Nordic Nation

With a kowtow to Zach Caldwell and Noah Hoffman, we are repurposing their recent video conversation about anti-doping reform. On Nordic Nation, you'll find just the audio. If you are more visual by nature, you can find the video here.

In this conversation, you'll get solid details about anti-doping policy in the U.S. and abroad. Think of this as an advanced level remote learning opportunity to up your game when discussing anti-doping affairs. From Noah's involvement with Global Athlete, to details on the Rodchenkov Act, USADA, and efforts to magnify athlete voices via labor unions, Caldwell and Hoffman cover lots of ground. 

For those that have followed Hoffman's career, this is an opportunity to hear him as he emerges as a nascent expert in anti-doping policy. It is easy to envision Hoffman leading international clean sport efforts in the years ahead.

Thirty two years old and wise as wise can be. Clare Egan brings a calm intellect to the sport of biathlon. Speaker of many languages and head of the International Biathlon Union's athlete committee, Egan is respected by her peers for on-snow performances as well as her leadership in the IBU board room.

We spoke to Egan earlier this month as she was training in Antholz, Italy with U.S. women's head coach Armin Auchentaller. The real gist of the conversation was to determine how she had been coping with the pandemic and making a go of it as the race season nears. Like many of us, there have been ups and downs...but mostly ups. You can hear more on the podcast.

In this episode of Nordic Nation, we speak all things trail design with John Morton. Based in Vermont, and global in perspective, Morton provides insights into the literal ups and downs of trail design and how full-blown nordic centers and small scale trails can bring a modern vibe to an old-school sport. He runs Morton Trails locally but has a global reach with projects based in China.

His most recent trail work at Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks earned rave reviews. As Morton describes site location we learn how he envisions a trail catered to simply sliding on snow through the woods for the recreational skier or imagines an entire competition complex able to host elite level events and challenge World Cup stars.

Morton's ski resume is lengthy. And true to form, Morton stuck to trail design during our conversation. He failed to mention he is a two-time Olympic biathlete, served a tour of duty in South Vietnam, coached collegiate skiing, and remains an all-around ski enthusiast. This is really just the tip of the iceberg.

You can find more about Morton at morton trails.com.    

Thanks for listening.  

Mid-Summer and mid-fishing session, we connected with Great Britain's Andrew Musgrave near his home in Trondheim, Norway. Musgrave underwent surgery on both Achilles tendons recently and is on the mend.

In this episode, we discuss his comparatively down season last year, his plans to remain healthy, and how excited he was during the interview to spot what he described as a weasel swim past.

 
If you are new to the podcast, FasterSkier, or Musgrave...here's some background. Musgrave is 30 years old, hails from Scotland but spent part of his youth in Alaska, and took a big leap in ski performance when he moved to Norway. He came oh so close to a medal at the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland -- he placed 4th in the men's 50 k skate in a tight race to the finish for the top-six spots. (Canada's Alex Harvey pulled out the win.)

He regularly contests the Norwegian National Championship races, which are packed with talent, and remains a podium threat.

Thanks for reading and listening.

As we all know, the COVID-19 global pandemic has left the world scrambling to adapt to the many challenges of slowing the spread of the virus. In the world of Olympic sports, the ripple effect has disrupted the efforts of anti-doping agencies worldwide to conduct the athlete testing normally relied upon to hold athletes accountable to abiding by the rules surrounding banned and controlled substances. Most international antidoping agencies have halted testing since mid-March as the invasive and close-contact nature of collecting samples posed a threat to both athletes and testers. 

This causes concern that athletes inclined to cheat might abuse the situation, taking advantage of the opportunity to use illegal substances to improve their performance potential when competition is able to resume. 

To address the lack of testing, the US Antidoping Agency (USADA) rolled out a pilot virtual testing program called Project Believe 2020 where athletes could provide a urine sample and blood spot test with an antidoping agent present on a zoom or FaceTime call.

For further insight into this topic, FasterSkier connected with two-time Olympian and long-time US Ski Team Member Noah Hoffman, who has become involved with USADA’s antidoping education program since retiring from skiing. Hoffman also recently wrapped up his second year at Brown University and we discuss his academic interests and the experience of being a college student during the COVID shutdown. Thanks for listening.

A slight reshuffling of positions at U.S. Ski and Snowboard and longtime coach Matt Whitcomb has a new title: Head Coach. Whitcomb held the title of World Cup Coach last season.

As the pandemic took hold in mid-March here in the U.S., Whitcomb holed up at his cabin in rural Vermont for a two-week solo quarantine. We caught up with Whitcomb via phone on April 23 from his cabin. This was a broad ranging interview. We discussed how teams monitor athlete health, recent U.S. Ski Team nominations and aged-based criteria, and how the team may modify its training in light of the pandemic.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Whitcomb directlly via email or phone. Below is his contact information.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 435.640.8543

-Thanks to Gavin Kentch and Rachel Perkins for help with this episode.

Timestamps:

00:00-11:00 Coaching roles on the USST

11:00-19:00 USST budget and athlete support

19:30-28:20 Training in the time of a pandemic and racing contingency plans

28:21:-9:45 Discussing how to monitor athlete health/wellness

39:46-51:50 Developing elite-level male athletes in the U.S.

51:51- 1:06:14 David Norris not being nominated to the USST, age-based criteria, Scott Patterson's nomination to the USST

If you're an avid reader of The New York Times sports section, you've most likely read the work of writer-journalist Matt Futterman (50). Futterman is the Deputy Sports Editor at the NYT, a fan of nordic sports, and an avid runner who was slated to run the Boston Marathon this past Monday.

Futterman's love for endurance sports, running in particular, is evident as he peppers readers with in-depth running stories. He helped cover the recent downfall of Alberto Salazar and continues to keep on eye on anti-doping efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Futterman also released a well-received book titled: Running to the Edge.

The book, rendered down to its basics, is a meditation on Bob Larsen, a running coach Futterman asserts resurrected U.S. distance running. That premise is hard to argue with as Larsen jolted the San Diego running scene into national relevance, coached UCLA to NCAA titles, and ultimately honed his training philosophy in Mammoth, California as the coach of Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor. Both of these athletes were guided to Olympic marathon medals under the tutelage of Larsen.

Futterman's treatment provides a close up look into how Larsen changed the landscape of training methodology for distance running - and on his way left a legacy of grit and championships in San Diego as he rose through the coaching ranks.

The book is a great read during this time of exercise containment. Futterman will help you dream big, even if for now, our sporting ambitions are reigned in.

In this episode of Nordic Nation, we talk to Futterman about his book, his own running, and how the NYT covers cross-country skiing at the Olympics. We also mention two recent pieces from this past week. They are linked below.

Berlin Marathon canceled.
What will endurance races look like when they come back?

Some of Futterman's coverage on Alberto Salazar: For Salazar Whistle-Blowers, a Long Wait for a Satisfying Outcome, Nike to shut down Salazar's Oregon Project.

Many of the World Cup race photos featured on FasterSkier come from NordicFocus, a European bases photo agency. NordicFocus, as the name suggests, features images from the world of nordic sport: cross-country, biathlon, nordic combined, and ski jumping.

If you have buzzed around the media center at any big cross-country event, it's likely you have seen Federico Modica. Modica wears a mountain endurance-fit look as if he's just descended from some alpine climb; there's a veneer of a beard, a sinuous build, and the commensurate technical fleece hoody. Out on course shooting World Cups, Modica matches his fitness and ability to be here and there with a master's eye at the young age of 30.

Modica is based in Northern Italy, and when we spoke on March 24th, he was still quarantined in his home. Now, a few weeks later, he is able to have limited movement, he is no longer shut inside. 

We discuss his life on the World Cup, what he carries in his camera bag, and why women are asked to jump for their podium shots. All controversy aside, we get a straight answer.

Beyond the World Cup, Modica rambles in the big peaks of Europe shooting adventures for commercial clients. You can find his work on Instagram @modicavisual. 

We’ve all heard the phrase: “These are unprecedented times.” And it is true. What the world is facing during the Covid-19 pandemic is something that none of us have experienced before. We are all feeling it. 

Uncertainty is ubiquitous and caused by a myriad of factors. We may be concerned about the health of ourselves and our families, or about the financial impacts of our country coming to a halt. We might be attempting to work from home without access to childcare, leaving little time to care for ourselves, or we may be struggling with isolation while distancing ourselves from others. 

On March 21st, licensed professional counselor Holly Brooks shared the following on her practice’s FaceBook page:

“While the primary discussion revolves around physical health issues, my professional lens is set to think about people mentally and emotionally. This pandemic is going to be a marathon, but right now it feels like a sprint. Yes, we absolutely need to do everything possible right now to flatten the curve, but if we've flattened ourselves (burnt out, physically sick, emotional break down/panic attacks) then we cannot help ANYONE. 

Here are three steps that I feel are crucial to help you survive (and even thrive) in this pandemic marathon:

1) Release the energy stored inside of you. This could come in the form of crying, a "thought download" aka journalling, dancing or exercise.

2) Engage in some form of safety/soothing technique. Work on your inner dialogue. Combine it with some diaphragmatic breathing. Use one of the many meditation apps.

3) Practice gratitude and VISUALIZE the FUTURE. Right now our minds are full of "what ifs" and literally worst case scenarios. Sure, we need to prepare and be smart about our preparation but make sure you're balancing it with positivity. The same goes for the media. Balance the bad news with the good.”

For those unfamiliar with Brooks, she is a licensed professional counselor based in Anchorage, Alaska. Before starting her practice, Holly Brooks LLC, she was a U.S. Ski Team member and competed in the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games. 

In this episode, Brooks unpacks the many sources of grief and anxiety that people are facing and expands on the steps she recommends to identify and manage the challenges of the times. She discusses the idea of naming and acknowledging feelings to help release energy around them and shares a practice she uses with her clients using painted rocks labeled with specific emotions. 

She leaves listeners with a meditation that can be used daily to soothe and ground themselves as we collectively settle in for the long haul. 

For further information about Brooks’ practice or services, contact [email protected] or visit her FaceBook page. 

Resources mentioned:

Brené Brown on “FFTs” in the Unlocking Us podcast

“That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief” by Scott Berinato, Harvard Business Review interview with David Kessler

This past fall, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (COC) updates its wax use policy. The New England institution was one of the first and among the largest cross-country ski centers to implement a policy curbing the use of per-fluorinated wax on its premises. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center supports values and practices that try to minimize its impact on the environment while still providing recreational opportunities for visitors.

This was no cold turkey move away from fluoros, when the SuperTour came to Craftsbury this winter, teams were allowed to apply and use fluoros in well ventilated ares. However, the day to day ethos at the COC was clear: fluoros use was frowned upon.

We spoke with Ollie Burruss in March to discuss the policy and how it played out over the winter. Among his many duties, Burruss is the nordic race director at the COC. He's in the hot seat when it comes to piloting fluoro free policies and practices. Burruss was also the head of the organizing committee and the Chief of Competition at the 2019 US Cross-Country Nationals.  

Background reading on the topic:

• FasterSkier piece on wax policies in New England
• FasterSkier piece on the EPA and ski wax regulations
• Outside Magazine piece on the EPA and ski wax