Telemark Chase
Last weekend challenged the travel team with what could be described as one of the more tactically and mentally demanding courses we've raced. Telemark Lodge in Cable, Wisconsin represents one of the icons of the ski world and is home to the start of the Great American Birkebeiner. Junior National qualifiers and college races have been held there before, but the course we raced this weekend is a new one. In fact, it is the first course to have climbed to the top of Mount Telemark since the Birkie course climbed the hill in the late 1970s.
And boy, did we climb that hill. There was a 1.1 mile sustained climb built into the course, so after skiing around the stadium you hit the first k marker and started climbing. And climbing. And climbing. Finally around 3k you reached the top of the hill (literally where the chairlift drops off), skied a U-turn, and came shooting back down the side of the mountain. After a quick 1/2k through what felt like the mountain biking course (super fun switchbacks and short hills) a gradual downhill led into the stadium, where you a quick corner hill turned into the finishing stretch.
This course presented challenges but it also offered opportunities. It demanded not only endurance and the mental ability to face a hill (more than once in the distance races), but if you could sustain technique for an extended climb, the race was in your favor. Because of this, the races (especially the mass start) were pretty technical. Skiing light on your feet, popping the kick down, and weight shift were critical. Breathing deep and filling your lungs any chance you could get on over small areas of rest allowed your muscles to recover and prepare to grind the climb again.
Not only the physical aspects of racing were important though. Staying calm and confident when facing the bottom of the hill while knowing you still had to ski it again or even twice more was also crucial. Any mass start race requires planning and the general avoidance of that panicky feeling when you aren't where you wanted to be, but on one with such a large climb, it was also important to ski as efficient as possible, requiring you to pay attention to those around you and the gaps happening between groups.
Because of the unique course characteristics and racing environment, the races this weekend were not races that you could turn your brain off to fight through (although I wouldn't recommend that for ANY ski race). Each aspect of the race required constant concentration, deliberation, and calculated thought. Which, I think, is ski racing at its finest. The perfect combination of mental, emotional, and physical challenge.
HIGHLIGHTS! The St. Olaf Nordic team had TWO CCSA PODIUMS from two different people this weekend, which is the first time this has happened since maybe the 90s. Jake Brown was 2nd in Saturday's 15k skate and Paige Schember was 3rd in Sunday's 5k classic. Other notable performances were Evan Kendall's 25th (for CCSA) in the 15k skate, Paige Schember's 7th in the 10k skate, Nora Gilbertson's 29th in the 10k skate, Nels Thompson's 44th in the 10k classic, and Kelsey Cork posting two top-40s.
RESULTS
10/5k classic
15/10k skate
This upcoming weekend we head to Grand Rapids and ski at Mount Itasca. College races are Friday at 11:30 and 1 and Saturday at 9:30 and 10. On Sunday, some juniors will be skiing in the JNQ sprints (qualifiers at 9:30, heats at 11).
And boy, did we climb that hill. There was a 1.1 mile sustained climb built into the course, so after skiing around the stadium you hit the first k marker and started climbing. And climbing. And climbing. Finally around 3k you reached the top of the hill (literally where the chairlift drops off), skied a U-turn, and came shooting back down the side of the mountain. After a quick 1/2k through what felt like the mountain biking course (super fun switchbacks and short hills) a gradual downhill led into the stadium, where you a quick corner hill turned into the finishing stretch.
This course presented challenges but it also offered opportunities. It demanded not only endurance and the mental ability to face a hill (more than once in the distance races), but if you could sustain technique for an extended climb, the race was in your favor. Because of this, the races (especially the mass start) were pretty technical. Skiing light on your feet, popping the kick down, and weight shift were critical. Breathing deep and filling your lungs any chance you could get on over small areas of rest allowed your muscles to recover and prepare to grind the climb again.
Not only the physical aspects of racing were important though. Staying calm and confident when facing the bottom of the hill while knowing you still had to ski it again or even twice more was also crucial. Any mass start race requires planning and the general avoidance of that panicky feeling when you aren't where you wanted to be, but on one with such a large climb, it was also important to ski as efficient as possible, requiring you to pay attention to those around you and the gaps happening between groups.
Because of the unique course characteristics and racing environment, the races this weekend were not races that you could turn your brain off to fight through (although I wouldn't recommend that for ANY ski race). Each aspect of the race required constant concentration, deliberation, and calculated thought. Which, I think, is ski racing at its finest. The perfect combination of mental, emotional, and physical challenge.
HIGHLIGHTS! The St. Olaf Nordic team had TWO CCSA PODIUMS from two different people this weekend, which is the first time this has happened since maybe the 90s. Jake Brown was 2nd in Saturday's 15k skate and Paige Schember was 3rd in Sunday's 5k classic. Other notable performances were Evan Kendall's 25th (for CCSA) in the 15k skate, Paige Schember's 7th in the 10k skate, Nora Gilbertson's 29th in the 10k skate, Nels Thompson's 44th in the 10k classic, and Kelsey Cork posting two top-40s.
RESULTS
10/5k classic
15/10k skate
This upcoming weekend we head to Grand Rapids and ski at Mount Itasca. College races are Friday at 11:30 and 1 and Saturday at 9:30 and 10. On Sunday, some juniors will be skiing in the JNQ sprints (qualifiers at 9:30, heats at 11).
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