Fall Season
Thu, Oct 30, 2008 - By Kris Freeman, Taz Mannix, Pete Vordenberg
Words and Photos from Freeman, Taz Mannix and Vordenberg.
Kris Freeman writes:
Another off-season has flown by. Hundreds of hours have been logged. Sponsor obligations have been met and opportunities grasped. Now its time to manage energy and race fast.
I had a busy summer in which I visited seven summer camps for children with diabetes. At each camp I tried to spread the message that diabetes does not have to be a road block in your life. Every diabetic should strive to reach their dreams. I also so spoke at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of diabetes research and third world aid.
I bought a condo in Thornton NH. The training out the door is the best I have ever had. My residence is only ten miles from my favorite ski area, Waterville Valley. I am looking forward to the short commute to the trails when the snow falls.
I leave for Scandinavia on the 9th of November. My first race will be a week after my arrival and the first world cup a week after that. Summer is over. The work has been done. I'm starting to get that itch... Its time to race.
True indeed... and this from APU's Taz Mannix (skiing in town in Anchorage):
Dare I say fall is officially over here in Alaska? After just a few cold morning sessions, rollerskiing on frost and leaf-covered pavement, our autumn seems to have come to a close. October 7th is relatively early for snow here, but following an usually cold summer, it didn’t come as a surprise to most of us. So today, October 8, we took advantage of our new training opportunity and put on our snow skis for a two-hour recovery/distance session above Anchorage. But before we officially move from fall into winter, here are some photos from the last few weeks…
Three weeks ago, during our lighter week of training I headed up into the Chugach to get my fill of the Alaskan mountains before they were covered in white. I had planned a backpacking trip, which had to be cancelled, so I went on numerous day hikes to enjoy the last of the fall colors.
The aforementioned trip was cancelled due to snow, as the Talkeetna Mountains had already been graced by winter and the conditions were too arduous. I did make a day hike of it though, climbing well above the snow line.
…eating blueberries as I went!
And I got to go home, via the Talkeetna Mountains adventure, for a short while. I threw in a double pole OD, some beautiful fall walks, and a running event for kids at the local elementary school, but the highlights were spending time by the lake and in the woods near my house and harvesting the potatoes.
Post-recovery week, I’ve enjoyed some distance sessions running/ski walking in the mountains for afternoon workouts.
And then it SNOWED and we ditched the dryland training for some skiing!
The APU team was out in force this morning blazing a track through the powder above Anchorage, and the conditions look decent enough to hold our intensity sessions there later in the week.
It’s been another amazing fall in Alaska…
Photos by: Taz Mannix, Ian Mannix, Jeff Ellis
And back here in Utah...
465 Days out. It is always business time. Even on days where business calls for rest. Rest like it's your job - because it is. And of course...
...when business calls for hard work show up early and stay late. Andy Newell heading into Soldier Hollow on interval 5 of 5 double pole only. Here on a steeper stretch of road doing good business.
465 days one pole click at a time.
We were able to ski up high here in Utah at the end of October last year but it is a sure thing that we'll be working the asphalt for a while longer before heading for Europe this year.
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