Today was a travel day. We woke early this morning and left Hafjell to travel to Rujkan. Across the country of Norway we went by 4 buses and 1 train. It was good to get out a bit and see some of Norway. Overall a boring day, but a good boring day. Much needed for the body.

Some excitement……The last bus ride I decided to head to the back of the bus to be alone and catch some sleep. I was fast asleep for a few hours until I was suddenly wakened/startled by 25 blond Norwegian highschoolers. Apparently not only picks up tourists/travelers like us yanks but local high schoolers as well. Well let me tell you, I have never had more blue eyes starring at me all at once. I was apparently visibly startled cuz they all were laughing at me. Haaa.. Not sure exactly what I did to make them laugh. My teammates thought it was funny too as they all laughed in the front of the bus as well. It ended well, because they all wished me good luck as they knew were I was going.

The coolest thing from the day was seeing the advertisement promoting the World Championships on the back of the buses. Apparently the city has been promoting this event for a whole year. Local schools get out to watch it!!! Pretty excited….

Tomorrow is a training day. Just got done with video with the coaches, gotta limit the penalties to do well this week. I also flirted with the ladies that are the judges for the race weds, hopefully that helps. haha
Till Tomorrow

Today was a travel day. We woke early this morning and left Hafjell to travel to Rujkan. Across the country of Norway we went by 4 buses and 1 train. It was good to get out a bit and see some of Norway. Overall a boring day, but a good boring day. Much needed for the body.
Some excitement……The last bus ride I decided to head to the back of the bus to be alone and catch some sleep. I was fast asleep for a few hours until I was suddenly wakened/startled by 25 blond Norwegian highschoolers. Apparently not only does the bus pick up tourists/travelers like us yanks but local high schoolers as well. Well let me tell you, I have never had more blue eyes starring at me all at once. I was apparently visibly startled cuz they all were laughing at me. Haaa.. Not sure exactly what I did to make them laugh. My teammates thought it was funny too as they all laughed in the front of the bus as well. It ended well, because they all wished me good luck as they knew were I was going.
The coolest thing from the day was seeing the advertisement promoting the World Championships on the back of the buses. Apparently the city has been promoting this event for a whole year. Local schools get out to watch it!!! Pretty excited….
Tomorrow is a training day. Just got done with video with the coaches, gotta limit the penalties to do well this week. I also flirted with the ladies that are the judges for the race weds, hopefully that helps. haha
Till Tomorrow
TJ

Wooooaaaa!!!!

Man, I did not expect todays race to be what it became. Super Demanding. Let me go into detail here about today’s event. Every day has been a different event. First day a GS, 2nd a SPRINT Classic, and the last the Classic. Well each day the races get longer in length and the classic is the longest. WOW!!! I knew that the classic was long, but apparently on the World Cup Circuit they want to make it gut wrenching, exhausting, legs giving out, unbearable pain kind of race. During inspection we were shocked and stunned that we actually had to race this thang. Dancing the night before probably was not the best idea. The course started out with a GS section on kind of steep pitch, about 30 secs into we went into a cat walk were we went into a tuck on a flat section, (tucks burn the legs a bit) then back into the GS section we went for another 20 secs, then we come into a wrap where we had to make a complete 180 turn and start skating up the hill and then back across the hill, (that took about 25 secs) back into the GS section again for another 35 seconds and by now you are seriously hurting, but wait the jump is coming, (the jump has been very demanding and challenging each day and requires extreme strength) the jump line requirement today was unreachable and only 1 person cleared the line, (the judges messed up and put the line to far down the hill, 28 yards, yea 28 yards!!) after the jump back into a GS section for 40 seconds, then to the finish area where you are not done yet, go around another wrap making a 180 degree turn then skate up the hill to this small bridge, then keep skating through 3 or 4 zig zags (40 seconds) to the finish line…. and then your done. no prob right. Well let me tell you if you had a crappy dinner the night before you are gonna regret it cuz your body is going to quit. Man!!! I was watching guys before my run and my game plan completely changed! It was basically too survive…. Not really, but it did change to really conserving my energy and not to push it too hard in the GS sections of the course. and not get penalties as well. My coaches were on me today just pounding it into my head about some of the changes I needed to make.

Start time-skied very smoothly, slow, (on purpose, even the top guys did) you could not push it or you would not make it, got to the first skate and skated 60% really had to control my breathing for the next GS section of the course which was the icy part of the course, (very demanding legs burning section), to the jump I come and although I am a jumper I had to not go for the line but rather just take the penalty, it was too risky to try as hard as you can to get to the line when it was not obtainable, well…… i jumped and sucked it up a bit to control my speed and before I knew it i was sliding on my hip passed the next gates, bummer, but no way was I gonna give up, back up on my feet and started hiking, and this when I need to make up time, hiked at full speed, fought through some leg pain and back in the course i went, another 40 sec of GS gates ahead of me, it is a very weird feeling trying to give your body a rest while it still working but I had to prepare for the skate section at the finish, skied the last GS section fairly well, and reached the last wrap with the skate section ahead of me, I took one big breath right before I entered the skate session and said to myself i can tear through this section fast, i jumped into the section and gave it everything I had, it was the coolest thing because the whole skate section is roped off and on the other sides of the rope is the crowd cheering you on, your teammates/other races are allowed inside the rope so then can actually run along side of you and cheer you on, well I hit the small bridge and I can just hear everybody yelling, some in different languages as I look to my left and see Norwegians going nuts yelling at me to go go go, the I hit the first switchback and my teammates jump inside the rope and run along side me, 2nd switchback pain increased, 3rd switchback with one more left to the finish my teammate is standing in front of me standing right where I need to go encouraging me to come to him, he was waiving the American flag, eeeshh right, i saw the finish line in sight and just gave it my all. Crossed the line, Time 3 min 23 seconds, collapsed, teammates and 1 Norwegian came and clicked me out of my boots and straightened out my legs so they wouldnt cramp. There was no strength left period, i just laid there some time. Relieved I was. I skied well. Not great. Bummer that I fell, just stupid crazy that I had to throw another hike in there after the jump to make the gates I missed. But very encouraging on the penalty side, I only had 7 or so, (most guys had around 6-8). And encouraging that I still beat 22 dudes. The skate at the finish is were I excelled, perhaps living up in good ol Breckenridge paid off. Very cool feeling having the whole crowd and teammates cheering you on. Also perhaps the crowd cheered me on a little more cuz of my song selection….. your gonna love this… Well there is an announcer at the bottom who is announcing everything and talking as you race giving the crowd the play by play. He plays music as well as your racing, very cool. Well if you want you can request a song as you come into the last section to help you get to the finish line…. well a few of my teammates requested songs like, “Born in the USA” or “Final Countdown” or “We are the Champions” borrrrrrrrrinnng right…. My song, yup!!!!!

Miley Cyrus, “Its a Climb” Crowd favorite song for sure!!!! boooyaaaaa. (Brother, please don’t make fun of me.)

All and all it was a fun day. Although I crashed and lost tons of time getting back into the course, I was still happy with my place. I just gotta put a clean run together and make it happen. Also I was happy with my fitness level, today was a good test.

So this wraps up the World Cup Finals, a good warm up for the World Championships in Rjukan. Tomorrow is a travel day back to Olso then Rjukan. Should be a long day, but good to get out a bit and see some sights.

Thanks for support and emails… Oh and mom, i am perfectly fine, not a bad crash at all, more like just got off balance and fell over and missed a gate. Love you.

Norway….

Well…. as an athlete and competitor I do know that I am going to have ups and downs. Today was a down. haha, not too worry, it was still a lot of fun but just disappointing. I felt good before the run and confident that I could hang in the middle of the pack. The night before in the bib draw (what number I wear on my chest) I drew the last number/start. That means I am the last racer down on the first run.

Well Skied hard the first run and got to the bottom and the announcer said my time and place and I was pumped!!! I was 31st!! BEFORE PENALTIES THOUGH. They calculated my penalties real quick to determine my place……somewhere in the 60s. I was hammered with tons of penalties. Super bummed cuz it was not like I skied slowed but just rather the judges who are watching each telemark turn I make did not approve of the distance in between my boots during my turn. Man!!! I was quite surprised cuz I knew the judges were going to be tight but eesh, 13 times… The normal amount of penalties is like 2 or 3.

Well second run I was determined to over correct the problem. Long story short.. didn’t happen. 12 penalties!! I was and still am baffled at what the heck I am doing wrong. The Judges are on to me. So be it then, the judges are not going to change so that means I gotta make the adjustment. So adjusting here I come cuz I gotta put up a better result tomorrow. My coaches and I looked at film today and they gave me some good stuff to work on. I can kind of see what needs to be changed but still am a little unclear of that is what I am getting knocked for. I think also I am going to change my speed suit to the ugly/hot yellow and purple one. This way the judges will not recognize me as the guy who racks up penalties right off the bat. This actually is a serious tactic.

Man… kind of frustrating day of racing, mainly cuz I can not figure out why I am getting knocked with tons of penalties. Im fast…. but slow, haha…

All and all, I still stay positive… just have to make a few adjustments. Perhaps this is a good warm up for the world championships which are next week. One more race tomorrow which is called the Classic. It is super LONG and really tests your fitness. Fitness….wheeeefff. man I have never been so tired after two runs of racing then I have today. It took every bit of life out of me. Its weird to be honest. My body seriously craved protein….i think there has been a lack here in norway when it comes to protein.

So in dying need of protein what do I do???? Shoooot I head to the candy store!! My teammates and I roll into town after our race, and when I say roll into town I mean we are “walking” with two pairs of skis are on our shoulders, in ski boots, and a pack on our back with cross country poles in hand (in uniform of course). We walk into this candy store and fill up these bags with the most random awesome candy I have ever seen!!! it was awesome!!! Awesome till we missed the bus and had to walk 1.3 kil back to our apartment. Got lost twice, tried to hitchike, got yelled at by Norweigans for walking through their lawn. In norweigan of course. Yea we were for sure the stupid americans walking in the street with all of our equipment back to our apartment, in our usa jackets. fools. But awesome candy!!!

One more thing….. we were at dinner tonight and a few of us americans were dreading staying for the awards presentation. We bounced out of there right after dinner to head home and go to bed. NOPE!!! We walked by the lodge and I heard music that just loured me in. Sure enough within in minutes we were dancing it up.. SO bedtime was postponed. hmmmm getting rest for the world cup finals, or dancing it up in some random norweigan bar in uniform with some team members. good time.

Ok time to get my rest. Very very tired. Depleted actually. But thanks for reading and the encouraging emails. Tomorrow is another day, new day. Im excited.

Well my first World Cup Final race, Over and I finished. Yessssss.

I was very nervous and anxious coming into the race this morning. Partly because in training the previous day, guys were killing it. I mean just throwing down on the training course and a few of us Americans just stood back and where like, we have to race these guys…..

nervous as well because I really needed to finish this bad boy and get it under my belt. Crashing this first race was not an option…

And let me tell you, the course today was nothing like I have ever seen before. Bullet proof ice, I mean serious ice, like if you had to stand in tennis shoes on the track we skied, NOPE!! not happening

The first run I skied solid. Not great but well enough for me to realize I could hang. Which was a great feeling. I got 39th and was super pumped on it cuz i knew I could ski faster. The key was that I cleared the mandatory jump line. If i didnt clear it was a 4 sec penalty. Only 20 guys cleared the jump out of 72. But bad news I had 5 penalties for not making a proper tele turn during the race. So 5 secs tacked on to my time. All and all a good first run which gave some confidence.

Second run, the game plan was to attack!!!! Oh i attacked alright. I was 4 secs Faster!!! BooooYaaaaa….. But bad news….I got to the bottom and new that I racked up penalties for not making clean tele turns. Arrgh, I had 11 penalties. Yikes not good, and I did not clear the jump (only 12 dudes did clear it). So a total of 15 secs added to my time which set me back. I ended up in 46th, dropped back a few spots. 11 penalties will do it. But bright side, I clean that up and bammmmm I am right where my goal is set. (which is to beat half the field). Finished 6th within the US. All and all, today was better then I expected!!! These guys are flipping good. Real good. Tomorrow there is a skate at the finish, and I am actually excited about it. Hopefully these fools Im racing are not as acclimated as us mountain boys are. Gotta reach that goal.

Life in Norway…..super cool. having a great time with the team., Food, ahhhhhh not great not bad. The organization, (FIS) has been suppling our food. Every day some random dude shows up at the door and drops of food for us. Which consists of bread, cheese, some kind of random meet, eggs, OJ, Milk, Shrimp paste, More bread, and Jam…
Oh and there are some new pics posted on this facebook thing, thanks to my teammates.

Alright, thanks for reading…..

Tomorrow is another race day.. booooyaaaa

Whats up all!!! Well, Yup!!!! I made it to the great Country of Norway. It was a very very long day yesterday traveling, but glad to make it here safely and with all my gear. Also, random… I ended up bumping into my teammate on the plane and we traveled together. 1 plane, 1 train and 4 buses later we ended up at our sweet condo that 11 of us team members are staying in. We have a few rooms split btwn us but overall its quite comfortable. The team has for sure welcomed me as part of the group which has been awesome. Today was the first training day…… wow….. these guys are good. I can see why this is the World Championships that I am at.. cuz these guys can flipping ski. All and all, good training day for me. Looking forward to the first the day of competition tomorrow. Heading to bed early……