Mueller Hut and Annette Plateau- The windy wonderland!

Adventure galore have been happening here in New Zealand, with two amazing glacier trips lately: one up to Mueller Glacier in Mount Cook national park, and the other was climbing Mount Aspiring in Mount Aspiring national park.

 The Mueller trip was forecasted to be beautiful. Murphy's law it wasn't. The winds were so strong (60 - 80km/h) that camping in the wind scoop on the top of Annette Plateau blew my socks off, and us almost off the mountain! Cooking dinner was a mission in itself, not to mention the 6 hour ski tour to the plateau.

Sleeping in the single-skin summit tent, it felt as though the sides of the tent were going to be torn apart. Actually, it was probably a large possibility. It was a fun game though, trying to read the wind and then press yourself against the side of the tent to give it a bit more stability. Needless to say, it was a sleepless, shaky night, and in the morning it was a treat to find the cooking pots and stove frozen solid and covered in snow. We made the decision to pack up as fast as possible (it was 7am) and make our way back to Mueller hut (without breakfast or tea!) to get some shelter from the wind.

I may look a bit special, but this is me trying to tackle the wind. I lost :(

 

Upon our arrival to Mueller hut, we made copious amounts of tea and oatmeal, crawled into our sleeping bags, and chatted with a random man named Ingor. It was very peaceful, oh, apart from the wind outside which sounded (and felt) as though it was going to blow the windows apart. At 4:00pm we decided to head down, even though we had planned another day up there. The weather was not looking good for the next day either. We skied as far down as we could, resulting in becoming to far left of the trail, and requiring a little bit of vigorous bush wacking and a bit of down climbing with ice axes. It was magical!

 But we made it down safely! All in all it was a great experience and fantastic trip!

Nice article on finishing school

http://www.scene.co.nz/292161a1.page

Schools out for...ever!

The snow is melting, but the skiing is still fabulous! It is September 22nd, and training at the Snow Farm yesterday was absolutely amazing! The sun was shining, the targets were falling down nicely, and it was a Wednesday. This meant I was not at school because....I have graduated!!! Yahoo....I have now completed my diploma in Adventure Tourism Management at Queenstown Resort College! Ah, what a feeling it is to not have to go to school from 8 to 4, staring outside and thinking of all the amazing things to do rather than study-- and now I can do them!

My class at out fairwell dinner- can you spot me?

The rest of August and start of September were ridiculously busy- it was full-on school work with many assignments and reports due in, and some pretty tough exams. This has been the most challenging part of the school/training balancing act. I was still able to train, with skiing on the weekends and strength and running/biking during the week (Oh, and a little bit of ice climbing!).

So now, I am just into full-time training mode, and it is such a treat! If any athlete is ever getting sick of full-time training, go do full-time school, and you will run back to training with your arms wide open!

The plan is to train in New Zealand until October 12th (ish) and then head on over to Canmore, Canada and start training over there. Currently, I do not have a coach, so I am on the hunt for one of those! But Canmore is full of amazing support that I think it will all work out!

Take care, have fun and smile!!

Sarah

Winter Games

Well, the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games have come and gone. What a great two weeks! This was New Zealands second winter games, and it was fantastic. Being the largest gathering of winter sports outside the Olympics, it is a great event to have here, and even better to be a part of it!

The 10km Classic race was one of the first competitions of the winter games. Now, let me tell you I am  not a classic master, but I do enjoy it, and as there were no other Kiwi women in, I decided to go for it. Not much competition, you know, only the 2010 Olympics gold medalist in the cross-country 30km. Nothing to worry about really. So naturally, I put my goal as to be in front by 2 minutes...Not. My goal was not to be last. There were 6 women, with 3 from Korea, one from Japan, myself, and Justyna Kowalczyk. It was a gorgeous day and I felt surprisingly good on my skis.

I ended up in 4th place, which I was smitten with, and spent the rest of the morning watching the glorious men in spandex do their thing. There were two Kiwi boys (Andy Pohl and Nils Koons) in the race, along with both the American and Canadian national team men (Just a couple World Champs and Olympic medalists). It was a great race and the boys did great.

The next day was the Sprint race and I thought it would be a good idea to do that one as well. The shortest race I ever compete in with biathlon is 7.5km, so the 1km loop was a bit of a wake-up call for my poor muscles. It was a bit of a miserable day compared to the classic day, with blizzardy type conditions, but it was still great once you got out there. Justyna Kowalczyk was once again racing, along with a couple Russian cross-country skiers, with one of them also having an Olympic medal.

Racing in the qualifier

 Since there were 9 women, 8 moved on to the semifinals. I qualified 6th, so in the semifinals I was partnered up with Justyna and another Russian women. It was great. I had fun, and I tried my hardest, but unfortunately I did not have my gold medal legs on today. It was still great to be out racing with some pretty fast chicks.

That's me in the back!

The next race was on Tuesday. I was excited for this one as it was the 5km skate, which is a bit more to my liking. Well, on the morning of the race it was awful weather and the wind was howling like madness. The organizers had to make a decision and decided to cancel the race. And that was it for the cross-country portion of the winter games! It was a great time and I am looking forward for the next ones in 2013 where we are REALLY looking forward to hopefully have biathlon in there!

Smile! :)

Sarah

Just a few articles from winter games!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/winter-games/5368192/Cold-rush

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/winter-games/5317437/Olympic-champ-confirms-for-Winter-Games

Training camps galore!

Well, we biked the Heafy track, we biked the Queen Charlotte track, we kayaked the Abel Tasmin, we ran through Nelson, we explored Kaitiritiri, caught up with old friends in Nelson, and managed to fit in a rugby game to boot! What a great training camp. It was an amazing time and after this adventure I was excited to get back to school.


Term 6! Last Term of my Adventure Tourism Management diploma! 5 new classes and a very busy term ahead, it seemed like a great idea to take 2 weeks off of school for an International Biathlon Union Development camp. New Zealand was very lucky this year to have the international camp take place at the Snow Farm, 45 minutes from my home. And with 6 new targets and mats, it was going to be the real deal. Ubaldo Prucker, an enthusiastic Italian, came to run the camp and help with the development of the sport in NZ. Us 7 Kiwis, along with 4 Australians, trained together in the morning with shooting and biathlon practice, with ski technique in the afternoon. The SHPG (snow farm) Lodge outdid themselves once again with great accommodation, and Flying Trestles exceeded expectations in the food department! Thanks guys!

On the last day we had a 10km biathlon race. There were about 30 competitors! Nils Koons (Ben, his brother, went to the Olympics for X-country skiing) was involved in the camp and raced as well. It was some tough competition. I hit 17/20 with 40 second penalties, and Nils hit 12/20. The results came out, and with a 5 second difference....Nild in 1st, and I was in 2nd! ahhh so close! But it was a great day and we all had an amazing time. Thanks to the IBU for support biathlon in NZ and helping us develop, also to Ubaldo Prucker, and all the parent volunteers! Without you biathlon in NZ would not be where it is now!!! You guys rock!

After a great recovery week, I thought it would be a great idea to compete in the Peak 2 Peak, a multisport race I have competed in for the last 4 years. I died! It was so difficult, with a strong Southerly wind (which is cold in NZ!) on the kayak causing us to have to pull-out early, and a nice strong headwind for the 9km run and bike up Coronet Peak! It was tough! I palced 7th in the open women category with a time of 3 hours a 12 minutes, 15 minutes slower than last year. I blame it on the conditions! But it was so fun and I think everyone enjoyed themselves!

Now I am back in class, and the Winter Games are coming up this weekend with 4 cross-country races, and the Winter triathlon! Woohoo, should be a party!

Hope everyone is happy and healthy and loving life!

xx Sarah :)

Training camp begins!

Yes, I am alive and shakin- Literally! New Zealand is being hit with Earthquake after earthquake! Queenstown, where I live, just had a little bit of  shake 2 days ago, but everything is all good!

School is now officially finished for the term! It was such a nice feeling finishing my 5th exam worth 70%. The term was really great though, with a fantastic 4 day trip down to the Catlins filled with paintballing, kayaking, surfing, costeering, and horseback riding. It was great fun, but they punished us for having so much fun with a boat-load of exams and work on our return.

Bruce and I are currently on day two of our 2 week training camp. We left Queenstown on Saturday, after I had a nice strength session, and drove up the West coast to the Franz Josef glacier. It is my first time, that I remember, coming up the West coast, and it is gorgeous. Strangely enough our neighbour from Nelson, NZ from 14 years ago was going to be in Franz that week as well, so we got to catch up 11 years later! It was great. Thanks Pam!

Day two found us on our road bikes for 3 hours. We biked from Franz Josef to Okarito and ran up to the Trig lookout, and then biked back. Great views of the ocean and snow capped mountains.

We left a little later than desired, but none-the-less, we jumped in the packed car (4 bikes, 2 kayak paddles, 3 tents, 4 sleeping bags, random camping gear, ski poles, rollerskis, food, a mattress, and an abundance of shoes) and drove up the West coast to Karamea. By coincidence, we had some other family friends from Nelson who own and run a lodge up here called 'Karamea Lodge'. (http://www.karamealodge.co.nz/) We called ahead and asked if we could pitch a tent, but of no! We have been put up in luxury! It is amazing- right on the beach front with the most amazing views and sunsets.

Today, day 2 of our training camp, found us running on the most beautiful forest trails. We went up to the Oparara caves, which are open to the public and you can climb in them with a head torch. We also ran to these amazing natural arches, with one towering high above.We saw 2 people the whole day- it was amazing.

Tomorrow we are off to bike the Heafy track. It is the first year they have opened it to mountain bikers, so we are really excited to do it!

I will try and post some more pics on my picasa site.

SMILE!

Sarah

Quick note

I am alive and kicking! It has been a crazy month. With school 8:30am to 4pm or 9:30am to 5pm, it has been very busy. After two weeks of yet another lung infection, I am getting back into the swing of things. I have my roadie and mountain bike all set up, although it is getting pretty chilly over here! I am currently on the stationary bike at Queenstown gym looking out at the snow covered mountains- gorgeous, but a little scary to think I am headed into my 5th year of non-stop winter.

Queenstown gym has been awesome and hooked my up with a free membership. Outside Sports has also been great with giving me a sweet deal on my new bike, and hopefully some touring skis! Yahoo! I am going to bikram yoga once a week, maybe just to make it feel like I'm on a tropical holiday, but it is really great. Other than that, indoor rock climbing once a week and lots of strength and that's me! I am still coachless, but here's hoping that will change soon. 

Smile!

Yahoo! What a crazy last month!

The week in Canmore was delicious- The skiing was fantastic, lots of school friends were home, my sister arrived off the cruise boat, and my bed was there waiting for me. I was home for one week, and on the 28^th my sister and I hopped in the car and drove to Vancouver Island to visit more family.

The week in Victoria was great- filled with happiness and laughter and family gatherings. Although, my brother was disappointed I didn’t buy him a Russian hat. Next time, Christopher! After a week on the coast, my Sister dropped me off at the Vancouver airport for me to catch my flight to NZ, and for her to make the 11 hour drive back to Canmore. What a great sister!

The flight was good. Oh, well, there was an awkward moment- I was not feeling fantastic on the plane and was sure I was going to be sick, so I got up and power walked to the bathroom. I may have power-walked too quickly, who knows, but the next thing I remember is waking up in the airplane bathroom floor. Yep, I had fainted in the bathroom, and banged my head and shoulder hard, causing huge bruises. Crazy! Well, from then on it was just a bit dramatic, for my liking. I rang the call button in the bathroom and the flight-attendant came running, and next thing I know I am getting oxygen strapped onto my face, blood pressure taken, and blood glucose levels. Kind-of felt like a VO2 max test.

Well, anyways, after that big hullabaloo, the flight landed and I boarded my next flight down to Queenstown. Almost home! Nothing exciting happened on that flight, sorry, but touching down was a great feeling.  I was deathly ill the first few days but on the Monday, Bruce (Kiwi support man) and I headed off and did the Routeburn track, which is a fantastic 3 day hike staying in huts. A great experience and highly recommended.

School started on the next Monday and man-o-man is it ever busy with 6 classes! Monday to Friday- 8:30am to 4:00 pm- It is like a full time job! Ahhh! The classes are really interesting this year, including: eco-tourism, human resources, and managerial accounting. Party-on!

Training is starting up again after a bit of a break. Lots of fabulous biking and running missions which have been great fun. The biathlon development is really taking off and we have 2 camps planned for this coming winter, as well as 6 new targets purchased for our new range! Go Biathlon, Go!

Nowhere like Norway

Leaving Russia was hilarious. The mornings breakfast was all of last nights dinner, and no breakfast food = yum, deep friend salmon steaks and spaghetti. We got onto a random bus and were taken to the airport at 7:45am. All our rifles and ski bags were to hopefully meet us in Oslo. We pretty much just threw our bags on a truck and hoped. The airport was pretty simple- huge lineup and bag taging. No seats given, just a free for all. It was a good flight, and all the bags arrived when we arrived. Oh, except my ski bag was taken to Holmenkollen, where I was not going. But they delivered it to my accommodation and everything was cheery.

A nice helicopter on the tarmac

Oystein and Uiloq Slettemark, whom both race for Greenland but live in Norway, invited me to stay with them for the week as I was not competing. Oystein and I jumped on a bus at Oslo airport headed for Nittedal, a small suburb outside of Oslo. What a great place! Beautiful home (not just a house!) and hundreds of kilometers of ski trails right in their backyard, including a 25 lane range. It was just fantastic. I did not bring my own classic skis, but thank goodness the Slettemarks had some gorgeous skis and boots from the 1980's I could use. They didn't look the part, but they functioned perfectly, which permitted for adventures galore!

We skied every day, and on Thursday Uiloq and I went to Holmenkollen to watch the mens and womens pursuit. We had a great skate ski before the races, visiting a great wooden church in the middle of nowhere, and then we had managed to get VIP tickets so we had a gourmet lunch in the VIP area, and watched the races. It was a fabulous.

On the Friday, the family and I drove to the middle of somewhere in Norway and spent two nights at the family cabin. It was absolutely incredible; amazing trails, gorgeous weather, great company. Couldn't ask for anything better!

The two nights flew by, and before I knew it we were back in Holmenkollen, watching the mass start races. It was a really great day and we arrived back home at 6:30pm, just in time to pack and get the kids to bed. We then woke up at 3:30am and drove to the airport where I was dropped off, and jumped on a plane to Calgary, Canada! I am now in Canmore, at home with my parents and dog, and am off again for more adventures on Monday the 28th!

Thanks again for all the support this season. You lot are fantastic!