Pics from REG
Gus and his harem.
Box Jumps: Love the Burn.
The 09/10 CXC Elite Women's Squad. Helmets and bright bibs for safety!
This was his Birthday present from his dad.
Mush Kelly, Mush!
Agility Work.
Updates from July, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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koskier
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nygrenk
July Camp/ REG
The July camp in Hayward, WI is well underway and it is hard to believe I have already been training with CXC for months. The time has really flown by because I have been having such a great time. I have learned so much about technique, training, recovery and strength that I am extremely eager for the coming winter to see it all come together. We are currently at the REG camp and the focus has been on testing and technique.Everyone completed a VO2 test on the treadmill so the result could be used to improve training. The point was not so much how high your VO2 max was or how fast you went on the treadmill but how metabolically efficient people were. Looking at results people could determine if they needed to focus more on easy distance or intervals and at what intensity those workout should be. Following the scientific test we proceeded with a 3000-meter run and strength test. Everyone gave a great effort and was able to see how they stack up against others and where they need to focus their attention. I myself ran the 3000 in 9:48 and thought it went okay but left considerable room for improvement. Running has never been my strong suit but I hope to run faster and push myself harder in the future. The strength assessment was a little new for me and showed I have work to do there as well. I was extremely impressed with some of the numbers my teammates put up. I have to be careful not to hypertrophy muscle, which I tend to do easily, and focus on developing small strong muscles.
While the testing has shown what needs to be worked on, technique work has allowed everyone to make specific improvement each day we have been at camp. Bryan, Bill, Igor and Matt Whitcomb have been nothing less than outstanding. Two areas of technique work that have stood out to me have been V1 and striding since they are areas in which I would really like to improve. The aim in V1 has been to keep the feet wide while still making a complete weight transfer. With Igor’s help with bungies in striding I have been working to stay over the gliding ski with all my weight on that ski. This has greatly helped me to not over-stride but with the aid of an explosive kick still get a nice long glide. Swinging like a pendulum from the shoulders deep and relaxed has also been a large focus and a point of much improvement with the help of Igor.
With solid testing, quality training, focused technique work and perfect weather the July camp has been great.
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bryanfish
Regional Elite Group Camp & Testing
July 7, 2009
The CXC Elite July camp coincides in part with the Regional Elite Group (REG) camp. The REG camp has transformed over the years and currently is an opportunity for juniors in the region to get together to learn, train, test and work with US Ski Team coaches. Matt Whitcomb is here from the US Ski Team. The intent is to bump up the focus and hence athletes are provided bibs for coaches to identify, evaluate and assess each athlete in a multitude of categories. The top candidates in the country from all REG’s will be invited to train with the USST in Whistler, British Columbia in September.
Training, testing, technique and education are the goals of REG. A number of tests are intertwined into the week of training including VO2 testing, 3,000 meter track running time trial, general strength assessment and culminating with a skate time trial that climbs from the corner of highway 63 and County OO in Seeley, WI to the County OO Birkebeiner trailhead.
Testing provides incremental benchmarks in the off season in a sport that is continually struggling to devise methods and means to measure “progress.” Does a general 3,000 meter running time trial or general fitness assessment directly display ski performance? Maybe, but the variables are so diverse and complex that it is important to be critical of any “test” one does.
We use these tests as benchmarks for general fitness in the off season. We test once in May and again in July. We shift all testing to more specific methods after July. The basic principle of the general strength assessment and 3,000 meter for our practical purpose is as follows:
General strength – overall strength to weight fatigue resistance in the upper body, core and lower body.
3,000 meter – general intensity pace and general tactical race pacing ability.
Flat track running is a good method to develop foot speed and general reactivity to develop a foundation for hill work and bounding which becomes a greater part of our training later in the summer and fall. Also, the track provides a great opportunity to work on a constant and consistent intensity and pacing output which will provide a strong foundation and feeling for pacing for changing terrain.
CXC Elite results were very encouraging with an average decrease in time of fifteen seconds as well as nearly every athlete setting PR’s since joining CXC Elite. It was great to see strong results from the regions juniors, particularly for the J2 girls. Nice job to all of you! See results below. We have the skate roller ski time trial on Friday. This should be another strong indication of present fitness.
Stay tuned,
Bryan
Bib
Gender
Last
First
3000 M TT
36
M
Kuzzy
Garrott
8:55
31
M
Gregg
Brian
9:12
38
M
Liebsch
Matt
9:17
4
M
Debold
Doug
9:38
22
M
Fagerstrom
Erik
9:39
40
M
Cook
Bryan
9:47
34
M
Nygren
Karl
9:48
39
M
Kaeding
Gus
9:49
23
M
Keller
Andrew
10:05
26
M
Bolger
Kevin
10:26
1
M
Hugus
Ben
10:28
20
M
Gilbertson
Jon
10:28
5
M
Dodds
Andy
10:30
2
M
Parr
Chris
10:33
3
M
Anschutz
Phil
10:38
24
M
Benton
Connor
10:42
18
M
Powers
Nick
11:00
19
M
Nadler
Andrew
11:15
32
F
Owen
Kristina
10:45
17
F
Simak
Elizabeth
11:08
16
F
Ahmed
Sharmila
11:17
25
F
Irwin
Deedra
11:18
37
F
Weber
Audrey
11:28
35
F
Chaudoin
Kelly
11:32
21
F
Magnuson
Eleanor
11:49
10
F
Daniels
Sarah
11:53
12
F
Bathe
Nicole
12:04
11
F
Tremblay
Chelsea
12:05
27
F
Rolfes
Jen
12:11
14
F
Amber
Olivia
12:17
6
F
Adams
Brook
12:42
13
F
Roach
Dana
12:42
9
F
Ellefson
Summer
12:46
15
F
Amber
Nicolette
13:19
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gkuzzy
Welcome to Summer
Summer is in full swing at Cresthill Resort in Hayward, Wisconsin. The past week has been filled with the usual training and highlighted by some good summer flavor.
Musky Fest is Hayward’s big summer festival. The snow that covers Main Street for most of the year is briefly replaced by big crowds, live music, food vendors, and carnival rides. As a side show, there is also a 5km running race, which drew in almost 300 competitors. Brian Gregg and I took part in the festivities and even posted some respectable times on the flat, fast course around town.
Muskies aren’t the only animals active up North right now. During my morning jog last week, I almost ran into a black bear foraging on the side of the road. Neither of us were paying much attention to our surroundings and I think the bear was just as surprised as I was. Fortunately, we both took off running in opposite directions, unlike the bear Dennis Kruse came across a couple of weeks earlier. I’ve seen the same bear a few more times since then and even caught it on camera.
The week ended with a relaxing trip up to Ashland for the Fourth of July, full of parades and Wimbolden finals. We are now back in Camp with 30 of the Midwest’s fastest junior skiers at the Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp. Check back soon for more updates. . .
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bryanfish
Hockey Camp
July 1, 2009
Innovation, creativity and specificity are critical for a coach. These are attributes that Jack Blatherwick possesses in full. Jack is a hockey coach and has his PhD in Sports Physiology from the University of Minnesota. He was an assistant to Herb Brooks during the Miracle on Ice, worked with University of MN hockey and is still independently coaches a number of the top USA women, some NHL athletes from the Twin Cities Metro as well as being a consultant for the Washington Capitals.
I am in a coach’s advancement program called the GAIN Network where there are many different coaches, school PE teachers, athletic trainers and rehabilitation doctors from a full gamut of sports and activities from soccer to tennis, football to track and field. There are even a couple trainers for the Special Ops for the military in the program.
I was just in Florida for an annual workshop with GAIN. Jack’s presentations once again sparked a keen interest from me due to the lower body similarities of skate mechanics and the fact that both our sports have a strong initial loading phase and a long contact time on the ground, which is unique to most sports that include running like basketball, football (Euro and American), tennis, etc.
I stopped by to shadow one of Jack’s strength training sessions with a small group of elite hockey players. There was a drop of added tension in the air. Unbeknownst to me, today is a critical day in the world of hockey. It is the signing day for NHL contacts and the men were a bit anxious to see what offers might fall their direction.
Amongst the anticipation of a potential larger dollar contract, I knew I wouldn’t be walking into a gleaming gym. It is evident that Jack is all about functionality, specificity and creating innovative exercises that simulate the movements and demands of hockey. Instead, these 6 athletes (3 men and 3 women) were standing in the outfield of a local baseball diamond in t-shirts and shorts with soaked shoes from the wet grass.
The tools were bungies, sand bags, medicine balls and a couple of random size Olympic bar weights. One comment that struck a chord with me was that Jack stated that hockey is a game of skill, position and acceleration. Mass play less of a role than one might think. A hockey player accelerates rapidly and then floats around the ice in a low position in anticipation of the puck.
They started with an active warm-up with sprints, speed drills and active stretching. The bulk of the exercises were variations of lunges and squats. Much of Jack’s exercises started with added resistance and then followed with explosive jumps. An example was squatting with weight then immediately dropping the weight and doing squat jumps. This is exactly an activity our athletes would do. Some of the exercises applied to skiing while other drills such as reaction and agility drills don’t apply to cross country skiing.
Jack is very approachable and willing to help. He took time out of his day once again to sit down and discuss his thoughts on training , yet still hasn’t let me buy his coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner as a token of my appreciation.
Thanks again to Jack
