Bend is just an awesome place to train in the spring. Like Alaska, it too has mountains near by that are high enough to hold snow well into the spring and summer, but unlike Alaska when you leave the mountains after training in the morning, it is sunny, summery, dry, and beautiful. I was fortunate enough to get invited to the U.S. Ski Team camp being held there and eagerly jumped at the opportunity to go. Our days consisted of getting up early to hit the snow up at Mt. Bachelor and then enjoying the trails around Bend in the afternoon via foot and bike.
I started in on a physical therapy program right before the camp for a nagging back injury I have had since my freshman year in college. Camp was then a big test to see how the stretches and exercises were working and if I would be able to overcome this set back. Things went great! While I was not 100% pain free, pain never forced me to cut a workout short or skip one all together! It feels incredible to not be held back all the time and I hope for nothing more than to continue on this path for a season of good health, something I haven't experienced in some time now. So with all that in my favor, camp was excellent! I got to join some friends who raced the same college circuit as me for the Pole, Pedal, Paddle, a race from the top of Mt. Bachelor into to town. It is relay style with alpine skiing, xc skiing, road biking, running, paddling, and sprinting all as different legs. I was the bike leg. It was great fun to race in a different sport and I certainly was plenty sore after pushing myself in a less familier sport.
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| Team bike ride, definitely my favorite dryland workout. The mtn bike trails in Bend are awesome! |
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| Racing in a fun 2 person relay we did for one of our hard workouts |
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| Canadian National Team, Canadian National Biathlon, US Biathlon, US Ski Team, APU, Alberta World Cup Academy, CXC, SSWSC, and Craftsbury GRP were all there at the same time making for some epic group skiing and many partners for getting the hours in. |
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| Leaders in the relay workout, Fiz in the back of this group was my partner |
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| More intervals, we got about a foot of snow one day! |
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| Start of the relay |
