Summer!

It’s finally here….the weather is awesome here in The County and training couldn’t be better. The last couple of weeks have been very busy so here’s the short of it, but first:

THE DEADLINE TO DONATE TO RIDE AROOSTOOK IS APPROACHING: PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING LINK!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/katrinahowe/RideAroostook

This bike ride is a fundraiser for a children’s diabetes camp where kids can learn to lead healthy, happy lives while taking care for their diabetes. Please help me help kids from across the country to become healthier, more active individuals.

Now, on to the adventures of my last few weeks in Maine….

The last full week in June we had our Maine Winter Sports team orientation: five days in Caribou packed full with training, physical testing, educational sessions, team building, goal setting, meetings, and planning. We are a much more united team than ever before and it’s going to be a great year of training and racing in Aroostook County. Oh...did I mention that we (MWSC) have a sweet new deal with Mt. Borah, a custom training/racing apparel company. They set us up with some really fun training clothes (bike kits, running wear, and rollerski stuff) for the summer.....all of which is available for purchase to MWSC fans and fellow skiers if you're interested, just ask!

Last week we had our first bigger volume block here in Fort Kent, coupled with a short shooting camp to help us hone in on things we can improve and things we’re doing well. At the end of the week Seth and I took a mini vacation and went downstate to help celebrate his brother’s 30^th birthday and pay a trip to Mt. Katahdin. Although a lifelong resident of Maine, it was Seth’s first trip up Katahdin….although I can’t make fun of him, as I’ve never summated Mt. Washington. It will happen some day. It must.

As always, I know a blog is much more interesting to follow if it’s filled with pictures, so here you are: 

Lupines abound in Stockholm, ME

Flowers and sun in Farmington, ME while visiting Seth's parents.

Sunset over Lake Ambajejus at the southern entrance to Baxter the night before we climbed Katahdin. It was a very buggy evening....less than pleasant. I did however, get to experience my first spud launcher, complete with sparklers so we could track the flying spud until it hit the water. 

Earlier in the evening on Lake Ambajejus....that's Katahdin in the distance over the lake. 

A baby woodpecker who was spying on us as we set out onto Abol Slide trail up Katahdin. 

Peak of Katahdin...just clear enough to see everything.

Happy Fourth of July! 

Seth and I taking a break from rock hopping to enjoy the views from the peak. 

Sarah and Andy, some of Seth's friends (and now mine too!) from Farmington joined us for our Katahdin adventure. 

This week promises lots of excitement: IMBA mountain bike trail building here in Fort Kent, the Maine Team camp for high school Nordic skiers (also in Fort Kent), our first 10^th Mountain rollerski time trial of the summer, and for me: 7 interval sessions in 4 days….it’s time to get fast!

Have You Hugged Your Father Yet Today?

Happy Father's Day, Papa!

This weekend I can't be at home with my dad where I should be, but I'll be thinking of him every minute. He's the best father I could have asked for and I'm grateful for his undying love and support for the past (almost) 25 years. I'm lucky to have you in my life and I love you, Papa!

Ramping it up in The Valley: Training in June

With the arrival of my biathlon teammates (and one xc teammate) here in Fort Kent this weekend, I’m looking forward to some less-lonely training in the weeks to come. This week the weather has been great and I’ve been enjoying my “low week” before we have out testing and shooting camps starting next week. By the end of the weekend the Jalbert House, our athlete residence here in Fort Kent, will be home to six athletes with one more arriving in July.

The last couple of weeks have been exciting and busy, complete with my first training camp of the season in Lake Placid, NY. Bethann and I drove over to meet Seth for a week filled with shooting and easy volume, mostly in the form of rollerskiing. On the range I had a very productive week, recording my highest score ever in the accuracy, shooting test that we do regularly throughout the training season. I’ve been working on changing my standing position a bit this spring to allow for a more stable, less taxing position while I shoot. We’ve also been modifying my rifle a bit but it’s not done yet so you’ll have to wait to see the final result.

After Lake Placid we trained here in Maine for a week before taking a breather to recover a bit. I’ve been out on the 4-wheeling trails with my mountain bike and had some good and some not-so-good rides. It turns out that tired legs make it harder to ride up steep little pitches over and over during a 2 hour + ride. Who would have thought? In other biking news, I’m doing a fundraising ride called Ride Aroostook in the end of July….check out this link to learn more and donate:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/katrinahowe/RideAroostook

It’s a great event to raise money for a great cause and it’s being put on by one of the big Maine Winter Sports Center sponsors so it’s a great chance for me to help them out in return for their support!

This next week we have our first camp here in the County in conjunction with the Nordic skiing half of our team. We’ll be in Caribou most days doing a lot of physical testing and spending out down time reviewing the importance of good nutrition, mental training, teamwork, and other notable topics. Should be a fun but tiring few days. The following week we’re back in Fort Kent for three shooting-focused days to start off a big volume week.

Enjoy the weather…soon the days will start getting shorter again and you know what that means: WINTER IS COMING!