New Race Suit??

I wanted to post this on the blog for all your to check out. Below is a standard design ski suit made by Podium Wear. Like it? Let me know. Don't care for it? Design your own on their website (http://mtborahcustom.com/index.asp?pageID=customdesign&Product=NordicSkiing) and send me the result.

Finishing up at REG

We’re wrapping things up here in Park City. Today was the last day of official training for the REG and as far as things go, it was pretty epic. Today’s workout started out with a classic roller ski up Emigration Canyon, about five miles of climbing to the summit. At the top everyone changed into running shoes for a 2hr high ridge run down to Parleys Summit. I think the kids managed to find every bit of mud along the way!

Leading up to this morning Over Distance workout, we took yesterday pretty easy, starting off with an explosive bounding workout. The REG kids were joined by some USST members. Check out the pictures of Noah, Rogan, and Alicia killing it below.

Thursday was cool, with some early morning skate roller skiing back at SoHo for a distance workout and some video and technique sessions.

BUT, I think Wednesday was the most fun. Hands down. That morning was Agony TT, which is a hill climb just outside of SLC. The trail climbs 1327ft over 1.08 miles (credit GPS watch). Anyway you look at it, the climb was a leg burner! After Agony, all the fun begun. We bussed it down to Raging Waters Water Park for some fun in the sun. The highlight was ‘King on the Tube’, where if you didn’t nearly drown or get kicked in the face, you weren’t trying hard enough. Three days later and I’m still sore…

Update from REG

REG is off to a great start here in Park City. REG is a weeklong training camp for elite junior skiers from the western region. After a recovery run and team meeting on Sunday afternoon/evening, the training really got underway yesterday morning with level three skate roller ski intervals at Soldier Hollow. As always, the main focus is on body position: mainly achieving the correct hip position and proper ankle flex. Doing level three intervals gives everyone a chance to focus on their race technique in addition to getting in a great aerobic workout. After completing the intervals on the access road to the ski center, we headed out to the trails for our cool down. Wow is it great to have paved (and swept) ski trails at our disposal.The workout was a huge success and we coaches even got a chance to grab some video footage to review later this week. Day one was finished off with an easy recovery trail run along some rolling trails with views of the Olympic Jumps and Bobsled track.

Today was day two and we again woke up to blue bird skies and headed out for a classic roller ski on the Mirror Lake Highway. My van was rocking out to Queen and Rod Stewart on the drive out to the start of the ski. Today’s focus was on double poling, as the road was mostly flat or gradual uphill. USST coach Pat Casey came by last night to show some video and demonstrate exactly what we were to focus on during today’s ski. The answer: body position. We were to focus on bringing the hips and hands forward together, getting the hands up high in front of our face, then exploding down with a hard crunch (punishing the pavement)! The ski session ended at the base of a waterfall, but no kayakers today. This afternoon we are heading down to do strength at USSA’s Center of Excellence.

The big excitement is about tomorrow. Early in the morning is Agony Hill Climb, followed immediately by a trip to a water park. Look for some more updates to come!

Tad Elliott on Houffalize World Cup Race

Houffalize was awesome for me. The town is so sick. It is really small with stone buildings cobble stone streets. We stayed in a small hotel 10k away from the venue. I got my own room because I snore and keep everyone else up. I am not complaining. The elderly Belgium couple cooked all of the meals for us, and it was to order, so we ate well. The course was rad, we started right in town and went up a road climb and then jumped onto the course. The road climb is in Leige Bastone Leige and is 14 percent and about 3 minutes long. There was still paint on the road cheering on Frank and Andy Schlek. The course was long at about 25 minutes per lap with some longer climbs, technical rocky single track climbs, and steep rough descents. I liked it, and hoped it was a chance for me to make it all the way through the race without being lapped. My start number was 107, but the UCI implemented an "Insert rule" where they could insert riders they deemed fit to start higher up in the call up. I was one of these riders. I was called up 68th out of 230 riders. Before Jeremy Horgan Kebelski. No rhyme or reason just the UCI thought I could do well or something. I didn't ask too many questions. The start climb was again CRAZY. I was staying in position and even started to move up a bit. I even caught up to Sam Schultz. Then I had some Euro take me out. I was riding strong and I was around top 80 going into fourth lap and in the middle of the fourth out of five laps I started to go under. The fifth lap I went under major. Both quads, calves, triceps, and forearms started to cramp. I took in a lot of fluids, but I approached the race as a four lap race and wanted to be able to finish and not get lapped, I accomplished this goal, but only if I could have held on. I ended up 114. I raced the whole time, never tried to recover, and was always looking for speed, until 20 minutes to go. I ended up being the second American in the race. JHK crashed out Todd did not start; Sam Shutlz had a rough day. I passed him on lap three. So I was riding really strong which feels good over here.

There were 30,000 fans. All crazy about cycling and you can hear them roar all around the course when the leaders come through. When I came by it was pretty silent. Some fans love the US and I got some good cheers. On the last lap I was hurting up the climbs and I think they could tell, so the cheers picked up and were pretty loud. In lap 2 and 3 I was riding with the U23 world cyclocross champion and 2nd place finisher in Cyclocross Worlds last year from Netherlands. Holy cow were the fans going crazy when he came by. In the lap we rode through town and it was hard to breath with all the grill smoke, cigarette smoke. The weather during the race was different. The warm up was cold. The race started cold, then it rained, then it got really hot and sunny. Europe Weather?

Rob, Was 146. He blew his rear shock in the race, flatted, messed up his shifting somehow and he got pulled with one lap to go. In the pre-ride Ethan Gilmore’s tire was defective and rolled off the rim. He crashed hard, which swung his bars around sending his stem into his top tube on the carbon frame. The stem hit the frame so hard it broke. Ethan was ok but his bike was done. He ended up having to ride Marc G's Large epic instead of a medium frame. He had a hard day and got pulled with two to go. Adam Craig learned that Ethan needed a new bike and offered Ethan either one of his race bikes. Hard Tail or Full suspension. His quote "Choose your poison." That is crazy nice of Adam. Ethan stayed on Specialized to not get Marc in trouble with sponsors, even though Adams bikes would have fit him better. That is all from here.