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Unraveling the College Athlete Admission Process: Preparing for the Campus Visit with Dartmouth’s Cami Thompson-Graves

Rachel PerkinsSeptember 24, 2019

Deciding how to handle the “college conflict”, as aptly phrased by Alayna Sonnesyn, is a daunting and somewhat mysterious prospect, particularly for athletes and families who are unfamiliar with the process. How does a junior athlete know that they are cut out for a collegiate program? NCAA or USCSA? What about a gap year? In this series, FasterSkier spoke with collegiate and junior coaches and athletes who have chosen different pathways to create a resource...

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Unraveling the College Athlete Admission Process with Anna Schulz

Rachel PerkinsSeptember 19, 2019

Deciding how to handle the “college conflict”, as aptly phrased by Alayna Sonnesyn, is a daunting and somewhat mysterious prospect, particularly for athletes and families who are unfamiliar with the process. How does a junior athlete know that they are cut out for a collegiate program? NCAA or USCSA? What about a gap year? In this series, FasterSkier spoke with collegiate and junior coaches and athletes who have chosen different pathways to create a resource...

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Jessie Diggins’ Lifelong Journey Toward the “Gold Medal Goal” of Eating Disorder Recovery
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Jessie Diggins’ Lifelong Journey Toward the “Gold Medal Goal” of Eating Disorder Recovery

Rachel PerkinsSeptember 12, 2019

After appearing in ESPN’s Body Issue in June 2018, Jessie Diggins Diggins recommends utilizing resources from the “What to Say Initiative” launched by the WithAll Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on advancing eating disorder support and prevention. She explained that though a coach cannot cause an eating disorder in an athlete, research suggests that the language used by prominent adults in a young person’s life can greatly influence that persons’ body image, self-esteem, and likelihood...

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A Late Start
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A Late Start

FasterSkierSeptember 4, 2019

Summer has been chaos. Bright, shining chaos.   By the time mud season subsided here in the Idaho Panhandle, the calendar bulged with summer weekends that had been taken out of the unscheduled pot ages ago. Glorious, unbroken stretches of cheery weather forecasts beckoned for peaks to be bagged, rivers to be paddled, trails to be pedaled, tents to be inhabited, and clubs to be swung. Those same weather reports inspired home projects that were, inevitably,...

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Optimizing Fueling to Reap the Benefits of High Volume Summer Training with Stephanie Howe Violett Ph.D.

Rachel PerkinsAugust 28, 2019

Here we are in late August, halfway between the start of the training year in early May and the beginning of the competition season in late November. Volume is the name of the game during the summer and at this time of year, it is not uncommon for top athletes to train 20 to 30 hours per week. Typically, the training logs prescribe athletes to head out on long runs, rides, and rollerskis at a...

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Wednesday Workout: Mitigating Risks in Mountain Running Races with David Norris and Jessica Yeaton

Rachel PerkinsAugust 21, 2019

Before we begin, if you have not heard of the course record holder. In 2016 he bested the time of world renowned mountain athlete Killian Jornet. Norris chose to sit out this year’s event due to the smoke-induced poor air quality. Norris also won the Cirque Series Alyeska race in 2017 and 2019 and took third in between. In 2018, Yeaton won the Cirque Series race and both members of the duo won Mount Marathon —...

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Academics and Skiing in Canada: Kate Mason Spreads the Word
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Academics and Skiing in Canada: Kate Mason Spreads the Word

Jason AlbertAugust 20, 2019

Seventeen-year-old Nakkertok skier Kate Mason exemplifies a “get it done” attitude. The athlete is part of Nakkertok’s ENRG training program. Like many junior skiers, Mason found herself wanting when it came to accessing information regarding post-secondary ski opportunities in Canada. In particular, Mason was interested in combining academics with her training and racing.  In the recent past, Canada presented an unclear path for athletes who wanted to compete and continue their education. The pathway for...

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First Tracks as a New Parent: Caitlin Gregg (Part Two)
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First Tracks as a New Parent: Caitlin Gregg (Part Two)

Rachel PerkinsAugust 19, 2019

The “First Tracks” series highlights the pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting experiences of noteworthy athletes in cross-country skiing in various stages of their professional careers. The sharing of these experiences can benefit athletes in any stage of their career, whether they are an elite or recreational skier, by demonstrating that it is very possible to return to skiing, competition, and an active lifestyle with a growing family. The series will include the physical challenges of being...

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Wednesday Workout: Depletion
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Wednesday Workout: Depletion

Jason AlbertAugust 14, 2019

To be depleted can take on many forms. In endurance sport, depletion often refers to an athlete’s fueling state. Are they stocked up on muscle glycogen, have they properly fueled with a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, and “good” fats or are they trending towards empty? Carbohydrates are the body’s primary fuel source, particularly during exercise, however, fat molecules are a caloric gold mine when it comes to available energy. The caveat is that fat...

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First Tracks as a New Parent: Caitlin Gregg [Part 1]
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First Tracks as a New Parent: Caitlin Gregg [Part 1]

Rachel PerkinsAugust 13, 2019

The “First Tracks” series highlights the pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting experiences of noteworthy athletes in cross-country skiing in various stages of their professional careers. The sharing of these experiences can benefit athletes in any stage of their career, whether they are an elite or recreational skier, by demonstrating that it is very possible to return to skiing, competition, and an active lifestyle with a growing family. The series will include the physical challenges of being...

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Recover Smarter, Not Harder: A Review of “Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery” and Interview With Author Christie Aschwanden
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Recover Smarter, Not Harder: A Review of “Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery” and Interview With Author Christie Aschwanden

Rachel PerkinsJuly 30, 2019

If you’ve ever set a lofty athletic goal, one that required full commitment, going all in and pulling out all of the stops to optimize your training, you may have searched for strategies to similarly optimize your recovery between sessions, getting you back on the ski trails feeling strong as quickly as possible. In this process, you may have found yourself perusing a seemingly endless array of devices, foods, and drinks, each promising to improve...

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Organizing the Winter World Masters Games in Innsbruck/Seefeld
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Organizing the Winter World Masters Games in Innsbruck/Seefeld

FasterSkierJuly 24, 2019

Innsbruck, Austria has a long history of hosting big winter sports events. It is the self-proclaimed “Capital of the Alps,” and is truly one of the most memorable winter sports venues in the world. Innsbruck hosted the Olympic Games in 1964 and 1976. The annual Four Hills ski jumping tournament attracts 30,000 spectators to the iconic Bergisel jump that overlooks the university town of about 120,000 residents. In 2019, the Nordic World Championships were hosted...

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First Tracks as a New Parent: Holly Brooks [Part 2]
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First Tracks as a New Parent: Holly Brooks [Part 2]

Rachel PerkinsJuly 22, 2019

The “First Tracks” series highlights the pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting experiences of noteworthy athletes in cross-country skiing in various stages of their professional careers. The sharing of these experiences can benefit athletes in any stage of their career, whether they are an elite or recreational skier, by demonstrating that it is very possible to return to skiing, competition, and an active lifestyle with a growing family. The series will include the physical challenges of being...

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First Tracks as a New Parent: Holly Brooks [Part 1]
CommunityLifestyleResources

First Tracks as a New Parent: Holly Brooks [Part 1]

Rachel PerkinsJuly 18, 2019

The “First Tracks” series highlights the pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting experiences of noteworthy athletes in cross-country skiing in various stages of their professional careers. The sharing of these experiences can benefit athletes in any stage of their career, whether they are an elite or recreational skier, by demonstrating that it is very possible to return to skiing, competition, and an active lifestyle with a growing family. The series will include the physical challenges of being...

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Wednesday Workout: Inside or Out, Improve Your Double Poling
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Wednesday Workout: Inside or Out, Improve Your Double Poling

FasterSkierJuly 17, 2019

We are trying to stay slightly ahead of the overuse injury and poor air quality curves. You may be midway through your summer training schedule and dealing with a bum ankle. Or you live in a place like much of the Western U.S. that has been or will be affected by poor air quality due to wildfires.  Whatever the causation, skiers can find themselves in make-do mode. If the air quality index (AQI) is high...

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Project Langrenn: Maks Zechel
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Project Langrenn: Maks Zechel

FasterSkierJune 24, 2019

Project Langrenn   Project Langrenn is a series by Maks Zechel. Zechel has been training and racing in Norway for the last several years after concluding his junior racing career in Canada. Zechel is part of Norway’s Team Norconsult and will be writing about his experience for FasterSkier.  I had unwavering confidence in myself as a kid. Ever since I started racing as an eleven-year-old, I’ve never doubted myself. I’m not sure why—I grew up...

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Wednesday Workout: Lizzie Larkins and Ski Tunnel Hot Laps

Jason AlbertJune 12, 2019

  In September, I got an email from my high school club coach, Gus Johnson, about an opportunity to go to Östersund, Sweden to start the summer. The camp entailed participating in some research being conducted at the Swedish Winter Sports Research Center of the Mid Sweden University and training with college age skiers in a part of the world that I had never been to. I decided to Öster-send it, and a little more...

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From World Cups to Triathlons: Kris Freeman’s Diabetes Management and Pushing the Envelope
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From World Cups to Triathlons: Kris Freeman’s Diabetes Management and Pushing the Envelope

Jason AlbertJune 7, 2019

Kris Freeman manages Diabetes. He did this on the World Cup for years and at four Olympics. He remains a competitor and continues to test himself since retiring from elite level skiing in 2018. “Retired” for Freeman means remaining fit and jumping into the odd cross-country ski race: he placed third this year in the National Championship 15-kilometer classic race in Craftsbury, Vermont. Freeman has turned his attention and his considerable capacities to triathlons. We...

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Wednesday Workout: Evaluating the Training Year with Caitlin Patterson
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Wednesday Workout: Evaluating the Training Year with Caitlin Patterson

Jason AlbertJune 5, 2019

  This Wednesday Workout dives into one athlete’s approach to reviewing last season’s training and how to move forward. Newly minted U.S. Ski Team member and longtime Craftsbury Green Racing Project athlete Caitlin Patterson provides the details.  *** Looking back on a year of training is an important part of planning the year ahead. My first step is to think broadly over the past year as a whole and to ask myself a series of...

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Everyday is Safety Day: Virginia Tech’s Bike Helmet Ratings
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Everyday is Safety Day: Virginia Tech’s Bike Helmet Ratings

FasterSkierMay 28, 2019

Snow has melted out or is melting out, and it may be time to sharpen the rollerski ferrules. For those looking for ski-specific workouts, the go-to is often rollerskiing. It goes without saying that the poles, rollerskis, bindings, and boots should all be checked before heading out. The safety gear should include some hi-vis items. And it should literally be topped off with a bicycle helmet. That’s where the engineers at Virginia Tech (VT) come...

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