Just keep digging

When it comes right down to it the ability to simply suffer is second only to quality consistent training in terms of things that an athlete can control in this sport. Ones natural talent is not something that you can do much about. Some coaches refer to it as the pain dance, I like to think of it as digging a hole where the only way out is to keep digging deeper knowing that somehow, some way you will come out the other side.

I have seen it in all the great performances this year on the team. As Ben Knowles moved into second place in the 20K classic this weekend I just yelled to him "these guys just don't know how much pain you are willing to endure." Of course truth be told he didn't know how much they would endure and so you have a race and it was a great one. While not able to overtake Bernstein of UVM for 1st Ben was able to out kick Johnson of MID for second and post the best individual result of both his and my career as a coach. It was also the best finish of a slu nordic skier since Eric Tremble back in 2001.

The senior men just seem to keep rolling. Wolcott put in the 2nd best split of the day in the 3x5K free relay to keep the guys in 3rd place and Wetherell put in an increadable 2nd half of the 20K moving up to 11th after some tangles at the start had him in the mid 20s at 5K.

The women while not having a great season thus far did show some signs of improvement over this past weekend. I am certain we will see considerably better results over the last two weeks.