During her short time on the U.S. Ski Team, Holly Brooks made the most of it. From the magic of the relay socks to a fifth place in a 5 k World Cup skate race, she put many exclamation points on an unconventional ski racing career. In this podcast, Brooks talks retirement and her new mission to educate female athletes.
What do athletes eat for real breakfast on real weekdays? Training day or rest day, at home or abroad, every elite athlete has a food that they’re comfortable with. We started with the APU elite team, asking them what they eat to fuel their day. Here's a photo gallery of their spreads.
A first-time racer and a former champion returning after a long absence skied to convincing victories in the Anchorage Tour 30 k freestyle on Sunday, the shortened version of the 50 k Tour of Anchorage which took place on a 3 k loop at Kincaid Park.
The story of why one citizens skier trekked six hours (each way) for a race in a southern port city of Alaska. "Sometimes it’s important to travel for five days so that you can spend less than two hours racing, but do so on a course that goes from a mountain overlook to the shores of the Pacific Ocean," the author explains.
Americans Holly Brooks, Torin Koos and Lauren Fritz, along with Canadian Graham Nishikawa, share their travel stories and racing adventures from the 2016 China Tour de Ski earlier this month. “I see why the Chinese don’t come to the World Cups very often, they seriously do it up in their own country,” Brooks said.
What's so great about Eagle Glacier anyway? U.S. nordic-racing fan and masters skier Fast Big Dog explains after his first trip to Alaska's coveted training site. He interviewed several top U.S. Ski Team members to find out more.
Records were destroyed this Fourth of July in Seward, Alaska at the 88th edition of the annual Mount Marathon. In impressive fashion three runners bested previous course records, with international running stars Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg claiming the men’s and women’s titles, respectively.
In a shortened 30 k competition, Holly Brooks of APU placed 10th in the Ugra Ski Marathon in Khanty-Maniysk, Russia, not enough to hold onto the FIS Marathon Cup lead. She finished third overall, the best ranking ever for a North American skier. Tatjana Mannima of Estonia and Petr Novak of the Czech Republic took home the titles.
While most skiers are heading out on vacation, Holly Brooks is en route to Siberia for the last race of the FIS Marathon Cup. She leads the series by four points over Tatjana Mannima of Estonia, meaning that whether it's in first or in sixth, whoever crosses the finish line first takes the crown.
Caitlin Gregg finished third in her first Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland on Sunday for another bronze to add to her collection following World Championships. Holly Brooks was the second American woman in the top five and reclaimed the FIS Marathon Cup lead in fifth.
The 2015 American Birkebeiner 51 k freestyle marathon on Saturday offered no shortage of excitement, as Italy's Segio Bonaldi outsprinted three French skiers to win his second Birkie by half a second. American Holly Brooks used a hard push in the final kilometers to collect her second Birkie title as well.
There will be several things to keep an eye on during this year's 42nd American Birkebeiner, including top competitors, like two-time U.S. Olympian Holly Brooks, and a brand-new bridge just a few kilometers from the finish. Watch it live and follow our post-race coverage.
Sunday’s 50-kilometer classic race Jizerská Padesatka near Liberec, Czech Republic, is the next event in the 2015 Swix Ski Classics long-distance circuit and racers are eager to hit the tracks after a long break since mid-December.
Catch up on what you may have missed this weekend, as nordic competitions across the globe are begging to heat up. Here, we recap everything from biathlon in Austria to the cross country World Cup in Switzerland and everything in between.
The World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland, have been shortened due to lack of snow, but the OC has been working hard, spending 70+ hours transporting snow from up high to the race course below. They host this weekend's classic-distance races and freestyle sprints, as well as next weekend's World Cup after the La Clusaz races were canceled.
"We came into it with the idea of making a really cool video about a race that had never been filmed well before," Anchorage native Max Romey said. He produced a 43-minute film about the famed Mount Marathon in 2013, but this year, he wanted to outdo himself. The 21-year-old college runner is pioneering race-and-training videos in epic landscapes like Alaska.
Wonder how the pros train for marathons? Holly Brooks, who's gearing up for a full season of marathons on the international circuit, has some tips and a workout to raise aerobic threshold and build speed bursts. "One of my go-to workouts is quick and simple: Over & Under, L3 pace workout with surges," she explains.
It's final. Holly Brooks is tackling the FIS Marathon Cup/Worldloppet series this season, with seven of nine races on her schedule and a goal of an overall top three. "I’m ready for new challenges,” she says. “I’m a competitor and I want to be in races where I’m in contention for a podium." As the Birkie's first elite-athlete representative, she's hoping that will simplify some of the international logistics.
Holly Brooks understands the hazards of the acclaimed Mount Marathon. Having previously run the race six times the Olympian knew winning her second title wouldn’t be easy. Despite a brutal course, high temperatures, and challenging field of women Brooks was able to claim the 2014 Mount Marathon victory with a time of 52:49.