Dave Chamberlain Talks About US Nationals and the World Championships

You are going to your third World Championships. Is there anything you learned from the previous WC that will help you this time around?

The most important lesson I have learned is that it is a big advantage
to stay healthy before the races! My tendency is to try to fit in too much
training between our Nationals and coming over here, for me there is a fine
line between preparing well and trying to do too much. Training is important,
but by this time of year most of the work is already done.

Do you know which events you will be skiing at the World Championships? Which events would you like to ski?

I am definitely skiing the pursuit and from there I am not sure. I hope to do
the relay and the 50k classic.

You were one of five skiers who has been invited to ski the spring World Cup races, due to your outstanding SuperTour results. What is your plan for after the World Championships? Which races will you be doing?

Yeah, I was really excited to get that spot, given that I decided to skip the
Midwest races in order to train some before leaving for Europe. From the World
Championships I will be headed up to Lahti, Finland, for a weekend, where I will
be doing a 15k skate World Cup there. Then it is on to Oslo for the
Holmenkollen. I am really excited about that race, 50k classic. The scene at
the Hollmenkollen is unbelievable. After that I will be headed to Falun for
the final weekend of World Cup racing. The races there are a duathlon and a
distance relay. Should be some good racing!

Will you be racing the US any more this season?

I may be skiing at the Spring Series in CO, but I haven’t quite decided yet. It
depends on how I am feeling in a few weeks.

You are one of the few racers who has managed to stay at the top of the national rankings for years without the financial support of being on the US Ski Team. It can be extremely tough to support yourself and still train well and ski fast. How have you been able to stay near the
top for so long?

I just love everything involved with being a ski racer, and that has not wavered
since I have been a teenager. That is probably the biggest reason I have been
able to make things work. The past years I have been employed by Gould Academy
in Bethel, ME, and they have given me unbelievable support, allowing me the
flexibility to train and race when I need to. And I have had some support from
the ski team, not financial, but other things equally as important, coaching,
wax support, those type of things. They have treated my like a team member for
the past two years, and that has been a big help. My advice for athletes who
find themselves in a similar situation that I am in, develop a love for what
you are doing independent of being named or supported by any team, and things
tend to work out the way you want them to.

Looking forward to next year: Now that you have made the World Championship team and you will also be skiing the World Cup, do you think you will finally be named to the US Ski Team this spring?

It has been a while since I have looked into my crystal ball, but I sure do hope
so!

Where do you train in the off-season and who do you train with?

I do most of my training in Bethel, ME and most days I train alone. Two summers
ago I spent a month in Park City training with US team, and each summer I spend
three weeks in NZ with the team. Training with others is something I try to do
once in a while, but mostly I like doing my own thing on my own.