

If you click on some of the food pics it will send you to the recipes. Otherwise, they're recipes that we made up!

For my birthday, we made a few different types of tacos but never had to turn on the oven! Sweet potatoes were grilled and lentils/beans were on the stove. Chicken went into the instant pot and sauces were created in a magic bullet. I think that aside from our creative smoothie concoctions, I am most proud of the sauces we've been making. Even if it's just a simple tahini sauce, it can add so much flavor!

Although we have a quite a few veggie nights each week, we also try to get in some sort of fish and red meat once a week to help balance it all out. Easiest excuse for a grill night! Sadly, Stratton Mountain does not allow real grills around the condos, but we make the most out of our little electric grill!

Jessie and I love getting creative with our meal planning and are so excited that our garden is starting to flourish with home-grown veggies. Although we always try to eat a healthy balance of carbs, protein and veggies, we also recognize that we have to satisfy certain cravings.

If there's a reason to celebrate, we're ready to celebrate as a team! And if there's a celebration then there must be a celebratory cake! My teammate, Ben Saxton, celebrated his birthday last month and really wanted a popcorn cake, so we made that happen! 

Of course, Jessie and I have plenty of evenings where we throw together whatever we have left in the fridge and call it a meal or we mix up a simple pesto pasta. But those meals aren't exciting enough to share. We also go out to eat (or takeout these days) from a few local restaurants. Although, there really isn't much to order from when living on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere Vermont. We're always looking for fun, new ideas for fueling. As I mentioned before, food can be a tricky topic of conversation around athletes, but I'm a firm believer that a problem is never going to be resolved if it isn't talked about. Jessie has done an outstanding job at opening up the door to talk about these issues! The more comfortable we can feel about discussing our concerns for ourselves and each other, I think the healthier we can become as a community. There can be a lot of stress revolved around eating and fueling, but there can also be a lot of fun and joy around it too! Cooking can bring people together, which can then provoke interesting conversations and create happy memories. In addition, fueling properly can help us train hard and ski fast so we can fulfill our potential as athletes! The more we share with each other the better we can support our friends and family. Stay tuned because Jessie will soon come out with her Part 2 blog post of fueling where she shares her own personal approach to eating around training.

​It’s been hot and humid lately which means summer training is in full swing! There’s a saying that "cross country skiers are made in the summer." A lot of time, work, energy and resources go into summer training so that skiers can be strong and fit for a grueling winter season of racing. This year, I really put an emphasis on my spring training so that I’d be ready to hit it hard in the summertime. I gave myself enough recovery after last season to recharge, but then started working in quite a few miles of running and biking early on. The first few interval sessions were brutal, but I knew they’d get easier and I would become accustomed to the pain again. And that’s exactly what happened! About three weeks ago, things started to click! I was feeling better and better in hard sessions, the big volume felt more manageable, I even squeaked out a course record on our SMS uphill running time trial course! 

Although, skiers love a good challenge and the world seemed to recognize that things were starting to click for me a little too early on. Last week, I headed out for an easy 2.5 hour skate ski with my teammates and things really took a turn for me. It was a gorgeous, Vermont summer day and we had just come off a recovery day so it seemed like there was lots to chat about from the previous 48 hours since we had seen each other. About 15 minutes into the ski, I was chatting and laughing with my teammate, Katharine Ogden, while we skied up a hill. All of a sudden, my wheel hit a little baby pothole that I didn’t notice and stopped moving. I was kind of able to catch myself as I fell to the ground and took a knee, only to lose my balance and somersault off the road and four feet down into the ditch… 

However, I got up, surprised to see no broken poles, didn’t seem to have hit my head and didn’t have any road rash on my legs! So I crawled out of the ditch and onto the road only to have my teammates look at me and point saying, “Oh no!” I looked down and saw a white, golf ball-sized hole in my knee, that suddenly started gushing with blood. :) I insisted on finishing the ski, it didn’t even hurt! Luckily, my teammates are all smarter than I am and convinced me I needed to go get stitches.

​I soon realized that stitches in my knee meant that I was going to be unable to bend my leg for a while, due to risk of the stitches breaking or the skin pulling. There was also a huge risk of infection with it being so hot and humid and my job requiring me to be outside in nature so much. This meant my only option was the ski erg, a stationary double pole machine that helps mimic the skiing motions without needing to get on skis or roller skis. Sounds pretty neat but let me tell you IT IS BORING!!!

Here are a few of the pains one goes through with a peg leg for a week:​

• Staying sane on the ski erg: You won’t believe the mind games you can start playing with yourself when you’re really put to the test. Some ski ergs have games that you can play where you’re a fish and the shark tries to catch you. That’s entertaining for awhile but it turns into intervals which isn’t always what you want. So how do you pass the time for 2.5 hours on a ski erg? You listen to the most exciting music, thrilling audiobook or engaging podcasts. As soon as those get boring, you count backwards. I did a lot of backward counting last week.
• Showering: I wasn’t supposed to get my knee wet for 7-10 days and with the current weather in Vermont, you twitch one muscle and you start sweating. This complicated things. So, I had to use plastic wrap around my knee and keep my leg resting on the toilet seat while all of my weight was on my left leg while I shampooed. I can assure you I flooded the bathroom every single time.
• Trying to make your bed: I’m not sure why but I have an insane pet peeve about unmade beds. This was 100% not the case for me growing up, but these days I cannot leave the house until my bed is made. With a bed pushed up against the wall and having to keep my leg completely straight while I crawled around, definitely added some time to my daily morning routine!
• Peeing on the side of the road: After a few days of losing my mind on the ski erg I finally tried double poling on roller skis with straight legs (not the best technique but way better than a ski erg). Of course, every skier needs to take a pee break while out on the wheels for 2+ hours, but when you’re a girl and you’re supposed to squat with one straight leg… it was a challenge.
• Sore muscles: Now that I have essentially been double poling on the ski erg or roller skis everyday for over a week and doing only upper body strength in the gym, I AM SO SORE! Turns out I have sore muscles in my back and shoulders that I didn’t even know existed!!

Here are the GAINS you get with a peg leg:

• You get to have other people do things for you: This is only somewhat true as I am much too stubborn to actually let other people take care of me. However, it was very nice to have Jessie and Wade around to help me with certain tasks. I came pretty close to needing their assistance with putting on socks but like I said, I’m stubborn so I made it work.
• Massages: Thankfully, our team works with a massage therapist, Anna Terry, who was able to come work out ALL of the creaks in my back and relax some of those muscles. Although getting a massage was something I used to brush off as if I were “too tough for it,” I have come to realize how beneficial they can be to prevent injuries or to deal with overcompensation from injuries.
• Double pole focus: I used to be a pretty horrendous double pole skier. It’s something that I worked on quite a bit last year and I believe I improved, but now I've been able to really zone in on this one technique and make more gains!
• Strong upper body: Through all of the sore muscles, at least it means I’m getting pretty darn strong in my upper body!

​All in all, I am very lucky with the injury I got. My crash could have been so much worse with a head injury involved or torn ligaments. I also have had relatively few injuries in my career (knock on wood). I have teammates who seem to constantly be battling with injuries and there are skiers who have had to sit our entire seasons or end their career due to injury. I’m feeling pretty thankful this was still a minor setback, but there’s not a great way to describe injuries other than that THEY SUCK! Of course, as soon as everything seems to be going well, there’s got to be a wrench thrown to keep you on your toes. But it’s good! It makes you question how much you really want to chase your goals. It’s easy to get outside and roller ski on a beautiful day, run through gorgeous mountains, and throw around some of the heaviest weights. But as soon as that’s all restricted and you can only move in certain directions, training becomes harder. It becomes monotonous. It requires grit. Cross country skiers love grit. I have found that the best way to deal with an injury is to rely on your support system. They are the ones who can encourage you to work through the sore muscles, but also persuade you it’s too soon to jump into intervals without risk of worsening the injury. Teammates can relate to you because we’ve all been through it, coaches can help modify workouts so you still get the work done, and your friends and family can send all the best messages to keep the fire fueled!

Fingers crossed I get these stitches out soon so I can stop walking with a peg leg, rejoin my teammates and get back to doing what I love most!