It was a volume week, and that means lots of training! This morning, I described some elements of Junior coaching as being akin to docking a ship at the International Space Station (or, what I imagine it to be like): you hit the thrusters to one side and that little adjustment sends you too far to one side. Naturally you then correct, but without gravity it’s just too easy to overcorrect! A back-and-forth scene of constantly adapting to the now while also trying to anticipate the future.
For example, we’ve generally overcome what was a worrisome trend of “grinding” for hours and putting in junk miles, which was one direction the space shuttle was headed in. But that has been replaced by a quest for the epic “big stupid”, which is a term Jessie Diggins uses to describe her once-a-year effort at a big hike/run such as the Pemi Loop or, this year, the Great Range in the Adirondacks.
The “big stupid” is pretty fun to dream-up, and indeed we kind of have our own collection of them such as total bonk-fest of a hike at Mountain Camp, or the 100km rollerski at the end of the summer. But to that list you can also add a few skiers driving to NH to camp out mid-week and attempt the Pemi Loop with a few skiers from other teams, or a sparsely-planned attempt at biking the length of Vermont on minimal sleep. Neither of these attempts at a “big stupid” came to fruition this week for a number of reasons, but they were attempted!
The risk is compromising the rest of the week, as you have to make adjustments leading up to (and in response to the result of) the “big stupid”.
I certainly had plenty of that energy when I was 17 or 18, and rollerskiing the length of the state for my Grad Challenge project was probably the culmination of it. But now as a coach (and adult) I can safely say that there’s more harm than good when it comes to jumping into some epic workout without much planning.
That said, this week DID feature some key sessions, and everyone was able to take part in something…one of our favorite workouts, the 5km Project, made a return for the first time in 2023. We end up doing this workout a few times a season (summer and fall) and have written about it before. To me, the benefits are not only physiological but also psychological. It is an “outfit workout” meaning that it takes on enough focus to demand a specific choice of outfit and prep plan (such as having your best hydration drink, or sports fuel) saved for this particular session.
Some of the older girls getting ready to start the 5k project together in the rain
Nate making big progress on the classic skis!
Lillian showing what to do when your binding breaks…just keep going!
The day was rainy and hot, but nothing we haven’t gotten used to in Vermont this summer. Everyone was able to give this workout a go, as we also have a 3km version for younger skiers and those newer to rollerskiing.
The weekend brought our next big workout, the Triple Crown Run! This is another team favorite…a loop run starting at the Audubon parking lot in Huntington. It’s called the Triple Crown because it covers the trails of three networks, with three high points…you begin by running up to Sleepy Hollow, where you reach the cabin and drop down via the “Yoda” trail to Texas Hill Road. From there you run up into Hinesburg Town Forest, ascending the “Maiden” and “Dragon’s Tail” trails before taking “Back Door” down onto Lincoln Hill Road. Across the street is the Carse Hills network, where you ascend “Henry’s Highlands” and drop down the “Front Door” trail to Hollow Road.
This is just under a half marathon distance, all on singletrack trails, with nothing too steep it can’t be run. Sara and I shuttled the van to this spot, and some of the group jumped in to complete the session at that point. A handful of others took to the road for the 5-mile journey back on Hollow/Huntington road to complete the whole run as a loop. 18 miles total!
Everyone seemed to nail it, from hydration to fueling to pacing. It was a beautiful day and honestly one of my favorite routes to run…some dense forest, some old farm fields, rocky switchbacks, flowing ferns, everything a good Vermont adventure needs.
Julia, Rye, and Lorenzo taking a quick break at the Sleepy cabin
Julia and Elsa hit the 18 mile mark! Nice to have a swimming hole right at the end too!
I’m sounding like a broken record at this point reiterating how impressed I am with these skiers, but it’s true. The week finished up with some different activities for folks, as there were some that took the beautiful Sunday to go for a bike ride and others who hiked over the weekend. Nico, Elsa and I enjoyed a really scenic rollerski in Ferrisburgh, and with only the three of us present (as opposed to a big squad) I took the opportunity to bring them on one of my favorite loops from college…it actually heads toward Monkton before swinging right through the city of Vergennes, hence why we don’t attempt it with a full team. We ended up taking a quick break by the falls for some local history lessons (shipbuilding for the Revolutionary War and War of 1812) and then emerged back on our usual route in the area, site of our 100km roll.
Now it’s onto a recovery week before three VERY important weeks…intensity week followed by altitude camp. Here we go!
Was today (Sunday, July 30th) the best weather of the year so far? Quite possibly
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