Chris Werrell

Please see www.chriswerrell.com for further updates!

2009-11-26T08:17:00.001-08:00

www.chriswerrell.com

Summer Thus Far...

2009-07-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

So far this summer has been quite a whirlwind (no pun intended) I have been super busy with Family, Training, Work and Coaching...Whew that was a mouthful! But yeah the back has been yo-yo-ing and is so far on the good side! I have to admit I am really enjoying the balancing of life, work and training. Working at Runners Sole has been a blast!, and training has been Great! I just thought I would give a quick update with a longer on to follw shortly!

until later!

C

The "New Balance" to my life

2009-06-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

So with training in full swing for the last 6 weeks for me I started working at Runners Sole. While working there I manged to meet Paige who represents New Balance. She offered to send me a pair of "875"'s to try and I was stoked!!!! I put these shoes on and immediately fell in love with them! This Amazing trail shoe has wicked cushioning and is super responsive! It fits my foot like a sock and feels as comfortable as a slipper. I Especially love the flexible forefoot in the shoe, it really gives it a natural feel with every toe off.

Admiring my 875's

Following my love of the 875's, Paige said "Hey! Why don't you give the 1063 a go". Liking the 875 I was actually pretty excited to strap on the new road shoe and give it a burn! So immediatly after getting the shoe; despite just finishing a 1.5 hour zone 2 roller ski I was headed out for a short run...Ok I really like this shoe. Never have I had a shoe feel so natural, as if i was running on a cloud! The 1063 has such a smooth transition from heel to toe with again a softer forefoot to really give a natural feeling toe off! Being a bigger guy with probably the worlds worst running technique....wait judging by the guy who just ran by my window, worlds 2nd worst running technique, This shoe is a cadiallac for cushioning!

Loving the 1063's!!!

I just wanted to fill everyone in on the new gear I have and how much I am loving it! Remember if your ever around Kamloops stop by Runners Sole or get ahold of me and I can hook ya up with a Sick pair of New Balance Shoes!!!

Until next time....Guess who's Back.....

C

Keeping me on track!!

2009-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

I have recently had New Balance send me a couple pairs of shoes! Thanks Paige!!!!!

New Partner!!!

2009-06-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome a new partner aboard to my team...Keepin' me Keepin' on!

Where am I?

2009-05-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

So I am sure that many of you have been wondering where i am and whats going on???? Well I have finally somewhat got my back under control, it is still a factor but I have got to the point where it isn't chronic anymore, keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it that way!

I have had quite a few people ask me what I am doing next year. Well I am skiing we are now down to 286 days until Whistler 2010. I am lead to believe that the majority of these questions come from the fact that I was not named to the BC ski team. This was totally political. The fact that I left the training center due to the change in coaching staff with the combination of my decision to make the move to Kamloops to start pursuing my career on a part time basis. The funding that I was receiving 2 years ago made it sufficient to survive on. Last year was a struggle and a half. This way I am now looking towards the future in more ways than one! I am currently assembling a team in which I can rely on for coaching and racing support ( and hopefully some funding!) So this is the most important year of my ski career, I am coming into it fresh, with a great attitude and secondary focus! The club here in Kamloops is great! There are a ton of young athletes with a hungry attitude!

Stay tuned for more updates aswell as to my website!

enjoy the sun!

C

Is anybody out there?

2009-03-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hey....so I have realized that I have gotten zero feedback on the new site (www.chriswerrell.com) so please take a browse and let me know you can contact me right from the site or shoot me an email if you have my private e-mail!!!
Seeing that I am not at nationals I have been checking the results page continuously...anyway feel free to follow my team as well as other Canadian skiers!
www.zone4.ca

until next time!

Chris

UPDATE: .COM

2009-02-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

*** So the launch will be tonight we ran into a few problems so expect it later on today sometime!!!***

It's offical point your browser towards www.chriswerrell.com a little later today and the new site should be up and running! enjoy and let me know what you think !!!

C

Westerns...A No Go...

2009-02-17T08:42:00.001-08:00

With some discussions with both of my coaches I have decided to forgo Westerns In Canmore due to the fact I just got over a vicious Flu! and have been dealing with my back injury. I can honestly say that I have not ever been that scared during a sickness...I was barely sleeping at night and sleeping all day. It was really tough with a migrane for 2.5 days and a had that felt horrible. The good news is I just have a slight residual sore throat and my energy has not taken to much of a hit. I have also had the chance to get into the Sage Sports Institue in Kamloops here which was great! I am now headed for some more tests and some extensive physio! The doctors have been very thorough, and concerned with this. So from here I will head back to Squamish sometime next week for some final preparations before we head to National Championships in Duntroon, Ontario. Am I excited for this trip?? Yes, I am! I am hoping i can finally get a hold on my injury and finish the year out strong! I went for an easy ski yesterday and it felt so nice to finally get back out on skis again! So some exciting news for me....I guess as well as all of you..I will have my new website up and running possibly as early as the end of today! I will be making minor tweaks to it but I think I have it almost where I want it! anyway I would appreciate lots of feedback and suggestions from everyone about the content, features or whatever you think! Please feel free to let me know if there is something there you would like to see if its not there!

anyway I am going to head out for another ski this morning and see if I can't start to whip myself back into shape!

until next time, Keep em pointed straight!

C

I'm Back!!!!....Again!

2009-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

So my blogging has been quite bad lately...my apologies! So racing since the world cup has been going ok for me I had a great qualifier in Rossland and a weird set of heats. Tactics were a little weird and played out not to my favor. I almost skied my way into the a-final but missed out in the lunge....but hey thats racing! Sunday's classic race went very good for the first lap before my injury took over...I was skiing very strong and techniquely sound. I felt as though I could really push the uphills and the flats hard and recover fine. I also had a funny crash with Tristan Flock in the lap lane, Thanks Erik for sick skis all weekend! I don't remember the last time I had skis that good in a classic race. After the weekend I took a bit of time to evaluate and realized that the weekend was not that bad at all. I mean obviously its not the exact place I owuld like to be...but it is a stepping stone towards it. I have been in Kamloops training and building some base and working on some speed. I have noticed that my skate starts have been pathetic! So that has been a big focus as well as technique both in skate and classic. From here i head over to Vancouver to do an appearance event then shoot over to Kelowna to join my home club Omineca to race the BC Champs club relays, one of the races I look forward to the most! So like i said I have been building the base and so far have 8 hours this week and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have also been working on re-vamping my website with my aunt so hopefully will have that up soon! anyway I should head for bed training all these hours makes me look so forward to sleep!

Until next time!

C

Again...I have fallen off...

2009-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ok I m headed out for a ski right now...I promise i will have an update by later on today! I realize that I have fallen off the Blog-wagon hard lately (Thank you for pointing it out You-Know-Who! I do need a little jump start sometimes!) it's good for people to keep me in check! so expect it later today!

C

Travel Day

2009-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

So I missed last night's blogg....big suprise. I raced todays Classic race which went decent...despite tangling with Tristan in the stadium...Glad some spectators had a good laugh I am sure it looked hilarious....anyway we drove back to Osoyoos where I jumped in my car and booked it to Kamloops to spend some time with Shilo!

I will try to update in the next few days with my world cup update and also Rossland!

stay tuned!

C

This Post is For Cameron Egan!

2009-01-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

So Cam pointed out I have not been keeping my blogg up to date...So expect an update later this evening....

C

It's On!

2009-01-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

It is official I got the phone call a day ago! I have a World Cup start, I will be starting the Classic Sprint on Jan 16th. I am currently spending a few days in Kamloops with Shilo to clear my head and get some Awesome skiing in here! I head back to Squamish on sunday morning for on eof the biggest events of the year, Gunnar Jackson Caldwell's 5th Birthday party!!!! Sorry to announce that everyone can't come, It was hard enough just to get my invitation!!! haha!

We will see ya on the start line...World Cup style!

C

Trials Race #2

2009-01-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

Well I am now in Kamloops after an insane drive from Canmore last night! I decided to leave last night due to the weather report. I am glad I did, checking the road report I saw that the shorter route is closed. But I must admit that the drive last night was one of the worst I have had to endure in quite a while! Anyway back to the title of this post....

Yesterday was the 1.7 km Classic sprint/ Qualifying race for the Classic sprint to be held in Whistler on Jan 17. I will give you the play by play of how the day unfolded for me.

Monday....Had pre-race nerves 1 day early...very wierd for me...went about my race prep as usual and came to the decision I was going to double pole the hilly course on skate skis (which only a small handful of us did!)

Tuesday...Woke up and had an amazing coffee!!! (thanks Brian!) headed up to the race site after a meager breakfast (just wasn't feeling the food).
Checked the course and it was a go...Double Pole for sure! did my usual warm up and suprisingly kept quite relaxed. GO TIME! I came off the start relaxed and skiing very big, hit the first hill, shortened my tempo and pushed the corner hard and pushed far over the top....Final climb, Tighened my core and got on top of my poles....hit the top, pushed hard over and into a tuck, rode the downhill and waited for the finish stretch...it came what felt like was way to quickly (thanks Erik and Amy for Dynamite Skis!!!) and was on my toes to the finish line....9th place

I went back to the wax room and proceded to Vomit 3 times...in the words of Amy..."That's how you know you have gone hard enough!" I headed back down to Brian and Barbs Place for a short rest, most of which was spent trying to eat half a bagel and lying on the hardwood floor (was actually quite comfy!) Headed back to the race site and decided to switch to striders for the Heats. Dialed in some of the sickest classic skis I have ever raced on, and was set!

First heat...Looked like it was to be quite easy, I took off the line like a rocket 3 strides and I was leading the heat, I relaxed into big double poles, hit the first hill and tucked over the top, Got owned on the big climb, now in 4th, I then realized how good my skis were when I caught right back up to they group. I then rounded the last 180 corner to the approach of the finishing stretch. I tucked longer than the other 3 and then threw on the after burners and cut it close but made 3rd place in my quarter final.

Semi final...Stacked...alot of big names and fast guys, judging by the way i felt in the last heat I can admit I was very nervous...I tried to call on my legs and they weren't there. So it was decided that if I had them to go for it. I started out the same as the previous heat, charging hard off the start and relaxing into a big double pole up front, I also skied the second hill so much better and ddint lose hardly any time! I rounded the corner at the top and was in touch with the group, I hit the finish stretch and GAME ON! Well I tried anyway, it was close we all finished quite close but I was still outside of the top 3, B final for me....Despite being mad as hell I was still happy to see that my body had come back after that embarassing first heat.

B-Final...Started out all of them the same and was out front with Cam on my side. Hit the big hill and...KABOOOOOM! Chris was done for the day, I got dusted so hard on that hill and lost so much time. I did manage to pull some time back on the downhills and flats. The finish stretch I did have a little bit of a finishing kick and came back on 11th place, but still no dice....12th place was the finishing result.

I am not sure if this result is good enough to get me into the World Cup in Whistler, but I think it will be close, I will let you all know if I get in, I imagine that CCC will announce it soon, But then again ya never know. So I have to admit, I am quite disappointed with my weekend, But I am still able to pull out some positives and also found a few things to work on.

Until Next time!!!

C

Comments

2009-01-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hey so i turned the comments on so anyone can comment on my blog, you no longer have to be a member, so feel free to leave a comment!!!

Trials Day 1!

2009-01-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well first of all great job to the Omineca Team in Prince George today!!! I just finished looking at their results!

Well today was a day of ups and downs. This mornings Qualifier went at 12:00, 2 hours later due to cold weather. It went quite well for me I came across the line in 13th place, not exactly the number I was looking for but hey! it was better than having those 2 numbers reversed...Anyway it was tight down to 13th, I was 4.97 seconds out of first. A ton of guys skiing fast! Also great job to Thomsen and Jesse who also qualified for open heats in 24th and 26th respectively. So onto the heats!!!! I had a tough heat for my first one with Alex Harvey and Phil Widmer, two extremely strong Sprinters! I cruised through the first heat mostly in 4th position before making my move on the final 180 degree turn before the VERY long finishing stretch. Tucked the hill and challenged Alex and Phil. Round 2 I was now off to! Well this heat was stacked! I ended up with the last lane choice, which translates to the worst one! I pushed out and stayed wide until the first corner where I tangled with Alex and ended up with a gap from the group. I rounded the first right hander and went to close the gap....only thing...I had no gas in the tank, my legs heavy as bricks! so I pushed over the top about 20 feet off the group, Great skis brought me into contact for the 180, then I brought myself to 4th and lost a lunge for 4th. B-final time! I took this one out and cruised in 3rd, now having ultimate confidence in my skis and my finish. I rounded the last corner in 2nd and went for broke!!! I am not sure as of this moment if I ended up 8th or 9th, My awesome friend Cam Egan and I lunged for it. I will update you on it! I think this race is a really good tune up for me for the classic sprint on tuesday! this result today would have probably good enough to get me into the World Cup in Whistler, but was not the qualifier...thats ok though I am really excited for Tuesday now!!! Well thats all to report for now, I will spend the next 2 days playing with Classic skis and possibly toying with the idea of a potential Double pole sprint.....

Until next time...

C

Silver Star Part Deux

2008-12-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

So yesterday went quite well for me. I raced a Nor-Am sprint at Sovereign Lake Nordic club in Vernon. The classical style sprint was interesting, almost all the open men went on skate skis with no grip and double poled the whole 1.1km track.
My qualifier round went very well, I came in 3rd place, just under a second back of first place. This helps with the first round of heats. The higher you qualify, the better positioned you are in heats. I lead the Quarter final and cruised in pretty cushioned. The Semi final I also lead out hard and cruised the last 200 meters, in 3rd, a for sure ticket to the a-final. The worst I could now do was 6th. I started out the A-final on a bad note, a short lane with a boat load of powder at the end, I struggled to try and move into the train but wasted a lot of energy trying to get there, from there I just started to fade a slowly, lost my snap on the gradual uphill and even more on the little steep. From there on I had totally Blown up!!! I was pushing as hard as I could and going absolutely no where!!!!

Me getting extreme leading the Quarter final- Photo: Sam Lindsey

I cruised into 6th place, totally shot. I am satisfied with this result, because I know I can improve on it, I am just missing a small bit of sharpening. Getting sick 2 weeks ago for 8 days I am sure was a little bit of a contribution, But I am coming back strong quite quickly. With trials starting in a couple weeks in Canmore, I am sure I am on track, and things are pointed in the right direction. My coaches are happy with things and that gives me a lot of extra confidence too!!!
I was also lucky enough to have a bit of a cheering section show up to support me!!

Thanks a lot Shy!!! The green toque was totally good luck!

Stringing-out the Quarter final - Photo: Sam Lindsey

Tonight we are suppost to race a 15 km classic starting at 5pm, this will be weather permitting, it is suppost to get quite cold and with a windchill factoring in it could be very brutal!

Until next time!!!
Just Giv’r

C

Season Openers

2008-12-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well there i go again falling off the Blogging train again...I missed the lead up to the first race...things went pretty smooth and I got to race on some new boards!!!! Exciting!
Well I only raced once this weekend, I was suppost to race the distance race on sunday, but I unfortunately woke up with a sore throat. Luckily enough I ended up kicking it pretty quickly after a day at home. Anyway...all over the map right here...sorry...I raced the sprint which went fairly well for the qualifier. I skied like Bambi on ice, and managed to qualify about 4 seconds out. not a bad start. I executed the course exactly how I wanted to with a strong finish! Unfortunately my team mate Thomsen misjudged his start time and missed his start, its ok though he will be back this weekend to unleash his Northern Fury. Anyway back to me again...I ended up messing up the first heat with a rookie tactical error and went out early, Quite embarassing for me...I spent a fair bit of time de-fusing the situation and figuring out what went wrong and I have a whole new race plan. This weekend will be different, I know I have the speed right now, I just got to get with it in the head to head...No problem... until friday...

Keep Em pointed straight!

C

T-Minus 1 week...

2008-12-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Well I am now down to less than 1 week (exactly 5 days) until I kick off my race season! It will be in Silver star, beginning with a freestyle sprint on saturday and a classic 15km on sunday. We did a team time trial on saturday after a week back of training from being sick and it went well pacing wise as well as skiing wise. I was further off the the leaders than I wanted to be but the feel and use of technique was where I was happy. I know I am no where near at my best and this gives me the confidence going into the race season with trials slated for early January. I will use the first 2 weekends of racing to get back into it and try to execute some of the goals I have laid out and hopefully look like an actual skier again!

I will try to update daily with all the nerves and daily happenings leading into the 2008/2009 race season.

Keep 'em pointed straight!!!!

C

SKIING!!!! at WOP

2008-11-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

Well the skiing at the Callaghan Nordic Center is great! We received about 35 cm a few days ago and have been skiing since. Erik took this shot of me skiing at the Biathlon Loop:

Skiing the Biathlon Loop @ WOP

...Kinda looks like winter!!! Today we were unlucky and got some rain, We are hoping to stay skiing at the venue until we leave for Silver Star for the season openers on Sunday. If the rain kills all the snow we will have to ski up higher on the Callaghan road up towards Callaghan Country Lodge. until next time!

C

I'm Back!!!

2008-11-23T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well I am happy to report that after an agonizing 8 days of no training I am BACK!!!! I had a great ski today at the Callaghan Valley Nordic Center. Sam, Alistair and I headed up there bright and early at 7 am....ya ouch....Anyway the skiing there is only snowmobile packed at the moment but they are expecting more snow by Tuesday....from the forecast I would say rain...Even though I hope for snow!!!!! Well I had some great downtime in Kamloops, even though I was sick but I think it was the perfect thing for me to do with the situation I was dealing with. It was tough being sick and not able to train...especially 2 weeks from the season openers at Sovereign Lakes. I had some great distractions and had some excellently needed Chilaxin' time!!!
In the next two weeks I will find myself starting to fine tune my final preparations before the races begin. I will have to alter things just a little bit from the original plan, due to getting sick, but I am confident things are going to go great for me! Well at least I hope so....haha. Anyway I should think about heading to bed....

Cheers!

C

Sick

2008-11-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lame update, But I have been Sick since last friday and have had the cold, relapse twice now...Hopefully I will have better news for you soon, I will be attending the Official opening of the Day Lodge at the Callaghan Nordic Center at WOP. So If your in Whistler pop up there for 12 noon.

See ya!!!

C

Fallen of the face of the blog World...Again.

2008-11-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Well once again I have had quite the gap in my updates...My apologies! So my last update was talking about the rain that had blessed us finally. Well I am happy to say that I can write about the snow that has dusted Silver Star Mountain resort! I have been skiing there since Monday and the skiing has been very very good considering the base they have. Luckily enough the Egan family has taken me in and been super amazing hosts! A huge thanks to them! I decided to take a rest day today (Wednesday), and hang out and get caught up on little things...such as my blog. Lucky you! Anyway to back track a bit, the fall has been super positive for me with lots of great workouts with the other guys on the team and some great downtime as well. I would like to take a second to say a BIG thank you to Hampton Lumber Mills and M. McPhail & Associates Inc.. for jumping on board with me and helping me out with some Donations! Without great people like you I wouldn't be where I was today or able to pursue my goals! Well unfortunatly I only have one photo for you for now its a grimacing photo of myself about 50 reps into 100 on our roller board in Squamish...enjoy...or something hahaha.

Obviously I will try to get some skiing pics up asap! until next time!!!

C

And Then It Poured...

2008-10-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

So the fall weather has blessed us here in Squamish...not just a little rain...A downpour. I realized this as I looked outside as I opened the door to head out for a 3 hour roller ski this morning. I thought this was bad, then I turned around to see that a freakin bear decided to rumage through out garbage can...again (not the first time). So I took a deep breath and turned back to the rain, the garbage can wait. So I decided to tour around a bit today instead of the normal Brackendale route. Hitting up some of the different neighborhoods, seeing some new scenery felt pretty good, maybe it was just the distraction from the fact I was already completely soaked 4 mins into my ski...Anyway I have felt pretty tired this week. We started with an easy day that I didn't feel great on but had an alright submax. I figured it must just be the travel from the day before. So we jumped straight into our no pole/double pole test, which 1 of the 2 tests went well, We then had the uphill run planned for the next day but still side lined on Physio's advice I did legs only intensity...can you guess what test I didn't do well in the day before...Strength in the afternoon was a mental battle but still was a quality workout. Today of course was a 3 hour OD classic roller ski. Quite demanding. I feel better now than I did a day ago so I am digesting the training quite well and with one more day of double workouts before my rest day I am sitting well. Next week we run our famous (well maybe just famous with our team) Trials simulation week. Which helps give our coaches an idea of how each person will react during the Trials week in January. For myself I have 2 sprint simulations slated and am getting pretty excited for them. I love the fact that the race season is getting closer and these tests can help get us mentally prepared and start thinking about race mode!

well until the next post!

C

Back at it!

2008-10-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well it was nice to have some downtime last week! I managed to relax, cut the hours back, get a little bit back into running, play some golf and eat some turkey! Sorry no pic's following I forgot to pack the camera....anyways... This coming week our team has not wasted anytime jumping into. Today we did our final uphill double pole and no pole skate test. Ouch... the double pole test went smooth, I missed my PB but with all respect, the temps were colder and the road was wet. The no poles skate was hmm...let me try to sugar coat this....BAD! I went rigamortis legs with a quick heartrate spike in the first 100meters and was done, I skied in the best I could, basically sitting at red line in first gear...going no where. Thats just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. So looking further into this week our team has the uphill running timetrial slated for tomorrow and I don't think I will take part in it. For 1 i still have hardly any strentgh in my foot ( I rolled it while stepping on a rock blowing leaves) and 2 I feel that the Max VO2 test coming up in about 2 weeks will provide me with better information to which way I am heading. And for the rest of the week we will ease off a little bit and have the last focus as the 4 hour OD. With the following weeek we move into trials week. simulation of our biggest race weekend of the year. For that I have 2 sprint races planned with Thomsen. Then we fall upon another rest week and hopefully we will have snow after that!

anyway I gotta get going I'll keep ya updated as the week goes on.

C

Roller Jam!

2008-10-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

The past 3 weeks have been pretty busy with reference to training. I have started to ramp the intensity up to start sharpening for the up coming race season. I am glad to say that I am heading into a rest week!!! I have decided to head out to Canmore to hang out for the week and take a break from Squamish. Yesterday Thomsen D'hont and I competed in a mock classic sprint at Whistler Olympic park. It was a great intensity. We ran 2 prelims and 2 head to head. the first prelim was a "get around the course as fast as possible" run, and the 2nd was a double pole only. The two times were pretty close but striding was slightly faster. The head to head competition was a good battle between us. I lead both of them from the start and worked on staying relaxed. When I hit the climb I decided to try out my legs and went for it and the result was a small gap between Thomsen and I.

Erik got a great shot of the battle at the top of the climb.

It is awesome to have Thomsen here to knock heads with, he is a tough guy who can push himself to the max, which helps push me to the max! It's quite refreshing to have another sprinter and a whole new team. We have had a lot of fun so far this year as a team and I am excited to see the team do awesome things this winter!

When I return from my rest week I will jump into another 3 weeks of volume and intensity. I will try to post an update of my exciting rest week!!!

until next time...

C

Guess whos back...

2008-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Yo...
So I have been down and out since I arrived back from Canmore visiting Ammar. I started last week with a 3 hour O.D. with Sam where I felt awesome! Tuesday I thought I may have had some dry throat so I let it slide and determined finally on Wednesday I was... sick. I ended up running a submax and started my recovery from sick rituals which consist of copious amounts of vitamin C and alot of couch and bedtime...Awesome!!!...NOT I can hardly sit still at the best of times! Anyway I ended up finishing a book Amy gave me about 4 months ago (yes already got razzed for that!!!!) But through it all, I ended up better by Sunday and started training again. While the team had a rough go at the Grouse Grind (good effort guys, good thing we aren't training for mountain running!) I was out testing the waters of my energy. Luckily enough for me, my time managment must have been quite good and I felt as good as when I started my downtime. I started off this week fresh and feeling good with a 3 hour double pole and recovery run (just starting to get back into it with the ankle...long I know!) Today was an easy recovery rollerski and some strength in the gym ( Our new program is tough!) the rest of this week has some intensity in store followed by a day trip up to Prince George for a presentation for the Coaches association of BC. Should be an interesting time!!!
anyway keep ya posted on how it goes....

C

Nipika and Canmore

2008-09-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

So I really fell off the wagon for keeping you up to date on the testing week. I only ended up completing 2 tests, the uphill double pole and uphill legs only. My physio therapists advised me to stay off the ankle. The double pole test went very well, it was a great push to have Thomsen and Pate on faster skis. I finished right with Thomsen, Pate was just on our heels. Its is great to have a solid group of guys to be able to push each other like we did! The legs only test was a total gongshow! I am a weakling, so I have had a bit of a focus shift to strengthen the legs up a bit.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to Nipika with team 2010, we had a solid week of training filled with volume and intensity. A great sesh for all of us! Now I am in Canmore right now chilling out with Amanda and going to try and jump into some great intensity sessions with Phil and Sean ( sorry can't get Sean's websie to link) Other than that i will be headed back home to resume training with the team.

until next time!

C

Up hill testing.

2008-08-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

So far the ankle has been holding up great! we just did our 1km up hill double pole test. My previous time was 4:18 and I was able to come close to it a few days prior, 4:19 during an on my own intensity session. So I did the test with the rest of the team and after the break at the top of the hill Thomsen, Pate and I were out front, as the test progressed I ended up finishing just behind Thomsen and ahead of Pate. I had smashed my old record and posted a new time of 3:46 significantly better! Thanks boys for the push! Now time for the legs only. This test showed improvement but nothing to write home about! I was 5 seconds faster than previous. But hey, I did improve. Here is where you can check out some pics and a short write up from Erik Nilsson.
...ok the link wont load i will add it later today!
More updates to come.
V02 max testing on the treadmill tomorrow!

C

Testing week

2008-08-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well I have decided to play it safe and not run the uphill time trial. I was honestly looking forward to running this and smashing my old time. It was going to happen. I went to physio today and got turned right around. Turns out the roofers decided to finish the roof work today instead of last night...funny thing IT POURED LAST NIGHT!!! The place was a disaster! so no physio for me. from there I headed to a follow up appointment with a doctor to go over x-rays. No problems there. Although they did find an old hairline fracture on the outside of my ankle (unrelated) but things were ok they said. So I have made it my personal mission to make the double pole test mine. I will head to the access road tomorrow and try a few different strategies and see what saturday will bring. I will keep you posted through the week hopefully with some pics!

C

Rest week wrap up and straight into testing...

2008-08-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well my rest week did not start the way I wanted it to. On monday we were running one of our monitoring tests up at Alice lake and I re-sprained my ankle (from Peachland) bad. It swelled up like a "Cankle" that is where it looks like your calf runs straight to your heel, Thanks Zach... anyway it has stayed huge up until today where I had some major Physio work on it. needless to say an hour and a half in there brought the swelling down.

Notice the swelling and bruising around the lower foot and heel.

Notice the lack of swelling and bruising on my right foot.

Just a little example that pic was taken 1 week after. Rest week went well I still managed to log the recovery hours I aimed for and relatively painless.

It was quite easy to sit around with my foot in an ice bucket or use the icing machine lent to me, Thank you Stacey and Al, I am sure I will owe some babysitting for that but very worth it! anyway back to me finding it easy to sit and do nothing, thanks to the Olympics, which had been relatively quiet for Canada up until a few days ago! so I will continue to nurse my anklle through the coming week with a test about every other day. Tomorrow I will go up to the Callaghan to do some speed work, Thursday has the uphill run on the agenda, I hopefully will do this, the PT was still a little unsure I should do it. Saturday is the double pole/no pole test up the venue road. finishing next tuesday with V02 max test.

Post testing I will sneak away to Invermere a few days before starting our joint camp with team 2010 at Nipika resort, just outside of Radium. So the next few weeks are going to be very busy and super fun!

until next time

C

Elfin lakes OD

2008-08-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jesse (my teammate), Erik Nilsson and I had decided to take a trip up to Elfin lakes. Last fall we used this area a couple of times for early snow crust skiing. Arriving at the lower parking lot we were greeted by a bear, I am sure we woke him up and as well as almost hit him with a rock...Jesse proving he did hear a noise in the trees. So we head off on our hike. It is about a 45 min hike/run up to the plateau where you can do more running than hiking. Once you reach the lake you can continue on to hike up to the saddle or continue on to a glacier. Our workout was only 3 hours so we headed towards the saddle for a little ways before turning around. The weather has been exceptional here in Squamish with temperatures reaching the low 30's. Next week we go into a rest week before starting our testing block the following week. On the run Erik and I managed to get a few great shots of the hike...Enjoy

Chris

Elfin Lakes
Jesse and I enjoying the run!!!Erik on his way up the saddle

Jesse and Erik

Haig Glacier 2008

2008-07-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

This past week I made the trip to Canmore, Alberta to spend the week at the Haig Glacier in Kananaskis country. It's a 18km run hike in to the camp where we sleep, eat and relax during the week. Our hike to the glacier from camp is 2.4 km one way and 1000 feet vertical. It takes about 40 minutes for myself to hike. I managed to put in a solid week of training and have a great time as well! This camp is great for 2 reasons; The training at altitude is great for boosting the oxygen carrying capacity in my body, as well as for working on some on-snow technique in the middle of the summer! So far I have been able to ski during every month of the year this year. After hiking to the glacier, skiing and then returning to camp we work on recovering and regenerating for future workouts in the week.

It was exciting to also have some younger up and comers from my home club in Burns Lake attending the camp, I don't remember the last time 3 Omineca skiers attended a BC team camp together. I also have to add that only 20 BC athletes were selected for the camp!

All in all it was a great camp my ankle held up just fine and solid training was put in by everyone there, big gains were made in technique from every single skier and some delicious desserts made from various athletes!

until next time...

C

Land of Peaches...

2008-07-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

I have just returned from Peachland where I was lucky enough to be involved in the one of many Outreach camps put on by the National ski team. The 4 day camp consisted of rollerskiing, ski walking, running, strength and of course some much needed lake Okanagan time!! with temperatures reaching near and slightly above 40 degrees by the final day of camp one could see the effects of it on almost every person at the camp! We had many adventures such as double poling up the Coquihalla highway...Sketchy...But all in all it was a great camp it gave the younger aspiring athletes a chance to see the big guys out there training...or at least attempting to. Emily and myself don't deal with training in that heat so well. It was amazing I was probably drinking about 1.5-2 litres of sport drink per hour while training and guzzling water back in between workouts and it was as though I could not get enough liquids in me. The nights at camp started to get warmer and warmer in the cabins at the bible camp which only meant that sleeping became harder and harder with 5 guys in a small 15x 15 cabin. The final night Sam, my teammate had decided at 3 am to take a 30 minute cold shower...apparently it helped him sleep afterward.

So Sunday, the final day of camp arrives. I am debating running the run scheduled for that morning or just calling it a week and heading back early. So the final decision comes down to sure it will be nice to get a quick burn in before sitting in the car for 4 hours. After all Amy said it would be 45 mins. So I show up at the trail head and was then informed it would be minimum 1:15, not so big of a deal, except I planned for 45 mins worth of water, still no biggie. So we get about 45 minutes in and start descending to the lake we are running around...POP! I roll my ankle...Bad. I am lying on the ground trying to watch my P's and Q's while the younger kids start to surround me. I am mad. So I turn around and start heading back for the car. Hobbling. So Amy and Emily join me so they could go ahead and get the van. Long story short, I got back to camp with my grapefruit of an ankle ice it a bit and clean up my bunk, jump in the car and drive home. Next day I decide to get x-rays just to be sure. Good news, just a level 1 sprain to 2 of the 3 ligaments in my foot. should be good in a week. At least it better be I have a haig camp! anyway thats enough ranting from me for today. just thought I would let everyone know what was going on. i'll keep ya updated on my status.

until next time.

C

Skiing and Dryland to Rossland

2008-06-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
well as I had said we had a great on snow camp in early june and transitioned into dryland as our grooming resources ran out. Hard to believe the image below was june 5th!!! With volume and intensity it made for such a great camp! the team bonding was also a great aspect of the camp with most people starting to arrive to the team.

As I sit in this old fire hall- turned coffee shop; in Rossland. I realize that this past month, still not over yet has been incredibly busy! Skiing the first week, V02 max testing, which was promising but still not my best show(put out some good numbers, around last july's fitness level) traveling to Rossland for fellow skiers wedding, George Grey and his beautiful wife Lesley, WOW did she look stunning! To working on some outreach with the local club, Blackjack. If that sounds busy, I still am attending the outreach camp in Peachland with a big group of BC skiers! it is going to feel good to get home and kick it for a week before heading to the Haig glacier with the BC ski team. oh yeah I forgot to mention the coaching course I also snuck in there!

Anyhow... Things seem to be going fairly well for me, Zach is over in Austria now picking out a ton! of skis, some of which will be included in my new fleet! Exciting! its like Christmas! except with a massive bill attached! 6-8 pairs adds up very fast!!!

Anyway I will leave you with one last pic, a little eye candy for the ladies....Kidding, Sam caught me goofing around!

Until next time!

C

First Week Back

2008-06-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
last week most of the team got together for our first "camp" we were fortunate enough to have amazing skiing; in June! VANOC had volunteered a groomer and grooming time for our team. We were skiing up near the Callaghan lake lodge close to the venue. With the great conditions we were also able to get in 2 intensity sessions which went great for myself! On the weekend I took part in a learn to train dryland course, part of working on my level 1 coaching course. It was great the course involved a lot of theory crammed into the 16 hour course. I was also asked to "demonstrate" the majority of the dryland activities such as roller skiing and ski walking. All in all I had a great time and picked up a few new skills. Unfortunately I ended up getting a small cold virus by saturday morning which we think may have come from getting extremely chilled on our way down from a ski. (Emily and Sam also were sick the same day I was!) So a few days at this course were great! I feel awesome now (monday night) and am excited to get back into my routine this week! we will be rollerskiing at the venue where there is about 15 km of trails paved and the whole access road. A roller skiers paradise!!! I will keep you updated with all the training I have ahead of me!
until next time!

Chris

back to work

2008-06-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Some may argue this post title...but the way I treat my training is the same most may treat as a job. I wake up early in the morning, head out to work on my first task, my morning workout. I then come back home and re-fuel and take a nap. I often train upwards of 2.5 hours in the morning at a decent pace!. After nap time I head out for a recovery workout to get some blood flowing to help my muscles recover from the morning efforts. After my afternoon workout I return home to stretch...very important for me, I am very injury prone!!!! after my shower I then begin to prepare diner...not macaroni and cheese!!! I usually will head to the store, a 5 minute walk, to buy some fresh vegetables and some delicious looking meat! Now this might sound like a walk in the park but it takes alot of planning to keep to such a strict regime. This is why I am so greatful to all you amazing people out there who support me and help me financially!!! without you I would not be able to be doing what I am doing! right now I am back in Squamish lucky enough to be skiing on more than amazing skiing! VANOC has donated some grooming time to us which has made for some unbelievable training days! I will try to adds some pictures if i can get some I have an intensity session scheduled for tomorrow. Well looks like detroit has just won the cup! sorry just watching the game!
until next time!

Chris

Back home...

2008-05-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Well since I have last posted it has been super busy with an on-snow camp with the BC ski team and tons of mountain biking near Squamish!!! This time of year I am working at getting "back" into things...to be honest it doesn't feel like I ever left them! anyway. I found some time to sneak home so I took it! I packed my car sunday morning and had a meeting half way and finally pulled into Burns arond 9:00pm. a very long day!!! SO now that I am home I have a fairly low training load and plan on executing some solid training and hoping to line a few sessions up with my local clubs racing team! always super fun to come back and see all the young eager faces! I also brought both my mountain and road bike so I am sure to have many adventures ahead of my in the next 9 days or so! feel free to contact me at home to say hello!

Chris

Hawaii Pic's

2008-04-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

At the Luau!
Hula Girl!
Coconut Hunting!!!

Hawaii

2008-04-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

I have decided to take a trip to the island of Kauai ill update soon with pic's

C

Spring thus far...

2008-04-05T09:09:00.001-07:00

Spring this year has been equally as busy so far compared to last year. Last spring I spent it training through building towards my next training year. Most of this took place in Canmore, Ab. This year has been spent doing not so specific activities such as Mountain biking, Downhill skiing, Cross country, back country skiing and hiking ( well the Chief is right outside my door!) I will sit down for a meeting with my coach Amy over the next few days to decide the path my training will take next year. I am also looking over my finances to see if it is possible to jump straight into training in May or if I will need to go home and work...decisions, decidions...

until next time...

Chris

Nationals Re-cap

2008-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
so as many of you may have seen I finished 38th in the sprint. very disappointing for me. The field this year was tough, only 11 canadians in the top 30. As for the 50 km i was 13 km in and had stopped to scrape the ice off my skis for the 6th time. By this point I was probably already about 6 + minutes back. I decided to pull the plug. very embarassing, but I should have not been that far out that early. Just to add to that I woke up the next morning with a full on stuffed nose and sore throat. No wonder my body felt so crappy the morning of the race. ah well, now that the season nis over I will take a few down days before a year end meeting and then decided on the game plan for next year. Thanks so much to all my sponsors who have helped me out this year! also thanks to all the individuals out there! Couldn't have done it without ya!!!

Chris

Canadian Nats Sprint

2008-03-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Well today did not go as I had hoped. 38th place was not fast enough to advance. Only the top 30 move on. I don't remember the last time I have not qualified for a sprint. The competition here is stiff! it is great to see the Swedes, Americans and of course all the World Cup skiers from Canada. Sorry to dissapoint! I had a great time studying the heats and seeing how the course skis with the best in the world racing here! I am gearing up for the 50 km classic event tomorrow. Weather is scheduled for 30 cms of snow. Yippee!
update to follow!!!

Chris

Canadian Nats

2008-03-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Ok...So I may have fallen off the wagon again with my posting...My apologies ! Since my last entry things have been pretty chill just getting ready for "the Big Show" well kind of. I can honestly say that I got in some solid training feeling better and better after each workout. Intensity sessions have been going amazing and recovery has been awesome! I was also lucky enough to have Amanda (Girlfriend) come to stay a week early before nationals, after returning from europe 2 days prior!!
March 18- Classic race 10 km, falling snow, 0 degrees, 800+ racers = nightmare for classic waxing!!! I had decided to go on hairries skis which is a race version of fish scales made by roughing the grip zone with sand paper. Generally the best classic waxing solution at the Callaghan most days. Only difference, 800+ racers on course makes for conditions that we have not seen and didn't anticipate. I skied the first lap conservative. I have been playing alot with pacing the last few weeks so this was part of my plan. Grip was great! glide was even better, I really thought I was in for a great race. Second lap came around, snow tapered off and so did my grip. I think I should have went a little more aggressive on the hairries. so as I struggled around the 2nd lap of the hilly 3.3km course I had finally caught myself skiing like an absolute fool. I had to finally take a deep breath and relax, this in turn helped with me to get a little bit of grip out of my gripless skis. I finished the race a little disappointed but also came out of it positive. I have not felt that good in a distance race in a while!

I also forgot to mention the little bout of a stomach bug or food poisoning 2 days prior to the Classic race...still a bit off not to sure about it???

March 19- 15 km skate race. Now this race I was super jazzed for! I was so confident with my technique and the crappy conditions. It was a course to stay relaxed on to gain glide. it consisted of 3 laps of 5km I know this course inside out! first lap I started zone 3 and felt awesome! second lap cranked it up a little higher and caught a sweet ride from Robin Mckeever. 3rd lap was feeling great still! that was until about 12 or 13 km when I blew up!!! I am happy this happened at this point because I was able to stay relaxed and ski through it. The end result was disappointing 63rd, but the time difference was not as bad as I figured it would be. I still felt the lack of distance racing I am almost positive I have more sprints than distance. That being said I am resting today for my "big show" tomorrow where it will showcase the 2006 Olympic Champion Bjorn Lind, World Cup medalist Andy Newell, and many other greats!

I'll keep ya posted on the rest of the week!

C

Another Day in Paradise...

2008-02-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well as I sit down to write this update I look out my window to not see snow but rain. Moving to Squamish this year I expected to see a little more than my share of rain...that I can say I have seen! As we ascended up the valley towards the Callaghan I was expecting to hit snow about 10 minutes out, as usual. But not this time. Usually when you don't see snow around that point you look forward to a ski in the rain, which was the case today. It was not as bad as it sounds, it was more of a mist. Until you actually ski at the Callaghan you really can't appreciate the micro climate that it has. Judging by the weather on the drive you start to think "Oh my, this is going to be a long day". I really must say that if I truly didn't love to ski I would have a tough time getting out there.
As most of you know the waxing at O degrees can be almost imposible!!! that is the only thing that weighs on my mind on the drive up on a classic ski day! Today was one of those days. We waxed up with a thin layer of Rossa klister, I thought it was ok so I skied on it deciding not to try my newly made "hairys"(sp?). Man was I kicking myself after Zach asked me to try them on my way to the car...They were unbelievable...effortless...fast. Ah well lesson learned always try your options at the Callaghan. Still a great ski though!
anyway this article is really not going anywhere so I will end this here and update ya soon!

C

Bored...

2008-02-22T09:38:00.001-08:00

Hope you like the new look...as you can tell I have a few extra minutes today.

C

Westerns day 2

2008-02-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

It was a hard decision to make but I opted out of the skate race today, as I mentioned in my previous post I was not exactly what you could call "healthy" for the sprint race. I am sure that my competitors were a little grossed out with some of the wads I would spit up throughout the day...Sorry guys and gals!. I really wanted to race this skate race today it was my second priority for this race series, Consulting with Amy twice this morning made the decision pretty clear. Deep down I knew that racing today was not a good idea but still was looking for a reason to suit up. I must admit I am quite taken back that I feel better than yesterday...an unusual feeling for the day after racing sick. So I will take today to rest, ski short tomorrow and then make the call on sunday's classic race. It is always tough as an athlete to make decisions while your sick. Should I race? Shouldn't I? you really need to think about a few things if put in this position as I did.
1. What was my primary goal for the rest of the season?.....Nationals
2. Is this race worth it? trials? ...No this race was a low competition level race, yes there was money on the line but Amy reminded me that she has not seen someone sub %100 "race well".
3. Could I further damage my body?...Potentially yes with the colder weather here.

I am not a magic 8 ball but just typing that I really don't know why I put up such a big fight! Wait...yes I do! I Love racing!! I live to race!! but if I really want to shine at nationals I need to swallow that and deal....ok Done!

well I am off to drink endless amounts of green tea!

Cheers!

C.

Westerns...and a previous...

2008-02-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Ok I really need to keep on top of this whole keeping this blog up to date!

So I was recently up at the BC Championships with my home town team, the Omineca Ski Club. What a blast! It really means alot to me when I can spend time and attend the odd race as part of my team. I was 3rd in the Classic 10 km which was on ok race for me but in hindsite I should have probably stuck with my instinct and stayed home in Squamish to get my feet back under me. On the Positive note our relay team dominated! David Palmer and Fionn Carroll skied their hearts out! I have not seen either of those boys ski like that ever! made my job a little bit harder, I had to ski my Ass! off to get us in 1st, amazing job to those guys!!!

Westerns so far....I woke up sick the morning we left...great start, just raced the sprint... qualified well over 3 seconds ahead of the next guy... dominated the A-final and crashed on the hairpin, where in the previous heat 3 guys had crashed and left the worlds biggest ruts! I think I counted and also Luke (another racer in the heat) my butt bouncing twice. So I managed to get back onto my feet in third, worked hard to get back up there and was spent. ouch, got out sprinted for 3rd, I was so mad I handed in the bib and in the words of Amy's son Gunnar, "acted like a baby" I don't mind getting beat to the line but when I goof up I really take it hard on myself, as i type this I need to remind myself to relax and not crush my keys. appologies were in order to Coach Caldwell for my unsportsmanlike behaviour, which wasnt horrible but I have been know to act better. anyway I still walked away with $175. but could have been $350 but hey thats racing!!!

until next time....

keep on your feet! Don't use me as an example! and make sure you don't "act like a baby"

C

Super tour and Back Home!

2008-02-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

After a smooth, but long travel day (18 hours), from Madison, WI, to Squamish I am finally back home. Not only am I excited to sleep in my own bed, But I will spend the next 2 weeks putting in some solid training up at the 2010 Olympic venue. Time to log some home course advantage!

The final day of the Madison sprints ended positively, No I didn't take the win but I did end up 6th, not super but not horrible. The 1km course was quite flat with one long hill and a gradual climb to the finish made the course into a double pole course! This was the first time I had even entered a classic race on skate gear! As you can image I was very nervous, what if I ran out of steam on the climb? what if the other guys go on Classic equipment? all these plus more questions were going through my head. Thanks to Amy, she filled me full of confidence and I managed to qualify 6th and well, finish 6th. I was very excited and this brings a whole new world of confidence to me, I lost 5th place to a 2 time olympian, Lars Flora, so its not as though I powered out and lost to someone less legit. I was very excited with this new found strength in myself, I lead the whole last heat, which is also something I have never done!

So back to the next 2 weeks...It is time to relax today, and get all of my affairs in order, rest and think about the next 2 weeks. I have decided to take this coming weekend off of racing to put in a solid 2 weeks of training, with proper resting and less distractions!

I will try to snap some photos this week of the venue, it is unbelievable the amount of snow that falls up there! I really cannot describe it!

keep em pointed staight!

C

Madison, WI

2008-02-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

After a long but fairly smooth travel day I am here in the city of Madison. I raced the Team Sprint event with my teammate Jesse and we had a blast, it was TOUGH competition!!! I started us out in 3rd and we gradually lost positions and josled back to 4th and down to 7th and ended with Jesse losing a sprint to the finish, ending us in 7th. it was a great day and we had a lot of fun as a team. I also entered the 100 meter world record attempt and came up with the 2nd fastest time of the night but slightly off the world record, maybe next time. the individual classic sprint is tomorrow so I will have a complete update for yous then!
until tomorrow, wish me luck!

C

Back Home

2008-01-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Most of you know I raced the World Cup CLassic sprint in Canmore AB, this past weekend, My first world cup start and surely not my last! I did everything almost exactly the way I wanted it executed. I stayed relaxed, Skied relaxed, and skied techniquely well. I didn't crack the top 30, but I did end up 4th Canadian, one of my better results of the year. Overall I can honestly say that my firstr world cup was a success.
Well I can finally sit down on "My" couch back home in Squamish B.C. It has been almost 3 full months since being here (unless you count my less than 12 hour stop over in mid Dec!) It feels good!!! although I am soon jumping back in the car to drive to Seattle to fly to Madison, Wisconson(SP?) for 2 supertour races. After those races I will return back to the Callaghan Valley to resume training until Western Canadian Championships, in La Ronge, Sask. A first for racing there for me!
I promise from now on I will keep you updated on a more regular basis!!!

Chris

Throwing in the towel to pick one up

2008-01-04T11:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was probably the worst day of my life to date. I quit my first race. I passed the 7.5 km point heading into my last lap of classic, 2.5 km left in the classic portion. I came around the corner to see my coach Amy cheering me on with all her heart and I break down in the middle of the trail, Balling my eyes out! I could hardly breath, my muscles were shaking and I had just quit. I was losing time to the leaders worse than I had ever. I was down around 4 minutes when normally I am barely down 2 minutes after 10km.

I as most of you know my bag has been stolen. everything gone. I received a phone call last night from the air carrier last night, I was first a little excited, maybe they had found my bag? But unfortunately they were calling to ask for an email to send a declaration form to me.

Until that point in the race I really didn't think that the situation had been that hard on me but all the additional stresses added to the body was not a good combo. After talking to Amy, while balling my eyes out it helped me feel better, also talking to Amanda really helped, she really made made me feel better with a great pep talk! Mom also sent me a text message which helped me bring up my spirits!

After it was all said and done I realized that on that day it made better sense to throw in the towel and start thinking about my day, Sprint Day. I have some great boards lined up and I am ready to give it my all and try to collect my plane ticket to Europe.

I'll update you post sprint if you don't know where to look for results this link should help;

www.zone4.ca

Chris

LOST!!!

2007-12-31T17:44:00.000-08:00

So I receive a phone call this evening while sipping a glass of wine with the Inn keepers, "Hi there I am Constable. so-and so, I am calling to inform you your bag has been reported stolen from the Air Carrier Desk"

Ouch! my duffel bag with what I soon tallied up to be well over $5000.00 of equipment, clothes and basically everything I own...gone. So if anyone knows any loop holes in the system please feel free to email me help @ chriswerrell@gmail.com fortunately I have a great friend, Brian Mckeever who is sending out some emergency clothes for me to get by!!!

Despite missing all that stuff I am in good spirits and still looking forward to the races to come! thanks to all that reads and keep up with me just thought you might like to know that little tidbit of info.

until next time! take care ! I'll keep you updated on my lost bag!

Chris

Post Christmas

2007-12-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

I am now sitting in a loft in an inn(haha that sounds funny in an inn)in a small town north of Toronto named Duntroon. in the same clothes I left Burns Lake in a day ago...not because I chose to but because my bags didn't make the flight from P.G to Vancouver last night. So early this morning I awoke for my 7:00am departure...still no bags. Now I can honestly admit I am used to airlines losing my bag (usually happens every 3rd flight with me!) and I don't feel as bad because the reason my ski bag didn't make the plane was due to there being not enough room ( 2 motorized wheelchairs had priority) so I can live with that I don't need my skis as bad as someone may need that chair!

The one thing that makes me a bit mad is that the airline forgot to take my duffel bag off the plane before it left for Edmonton from Vancouver... ah well.

Anyway enough about my delayed bag misfortunes. I had an amazing Christmas at home with my family. All my brothers were there and of course Mom, Dad and Santa Claus spoiled us beyond belief. I was fortunate to find a brand new Espresso Machine under the tree to help give me a bit of an extra boost around the trails (Thanks Mom and Dad!!!) I also received many other amazing gifts!!! Thanks to my family for a great Christmas and a break from the first part of the racing season.

As I head into the second half of the race season and some of the biggest races of my season this weekend I have a new attitude, focus and rested up body (forced to take some extra time off getting sick over Christmas). I was fortunate to race a race at home, yesterday in fact before rushing home to get changed and race to the airport! It is very special to get to race at my home club, where I started to race over 10 years ago now...wow that is a while now!

The course was one of the hardest I have ever raced! the 7.5 km used in the National Championships in1996. What a burner of a race, I am glad I got the bad one out before trials I was blowing cobwebs out the whole way. My legs were burning along with my lungs and arms. it was a tough mental battle!

So as soon as I get my clothes bag and ski bag I will be testing and preparing for the U23 world championship trials here in Duntroon Ontario.

I will keep you updated on the status of my bag and how the week unravels!

Chris

Canmore NorAm's

2007-12-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Photo: Zach Caldwell

I just finished my first full weekend of racing here in Canmore Alberta. This past weekend started off with a continuous pursuit (which I didn't race) on thursday, a Free style sprint on Saturday, and finished with a 10 km Classic race on sunday. Thursday I found myself busier than I would have been if I raced, I opted to help out with Amy wax testing. It was a pretty relaxed morning we started around 7:45 am and had found the wax shortly after that.

Saturday morning came, I felt very confident and relaxed. I had chosen my skis the day before and skied the course many times so there was no stress on the equipment side. I arrived to the race site about an hour before my start, discussed a little strategy with Zach(Amy's Husband) and Amy. Began my warm up about 40 mins before my start and was off to the races. I took off the line exploding from one ski to the other down the straight stretch and cutting a hard right at the end of the stadium. I blasted up the first hill and over the top into a tuck. I then climbed up the last hill before descending into the stadium, at this point I could start to feel my legs turning to stone. As I rounded the last 180 degree corner I started to dig deep before tucking into the stadium. I hit the final stretch and can describe it in one word...helpless. All my leg muscles had lactated up hard and I was losing second after second. I came in a disappointing 23rd place a little over 8 seconds off the lead.

When you have a set back like this it is important to re-focus because the real race is yet to come, the "Heats", where they group 30 skiers based off the Qualifier into 5 groups of 6 skiers.
from there the top 2 skiers from each heat move on with the exception of the 2 fastest skiers behind the top 2 (hope that makes sense) also known as the lucky loser.

My first heat came and my first heat went, leaving me behind. My body physically could not do it today, I brought my "A" game mentally but physically my fellow racers had the advantage over me. So I took an easy cool down and headed home for the day...disappointed and beat.

The next morning I woke up feeling like I had just been hit my a truck, sore and tired but still determined to race my heart out in the 10 km classic. I skied a conservative race which was smart because I still died hard. If I had gone out super hard I think I would have been alot worse off. I feel as though I skied with good technique and little snap, which will come with more racing and intensity. I will get a good dose of that this weekend in Val Cartier, Quebec. Thursday I sprint, saturday I race a 20 km pursuit, and sunday another classic 10 km.
Very busy schedule before I head into my Christmas break and return to Burns Lake to do some final preparations before heading out east, again, to race the U23 trials.

I will try to keep you updated as much as possible while I am on the road so lets hope for wireless internet!

Thanks to everyone keeping up with me and to all my supporters, listed to the right of my Blog.
I hope to see everyone when I am home, preferably on the trails!

Cheers

Chris

One down...Rest of the season to go...

2007-12-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

It is always nice to get that first race under your belt. For me the Classic sprint race on Sunday was a decent starting point. I found weaknesses and I found strengths. I finished the qualifier strong; qualifying 9th, an ok start but nothing to write home about. I know there would be alot of people who would be happier than anything to be in my position. I think that one of the things that makes me a great athlete is the fact that I am not happy in second place. I strive for greatness, not good enough-ness. My quarter final went well I skied a relaxed third position up to the final 200 meters, then turning on the after burners to ski a relaxed 2nd in to qualify me for the semi finals. The Semi-final I had was a tough one, I believe i was ranked 5th of the 6 of us in that heat. This didn't concern me, just the fresh snow that decided to fall did. That heat took off hard, I relaxed into 3rd, sliding down to 4th then 5th up the second climb. I then picked up the tempo grabbing back onto the group but only to slightly lose out of the A-final, I will give props to the guys slightly ahead of me in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, all world class sprinters. I finished 4th of 6 and was headed to the B-final, fighting for 7th-12th. I as the snow got heavier and heavier, it was obvious that Dave Nighbor, who decided to double pole the course on Skate Skis, had the fastest skis of the day. Bang!!! the gun goes off and the B final starts I settle into 4th...fighting to stay there, I am now running on fumes, which is not that typical for me. Generally I get stronger as the heats go on. I find myself slowly falling off the group of four ahead of me and slightly pulling ahead of 6th. I finish the race exhausted and disappointed.
Going into the first race I was confident in myself and knew it wasn't going to be a cake walk. I also know that I will be stronger and faster in the races this coming weekend In Canmore AB. starting with a Free Sprint on Saturday, and 10km Classic on Sunday. I am fortunate to have a mini fan club known as Mom and Dad, coming in to cheer me on which is always a special deal because they very rarely get to see me race with my hectic race schedule.
Until Next Time!!!
keep 'em pointed straight on the down hills!

Chris

Off to the races...

2007-11-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Well Bright and early tomorrow morning I pack the car and cram my Thule to the point of exploding and head over to Silverstar near Vernon BC.. My first race is sunday so the nerves are starting to build. I will try to keep you updated throughout the week and encourage any comments!
see ya on the trails!

Chris

Tunning up while time winds down...

2007-11-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

As I approach the final week of preparation before the newly announced "Season Openers" (due to lack of snow in Canmore) I find myself sitting on the couch thinking to myself...am I ready? I just finished one of the hardest workouts I have completed in a while with National Team member Phil Widmer. To sum it up into one word "Ouch". We did a sprint simulation workout with a Timetrial, and a series of "heats" of which I was in there, happy to my suprise. In the heats I was in and out, a little inconsistant and fading towards the end. Still a very good sign coming into the season, for those who don't know Phil is "Sprinting" in Canada. Usually when people get beat just by a little bit during intensity it is a huge mental blow, for me today it was a good thing. I know since starting to work with Amy in july, I have made huge gains in the area of fitness, speed and technique. I can now say that I am ready for the races in Silver star this coming weekend as well the race seaon ahead!
See ya on the trails!

Chris

2007-11-18T16:02:00.001-08:00

My apologies to everyone! I have been really bad with keeping up with my updates.
The past 10 days have been super busy, I left Squamish for silver star mountain for the annual BC Ski team early on-snow camp which went quite well despite the lack of snow. I put in some solid hours with 3 intensities and alot of ski testing! After the camp I moved up into a house with the X-C.com racing team and spent a few days with them also testing skis and putting in some more hours. Friday morning I packed my car and headed out bright and early for Canmore Ab, my previous home, and residence to beautiful girlfriend and National Ski team member/Olympion, Amanda Ammar.
We have spent the last few days skiing the morraine lake road in Lake Louise. Monday morning we are heading to Golden, BC to spend a few days skiing their trails and race a timetrial. From there I head back to Canmore until the 26th, from there I shoot over to silverstar for the Season openers (Canmore was suppost to be the openers this comining weekend but postponed 2 weeks due to lack of snow).
Until next time....

Chris

Silverstar

2007-11-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update I am now training in Silver star and will have a bit more of an update in a day or so, when I find some reliable internet!

Chris

Quick Trip Home

2007-10-31T20:29:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to convince my coach to let me take a quick trip home last week.
During this week I managed to squeeze in many hours of hunting, training and a few chances to meet with new supporters of mine. A BIG thanks to LDM who have just jumped on board helping me out financially! I was fortunate enough to drop by and meet Wendy, Steve and the gang down there as well as pick up a cheque! Thanks alot!!! also had a chance to work with the local club passing on some new technique pointers and play some games ( which I still believe is essential to do every now and then). Getting home this time of year is one of the best things for me, even though I tend to over-book myself and turn a "rest" week into a "not-so-much" rest week. It is important to get away from the everyday routine of training and take a mental break, no different than any other job! just don't go telling your bosses that Chris Werrell said you need to take days off!. So a quick break and back to reality, training that is. Unfortunately I have torn my calf muscle, not bad but bad enough to prevent me from doing our last set of testing...Bummer, not to many other athletes look forward to hurting really bad like I do.

Finishing off my trip home was a fund raiser put on by Coast Hotels, in Prince George, one of my other big supporters! a Big thanks to them as well I had a great time and I know all the people that attended did too!

until next time!

Chris

Olympic Venue Sneak Peak Pic's

2007-10-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Here are a couple photos from the Olympic Venue, no snow yet but as you can see the trails are paved and the technical building is coming right along. Also you can see all the PB's all lined up waiting for snow. A big thanks to Rob Bernhardt for the photos...all taken on Oct 21.
A shot of the technical building, coming right along...

"Blue" race trail...

All the new PB's...

More of the lower "Blue" race course fully paved...

Black Tusk photos

2007-10-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple photos from the 6 hour run that Jesse and I completed last friday, amazing day, amazing views!

The beach is over there...actually Garibaldi Lake...

The top of Black Tusk...Jesse missed the rest of the view...hard to find a good photographer to follow you up and down mountains!

Fall Training

2007-10-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year that requires the most focus as workouts get more demanding, rest becomes even more important (it is always important! more so now!) and so does showing up to every workout with the right attitude. This past week I was face with many tough challenges, first of all on monday, was a fitness test we do, a 4-5 km run at 140 heartrate, very easy test physically, as 140 heartrate is my usual training pace. As your fitness gets better you time should decrease, well this was the first week that my time went in the opposite direction, i was slightly slower, not necessary a bad thing, but mentally it was a little tough to swallow. but looking back at my past few weeks we have been doing more speed work, which will in turn slow down that test, not meaning I am getting slower, but meaning I am getting faster in other areas(trust me a good thing!).
Tuesday Morning was hard!! our team did our world famous (well maybe not world, but a lot of skiers in Canada know of it) Up hill running time trial. it takes around 25 minutes for me (my fastest) and I was also slightly slower, not enough to cry over, since fall has struck the coast here, someone has turned on a shower knob and changed our course, adding a few new rivers and making the trail pretty greasy!
Hard workout #3 sprint simulation, we used an uphill course in the Garibaldi estates area up towards Quest University. Well my efforts were some of the best I have put in this year ( I try to make each one better and better) I got a good workout, My skiing technique right now is what I would consider quite good, even though I have a long ways to go, I feel this is what held me in there with this session! I tend to like to lead sprints and it was frustrating to not be able to! After this workout rest was essential physically and mentally!
Workout #4, 6 hour run up Black Tusk mountain. Jesse and I ran a 6 hour run (photos to follow) and I can honestly say that this was the workout of the year easily, how often do you get sunny 15 degree celcius, get to run up a mountain(with tons of snow!) and back down from point A to point B (thanks for being patient with us Amy) who also ran with the girls for a total of 4.5 hours as well as shuttling the car from parking lot to parking lot!
All in all a great week! I just finished my morning heart rate test and I am rested and ready to head into a U23 world champs trial week simulation, racing the same races I will in January trying to qualify for the U23's.

I will keep you posted and try to add more pictures!
feel free to leave comments on anything I post up here!!!
until next time!

Chris

Rest Week

2007-10-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

As I approach the race season, only 29 days until the season openers! This is the time of year to really turn up the focus, the weather starts to get less than desirable, the temperatures get cooler by the day and the focus usually starts to drop. So far so good! I must admit that I have never trained in this much rain in the amounts it comes down in. Despite doing almost all of my intensity sessions in the past 2 weeks in the pouring rain! I take it back to every coach I ever complained to about the rain, this gives me a whole new meaning to the word WET! All in all I am in good spirits still finding it in me to smile during the workouts, in between gritting my teeth. I am now in the middle of a rest week, hoping to return to a rested state to tackle on the next 5 weeks of training which will be some of the hardest training of my life, pushing myself further and harder than I have ever before! in the past I would have looked at my schedule and been very intimidated, now, I look at it with anticipation and excitement.
Well I am off for now, I am on babysitting duty for the coach tonight

until next time!

Chris

2007-09-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
This is my attempt to keep anyone interested in following my progress, adventures and whatever comes my way, feel free to leave comments, requests or even thoughts. Life has been in fast forward all summer with 3 Glacier camps, and a lot of hours logged on rollerskis and in running shoes. I will be adding lots of photos and stories so I hope to keep you entertained with the trials and tribulations of being in the position that I am in!

until next time....