It’s a good week to have a good week!

Hey everyone!

To recap on the previous week, we had a pretty intense volume week that everyone CRUSHED and here’s the highlight reel.

On Tuesday, we did classic intervals up White Hill Road in Parishville. It was a great opportunity to really get after it and get a pretty nice view from the top with the last of the fall foliage. Etown and Dana drove us down to the base after each climb which was also awesome…yay for team vans!

Lucy '20 and Steph '22 cruising through the intervals

First years Cam '23 and Charlie '23 rolling!

Jackie '20 looking strong!

We started our first morning of circuits on Thursday in Leithead, and nothing wakes you up quicker than your heart rate spiking up at 7am! I really do think these are a great way to build both physical and mental toughness and still have time to hit your 8:30 AM class. 

Go men's team!

Here we go Saints!

In the afternoon, we did sprint simulations at Higley. The conditions made for some tricky skiing (it had been pouring rain all day with needles and leaves on the road), but nonetheless Dana and Etown brushed most of the debris off the road and we were off. We originally started the qualifying heat with a 2k loop starting at the beach, circling up to the pump station and heading back down, but was cut shorter for quarters, semis and finals. Men and women were separated for each sprint and the positive energy we had was reverberating! It could’ve turned south because of a number of reasons, but we all set out determined and had a blast in the process. This team never ceases to amaze me.

Gabby '21, Nat '23, and Lucy '20 on the line (left to right)

Graham '22, Cam '23, and Matt '21 starting the qualifying heat with Etown timing (left to right)

The weekend was BIG. On Saturday, we left campus at 6 AM and drove up to Gatineau Park to get in some longer L3 intervals. Robyn ’22 lives close by to the park so we had a good idea of what it entailed before we got there. They closed down the roads of cars until 10:30AM, so when we pulled up there were SO many skiers milling around. It was pretty cool to see recreational skiers, clubs, and teams all skiing on the frosty road before the sun peeked out from the trees. The roads had long climbs with good pavement, so sending it on the downhills was fast and furious. Everyone looked strong! We stopped by the Asian market on the way home to get some food for the road and man, that place was crowded. The food all smelled great and most of us grabbed samples from the free sample stations. And the weirdest food? Had to be the whole cooked duck because the head was still on it.

Beautiful Gatineau roads!

Charlie '23 and Emily '20 cheesing for the camera

The ~whole~ cooked ducks

On Sunday, we left campus at 6 AM to drive down to Saranac Lake for a run/hike OD. We started at the Haystack trailhead on 86 and took off. It eventually comes to an intersection where left takes you to Haystack, and strait takes you to McKenzie and further onto Moose. The summit of Haystack had a great view of the (snowcapped!!!) Mt. Marcy and Whiteface. McKenzie was very, very muddy and wet. Fortunately, that moisture turned to a nice ice/snow mixture at the top! I didn’t make it to Moose, but I was told by others who did that the trail was so icy it had turned into a bobsled run. Again, it was so awesome to see everyone really digging deep after a long week. On the way back we stopped by the ‘Dack Shack for amazing 46er sandwiches (which, by the way, tasted like the best thing on Earth!). 

View from Haystack summit

Someone's excited we found snow!

Alex Honnold, is that you?

Time to get WEIRD

See you soon, snow!

Thank you Dana for the photos, as well as Cam, Tim, and Charlie for taking some photos as well.

Overall, I think everyone finished the week pretty tired, but it’s only because we CRUSHED it!! Can’t wait for the snow to start falling up here! Until then, you’ll find us cruising on the blacktop.

-Gabby ‘21