What a year!! We had so much fun with the girls this summer, we left camp already excited for next year! Thanks to all of the amazing ladies that took part in the camp this summer – it’s thanks to you guys that we LOVE coming back each summer. Keep rocking and RIPPING!
What a day – another sunny day on the glacier. We took advantage of the brilliant sunshine and ran full length GS! The girls did a great job and logged tons of runs. It was a very successful day.
Off the hill for drylands we played capture the flag, for a more mellow and fun final day of dryland. We also got a lot of great footage for the music video!
We also put the interns to work today – not only did they “pace” as usual (set the line, show the girls how it’s done!) but we also had them direct the video sessions and do a talk before dinner. Their talk focused on another interesting path that many athletes take out of high school – ski racing in college. Nellie and Rosie both graduated from high school this year and are both attending schools where they will race on the NCAA circuit. They talked about what it took to get into their schools of choice (Harvard and Colby) and how to balance high school with ski racing!
It was an all-around awesome day!
GS day! Yay! We had an awesome session on the glacier with the ladies today – we saw some great improvements and lots of hard work. It paid off, the girls were attacking and pushing themselves to make positive changes in their skiing. We had a cool brushy drill that really helped everyone have a good line – it was impressive to see the girls step up and commit to the line that we showed them. This afternoon was so much fun – check out our Insta story! We did agility and balance in the park followed by COLD TUBS in a glacier-water-river! The girls loved it!
The girls enjoyed a much deserved day off today. This morning we had an amazing journaling session, focused on goals and the steps that need to be taken to achieve them. In the afternoon they “escaped” from the Escape Room, and then later on performed their hilarious skits! It was a laughter-filled day! Everyone is looking forward to getting back onto the hill for GS tomorrow.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JE
SS
ICA!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
🙂
Today was officially a record-breaking day for The Ski Racing Sisterhood! We got between 20 and 25 runs today! The conditions held up so well and the girls even ran a full length slalom at the end of our session. To say we dominated slalom would be an understatement! We absolutely crushed our final day of slalom and everyone was psyched until the last run.
We downloaded to mid-station and had a picnic at the Rendez-vous before before taking the Peak2Peak chair over to Whistler. We the loaded the Peak chair and walked down the snow corridor! It was one of the biggest snow years we’ve seen, it was super fun!
Check out some of our pics 🙂
*ps: due to our limited internet connection the pic resolution is lower than normal, our apologies!
Today was another beautiful day on the glacier. It was once again almost empty, so the girls crushed about 20 runs today. We had a good warmup session that included free-skiing and stubbies. After everyone got back into the rhythm of a course, they jumped into full gates. The girls were stoked! Who doesn’t love a great slalom course! We salted a TON and the conditions held up really well, and we also got some good “rut” training near the end. It’s good to have a variety of snow conditions to mimic how different each race can be – and today fulfilled that goal. After lunch we did another Lost Lake dryland session that included a “fartlek” workout… every time we stay that word we get a weird look, so here’s the true definition:
fart·lek
ˈfärtlək/
noun
-
a system of training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied to eliminate boredom and enhance psychological aspects of conditioning.
Also – TODAY IS MADDIE M’s BIRTHDAY!! (she is one of three Maddies!)
So, more cake! YES!
Check out some of our pics from another fun day in Whistler!
What an awesome first day! We had perfect weather, no lineups, and lots of smiles. The girls got back onto their slalom skis and worked on lots of drills and movement. We separated into three groups with coach to athlete ratios of 1-4 to maximize our time on the glacier. After lots of drills earlier in the morning, we transitioned the drills into brushy gates. Overall it was a great first day that really helped everyone feel their skis again and get back into the groove of skiing. Leslie awaited with a hearty lunch that was devoured after all of the hard work. Dryland followed soon after with core and the classic Lost Lake run and dip!
This year, in order to inspire journal entries and curiosity we are doing nightly talks. Tonight our chef Leslie gave a fun and educational presentation about nutrition pertaining to athletes – specifically HYDRATION.
Here is a blog entry from Leslie – all of today’s pics are below!
Hooked on Hydration
Camp Arrival! Stoked to kick off the camp with some good food to fuel these awesome athletes!
Hooked on Hydration! Hydration is critical for optimum sports performance. Frequently understated, hydration can impact an athlete’s performance not only for one run, but for an entire day of training/competition or longer. As little as 2% dehydration is where we start to experience the negative side effects of dehydration. This means that athletes have to stay 98% hydrated to be at our optimum performance.
Does dehydration really affect my performance? Here are some of the general common side effects that can be experienced by athletes.
- Decrease cognitive function
- Decrease decision making
- Head-aches
- Cramping muscle
Ski racers can struggle with hydration for a number of reasons:
- Limited access to bathrooms or
- Easy access to water.
Selling athletes on a cold glass of water can also be difficult in the cold winter months as your thirst cues can be thrown off or suppressed due to the harsh weather and high altitudes. In the summer, we run into the opposite; scorching sun reflecting off the glacier snow, no running water, limited peeing space, distractions and athletes without a current hydration routine. Rarely do we see the extreme effect of dehydration but in order to make the most of your training days here are some ideas to help stay hydrated!
Athletes need to start thinking of hydration before they show up to training or a race day! Hydration needs to be thought of in advance. So – how do athletes stay hydrated while skiing? This is where we have to get creative with the understanding that the classic recommendations may not work.
- Teas/Steamed Milk On cold winter days hydrating with warmer drinks may be an easier sell. Milk is 80% water so may be nice to have a cup in your morning thermos. All herbal teas are great hydrators and are accessible if placed either at the top or bottom of the course or chair.
- Fruits & Veggies These contain water and can help with hydration. Put some mandarin oranges into your jacket to eat while riding up the chair. Throw some fresh fruit and veggies into your lunch.
- Home made soups Soup broth, as long as not too salty can be a great way to get some extra fluids in while fueling up with lunch.
- Reusable bottles Fill this up in the morning sip on it during your drive to the hill. Throw in a water bottle (empty if carrying your pack) to sip on during lunch, and after skiing on the drive home.
- Spice up you water! Adding fresh fruit, a splash of juice, or sports drink to your water to make it more palatable.
- Building a culture Come up with a team strategy! Encourage each other to stay in the routine before, during and after training.
Just like how we fuel, hydration is not just a method on our days off. Getting hydrated the night before will help you potential perform at your best, followed by continual rehydration through your training and post training 😊
Key Times To Hydrate:
- Day off Hydrate on your days off. Get a routine and set a goal to drink water and stay hydrated on off days. Wake up your thirst cue so that your body can communicate to you.
- Before Training show up hydrated! Remember to hydrate the day before training. Also 2 hours before training athletes should start sipping on 500 mL of water (don’t disrupt your sleep schedule if you have early morning training as sleep is critical)
- During Training à Bottle Placement On training days place a water bottle either at the top of the course or bottom of the chair so you can sip on your water in between laps.
- * Make sure that you find a water bottle that is insulated and has a lid that doesn’t freeze shut 😊
- If > 60 minutes athletes may need to look at supplementing their water with a sports drink to sip on.
- Post Training Rehydrate after the workout to replace lost fluids and continue hydrating though out the day.
**Remembering that every athlete is different and may require different hydration schedules. Speak with a Registered Dietitian to find out what is best for you!
Find out more from Leslie at www.grassrootsnutr.com
We have arrived in whistler! After a long day of travel, we arrived just in time for a yummy meal from Leslie. By this time, most girls knew everyone’s names, where they are from, and their favourite animal or sport. The coaches (anna, shona, Christina, Mp) introduced themselves and talked a bit about their national team and Olympic team backgrounds. The girls also met this years’ interns Nellie and Rosie, and our awesome chef Leslie. Everyone is super excited to do what we do: ski! Can’t wait to get on the slopes early tomorrow morning.
We are so lucky to be Welcoming Nellie Ide and Rosie Hust to the Ski Sisterhood staff this summer! These ladies competed on the Nor-Am circuit this past season and are both heading to college next year to compete for Harvard and Colby, respectively.
Their passion for ski racing and commitment to excellence resonates with The Sisterhood – but more than anything we love that they bring fun and laughter to the ski hill. We can’t wait to see them rip up the courses as pace-setters for the girls! They will be an amazing addition to our stellar team including Shona, Anna, MP, Christina, and Leslie!
Meet: Rosie Hust
I am from Orono, Minnesota. I have been skiing since I was 2. I began racing at age 4. This past season, as a senior in high school, I competed in Nor Am races and found some success. This season I also qualified to compete in US Nationals and US Junior Nationals. Outside of skiing, I play lacrosse and tennis for my high school. I love to waterski, windsurf, mountain bike and fly fish. Next year I will be skiing Division 1 for Colby College. I look forward to continuing my education and racing at a high level.
Meet: Nellie Ide
Hi I’m Nellie Ide! I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and have skied since I was 2 years old. I started racing for Buck Hill when I was 7, and I fell in love with the sport. Since then, I have traveled all over the world to train and race. This year, I competed in the NorAm circuit, and then qualified for and raced at US and Junior Nationals. Next year, I will be on the alpine ski team at Harvard University. I also play soccer and lacrosse, love to hike, canoe, swim, and just love spending time outdoors and being active!
After an amazing week of camp, here is a little insight into what goes on in the lives of the campers. As you can see, we have no fun at all! Thanks for watching and see you next year!
