Coach Gus’s on the move!
By Gus Kaeding
Lot’s gone down since my last update. After some time in Marquette the CXC crew headed to Stillwater, MN for our second camp of the year. Thanks very much to all the families who were generous enough to share their homes with us. The camp went very smoothly. Some excellent training was done by all. Below are some pictures if a particularly humid, bounding workout. From the coaching standpoint, Fish had to depart for a NTG camp for the final two days of camp. This essentially threw Jason and me “into the flames.” By all accounts everything went very well and we got our first look at what the team will look like once Fish moves full time to the US Ski Team.
After the completion of the camp, I jumped on a plane and headed out to Park City to visit some friends. For various reasons a large number of my friends from past and present have migrated to the Park City area. Having only been there during the winter previously, I think I see why everyone gushes over it. It is always sunny Park City (haha). During my time there I was able to do several things: see the female ski jumpers blast off, nail down a couple trail runs, and toss some weights around in the Center of Excellence. I was unprepared for how cool that place was going to be. I could live in there if it wasn’t so nice outside! Hello? Retractable roof anyone?!
From Park City, I blasted over to Denver with large crew of Vermonters to watch the Red Sox-Rockies series. The first night the Sox came away with a loss and things in the seats got slightly “heated” towards to end. Coors field apparently was not ready for us. The second night was all business. The crew shrunk to Matt Whitcomb, Noah Hoffman (Rockies fan), and myself. Since the sox had lost the night before and that night wasn’t looking much better, Matt and I endured quite a bit of flack in the stands. Fortunately for us, the Sox pulled out the win and we were able to walk out with our heads high taking all verbal jabs and replying with the knockout blow, “2007.” Enough said.
The next day I drove back to Minneapolis. A relatively easy 950 mile drive save the storm I encountered north of Des Moines, Iowa. Being from VT, I had never seen a storm like this. I had to check my watch to make sure 2012 hadn’t arrived early. Apparently the storm was yaaaaawn, very placid for Iowa standards and I am a wimp. Either way, I made it into the Twin Cities by 2am. The next morning I got up and headed to a masters ski team practice at Hyland Park. Fish was also there to lead the group but, I’d step in from time to time with some “creative” analogies. A good time was had by all and I am really looking forward to working more with that crew in the future.
After Minneapolis, Jason Cork and I headed down to Madison to meet with the “CXC brain trust,” as I like to call them. I had never been there before and it was easy to see why CXC has become so successful. Man, those guys work hard! Really made me want to raise my own game to keep up with the pace. At one point we had 6 computers open on the table for 4 people (7 computers to 3 people if you count Yuriy as machine which is not a stretch). After two excellent days of getting our ducks in a row I headed back to Marquette for a quick breather before the Midwest REG camp this weekend. Have a happy and a safe 4th of July everyone!!!
Almost forgot, the brother vs. brother bench competition plows on ahead. I have been in the gym anywhere from 5 times a week to none when travel messes with me. By the reports I have received from Sten, we are neck and neck currently maxing out at around 210. Recently, I have stepped up the supplement game. Let’s see if Sten can rebut. All aboard the 225 train!! CHOO CHOO!!
Jessie, Jennie, and Santi doin work
Warning, Kuzzys may be closer than they appear
Karl, cutting through the humidity
Lisbeth Salander's got nothing on us!!
