CXC Elite Team Blog

Updates from jojowinters RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• jojowinters 5:21 am on February 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  O, to be a kid again! 

  This winter season I had the pleasure of coaching a slew of youngsters at Pillsbury Elementary in Minneapolis as part of a partnership with the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation. I met with third, fourth, and fifth graders weekly to bestow upon them my enthusiasm for Nordic skiing. Generous sponsorship from UCare Minnesota, Rossignol, and Solomon, provided the kids with skis, boots, and poles for the winter. Over the course of ten weeks we practiced how to put on ski boots and click them into bindings, how to fall and get up properly (a skill that came in handy), how to handle  mass start situations (or rather how to stay upright in a chaotic clump of kids on skis), how to stride, double pole, and herring-bone, and most importantly, how to bomb the downhills. Despite the inevitable collision here and there, the kids improved greatly during the ten week program and enjoyed gaining confidence as skiers.

  Besides learning the skiing basics, the course curriculum included weekly nutritional lessons. We discussed different types of food kids and adults should eat to fuel their bodies properly. The smell of hot lunch wafting from the cafeteria doors seemed to mock me, though, as I rambled on about making sensible nutritional choices.

  The program culminated with the Minne-Loppet at the City of Lakes Loppet weekend extravaganza. A sea of kids from Minneapolis schools, including my stead of Pillsbury students, embarked on a 1.5k  journey onto the Lake of the Isles in Uptown, Minneapolis. It showed that the contingent of Pillsbury skiers  had prepared well for the mass start and had worked hard to improve their agility skills on skis. What a rewarding afternoon for skiers and coaches alike!

  

  Refining hill bounding skills in the early season

  

  Mastering the art of tumbling and getting up

  

  Practicing the ever-elusive no-pole stride

  

  Demonstrating proper technique when approaching a descent

  

  Preparing for a future elite wave mass start at the Birkie

  

  Sizing up the competition

  

  Making a calculated move to overtake the leader!
   

  Reply Cancel reply

  Required fields are marked *

  Name *

  Email *

  Website

  

  Notify me of follow-up comments via email.

• jojowinters 2:31 am on November 19, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Biding Our Time 

  Okay, let’s face it, those of us who are not yet enjoying the abundance of snow in West Yellowstone, MT are on edge. We are squirming in our ski boots to see it for ourselves, and biding our time until the start of the Yellowstone Ski Festival when we can finally experience that “first-time-on-snow-this-season” thrill.  But in the meantime, us flat-land Midwesterners have to put up with rollerskiing for a bit longer before we can stash away our wheeled contraptions for the winter.

  On a typical weekend morning this time of year in the Twin Cities one might encounter a myriad of rollerskiers on the roads who are counting down with each pole plant the minute when snow arrives. Notice the glazed-over look on our faces; it’s a result of the snow mirages we are seeing in the distance. That double yellow line dissecting the interstate? It’s a freshly-set classic track in our delusional minds.

  On a recent Sunday morning in November I met with a group of women at Baker Park Reserve for what we hoped would be one of the last rollerskis of the season. We enjoyed the ample sunshine and pastoral scenery, but let’s be honest, we would much rather be skiing.

  

  Pretending the pavement is snow

  

  Yes, we know we look silly

  

  Socializing with our equine friends

  

  She's lost her marbles, folks

  

  Paying a visit to Jan Guenther's alter ego
   

• jojowinters 4:16 am on November 17, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

  Jojo and Caitlin’s Twin Cities Traveling Ski Clinic 

  Earlier this month, Twin Cities skiing cohorts Caitlin Compton and Jojo Winters held their first of two ski clinics in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area as part of their Traveling Ski Clinic series. After completing a long over-distance ski in unseasonably warm weather, the girls wolfed down lunch in time to greet their clinic participants at Baker park Reserve in Maple Plain, MN. There was a wide range of skiers from beginners to more seasoned athletes.

  Caitlin and Jojo led the group of eager skiers through a warm up jog, a progression of stretches, and a series of isometric core strength exercises. The group also got a taste for some of the plyometric drills that the CXC Team practices to develop quick and explosive movements.

  Before strapping on the rollerskis, Caitlin and Jojo debriefed the group on the fundamentals of skiing technique, beginning with basic body positioning, knee and ankle flexion, and forward hips. The instructors also demonstrated a number of dryland drills to emphasize proper body positioning and utilization of the core muscles.

  Next it was time to hit the pavement. Jojo demonstrated the “locked and loaded” double pole drill and discussed how this dynamic usage of the core muscles translates to both classic and skate skiing. Caitlin worked with participants on the proper timing of V1, V2, and V2-alternate techniques. The instructors chased their flock around the parking lot as they worked on snappy push-off, long glide, and dynamic weight transfer.

  The group then migrated to a hill where they focused on finding a comfortable and efficient body position that allowed them to V2 up the incline. They also practiced V1 drills, such as “hot feet,” to emphasize quick and snappy weight transfer when climbing a hill. There were even some first-time rollerskiers in the bunch who braved skiing back down the narrow path and suffered no casualties!

  After three hours of hard work, clinic participants refueled on homemade pumpkin cookies, and had a chance to win a plethora of skier schwag in a free raffle. Prizes included water bottles (one can never have enough of those), winter ski hats and gloves, gift certificates for massages, a free Toko thermo bag wax service at Hoigaard’s, and an entry to the City of Lakes Loppet ski marathon. And for the finale, everyone was invited to Gear West in Long Lake for hot chocolate and “goodie bags” provided by Gear West owner Jan Guenther. The unseasonably warm weather did not deter the bunch from getting excited about the upcoming winter months!

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  
  
  

  
  
   

• jojowinters 10:52 pm on September 24, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

  East Coast Road Trip 

  By Jojo Winters and Heather Zimmerman

  The CXC Elite Team has made its third annual pilgrimage out to Lake Placid, New York, for an East Coast training camp at the Olympic Training Center. Training is underway as the CXC Team joins other skiers from around the country in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. While most of the CXC Team drove out to New York from the Midwest, CXC athletes Heather Zimmerman and Jojo Winters made a special trek starting from New Hampshire’s campus town of Durham up to Lake Placid. With multiple maps in hand and snacks scattered about the car, the two set out along the winding mountain passes of New England. Once night fell and the scenery faded into darkness, it wasn’t long before the girls began singing along to outdated pop songs on the radio to keep themselves alert (note: both Jojo and Heather might have had successful careers in musical theater in another life). There were, of course, a few instances where they had to pull over to the side of the road to check the myriad of maps for accuracy.  And there were also mild occurrences of motion sickness due to the narrow, curving roadways, but all in all it was a relatively smooth ride to Lake Placid.

  Check back for more updates from the CXC Elite Team about training in Lake Placid!