The Week That Was

This one's all about the pictures.

Here's Hannah. Getting coaching from Marine.

Jenna

Our annual sand dune workout is getting to be a bigger and bigger thing every year. You can read what Beth Bragg had to say about in the Anchorage Daily News HERE.

Tired UAA hockey players, basketball players, gymnasts, track and fielders, and skiers after the dunefest.

I needed to fly through the Chigmit Mountains yesterday for a work project. I've been watching this glacier recede for years. You can see the light-colored rock that was covered by ice just a few years ago.

Little Lake Clark

It's starting to look like winter's coming soon in the Chigmits

This place is called Blockade Lake. The glacier in the background blocks the end of this valley, which fills up with water and forms the lake. You can see the waterline. Every couple of years or so, when the water gets deep enough and creates enough pressure, it finds a way out under the glacier, the dam bursts, and the lake suddenly drains - millions of gallons washing into the McCarthy River in just a couple of days. It happened about a month ago. You can see some chunks of glacier, high on the hillside.

Downtown Anchorage from above Ship Creek

The ski team, out for a run in Anchorage

Sigurd. Morning hillbounding intervals up the powerline above Anchorage. 

JC Schoonmaker. Above Anchorage's morning fog.

The Kids Are Alright

Our friend Tuomo has had his ups and downs over the past year for sure. The former Skiwolf goes big in everything he does, and that includes his recent heart problems.  Beth Bragg wrote a nice article about the Latva-Kiskola family in the local paper, and you can read the whole thing if you just click on their family photo below:

Hiatus

Summer's been raging all summer long, and lately there's been nothing but sun around here. These conditions are not conducive to blog-writing. But we're back in action now, and the fall training program is in full effect.

I went out to see a college running race last weekend. Some of our skiers entered it as "independents". Marine moved up through the field on every lap and eventually finished in second place! If the race had been another five kilometers, I don't think anyone else would have had a chance against her. Very impressive!

Hannah

Jenna

Here's our new guy, Sigurd Rønning, battling for the lead at the 100 meter split in the 8km race, against Arnaud Guyon of UAF. They got out to an early lead but couldn't hold it.

Sigurd. And the cheering squad of Skippy, Natalie, Marine, Andrew and Siggy.

 

There's Arnaud again, this time doing battle with our JC Schoonmaker.

Tracen Knopp running away from, not toward, the porta-potties.

The weather's not always this calm and sunny in Powerline Pass.

Mountain goats?  No. Skiwolves.

Here's Andrew, taking the lead in some plyometric exercises yesterday at Kincaid Park.

JC Schoonmaker in full flight.

Sigurd

 

Jenna and Natalie. I felt like I was watching ballet at the Met.

It can't all be running and rollerskiing. Skiers need to be strong, versatile and well-rounded. Wheelbarrow races can help.

Let's be perfectly frank. These kinds of exercises have never really been Marine's strong suit.