I know I said the blog was “back” over a year ago, but I guess I lied a little. It was definitely a lofty goal with how busy I’ve been; between balancing my last two semesters of official course work at UNM, training, and constant exploration in the land of enchantment (especially whenever David came to visit), the blog took a back seat yet again. But with the season now well underway, I am definitely well overdue for an update.
David, Galena, and I on a run in Anchorage, where we did a block of training before heading to Europe.
PT SCHOOL:
I am currently on a leave of absence to allow myself to train and compete this winter. My amazing faculty at UNM helped facilitate this, which is something I have been so incredibly grateful for. If not for this leave, I definitely would not be able to pursue competing at the Olympics this season. Before I started my leave in October, I finished up the last of my in-class curriculum at UNM. When I return in March, I have three 9-week long rotations to complete before I take my boards next October and then officially become “Doctor Yeaton” (!!!) and look for a job. That being said, call me if you hear of any openings (especially in the Colorado/ Utah area… looking at you Durango!). I still get to walk with my class in our graduation ceremony in May, which I am really looking forward to. While I certainly don’t miss practical exams and panic studying the night before exams, I DO miss my PT fam dearly!
SKI RACING
I have been based out of Davos, Switzerland for about the past 6 weeks. I am living with the rest of the Australian senior team, and we have travelled to races periodically throughout. I kicked off the season with OPA cups in Goms, Switzerland the weekend before Davos World Cups. I then put in a solid training block with David, who was also over here for Period 1 of the world cup before he headed back to the US. I recently completed the Tour de Ski, which was 6 stages in 8 days that were held in Lenzerheide, (Switzerland), Obersdorf (Germany), and Val di Fiemme (Italy). While the tour had its ups and downs, I managed to finish on a high note by scoring world cup points in the hill climb with a 29th place. Unfortunately, the World Cups in France next weekend have been cancelled due to Covid, so our plans leading into the Olympics are a little unknown at this point. Regardless, I plan to put in a solid training block that (after recovering from the tour!) will hopefully set me up to compete in top form a month from now.
Training with the senior team in sunny Davos
Training in Lenzerheide with David
Followed by cake and hot chocolate, of course!
Testing skis with Casey at TDS
With my support crew at the top of Alpe Cermis in Val di Fiemme
Xmas Fondue with David! Pro-tip: if your cheese is clumping, add a mixture of cold wine and flour and keep stirring! As a big time fondue rookie, it works.. I swear!
NOMADING
I am lucky to have scored rotations in a few very cool places when I return from my leave of absence. My first rotation is in Colorado Springs, my second is in Park City, and my third is in Grand Junction. Yes, I know, all great places for mountain biking- I won’t pretend like this is an accident. Since I won’t be spending much time in Albuquerque moving forward, I moved most of my belongings to my parent’s house in Bozeman (because that’s what you do when you turn 30, right?) so I can home base from there as I go to all my rotations next year. Between the ski season and traveling the West next year, I am very excited to live out of a suit case (well, actually, more like my truck/second bedroom) and ride ALL the trails
Saying goodbye to my little casita in Albuquerque!
OTHER EXCITING NEWS
This year, I have a new headgear sponsor this season: Pivot Cycles. As many of you know, I perform a great deal of my training on a mountain bike. This is something that started a few years back due to an overuse injury. I now choose it as my primary method of volume and a great deal of my intensity due to the immense gains in fitness it provides. I find that the terrain and technical aspects transfer really well to skiing. Additionally, the heart rate variation and muscle activation is very similar between the two sports. An hour and a half xc bike race feels very similar to a 30k skate race in effort to me. The added bonus is the smile I can’t wipe off my face on a flowy descent or whenever I am able to clear a new feature! I am excited to share my favorite training mode with you and hope to spread the stoke for mountain biking in the Nordic world this season!
Racing up the final climb in TDS
Excited to fly over more cacti next summer on a Pivot!!!
More updates to come over the following weeks regarding racing, training, the Olympics, and other adventures in Davos!
