It has been a very different week of training in comparison to years past…with COVID-19 always on the mind we approach training differently every day, and with a careful eye for safety in areas we used to take for granted.
Hand sanitizer is omnipresent
Getting creative has always been a ski coach job requirement, but this Spring has been a whole new level. Not only in terms of how to effectively meet as a group
while adhering to many safety guidelines, but in terms of how to have fun as a group and spend quality time together with an invisible 6-foot barrier between everyone. Skiing is not a contact sport BUT…team games, most teambuilding activities, snacks and food, fitness challenges…so much of what we often do does involve closer proximity than we can have right now. We don’t realize it until we’re restricted as we are now. So the creativity has to fill the gap.
We split training into blocks. Usually the Spring program is Tues/Thurs/Sat. This spring, two back-to-back days are scheduled as identical in time, location,and session. Athletes sign up ahead of time to indicate which they’ll attend, which takes a larger group and splits it across multiple days. Saturdays are divided into morning and afternoon.
I was worried I’d lose my mind because I’d be doing (or at least present for) everything twice in a row. But in fact it has been great! The first day of a given session gives me a chance to see how things play and I can make adjustments if needed for the following day.
But nobody wants to read more recaps and responses about Coronavirus at this point in the news cycle: so here are some photos showing what positive and cool things we HAVE been able to do!
Registrations are now live with programming fees available! We had held off until knowing that the first week could be done successfully and safely. We continue to forge ahead in this brave new world of spring training, so if you have not signed-up yet, OR have signed up previously and would like to go ahead and submit payment, please see the MNC Registration page.
For info about Mountain Camp, please see this recent post. If you had signed-up for Mountain Camp before the location change, your spot is still in place!
Coach Perry brings it home as his group completes their 10-mile run along the Winooski River in Richmond. We split into 2 groups, one running a loop clockwise while the other ran it counter-clockwise, swooping past each other in the middle
Warmup run with some foam pipe insulation…”if you’re close enough to hit someone, you’re too close”
Ali and Sammie spotted at Saxon Hill
These guys have graduated BKL and are headed to the world of Junior racing now! Watch out world.
Comments are closed.