University of Guelph Nordic Ski Team

Mountains of Love

2011-03-14T22:10:00.003-04:00

Hey team,

We all know you are extremely jealous of those of us who were able to make it out to Canmore this week, so we thought we'd give you a little update on how everything is going thus far.

Its currently 8:15pm out here, we are just mellowing out at Kenny Laurin's chalet in the heart of the mountains after a well deserved day off. Bottom line, Canmore is AWESOME. You would all be soo jacked up if you were here, just like we are. Everyday has been above zero and super sunny, making a ginger like me have to put on sunscreen again! Although it has been warm, the snow out here is really hard packed, so it doesn't get all slushy like it would back east, so waxing hasn't been too much of an issue.

Scott and I got into Canmore on Friday morning, and joined Ian and Kenny (guys from UofT that we're staying with) for the pre-ski of Saturday's sprint course and Sunday's bombshell 10km pancake throwdown. Courses were of course super well-marked, even though we all still managed to get lost due to the amount of trails out here, and it was cool too see some familiar faces chilling out and skiing around the nordic centre, which by the way, is so legit.

Saturday was the team sprint, on a pretty killer 1.2k course. Lots of lactic acid tasting after this baby. Same format as OUAs, Scott led the way for our team, and took it out nice and strong. We kept good positioning through the first two laps, despite the wicked pace of the race, and a super talented field, including two dusters who used to ski for the Olympic team and are apparently "students" at U of Calgary. In the end, I think it's safe to say that the altitude caught up to both of us on the third lap. Scott yukked for the first time after any athletic endeavour and had no vision/couldn't stand upright for about 20 minutes after the race, and I was sucking wind for a good 5 minutes after the race, made me feel like a fat kid playing dodgeball in grade 5 gym class, along with the sweet burn in the legs leading to involuntary muscle spasms. Sounds like fun eh?! We ended up 15 of 18 teams, about 2 minutes back of the winners, so it could have been worse.

After our races, we checked out downton Canmore and headed back to the Nordic centre to catch the open men's and women's finals, which were both barnburners and super exciting to watch. After that, we came back to the chalet and hung out for the evening.

Day 2 (Sunday) was a 10km individ. start skate race. The course was 3 laps of 3.3km. Other than a few extremely short sections, you were either off-setting or tucking the whole loop. No joke. Hills out here forge champions harder than Eden Mills could ever imagine. The duration and incline of the climbs makes the demon and S-climb look like a mole-hill. Again, it was a sweet burn. Crazy to be out here racing with the best of what Canada has to offer, and despite what the results may show, it was pretty cool to finish at 10k course like that in only 30 minutes. It's pretty tough recovering on a course like that one, as even the downhills have your legs burning, and tricky 180 degree turns under bridges and around rocky corners make sure that your head is in the game for the entire race.

Sunday afternoon was pretty sick, we cruised into Banff and hit the hot springs, sporting some classic historic bathing suits, which consisted of a sweet unitard that was soo tight. It also came with a little cotton skirt to prevent our junk from flopping into view of the flocking spectators (most of which were women over the age of 60). In the company of Ben Jones, G-Kilroy and Daphne Haggarty, who also all rocked the historic tighties we were quite the show at the hot springs. After the bath, we picked up Patrick Monette (aka P-Money aka Big Dangler) and we all had a solid meal back at the Laurin palace.

Today was a day off, we got a sweet classic ski in of tomorrow's course, did some waxing, homework, and some frisbee golf. Just winding her down for the evening.

We will post some sweet videos/more posts after our next few days, hope all is well back in Guelph (aka the mud hole aka mother of dusty weather)!!

Take care of team roller skis

2010-11-20T18:23:00.003-05:00

After skiing on wet or muddy roads, wash off road grime while it is still wet and easy to clean. A brush, bucket and hose (just for filling the bucket) are conveniently provided in the team room.

Do NOT immerse the wheels in water, or you can do the dissassembly and grease job.

Clean the bindings well, and clean the soles of your boots so you don't grind them down with the road grit. A squirt of spray silicone or other nasty persistent chemical lubricant will also help the binding. (The same stuff on your boot soles keeps them from building up snow in wet snow conditions)

Before each ride, check the wheels roll nicely and the bolts are tight.
Check the bindings are well fastened.
Pay the Team Treasurer if you are borrowing team skis.

Coach Richard

Gryphons Skiers are truly “Bad Enough” for Badenoch

2010-11-16T16:28:00.004-05:00

(l to r: Gryphon Skiers Nadine Perron, Lindsey Chapman, and Robyn Klinkman placed 3rd, 2nd and 1st repsectively)

(U of T skier Patrick Monette placed 3rd (left) and Waterloo's Glenn Hartman (right, placed 2nd) both made the podium along with Gryphon skier Patrick Twohig (centre, placed 1st)

This past Saturday (November 6th), the Varsity Ski Team had one of its first races of the season at the Badenoch Duathlon, which took place in Badenoch, located about 20 minutes from the UofG campus. This race has become an annual event hosted by Guelph that involves a combination of running and roller skiing. The race provides further preparation for the upcoming season, and a first taste of this year’s competition on the OUA circuit.

On the women’s side, Guelph dominated the field, grabbing the top 4 places in the race which consisted of a 2km run and 8km roller ski. Lindsey Chapman (Aurora, ON) took the early lead in the 2km run, but rookie skier Robyn Klinkman (Bracebridge, ON) was hot on her heels, and was able to overtake Chapman in the roller ski portion of the race. Teammates Erin Creasor (Parry Sound, ON) and Nadine Perron (North Bay, ON) provided threats to the lead pack throughout the race, demonstrating the strength of the rookie class for the 2010-2011 season.

On the men’s side, Guelph also had a strong presence, despite a talented field of skiers from a variety of schools in the OUA, and considering that several members of the Gryphons team were unable to race. The men’s race consisted of a 4km run and an 8km roller ski. Veteran skiers Scott Weersink (St. Mary’s, ON) and Erin McLean-Purdon (Owen Sound, ON) surged to the front of the pack in the running leg, maintaining a rapid pace throughout the 4km leg. However, top Gryphon Patrick Twohig (Mississauga, ON) was able to make up lost time in the run and come out on top of the field after a strong roller ski.

Gryphon Women’s Results:
1. Robyn Klinkman 0:39:28
2. Lindsey Chapman 0:40:30
3. Erin Creasor 0:41:20
4. Nadine Perron 0:41:30
8.Jennie Hissa 0:46:04

Gryphon Men’s Results:
1. Patrick Twohig 0:38:40
6. Scott Weersink 0:40:40
8. Erin McLean-Purdon 0:41:20
14. Matt Underwood 0:46:40
15. Caleb Timmerman 0:48:08

Fall Camp Article

2010-11-16T16:26:00.001-05:00

Gryphon Skiers Push the Tempo at Annual Fall Training Camp

Last weekend the Men’s and Women’s Nordic ski teams travelled to Midland/Penetanguishene on the banks of beautiful Georgian Bay to attend their annual Fall Colours training camp.

The focus of this camp was intensity and technical proficiency in cross country skiing, in preparation for the upcoming season.

The weekend began bright and early Saturday morning with rollerski technique analysis thanks to the keen eyes of Head Coach Richard Lay, Assistant Coach Ian Ritchie, and crafty veterans such as Mike Weersink, Laura Hewitt, and Lindsey Chapman. Later on, speed and long duration intervals were carried out on the area’s quiet country roads and steep terrain.

On Saturday afternoon, the team travelled to the nearby Mountainview ski hills, which has been the site of OFSAA high school Nordic Ski championships in the past, as well as the Mountainview Snow Dog Race that the team frequents annually. This workout included a gruelling plyometrics (ski specific strength) and ski striding workout, in which leadership from talented veterans and keen rookies brought a new meaning to the term “throw down.”

Following an evening of good food, hot tubs, and team bonding, Sunday morning included the ever popular Cross Country Canada strength test in which every team member showed that they are not a foreigner in the weight room. Some of the highest scores ever recorded for the team were put up. Three skiers scored over 300 for the first time in the same test, topped by Men’s skiers Scott Weersink and Patrick Twohig who both attained a score of 322. The test measures the maximum amount of chin-ups, push-ups, sit ups, dips, and box jumps a skier can do in 1 minute, respectively. The rest of the day was spent on long distance exercises that focused on technique rather than speed.

The team continues to improve upon all aspects of the sport and looks forward to a promising season – the first on snow race is only 7 weeks away!

Eating on the Road

2010-10-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

1. Eating on the Road

FS: Another person asked about traveling to events and competitions, where most of the time you have to eat at restaurants. Since restaurants don’t always have the best choices from a health perspective, do you have any suggestions for getting foods that are nutritious, and that follow regular eating habits, while you’re traveling?

AK: That’s a really good one. We’ll actually pack food bags with us when we travel, especially when you know you’re going to go to a destination without common foods, and foods you’re used to. If you know a certain cereal or oatmeal is your go-to pre-competition meal, take it with you. You can get a little hotpot and cook it, and take ownership of nutrition for yourself. Kashi makes pre-cooked grains—there’s a lot of ways you can take food with you on the road.

If you’re domestically traveling, and you’re in a hotel, you [can] get sick of eating out—there’s a tendency not to get what you need. Find a local grocery store and find what you can pick through in a complete salad bar—look for a place where you can find what you’re used to eating, where you’re not relying on a menu as much. We have a tendency to overlook the grocery stores and the Whole Foods-type places. When you can walk into any one of those places and buy some bread and deli meat and make a sandwich, that’s going to save you quite a bit of money, and also make you a balanced meal. Salads, rotisserie chickens, you can kind of play around with them that way.

If you are worried about wasting the food, go in with a buddy—You pack it in your luggage and plan for it. If you’re going to country X, where the food is not great, that’s where you tell the athletes to make sure to bring enough to eat right before competitions. I think it’s a matter of planning ahead.

[from Fasterskier.com]

richard

More iron, calcium, Vitamin D

2010-10-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

1. More Iron, Calcium, D vitamin

FS: Is there any other gender-specific nutritional advice you could provide people with?

AK: I think iron is a huge one—it’s especially important in younger women as they mature, but it’s important in men as well. That’s a big one. Also, calcium is a big one, especially in more of the aerobic sports. If people are getting stress fractures, that’s something that really needs to be looked into little more. The way calcium works in the body, we’ll say roughly until about age 25 that you store calcium. Beyond that, your body is no longer storing it—it’s just using what you put into it. For kids, thinking about it as a piggy bank, it’s really important to make sure you’re having three servings a day, especially if you’re someone coming off an injury. It’s one of those things you really need to be proactive on.

Vitamin D is the latest craze—that’s just really huge in the literature and the media right now. It’s a combination of a, people aren’t outside nearly as much any more and b, when they are outside they are covered up and c, they are able to test for it now. So, of course, we’re finding epidemic levels of vitamin D deficiency. Obviously, you find dairy products fortified with vitamin D, or otherwise go outside and get some sunshine.

[ from Fasterskier.com]

Richard

Dietary Iron

2010-10-02T15:36:00.000-04:00

1. Dietary Iron

FS: .. someone wrote in asking about getting enough iron, especially for women. What would you suggest to a cross-country skier who recently became a vegetarian, in terms of foods and supplements?

AK: That’s a good question. That’s one of the things we do screen our athletes for. We do complete iron profiles, checking their iron, hemoglobin, and serum iron stores. That is a huge deal, and it’s something we try to take a proactive approach on. It’s absolutely essential, knowing iron functions as the primary carrier of oxygen in the body.

Is it possible for vegetarians to get adequate iron? It is—it’s just a lot more difficult. Animal sources of iron are heme sources, which are much better absorbed than the vegetable counterparts, which are non-heme. Non-heme is a less efficiently absorbed form of iron.

When someone is a vegetarian and looking to have more iron-rich food in their diet, one thing they need to focus on is every time they’re having one of those non-heme sources of iron, they need to couple it with a vitamin C source. Quinoa is a source of iron: have that with tomatoes, or some lemon squeezed in there to help with the absorption. Pumpkin seeds are one of the richest non-meat sources of iron: You add a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal in the morning—having that with four ounces of orange juice is going to give you plenty of vitamin C.

There definitely are ways to get iron from non-meat sources—it just becomes much more difficult, because they’re not as well absorbed. Tofu can be a good source, but four ounces of tofu to give you six milligrams of iron is nowhere the same amount you’d get from shellfish. If they are really concerned about it, in a deficient state, that’s when you’d want to look towards supplementing your iron.

[from Fasterskier.com]

richard

Food as a Nutritional Supplement

2010-10-02T15:35:00.000-04:00

1. Food as a Nutritional Supplement

FS: Are there any foods you see as being underrated, that people really should be eating more of?

AK: It may sound kind of cheesy, but I think almost all foods are kind of underrated in the sport world. There’s no marketing behind an apple, versus how much marketing there is behind some kind of protein concoction. I always try to steer them towards, ‘how can we try to make a smoothie without relying on all these concoctions?’ You’ve got a bar with 40 grams of carbs and 12 grams of protein—I say, ‘here’s food that’s exactly the same composition.’ I think all food tends to be underrated, in the fact that it doesn’t have any sexy appeal to it, as some of this other stuff does.

FS: What about the other way around? Are there things you would warn athletes to steer clear of?

AK: There’s no forbidden food or beverage—it’s all about how or when you consume it. You’re not going to get done with a training session and just hammer down 10 beers. And you wouldn’t want to have ribs before a race. But if you’re at a barbeque on the weekend…

I would hate to hone in on a miracle food. There’s foods higher in antioxidants that are full of essential amino acids, but as part of a whole, balanced dietary plan, you can achieve those almost anywhere. There are components of foods that are amazing, but they are present across a wide variety of food groups and types of food. That’s how I approach that one.

[excerpt from Fasterskier.com]

- richard

Bars, Gels and Drink Mix

2010-10-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

1. Bars, Gels & Drink Mixes

FS: Do you have to use recovery-specific products, or even athlete-specific products like bars, gels, drink mixes, etc.? Do those have anything in them that normal foods don’t? Or for the most part, can people rely on the stuff they find at the grocery store?

AK: When it comes to bars and gels, we use them, absolutely. When we’re here in Park City, I try to really push the athletes towards the food, because when they are traveling and competing, that’s when they need to rely on those bars. I don’t want them to have 23 bars a week in training sessions, and then get over to Europe being so sick of them that they don’t want ’em. We’ve all had the experience where you get somewhere and the food is terrible, and you have to have a bar for dinner. I always try to make sure that they have the right bars handy and tolerate them well, but my first goal is to really get them to have the real food when they can—and the bars when they need them.

Things like Gu and gels, they’ll be using those in most training session—we’ll be working on finding the ones they like, and timing them. They’ll use those pretty consistently during training, and then really try to go for the sandwich or the smoothie after a session.

[excerpt from fasterskier.com]

Richard

Hydration

2010-10-02T15:33:00.000-04:00

1. Hydration {Drinking}

FS: How do you check a sweat rate?

AK: We’ll have them check a weight before they train, and have them check a weight immediately after they’re done training, and then factor in exactly in what they drank during the session. From the change in weight, we can determine how much fluid was lost—the rule of thumb is that per pound of weight you lose, 20 to 24 ounces of fluid need to be replaced. You want to come up with a plan so that they’re not dumping 36 ounces of water in their stomach as soon as they’re done, because you don’t absorb it.

Getting them to take the small, frequent doses of water is going to help them be better hydrated.

FS: Do you think hydration is something that’s often overlooked, since people are more focused on what they eat?

AK: I think it’s easy to overlook. You may not be drinking enough, or you may need to add some electrolytes to what you’re drinking. ... [Also], good hydration doesn’t stop when training stops—it’s all day. There is a pretty big tendency—athletes are good at hydrating during training, but then when the day goes on, that’s when we want to be sure we’re maintaining that hydration level.

- Richard

Nutrition for Recovery

2010-10-02T15:27:00.001-04:00

Nutrition Article

Fasterskier.com interview with Adam Korzun, sport dietician with USSA

1. Recovery

FS: For cross-country skiers, the area of biggest concern, nutritionally, is recovery. Can you talk about the body’s nutritional demands after a workout?

AK: If you look at the basics of recovery, it’s carbs and protein, within a certain amount of time after a workout. Post-workout, your body’s in a state of breakdown—you’ve used your energy stores. The muscle’s tissue is damaged and broken down. Your body needs to repair, but it can’t do that without energy. The idea is get carbohydrates and protein into your body as soon as possible.

The carbs will stop the muscle breakdown, and start to build muscle glycogen, which is your energy. Protein comes in once the breakdown stops, and you can use the protein to rebuild your muscles. You need the protein to repair, but you need the carbs to stop the breakdown.

The basics are carbs and protein, as soon as possible. .. You’ve got a range of carbohydrates, from 30 to 100 grams, and protein, from 10 to 30 grams. It’s a pretty broad range—depending on how intense your training session was, ... If you’re doing an hour-long core session, you’re keeping your heart rate relatively low—it’s not essential that you replenish 60 to 70 grams of carbs at that point. A piece of fruit could be an adequate carbohydrate source at that point, and then adding some protein, like string cheese, could be perfect. Say you’re on the run—chocolate milk could be perfect right there.

Most foods are labeled with statistics showing the amount of carbohydrates and protein per serving.

That’s another thing: You’re looking at recovery as a snack, not as a meal. Within 20 to 30 minutes of finishing, your body’s primed to take the carbs and protein into the muscle cells. That said, you don’t need to overdo it—it’s just as snack, because then you’re going to have your meal one-and-a-half to two hours later. You look at what you depleted and how hard you worked to gauge how much you replenish.

If your session was a little bit more intense, maybe you want to have a turkey and cheese sandwich, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk, or maybe a fruit smoothie. You play around with the amounts, based on how hard you worked—that’s how you make sure you’re getting the right amount when you need it, but not getting excessive amounts when you don’t. I think that’s especially important in sports like cross-country and nordic combined... getting the right nutrients at the right time.

FS: Are there any methods you can use to see if you’re recovering the right way and eating the right amount—not too much, not too little?

AK: There’s some folks that will tell you that good recovery can be seen in decreased muscle soreness. I don’t necessarily believe that myself. As far as the carbs and protein component, really looking at the energy level that day into the next day—that’s how recovery makes the most difference, is in those repeat training days. If you’ve got training coming up eight to 12 hours after your first session, the faster you eat, the better fueled and recovered you’ll be next time you go out. Just seeing how you feel, knowing how you feel—that’s kind of a subjective measure, but most people aren’t going to track morning blood glucose levels at a younger level.

Dryland pole length

2010-09-23T13:30:00.002-04:00

Skiers,

On Tuesday I saw a lot of dry land poles that were WAY too long. Your equipment needs to fit properly if you re going to get the most out of your workouts. Dry land poles should be approximately 10cm shorter than your classic ski poles. If yours are too long than cut them or find new ones. If you are unsure about how to do this than speak with your equipment managers (Jordan, Erin, Mike).

Happy training,

Ian

Here is the SWIX RACING CHART (Pole Length is in cm.)
SKIER HEIGHT...CLASSIC LENGTH...SKATE LENGTH...
4'11"...............120........................130
45'0"...............122.5.....................132.5
5'1".................125........................135
5'2".................127.5.....................137.5
5'3".................130........................140
5'4".................132.5.....................142.5
5'5".................135........................145
5'6".................137.5.....................147.5
5'7".................140........................150
5'8".................142.5.....................152.5
5'9".................145........................155
5'10"...............147.5.....................157.5
5'11"...............150........................160
6'0".................152.5.....................162.5
6'1".................155........................165
6'2".................157.5.....................167.5
6'3".................160........................170
6'4".................162.5.....................172.5
6'5".................165........................175
6'6".................170

order jackets and suits by Thurs Sept 23

2010-09-18T19:09:00.000-04:00

Hi team,

Our illustrious co-treasurer has offered to order the jackets and coats using the $ from the team account. You will then include the price of clothing in your fall team fee. This will simplify things a lot but it means that we need to get the orders in right away...

***So I need to know your order by this coming THURS SEPT 23***

You can give me the form at practice or email me the size you want for jacket and suit if you can't come to practice.

Also if you are looking for a medium jacket Jordan is looking to sell one for a reduced price I believe. Just a heads up.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend so far!
Lindsey :)

tpyo!

2010-09-09T20:54:00.002-04:00

It was pointed out to me that I made a mistake on the clothing order form. The jackets fit small...that means you should get a size LARGER than you think not smaller like it says on the form. My bad.

Also I forgot to mention that I have a few of the old team jackets up for sale, mediums I think. Email me if you are interested.

Lindsey

Brooke Gosling - It's the Little Things that Count

2010-09-06T22:16:00.002-04:00

The Little Things
We have all heard the phrase “look after the little things” and most of the time we nod our heads in agreement or understanding of what that phrase encompasses. Over the last two years since I have been a part of the Alberta World Cup Academy I have heard this on an on-going basis and have indirectly been reminded of it everyday. Sometimes it causes me anxiety because when I do an account in my head it starts spinning so fast with everything I have been told to look after…and essentially all these little things are actually one big thing that can make or break you as an athlete.

The other observation that I have made about these so called “little things” is that they don’t affect you until you are at a race that matters the most. So I have compiled a list of the little thing I feel are important and also what I have been taught being on the Academy and also
from observing athletes who can hold it together when it matters. Please feel free to add to this list as I think this is an important exercise for any high performance athlete.

In no particular order, here are some “little things”:

-SLEEP: rule of thumb, you need 8-9 hrs plus whatever you trained to recover properly. This is very important for women because this is the only time that you release growth hormones= recovery of muscles.

-FUEL: plan to eat 6-8 times a day. Breakfast should be well rounded, try different things to find what works for you- spend the time to figure this out, it is key, everyone is different! You also may need to vary this for intensity or races vs. an over-distance workout or strength. After training re-fuel with a liquid recovery mix for the quickest absorption (try different products to find what works for you, ask your teammates, coaches).
Lunch should be one of your biggest meals, followed by a snack before your second training and then liquid recovery after your second training. Remember to bring a snack and sport drink for distance workouts and plan to bring recovery nutrition with you if you have to travel to and from training. Timing is key. Try to keep meals whole and well rounded- you need fruits and vegetables! if you don’t like them, take greens plus or an alternative!

-REST AND RECOVERY: Find out what works for you, sometimes this is a nap, sometimes this is reading, homework or crocheting :). This is essential between workouts and between races. You need to find a way to decompress and let your body and mind chill out. This is the toughest one for me as I work and try to run errands.

-PLAN your day and week: As an athlete or student athlete or athlete with children, time management is the key to performance and fitting in the little things. Plan your meals; plan your workouts, when you will shop, when you need to run into the city to get new roller ski wheels, when you need to get blood testing done, when you need to nap.

-Be SELFISH: this year more then any other year has to be about “you”. Always ask yourself if a decision or action is helping you achieve your goal or not. Those closest to you will understand. You can’t be stretching yourself thin or trying to please everyone or saying yes to everyone- it costs a lot of energy and stress is very hard on the body!

-Find a GOOD DOCTOR: At this point in the game you need to know what’s happening in your body. This means knowing you are not low on anything. Find a doctor who can help with regular blood testing. Make sure you keep them up to date on how you are feeling and always ask questions.

-STRETCH: This is so essential for recovery. The easiest ways I have found for stretching are the following: get a yoga pass- if you pay for it you have to go!, stretch for the duration of a half hour sitcom or other tv show, get a stretching group organized within your team- we tried this briefly last year and it definitely has potential.

-MASSAGE: You need to budget 2 massages a month at the very least. Do some research and talk to other athletes about who they have seen and who they like. You don’t want to waste your money on blindly going to see a massage therapist that can’t go deep enough.

-PHYSIOTHERAPY: Skiers are prone to overuse injuries. We are constantly on edge of pushing our bodies too far. Try to see someone once a month to ensure you have good mobility and biomechanics, get them to give you strengthening and balancing exercises. We are all good had hammering, but sometimes taking time to realign is a chore.

...
-SUPPLEMENTS: A good coach will know physiologically what you need. Talk to them or talk to a doctor or sports doctor. Endurance athletes are usually depleting everything everyday, you need to be sure you are starting each day topped up and ready to go. You don’t want to feel tired for two months and find out it was because of low iron or low vitamin D. This is another avenue to help you keep track of where you are at in
training and feeling especially when there are a few months on your ilog that have feeling level of 3.

-PSYCHOLOGY: At this level everyone is as fit as the next. The one who will win is the one who can push past the pain for the longest. I would definitely suggest budgeting in a sport psychologist. They can help you get stronger and help you with race plans, strategy, imagery and overall well being.

-SUPPORT Network: Ensure that the people you have around you are “in the know”. Your family and true friends will understand where you are at and why you are going to bed at 9 or yawning at the bbq at 7. You want to feel comfortable in your circle, not that you have to stretch yourself out to maintain good relationships.

-FINANCIAL Stability: Nordic skiing in North America is a tough career to get wealthy off of. It is getting
better, but a lot of athletes struggle. Work on making your sponsorship package stellar, plan a few days to go and seek out sponsors, cold call companies, talk to other athletes who have had success with getting financial backing. If you want this to happen, you really have to make it happen. It takes work, people will not just hand you money, especially with the economy’s current volatile state. You can also set up a meeting with your bank to talk to someone about budgeting and financial planning. Financial stress is just as much an
energy drain as any other type of stress.

-COACH Relationship: An athlete needs to have 100% confidence in the coaches prescribed program and the coach needs to have 100% confidence in the athlete’s ability to recover and look after the little things to execute the program. Find out what works for you: email, phone, face time. Always ask questions, keep track of how you are feeling and how that fits into the period of training, be honest with your coach and speak up if you are not sure. You have to be proactive about the program.

-EQUIPMENT: Be prepared the night before a workout. Don’t show up with classic poles for a skating intensity because you left your skate poles in the team van. Make sure your pole tips are sharp. Show up with enough water and fuel for the workout. Show up early to wax skis and be ready so you can get a quality warm-up in.

-Pay attention and Observe: who are the fastest on the team, what do they do differently to get to that level (within reason). Pick their brain, ask questions and in harder workouts use them to bring you to the next level. If you are the fastest female use the boys for benchmarks. Don’t be afraid to go with the fastest athlete.

-Know the purpose of the workout: Each workout has a purpose. Pick two technique cues and then follow the plan. If it is a low z3 workout, go low z3. It is important to write this down in a book or in your training log, you need to have a quality workout!

-Balance: Staying happy and excited for training and racing is probably the most important. Obviously it is tough to stay even-keel all the time when you are pushing your body so hard and you are constantly on hormonal peaks and valleys. Take the time to make sure you have a good balance. Be aware of you happiness and ensure you have a balanced lifestyle.

Hopefully that can help some of you. Obviously some people may not agree with all the points, but I encourage you to make your own check list!
Happy training!
Brooke

- posted by Coach Richard

Team Meeting #1 - Agenda

2010-09-06T19:43:00.003-04:00

Thurs 9 Sept, 6:30-730 pm
AC #202

welcome & intros
What are your season goals?
Training programs
Race schedule - a new "University & Colleges Ontario Cup" , race licenses
Team selection
Coaching - Richard Lay, Ian Ritchie, Curtis Donnahee
Manager - Shaun Guerin
Communications (blog, press) - Patrick Twohig
Finances - Laura Hewitt, Kyla Vanderzwet - team fees
Wax & Equipment - Jordan Forsyth, Erin McLean-Purdon
Roller Ski rentals - Mike Weersink
Clothing - Lindsey Chapman
Athletics Dept - Health & Waiver form, Eligibility Form, Handbook, varsity fee, drugs policy, code of conduct, full-time studies requirement
Fun Stuff

- posted by Coach Richard

Ski Season Dates

2010-08-23T22:49:00.002-04:00

Here are some dates to start the season:

Sat 4 Sept, noon-3 pm: Residence Move In - meet new students and help carry their stuff. Call Richard to offer to help.
Wed 8 Sept, 9-10:30 am: Academic orientation for 1st year Gryphon skiers. at Library.
Thurs 9 Sept, 6:30-7:30 pm, AC Rm #202: Nordic Ski Team organization meeting

Sunday 26 September, Orangeville: Mono Trail Run, with optional Brooks shopping spree afterwards (Mississauga)
Oct 15-17: Fall Training Camp, Penetang
Dec 18-19: O-Cup #1, Duntroon

- Coach Richard

Athletics Director's Message

2010-08-18T23:09:00.002-04:00

Here is a strong message I received from the Director of Athletics to all us coaches. I think I can share it with you as it reiterates some of the athletics policies I have already sent you, and which we will be discussing again.

Coaches,

Its that time of year again. Everyone is powering up for another season and we are all optimistic about results that we can achieve. Its also time for me to send to you my precautionary message about things that can negatively affect your program. Please ensure that you address the following issues with your staff and teams.

Health Forms

We have instituted on-line forms this year and i understand that this process is going well. Please ensure that all of your athletes are cleared to participate before they begin training camp. If your athletes have been flagged or if you are not sure of their status you should consult with Gunner before the athletes participates with your team.

Eligibility

Your athletes must be registered for school before they can compete and they must be registered in a minimum of 9 credit hours in the semester in which they will compete. ...

Hazing

Gryphon Aathletics has a zero tolerance policy on hazing. This means that initiation parties are not allowed. Any activity that requires individuals to do things against their will or has the potential to cause embarrassment is not acceptable. Drinking alcohol, keg parties, dressing up, public exhibitions etc are not acceptable (you get the idea). Remember that in the age of face-book and You Tube nothing is private and the most innocent parties will end up causing a problem for all of us. I hate to sound harsh BUT ignorance on your part is no defense. You are responsible for the behavior of your athletes and you will be held accountable. It is mandatory that you discuss these issues with your team and you must agree to any orientation activities that your team wishes to conduct.

Doping

The on-line and in-person drug education will be valuable to your athletes and to your coaches. After the debacle at Waterloo, the CIS will be ramping up the random tests over the next year. The department will also be implementing its own random testing as required. Please make your athletes aware of the consequences of performance enhancing drugs from an individual and team perspective. I am also concerned that athletes understand that social drugs are also banned and can be tested during competition. These drugs can stay in the system a long time. Your athletes should be aware of the issues around social drugs. Please make doping discussions a regular part of your meetings with athletes. Let us maintain the positive brand image of Gryphon Athletics.

Conduct

You and your athletes are representing the image and reputation of Gryphon athletics and the University of Guelph. Athletes public behavior must conform to the Code of Conduct that every athlete will receive. More is expected of our athletes than would be expected from the normal student body. Any negative behavior will quickly become a public issue for the media. Mentor your athletes to be ideal citizens. Do not wait until they get into trouble before you make them aware of their responsibilities.

I am optimistic that we are going to have our best year yet. We have great staff and excellent athletes, but the athletes are young and they need guidance.

I wish you all much success and remember that my door is always open and my job is to help you in any way that i can.

Tom Kendall
Director of Athletics
Department of Athletics
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
N1G2W1
(W)519-824-4120 Ext.56593
Fax: 519-766-9563
Email: tkendall@uoguelph.ca

PROUD TO BE A GRYPHON!

2010-07-22T22:35:00.002-04:00

Roller skiing in torrential rain and hale only makes you stronger- or appreciated snow a whole lot more!

Ladies Number One Strength Training Session

2010-06-24T23:11:00.000-04:00

Power Weight Routine- Exercise Descriptions
Gord Fogg’s Demo 24 June 2010

1. Deadlift – Load a barbell and set it on the floor or rests to raise it slightly from floor. Squat behind the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar overhand with your hands just outside your legs, your shoulders over or just behind the bar, your arms straight and your back slightly arched (the opposite of rounded). Engage your abs (transverse abdominals – the core stabilizer muscles.).
Finish: Push your hips back, straighten your knees, push down with your heels and pull the weight to your body as you stand up. Pause with the weight (don’t lean back), then slowly return to the starting position. Pause with the weight on the floor and reset your body over the bar.

2. Clean Pull – Same as a vertical jump. Hold the bar using overhand grip approximately shoulder-width apart. The bar is at your shins or just above your knees. Your hips are down, feet flat and shoulders tall. Your back should be arched - not be rounded at all. Forcefully drive into the ground to pull the bar off the floor. Hips, knees, ankle extension just like in a standing jump. You can get the weight moving by moving your hips back just as you start the jump. This is an explosive leg strength exercise.

3. Barbell hang clean - Grab the barbell with an overhand, shoulder width grip. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, with your knees bent about 30 degrees, and bend forward at the hips as you hold the bar at arm’s length just below or above the knees.
Finish: This is a multipart sequence that you execute quickly and powerfully. First, dip your knees, as if you were about to jump. Quickly reverse the motion, as if you were jumping and trying to throw the bar over your shoulders. With all this upward momentum generated by your lower body and then your traps (shoulder shrug), pull the bar up to shoulder level as fast as you can. Finally, dip down with your knees and hips as you ’catch’ the bar on your shoulders. Your upper arms should end up parallel to the floor, in front of your torso, with the bar resting on your shoulders, not your wrists.

4. Barbell Front squat – Face the barbell in the squat supports. Bend your knees slightly to step into it and set it on the front of your shoulders. Hold the bar with a wide cross over grip, straighten your legs to lift the bar off the rack, step away from the rack, and set your feet shoulder – width apart with your knees slightly bent and your lower back in its naturally arched position.
Finish: Initiating the descent at the hips, not the knees, lower yourself as though sitting in a chair behind you. Stop when the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor or when you can no longer keep you back vertical, pause, then push back up to the starting position. Your knees should stay in line with your feet throughout the movement – they shouldn’t splay out or pinch in

5. Push Press –. Start with the bar on your shoulders in front of the neck. Keep the body upright, dip downward until you are at a quarter-squat position and then forcefully drive upwards with your legs using this power and momentum to drive the weight overhead while jumping to a stride position for front-back stability. Your arms and legs should be straight when the weight is locked out overhead. Step together and control the weight as you lower it back down to the shoulders.

6. Split Squat or Lunge- Place the bar behind your neck. Or hold dumbbells down by your sides. Place one foot well out in front of the other in a staggered position. Set your core and maintain an erect torso as you descend as deep as possible with the front heel firmly on the floor and the rear heel slightly raised. Attempt to push with the back leg as much as possible. Your front knee should not go fwd of your toes. Push up to feet together.

7. Single Dumbbell Shoulder Press – Holding a dumbbell above and beside your shoulder, elbow wide so that your upper arm is 90° to your torso.
Complete a shoulder press in this position Press the dumbbell straight up. Pause, and then slowly return to the starting position.
Variation: Stand on half ball for balance training.

8. Bench Press – Lying on your back on the bench, hold the bar with an overhand grip shoulder width. As you lower the bar towards your chest, push your shoulders down = away from your ears. Lower bar almost to the nipple line and prevent shoulder blades from dropping below level of bench. Keep wrists in a neutral position (all lined up so weight is directed straight down through arms) to minimize load on your wrists. Push up fast.

9. Dumbbell Flies – from same bench press position lying on bench. As in Bench Press, don’t let shoulders shrug or form a T-position straight out to your side; upper arms should be at less than 90 deg to torso when seen from your spotter’s position.

10. Back on the Ball. Lying on your back on the mat, place your heels on an exercise ball and assume the plank position. Exercise 1) Drop your hips almost to mat, then raise back to plank. Exercise 2) Starting from the plank position, lift your hips as high as possible, while pulling your heels in slightly. Exercise 3) Repeat while lifting one straight leg off ball.

Deleted from original list of exercises:
Reverse Grip Barbell Bench Press– Not recommended.
Good Mornings– Not recommended.
Incline Bench Presses – Not recommended.
Decline Bench Presses – Not recommended

thank you Vesta, Annalee, Gillian, Jessica, Kyla, Laura & Laura, Lindsey, Jennie & thank you Shaun, Jordan, Matti, Erin, Ian, Patrick, Mike, Scott

2010-04-11T10:06:00.002-04:00

for a promised night in the Borealis
for a cowbell from the Olympics
for the pleasure of your company at dinner on Thursday
it really can't get much better
you have friends you enjoy spending time with and doing real things
you have known difficulty and hardship and come out laughing
you have come from Wiarton, Sudbury, Owen Sound, Penetanguishene, Etobicoke, Kenora, Mississauga, St Mary's, Orangeville, Almonte, Tobermory, Aurora, Orillia, Wahnapitae, Parry Sound and Port Elgin.
How would you ever meet and befriend such a group from those far-flung places?
You have been to vietnam, gatineau, whitehorse, nicaragua, duntroon, bolivia, badenoch, france, eden mills, germany, ottawa, india,val cartier, hepworth
and are ever moving on, certain that there are new adventures and places to explore.
remember us all and be proud that you made it happen

Richard

5 peaks Trail Run- April 24

2010-03-26T16:09:00.002-04:00

There is a 6 or 12 km trail run near Hamilton on April 24th. These races are pretty well organized and plenty challenging. I am driving from Guelph and anyone who is interested is welcome to jump in. Registration is limited so those interested should get on it.

http://www.5peaks.com/schedule.asp?p=on&raceid=212

Ian

:o)

2010-03-21T13:34:00.002-04:00

So, I may have found a new sport.

The good thing is, it still involves skiing.

I had the fortunate opportunity to try the biathlon yesterday at Chelsea Nordic – aww man, it was so cool! Really, it’s stupid how satisfying it feels to see a little white circle pop into view, which is what happens when you hit the target. Luckily, I heeded to my mother’s insightful advice, and managed not to shoot any people, so that was good too.

I think I might move to Chelsea some day. It is a little village about 15 minutes outside of Gatineau, with anything a sensible person could ever want. First of all, the Gatineau Park trails are within walking distance. It was near here that the annual Cookie Beiner started last weekend (distance ski + lots of free cookies = happy skiers). But beyond that, there is a delicious bakery; a cafe with a chill atmosphere, beautiful art, and very good coffee; and, a sweet pub that sells a really good stout beer that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else (though that could just be because I don’t have the French name right). Ok, so maybe most sensible people need more than skiing/hiking, beer, coffee, and baked goods to stay enthusiastic about life, but I think I’d be happy living there. Anyone want to join me?

Those are pretty much the highlights from this part of the country. The bagels still taste good. 85% of the world’s maple syrup is made in Québec, though that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to pay $20 for a pancake lunch and maple sugar bush tour, unless you are planning on eating $20 worth of bacon and sausages at the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (I was not). The parliament buildings have some sick architecture. And, in conclusion, I think bus drivers are some of the friendliest people I have met here. If you want to converse in broken French, they play along. If you’re lost and prefer some help in English, that’s cool too.

Hope moo town is treating you all well. Sorry I missed that Rugski socball match. Anyone do the funtathalon? Miss you guys! (Unless people I don’t know are reading this blog. I don’t miss you, as far as I know.)

Ciao for now,
Kyla

Tea&Ski Warm down exercises

2010-03-11T18:28:00.003-05:00

Now that we have recovered from the championship game of Rugski Sockball on the Eden Mills Millpond and digested the meal without any reported violent illness, time for business.

"Volunteers" needed
Treasurer (if Kyla is on coop Fall 2010)
Manager (trip logistics)
Assistant Manager
Camp Counsellor (plan fall and winter camp)
Ski & Wax Technicians (2 needed): Jordan, ...
Clothing: Lindsey

Moving Day - Saturday 13 March, 10 am
Move our stuff from Stadium to AC.
Clean the room completely.
Clean any wax from floors.
Pack up shower room ski rack without losing any pieces.
Pack up the wax benches without losing any pieces.
Pack up the wax and equipment boxes in a neat and logical fashion.
Inventory all roller skis.
Inventory all wax benches, cords, wax boxes, etc.

This is tne last chance to conveniently summerize your skis using team benches, iron and old glide wax. I recommend you do it Friday or Saturday BEFORE 10 am.

see you there
Richard

There is a short video from OUAs on our facebook page.

2010-03-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

Fischer loppet(s)

2010-02-23T11:48:00.002-05:00

The Fischer loppet is taking place from March 5-7.
The races include a sprint on the Friday, 20 and 40k skate races on Saturday and 20 and 40k classic races on Sunday. Should be a fun. I m planning on doing the 40km skate.

Registration closes Friday Feb 27 at 6pm.

i

http://hardwoodskiandbike.ca/index.php?view=details&id=103%3Afischerloppetjackrabbitraces&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=95

Gryphon men win silver at OUA Championships

2010-02-22T21:33:00.002-05:00

Feb. 20-21: OUA Nordic Ski Championships

*ORANGEVILLE, Ont*. – The Guelph Gryphon men’s Nordic Ski team won the overall team silver medal at the Ontario University Athletics Championships today at Monora Park in Orangeville. The Gryphon women finished fourth overall.

The Lakehead Thunderwolves women won their sixth straight OUA title, while the Carleton Ravens are the new men's champions after dethroning five-time champion Lakehead.

The Carleton men earned a total of 43 points, ahead of the second-place Guelph Gryphons (95) and third-place Laurentian Voyageurs (117).

Skiers with Top 10 combined individual times earn OUA all-star recognition. Matti Little (Sudbury, Ont.) was the top Gryphon at the Championships finishing 5th overall. He was fourth in the men’s 10km classic and fifth in the 15km freestyle. Also finishing inside the top ten and an OUA all-star was Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, Ont.) finishing ninth in the men’s 10 km classic race and 12th in the 15km freestyle.

The Gryphon team of Erin McLean-Purdon (Owen Sound, Ont.), Ritchie and Little took relay bronze in a time of 44:53, with anchor Little only 9 s back of Carleton's Colin Abbot. Waterloo staged the upset of the day, with anchor Henry Reich out-gliding Abbott and Little on the final downhill to the stadium.

Vesta Mather (Wahnapitae, Ont.) was the top Gryphowoman and was named an OUA all-star. She finished eighth in the 10km freestyle race and 10th in the 5km classic. Also named all-star was Laura Hewitt (Orillia ON) after a seventh place finish in the 10km freestyle and 17th in the 5km classic, her best OUA result and a great reward in her graduating year.

Coach Richard Lay said he was so proud of his skiers, knowing the way they had worked together since the first team meeting back in the first week of school in September. "Everything adds up - a roller ski session in the rain tonight, an early morning in the gym tomorrow, a sunny afternoon blasting the hills up north on Saturday. This weekend's results were the past 5 month's results, and the past several year."

Men's Overall Champion: Colin Abbott (Carleton)
Women's Overall Champion: Alana Thomas (Carleton)
Coach of the Year: Hans Fischer (Toronto)

TEAM STANDINGS – MEN
*Carleton 43
Guelph 95
Laurentian 117
Waterloo 138
Lakehead 199
Toronto 251
Queen's 339
Nipissing 380

*TEAM STANDINGS – WOMEN
*Lakehead 58
Carleton 67
Laurentian 82
Guelph 117
Toronto 257
Queen's 291
Waterloo 340

*MEN'S 10 KM CLASSIC
*1. Colin Abbott (Carleton) 28:18.2
2. Evan Odell (Laurentian) 29:17.5
3. Henry Reich (Waterloo) 29:25.5

*WOMEN'S 5 KM CLASSIC
*1. Alana Thomas (Carleton) 16:10.0
2. Mary Thompson (Laurentian) 16:35.3
3. Adele Lay (Carleton) 16:42.7

*MEN'S 15 KM CLASSIC RELAY*
1. Waterloo 44:31.8
(Tim Rhodes, Andrew Jeffery, Henry Reich)
2. Carleton 44:44.8
(Matthias Purdon, André Marchand, Colin Abbott)
3. Guelph 44:53.3
(Erin McLean-Purdon, Ian Ritchie, Matti Little)

*WOMEN'S 7.5 KM CLASSIC RELAY
*1. Carleton 22:57.0
(Zoe Braul, Adele Lay, Alana Thomas)
2. Lakehead 23:20.0
(Britt Bailey, Kara Jaspers, Anna Crawford)
3. Laurentian 23:35.0
(Janel Sauder, Lindsay Anderson, Mary Thompson)

*MEN'S 15 KM FREESTYLE
*1. Colin Abbott (Carleton) 41:45.1
2. Evan Odell (Laurentian) 42:15.9
3. Matthias Purdon (Carleton) 42:55.9

*WOMEN'S 10 KM FREESTYLE
*1. Anna Crawford (Lakehead) 31:09.2
2. Alana Thomas (Carleton) 31:11.2
3. Mary Thompson (Laurentian) 31:13.8

*MEN'S ALL-STARS
*Colin Abbott (Carleton) 1:10:03.3
Evan Odell (Laurentian) 1:11:33.4
Henry Reich (Waterloo) 1:12:32.6
Matthias Purdon (Carleton) 1:12:40.8
Matti Little (Guelph) 1:12:52.5
André Marchand (Carleton) 1:13:46.4
Andrew Jeffery (Waterloo) 1:14:37.4
Logan Potter (Carleton) 1:14:42.4
Ian Ritchie (Guelph) 1:15:07.1
Lee Hawkings (Carleton) 1:15:16.5

*WOMEN'S ALL-STARS
*Alana Thomas (Carleton) 47:21.2
Mary Thompson (Laurentian) 47:49.1
Anna Crawford (Lakehead) 47:54.3
Adele Lay (Carleton) 48:49.7
Janel Sauder (Laurentian) 49:01.3
Kara Jaspers (Lakehead) 49:15.8
Vesta Mather (Guelph) 50:04.9
Britt Bailey (Lakehead) 50:11.4
Laura Hewitt (Guelph) 50:28.6
Daphne Haggarty (Lakehead) 50:54.8

2010-02-21T19:27:00.002-05:00

Gryphons haul the hardware in Hepworth

2010-02-08T10:44:00.001-05:00

Same article sent to atheltics:

Gryphons haul the hardware in Hepworth

On Sunday February 7th, the Nordic ski team was at Georgian Bay Nordic (GBN) in Hepworth, ON, for the annual Suntrail Source for Adventure skate race. The race attracts a high volume of local racers from the Owen Sound region, especially those from GBN, which is renowned as one of the top racing clubs in the province.

With sun shining on the trails, fast snow, and moderate temperatures, a recipe for Gryphon success was in the cards. The women’s race was a 7km thriller, with the Gryphon team continuing to vie for gold. Laura Hewitt (Orillia, ON) finished the race in first, with a blistering time of 19:50. Joining her on the podium were teammates Vesta Mather (Wahnapitae, ON) and Lindsey Chapman (Aurora, ON).

The junior women also demonstrated their great racing talent over the 7km course. Jennie Hissa (Kenora, ON) and Gillian Rockwell (Parry Sound, ON) finished with silver and bronze, respectively.

On the men’s side, the Gryphon team continued to impress, and that they will be among the top competitors at the OUA Championships. The men’s team set out on a mission, and completed the race in the fastest times of the season thus far. Matti Little (Sudbury, ON) won the 14km race in a time of 34:58. Joining him on the podium was Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, ON), who finished a close second. Other Gryphons atop the standings were Erin Purdon (Owen Sound, ON) and Patrick Twohig (Mississauga, ON) who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The only Gryphon competitor in the junior men category, Scott Weersink (St. Mary’s, ON) continues to shine in his rookie campaign by claiming gold at Suntrail.

The team will now look forward to building on these results on February 20-21st at the OUA Championships at Mono Nordic in Orangeville.

Gryphon results in Hepworth:

Open Women – 7km skate:

1. Laura Hewitt 19:50
2. Vesta Mather 20:04
3. Lindsey Chapman 20:21
4. Annalee Winter 20:35
5. Laura Campbell 23:07
6. Jessica Blenkarn 23:09

Junior Women – 7km skate:

2. Jennie Hissa 22:03
3. Gillian Rockwell 23:09

Open Men – 14km skate:

1. Matti Little 34:58
2. Ian Ritchie 35:16
4. Erin Purdon 36:39
5. Patrick Twohig 37:11
6. Mike Weersink 37:41
7. Jordan Forsyth 37:51

Junior Men – 14km skate

1. Scott Weersink 36:40

Highlands Night Race Report

2010-02-08T10:20:00.003-05:00

Recently, Highland’s Nordic was the site for a display of raw, unbridled athleticism not seen since the Bad Enough for Badenoch Rollerski Race of 2008.

On Friday February 5th a small assembly of gryphon athletes participated in the first (or second?) annual Highlands Nordic Night Classic Race.

Matti Little, Erin Purdon and Ian Ritchie all battled for position throughout much of the 3lap, 3km(ish) course. However, a brilliant tactical manoeuvre by Matti in the closing kilometres of the race won him the gold while Ian and Erin were forced to settle for so-so silver and shameful shameful bronze.

Annalee Winter demolished the women’s field, easily winning the gold.(Note: there were no actual medals)

We would like to thank the staff at Highlands Nordic for organizing the awesome event.

Matti, Erin and Ian jockeying for position

Highlands on Friday!

2010-02-04T07:38:00.002-05:00

Hey folks,

I'm thinking of driving to Highlands tomorrow afternoon for their night race and was wondering if anyone else is interested in going. We'd be leaving the stadium at 3:30 to register at Highlands by the deadline at 5:30.

Classic race: start at 6:30, ski by lights on 3km loop - men ski 9k, women ski 6k (see race notice link below)

http://www.htbxc.com/uploads/Highlands_Night_Races_Flyer.pdf

Let me know if you are interested! (email/comment here)

Annalee

Matti and Ian on video Easterns Mass Start

2010-02-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

check out the photos and YouTube footage from Nakkertok at

From Marilyn Scriver http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriverpaddleski/

From Dave McMahon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HOPp50rdKg

posted by Richard

Gryphons clash with Canada's best in Ottawa

2010-02-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

Same article has been sent to Athletics:

Gryphons clash with Canada’s best in Ottawa

This past weekend (January 30-31st) the Gryphon Nordic ski team competed at the 2010 NorAm Eastern Canadian Championships at Nakkertok Nordic ski club located in Cantley, Quebec. This event is one of the top cross-country ski events in the country, with Universities and clubs from all over Canada, totaling over 600 racers competing in an atmosphere more exciting than the National championships. The course at this location combines everything a good race course should have, including steep climbs, testy downhills, and rolling terrain that provides a true test of a racer’s ability. The events this weekend for university racers marked the second set of qualifications for the Ontario championships, which are to be held on February 20-21st in Orangeville, ON.

On Saturday, the event was an individual start skate technique race, at a distance of 5km for the women, and 10km for the men. The male Gryphons demonstrated strong races all around. Ian Ritchie (Penetanguishene, ON) had his best showing of the season thus far, finishing 6th out of the Ontario university racers in the event (30th overall). Erin Purdon (Owen Sound, ON) also had an outstanding race, finishing 12th (55th overall) but notably beating former World Cup gold medalist Pierre Harvey (Mont St. Anne, QC) by 1.3 seconds.

The Gryphon women continue to impress, finishing within seconds of each other, and showing that pain is primarily a French term for bread. Vesta Mather (Wahnapitae, ON) lead the way for the Gryphons, finishing 14th in the OUA circuit (52nd overall). Close on her heels were Analee Winter (Penetanguishene, ON) and Lindsey Chapman (Aurora, ON) finishing 15th and 16th respectively.

Sunday proved to be a true test of endurance and mental strength. The events on this day were a mass start classic technique, at various distances depending on the age category. All Gryphon racers performed excellently in the fast ski conditions and tight competition in a mass start race with the top skiers in Canada. Notable performances go out to Analee Winter, who was the top female Gryphon, finishing the 15km race in 10th out of OUA racers (19th overall). For the men, Matti Little (Sudbury, ON) was able to have a solid race despite a lingering sickness he battled throughout the weekend, finishing as the 3rd OUA racer in the 30km race.

Gryphon skiers will take the next few weeks to continue preparation for the OUA championships, hoping to carry on with these strong results and improve on last years showing. The OUA championships are hosted by Guelph at Mono Nordic ski club in Orangeville from February 19-21st.

Gryphon results in Ottawa:

Saturday
Open Men 10km Skate race (all results are based on OUA racers):

6. Ian Ritchie 26:43
8. Matti Little 27:03
12. Erin Purdon 27:47
18. Scott Weersink 28:14
20. Mike Weersink 28:23
22. Jordan Forsyth 28:52
23. Patrick Twohig 29:00

Open Women 5km Skate race

14. Vesta Mather 16:27
15. Analee Winter 16:32
16. Lindsey Chapman 16:34
18. Kyla Vanderzwet 16:40
21. Laura Hewitt 16:55
26. Jennie Hissa 17:44
33. Laura Campbell 18:54
39. Jessica Blenkarn 19:42
40. Gillian Rockwell 20:01

Sunday
Junior Women 10km Classic race

12. Jennie Hissa 38:38

Open Women 15km Classic race

10. Analee Winter 50:21
11. Kyla Vanderzwet 50:35
12. Vesta Mather 51:02
13. Lindsey Chapman 51:04
14. Laura Hewitt 51:42
16. Laura Campbell 59:09
19. Jessica Blenkarn 1:03:22

Junior Men 15km Classic race

12. Scott Weersink 44:06

Open Men 30km Classic race

3. Matti Little 1:24:54
5. Ian Ritchie 1:26:19
7. Erin Purdon 1:28:53
8. Mike Weersink 1:30:16
11. Patrick Twohig 1:30:59
15. Jordan Forsyth 1:33:40

Full results can be found at www.zone4.ca

Our team in the news!

2010-01-27T18:30:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,

Just thought I would let you know that we have received some media attention from the article I wrote about the Mono race.

Firstly, on the OUAA home page:

http://www.oua.ca/sports/nordicskiing/home/

And also in the Guelph Mercury:

http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/590825

DEEEEEEEEEECENT!

Mono Nordic Pictures

2010-01-24T20:08:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone,

My former high school ski coach Mark Dewan was at the race on Saturday and took quite a few photos. There are a few of younger kids but there are also pictures of all the Guelph team during their skate race. Check out the link if you want to see some of them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/warrior.nordic/230110Mononordic#

Scott

Gryphons dominate in Orangeville

2010-01-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

Same piece was sent to athletics:

On Saturday (January 23rd), the Gryphons Nordic Ski team raced at Monora Park, Orangeville, in the annual Mono Nordic Invitational race. The conditions for racing were outstanding, with warm weather and sunny skies throughout the day. Mono Nordic is the 2010 site of the OUA Championships hosted by the University of Guelph from February 19th-21st. As a result, the Mono invitational provided an excellent opportunity for skiers to get to know the course.

The senior men’s race was a 10km thriller, with close results and strong performances by all members of the Gryphon team. Matti Little took an early lead and never looked back, winning the race by 54 seconds. Ian Ritchie and Henry Reich (University of Waterloo) had a very close race, and ended up finishing in the same time, tying for 2nd. In the junior men’s race, Scott Weersink had a solid showing, taking home a silver medal.

As expected, the open women’s race was extremely close. Guelph dominated the race, sweeping the top four spots, and 6 of the top 7 spots. Laura Hewitt carried her success from last weekend’s races to another victory, finishing the 7km course in 21:47. In the junior women’s race, Jennie Hissa and Gillian Rockwell finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Open Men’s Results (10km):
1. Matti Little 24:14
2. Ian Ritchie 25:08
5. Erin Purdon 25:37
6. Patrick Twohig 26:15
7. Jordan Forsyth 26:18
8. Mike Weersink 26:25
11. Shaun Guerin 29:13

Junior Men’s Results (10km):
2. Scott Weersink 25:42

Open Women’s Results (7km):
1. Laura Hewitt 21:47
2. Analee Winter 22:04
3. Lindsey Chapman 22:59
4. Vesta Mather 23:40
6. Jessica Blenkarn 26:23
7. Laura Campbell 27:15

Junior Women’s Results (7km):
2. Jennie Hissa 24:35
3. Gillian Rockwell 26:15

The team is traveling to Gatineau, Quebec next weekend for the second OUA Qualifier which is hosted by Nakkertok Nordic.

2010-01-19T19:53:00.001-05:00

just a correction on the jacket price its 118 instead of 123 because they didnt charge me for the embroidery.

suits and jackets are in

2010-01-19T13:13:00.002-05:00

To those who ordered jackets or suits, if you bring $123 for the jackets and $138 for the suits to the stadium at practice and I can give them to you. (if u are using a cheque you can address it to me).

Amazing racing this weekend everyone!
Lindsey

Gryphons Race Hard in North Bay

2010-01-18T10:10:00.001-05:00

Same article has been sent to athletics:

The Guelph Gryphon’s Nordic ski team had a strong showing at the first OUA qualifier this past weekend in North Bay. Both the men’s and women’s team proved with their results that a solid fall training season is beginning to pay off.

Saturday’s races took place at the North Bay Nordic Center, located just outside the city of North Bay. These races consisted of the skate technique, which were individual starts, and distances of 15km and 10km for the men and women, respectively. On the men’s side, Matti Little demonstrated that he is quickly regaining race form after a year off, by placing 6th in a field of 60. In the women’s race, it was a tight affair between several Gryphon racers, with Laura Hewitt, Analee Winter, and Vesta Mather finishing 5th, 6th, and 7th, respectively, all in a span of 23 seconds.

Sunday’s races were held at Nipissing University, on trails located behind the campus’ student centre. The races were classic technique, and also individual starts that were 9km for the men, and 6km for the women. Although there were initial questions about which type of wax to use, the Gryphon coaching staff led by Richard Lay made an accurate decision and provide racers with good grip and glide for the races. On the men’s side, Matti Little had another strong showing, finishing 8th, but was closely followed by Ian Ritchie (13th) and Erin Purdon (15th), who both had a good day on the trails. For the women, Vesta Mather had an exceptional race, finishing in 9th, but again was closely followed by Kyla Vanderzwet, Lindsey Chapman, and Analee Winter.

Gryphon Men’s results:
15km Skate
6. Matti Little 45:52.3
11. Ian Ritchie 47:18.4
13. Scott Weersink 47:32.3
16. Erin Purdon 48:09.1
18. Mike Weersink 48:29.1
22. Patrick Twohig 49:48.7
27. Jordan Forsyth 51:18.2

9km Classic
8. Matti Little 32:51
13. Ian Ritchie 33:22
15. Erin Purdon 33:33
25. Patrick Twohig 35:46
26. Jordan Forsyth 35:47
27. Mike Weersink 36:00
29. Scott Weersink 36:54

Gryphon Women’s results:
10km Skate
5. Laura Hewitt 34:54.0
6. Analee Winter 34:56.4
7. Vesta Mather 35:17.5
10. Kyla Vanderzwet 35:43.0
13. Lindsey Chapman 36:06.0
25. Jennie Hissa 39:45.4
32. Laura Campbell 41:26.7
36. Jessica Blenkarn 42:42.0
37. Gillian Rockwell 43:03.8

6km Classic
9. Vesta Mather 26:29
10. Kyla Vanderzwet 26:33
11. Lindsey Chapman 26:38
12. Analee Winter 26:39
18. Laura Hewitt 27:25
22. Jennie Hissa 28:39
28. Laura Campbell 30:16
31. Jessica Blenkarn 30:30
39. Gillian Rockwell 32:57

Complete results can be found at www.zone4.ca

OU Champs Race Notice

2010-01-13T19:23:00.000-05:00

OUA BULLETIN #1
January 14, 2010

TO: OUA Coordinators & Nordic Ski Coaches
Carleton, Guelph, Lakehead, Laurentian, Nipissing, Queen’s, Toronto, Waterloo

FROM: Michelle Turley – Championship Coordinator, University of Guelph

SUBJECT: OUA Nordic Ski Championships

HOST: University of Guelph

LOCATION: Mono Nordic Ski Club, Monora Park, Orangeville, ON (Hwy. 10, 1 km north of town)
www.mononordic.com

DATE: February 20 & 21, 2010

EVENTS: Saturday, February 20th

Classic Technique 9:00 a.m. Men 10 km
Individual Starts 10:00 a.m. Women 5 km

Relays 2:00 p.m. Men 3 x 5 km
2:45 p.m. Women 3 x 2.5 km

Sunday, February 21st
Mass Start, Free Technique 9:00 a.m. Women 10 km
10:30 a.m. Men 15 km

ELIGIBILITY: See OUA Nordic Ski Regulations

RULES: See OUA Nordic Ski Regulations; Cross Country Canada Rules and Regulations

OFFICIALS: Race Secretary: Michelle Turley mturley@uoguelph.ca 519-824-4120, ext. 53799
Technical Delegate: Alan White alanwhite2001@rogers.com
Chief of Race: Ken Norris knorris@magma.ca 519-941-0322
Chief of Course: Ross Martin roscha@sympatico.ca
Chief of Timing: Everett Lusk

GUELPH CONTACTS: Michelle Turley – Intercollegiate Coordinator
mturley@uoguelph.ca 519-824-4120, ext. 53799
Angela Orton – Intercollegiate Manager
aorton@uoguelph.ca 519-824-4120, ext. 53555
Richard Lay – Guelph Coach
rlay@xplornet.com 519-856-9916

TECHNICAL MEETING: Friday, February 19th at 4:00 p.m. – Monora Park Clubhouse

COACHES’ MEETING: Friday, February 19th at 4:30 p.m. – Monora Park Clubhouse
A Coaches’ Meeting will also follow the Saturday relays (at the same location).

ENTRIES & SEEDING:A Registration spreadsheet for entries and a Seeding List spreadsheet will be included in Bulletin #2. They will be accepted until Monday, February 15th at 5:00 p.m. and are to be submitted Michelle Turley at mturley@uoguelph.ca and Richard Lay at rlay@xplornet.com

NOTE: Changes to relay teams will be accepted up to 1 hour prior to the start of the race.

FEES: $60.00 per racer which includes 2 individual races and the relay.
Universities will be invoiced based on the number of registrants.
Bulletin #2 will include a payment form.

FACILITIES: Sheltered outdoor waxing areas will be available. Limited power will be available, but teams are encouraged to bring generators. The heated Monora Park clubhouse will be available during training and race days. There will be a snack bar serving food and drinks on Saturday and Sunday.

ACCOMMODATION: Best Western Orangeville Inn & Suites – www.bestwesternontario.com
7 Buena Vista Drive, Orangeville
Telephone: 866-216-1988 or 519-941-3311
Suites with kitchenettes are available. Deadline for reservations is January 31st.

TRAINING: Trails will be open and marked Friday, February 19th.

FIRST AID: The Canadian Ski Patrol will be on-course and provide first aid on race days.

SEEDING: Completed seeding forms are to be sent with entries (forms included with the next bulletin).

AWARDS: OUA Championship medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each category for the Individual Classic and Free Technique races as well as the top 3 teams in the Relay events. OUA Championship banners and gold medals will be awarded to the Men’s and Women’s Championship teams. OUA All-Star Certificates will be given to the top 10 individual finishers. A plaque will be given to the Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year.

NOTE: The OUA All-Stars will be released by the OUA Office on the Monday morning following the championships.

CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE:

Intercollegiate Coordinator: Michelle Turley 519-824-4120, ext. 53799 mturley@uoguelph.ca
Intercollegiate Manager: Angela Orton 519-824-4120, ext. 53555 aorton@uoguelph.ca
Sports Information: Michelle Pino 519-824-4120, ext. 53159 mpino@uoguelph.ca
OUA Convenor: Jennifer Brenning 613-520-2600, ext. 8446 jennifer_brenning@carleton.ca

2010-01-13T09:31:00.002-05:00

An update for those who ordered jackets and/or suits.

The jackets are at the embroiderer and will be done next week. As for the suits, there was a mixup and they got sent in a different shippment to the wrong address (ie to Guelph instead of Aurora where I was)... so they went travelling back to the US. I've contacted UPS and they are shipping them back and Podiumwear has offered to pay the brokerage fee...but this means I wont have them till next week probably. Sorry guys!

Lindsey

2010-01-10T19:07:00.002-05:00

For those of you who ordered glide wax, the order is in.
Come tuesday to collect your wax.
Erin

Winter Camp info

2010-01-02T19:58:00.001-05:00

Hi team:-

Supplementary to Annalee's and Laura's lists ( skis, boots, poles, skiwax, clothes, drink bottle, snacks, $350 team fee) please also bring:

* Your training & racing diary
* Your Z1 to Z5 HRs
* a watch
* sunglasses
* skin cream for cold and sun
* warmup skis (can also be used for playing on the downhills at camp)
* running shoes ( for race warmup & cool-down and as indoor shoes in cold farmhouses)

The women's team will be staying at the Wolmer Farmhouse on the south side of the Highlands property, same as last year. We get access to it Friday afternoon. They provide towels and bedding.

The men's team will stay at Faith Hughes' near Duntroon on Friday night. We will go there after dinner Friday. Bring sleeping bag, foamie, and towel. We can use the shower at Highlands after the afternoon ski.

Breakfasts for men:
Because the men are moving around a little, the team will provide basic breakfast food for the men to save on individuals having to pack it - bread, PB&J, cereal, milk, trail mix, juice and fruit.

Highlands Nordic info:
www.highlandsnordic.on.ca
email: skiinfo@highlandsnordic.on.ca
1-800 263 5017 or 705 444 5017
Location: Duntroon, 10 Concession, 1 km south of Duntroon SideRoad (Cty Rd 91)

Please be ready for 3 days of great skiing, or anything else that Mother Nature dishes out.

Coach Richard
home tel 519 856 9916

this week at guelph skiing

2009-12-15T08:10:00.001-05:00

I sent you this week's schedule by email. Here's the email message again:

This is another "maintain your fitness" week as you fit some maintenance and refreshment training into your study schedule. Think of all the time you're saving not going to class.
You will look for snow when you get home on the weekend and start in earnest logging the kilometers. Some of you had a taste at Highlands last Sunday what you are preparing for.
This is your "pre-competition phase" of training where the focus turns first to transitioning to snow skiing, then increasing the intensity to race conditions.

Tonight's workout will be similar to last Tuesday:

* run to Centennial hill to warmup, movement prep
* one set of plyos, just for maintenance
* run to Municipal St hill
* 5-5 Z3-Z4 ski bounding with poles
* run home

The running between stadium, Centennial and Municipal is part of the workout.

I will not be able to attend the practice - please choose a leader.

Coach Richard

- And gain is gain, however small.
-- Robert Browning

MISSING $1380 from my account - when found please return your share at highlands Jan. 8th

2009-12-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to give the heads up that I'll be sending out an email in the week before winter camp giving the final cost of the jackets and suits. It ended up being $105 for the jackets and $125 for the suits but I don't know how much shipping will be yet. Those of you who ordered jackets and suits I need you to check your email and then bring money or a cheque to winter camp along with your team fee (this way you can get $ from your parents if you need to).

Hope everyones finals are going well!
Lindsey

WINTER CAMP JAN 8-10 2010

2009-12-14T06:56:00.000-05:00

Hey there,

Just wanted to send out an email about Winter camp before everyone takes off for the holidays.

- The camp will run from Jan 8th (~10am) - 10th (back in Guelph evening of the 10th)
- We will meet at Highlands Nordic, ready to begin at 10am on Friday January 8th.
- We will train at Highlands on friday and saturday. Please bring breakfast food and any snacks that you'd like - we will get vouchers again for friday & saturday lunches at Highlands and dinners will be provided (similar to fall camp)
- On friday night both the men's and women's teams will be staying close to Duntroon.
- After dinner on Saturday, the men's team will drive to Penetang and spend the night there. The women's team will stay at the farmhouse.
- On Sunday morning we will meet up at Mountainview ski hills and race in the Midland race (looks like it will be a 9km skate race for both men and women). After the race we may have an afternoon ski and then drive back to Guelph.

EVERYONE PLEASE email me your response to the following questions (asap so you don't forget?):

1. Are you coming to Winter camp?

2. Do you have transport to highlands on friday?

- are you coming from Guelph or elsewhere?
- do you have a vehicle that you could use to help with transportation (if so, how many seats)?

3. Do you have any special dietary needs (if different from Fall camp)

4. What is your phone number in Guelph/cell phone number (for emergency list for race weekends, etc.)?

More details to follow...

Thanks!
Good luck with the rest of exams everyone and happy almost holidays!!

Annalee

Mike and Laura win Yuletide season opener!

2009-12-13T18:48:00.003-05:00

We started the snow season for real this weekend, first with real skate skiing on real groomed trails at Maltby on Saturday morning, then with the season opener race at Highlands Sunday , 3 times up the mountain for the men, 2 times for the women. Mike emerged victorious in the senior men's category. Jordan was within a very respectable 57 seconds of Mike at the finish, in his first race in Gryphon colours, black and white cow patterned in this event. Justin Steeds and Shaun rounded out the Guelph entry.

Laura Hewitt posted the best time of the day in Open Female and thereby winning the Senior Women sub-category, swept by Guelph. Vesta, Lindsey and Jess finished 2,3,4 respectively. A short hard tough race for everyone on fast 0 degree firm trails. Well done everyone!

Our focus this race was to continue our transition to snow, and not necessarily to go as fast as possible. Other goals:
Maintaing technique when tired and in slippery conditions.
Maintaining an appropriate pace for your level of fitness and the event.
Enjoying going fast in good snow at last.

We will try for snow skiing on Tuesday but the forecast is not favorable, so don't put away the running shoes. 4:30 at the stadium.

Coach Richard

Maltby trails are groomed for skating

2009-12-11T18:49:00.003-05:00

Maltby trails are packed for skating. The Parker Farm trails - the ones we start on from the road, are pretty rough with a lot of weeds and bumps - you may want to walk along the side if you are using good skis. The Naylor Farm trails are decent and worth the effort to get there.

Saturday practice meet at Stadium at 815 am. We will drive to Maltby trails, return by 11 am refreshed for studying.

If you are racing Sunday, skate skiing Saturday. Other skiers can skate or classic.

Coach Richard

Exam Practice Schedule

2009-12-07T21:51:00.002-05:00

During exams we will start practices at 4:30 instead of the normal 5:41, meeting at the stadium. We will ski on the golf course whenever possible.

revised by Coach Richard

Any buddies

2009-12-03T09:08:00.002-05:00

I'll be at the stadium at 5 40 if anyone is up for a run/core session.

LC

Preventing Flu and Colds

2009-12-02T08:18:00.001-05:00

Infectious Illness Guideline
Adapted from Nakkertok Nordic – Nakkertok Nordique , Nov 2009
Prevention
• Frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizers, especially before eating.
• Always use your own towel, face cloth, toothbrush, tooth paste, utensils.
• NEVER SHARE WATER BOTTLES OR GLASSES or FINGER FOOD (e.g. chips, candy, granola).
• Avoid touching your face or mouth with your hands.
• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue. Use tissues only once and wash your hands after discarding them.
• Get adequate rest and nutrition.
• Athletes should be in individual beds, preferably placed head to foot to maximize distance between athletes. If sharing rooms, try to limit numbers per room in order to decrease chance of spread.
• Consider getting Influenza Vaccinations – H1N1 + seasonal
Symptoms
IF YOU HAVE THE ACUTE ONSET OF FEVER, COUGH, SNEEZING, SORE THROAT OR MUSCLE ACHES/JOINT PAINS, NAUSEA, VOMITTING or DIARRHEA DO NOT COME TO PRACTICE, RACE OR CAMP.
If an athlete or coach begins having any of the above symptoms:
• Isolate the athlete or coach immediately from other coaches and team mates.
• Assign an adult to care for the ill individual(s). Minimize the number of people caring for ill individuals and minimize the contact of these individuals with well persons. Transport ill individuals in a separate vehicle from well individuals.
• Preferably assign individual rooms to ill individuals. If this is not possible, group individuals with the same symptoms together but maximize distance between individuals by rearranging beds, for example head to foot, as possible.
• Clean surfaces contacted by ill individuals with bleach-based cleanser (e.g. Lysol wipes).
• Treat ill individuals symptomatically with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, adequate fluids and nutrition.
• A coach will contact a parent of the athlete and will discuss plans for transport home if required.
• Monitor for worsening symptoms, especially shortness of breath, blueness of the lips or pallor, dehydration, change in consciousness. SEE A DOCTOR IF ANY OF THESE OCCUR.
If an individual has been ill, he or she is NOT to return to group activities until symptom free and able to fully participate in all activities. H1N1 influenza is estimated to be contagious for 7 days from its onset.

- Coach Richard

Friday Team Picture and Meeting

2009-11-30T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hey guys so this friday at 1pm we are going to have our team photo taken for athletics, and then after we're going to run a race day procedure meeting. The photo is a mandetory study break, but the meeting isn't. It's highly recommended especially for rookies. we'll have the photos and meeting in the stadium

trail conditions are good...

2009-11-29T08:44:00.001-05:00

Conditions for Nov 28th

Wax Of The Day

Grip: Blue Extra
Glide: Violet
Snow Conditions

New Snow 24hrs: 15cm New Snow 12hrs: 15cm

Fresh Groomed Power
Grooming Report

The trails are soft packed fresh snow on the surface with a great firm base underneath. We just finished packing all the skate lanes at 1:30. The tracks are in great shape on most of the trails. Lars Taylor and Aberdeen have some areas where the tracks have filled in with fresh snow.

Please use some caution on Gold Mountain as there is still quite a bit of Alder comming through the snow on the large downhill from the Silver Star Direction.

Aberdeen has a few dirty spots near the top in the wind exposed areas be careful if you are on your best skis.

... in Sovereign Lake, BC
-Coach Richard

christmas music

2009-11-27T17:40:00.002-05:00

Hey, if anyone is feeling the need to get into the Christmas spirit by listening to some great music (or just want to procrastinate on a Sunday afternoon), you can come witness yours truly playing in the Guelph Concert Band this weekend! It's at Harcourt United Church (on Dean) and tickets are $10 for students. Doors open at 2:30!

-Hewie

Movie Tonight!

2009-11-27T14:08:00.002-05:00

Hey Team!!!

This is kind of last minute but a couple of us are going to see New Moon tonight @ the theatre on Woodlawn. Anyone who wants to join us is welcome to. Not sure of the time yet but sometime later this evening.

And for those of you who despise the twilight sage, there is a link attached for you. For everyone else, don’t let it discourage you!

Let me know if you can make it!

How every man feels about New Moon:

http://www.explosm.net/comics/1867/

-Blenk

Gryphon alumnus concert Dec 4

2009-11-25T22:59:00.002-05:00

Mark Fletcher skied for Gryphons Nordic in the late 1970s before turning to a career racing bicycles, painting Newfoundland and now, making Celtic music. His band Rant Maggie Rant tours Ontario and the near US and sold out the Eden Mills Hall last year. Wow. He is back, next Friday night, Eden Mills, Dec 4, 8 pm. Tickets $20 at Wild Rose Consignment Clothing, or at the door. www.myspace.com/rantmaggierant. Benefit to the EM Hall.

Coach Richard (teammate of above-mentioned musician)

forgotten?

2009-11-23T13:31:00.002-05:00

Hey there,

Are any of the girls missing a black long sleeve shirt? I found one this weekend in Penetang - it was in one of the downstairs bedrooms. Let me know if it's yours (I'll try to remember to put it in the team room next chance I get).

Annalee

Olympic Preview

2009-11-22T22:06:00.000-05:00

Cross-country skiing season preview
CTVOlympics.ca
By Jack Sasseville, CTVOlympics.ca Posted Friday, November 20, 2009 10:27 AM ET
The cross-country ski season kicks off on Saturday in Beitostolen, Norway, as skiers compete in the first of eight World Cups before the 2010 Olympic Games.
Olympic analyst and former national team coach Jack Sasseville weighs in on what to expect and who to look out for on the World Cup circuit this season.
Who are the top contenders to watch going into the 2009-2010 World Cup season?
Sasseville: For the men in distance it is Petter Northug of Norway, Pietro Piller-Cottrer of Italy, and Anders Soedegren of Sweden.
For the men in sprints it is Ola Viggen Hattestad of Norway, Emil Jonsson of Sweden and Fabio Pasini of Italy.
For the women in distance it is Charlotta Kalla of Sweden, Justina Kowalcyk of Poland, Krista Stormer Steira of Norway. Also Virpi Kuitunen and Aino Kaisa Saarinen from Finland.
For the women in sprint it is Petra Majdic of Slovenia, Arianna Folis of Italy and Kikkan Randall of the US.
What Canadians have the strongest chance to win World Cup medals this season?
Sasseville: Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, Alex Harvey, Sara Renner and Chandra Crawford.
What up and coming Canadian skiers should we be looking out for?
Sasseville: Harvey broke into the World Cup as a first year senior last year. Perianne Jones has made the Olympic qualifying standard and Len Valjas had two top 10s at the World Under 23 Championships.
Canadian skiers are calling this the strongest team the country has ever fielded. Do you agree, and what makes this team superior to others?
Sasseville: I do agree because this is the first time since the early 1990s that there is both a strong men's and women's team. There is depth in both genders in all categories of distance and sprints.
Who will be Canada's biggest competition on the World Cup circuit this year?
Sasseville: The traditional Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland along with Italy and Russia and Germany. Many other countries have one or two individuals who can win medals. It is a very balanced field.
What are the chances Sarah Renner and Chandra Crawford will make repeat appearances to the podium at the 2010 Games?
Sasseville: They have the strongest chance for a medal for the Canadian team in the team sprints at the Olympics if Chandra can overcome her injuries. Chandra is best at skating and Sara is a former silver medallist in this event.

--copied from the ctvolympics.ca site by coach richard

new roller skis in stock

2009-11-22T21:27:00.002-05:00

Hi skiers
There are 2 newly repaired pairs of team roller skis, now available for your training pleasure:

Red Starts, skating. same as the ones Patrick has been using. I dismantled the bearings on Patrick's complaint (They're too slow!)and lubed them. The old grease was dry and hard - lots of skiing in the rain. Try them out and let me know how they go.

V2 Combi 930, classic. new front wheel and bracket. Wheel is slightly different from its mate. Let me know how they go.

--Coach Richard

Dishes

2009-11-20T15:10:00.001-05:00

Hey All

I have a silver platter, a small glass bowl and one other blue bowl. Let me know what belongs to who!

Thx

LC

this weekend at guelph skiing

2009-11-20T09:25:00.005-05:00

Hi Team

Saturday was excellent skiing in Badenoch. Next best thing to snow. Consolations - closer, less travel, athletes are showered and eating pancakes by noon. Thank you Kyla and you other cooks for breakfast. Shame on all of you who skipped training with no good reason - this has been the best season ever for Saturday practices. They all add up, one workout at a time.

Sunday bright and early saw the big fall migration from AC closet to Stadium team room luxury. Ladies got their hearts desire - the privacy of the back-of-the-bus dressing room. Curtains and girly things may go up to protect the territory.

In a mere 1-1/2 hour and a single van load, Erin, Kyla, Jennie, Laura H, Lindsey, Mike and Richard transformed the room into a ski training powerhouse, featuring elegant ski racks (cleverly disguised as showers)where your skis won't fall down and a waxing room with drop sheet and 3 (three!) professional wax benches, ready for you to base prep your skis, as you should have done last spring.

Stadium rule #1: Don't leave the front door open unattended.
Wax room rule #1: Clean up after yourself - your mother is not on the team.

--Coach Richard

2009-11-20T08:35:00.001-05:00

hello,
Richard recently sent out a document outlining all the ski supplies required for each individual on the team to have for the upcoming ski season. At select races (oua qualifiers and championships) racing glide toppers and fluorinated grip will be provided. You will however, be responsible for your own glide and grip wax at all other races and training sessions. I will be making a large wax order on behalf of the team at fresh air experience (a discount is available for us). This is the cheapest place to buy ski supplies. check it out. (http://www.freshairexp.com/ottawa/shoponlineandsave/displaysubcategory.asp?ID=146)
Please read Richard's wax document and then send me an email with what you want ordered. I expect an email from everyone on the team. When I receive an email from everyone who wants/needs wax supplies I will place an order.

Erin
emcleanp@uoguelph.ca

Pancakes!

2009-11-18T23:18:00.003-05:00

To the best team in the world ever,
You are cordially invited to brunch at my house (College 103) on Saturday, November 21st, whenever practice is done and people are showered and ready to eat. Not that showering is mandatory to attend. If you have a breakfast/lunch item that you want to bring to share, that would be great.
Ciao for now,
Kyla

gatineau overnight cabins

2009-11-17T10:37:00.002-05:00

hey everyone,

a few of us were talking about how amazing it would be to stay in those overnight cabins in gatineau park for a few nights during winter break...say between new years and winter camp. reserving them is really cheap ($30 a night) but its a lottery process and applications are due by nov 23.

i dont know how many people would be interested/able to but here's the link http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16299-10170-49899-51151-51153&lang=1
check it out. maybe if lots of people want to do it and send in applications then we will be likely to get one. there are a few different cabines and yurts which hold between 6 and 17 people.

anyway if u feel like it go ahead and put in applications...i dont think it would be hard to fill spaces if anyone gets picked.

Lindsey

Volunteering this winter...

2009-11-11T14:10:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

Laura and I have a contact at one of the elementary schools in Guelph (Trillium Waldorf School) who has contacted me looking for some volunteers this winter. The school is looking to get a ski program up and running this winter and they are looking for some volunteers. I know that some of us started to discuss this last year, but this time it is for real:) I don't know many details yet, but if anyone is interested and has time to help teach some kids to ski, please let me know (here or via email).

Thanks!

Annalee

CCC Racing Licenses

2009-11-11T09:36:00.002-05:00

What is a Racing License?
A racing license is an annual permit that enables both provincial and national sport organizations to keep track of the racing population. Licenses provide a means of tracking skier performance via provincial and national points lists, as well as so generate seeding lists that are used throughout the racing season to determine your position in the order of an interval start, or your place on the grid of a mass start. Skiers without licenses are routinely assigned the least favourable positions in CCC sponsored events, but if you have a license, the better your previous race results, the better will be your start position. If you are racing provincial cups, you should have your license BEFORE the first race of the season -- performance and seeding calculations are not done retroactively!

Racer licensing is also a convenient way to generate revenues to help to maintain the infrastructure required to offer races in the first place. These funds are typically returned to the clubs to be used for coaching and race official development, purchase of race timing equipment, cost to bring officials to events, etc.

Do All Skiers Need a License?
The National License
In general, if you are skiing on a provincial race circuit (Québec Cup or Ontario Cup), and you think there is even a small possibility that you might go to Nationals, you should have a Cross Country Canada (CCC) Racing License. The CCC license costs $75 per year, and in addition to your own personal information you will need to provide the following:

Division (Province):
Ontario

Club Name:
University of Guelph Gryphons Nordic Ski Team
(if your home community club is paying your expenses to Nationals, you can register with them)

Name, Level and NCCP number of the Club Coach:
Richard Lay Level 3, CC15247

Name of a Club Official:
Richard Lay

Once you have your CCC license, your number stays with you for life, but to keep it active you have to pay the annual fee. The link to the CCC on-line registration page is here:
http://www.cccski.com/main.asp?cmd=doc&ID=669&lan=0

Ontario Team Photo - Vuokatti Ski Tunnel

2009-11-11T09:10:00.002-05:00

The Ontario Team went to Finland in August to "train in the tunnel". Follow link to team photo.
http://www.xco.org/hp/temporar/ontario_team_picture_aug2009.htm

- Coach Richard

Distance rollerski at 2pm?? -Ian

2009-11-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

Race Report: Bad Enough for Badenoch?

2009-11-07T07:05:00.002-05:00

I was hoping to write a race report for last weekend's run/rollerski duathlon but it seems that Matthias is almost as fast at writing as he is on the race course. Check it out.

http://www.xcottawa.ca/articles.php?id=1428&PHPSESSID=e800417f84082a6721e7e00ecb7bdc4c

A big thanks to Jim, Richard, and Curtis for organizing this event. Also, thanks to the U of T and Carleton skiers who were able to attend.

Ian

2010 Season Races

2009-11-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sat Dec 19 Yuletide Blast Race, Duntroon
Sat Jan 2
Sun Jan3
Fri Jan 8 Camp, Duntroon
Sat Jan 9 Camp, Duntroon
Sun Jan 10 Snow Dog Race, Midland
Sat Jan 16 OUA1, N Bay
Sun Jan 17 OUA1, N Bay
Sat Jan 23
Sun Jan 23 Mono Race, O'ville
Sat Jan 30 Easterns/ OUA2, Gatineau
Sun Jan 31 Easterns/ OUA2, Gatineau
Sat Feb 6
Sun Feb 7
Sat Feb 13 optional OCup, Onaping
Sun Feb 14 optional OCup, Onaping
Sat Feb 20 OU Champs, O'ville, classic
Sun Feb 21 OU Champs, O'ville, skate

- Coach Richard

Pub Night at Brass Taps

2009-11-04T13:01:00.002-05:00

Hey Team,

So Shaun and I (Patrick) went to the Brass Taps today to get some more information on hosting a fundraising event at Taps.

The manager was very nice and gave us a lot of useful information about hosting something there.

Long and short, he said that it would probably be easier to do something at the start of the W10 semester (i.e. first week), simply because it would give us more publicity time for the event. There are also dates this semester near the end of Novemeber. The event can be on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday as other nights of the week, Taps already has events running. An appropriate date is something we can collectively decide on as a team.

The prices are as follows, but he said that since we are a varsity team, they can be cut down once we get more planning done.

To rent out all of taps, it costs $360
This is really the only main cost to us, as this covers staff (including the kitchen).
The only other additional cost would be for a band (i.e. Matt Cays' band, etc.)
The band can either make use of its own sound system (free) or use the one at taps ($225). The disadvantage of the band using their own system is that we have to monitor the sound levels (i.e. if they're playing too loud, one of us will have to go up to the stage and tell them to be quiet due to noise level by-laws), but it is free.
The disadvantage of the taps sound technician is the cost, but then there is surround sound in the bar, and we don't have to monitor levels.

Overall, what must be understood is to have an event like this, to raise funds for the team, we must first make an investment.

Taps has a capacity of 450 people, so if we charge $5 at the door for fundraising (which is allowed), we can make ample cash for team spending, but first we must be willing to pay to rent the bar ($360) and do some publicizing.

Sorry for the long post, we will discuss this as a potential fund raising opportunity on Saturday at the pot-luck.

roller ski tips, lights

2009-11-03T06:39:00.002-05:00

for sale:

Swix Roller Ski Tips
2 pairs available
$20.00/pr

Roller ski lights:
MEC turtle LED $4.25
MEC Gizmo Headlamp $24.90
MEC Fuel 4 Headlamp $29.40

taxes incl
purchased yesterday at Burlington MEC for your skiing safety

- Coach Richard

Potluck

2009-11-02T14:02:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone

I sent an email out about a pot luck this Saturday evening. Let's meet at my place at 7 and then we can have some dinner and wobbly-pops before going downtown. I think I am going to make something for a main dish, do we want to arrange who else is bringing what, or just leave it up for chance?

I live at 17 Kent street, and on the west side of the house there is a set of stairs up to my appt. Hope to see everyone there!!

Laura Campbell

unofficial results - 31 Oct 2009 Badenoch Duathlon

2009-11-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

Guelph Run/Roller Ski Time Trial
October 31, 2008 Badenoch circuit
Women: 2 k run; 6 k RS F

Results by Total Time
Skier Club Run Ski Total skis
kyla vanderzwet guelph 0:09:22 0:22:40 0:32:02 elpex combi
laura campbell guelph 0:10:00 0:22:17 0:32:17 everybody's
laura hewitt guelph 0:10:30 0:22:13 0:32:43 CA F1 Sprint
lindsey chapman guelph 0:10:19 0:23:06 0:33:25 CA F1 Sprint
anneli winter guelph 0:10:09 0:23:17 0:33:26 CA F1 Sprint
ann kwon toronto 0:10:55 0:23:42 0:34:37
mary qui toronto 0:10:00 0:25:10 0:35:10
hillary mallinger toronto 0:10:25 0:24:55 0:35:20
megan lewicki toronto 0:11:40 0:23:59 0:35:39
erin mallinger toronto 0:10:00 0:26:09 0:36:09
jennie hissa guelph 0:11:00 0:25:45 0:36:45 CA F1 Sprint
gillian rockwell guelph 0:11:38 ###### need finish time

Results by Skiing Time
Skier Run Ski Total

laura hewitt guelph 0:10:30 0:22:13 0:32:43 CA F1 Sprint
laura campbell guelph 0:10:00 0:22:17 0:32:17 everybody's
kyla vanderzwet guelph 0:09:22 0:22:40 0:32:02 elpex combi
lindsey chapman guelph 0:10:19 0:23:06 0:33:25 CA F1 Sprint
anneli winter guelph 0:10:09 0:23:17 0:33:26 CA F1 Sprint
ann kwon toronto 0:10:55 0:23:42 0:34:37
megan lewicki toronto 0:11:40 0:23:59 0:35:39
hillary mallinger toronto 0:10:25 0:24:55 0:35:20
mary qui toronto 0:10:00 0:25:10 0:35:10
jennie hissa guelph 0:11:00 0:25:45 0:36:45 CA F1 Sprint
erin mallinger toronto 0:10:00 0:26:09 0:36:09
gillian rockwell guelph 0:11:38 ###need finish time

Note: :Run time includes transition time. Ski time started when skier left transition zone.

Guelph Run/Roller Ski Time Trial
October 31, 2008 Badenoch circuit
men: 4 k run; 6 k RS F
Results by Total Time
Skier club Run Ski Total skis
mike weersink guelph 0:15:02 0:17:42 0:32:44 everybody's
ian weir toronto 0:15:34 0:17:26 0:33:00
scott weersink guelph 0:16:04 0:17:09 0:33:13 everybody's
colin abbott carleton 0:15:12 0:18:29 0:33:41
mattias purdon carleton 0:15:45 0:17:57 0:33:42 F1
ian ritchie guelph 0:15:40 0:19:25 0:35:05 Elpex F1
evan odell hardwood 0:16:12 0:19:46 0:35:58
patrick twohig guelph 0:17:38 0:18:41 0:36:19 Red Start
mike abbott carleton 0:16:46 0:19:48 0:36:34 confirm run time
kyle power carleton 0:16:45 0:19:49 0:36:34
lee hawkins carleton 0:18:07 0:18:40 0:36:47 confirm run time
matti little guelph 0:16:30 0:20:20 0:36:50 Elpex Classic 610
jeff kroetsch toronto 0:16:08 0:37:26 to be confirmed
pat monette hardwood 0:17:00 0:20:54 0:37:54
sean guerin mono 0:18:30 0:22:42 0:41:12 CA F1 Sprint
logan potter carleton 0:40:08 to be confirmed
jordan forsyth guelph 0:18:52 0:22:14 0:41:06 everybody's
nik trutiak guelph 0:19:50 0:22:10 0:42:00 everybody's
JD spence toronto 0:21:30 0:28:10 0:49:40

Results by Ski Time
Skier Run Ski Total skis
scott weersink guelph 0:16:04 0:17:09 0:33:13 everybody's
ian weir toronto 0:15:34 0:17:26 0:33:00
mike weersink guelph 0:15:02 0:17:42 0:32:44 everybody's
mattias purdon carleton 0:15:45 0:17:57 0:33:42 F1
colin abbott carleton 0:15:12 0:18:29 0:33:41
lee hawkins carleton 0:18:07 0:18:40 0:36:47 confirm run time
patrick twohig guelph 0:17:38 0:18:41 0:36:19 Red Start
ian ritchie guelph 0:15:40 0:19:25 0:35:05 Elpex F1
evan odell hardwood 0:16:12 0:19:46 0:35:58
mike abbott carleton 0:16:46 0:19:48 0:36:34 confirm run time
kyle power carleton 0:16:45 0:19:49 0:36:34
matti little guelph 0:16:30 0:20:20 0:36:50 Elpex Classic 610
pat monette hardwood 0:17:00 0:20:54 0:37:54
nik trutiak guelph 0:19:50 0:22:10 0:42:00 everybody's
jordan forsyth guelph 0:18:52 0:22:14 0:41:06 everybody's
sean guerin mono 0:18:30 0:22:42 0:41:12 CA F1 Sprint
JD spence toronto 0:21:30 0:28:10 0:49:40
jeff kroetsch toronto 0:16:08 0:37:26 to be confirmed
logan potter carleton 0:40:08 to be confirmed

preliminary race results

2009-11-01T19:50:00.001-05:00

Hi team
really good results yesterday, which I will post here as soon as I figure out how to insert a spreadsheet. In the meantime, pls tell me what kind of skis you were on. And sorry Erin, Gillian, I missed your finish times. Who were you between?
Coach Richard

awsome racing this morning!!...and other stuff

2009-10-31T13:54:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Anyone who is new and is racing this winter please tell me what size of race suit you want before monday.

Anyone who wants to get a jacket (same style as the old ones) can you also please email me sizes before monday.

Thanks!
Lindsey

Attaboys from Nicole

2009-10-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

Sorry to miss you....

Really sorry but I won't be able to help out Saturday, have to head home to dog-sit...
Have fun though! GO GRYPHS GO!!
-Nicole

2009-10-30T17:26:00.002-04:00

well I guess I might as well break this in.

So far the votes on the jackets have gone

2 same as before
1 for something different
1.5 for Jacket 3
.5 for Jacket 1

So I don't know what to do... there's no way to win in this situation i dont think and since people generally agree it makes sense to keep the old style and because it doesnt look like we'll agree on a different one I think I will have to just go and order them in the same style as before.

I also got one suggestion for adding reflective elements...which I think is a great idea but im pretty sure podiumwear doesnt do that. I googled it though and i think it might be possible to get some iron on or sew on stuff thats not very expensive. Then maybe you could customize if you want? (reflective flames maybe ian? :P )

thats all i guess,
see ya tomorrow!

Lindsey

Fresh Blogspot!

2009-10-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Here is an attempt at blog creation for our team. It could be a legitimate source of information or simply a weak attempt at burning time between classes on my part.

I will send out some basic instructions in an e-mail, and hopefully its comprehenisve enough of how this blog works. Do not not hesitate to contact me it you have any questions, problems, or chirps of my blog selecting ideas.

Until then, enjoy!