By: Kikkan Randall
APUNSC/US Ski Team - Salomon Athlete Force



Although the air is cooling and it is easy to get over-excited about the termination dust on the mountains, the snow is still another month or two away. That means at least six more weeks of dry land training. To keep training fresh and stay motivated, I shake up my routine and add in a little imagination.

One of the ways that I like to freshen up my routine is by adding in more mountain biking. Fall is such a fun time to ride. The foliage clears out, bugs go away and the mud is plentiful. I enjoy the crispness to the air and the sweet smell of cranberries. Occasionally a warm wind blows and the leaves swirl around. The colors are vibrant, making those favorite training loops totally new places. And, dodging moose in rut, and skidding around corners on grass wet from heavy dew, makes riding even more fun.

Over the summer months, the main goal is to build a solid foundation of fitness. This is usually achieved through many different activities. As we get closer to the ski season however, it becomes more important to focus on the ski specific muscles. Adding in a little more rollerskiing and ski bounding will ensure that you feel strong once the snow flies. Bring your poles when you head out for a run and challenge yourself to “fly” up the hills.

I occasionally compete in local races and time trials during the summer, not really taking things too seriously. By fall however, time trials seem to carry more weight. We get together with other teams and clubs, clad in a colorful array of spandex and lycra. Time trials give the body a test and the mind too. I like to imagine myself skiing stride for stride with my international competitors, Olympic medals on the line. Putting in an all-out effort every few weeks keeps my motivation high and allows me to measure the effectiveness of my training.

What really gets me excited about fall training is changing up the wardrobe. Putting away the shorts and t-shirts, in exchange for the knee tights and long sleeves, is enough to make me feel like a whole new person. Dig through the closet for that fall gear and head out the door looking good to give your workout an extra boost!

Finally, colder weather means warm drinks. Bring thermos of hot chocolate (with marshmallows) for after the workout. That way you have a little extra motivation to keep you going on those rainy and cold days.

Fall training is new and fresh and a time to be taken advantage of. Change up the routine, pull out the warm clothes, and get that body ready to ski fast!

West Yellowstone Ski Festival
West Yellowstone, Montana
November 20-24, 2007
www.yellowstoneskifestival.com

Here’s an update on the latest Ski Festival developments:

Murray Banks to speak Friday night: We are excited to announce that Murray Banks will be back in West Yellowstone and will be our featured speaker on Friday night, November 23. Murray is a successful endurance athlete and long time motivational speaker. We are looking forward to his return to West Yellowstone!

Try It and Buy It Gear Demo: Make sure you stop by the Salomon tent to try your hand at the new heel-toe camber in the Salomon Equipe 10 Classic, and the Pilot Classic binding. Each of the representatives will have their latest equipment available to try - certainly one of your best chances to see the latest in equipment in action!

SuperTour Registration: A race schedule is currently online. We have been delayed in getting our online registration up and running but are working diligently on that right now and hope that it will be available soon. The Men's and Women's Sprint races will take place on Friday, November 23rd. The Men's 15K and Women’s 10K Classic races will take place on Saturday, November 24th.

Kid’s Clinics by the Montana Outdoor Science School: The folks at MOSS have put together another amazing lineup of children’s clinics during the Ski Festival. The clinics will be based out of the Days Inn and pre-registration is required! For more information, visit the Clinics page of www.yellowstoneskifestival.com (scroll to the bottom where you will find a link to the MOSS website).

Stone Grinding by Boulder Nordic Sport and Engineered Tuning: Boulder Nordic Sport (BNS) will again bring a full-service stone-grinding ski shop to the Yellowstone Ski Festival November 19-25.  Owners Nathan Schultz and Zach Caldwell  will travel to the event with two Tazzari stone grinding machines (skis that are stone ground generally absorb more wax and perform better) and staff to provide professional ski service at the season-opening event.

For over 25 years, West Yellowstone, Montana has played host to cross country skiers during the month of November. There is no better place to start your ski season! For more information, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com.

Start your ski season in West Yellowstone, Montana!

The best way to contact Jamie Greene is via email at info@yellowstoneskifestival.com. He work on Ski Festival for an hour or so almost every morning and will respond to your email as quickly as possible. If you need to talk about something, you can leave a message at (406) 646-7097 and someone will return your call as soon as possible. See you in November!
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Steamboat Springs Nordic Challenge – Race #1
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
December 9, 2007
www.steamboatxcski.org
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RAINBOW RESORT
Nordic POLE PEDAL PANT - Fall Triathlon
Saturday, November 17, 2007

2nd annual Nordic POLE PEDAL PANT fall triathlon race (Nordic rollerski double pole 1k, mt bike 10k, run 5k), Sat., Nov. 17, 2007 @10am.
For more information, contact Amy Xu: 612-991-4912, xu.amy@dorsey.com.
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Cross-Country Technique Fundamentals - CDROM
This CD lays the foundation for both Classic and Freestyle techniques on
which we can build a consistent technique program that will continue to
develop great cross-country skiers for years to come.