Glacier Camp 1

Last week I had my first glacier camp of the summer up on Eagle Glacier. I had a bit of a delayed start this year because of injuries, but I finally got to make the trip up.

It all started a little different than usual. Weather was really crummy sunday morning, so after hanging out all afternoon down in Girdwood, Keith from Alpine Air decided to take us up the ridge as far as possible. With the facility "socked in" and windy, we planned to hike the last section that was not flyable.

Getting snowmobiled across the last section of the trek.

So after taking six trips of four athletes ten minutes up into the clouds, we were all dropped on a ridge line only about 30 minutes hike below the glacier. I have never made the hike up or down from the glacier, so it was exciting to switch things up a bit. I can't wait until the day that I have absolutely no injuries and can do that full hike!!

This picture was at 11PM on one of the nicest days... so hard to go to sleep when it's that beautiful out.

The first couple days shaped up to be a usual glacier summer camp. Cloudy, a bit rainy, and "lukewarm". It made doing my homework inside the house more appealing than usual. But day three, the sun came out. For the first time, I skid around the glacier twice a day in a pair of shorts and a sports bra. It was unreal! Made the tough training even more enjoyable than usual!

Thanks to Mike, Dylan and Erik for sweet tracks every workout!!

This camp was a bit different than usual. Nursing a back injury that is on its way out, I had to be careful to not do too much too quick. When the weather is as nice as it is, sometimes its extremely tough to say no to one more lap, and turn in. Regardless, I was able to get in some great training and bring the snow ski muscles back to life. One afternoon I decided I wanted to do something other than ski, so I found myself a "250 step" loop up the little hill behind the facility, down the snow field, and around the house. We don't have much room to move around up there off of the snow, so I was forced to make a little baby loop. After about 15 loops I started counting my steps... 251 steps! A lot more exciting than running in the pool, ill tell you that!

Now its back to two more weeks of dry land training, and then one more week on the Glacier.

Charlie Renfro and Chris Hodel came up one of the sunny afternoons and took a whole bunch of photos and video. They are working on putting together some media stuff for the APU team and managed to catch the best day of weather on the Glacier. I look forward to seeing what they put together! Thanks for many of these team photos!

Erik Flora giving us some technique advice (Chris Hodel photo)

APU Womans Elite Team (minus Kikkan. Charlie Renfro photo)

Summer Time

Hi All- Sorry for the MIA from the blogging world. The beginning of the summer has thrown me a couple challenges and speed bumps, forcing for me to test my patience and creativity. This past year I have been working with a functional back injury that first appeared when I left for World Cup last fall, then disappeared for five months, before making another appearance my first week of training this spring.

After spending the first month of the training year doing nothing but skating and running (classic was hurting my back), I ended up with an overuse injury on one of the tendons on my foot. This is when I had to pull the plug, sit down and really think about what was going wrong. This is also when I started going to Physical Therapy and understanding more of what was going wrong with my back.

Unfortunately, an injury like I have, has lots of ups and downs. Fixing it means changing my technique, changing the way I carry myself, changing the ways I pick things up.. basically learning to move in a different way that is not constantly pinching my facet joint. As every athlete in the world, and every normal human being in the world wants to know... how do I get better? Unfortunately, I have been testing the boundaries and learning those limitations through the course of the summer. Not being able to train at full capacity is the hardest part of training. Training hard when I am healthy is the easy part!

The two weeks in between our first National Team Camp in Bend, Oregon and the scheduled North American Womans Team Camp (NAWTA) I raced to get back in working order. I knew Aino Kaisa Saarinen (Auku) would be coming, and since I first started watching her ski, I have dreamt about classic skiing behind her, and learning to ski like her. As I raced to quickly be better in time, I over-jumped my limitations, skiing a two hour skate through the hills chasing Auku and Kikkan. Again, I was back at the bottom with my heart hanging low. At that point I had to make the dfficult decision to leave the National Team Camp in my own town and get away from the excitement and motivated girls to truly get my body back to order.

Still getting in a couple training days with the camp ladies

This is when I headed back to the Methow to spend some time with my parents and forget about the frustrations and expectations. For ten days, I enjoyed being with my family, enjoyed the sunshine, let my mind relax, and did some PT work. But again, I was faced with a difficult decision. What next? Things are not completely better, so what next? When your heart only knows one thing- and that is working hard and being motivated... its difficult to not go searching in every direction for the magic answer.

Getting in some time with my two best friends from back home

Luckily I have a coach full of experience with injuries, and a team of extremely motivating friends. I haven't gone a day without someone reminding me that injuries happen to all the best. I even came across a quote from an Olympic Hurdler, Lolo Jones, on my flight back to AK. During the 2008 Olympic Games, she was the favorite to win a gold medal in the 100-meter hurdles, but clipped the second to last hurdle, sending her from first to seventh place. She also went through her fair share of injuries and challenges. Her response to these adversities were:

"Any time a bad thing happens, when I haven't made a team or I've been injured, I think. There's got to be a reason for this. Adversities make you mad, they make you sad, they literally break you down, but if you fight through them, they make you stronger, sharper and more motivated". 

Spending time on the beach with great teammates!

So with that, I headed back to AK, and have been working on creating a consistent plan of progression, and learning to change my movements in order to learn to avoid back pain. After seeing a specialist, getting an MRI, and working with many PT's, the answers all remain the same. Learn to move a way that doesn't pinch that facet joint, and gradually increase back into activity. And finally, I have started making true progress. 

Corey Stock came to train with APU for a couple months this summer and we have been spending some quality time training together. She too has had some leg injuries so we have been doing lots of ski striding and hiking working on leg strength and searching for the bears.

I have been combining lots of aqua jogging, ski striding up the mountains, skate roller skiing and very controlled classic roller skiing. Last week I finally trained a true full week, and my positive spirit is coming back. Even though I know its not all going to be smiles and giggles from here, I have finally started believing. From the words of a good friend and one of the best skiers in the world, Chandra Crawford,


"The key to it all is the difference between hoping and believing. Hoping is better than nothing, but it's still laced with fear, apprehension, and doubt, and that will effect your circulation, physiology and healing. When you become a believer- through experience, evidence from other athletes who've been through this- you can change from hope to belief. When you do that, you find a new level of responsiveness."


Thank god I have a coach that truly understands and can relate to the mental swings of injuries. Especially when you feel like you have no answers. Erik has been great about continuously reminding me that the year is still young, it is the time to work on my weaknesses, and the answer is consistency. When looking for a magic solution becomes tempting, I am constantly reminded that the solution comes with consistency. 

This is not me aqua jogging- but this is what it looks like. If you haven't ever tried if before- you should. It may be the worlds most boring workout, but it has saved many professional runners leading into huge events that they have been successful at. 

Unfortunately this will mean sitting out on the joint Swedish and US National Team Camp in two weeks, but I know this is going to only make me more motivated, and more determine. Like Lolo Jones says, its these adversities that make us stronger, sharper and more motivated!!

Nothing says motivation like having to skip out on something like this!

One more week of training in town and then up to the Eagle Glacier to try some snow skiing!! No more bears to run from, no more driving and biking... just the snow, and what I know best!!

Eagle Glacier at its finest!

Thanks to everyone that has been so incredibly supportive this summer. You guys are all wonderful angels and I truly appreciate it!

Testing and First Camp of the Year!!

For the past two weeks I have been down in Utah and Oregon soaking in some Vitamin D while getting back into the training routine. My trip started out with a six hour layover in Seattle where I got to visit my sister, her boyfriend, and my Grandma. With such a busy life and traveling here and there, I don't get as much time to see family as I would like to, so it was so nice to spend the time together!

My sister, Kaley, and I soaking in some Seattle sunshine

Then I hopped back on the plane with my skis and duffle and made a two day trip to the Center of Excellence in Park City. For 48 hours I fit in about 10 different tests, 5 of which were on the treadmill. Blood test, strength tests, mobility tests, VO2 Max tests, altitude response tests, body composition tests, CO2 tests, you name it- we did it. This is also our opportunity to get to visit with some of the PT's, check in with our health, test our fitness, and meet the new employees of the US Ski Team. These testing periods are always pretty frantic, busy, and almost stressful as we try to stay on the schedule jumping from test to test. One of the neatest tests this year was an Altitude Response test where they set up the Oxygen levels in the mask to resemble sea level, Val di Fiemme (World Championship venue next winter), Sochi (Olympics in 2014) and then finally Park City. It was neat to feel the difference between the work load at those different levels of oxygen and how it affected my body. There is a team of extremely educated, smart people working with us with all the tests, so it is fun to see what they can learn about each and every one of us.

Meeting Alberto Salazar and his running team. What an interesting experience. Erik Flora loves this guy and his training beliefs, so it was fun to meet him and his athletes in person. Also fun to learn how talented people truly are in their sport. Those guys were training my sprinting speed for two hours... yikes!

Some Treadmill testing photos... never too glamorous- but you can see the pain :) Makes you appreciate "free breath" without a tube in your mouth next time you go train hard :)

Two days later we jumped on a plane and flew the next jump over to Bend, Oregon. As we arrived, the sun was shining and we were in full summer mode. Skiing in the soft snow in the morning on Mt. Bachelor, and then doing our dryland in tank tops and shorts in the afternoon.

One of the new things we participated in this year was the Pole, Peddle Paddle. The PPP is a relay race that begins with alpine, followed by nordic, road bike, run, kayak and then sprint. This year the Rebound Clinic sponsored two US Ski team woman's teams as well as a mens team. Kikkan, Jessie and I against Ida, Holly and Liz. It was incredibly fun. I did the nordic skiing leg as well as the 800 meter sprint at the end. From the start we were head to head and we finished within two minutes of each other- so it was super fun to get back into some race mode in a more relaxed atmosphere. (though many of us were saying how we felt more nervous the morning of PPP than we generally feel in our largest races of the year. It's funny how you get used to the nerves in what you specialize in.) Regardless, by the end of the day we were all exhausted- but all for a fun cause!!

Thats true pain face there.... racing in May... ouch!! 

The teams in the morning with our fun outfits. I wore a bright pink hair inserts that everyone actually thought was my hair... success!!

Check out the pink hair... the chair lift, the certain lack of "white snow" and the heat radiating off the dirty snow!

The woman's team... wrecked and asleep at the end of the race. Yes, Jessie does actually sleep like that. Stretching and sleeping at the same time... great multi-tasker.

For the remainder of the ten days we did lots of hard training with lots of kilometers, and a fair amount of snow flakes. As the weather got a bit more "winter like", we got the full spectrum! Days of powder, days of sun burns, and days of drenched to the bone. I always love Bend and its ability to get your motivation back and rolling. As the team sits down and sets goals for the future; Olympic goals and World Championship goals, the fire starts again. A new year, and 6 more months of hard training to do even bigger and better things than last year!

Getting in some K's (Matt Whitcomb photo)

The US 2012-2013 US Ski Team (notice Erik and my in-ability to open our eyes in the sunshine... darn blue eyes) Matt Whitcomb Photo

The Woman's Squad (Matt Whitcomb Photo)

This year was unique in that all the top skiers from APU, as well as my coach Erik Flora, got to come down to Bend and join in with the camp as well. It's fun when I get to combine the best of both worlds with my local team as well as the National Team. Not only that- we all get to push each other and begin to work together.

Intervals with US ladies and APU ladies

While we were in Bend, we also managed to fit in one of our Fast and Female Events. This is one of the best events I have been part of, as we changed some of the activities we generally do with the girls. With an older range of girls- we focused more of goal setting, positive thinking, and teamwork. It was fun to see some of the goals girls set for themselves- and then to see them follow us around on the ski trails the remainder of the week. There its quite a group of motivated young girls in that region- which is especially exciting for me to see, as it is part of the PNSA region I grew up in.

Jessie and I ran the "Endura-dance" station where you combine endurance strength with dancing.

These two girls rocked!! I came away from this day inspired by them!

Jessie and I teaching the girls the foot clap

For now, I am back in Anchorage doing the usual catch up as well as starting summer school classes. Things kick up again in two weeks for the North American Woman's Training Alliance  Camp the last two weeks of June..... wowww time flies!

Above I have posted a video from my Max Vo2 Test. This is at the end of 8 minutes of increasing vertical, so it doesn't look too glorious or great- but still fun to watch the end of. Notice Matt Whitcomb in the backcountry cheering us on. He did that for all 12 athletes, for all 5 treadmill tests. Do the math for that... and you can easily imagine he didn't have much of a voice by the end of testing period. Thanks Matt- you rock!!

Spring Time

Spring time is that one month of the year that I get to do just absolutely whatever I want. If I am burnt on ski racing... I can take up video games. If I have a need for speed.. I can pull out my alpine skis. If I am fairly motivated... I can go on adventure mode.

Having fun regardless!!

I think the mixture between my motivation at the end of the year mixed with Alaska's sweet weather this spring... combined with some well motivated friends put me in "full sadie bjornsen adventure mode". I began to plan my day's around A)getting my homework done and finishing off strong with school, B) catching up on life as far as all my taxes, thanking the people who helped me, following up on missed emails, etc C) getting in some community service work and D)adventuring.

Catching up with Sponsors- Harry and Peggy of Carlile

Failing to take advantage of my three months of sleeping in (april)... I often set my alarm for six in the morning- at which time I would jump up, grab my skis, check the weather for "crust conditions", meet up with my buddies, and head for the mountains.

Pete Kling and I with Spencer Glacier in the background

Inside of an ice tunnel up on the Glacier... one scary moment- all for the picture!!

Last year I left the season with little motivation and spent most of the month of april resting and resting my head.... which meant that I haven't gotten to see some of Alaska's greatest adventures. So... this year I had some catching up to do. Glaciers, lakes, climbs into hidden passes, animals, crevasses, you name it.... I was going to find it. Due to the pure fact that many of my buddies that were up for adventuring where male members... I was on the chase constantly.

Top of Skoocum Glacier... chasing with the boys

Some good mountains and some great sunshine

Chilly little glacier lake right there.

I had tons of fun though and even managed to fit some of the "downhill style" in as well. My boyfriend, who is a frenchi, is way into the backcountry skiing- so I took a short trip down to Valdez. I have to say- if there is one place in the world to go in your lifetime- that is Valdez!! That place is unreal, its like the "magic mountains" you see in the ski movies; the ones that you always look at and wonder where the heck those are, and if they are even real.. or photoshopped. So, after some much needed backcountry, I got to enjoy some nice turns.

Road tripping... got all the necessities for a good time! Nordic, alpine, sleeping bags and fuel!!

Driving into Valdez

Getting in some turns

"The Books" in the background... Jo's home!

The Wrangles... maybe next years adventure zone.

In the meantime, I was working hard on three separate things that were consuming most my time. First, school. After falling behind a hair bit this spring during racing- I had to work extra hard to keep my solid 4.0 status :) Somehow I managed. Only two more years and I am finally going to have my accounting degree.. yehoooo!!

Annual Beer Relays- Pete and I were Power Rangers this year.

Second, I have been working with ARISE, a non-profit organization that was incorporating an athletic lifestyle into the recesses at one of the underprivileged schools in town, Tyson Elementary. Every tuesday and thursday for four weeks, I would head to Tyson and run 20 minutes with each of the grades, K-5. It was incredible how many students would participate and enjoy the athletic lifestyle. The coolest thing about this project though was the outcome within school. Not only did the students run about 1,300 cumulative miles between the whole project, but their behavior in school increased as well. There was a 70% decrease in office referrals. It was so fun to see this effect and watch how excited these kids would get while learning to be healthy and enjoy the outdoors at the same time.

Running with one of the young boys

I look forward to participating in some more of these programs in the future. Now that I have seen the effect, and gotten to experience how neat it is to involve yourself as a leader- I look forward to more to come.

Doing an interview with one of the young girls on the team, Katja about Olympic Ski racing and what it takes to get there.

The third thing that was consuming my time was the APU Fundraiser. Each year, the Elite Team puts on an silent and live auction to raise money for our travel budget in the previous year. As always, this is a lot of work- but there are an incredible amount of generous people who participate by either donating items, and coming to the event and buying items. We had a very successful event though, so thanks to everyone for helping out and participating.

APU Fundraiser Crew

After my three week break, we hit it hard back into training last week with the APU annual start up camp. This is one week of 3 intensity sessions, 2 track workouts, lots of skiing... and about 20 hours of great fun. Depending on what you did for the past three weeks... this is either a rude awakening, or just a painful experience.

Our newest workout... ski to the top of the ridge, throw on your shoes and then run across the south faces to a new valley... fun stuff!

Erik and I mentally getting ready for the icy decent on nordic skis with no medal edges... eek!

APU ladies stoked to be back at the training again.

Following that I traveled down to Park City two days ago, where I am now doing treadmill testing along with all the other fun tests we run every spring and fall on the US Ski Team athletes. More on that to come soon!