Happy Tuesday everyone.
The week that was (for me):
Most of the week, for me, pointed towards Saturday, and the Vail Hill Climb. I came into this year’s race with more running mileage under my belt, and was thus hoping to smash my winning time from last year (55:20). The goal was at least sub-54, and deep down, I was hoping to break into the 52s, which I would consider more in the ‘elite’ realm on this 7.7-mile, 2,200+ foot climb.
Christie and I woke the kids up at 4:45 a.m. and loaded up the car to get to Vail for an all-day extravaganza that included the race, visiting the Avon Rec center pool, writing/hanging out at the Vail Daily office, multiple picnic meals, and finally, a Bravo! Vail show at 6 p.m.
We had to take the dog with us, too. Ajee was a trooper through and through.
I guess the TLDR summary of the race was: 1) I got second in 54:53. 2) I walked twice…unfathomable, but indicative of just how much I unexpectedly unraveled in the race, 3) I finished with a smile, pleased that I toughed it out, but motivated to come back and prove that I can do better.
And, most importantly, the kids had a lot of fun, got a post-race donut for the gondola ride down, and we all made it back to Leadville by 8:45 p.m. without any crazy meltdowns!
Not totally sure why I wasn’t feeling super sharp in the race…maybe Mt. Blue Sky was still in my legs, maybe I wasn’t as race-fit as I believed, or maybe it was something else. I’m really grateful for my wife, Christie, who patiently absorbed my meaningless musings, mental reflections, and borderline excuses — which poured forth in the immediate aftermath and kept trickling out at various points in the afternoon.
She praised me for being tough and holding on so well, especially considering the demons I was fighting over the latter 55% of the climb. Having put so much heart capital into this event, her words were timely and perfect.
I would also add that the winner, Cam Smith, was brilliant on course, friendly afterwards, and just a wonderful, humble winner. It was great talking with him and writing a story on his story afterwards. (See below)
The week that was (in skiing):
I’m starting to wonder if gripwax nation needs to lower the pitchforks. Or at least change the angle slightly. Maybe point the pointy end at someone else.
And…I know: If anyone knows a thing or two about rant-worthy topics — or turning non-rant-worthy topics, like ripping athletes who think training camps need more scheduled ‘fun’ or chastising the inconsistencies of climate-advocates who fly to other countries in the middle of the season to recover from illness — it’s me. And since I’m in America, a fair portion of those milkshake-sized meltdowns (I don’t know why I just compared my meltdowns to a milkshake…) get directed at the U.S. Ski Team.
Recent news stories have me wondering just how fair I’ve been.
Like, is it just me, or is the Norwegian Ski Federation a retired-Johannes-Klaebo-away from being kind of a dysfuntional mess?
Here’s a list of troubling things I made after about 10 minutes of scrolling VG and Langrenn.com:
- Stig Rune Kveen reportedly resigned as women’s national team coach just after Easter, citing “too many travel days” and consideration for family. Turns out there was a different reason. According to Nettavisen’s cross-country commentator Ernst Lersveen, Kveen had been in a relationship with athlete Anne Kjersti Kalva — who just broke up with Didrik Tonseth the prior season. That’s not good. Imagine the outrage if this happened on our team! Lersveen also thinks this was one reason for the women’s national team’s recent poor results. Speaking of which…
- Well, we can start with Kalva. After her world championship breakout in 2023, Kalva was a shell of her former self last season. She did finally manage a podium place in Falun on the final weekend of the World Cup, later telling VG the reason she wasn’t performing was due to her not eating enough. She’s not the first Norwegian skier to openly discuss chronic underfueling, either, but we won’t go there now. Strike two.
- Helene Marie Fossesholm – do you even remember who this is? I hate to admit this, but I actually had to drive down a few mental backroads just to think of a possible Google search capable of leading me to her name. At 19, Fossesholm was the hottest thing since the SederSkier Po— since sliced brea — since Swix blue ex — since twin skins! She placed eighth at the 2021 World Championships in the 10k individual start and won a relay gold medal. That season, she also claimed two individual World Cup podiums. Currently, she’s on an indefinite break from the Norwegian team. Be honest. If she was an American, I reckon the Facebook sleuths would be hard at work typing up angry comments centered around mishandling prodigious talent or overtraining or lack of drive or any other common complaint.
- Tiril Udnes Weng, the overall crystal globe winner in 2023, finished 40th in the standings last year. Granted, she was ill most of the season, but when she talked about her issues on the Skirious Problems Podcast, she also mentioned simply training herself into the ground too early in the off-season. Maybe that’s not totally on the national team coaches — but it probably is a little.
I could go on and on — what about Skistad not training with the national team or Klaebo leaving the national team and claiming he had “different values”.…or how about the whole inappropriate comments within the wax truck? On top of all of that, the ski federation is losing money and its primary sponsor, SpareBank (after next year).
VG reported: “the association lost NOK 10.9 million last year. In the group, the operating deficit was 17.4 million due to the World Ski Championships in Trondheim in 2025. At the end of 2023, equity was down to NOK 52.4 million. It was 167 million in 2007.”
Right now, it seems the Norwegian’s pride is centered on 1) Jakob Ingebrigtsen and double threshold scientific research, 2) resurrecting the career of 36-year-old Therese Johaug, 3) hoping the Russians don’t come back (or, if you want to be cynical — preventing them from doing so)…and 4) Klaebo… who is insanely dominant, but probably wouldn’t be quite as insanely dominant if he had to deal with Bolshunov every weekend.
Yes, the Norwegian men are still very, very deep. But imagine this:
Take Klaebo out — let’s say he retires because, after all, what is there left for him to prove and, at 27, he’s — by Nordic skiing standards — practically ANCIENT. I mean, he must be so ‘burned out’ by now. (*See, I can’t help myself).
Now, put Russia back in — let’s say the war miraculously ends.
Without their ringleader, the Norwegian men have a lot less teeth. With the Russians, they also don’t look nearly as deep. Sprint days seem wide open, distance days belong to Bolshunov and rising stars like Moch and Schumacher and Ogden and Vermeulen and the entire French team et al. Beyond Amundsen — who is a bonafide all-around star — the top four Norwegians in the overall standings aren’t exactly spring chickens: Golberg is 33, Nyenget is 32 and Valnes is 28…and the Klaebo, obviously.
Now, a smart rebuttal would be that the Norwegian’s actual depth is manifested in the hundreds (HUNDREDS?) of Norwegian men fighting each other for coveted World Cup starts every weekend on their domestic circuit. By the time they reach the World Cup, they’re a well-proven, battle-tested 25 or 26-years-old.
Ok, fair enough. But a nation’s confidence is at least in part tied to its stars. Look at how Diggins has changed the expectation in U.S. women’s skiing, for example.
Culture, tone and performance levels all get set by the best athlete on the team. When you take the lead wolf out of its pack, things can go downhill quickly.
So, I guess I’ll ask it again: does Norway really have everything put together? Minus Klaebo, the state of the ski union feel different. Even if you think they are cutting edge in training and technique and league’s ahead in coaching education, you have to admit, some of these allegations are pretty troubling.
Perhaps even worth a rant.
We get your letters…
Great interview with Mika, by the way! He’s got to be one of the most intelligent and self-aware skiers I’ve heard interviewed. Thoroughly enjoyable.
You may enjoy the story below, even if it is about doping!
-Knox
Dear Knox – Glad you enjoyed the Mika show. As for this story….just incredible. Makes me wonder what other ‘ski stories’ from WWII are out there.
Ryan, Absolutely love the podcast. I’m looking for the link to support it but can’t find it online. Anyway you could send me this? I also sent a few random emails earlier this year, but might have sent them to the wrong email address. Is this the best email or do you prefer the adams.edu from the contact on sederskier.com? Anyways keep up the amazing work. For what it’s worth you are also the best commentator on ski and snowboard live. The only thing we might disagree on is the fact that the KC Royals are the most amazing team in the AL Central and the Twins are Rubbish. Still wondering what kick wax you used in the Alley Loop this past year (or if you used any at all)? Hope all is well in Leadville.
-Drew
Drew – Really happy that you enjoy the podcast! sederskier@gmail.com is best. Thank you for your desire to support the show! I actually agree, the Twins are rubbish haha! As for the Alley Loop – no kick baby! Gripwax nation unite!
Ryan – the universe keeps sending me things that I keep forwarding to you 🙂
–Karl
Karl – Yes! keep em coming….adding to the show notes document right now haha!
Ryan – While I appreciate Grant Fisher’s experience with training and certainly his success, when folks make comments about threshold training or training at a specific lactate level, it opens a can of worms if not considered in context of the over all profile. Following is a chart of two lactate test I did on a top mt bike racer. The first, very low baseline, due to the time of the year and training build up, training at 3-4 mm would have been very hard. Then the second test in September his race fitness was excellent and training at 3-4 mm would not be hard at all. This is a pretty normal response to peak fitness. The Swedish Speed Skater in his training book also referenced this a positive response to training. In short, extensive endurance suppress lactate production or improve resynthesis, racing and high intensity training increase lactate production. Under any of the many definitions of “thresholds” we would have to agree they are similar. Yet the lactates are not.
-Jim
Jim – Thank you for adding to this conversation! The points you bring up are certainly important for coaches to consider.
Some stories I wrote last week
Did you miss our last podcast?
From the archives
Carbonate Chronicle, February 17, 1936: “Skiing and Hot Dogs”
Seder-Skier.com 
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