Make Hay While The Sun Shines

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!  I've been extremely busy here in Williamstown, but it's been super fun!  Right about when everyone left campus, I moved into a new apartment (which is amazing!), I started working mornings at Mighty Food Farm, and I began practice with the Berkshire Nordic Ski Club (BNSC/the club/club kids).  Needless to say, I can't wait until school starts, and not just because I need a change of pace, but mostly because I can't wait to start working with Jason and the team again, and to see how fit everyone is!!

Here's Jason and I cooling off after a humid spring mountain bike ride...

Onions are on the left, we're hoeing collards.

A mere selection of our garlic drying in the barn.

Working half-days at the farm has been a blast!  We have a really fun crew this year, and it's so nice to be able to harvest a bunch of vegetables and work the land all morning long, then go home and relax (answer a million emails and write training plans) before heading out for club practice.  I've been learning a lot from Lisa (who's the toughest, most bad-ass, hardworking person I've ever met!), and with Mighty Food Farm moving to a beautiful new home in Shaftsbury, there's been lots of exciting new things going on!  The early mornings definitely get pretty old (particularly when you forget to set an alarm and wake up late, oops!), but ya gotta get tough somehow, right?

Club kid OD in Savoy with CSU.

Club girls before doing 10 burpees, hill sprint, 10 pushups, jog down, 9 burpees, hill sprint, 9 push-ups, jog down...1

L3 intervals up the Lanesborough side of Greylock.  Grace is headed to Bates next year, so I make sure to completely demoralize her every practice, and give her the worst feedback...

Fresh pavement in Pownal!

Club boys running down the Thunderbolt.

Did some super fun speeds this week!  The first one started with a foot sprint to helmet, skis, and poles where they had to then put on said equipment before sprinting to the finish.  We did another where they started with all equipment on, and laying down on their backs.  First had to get up and sprint 15sec, then remove all equipment at the finish.  Mass start.  Losers start in front.

As someone who likes being outside, working the land, growing vegetables, and getting tough, I figure the saying "make hay while the sun shines", is much more appropriate than the trite "carpe diem".  Essentially, they mean the same thing, but the former, in my opinion, is much better at illustrating the idea of taking advantage of your circumstances.  Hay farmers, with today's modern weather forecasting tools, could stand around debating what 40% chance of thunderstorms mean till the cows come home.  Or, they could start cutting their fields, and tossing hay bales right now while it's still sunny.  Speaking of which, if you want to get super tough and strong, fill a barn full of hay bales for an entire day.  That'll make your "nose-breath" test and corresponding TT seem like a piece of cake (you should probably do that test if you haven't...if you have any questions about it, just ask).

Cutting hay is neither here nor there, but there is one thing for certain and that is: hay is for horses, but better for cows.  Pigs can't eat it because they don't know how, and no matter how much you'd rather be doing something else, you'd better get out that door and start training now.  This has been my theme for the summer.  I can choose to cave and eat crappy food, stay up late, and trade pokemon cards.  Or I can head out the door now, while the sun is still shining, and get in an extra hour before the club kids show up.  I could easily watch from the side of the trail, while everyone races up the Thunderbolt (totally savage TT!!), or I could beat them all to the top.  I don't want to just be a ski coach.  I want to win coaching - kind of like my boss, J!  And it starts by taking advantage of the sunshine, and enjoying every minute of it!

Who wants one of these!?!?

I've had a blast working with the club team!  There have definitely been many challenges (ask Josh H.), but the experience has been invaluable.  I feel like I've grown so much as a coach and learned a lot, and I can't wait to share with the team.  We have Andy Newell and Erika Flowers (not sure if you know who they are...) coming to town tomorrow to lead the club team practice with some agility, strength, and spenst.  It should be a super fun practice, and I'm looking forward to learning from Andy and Erika (I might actually freak out when I meet them...)!!

Only a few more weeks!

Perry