By Colin Rodgers on 2/15/2007

Well is has been awhile since I have made my contribution to the website. My Midwest photo essay was a bust because the photos are not uploading properly onto the site and I was hoping for my following update to include some encouraging racing to tell everyone about. That has not happened. Thus far the racing season has felt like a good punch below the belt. I was definitely hurting there for a little while but I got up and walked it off. Birkie Fever Baby!
I am really looking forward to this whole Birkie deal coming up in a little more than a week. All I ever hear is, “You can’t really explain it, you just have to be there.” So this year I am going. The FSx team arrives next Wednesday and I am hoping for a successful rematch in the Midwest. My main goal is to go there feeling rested and then we will just see how it all pans out.
I have been doing a few long easy skate skis to get the legs prepped, but mostly just recovering after feeling tired. I am currently enjoying ... Read More »

By Colin Rodgers on 1/31/2007

By Colin Rodgers on 1/4/2007

Kate and Zach V. both popped top 10s here in Houghton in the classic races.  All of the rest of us hoped to be higher up the results list, but the sprints are still to come.  I caught a cold and had to sit out the 10k, but felt like I was able to push today.  That is a good sign for this weekend.  The snow here is dwindeling so it is a good thing the distance races are completed.  There is definately enough snow stockpiled to keep the sprints on for sure.  Hopefully it just gets cold though.  Tomorrow is a training day and then game on again.  Keep checkin' in.  Later- C

By Colin Rodgers on 12/31/2006

By Colin Rodgers on 12/31/2006

The skiing this morning was really pretty good. No track yet because they are trying to preserve the snow on the race course, but they definitely had full coverage. Unfortunately, the race courses have been modified to one 5k loop to be used for all of the races. Unless we get snow that is probably the way it is going to be. The big climb is gone but the 5k they currently have skis nicely rolling and climbing through the woods. Check out the seniornationals.org website for the latest info.
Right now it is raining pretty hard. According to the NOAA.gov website though it is supposed to turn to snow tonight and accumulate a bit. We will see. A few inches on top of a solid bas ... Read More »

By Colin Rodgers on 12/29/2006

Sending out a little happy holidays hello from the UP. I made it in to Houghton last night and was able to get out on the ski trails earlier this morning. The skiing is remarkably good considering the base is pretty thin. The good ol’ boys were out in full force with the dump trucks rolling through the local farm fields and picking up what ever snow was to be found and hauling it out onto the courses. These folks up here from Michigan Tech are definitely going to make it happen so bring your game face and be ready to throw down. As I write it is snowing outside (not that hard but it is snowing). Even an inch or two will go a long ways to make the skiing perfect. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and we will see you when you get here. If you are not coming be sure to keep checking back as the team is getting into the swing of updating the site on a more regular basis. Later-Colin
PS You can also check the webcams from the ski stadium at seniornationals.org. We will get some pics up soon.

By Colin Rodgers on 11/3/2006

Hello from Sun Valley
It has been awhile since the Lake Placid USSA camp so I figure it is about time for an update. I have been back in the West since the beginning of Oct and life has mostly consisted of part time painting and wood splitting and full time training. I was really happy with how my body digested the training done in the East as well as the return to 6,000 feet. It seems to get easier and easier every time. Because my return went smoothly I was able to keep the volume pretty high and not miss out on too much. I had two solid volume weeks right off the bat (20 and 22). The only intensity that was completed however, was L3 and not until I was back for 5 days. Those 2 weeks had 4 intensity sessions. Following the volume was a recovery week (16 hrs, 2 int sessions) that served as a build up to the final period of hard training for this fall. For this period I wanted to re-introduce some bounding with poles and fartlek workouts because they have helped me to sharpen my fitness the ... Read More »

By Colin Rodgers on 9/25/2006

I have been back East for about 2 weeks now training in Lake Placid, NY.  The USST open camp finished up yesterday and everyone has headed home.  I tacked on an extra week to my plane ticket so I could come home to VT for a bit.  It is real nice this time of year with the Fall colors coming out in combination with some plush indian summer days.  Training has gone real well thus fa ... Read More »

By Colin Rodgers on 9/13/2006

I don’t think I have slept in the same bed for more than a month straight since I graduated from college over 2 years ago. Most often it is a lot less time than that.Movin’ is what I do these days.I move in order to train in new places and I move in order to make my body go as fast as I can on skis.To me movin’ is fun.I like going non-stop.

In June I packed up my skis in New England and flew out West for a little something new.A little change is good sometimes so I jumped on the opportunity to join the very well respected Sun Valley Ski Education Foundat ... Read More »

By Colin Rodgers on 5/22/2006

April is gone and we are already into the fourth week of May.  If you are not out training again on a regular basis it is about time.  The best World Cup skiers both male and female are training between 60 and 90 hours during the month of May.  Do the math- that is more than 2 hours a day on the light side.  If you want to be good there is no screwing around.  Make the training fun, but go out there and get focused.  Make a plan.  It is definitely a cliché in th ... Read More »