IBU Cup and YJWCH Trials Info

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Dear Coaches and Clubs, 

We are sending info on both the IBU Cup Trials in Craftsbury, VT, Dec. 15-18, 2022, and the Youth/Junior World Championships Trials in Anchorage, AK, Dec. 27-31, 2022. Please find invitations for both events attached. Note that coaches are required to register for both events.

NOTE: YJWCH Trials registration fee increases on Dec. 1, 2022! Please have athletes register ASAP to avoid late fees. Register here: https://zone4.ca/register.asp?id=29840

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sara Studebaker-Hall (she/her/hers)
Director of Operations
U.S. Biathlon
208-340-5489

Invitation_-USBA-On-Snow-International-TeamTeam-Trials-–-December-15-18-2022Download
YJWCH-trials-invite-2022_Download

Biathlon Officials and MN Biathlon Parent/Coaching Ed

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Good Morning Everyone!!

As you hopefully have noticed, over the past couple of years we have been upgrading the quality of our MN Biathlon races especially at Elk River where we have new mats and bibs, and have been putting on a variety of race formats to familiarize the athletes with formats they are likely to encounter at Regional or National events. In addition, we have some new timing protocols utilizing spreadsheets done by Zean Baker to simplify and formalize that effort. 

Our largest source of help at the events is our Biathlon families. Line coaches, target resetting, timers etc are all volunteers and most are parents/relatives of the athletes..and we are trying hard to stay within the IBU rules with only slight adaptations to match our participants and facilities. Like any sport, Biathlon has Rules and organization, in our case as an Olympic sport, starting at the International level! 

With that in mind, we would like to invite you to a Basic Official’s education class on Sunday morning the 6th of Nov at a location in Elk River, followed by a MN Parent/Coach’s ed program in the pm. We anticipate the morning to be devoted to Officials’ roles, ending with a take-home test you can do at your leisure, perusing the Rules, and mail in to me. The subject matter will deal with the IBU Rules and formal race organization. Where to find the information and situations where the Rules need to be applied rapidly during an event.  

In the pm, for those who are interested, we will switch to the role of a Parent/Coach..roles currently filled by folks like Marcus and Tara Landrum, Jeff Bosek, Chad and Lynda Bouley, David Hudrlik, or Coaches like Holly, Carl and John. Here we will discuss coaching the development of a Biathlete. So, physiology, shooting skills, skiing skills and putting it all together. The goal would be to finish at the range. 

The Basic Officials course is the first step in a progression leading to an International Referee and then to a Technical Delegate. This is Level 1, and the goal of USBA is to develop a number of Level 2 Officials to run higher level—Regional and National—races. At National events, there is normally a Technical Delegate [TD] heading up the Officials group and overseeing the races. 

We are considering Sunday, the 6th of November as our first choice of dates. Other, less desirable dates would be Saturday the 19th or Sunday the 20th. We are anticipating a cost of $10 per family to cover printing costs. 

So, please let me know by Friday if you are interested, whether in just the am or at both sessions, and which date works the best for you. We need to get a handle on numbers for finding a meeting site. 

Thanks!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Elk River Summer Biathlon #5 – Sunday, October 16th, 2022 – PHOTOS

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Thank you all for coming to our race on Sunday! Some photos from the event can be found here: https://photo.wrocket.org/2022/october_elk_river_biathlon/

Also, we have a few personal items that were left at the range building. If you’re missing anything, let me know what it is and I’ll see if we found it.

Thanks!
Brian Wray
Secretary, Minnesota Biathlon

Elk River Summer Biathlon #5 – Sunday, October 16th, 2022 – RESULTS

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Presented by Minnesota Biathlon

Sunday, October 16th, 2022

RESULTS:

Elk-River-Summer-Biathlon-October-16th-2022Download

Woodland Trails Park
20135 Elk Lake Rd NW, Elk River, MN 55330

Individual Format

Men over 15 – 13.3km
Women and U15 Men – 11.4km Time-trial start.
Five skiing laps, four shooting stages (PSPS). Flat 40-second miss penalty.

Schedule

9:15am – Registration opens 
10:00am – Zero opens 
~11:00am – Race start

$10 per racer

Payable by cash or check to “Minnesota Biathlon” on the day of the race.

Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, October 13th. The event is capped to 30 participants, total, over all categories.

Beat the crowd, sign-up early and online: https://forms.gle/vSrGb3Lk9r4KVUVP7

Volunteers needed and appreciated!

Contact Chad and Lynda Bouley at chadandlyndab@live.com for opportunities. Questions? Concerns? Contact administration@minnesotabiathlon.com

Ticks and Alpha Gal allergy

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Good Morning!

A couple of weeks ago I finally got in to see an allergist regarding some pretty severe hives [periodic skin rash and blistering—a immune system reaction]. I was pretty negative for almost all the 40 + things she checked for—except for Alpha Gal. This is a carbohydrate contained in red meat. Primarily beef. It would come on around 10:00 in the evening. As the allergist explained, most food allergies like those related to peanuts etc will show up right after eating. Some, like this, have to be broken down by the body first—so show up 2-4 hrs after eating that food. 

Looking up the allergy online, it seems it is connected to tick bites—{???] and specifically the Lone Star tick. Now we don’t have those in MN, although I do recall being bit in Colorado some years ago. But, my daughter Kirsti who is a reporter for MPR recalled an article they had some time ago, which covered some who had the allergy in Northern MN. And the online info indicated that an “unnamed” tick might be responsible in the North Central states.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/01/12/tick-triggered-meat-allergy-northern-minnesota

So along with Lymes and 2 or 3 other related diseases caused by bites from the deer tick or as they prefer to call it: the Black Legged Tick, there is a newer problem. 

Lymes will cause some severe fever/chills and general illness and unless treated, can cause some long-term health problems. This Alpha Gal allergy can also cause some severe issues—they issued me an epipen. 

Now most of the 1000+ tick bites I have probably had in a lifetime of outdoor activities have been from the brown or dog tick..common in June in our area. The deer ticks are also out then—much smaller and very hard to check for. And, deer ticks are also back around in the fall..so be careful if you have been out and about!! 

And if you experience the fever/chills, get checked asap for Lymes or the other more common problems; and if, perchance, you get an allergic reaction when eating animal meat—see an allergist. Fish and poultry apparently do not contain the alpha gal sugar.
Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon