And by goodies I mean cookies!

Just found some pictures from making Gingerbread cookies at Kelly’s for the most incredible cookie exchange I’ve ever been to!  Okay its the only cookie exchange I’ve ever been to…but it was a good place to start!

 

Kelly and Andrea hard at work

 

The starting of the spread!

 

Kelly keeps her concentration…nonsense!

 

The happy family.

With 13 athletes from all different programs from all over the country you’re bound to be on different training plans right?  We are quite a mixed bunch, some with plans, some with out, some under the guidance of our trip coach and leader… however yesterday I would be the only one not taking the day off.  (don’t worry I got today off instead)

So while the team slept, lounged, and roamed around town eating tasty baked goods Vlad and I headed over to the venue.  On the docket….strength intervals, L4 intervals, and tolerance intervals!   Mmmm Mmmm my favorite way to start the day.  Full of coffee and a egg sandwich (European eating is just my style) I was ready to go.  We convinced the range men to let me use an unassigned point and I promised to not get in anyones way…well atleast I’d try.

Vlad stayed on the range long enough to zero me and then he was off to cover and wax a seemingly endless procession of skis.  I was sharing a rifle rack with the Polish girls who were all very friendly, just another normal day?  I was on point 11, which ended up being in the middle of one of the russian boxes.  Which was fine, basically inbetween every interval I would just ski over inbetween all the russian coaches and start pushing buttons.  The first time I definitely startled a few of them when they realized I was wearing the wrong blue suit!  With their athletes  also doing intervals there was some overflow onto my point but when I would roll into my point and look lost they were quick to scramble and get the target cleared and on the right stage.

It was really relaxed even with everyone sprinting around.  It was sunny, the sky was clear and I got to put down the first tracks on the freshly groomed trails.  It all made for a really calm morning and was the perfect way to start the week seeing as how this place is only going to get more and more busy!

The final part of my workout was my favorite.  Tolerance intervals.  The basic purpose is to help train your body to handle lactic acid so that your body can continue to perform.  I’ve started to do 5 of these after all of my intensity (races and time trials included) sessions.  I find the biggest hill, preferably long and steep and just hammer…trying to move as fast as I possibly can.  Alpine areas work really well for this, but at this venue I had to settle for whatever I could find.  I picked an awesome hill which had felt pretty long and steep and went for it.  Odd looks and musings aside it was fun…. and actually made this hill seem a lot smaller!  I’m looking forward to the races knowing I can charge that sucker!

 

So if you are getting sick and tired of my style of writing (lets face it I write the best run on fragments out there…) I’ve found a little read for you.  During my 24 hours back in Hayward before jetting across the ocean I did an interview with the local Hayward paper.  They put together a nice little article which you can find…

Here :   http://www.haywardwi.com/articles/2011/01/23/features/doc4d370ac71ce3a794523229.txt

Today we had a little warm up race here in Nove Mesto at the race venue for the Junior World Championships!  It was a 7.5km sprint and with alot of other teams already here in town it made for a pretty good race.  I think its good for me to gain experience on a bigger stage then the US domestic circuit leading into the races next week, shake out the nerves so that I can ski more relaxed and focus on the task at hand.

Before the race report a few highlights…

1. Saying Labrit (good morning) to one of the Latvian coaches and watching his expression changed from amused to entirely confused.

2. The start gate lady counting down to me in German.

3. Not totally getting my butt kicked?

I was the very first junior women out on course so I skied a large portion of my first lap entirely by myself… it was a little unnerving not to see anyone…after all 85 people started in front of me, and with 20second start intervals there is bound to be some overlap.

My skis were fast, the corners were sugary, and the range approach didn’t seem to daunting. And it was sunny, things were looking ok.  I got a correction coming into the range from our coach and took the clicks before shooting prone…but it wasn’t enough, I was still slightly left of center but somehow I still got two of the targets to go down.  After a second lap it was back in to shoot standing.  A Russian girl came into the range behind me which was a little intimidating, but I tried to focus on my own thing.  She got two shots off before I even pulled the trigger once, these girls are fast, fast on the range, fast on the trails.  I know I can’t let how fast the other girls shoot rush me.  I’d rather take an extra 10seconds on the range and spare myself a few penalty loops.

After missing my first shot in standing I resettled and thought “take good shots”.  I hit the next four, leaving me with 60% on the day.  a few months ago I would have been thrilled with 60%…now I want more.  I remember coming home from trials and exclaiming, “that I CORRINE MALCOLM had infact shot 70%!!!” I was estactic and my younger brother remarked “I’ve never heard anyone so happy about a C before?”  That’s really stuck with me for some reason.  I should want an A right?

The last loop felt pretty good, and I soon began to realize I hadn’t warmed up hard enough…it took 5kms to get me feeling quickish on my skis…and I don’t want to waste two thirds of my race feeling sluggish when I don’t have to.  Asides from being a little intimdated on the washed out corners things were going ok.  Until I planted my pole into my ski going into the final uphill and killed any hope I had for momentum.  I face planted right out in the open and was left frantic as I tried to get myself back to upright….

So I suppose there were some good and some bad today.  Some things I did well and some things to learn from heading into this next week.  I’m glad I was able to get all the kinks out today so that starting next weekend I can have even better races.  I got my tush handed to me today by some pretty stellar russian girls….and perhaps a few polish gals but I’m just lulling them into a false sense of security right?

Corrine

Here are some pictures that Ethan’s mom took for us!

Getting some shooting corrections from Vlad during training the other day.

One of my range approaches that I didn’t fall flat on my face!

I’m starting to wonder if three weeks here will be enough to turn my lungs black… I actually witnessed a women shoveling coal into her basement window on my jog this afternoon!

Also I never thought I would ever eat fried broccoli…dinner changed that…and yes there was in fact more potatoes!

After and incredibly loooooong day and night and day of travel we’ve made it to Nove Mesto, and the hotel Romantika…it will be our home for almost three weeks!  I’m looking forward to not having to pack up and leave for a little while.  A place to get into some sort of routine.  A routine to keep me sane you could say.

This place is little and cute and all ours. which means we can leave our nasty smelly (ok ok I can only vouch for my own) ski boots in the hallway.  And the restaurant down stairs has already put together some good meals for us.

Driving to the venue reminds me alot of Latvia.  and makes me miss it all the more.  The little streets and buildings remind me of parts of Cesis…now if there was a castle and a cobblestone pedestrian only street we’d be golden.  Even the food is very similar….might have something to do with how the eastern block countries have a great deep passionate love for potatoes?

The Latvian team was out on the range today.  I almost worked up the nerve to let out more than a cau, and more of a Labrit Latvjia!  Tomorrow i will.  Tomorrow I will do more than smile.  I recognize a handful of the kids, Baiba and Marcis… I will be outgoing.  Its just so weird seeing them after leaving Latvia 4 years ago (thats a long time)!!!

Its rainy and gross and the snow is minimal…but it appears that this venue is more than up to the challenge.  Their pile of stocked snow is bigger than our hotel so I have faith that they are going to pull these races off wonderfully.  There are a hanful of teams here already and the stoke level is high all around!!!

Off to eat lunch. mmmm potatoes?

Corrine

Call me a whimp.  call me soft.  call me a snow snob.  call me whatever you like.  but after a day in the rain in january in the county I knew I had to find a way home.  Lucky for me I know a man who flies planes and a team mate who was kind enough to drive my tush 3 hours down state at 3 in the morning.

After a day of phone calls I was set.  I would fly standby with all my belongings (sort of) back to the cold white north of Northern Minnesota.  Andie and I hit the road in my honda for Bangor!  The drive was easy, no moose, no sleeping, lots of shooting stars, and planet to the east that was amazing (possibly Venus?)

I was the last on the list but I made all my flights and arrived back in the Midwest that afternoon.  By the time I made it Hayward I had been traveling for 12 hours and was sleep deprived and on the verge of a breakdown, but I was home.  I brought all of my belongings into the house, washed them, and packed them back up.  I was home for a less than 24 hours and I was on the road again.  Off to Grand Rapids, the land of snow and cold sunny days.  Never have I ever wanted to be in Grand Rapids more.

I’ve been in grand rapids for almost a week now, staying once again with Kelly’s family who is kind enough to open their home and refrigerator to a junior athlete!  I promise this week to try to remember to bring my camera with me on some skis.  The trails are absolutely beautiful right now!  All the branches are still holding snow, its all I could think about while classic skiing yesterday, “Why don’t I have a camera right now!”

Its cold, I skied in my down jacket for all four hours yesterday…but I suppose I can’t win them all right.  I asked for snow and a range….I suppose being out of the single digits would be asking too much.  I’m here in Grand Rapids until the end of the week.  Then a quick trip home.  A girls day in the cities (with the possible addition of a younger brother, oh you silly brother you) and then I’m off to Europe.  I can’t help but get more excited!

Ok pictures, I promise pictures.  hold me too it!

Here’s one from junior trials (taken by Maddi Mayo)…apparently I ski with my eyes closed?

After a long week of racing in Jericho Vermont I’ve journeyed back to Northern Maine.  It was a long journey north and a grim one at that.  I went jogging in the rain yesterday which made me cringe all the way down to my toes!  Skiing this morning was also grim.  It was similar to really bad spring conditions, I would take Oberhof’s abundance of snow over this any day.  I skittered around the trails this morning, I gave up trying to avoid the dirt and bare spots almost immediately… it wasn’t worth it.

The only bright light through the trudging was looking forward towards my departure for Europe!

After coming in second on the first day of racing I put together two more days of respectable shooting to garner the top spot for the junior women.  I’m excited that I put together some good races.  I had some doubts after racing in MN.  This was a nice way to shake all of that off and move forward.

USBA named 13 junior and youth skiers to make the trip to the World Championships in Nove Mesto and I know everyone is really excited to go mix it up and rub elbows with the Europeans.  I will be joined in Europe by my MWSC team mates Grace, Ben, and Raleigh, along with my good friend and training buddy Kelly!  The others on the team are from all over the country, I believe we are represented by 8 states all together which is an awesome step forward for US biathlon.

We will leave for Europe in a few weeks, i think it will be an advantage for us to have both our coaches from the Czech Republic…atleast we shouldn’t get lost?

There are alot of “new” things in my future.  First International biathlon race.  First race representing the USA.  First time I will be leaving for Europe not knowing when and how I will be coming back.  We have the option to jump into some German cup races after World Juniors which would be fun but pricey.  I was thinking about perhaps heading to Latvia?  Exciting I know!  An inside source tells me  they have good snow and I think I can find some very old friends that might take me in!  I’m excited for this new year to get under way!  I really have no idea what the future holds, but I’m getting better at rolling with the punches…okay so thats debatable, but I promise I’m trying!

Okay back off into the gloom!

Look for slushy updates in the future…or perhaps a long day of travel back to the midwest!!!!

Happy New Year!
Corrine

Sometimes it blows very hard.  I think on the east coast they refer to these events as a noreaster!  And boy did she try to mess things up!

After spending a few days at home for Christmas it was time to pack my life into a suitcase once again.  With the default rifle case and ski bag I’m always left pretending my backpack is magical and bottomless or… borrowing a wonderful duffle bag my rifle case fits in!!!  I mean I still look weird lugging my stuff around through airports, knocking posts over left and right, but a allure of my shiny gun case is now hidden away.

My favorite easy pleasant day of traveling I had planned to get me across the country feel apart Christmas night as the snow reports started to pile up.  And with out any thought of warning me my flight from JFK to Burlington seemed to no longer exist. canceled. gone.  The frantic pace of trying to get me to the east coast ensued, Delta stopped answering their phones due “to bad weather.” Really!?!?!

Finally, after a lot of fuss I had a flight to manchester.  It wasn’t Burlington…not even in the same state…but it was as close as I was going to get so I took it.  Aside from a hold up in Detriot with a missing copilot and the man at the ticket counter insisting I was an unaccompanied minor the trip went smoothly.  I made it.  finally.

After a very blustery cold training day yesterday the wind finally let up and the weather for the races today was sunny and nice.  tame you could say.  I was feeling nervous and a little tired from traveling and a lack of sleep but after a little coaxing from a team mate I was able to settle down and compose myself after nearly falling apart during zero.  (I was very distraught that the points werent even)

The race was pretty uneventful.  I shot better which was such a relief!  After shooting so horribly in Minnesota I had started to doubt my ability to hit a target.  Although my shooting has a long way to go I still shot 50% today which is just about average for me.  I felt good on my skis, not quite as good as I did in the last races but I’m sure I’ll get my legs back.

I’m currently sitting in second, which is exciting and pretty darn cool.  We race a longer race tomorrow (a pursuit) and then a shortened sprint on thursday!  You can follow the results at :
http://www.eabiathlon.org/

 

I’ve spent the last few weeks reading a really interesting book called “Folk Medicine- A New England Almanac of Natural health care from a noted Vermont country doctor” by D.C. Jarvis, M.D.

call me folksy, a hippie, perhaps a little crunchy ?  anything you like, right now I’ll take it.  Its been an interesting read.  We all have our own old-fashioned remedies.  Some we believe in, some we chuckle at, some we wonder what were they thinking!  There are sections on our diet, our life styles, and the magical powers of different foods.  Ways to help you sleep better or soothe and treat your aches, pains, and discomforts.  I laugh when I read something and think back to my host mother, Inese, in Latvia who did alot of these things.  How she would make me drink hot tea with honey while soaking my feet in boiling hot water when I started to get under the weather.  I would protest, and drag my feet until she would plop me on the couch.  I never really understood it… but it always seemed to work.  She always seemed to make me better.

The book has a 25 page chapter on the wonders of honey and its ability to help us function!  It covers everything from using honey to help with Hay Fever to using honey to help with those sleepless nights.  But what I found most interesting was its section on Honey and Athletic Nutrition.

Honey seems to rank supreme among the popular energy foods and beverages…

“1. Honey, as far as can be measured, supplies in an ideal way all the necessary energy requirements of the athlete for pre-activity fueling up; for the sustaining of effort during activity; for quick energy recovery after effort.  2.Honey, with its high caloric content, can build up energy with smaller servings.  3.It is extremely popular (by far the most popular) with athletes, due to its taste appeal.  4.More honey can be tolerated by the average athlete than any other of the energy foods and beverages tested.  5.Versatility makes it popular, since it can be used in many ways, and in combination with other foods and beverages.  6.It is a pure food, apparently free from bacteria and irritating substances…”

Sold. right?  And guess what the research on the benefits of honey on athletic performance dates back over 50 years!  So its no secret.

With all that said I would like to introduce the newest sponsor!!!

Looking forward to being fueled by lots of really delicious honey stinger products for the next year!