Monday, December 30, 2019

Changes for this Week

After talking with those that were at practice this morning, we have made a couple of changes for the week that are now highlighted in red on the post with the weekly workouts.  We will meet at 9:00am at Bunker Campground on both Tuesday and Thursday.  Tuesday we will be doing classic work, Thursday skate work.  The hope is to be done by 11:00.

Also, we have decided we will be leaving at 8:00am on Friday for the Mesabi Invite and we will be spending some more time at Pine Valley in Cloquet to get some work in that we lost this weekend.  Only big change is that everyone will need to bring a lunch with them for Friday.  But, I need to know who is and is not coming with us by tomorrow morning so I can get numbers in to Chicagami as well for the Boosters to contact Giant Ridge and they have enough food for us for our lunch on Saturday.

If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

Practices

For those that cannot make practice any of the days this week, here are the workouts for the week.  We are going to discuss with the skiers today if we will be getting together for any team practices the rest of the week:


Workouts for the Week of December 30, 2019
Monday, Dec. 30
Meet at High School at 9:00
Warm Up, Stretch
10 min Run
Weight Training, Phase II, Day 3
Skate Technique Work
Those able to go Skiing, go as a group to Elm and do Reaction Speed Game x 12-15
Those staying behind, in groups of equal running ability, Reaction Speed Game x 10
3 x 30 sec DP DNA (1st set Level 2, 2nd Set Level 3, 3rd Set Level 4)
-          3 x 15sec DP SkiErg (1st set Level 3, 2nd set Level 4, 3rd Set Level 5)

Tuesday, Dec 31
Meet at Bunker Camp Ground at 9:00AM
Classic Skiing if possible
Technique Work: Snappy KickDrill Video
Easy Distance Ski, 1 hr 15min – 1 hr 30 min

Wednesday, Jan 1
On Your Own or With a Group
Classic or Skate (Depends on what you are racing on Saturday.  If not Racing, than ski your choice)
5 – 6 x 6 minutes w/ 4 minutes recovery 
First 3 minutes of each interval L3 – last 3 minutes L4

Thursday, Jan 2
Meet at Bunker Camp Ground at 9:00AM
Skate Skiing
20 min warm up
20 min no pole
25 min Agility Skiing
5 x Single Pole
5 x Double Pole
3 x 30 seconds Push-ups, Abs

Friday, Jan.4
Leave for Pine Valley in Cloquet at 8:00am. Arrive at PV around 10:00
Technique Work until 12:00 (lunch until 1:00)
Then:
Ski 5K+  in technique you are skiing on Saturday. 
5 x starts
Wax Ski’s
Those not racing ski until waxing is done
Dinner at 6:00
Lights out at 10:00

Saturday, Jan. 4
Mesabi East Invite
Breakfast at 8:00
Pack up everything, leave by 8:45
First Race at 11:00 (Boy’s Classic) Leave for home around 4:00 – 4:30

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Monday Practice

We are going to meet at the high school on Monday morning at 9:00an to weight train, get some technical work and some running before we send everyone out to ski on their own, or with other members of the team with a workout in hand.  With the way the weather has been the last two days, a lot of trail systems have closed their trails and based on predictions maybe having temps drop below freezing tomorrow afternoon, not to mention no new snow until maybe tomorrow morning, it makes trying to go someplace for an organized team practice on snow more complicated.

We will also talk to everyone about Tuesday and Thursday as well as what they can do for Wednesday practice tomorrow.

Please let me know if you are wanting to go to Mesabi soon as well!

Thanks
Denny

Mesabi East Invite


Mesabi East Invitational
Sat. Jan 4, 2020

The Mesabi East Invitational is upon us again and it is time for our skiers to participate in the largest high school ski meet in the country.  We will be leaving tentatively at 12:00pm on Friday, Jan. 3 from in front of the school.   We will be going to Pine Valley Trails in Cloquet to get in some skiing, waxing our skis, then heading to Camp Chicagami.

We have for a number of years stayed at Camp Chicagami (218-744-4683 if you need to get a hold of us), south of Eveleth, which is bunk style sleeping.  So, besides the usual overnight items that we all bring, toiletries and clothes, the skiers will need to bring up a sleeping bag, pillow, and towel for showering.  One suggestion that we do make though, is that the amount of food brought with is limited.  We will have dinner and breakfast at Camp Chicagmi and the Booster Club has purchased lunch for Saturday for the skiers.  The cost for the night of stay and two meals is $35 and needs to be paid before we leave (Checks written out to Coon Rapids Nordic Skiing). 

On the trip home, (we hope to leave from Giants Ridge around 4:30pm) we will make a brief stop in Forest Lake to make phone calls to let you know when we will be back. 

How we will do the Mesabi Invite this year, is that the top 10 boys and the top 10 girls will all race in a Varsity or JV race, either Classic style or Freestyle.  The rest of the team will not be racing, but are invited to come along to help out at the meet, to learn about waxing, for cheering, and to get an opportunity to ski on some World Class trails and continue to improve.  But, we are limited to a total number of 40 people, including coaches, and bus driver (Snes). We will need to know as soon as possible if your child is able to or unable to attend.  This is not a mandatory event for those that are not racing, but because our camp was canceled, we would like has many of the skiers to come with us so we can get more time in on snow and help them with areas we as coaches know we can improve on.  If we are able to get most of the team to come with, and I would like to know by Tuesday, we will leave earlier on Friday since we do not have school and get more time on snow when we get to Cloquet, doing a lot of technique work.  Please let me know as soon as you can if your skier is coming with or not.

Also, once the start lists are posted, I will be sending out the start list so you are able to know when your child will be skiing if they are racing. The first race is at 10:00 and the clock will continue running until the last skier has finished.  The last skier of the day to start is usually around 3:30, just to let you know how spread out the day is.  The start list will also help you better plan your day if you are going to be attending.  If you have any questions, please contact me.  I will also post any additional information later in the week.
Denny


Mesabi Invite, Jan. 3-4, 2020 @ Giants Ridge
Boys
Girls
Skate Skate
Jared Heida - V Amelia Blomberg - V
Noah Christiansen - V Josie Ingvaldson - V
Aaron Casey - V Ilsa Hoaglund - V
Michael Smith - JV Tara Treml - JV
Jaxon Lahner - JV Olivia Nojd - JV
Classic Classic
Josh Thoen - V Abby Ellenbecker -V
Ricky Petroff - V Lilah Gilyard - V
Myles Gilyard - V Akala Lowe - V
Peyton Martinek - JV Zoe Hoaglund - JV
Ryan Powley - JV Katrina Hoggarth - JV
Coaches Coach
Denny Green Jerlie Jensen
Denny Nelson 12
Snes 13
Jennings Jurmu 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
18 18
19 19
20 20

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Winter Camp Refund

Well, you have to love winters in Minnesota!  This is a first for us, but it happens and we are home safely. 

But, because we had to cancel camp this year, please let me know if you'd like a refund and we will either get your check back to you, void it, or if it has been cashed already, write you out one for the amount of camp.

If you have any questions, please let me know.
Stay Safe!
Denny

Home Soon

We are at the intersection of Main St and Hwy 65, hoping to be home in about 20 mins.
Thanks
Denny

Update

We are moving again after being stopped for a while on the side of 35. We are just getting to Forest Lake to make the turn back for home, not going on 35 though. Hoping for another hour +, but we are taking our time.
Denny

Camp Update

Due to the deterioration of the road conditions, we are going to be heading back to Coon Rapids. We are not sure how long it will take to get back, so we will keep you updated.
Thanks
Denny

Friday, December 27, 2019

Winter Camp

This is just a reminder that for those going to our annual Winter Camp trip, that we are leaving tomorrow, Saturday, at 7:00am from in front of the high school, old door 1!!  PLEASE be there by 6:30 so we are able to get everything packed, bring anything up from the ski room that we will need and make sure we are on the road by 7, especially if the weather is a little sketchy, which it could be.  We as coaches will be there at 6:00am and we can open up the building and the locker rooms for those that may need to get anything inside.

A couple of reminders and things to be prepared for:

Make sure all ski boots and ski apparel needed to ski tomorrow are packed and on the BUS, not the trailer! When we get to the Hayward area to start skiing, we want to get out and get going, and not have someone have to dig through the trailer to find their boots.  One of us as coaches will be standing at the bus door making sure these items are going on the bus for everyone.

The weather will as usual play a role on what we do and when, but also factor into how we dress.  Please make sure you are following what is "supposed" to happen the next few days and realize that there is a good chance of rain on Sunday, so extra, dry clothes, jackets, hats, and gloves should be items that are high on the list of things to bring.  And yes, we do want the skiers to bring snow boots as well.  If by chance there are bus issues, which have happened in the past, we want to make sure that all skiers are prepared if they have to be sitting on a cold bus for a while or having to trek through snow.

Lastly, please make sure a water bottle for skiing is with as well.  We are out in the middle of the woods a lot of the time, so having access to hydration will be limited to what we bring.  So please make sure this is something that is with the skiers at all time when we are skiing.

If there are any questions, please let me know and if there is anything else that needs to be mentioned to all I will get in touch with you,
Thanks
Denny

Mora Recap

Here is a recap from last weeks Mora races from Coach Nelson as well as a link to the overall results:

The atmosphere at the Mora meet is a refreshing change from our weekday, "get on the bus, off the bus, line up and race" routine.  The warm temps allowed good warmups on the loops right by the Start/Finish area. and also helped to ski warm downs after each event.  Having a Saturday race also helped our parents come up to see the fun.

The kids really took good care of themselves as far as pre-race prep with clothes, waxing, etc.  The veterans helped the 1st's  both Friday and Saturday.  The Mora courses are not difficult, so the race-pace was fast compared to super cold snow at Hyland.

Many skiers showed improvement but it's clear that technique work and "reading the race" to decide what technique to use in any given spot are needed.

It's clear that there are some girls ready to move up onto Varsity if they continue the improvement that they showed on the weekend.  There was also a shakeup in the usual order in the boys' Pursuit on Saturday as a few younger boys threw down good races.  That kind of intra- squad competition can only help as we move into the second half of the season, with Mesabi and the ABC's coming quickly after Camp.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Mora Mini Tour Results

You can find the results of the Mora meet that is today and Saturday at the following link.  Just look for the Mora Mini Tour 2019 and then the race you are looking for: Mora Mini Tour Results

It was a good first day and start to the meet for us.  Congrats to Jared Heida and Noah Christiansen for take 4th in the team sprint, Eli Christiansen for taking 5th in the Boys JV 5K and to Ava Kehr for finishing in 10th in the Girls JV 5K (even though they didn't announce her name and she didn't get her cookie!)!  But, some of the skiers were in their 3rd or 4th race of the past 7 days (Jared, Aaron, and Josie at 4), and you can tell they are getting tired, but they are still putting in solid efforts and placing well!

Please remember that the bus on Saturday will be leaving at 8:00am from the front of the school.  For those that were there today, they can still come with to watch and help.

Thanks
Denny

Winter Camp Information


2019 Nordic Skiing Winter Camp

Each year we offer skiers a chance to improve their skiing and get some time in on some great snow trails up north.  It also gives the team a chance to relax, have fun, and get better acquainted.

We will leave for Winter Camp at 7:00am on Saturday, December 28 and will return about 6:00pm on Monday, December 30.  An approximate itinerary is given on the back of this sheet (some of the locations and workouts may change depending on the snow conditions).  We will be spending most of our evening time at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Hayward, WI, where cell range is sometimes limited, so if you need to get a hold of your child, your best option could be to call the Hotel, 715-634-0700. 

Students should bring their own healthy breakfasts and lunches and snacks in a cooler that stays in the equipment trailer on the trip up or bring money to buy stuff at the store or restaurants at the hotel.  Minimal spending money is needed unless they want to buy things.  There is a continental breakfast available by the hotel, but bringing their own is still something to consider.

Students are expected to pack the following items: Plenty of warm clothing (layers are best) and personal items for three days (don’t forget that toothbrush & deodorant, please!!), a warm winter coat, winter boots (to be worn on your feet on the bus), PJ’s, water bottle/sports drink, Skis, Kick Wax, Poles, and Ski Boots, cooler.  Remember that most everything will go into the equipment trailer.  You may want to take homework, a camera, a healthy snack for the bus ride, headphones.  Consider marking the items you want back!  Be sure to bring a positive attitude, and your CRHS pride and manners. (Videos for the evenings should be pre-approved by the coaches.)

On the return trip we will stop at Forest Lake for a quick rest stop and phone calls home to parents.  Please be sure to meet your students at CRHS about 20 minutes after they call!  (We’re all tired and anxious to get home by then.)  It helps if you park in the stalls rather than along the curb while you wait.  All students are expected to stay and help until ALL equipment is unloaded and properly put away.  We’re a team and teammates stick together (Yes, parents can helps!!)
(Over)




Tentative Winter Camp Schedule

Saturday, Dec. 28                   6:30am           Get skis from ski room.  Load bus &
Trailer, check for boots
                                            7:00am           Leave for Hayward
                                            10:00am         Arrive at “00” or Birkie Trailhead
                                             10:15pm        Classic: Warm up Drills then Classic
12:30              Lunch            
                                            2:00                Put on Skate Ski’s, Drills, ski until 5:00
                                            6:00pm           Dinner (Provided by Parents: soup,
                                                                        Sandwiches)
                                            10:00pm        Lights Out
Sunday, Dec. 29                7:00am           Wake Up and eat
                                             8:00am           Head out to Birke Trailhead
(Skate Skiing, Varsity, some JV Start at Cable, head to Hayward; First Years, some JV, start at ‘00’ and head to Hayward)
                                              12:00pm        Lunch Break at Fish Hatchery Cabin
                                              1:00pm           First Years/JV Go Classic Skiing
                                              2:00pm           Varsity/JV Go Classic Skiing
                                              4:00pm           Ski’s Off
                                              6:00pm           Dinner (Provided by Booster Club)
                                              10:00pm        Lights Out
Monday, Dec. 30                   7:00am           Wake up and eat, then pack things up
                                                                        And bring to trailer
                                              8:30am           Head to Timberland Trails
                                                                        Classic Drills then hill repeats
                                              12:30am         Meet for lunch
                                              1:30pm           Meet on trails
                                                                        Skate (Will decide depending on how
                                                                        Everyone feels and has been
                                                                        working!)
                                                                        Then on your own
                                              3:30pm           Ski’s off, get ready for trip home
                                              4:00pm           Head home
                                              5:45pm           Call ahead from Forest Lake for rides
                                              6:00pm           Arrive at CRHS, unload bus & trailer


Thursday, December 19, 2019

Hyland Skate Results

Our individual and the Overall Meet Results are now posted on the right side of the blog!

Congratulations to Abby Ellenbecker for her 3rd straight win, cruising to a 25 second win to help lead the Girls team.  Despite being short-handed and finishing 5th of 6 teams, the Girls held their own and were only a few points out of 3rd place.  Lilah Gilyard gained a top 10 performance and Josie Ingvaldson finished in the top 15!  We are having to rely on a lot of 1st and 2nd year Girls right now, but they are handling it well and wanting to be up there.

On the Boy's side, Josh Thoen, 4th, Jared Heida, 5th, Noah Christiansen, 9th, Myles Gilyard, 15th and Ricky Petroff 16th, helped the team finish in a solid 2nd place, not too far out of first.  The Boy's are starting to show consistency.  This is a big positive, but one that can still be improved on.

Solid day despite the cold temps and wind.  We as coaches can tell that it is wearing on the skiers a bit, but they are still putting in good efforts.

Thanks,
Denny

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Mora Invite

Below is the list of our skiers that are skiing this Friday and Saturday based on the information that I was given, as well as a link to the meet information for the Mora Invite at the Vasaloppet Center.
If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

Mora Invite
Friday
First Name Last Name Boys/Girls Wave (V Saturday and JV) Relay (V Friday)
Noah Christiansen Boys Sprint Relay 1
Jared  Heida Boys Sprint Relay 1
Aaron Casey Boys Sprint Relay 2
Mike Smith Boys Sprint Relay 2
Eli Christiansen Boys 1 JV 5K
Florentin Julien Boys 2 JV 5K
Jacob  Casey Boys 3 JV 5K
Tommy Samit Boys 4 JV 5K
Tristen Brende-Prils Boys 1 JH 2.5K
Josie Ingvaldson Girls Sprint Relay1
Amelia Blomberg Girls  Sprint Relay1
Kiwi Le Girls 1 JV 5K
Oliva Nojd Girls 2 JV 5K
Jordyn Campbell Girls 3 JV 5K
Ava Kehr Girls 4 JV 5K
Tori Horner Girls 5 JV 5K
Jerzi Herberg Girls 6 JV 5K
Sheryl Black Girls 7 JV 5K
Saturday
Ricky Petroff Boys V 1 Pursuit 2 x 5K
Myles Gilyard Boys V 2 Pursuit 2 x 5K
Peyton Martinek Boys V 3 Pursuit 2 x 5K
Ryan Powley Boys V 4 Pursuit 2 x 5K
Jennings Jurmu Boys V 5 Pursuit 2 x 5K
Orion Carter Boys JH 2.5K
Lilah Gilyard Girls V Pursuit 2 x 5K
Akala Lowe Girls JV 1 5K
Zoe  Hoaglund Girls JV 2 5K
Ilsa Hoaglund Girls JV 3 5K
Tessa Del Fratte Girls JH 2.5K
Kendall Martinek Girls JH 2.5K

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

State Rankings

It's a start, and it's been awhile since we have had an individual or team even on the "Cusp," but something we are definitely wanting to build on:

http://www.skinnyski.com/racing/display.asp?Id=47959

Wednesday Skate Race

Wednesday's race is a Skate race at Hyland Park in Bloomington, so please give yourself plenty of time to get there.  Directions are below.  Girls will race at 4:00, the Boys will be at 4:30. 

If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

 Hyland Lake Park Reserve: Take highway #169 south, just past #494, to Highwood Drive. Turn east (left), then turn south (right) onto East Bush Lake Road. OR take Highway #100 south, just past #494, turn west (right) onto West 84th Street, which becomes East Bush Lake Road. You will pass the downhill ski area and the Richardson Nature Center. Take a left into the Recreation Area (just before the road takes a sharp right curve at the south end of Bush Lake). There is parking at the visitor center or a little further down the road near the start/finish line.

Waxing Tonight

After practice tonight we will be waxing skis for tomorrow’s race, it should be only about half an hour. Any questions, let me know.
Thanks
Denny

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Monday - Group 1

Group 1 Skiers, meet after school to set up rides with each other on Monday, and then head to Elk River to go to Woodland Trails just north of the Elk River Golf Course. I will meet you there at around 3:15 and bring $2 for donations to use their trails. We will be skating as well. If you have any questions, please text me tomorrow. Groups 2 and 3 you will be lifting after school as usual and then heading to Bunker Campground area for 1K repeats on skate skis. Thanks
Denny

Week Ahead

This message will be covering a lot, so please make sure to read through all of this.

First, here is the rough schedule for the week:
#Monday - Practice (weight training at 2:35, bus to leave no later than 3:25 for Bunker Campground)
         - Please note that Pizza Orders are due on Monday as well!!
         - We also need to know on this day who is able to donate food for camp. We are currently              a little low and want to make sure we have enough food for everyone.
Tuesday - Practice (bus to leave no later than 3:25 for Bunker Campground)
Wednesday - Skate Race at Hyland (bus to leave at 2:00, first race at 4:00)
Thursday - Practice (bus to leave no later than 3:25 for Bunker Memorial)
*Friday - Mora Invite (bus to leave at 12:30*, home around 6:00) Those not attending will be given ideas for practice depending on if they are racing on Saturday or not.
Saturday - Mora Invite (bus to leave at 8:00, home around 4:30)

#Our team leaders have discussed many items and one item is to have an occasional practice for the more advanced skiers at a different, more challenging trail location. The school has given us permission to allow our skiers to travel on their own to practices, but we as coaches are wanting to make sure you as parents are OK, and aware of  his or not.  We currently have three training groups that change every other week, and we are thinking of sending Group 1 (top Varsity skiers) to Woodland Trails in Elk River on Monday for a more intense workout (something the leaders also asked for).  Below is a link to a form for the parents of those in Group 1 to fill out as well as a list of those currently in Group 1.  If we don't hear from all of the parents or don't have a unanimous "OK" we will continue to have the whole team practice at the same location.  Group 1 Skiers are as follows:
Group 1
Aaron Casey
Caleb Chesser
Eli Christiansen
Noah Christiansen
Myles Gilyard
Jared Heida
Jennings Jurmu
Jaxon Lahner
Peyton Martinek
Ricky Petroff
Ryan Powley
Michael Smith
Joshua Thoen
Abby Ellenbecker
Lilah Gilyard
Here is the link to let us know if you OK this possible option: Group 1 Travel Permission

Lastly, this upcoming weekend is the Mora Invite, an event we have done the past couple of years as an opportunity to get some more time racing as well as competing against some other teams. We know that there are things happening with the Holiday break and family gatherings.  This meet is not a mandatory meet, but we would like to know who can attend.  With that, we will have a form at the school for the athletes to fill in, but we are also going to ask that you please go to the following link to fill out the form to notify us if your skier(s) are able to attend and if so which day (schedule is listed below).  We only want the skiers to race on one day and if they chose to race on Saturday, we would like for them to stay behind and get a workout in and then get home.  Please click on and fill out the following: Mora Invite Form

If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks,
Denny

*We were notified this week that the lights that Mora was hoping to have installed this year have not been yet, so they are not able to have this meet at the originally scheduled time and will need to be done before it gets dark.  Below is the schedule for both days:
Friday
2:10 Boys JH/MS
2:15 Girls JH/MS
2:35 Boys JV
2:45 Girls JV
3:30 Boys Sprint Relay (4x1k)
4:00 Girls Sprint Relay (4x1k)
4:40 Awards
Saturday
10:00 Girls Varsity Classic
11:00 Boys Varsity Classic
12:00 Girls JV Skate
12:20 Boys JV Skate
12:40 Girls JH/MS Skate
1:00 Boys JH/MS Skate
1:30 Girls Varsity Skate Pursuit
2:15 Boys Varsity Skate Pursuit
3:15 Awards

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Winona Results

The Overall and our Individual Results are now posted.  There were no team scores at the moment and I am not sure if there will be any.

Solid conditions, although slower snow, and a much more challenging course than what our skiers have been used to this year, brought out a good day for the Cardinal Skiers, with solid efforts and everyone skiing hard all the way to the finish line!

Jared Heida was the fastest on the day with a 7th place finish in the Boy's Varsity race.  4 more Boys, Aaron Casey, Myles Gilyard, Ricky Petroff, and Peyton Martinek, followed closely in 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th.  Jacob Casey was the top JV Boy with a solid 16th place finish in possibly his best race as a skier!

Lilah Gilyard was the top Girl finishing in 11th in the Girls Varsity with Josie Ingvaldson finshing in 13th.  Ava Kehr (marked as Sheryl Black in the results) edged out Kiwi Le (marked as Halle Lenz), by .01 for 16th spot to lead the JV Girls.  Always amazing that two people that started at completely different times can finish that close in a 5K.

We used the relays at the end of the meet as a bit of a workout for a few of the skiers, which I think was a little longer than 1.5K, and just as challenging as the 5K, but they worked hard.  Lilah and Josie fought to the finish to place 6th, with Aaron and Myles teaming up to finish in 5th followed closely by Jared and Ricky/Jaxon Lahner. Nearly 10K of racing on the challenging trails of SMU for these skiers!

It is a day that can be challenging and difficult not only because it is an unfamiliar trail system and course, as well as with the travel, but skiing on hills that are way bigger and longer than anything we have skied on this season, can be a daunting task for even the seasoned skiers, let alone the First Years.  However, we saw determination, as well as relief when they finished :), and no one quit or even mentioned dropping out, and skied to the best of their abilities, and that is all we ask of any of our skiers.  For those that got the opportunity to race today will be a little bit stronger mentally for that next race on Wednesday at Hyland knowing that nothing they will race on will even come close to what they took on today.  They all seemed to be having fun as well!

Thanks for those parents that made it down to catch the races.  It is a beautiful drive to Winona, and if you have never made the trek, it is one you should consider!

Denny

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Winona Invite

Here is the information for the Winona Race that is tomorrow, Saturday at Saint Mary's University.  They went with a longer race this year since they have had the snow and were able to get their trails set up.  We are also leaving earlier because they wanted to have more races and with us having the Holiday concerts, they wanted to make sure we were done so we had enough time to get those back.

So, the bus is leaving at 6:30 am with the first race starting at 10:00.  Here is the schedule:
We will go with the following schedule (all skate races):
10:00 AM - Girls Varsity 5K - Interval starts
10:30 AM - Boys Varsity 5K - Interval starts
11:00 AM - Girls JV 5K - Wave starts
11:45 AM - Boys JV 5K - Wave starts
12:30 PM - Girls 1.5 K Relay (maximum of two teams from each school, 2-person teams.) - Mass start
1:15 PM - Boys 1.5 K Relay  (maximum of two teams from each school, 2-person teams.) - Mass start

We suggest that the skiers bring a lunch or money to buy food at the University Book Store or restaurant on campus.  The hope is to leave around 2:00-2:30 so we are back by 5:00ish for those that are in the Holiday Concerts that evening.

Once a start list is made available, I will get it posted.  Below is a link to which race everyone is participating in:  Coon Rapids Skiers

Directions:  Saint Mary's University - 700 Terrace Heights, Winona, MN 55987
Take Hwy 10 East to 35W south to 694 east.  Follow 694 east to 35E south and follow into St Paul to Hwy 52 South.  Take Hwy 52 south to Hampton then exit at CR 50, take a left and go east.  CR 50 will turn into Hwy 61 and you will follow to Winona.  As you enter Winona, you will take a right at Hwy 14 and head west.  as you approach the bluffs and Saint Mary's, you will be able to take a left below campus at St. John's road.  Follow this road back to the left to St. Yon's Valley, where the parking lot will be.  This lot is limited, and since buses might be parked there, it might be better to park on campus.  With this option, you will need to drive up the hill and enter at the main entrance to the school.  Here is a map that also has the course on it.  The Orange line is the course, the pink is the trail from the parking lot to the start area.  SMU Map.  For anyone that comes out, I will be able to help you with where to watch.  But, do note, especially for those parking up on campus, this is a hilly area.

If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

Age Group Classic Results

The Overall results are now posted, as are our Individual Results.

Good, Solid day of skiing yesterday, despite the colder temps.  Both teams were able to finish in 2nd out of the 6 schools, improvements over last week in that end.  As an overall, it was a step in the right direction, but far from a perfect day.  We as coaches saw some things that we can and need to work on, but for now, we will enjoy that we had a good day.

Abby Ellenbecker led the way, not only for the Girls, but for the team, again, with a dominating win, as she and Lilah Gilyard, 6th, helped propel the Girls to their 2nd place finish.  Josh Thoen was able to squeeze in a 2nd place overall finish with a sprint to the finish, as the Boys team was able to get 5 in the top 17 to finish in a close 2nd!

As mentioned, it was a good day and it was fun to see the 1st years get their first classic race in, but we have not been doing classic skiing as much, so we know we have work to do, which will be fun to see how much they all improve over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks to all that braved the cold last night!
Denny

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Pasta Parties

Sorry for getting this out so late, but if you are interested in hosting a team pasta party, there is a schedule now posted that you can sign up for.  In order to sign up, please message me, comment on this message or let me know in person.  If you are interested yet don't know what to do, please let me know and I can connect you to a veteran parent that has.
Any questions, please let me know,
Thanks,
Denny

Wednesday's Race

Wednesday's race is at Hyland Park in Bloomington, so please give yourself plenty of time to get there.  Directions are below.  Boys will race at 4:00, the Girls will be at 4:30.  This is a classic race, so it will be different than last weeks race.

If there are any questions, please let me know,
Thanks
Denny

 Hyland Lake Park Reserve: Take highway #169 south, just past #494, to Highwood Drive. Turn east (left), then turn south (right) onto East Bush Lake Road. OR take Highway #100 south, just past #494, turn west (right) onto West 84th Street, which becomes East Bush Lake Road. You will pass the downhill ski area and the Richardson Nature Center. Take a left into the Recreation Area (just before the road takes a sharp right curve at the south end of Bush Lake). There is parking at the visitor center or a little further down the road near the start/finish line.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Week Ahead Basics

Here are a couple of basics for the week ahead.

We will be classic skiing for practice on Monday and we will be going to Bunker, most likely the skijor/dog park trail.

Wednesday will be a classic race at Hyland Park in Bloomington with the start at 4:00.  The current temps for Wednesday are going to be close to the temps where we will have to consider canceling, so we will be keeping an eye on what could happen.  We need to be at -4F or warmer, or -15F Windchill or warmer.

Saturday's race is still planned as well for St Mary's University in Winona.  We were notified today that the races will start at 10:00 and at this moment will not be a classic race or a pursuit as we did last year due to the amount of snow they last this past week.  I will discuss with our bus driver about leaving earlier than our currently scheduled 7:00am.

Lastly, we would like to have rooms for Winter Camp decided by Friday, thus final or next payments as well.  We will need to make sure we have enough rooms so if we have to eliminating any rooms we have the time to do so.

Thanks and any questions, please let me know,
Denny

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Overall Results

The Overall Results are now posted on the right side of the blog.  Two things of note, there were no team scores and because of a few number of athletes, they decided not to post any results for the 1 Lap racers.  I'll try and work on those myself today and get those posted.  I did however do a rough team scoring based on the results.

Yesterday was a solid start to the racing season and it was nice to see where we are at through a couple of weeks of training and what we need to work on.  Congratulations to Abby Ellenbecker as she started out the season with a solid and comfortable win, showing the time and work she has been able to get in.  The Girls team finished in 6th out of 6 counting the top 6 skiers (this is how many score for the Conference Meet), but we are a very young and inexperienced team.  With many of our 2nd and 1st year skiers around the top 10 for the team it will be a possibility of seeing the team move up throughout the season.

The Boys finished in 3rd out of 6, just a few points out of 2nd, led by Josh Thoen and his 5th place finish in a fairly tight race at the top of the standings.  We were able to get 5 boys in the top 22 out of 116 total boys skiers, with Jared Heida (9th), Noah Christiansen (12th), Aaron Casey (21st), and Myles Gilyard (22nd) helping keep the Boys near the top. It will be a mix of experience and youth on the Boys side as they move forward throughout the season.  We had a solid day on the Boys side, but we know that we can be faster and it will be important for their development to come together more and help push themselves to improve.

As mentioned, we all as coaches thought it was a solid start for the first year skiers.  There was a lot of effort out of them and it will be fun to see how they progress as they hone in on their techniques.  The second year skiers also showed a lot of fight and improvements from a year ago.  There are still areas to improve on, which we can focus on as we move forward.  But it was an all around solid day with some big positives and areas of improvement to look at to help us move forward. 

For those that are new to the sport, if you want to see results from not only all of our races, but races throughout the state, then click on the the link at the top of the page for Skinnyski.com.  This will also be a good spot for all things Nordic Skiing that are happening, including trail reports, citizen races, and important Nordic events happening in the world.

Thanks and glad to see so many out on the trails yesterday,
Denny

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Fan Wear Link

Below is a message from Angie Jurmu for Fan Wear with a link to place your orders:

Fan Wear

NORDIC FAN WEAR ORDER IS READY! Here is the link to bring you to the online order form! Orders and payments are due, Friday, December 13th. All information needed is on the online order form. If you would like to still order for your skier, you may do so until Friday, December 13th as well. Please go to that order form as listed previously on Facebook.

Individual Results

Our Individual results from this afternoons Skate Race at Elm Creek are now posted on the right side of the blog.  Once I receive the Overall Results I will post those as well and give the thoughts of how we did.  But, without knowing how we did as a team, I saw a lot of improvements across the board and was proud the way the First Years competed and the big improvements from our 2nd year skiers!
Great Work Today!
Denny

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

First Race of the Year

Here is the schedule for tomorrow's Age Group Skate race at Elm Creek.  The Boys will be starting at 3:30 and the Girls will be starting at about 4:00.  We will start with our returning skiers one every 20 seconds, seniors first, then juniors on down, and they will all be skiing two laps (5K). Our First Years will be at the back end and they will have the option of doing 1 or 2 laps (2.5k or 5K).
There will be 6 teams skiing (and there will still be general public skiing as well), so parking will be a little tight, so please plan ahead so you have enough time to find a place to park and then be able to walk to the course.
We do want you out on the course supporting (even though the bridge is a good place to watch from a higher height), but please make sure you are not walking on the course.  If you do have to cross the course, please make sure you check to make sure no skiers are coming.  The heaviest traffic is near the start/finish area, so please make sure you are aware of your surroundings if you are there.
You can find directions to Elm Creek in the Parent Handbook, but basically you need to go on Hwy 610 to Elm Creek Parkway.

Lastly, thanks for all of the food tonight and for being a part of tonight's gathering!

Any questions on anything, let me know
Thanks,
Denny

Winter Camp Help Sign Up

Below is a message from Vicki Christiansen for those who would like to help with Winter Camp this year:

Winter Camp is one of the next big (and fun) events for Nordic! We'll talk about camp more at the potluck/booster meeting on Tuesday, but we're going to try something new this year for organization. I've created a Sign Up Genius for donations to the weekend of ski camp. Things needed are food - all sorts of it - and other basic winter necessities. Hopefully if you like to cook you can find something, and if you don't you can find something as well! Please take a look, sign up if you feel ready, and bring questions on Tuesday. All the donations will be brought along with your child the morning we leave for camp.

Sign Up Genius

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Week of Dec. 1

Here is what is happening the first part of the week as we get back to practices and with meets starting to appear.

Monday, Practice is at 2:30 for weight training and then we will be heading to Bunker to do classic work.

Tuesday, Practice is at 2:45 and then we will be heading to Bunker to do skate work.

Wednesday, our first meet, will be at Elm Creek. The skiers will get all of the information at practice and I will put info out on Tuesday for what is happening.

Thanks,
Denny