Summer at the Lake... Placid

It's been three months to the day since I re-packed my belongings (AKA books, camping gear, and training equipment) from a pile of unpacked gear I had tossed into a corner of my parents' St. Paul home and into Sue B. Roo, a mysterious blue car-shaped Kangaroo of type Outback. And so yet another life transition was underway, this one from Marquette, MI to Lake Placid, NY.

As always summer has flown by in a way that's hard to believe; I'm sure many of us feel that way. In reality, it didn't go by fast, it went by in three months' time exactly and whether that's fast or slow is for you to decide. As I reflect on my day-to-day progression through the summer season I see that I've been injured and recovered. I've trained hard, rested, worked, struggled, played, camped, climbed, cycled, swam, ran, bounded, and biathlawned. I've been both frustrated and content, disappointed and fulfilled. I've ridden waves of emotions and been beaten down and built up physically and spiritually. Although three months have "flown" by, a lot sure has happened and I'm thankful for what God has given me in these three months at Lake Placid!

Injury

A nasty side-splat off a high rope swing left me with a pulmonary contusion (bruised lung) and sent me into a temporary identity crisis when I was banned from all activity. Right when I thought I was training well and had something going on my own, I was reminded that I can't successfully pursue any worthy purpose in life without considering my only worthy identity as one saved by Jesus.

Recovery

Obtaining proper rest has always been a challenge for me, not for lack of time but for lack of want. I'd much rather be out in the mountains or on the lake then in my room with my feet up. This summer I've experimented with recovery approaches across the active-to-passive recovery spectrum, from midnight backpacking to sunrise hunting, from sauna to freezing showers and full-body ice-bath, from nature walks to all-day snoozing and everything in between. No surprises here: I've concluded that the saying "everything in moderation" is quite applicable. I need enough activity to keep my central and peripheral nervous systems sharp but enough naps and traditional rest to properly execute a demanding training plan. For me, active "recovery" such as climbing, paddling, or even a serious game of ping pong (or Nerf biathlon as I first played last night) is as important for staying in a positive mental state as nap-time. As I've learned through classes and my own experiences, the mental and physical (and spiritual too) are more connected than you might think. "Balance is key" - Bill Pierce.

The Adirondacks provide a rocky and scenic training ground right in Lake Placid's backyard. Here Paul Schommer stands on the top of New York State, the summit of Mount Marcy, after we attempted a ("failed") sunrise summit. We first accidentally hiked the wrong mountain, Grey Peak, but after realizing our mistake at the top we found we had cell service. So we watched the Olympic track races that we had missed the night before. Then reflected on this view from the top of Marcy an hour later. What a morning!

Training and Time trials

In reality biathlon and I are a couple of college kids just getting to know each other. We had some moments this June and July where we didn't get along, and whatever I was doing probably looked more like a couple of monkeys trying to hump a football than biathlon. There were times when Jean Pacquet, the development coach, would give me some shooting or technique tips that left me thinking what the heck was he saying... no clue. But with a bit of work I started to understand language, adapt to the training, and make some gains in the weightroom, because the legs feed the wolf, gentlemen. Slowly, biathlon and I are making a turn for the... better. Not good but better. (Okay if you haven't seen Miracle go and see it!)

And just like that it was August, and now September, and time trial season is upon us. This week we are wrapping up a difficult three-week block with two separate days of 2 x 8.7km sprint time trials. As a biathlon "noob", the more exposure I can get to shooting at race intensities the better... Coach Jean says of these workouts: "They are like gold." After a summer full of threshold, slowfire, and strength, putting on a bib and racing (even if it is only a three-person race... guaranteed reverse-podium!) is a great reminder of why I love skiing and, now, biathlon.

After a week of crazy humidity and constantly cleaning rust off my rifle, we raced August rollerski trails in Jericho: a 10km sprint on a cooler, foggy Saturday morning and a 15km pursuit on Sunday. I really enjoyed getting to know the younger guys in the sport, and even met some fellow Minnesotans, you betcha! It was like returning to summer camp, with the occassional escape to grab a Vermont "Creamee" with Liam John, a college friend and VT local.

Photo credit: Katrina Howe

Learning2shoot#

Shooting five targets really isn't too difficult. Shooting five targets as fast as you can, in head-to-head competition, with heart racing in Level 4... that is difficult. Much more difficult than I had anticipated.

With shooting there are so many ups and downs that I'm learning not to put too much stock into any one session. Instead I target specific stages of the process that I need to master in order to get to the caliber I'm aiming for. Trigger squeeze, consistent breathing patterns, position, sight alignment- this off-hand list could fill a magazine- but its important for me not to barrel through each in a single practice like a list of bullet points. I take them in rounds, so I can clip one at a time by setting my sight on some specific action each practice. To echo the thoughts of my friend Paul Schommer, shooting also has helped me to forget what others are thinking and just focus on the audience of one. If a biathlete seeks the bravos of coaches, fans, etc. and can't put a cuff on these external influences and shoulder pressure, then they're likely to be harnessed to failure. It's the same in life, really.

So instead of rifling through the process, I'm taking my time and making my home, home on the range.

~~~If you counted 19 biathlon wordplays in the preceding two paragraphs you were correct~~~

Still a lot of work to do. Photo credit: Katrina Howe

Reflection

Despite biathlon training and part-time work at an outdoor's store, this summer I've had more free time than since my early years of high school. With that gift I've tried to improve my ability to calm my body and not only rest, but also reflect. I've found devoting time each day for personal reflection to be very rewarding in my journey to improve myself athletically, personally, and spiritually. For me this mostly takes the form of re-reading my process goals, assessing my progress toward them, making extra notes in my training log, and setting apart a bit of time each day to read the Bible, think, and pray.

No matter who you are or what you believe, I'd encourage you to spend a few minutes reflecting on your summer. Take it week by week... Did it go by "fast"?... what did you learn this summer that you can use to make yourself into the person you wish to become?