July in VT!

It's the calm before the storm.  That moment on a summer afternoon or evening when you suddenly realize it is really really dark outside.  The wind has picked up and the rumbles are increasing in volume as they creep closer and closer.  Before I'm done typing this I'm sure it will be pouring, clashing, flashing, and banging with a loud cacophony of energy unleashed from the skies.  If you are inside its the perfect opportunity to run outside and dance in the yard (with or without clothes), quickly being drenched to the bone and happily soaked with the warm summertime rains.  And with the force of it's arrival, the intensity quickly departs luckily taking the thick humidity and stickiness along as it passes for a respite of clear air.

I had a moment yesterday where I realized I had just more than a month left of my calm time at home before I launch into the blur and exciting fury of fall training camps and winter travel and racing.  I chose this year to spend a long time at home in one place and it will be about three months in total which is eons for the life of a Nordic ski racer.  I'm thoroughly enjoying being settled in one place, finding almost a sense of consistency and routine in my life.  But don't worry, I haven't become too much of a homebody and have been very busy with lots of summertime training, adventures, and fun.  Here's a much overdo recap of the past month or so.

At the beginning of the month my sister Elsa got married near our childhood home.  It was a really fun weekend of celebrations including jeep rides, swimming, maple creemees, fire works shows, dancing, bonfires, toasts and roasts, and more dancing

Congrats to this beautiful couple

It was a beautiful but windy day and I was very happy to stand by Elsa's side

Eben and I after the ceremony

We had pie for dessert instead of wedding cake and I made my first ever pies to contribute to this lovely spread.

We danced for six or seven hours but took a break to watch this amazing sunset over Jay Peak

It was really fun to see so many friends and family. Here's the Dartmouth Ski Team at the wedding (just missing Kristina Trygstad-Saari)

Last week was the first of our two Craftsbury Bill Koch League day camps which I organize every summer. The Craftsbury GRP athletes coach twenty local kids for a week of mountain biking, rollerskiing, orienteering, soccer, swimming, adventure racing and much more.

Mountain Bike games

Swimming to capture watermelons in the middle of the lake during the adventure race

Rollerskiing with only a few scraped knees despite many newbie rollerskiers

Ropeswinging and pizza to end the week!

And finally we have been training hard logging long hours of rollerskiing, running, biking, and hiking.  Last week part of the SMS T2 team traveled north to train with us for a few days.  It was awesome to show the Annie Hart and Annie Pokorny our training grounds and have some new training partners.  Thanks for visiting and we are looking forward to making a trip to Stratton soon!

Classic speeds with the #annies on a rainy day