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Tour du Rutor Extreme 2012

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012

Tour du Rutor Extreme 2012: Veronika Swidrak (AUS) & Nina Silitch (USA) -4th Place overall Women

The Tour du Rutor holds a special place in my heart because it really was the first real ski mountaineering race I did with my teammate Lyndsay the year we started ski mountaineering racing in 2007. It was our first real introduction to “real” ski mo racing with technical ridges and arretes and some great long downhills. It is great because it is just over the other side of the Chamonix valley in the Aosta valley, so not too far away to drive compared to many of the other races I have been to this year. My teammate Veronika’s journey was much longer, driving 8hrs from Austria.

Le Rutor

In 2007 we placed 10th overall for women with L. Roux winning again back then and many of the same women’s teams  in the top ten, many of which are still world champions today.

Looking ahead to what is next

As I look back to when I really started ski mountaineering racing 5 years ago with my youngest son not yet one  year old, I am really proud of where I have come and even more so what I have learned about myself along the way, and meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. This year my oldest son is super excited as he has been asking to try skinning for many years. Last week I put some skins on his cross country skis and he joined me with for a nightly training with our Chamonix club.

Technical Boot packs

This year , like in 2010 when it was a World Cup race, The Rutor,  was a three day stage race, similar to the Pierra Menta but higher in altitude.

Great Views

The Rutor, this year, is also part of the Grande Course Series which includes the Pierra Menta 2011/2012, Mezzalama 2011, Adamello 2011, Tour du Rutor 2012, Patrouille des Glaciers 2012. I will race the PGD as an “all American” team  with 2 great friends and athletes, Lyndsay Meyer and Sari Anderson.

Madonna at the Summit on stage 1

I am currently ranked 5th in the Grande Course Rankingsjust behind the 4 women who are tied for 1st place, (l. Roux, M. Miro, R. Pedrazini, F. Martenelli)

All smiles after a strong 4th place on the 1st stage

I am super excited and pleased with Veronika and my overall finish of 4th place.  It was a goal of mine to finish in the top 5 in one of the Grand Course races and so far this year I have done that twice, with a 5th place at the Pierra Menta and a 4th at the Rutor.

Skinning up 1st hill on 2nd stage

It was a real pleasure to race with Veronika who is experienced, an excellent pacer and always bringing positive energy to the race.

Heading down the fixed rope on 3rd stage

We are a good strong team and we  had a great 3 days of racing. We managed to hold our  4th place throughout the 3 days. Here are some cool shots of the race.

Trail running season started early! (running down the ridge)

It was hard to gain more time on the local Italian world champion Gloriana Pellisier but we came very close on the 2nd day with a very good stage.

Last downhill was over 2000 meters!

Here are the 3 stages with over 6,690 meters of climbing in 3 days.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

While many of you are putting away the skis, and getting out the running shoes and bikes, we still have a good month of racing left. I will be celebrating the Easter holidays with my boys and then head to Tromso, Norway for the ArticRace, the last World Cup weekend of racing with the Sprint Final on Saturday the 14th and the Individual final on Sunday 15th. Currently ranked 9th overall for the Ind. ISMF rankings, it should be a great season finale for the World Cup. The season finale will finish with the Patrouille des Glaciers on the 27th of April.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring in the Mountains!

 Enjoy the sunshine and warm weather! 

 

 

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Pierra Menta 2012

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

Pierra Menta 2012

The Pierra Menta, a.k.a The Tour de France of ski mountaineering racing, is really one of the most mythical ski mo races out there and I think the hardest in my book. This year marked it’s 27th year!

Is this really my 5th?

I have to say, when I racked up for this race for the 1st time 5 years ago in 2008 with Lyndsay in our 2nd season of skimo racing, never did I think I would still be at it 5 years later. To do this race 5 straight years in a row, none the less finish is a huge achievement in my book.

Super happy to see my boys at the finish!

This year I raced with Valentine Fabre, an experienced skimo racer, our Mezzalama team mate from 2011 and a fellow team member from our Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club.  For my 5th Pierra Menta, I was super happy with our 5th place overall behind some of the top women skimo racers in europe.

Stats from this year’s Pierra Menta:

Pierra Menta 2012

205 mens teams and 16 womens teams took the start line. These teams not only are  the best ski mountaineering athletes from all over the world, but also teams who are simply there for the love of the sport. The Pierra Menta is part of the Grande Course series, a series of 5 races over 2 years: The French Pierra Menta, The Italian Mezzalama, Adamello and Tour du Rutor and the Swiss Patrouille des Glaciers. Next on the Grande Course Calender is the Tour du Rutor Extreme followed by the Patrouille des Glaciers.

This year: 177 mens teams finished and 11 womens teams. Here are the complete results: 

We completed almost 10,000 meters of elevation gain and over 80 kilometers of distance covered. 

For more images from the race: 

 

Heading up the last boot pack on day 1

Heading up the last boot pack on day 1

Stage 1:  Rise and shine at the bright hour of 5h15am. None-the-less our Italian neighbors above us managed to do a skimo dance with their boots on every morning about 4am so were were often awake! 7am starts for the first 3 stages. The first day we finished in a strong position of 6th place for women with plenty of energy for the next 3 days

Stage 1-2684 meters of climbing 13 transitions!. A great 1st day in Pierra Menta style!

Stage 2:  The long and winding stage of day two. This stage was over 4h20 for us!

A good mixture of Hammer Nutrition Heed & Perpetuum kept me fueled for the long stage

A hot day but we took plenty of fluids and drink and kept a good pace throughout. We managed to move up to 5th place on day 2!

Stage 2

Stage 3: Le Grand Mont! This mythic day is when 1000′s of spectators come to cheer with their bells, fondue and vin chaud!

Mythic Pierra Menta Crowds on the 3rd stage

It is really truly amazing and inspirational to pass through these crowds!

The Famous Grand Mont Arrete

Here are some more images from the day! 

 

Stage 3

We maintained our 5th place lead and enjoyed the ambience and full flavor of stage 3 with the crowds and the true spirit of the PM. Another long day with over 2600 meters and almost 4hrs.

Finish of Stage 3

Stage 4:  The Finale! Some say the the last day is like the Champs des Elysees but anything can happen. Equipment can break, someone can fall sick or just have a bad day. I felt  stronger each day and the best on this last stage which was only 1800 meters but full of some great ascents and descents.

All downhill from here!

We finished strong for the day, with just a few minutes behind the 4th place team.

Last quick transition and then down!

What a great feeling to pass the finish line after 4 hard days of giving it our all!

Smiles at the Finish! Yes!

A huge congrats to all the finishing teams and a special thanks to my teammate Valentine!

Womens Podium: 1st-PEDRANZINI Roberta : IT/ MARTINELLI Francesca-IT 2.ROUX Laetitia FR / PONT COMBE Sèverine-CH 3. RICHARD Mireille / MAGNENAT Gabrielle -CH4. BESSEGHINI Laura / CLOS Corinne 5. SILITCH Nina-USA / FABRE Valentine-FR

A special shout out to all the womens teams who competed!  It is a huge feat in itself to show up for the Pierra Menta as a woman, none-the-less finish it! I hope to see more and more womens teams at the Pierra Menta next year!

Ambience

A huge thanks to all my friends and family who came to support us with their cowbells and cheering!  Thanks to all the folks who took some great photos out there and I used in the blog! Thank you to my sponsors too who have helped support me in many ways to make this season happen!

Team Support!

My lil' Helpers!

 

A special felicitations to all the other members in the Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club. I think we were probably the most well represented club at the race with 21 members who raced and finished the 27th Pierra Menta! Bravo!

Now it's Nap time!

 

Here is a cool video of the PM 2012

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La Dolce Vita: 2nd Ski Mo World Cup in Sicily

Sunday, February 26th, 2012
You don't get many downhills like these! (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

From Snow to Sea: Nina on the descent of the World Cup Ind. Course on Mt. Enta (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

When people think of Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, they often think of sunshine, sandy beaches, sweet cannoli’s, lemon trees, gelato and La dolce vita, the sweet, slow pace of Sicily.

Pure Sicilian Sunshine (Photo from www.stephanmantler.com)

There is also Mt. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe.  Did you know that the first ice cream came from Sicily? Greeks and Romans sent runners  to the top of the Etna slopes to get some snow, which was then sweetened with Sicilian honey,  nuts and berries.

What you probably don’t think of is skiing, a ski-mountaineering World Cup none-the-less. Well, there is in fact skiing on Mt. Etna!  The locals are also passionate about ski mountaineering on this active, unpredictable volcanic peak. The 2nd World Cup, in a 5 world cup series was held on snowy slopes of Mt. Etna, in the dichotomy of the sea against the snow.  Perhaps we were not so different from the runners of roman times, only we racers were running around in lycra race suits and skis on our feet!

Racers in lycra suit on Mt Etna (www.stephanmantler.com)

The night before we arrived, Sicily received over 2meters  of fresh snow. That is over 6 feet for those of you who think in inches!

Officially "snowed under!"

There was so much snow, not only the access road was blocked, but also the chairlifts.

Officially snowed under (parking lot of Mt. Etna Ski area)

Thanks to a hard, working Sicilian road crew, just like Katy and the Big Snow, (a book my boys love), we were able to get to the race. 

The most baffling thing was that even though it snowed 2 meters, there was no powder!

Sicilian Snow Removal

The snow quickly transformed and condensed to hard pack. Skiing down was like skiing in sand, with a layer snow crystals washing over the hard surface, making a very cool swishing noise. I was stoked I could use my new swix poles with super lightweight baskets! Thanks Swix and Michael for prepping them in time!

More great shots from Stephan! www.stephanmantler.com

There was a real rendezvous of nations here for this race, with the top athletes in ski mountaineering circuit from France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. We were welcomed in an opening ceremony of parade of nations. Friday the vertical race was straight up the slopes of the volcan with a boot pack in the middle. This was a nice change from the  the normal straight up against gravity verticals.

Opening Ceremony of Etna World Cup

Talk about extremes. Two weeks ago when I set foot on the starting line it was -20 C, and I was sporting amour for the cold (hand warmers and mittens) and this time a complete opposite of 14 degrees Celsius. The vertical was for me all about the ‘gitter done attitude adopted from the John Deere roots in my own family.

The fight against gravity with a smile on the World Cup Vertical Race

The vertical was a pure fight against gravity, one of the steeper verticals I have done. I managed to find some  power at the boot pack and kept thinking of Anders message to me to have a happy race and finish with a smile.

from my budding little optimist

Sicilians are on Sicilian time, not Swiss time, much to the dismay of the heavily present Swiss team. It is a refreshing change  to the hubbub of today’s modern pace and one we all can all meditate on in a full breath. Briefings starting 30 minutes late, starts delayed due to traffic mayhem on the access road, no problemo. Tranquillo….just breathe…

A race with a view (photo:www.stephanmantler.com)

Saturday the heat was on and I was ready. Plenty of Hammer Nutrition Heed in my camelbak, check  Sporting my white national team suit to avoid melting in the hot sun! check . Once again, yours truly, finds her pace at the middle of the first climb. This course was not so long (1450m) with2 long climbs, and not so technical up or down so it favored those who are good climbers and difficult to gain much on the descents. I did managed to find my power on the 2nd climb and had some clean and fast transitions, passing 3 WC women, 3 FISI women, finishing 9th overall WC,  in the 82% from the winner, a drastic improvement from last year.

You don't get many downhills like these! (photo www.martinavalmassoi.com/)

Nina on the 2nd downhill on the individual course (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

Adventuring to the top of the Mt Etna Crater with my austrian teammate Veronika after the race was a highlight of the trip, reaching the snow summit and looking out towards the sea  in the distance breathing in the two

Looking out towards the sea

Here are some photos from the journey to the summit.

The ski down was spectacular! We descended over 2000 meters on soft spring snow, weaving our way through lava rocks along the way and hitched out way back to town.

 Sunshine thoughts from Sicily: 

Yoga in the Sicilian Sunshine

Sunshine strength, fresh -infused new energy,  friendships, pace for a lifetime, relish siestas in the sun, take time to read, balance, yoga in the sunshine, smile .

Mission Accomplished-Finishing with a smile (photo www.stephanmantler.com)

 

So that is it from Sicily.  

 

Next skimo world cup just 1 week away, Lagorai Cima d'Asta, Italy! (photo: www.martinavalmassoi.com/)


I leave you with a message from Danielle LaPorte’s excerpt on Decide to Rise who, b.t.w. is full of inspiration, and sageful words of wisdom.

 

Push. Turn up the volume. Go hard. Go harder.

Re-prioritize your aches and pains.

Infuse your sensitivities with courage.

Tell fear to #&*^#$^*@( #&(**&#^!!!

Devote to Done.

There are soul-justified reasons to cancel. There are times to just stop. This isn’t one of them. Keep going. Show up. Full on. Full tilt. Full out. Decide to be one of those people who pull it off.

Do what you say you’re going to do. 
Don’t let us down. 
Decide to rise.

Why decide to rise? Not for the reasons you might think. In fact, these are the reasons that will make you sick and tired:

Do not rise out of obligation. Do not rise because of feared consequences. Do not rise because you think being tough makes you smarter (it doesn’t.)

Decide to rise because you want to expand — your being, your life, your possibilities.

Decide to rise because super powers are meant to be activated and applied in everyday life.

Decide to rise to explore your place in the universe.

 On the other side of deciding to rise is illumination, ecstasy, insight. And the angel of your strength is there waiting, smiling, applauding, with a goblet of endorphins for you. Drink up.

When you transcend circumstances you get special privileges. You get evidence that you are indeed amazing, and irrefutable proof that what your heart and mind choose is what matters. And you get the deep knowing that life wants you to win.

Decide to rise.

Lean in. Listen up. Closely.

It’s your soul speaking and she says,

Get UP! I need you. I want you. I am you. Choose me.

Lean in. Listen up. Closely.

Decide to rise.

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Happy Valentines Day!

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
Staying warm in the winter chill

It’s February 14th! Happy Valentines Day! Arctic temperatures have blanketed the Alps these last 2 weeks, some mornings with the thermometer reading -19 C (-2 F)!  Growing up in Vermont and Maine  these frosty temps are quite common in January. Back then I grew tired of freezing my tail off at the top of a GS course. Not only did I soon switch over to a more aerobic sport , cross country skiing, to keep my engine warm  but also moved to a sunnier state, Colorado. Now I have switched over to another sport, ski mountaineering which keeps my heart and mind equally warm.

Sunshine warms the heart

I have had a little break in the World Cup calendar. Despite the Siberian temps, I have bundled up just like we did when we were kids,and headed for the mountains on my own, with friends and with my family, all heartwarming and important moments to stay balanced.

Enjoying warm winter moments as a Family

Perhaps it’s only in ski towns in France that when teachers strike and there is no school, kids go skiing! These two weeks I took advantage of having some more time to pump up the volume in my training but also get out find some new terrain that I had not skied before. I headed out with a friend Max one day  up the Col de la Floria, a good climb from the valley floor to the top (1440+meters) There was a nice long boot pack at the top and a great steep ski coming down. Another time I explored the, Aiguille de la Gliere Nord, once again a great varied climb, boot pack, with an impressive view to the other side. It is these kind of days in the mountains that bring me warmth and a smile.

Heading to the Hills

I managed to get in some good races as well in these 2 weeks. I squeezed in 2 Mountain Ski tour uphill victories ( Flaine and Les Contamines) Both excellent for my own uphill climbing but also really fun ambiance.  I did not have these on my calender but decided to go as there were not only good training opportunities but also a great chance to see another part of the Alps and go with other from my local Chamonix Ski Mountaineering club. The Tour de Grand Veymont in the Vercours region of France was also the CAF (Club Alpine Francais) national championships. This time artic temps prevailed. Mittens and hand warmers were the ticket. It was a gorgeous course, a great sunday out as a club and I came home with the win for the women and the CAF national champion title.

Tour de Grand Veymont & Trophee de Gastlosen

 The Trophee de Gastlosen is the 2nd largest race in Switzerland next to the famous Patrouille des Glaciers, with over 1200 participants. Two years ago this race was a world cup and I raced with my USA teammate and pal lyndsay. It was the first team race of the year for me and I raced in Chamonix Club mixed team with Yann, our coach from our club and an experienced skimo racer. We placed 23rd overall with a time of 2h53 reaching our goal of being the first mix team and also breaking three hours. It was probably the coldest temps I have ever raced in with the thermometer around -21 at the start but the great backdrop of the Gastlosen mountains and the technical climbs and descents kept me moving and made for an excellent day.

 

Warm moments together

Now it’s tapering time for the next world cup which will be held on the active volcano of Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy. on February 24 and 25th. For our family, a great time to spend with the boys who are on vacation from their busy days at school. It is a time for everyone to slow down, breathe, and rejuvenate together.

Staying warm

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”—

Anne Bradstreet

 

 

 

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1st Ski Mountaineering World Cup of the 2012 Season in Andorra

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Heading for the finish in the vertical race ski mo world cup

 

As I leave sunny Andorra and head for snowy Chamonix I look around at this beautiful countryside here which I am so fortunate to have had a chance to explore. What I love most about racing in other countries is it gives me a real chance to experience a country more than in the eyes of a tourist.

A map of Andorra to give you a sense of where in the world this little country is

This goes back to some of my earlier jobs in life which allowed me to work abroad, teaching English in China, working in Africa as an outdoor educator and even mountaineering in South America. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences as a young professional. Surely they have enriched who I am today and given me a global perspective.

The start of the womens vertical race: I always start a little too fast!

Racing in another country allows one to  not only take in the land while racing but also meet the people locally with first hand flavor.

A view of the course track for the individual

On the world cup ski mountaineering circuit it is a fairly small group of athletes( 40 men and 20 women) from a variety of countries – mostly alpine nations. It is nice to say hello again and meet new people to expand horizons even further. The locals in Andorra were welcoming, enthusiastic and put on a great weekend of racing.  It amazes me how this sport grows and grows each year worldwide. With that the levels get higher and higher each year.

I think I am happy to be done with the vertical!

The World Championships were held in Andorra two years ago and I was lucky enough to go. This weekend, the Font Blanca, was the kick off weekend of the ski mountaineering world cup with a vertical race on saturday and the individual race on sunday. The vertical, not my favorite event but a good training for me, and I managed to hold my own finishing 12th overall behind some real climbing specialists, and in the 80th percentile behind the winner. I had no idea I had placed 2nd in my new age category!

Map of last 2 climbs

The individual race was really what I was looking forward to. It was a technical course on profile with 1380 meters of ascent, 4 climbs , with 2 boot crampon sections and some fun couloirs to descend.

Climbing to a personal best in the Ind. Race

Sr. Men on the crampon section

For me, all of my favorite things in ski mountaineering. I was pleased with how I felt, each climb a little stronger, trying to stay consistent and focussed throughout the course. Hammer Nutrition Heed provided me with consistent energy throughout, a perfect energy for a race just under 2 hours.

Descending, what I love most on the individual course

I ended up with a personal best for me with a time in the 80th percentile of the winner and an overall 9th place out of a very strong field of women. Results can be found here.

View of technical section of course

Staying consistent and focussed outside of the race is equally, it not more important. All parents know that this applies to raising children but also to oneself in following a path or a dream.

Having fun with the boys who remind me each day I must be consistent.

So,now it’s back home to my boys who keep me motivated on and off the race course, keep me focused on being the best mom I can be, keep me consistent with what is important and keep my dreams alive!

A huge thanks to Michael, who helps me keep my ducks in a row and reminds me to be consistent.

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Another 2nd for Nina in French National Championships in Sprint!

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Nina- 1st place sprint in age category, 2nd place overall womens final

Just three years ago I helped found the section ski-alpinsime club with the Chamonix club des sports. This year we have reached the 60 member mark in our club. This is not only a result of the passion behind this sport but also the fact that the sport of ski mountaineering is growing exponentially worldwide, especially here in Chamonix, the heart of the Alps. The international ISMF is working hard with others to see that this sport will one day be in the Olympic Games.

Top 3 Women at the finish of the French national Sprints: Laetitia Roux 1, Nina 2, Emile Favre 3

Sunday evening, under the lights of the Les Planards ski area, volunteers from my ski alpinisme club joined forces with the Chamonix Sports Club and the FFME (French Federation Montagne Escalade- the governing body for ski-alpinsime) to host the 1st ever national championships in sprint.

The sprint race is a fairly new format that encompasses many variables of ski mountaineering. This format includes: skinning, to kick-turns-to a boot pack- more skiing, a descent with giant slalom gates and a finish in skating, all of this in an area of around 80m of elevation gain and under at time of 3.5-4.5 minutes.

The sprint event has already taken place in ski mountaineering world cup and in the World Championship in the past 2 years. This is an event that I personally really love and also have had good results with a 5thplace last year in Gavarnie World Cup. This was the first time the sprint has been part of the French national championship series. The cool thing about the sprint event is that it is very exciting to watch from a spectator standpoint. It is similar to the Cross Country Sprint where there is a qualification round, followed by ¼ finals, ½ finals and then finals.

The start line for the womens finals. I had first choice my lane with fastest qualifying time

The race was my second big objective of this season. I am really happy about how I felt in the qualifications and in the final. I had the fastest qualification time, trying not to go out too fast.  In the final I had the lead above Laetitia Roux, the current world champion in this discipline, until the kick turns and then she gained on me in the boot pack.

Warming up before the finals!- It was a cold night! I had Michael and Birken in the pit crew! Thanks!

I placed 2nd overall behind Laetitia Roux, who holds the World Champion title in the Sprint, and I placed 1st in my new age category, with elite athlete Corrine Favre in 2nd.

For me I really love the sprint race because it encompasses so many variables in such a short time. It requires clarity and grace both equally  important in our daily lives. For me, it is easy to get caught up in all of the million things I feel like I need to do at home, with my children, and family. There is a lot going on in our household with lots of transitions, and it often feels like a sprint race: school, ski-club, hockey practice, meal time, bedtime, piano practice and more. It is important for me to be graceful, compassionate and swift in day to day transitions, and at the same time keep a clear vision of what is important.

Some things that really help me stay focused are yoga,  meditation, getting plenty of sleep. I like aromatherapy too. Thanks to my friend Valerie of Ciel et Terre in Chamonix I have discovered Altearah’s wonderful scented oils that work hand in hand with the senses and the mind. Indigo is a favorite of mine.

Purple cornflower a.k.a Bachelor's Button- Color- Indigo -symbolizing Clarity

 

My next big objective, 1st world cup in Andorra this coming weekend. Thursday I will hop on a plane and head to the Pyrenees.

 May all your daily transitions be graceful and swift.

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Summer Footprints

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

 

Podium Combloranne 18km trail (nina 2nd)

Summer kicked off with the Combloranne 18km trail race. Early one sunday morning, with fresh snow in the hills, the boys and I piled in the car and headed to village of Combloux, a.k.a, the pearl of Mont Blanc.

Summer Snow in the Hills

Anders capturing his mom's heart with a photo of a wild rose

My shoes post race

 

 

 

On route home, Anders said to his older brother,  ”you are making paw prints on the back of the seat.”

Making Paw Prints

I smiled silently as I thought of my five year old calling footprints, paw prints. It is the simple things like this we remember.

 

 

 

Summer Footprints…..

The snowy winter boots have been put away only after the last snow on June 19th.  Our entry way welcomes you with muddy footprints, a spattering of sports shoes, sandals, sneakers, random slippers amongst some grass clippings and the smell of recently mowed lawn.

When I worked as an instructor for National Outdoor Leadership School, we tried to teach to our students to leave only footprints when we travelled in the wilderness. I, too, try and teach this message  to my two boys ages 5 and 7.  Funny, they have not quite grasped the message as there is a continual trail of Lego’s,  Hama beads and socks throughout the house. The Leave No Trace philosophy is not easy to embrace in our household but we are working on the “Get it out, put it away” principal.

Summer fills us with longer days and lingering alpenglow evenings.

Evening Alpenglow

The birds rise early with their songs, and then sing small intermittent tunes throughout the day. Most Moms yearn for these endless summer days, banking on the fact that  they can check off more from their to-do list,  but in fact it is a mere ruse. At least my own children boycott the early bedtime …”mommy it is not dark out yet for sleeping“.

Backyard summer evening fun with friends

Many moms attempt to squeeze in just a few more hours into the day to work, workout, have fun with the kids, plan a meal, shop for groceries,  clean the house, finish laundry, finish the  to-do list, have a glass of wine with a friend, carpool the kids, and what am I forgetting? Oh yes of course, Sleep!

Making bubbles

 

 

 

Sad, but true, these few extra hours are simply squeezed out like a lemon in a glass of  summer lemonade or burst like a bubble. Whatever would we do if we lived in Alaska? I, then recall the answer from  a friend who does live in Alaska and she said, sleep less, do more and get black out shades.

Perrine & I trying to squeeze in an extra hour on the bike together

Despite all moms’ great attempt to squeeze more hours in the day, summer is a wonderful time to slow the pace down and take advantage of all the juice and pulp in that lemon, to enjoy the bittersweet taste of lemonade and to sip it slowly ’til every last drop. My mom makes the best lemonade and I am still attempting to get the recipe just right.

Summer Smiles

A pre-breakfast run up to Chalet La Floria

A favorite spot

with Sari Anderson and Lyndsay Meyer . Home in time for breakfast with the boys.

Run up to La Floria w/ Sari and Lynds

A run up to Plan d'Aiguille- Another great refreshment spot

Riding with the B-man. He is hard to keep up with!

Birki on his bike

Top of the Source!

The boys took part in the Mini Cross du Mont Blanc, which was one of many races over the Mont Blanc marathon weekend.

All smiles

I volunteered for the 1st KM vertical of Chamonix. It was a huge success, head up by our coach from our Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Club

En route up the KM vertical Chamonix

As usual the ambiance that this weekend brings is spectacular. It is great to see so many  thousands of  people , young and old, passionate about the sport of trail running.

Mont Blanc Marathon Weekend Ambiance

On Sunday Birken and I cheered on the Marathon finishers

Team Support at the finish!

I took the start of  the Cross du Mont Blanc and did not feel quite right on course. It turns out I pulled a tendon in my hamstring so I am taking a break from running this week and enjoying some other summer moments, as well as tackling our biggest event on the calendar this summer, moving house.

Anders and Mommy Pre-Cross

It is easy to be discouraged by an injury or a setback. For me, this has allowed me to re-adjust my training and my summer stride.

Team Trail Swiss Training w/ Damien & Malika

I hope to discover some new races and leave new footprints in some new places.

Enjoying the Swiss bike paths

It has been a nice treat to vary the summer training with road and mountain biking, strength training, yoga, and of course swimming at a pool with one of the best views in the world.

Nina and Michael enjoying a ride at the World Cycling Center- Aigle, Switzerland

Changing the stride- making new footprints

So you know where you can find us these next few months, smiling in the moment, leaving muddy footprints and enjoying summer!


Summer Footprints

 

 

 

Here is a little summer mantra inspired by  Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathe in summer…enjoy

Breathe out summer, smile.

Enjoy your summer where-ever you may be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Breathe & Believe

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Smile, breathe and go slowly (except when racing) ~Thich Nhat Hanh

There are many things that go into a season of racing. The ski mountaineering season is long, beginning in early december and ending in the 1st of May. There are moments in the season that are low points and high points, races to try to peak for and others to recover from. Juggling and balancing it all is never easy but for me two things help a lot:

Breathe and Believe

When one window closes another opens

 

 

 

 

 

Practicing yoga daily is not always possible but remembering to keep the breath  even both on and off the race course really helps, especially when the going gets tough.

As I reflect back on my 2010/2011 season I want to graciously thank all of my supporters and sponsors who have helped me believe in this dream. Above all I would like to thank my family; my husband  Michael of High-Alpine Mountain Guides who continues to  support  me to follow this dream and all that comes with it, and my two amazing boys who keep me smiling when the going gets tough. I just counted it up and I had 26 races this past season between Dec 5th and May 1st.

 

Training "En Famille"

 

It  is the journey that counts….


2010/2011 Season Stats:

9th overall in the World Cup with 5 individual World Cup starts in multiple countries- Italy, Poland, France,

Best world cup result: 5th Sprint World Cup Gavarnie

2011 World Championships- 8th place Team Race, 12th sprint, 17th individual

3rd French National Championships

3rd Overall French Ranking

2nd in the French Cup

6th Trofeo Mezzalama

7th Pierra Menta

8th Adamello Ski Raid

1st place Run/Skate mix

1st Transvanoise Mix Team

Other Podiums:

Mt Saxonnex- 2nd

Verte a L’envers- 2nd

Combloux-2nd

A big thanks goes out to Wild Roses for their support as I follow my own dream of racing on the World Cup Ski Mountaineering circuit. I am proud to be an ambassador for Wild Roses.  So much about Wild Roses as a company is encouraging woman to follow their dreams and believe in their dreams. I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing team of woman who are following their dreams.

I hope through my own dreams I can help empower others to follow their own and BELIEVE!

Just Believe

To check out the Wild Roses Dream Book click here

photo credits to Patitucci Photo and Brava Bella

 

 

 

 

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Teamwork

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

Teamwork! 6th place women's team

My 2011 ski mountaineering race season culminated with one of the biggest, longest and hardest races out there, the Trofeo Mezzalama.  This was the 3rd and final race in the Grande Course Series. Believe it or not, this was the 3rd time I had been at this start line and the 1st time I had finished so it was a memorable moment for me. Even better was knowing the my family (mom, dad, michael and the boys) and friends were there to welcome us at the finish as we ran in on foot!

part of the welcoming crew!

This race  was held on May 1st already delayed 1 day due to new snowfall. The majority of the race  is between 3600 meters and 4200 meters, with 3000 meters of climbing and 45km in length. What makes it equally amazing is that this race is done as a team. This year I shared this experience with two other amazing woman, also high level athletes and professionals, Lyndsay Meyer and Valentine Fabre,  both from my ski mountaineering club in Chamonix.

Being on a ski mountaineering team is like any team, a soccer team, football,or  an expedition team.  It takes preparation, especially to be aclimized at altitude.

Nina & Lynds training at altitude

As on any team, the key is working together and sharing the strengths and  helping out the weaknesses within the team. Here is a little photo essay of our Mezzalama 2011.

5:30 am Start

Col de Breithorn

It was very very cold at the Col. We tried our best to keep moving here to stay warm. Eating and drinking was difficult at this altitude of 3800 meters as the water bottles were frozen and the wind was quite strong. One also looses their appetite at such a high altitude.  I managed to get a Wild Berry Nuun going in one bottle and a multi-hour bottle of Hammer Nutrition Cafe Latte Perpetuum in my other. This as well as the hot tea at a few stops along the way managed to give me enough energy. Every 2 hours I tried to remember Sport Legs for avoid cramping.   Temperatures were well below zero degrees Celsius until the sun hit.

Castor

Finally kissed by the sunshine!

Castor Peak 4228 m

Col between Lyskamm and nose of Lyskamm

All smiles at the end!

We finished with a very respectable 6th place( out of 23 womans teams) with a time of 7h:30 m

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The Journey is What Counts

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

It’s good to have goals but the journey is what counts- Wild Roses

Looking ahead on the Journey

 

Here are a few shots from a team race I did- the Italian Adamello Ski Raid. This race is the 2nd in the Grand Course series including the Pierra Menta and the Mezzalama. Blandine and I placed 8th in this race. In a team race it is all about working together, sharing the passion of the mountains, and the challenge of the journey. We climbed 3400 meters, climbing up to 3500 meters in altitude, across glaciers and down narrow couloirs.

Looking to the Adamello Peak

Adamello Peak

Just Believe and you can make it

Sunrise

The Adamello Glacier

Nina and Blandine at the finish! 8th place overall

 


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