That's a Wrap!

​It always seems like the time between updates fly’s by, I doubt that will ever really change, and this month has been no different. Taking advantage of the break in our season my team and I flew back to the US in February to full on winter, and man did it put a smile on my face. My first day home I woke up to below 0°F temps and dumping snow, I was pumped. I have not had the opportunity to do a longer training camp mid-winter before, especially one at home. It worked out really well. Park City provided some great conditions for quality training so we were able to be very productive both on the ski jump and cross country skis. Plus it’s hard to complain about being able to sleep in my own bed and make some powder turns during my free time! 

​After a snowy break in Park City we packed our bags again and headed back to Europe to finish the season off. First stop was Eisenerz, AUT a new town for me on the circuit and one of few towns in Europe that actually had snow this winter. It is a funny little town with a massive mine and a population on the older side, making for a funny dynamic. They did have great conditions, at least for Europe this season, which was a nice change for a competition weekend. It was a fun weekend with some positive results for the whole team. We had both Women’s and Men’s Nordic Combined competing that weekend so it was fun to have a full squad competing together! 

Racing in Eisenerz, AUT

​It was then off to Lahti, Finland for the final two weekends of the season. We arrived to absolutely no snow on the ground, only on the racing course and ski jump. Because of that we were not allowed to ski on the course or jump beforehand as they wanted to keep the course closed in order to maintain the snow for the weekends competitions. It was a very weird experience because Finland is typically one of the coldest places on the tour. We took it in stride and had a fun time. Our entire team was together (all athletes, most coaches, techs) and we took part in some athlete vs. staff competitions; badminton, frisbee golf, floor hockey, etc. Needless to say we stayed busy and all had fun together. The first weekend of competition was a World Cup and the second was a Continental Cup. Both events had some positives and it was fun to end the season with better jumping and solid skiing. The cross country course in Lahti in my opinion is one of the hardest courses we race, after two weekends of racing it I was rather tired and feeling the BURN. 

​We all packed our bags and headed out after two weeks in Lahti. Ben and I traveled to Seefeld, Austria for a few days of skiing on the awesome trails and relaxing on the balcony in the sun in the afternoons. It was a nice little break to get some long skis without a strict schedule to follow. We then made a slightly faster and more rushed departure for home than originally planned, however I am now home safe and sound enjoying sleeping in my bed and recharging the batteries!