Category Archives: Bill Meyer

Midwest Regional Biathlon Races 1 & 2 (MNCup 2 & 3) – Dec 11/12, 2021 at Mt Itasca – RESULTS

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Coming right up on this Sunday, we will have MN Cup #1 at the same venue. The Mt Itasca Crew has been making snow and conditions should be excellent for both race series!!

Midwest Regional Race 1-2 aka MN Cup 2 and 3

Hosted by Mt. Itasca Nordic Ski Association

Date: Saturday, Sunday, December 11-12, 2021

MN-Cup-2-Results-FemaleDownload
MN-Cup-2-Results-MaleDownload
MN-Cup-3-ResultsDownload

Place: Mt. Itasca, Coleraine

Race Format: Saturday: Sprint 7.5k/10k 

                        Sunday:   Pursuit format -10k- All M, F                                          

                                         Boys/Girls 7.5k

                                         (5 sec. interval start)              

Registration: Both Days- 9:30 AM –   9:55 AM 

2021-Midwest-regional-race-1.2Download
MINSA-Competitor-Entry-Form-.pdf-MW-1-2Download

Zero:                               10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Race Start:                      10:45 AM  

Cost:                               $20/race (cash or check payable to MINSA) 

Questions?  Call Vlad 218- 256 8323   or email cervenkv@gmail.com

Conditions update: MN Cup #1 Mt Itasca this coming Sunday

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GOOD MORNING!! I am happy to report conditions are looking good at Mt Itasca for the upcoming race on Sunday, MN Cup

Our many thanks to the hard working crew at Mt Itasca that got this much done..and more snowmaking will start again on Friday when temps cool a bit more again. There should be adequate groomed areas available for some training on snow Saturday if folks want to go up early!! PLEASE be sure to pay the daily fee at the kiosk by the HQ building!! And also please respect the equipment which may be working when you are there—give them a lot of room!!

Hope to see you on Sunday!!

Thanks! and Enjoy the Journey!!
Bill Meyer, Coach

MNCup #1 – Mass Start Biathlon at Mt. Itasca – Sunday Dec 5, 2021

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Hosted by Mt. Itasca Nordic Ski Association

Date:  Sunday, December 5, 2021

Place: Mt. Itasca, Coleraine

2021-Minnesota-Cup-1Download
MINSA-Competitor-Entry-Form-Download

Race Format: Mass Start (courses and distances will be determined based on the snow conditions) 

Registration:                     9:30 AM –   9:55 AM 

Zero:                               10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Race Start:                      10:45 AM  

Cost:                               $20/race (cash or check payable to MINSA)

Questions?  Call Vlad 218- 256 8323   or email cervenkv@gmail.com    

Biathlon World Cup – Live Broadcast

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Coming up, starting this weekend the Biathlon World Cup will kick off with events in Sweden!

If you go to https://www.biathlonworld.com/en and follow Live Broadcast tab—you should be able to watch the full event as it is screened in Europe on TV. Normally the actual live broadcast itself will be blocked in the US—but if you wait a few hours it will be open for viewing. Usually there is a 3-5 min recap or a full replay. I would advise to watch the best in the world on full replay..

Coming up for us the following weekend on Sunday is the first MNCup race of the season!! I have heard the snow guns are working at Mt Itasca—but the snow won’t be pushed out this coming weekend yet—so only a natural snow loop for rock skis is available. Be sure to pay at the kiosk by the HQ building if you go….

So enjoy the day, watch the World Cups this weekend, and hope to see you on the 5th!! An invitation should be out this coming week…..

Enjoy the Journey!
Bill Meyer, Coach

Building Speed and Power

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Good Morning!

Here is a really good article from Faster Skier on the source of speed on skis. Talks about rapid force development. And keeping the resulting total volume of force high—even if you shorten the cycle with higher tempo.

Adding Power to the Push Off: Understanding the Rate of Force Development

Always keep in mind that the pole angles and ski angles need to be correct before you apply force to them. Planting a vertical pole then hitting it hard with all your body weight and trunk force will just beat you up—not make you go faster. Plant it with a back angle and hit it hard/fast and you will go faster!! Standing on a straight leg then doing a little shallow dip preload will not be nearly as powerful as dropping further to gain more angle at the ankle/knee to use during the extension in the push. Just do as fast a reversal as you can at the bottom for the preload!! Then snap it all the way out!! If you push across low—you can use those entire compressed angles—but do it quickly!!

Also be cautious with the plyos as shown in the video clips. Start easy after a good warmup. And, as the article says, if you are beyond just sore the next day—take more than one day before you do it again, and if necessary, talk to a sports trainer.

Enjoy!
Bill Meyer

Upcoming events and racing on Snow!! – Bill Meyer

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Good Morning Everyone!!

Summarizing our upcoming schedule and getting some signups for W. Yellowstone over Thanksgiving week, Youth and Junior World Team Trials at the end of Dec and US Nationals at the end of March.

First—would anyone be interested in another daycamp at Elk River on Sunday the 14th of Nov? Please let me know asap if you are. This is tentative at this point until I hear from you guys.

Then the annual Thanksgiving camp at West Yellowstone including a biathlon race on Wed the 24th of Nov is coming right up!! The Team leaders will be the Brodersons:
emilyruthbroderson@gmail.com

They have some information on housing and the week’s plans—so let them know if you are planning on that and keep me in the loop also!!

Then we have races scheduled at Mt Itasca in early Dec:
MN Cup #1 on Sunday, 5 Dec. This is open to all comers, but is also dependent on snowmaking/weather!
Regional races/MN Cups Sat and Sunday 11/12 Dec. Again these races are open to all comers

Invitations to these events will be forthcoming prior to the events.

Then at the National level coming up right after Christmas at Soldier Hollow, Utah, 27-31 Dec, US Biathlon is holding the US Youth and Junior Team Trials to determine who makes the team to the YJr World Championships and a few other international events.

This venue is up at high altitude, 5900 feet, so anyone planning on attending should plan to arrive well ahead of the first race. Official Training will start on 27 Dec and races will be on 28,30 & 31 Dec.

We will have a coaching staff headed up by Jeff Bosek with assistance from Marcus/Tara Landrum and Chad/Lynda Bouley headed out. Jean and I will be out prior to the races. Other coaches are welcome to join in!!

Housing in the Heber City/Midway UT appears to be quite expensive. This series is for advanced athletes who have a shot at making the teams. It is also a good chance for an advanced athlete to just experience the National Trials atmosphere, but for most in that category, Nationals would be a better choice. See below. Only age classes <17, Youth and Juniors are eligible for team positions. <17 & Youth are combined into one class.

If you plan to attend Trials—please let Jeff and me know asap!!
pro8diver@gmail.com

In Jan:

15/16 Jan – Regional races at Blackhawk in Madison- these are also MN Cup races
29/30 Jan – Regional races at Elk River—MN Cup races also

And more Regional and MN Cup events the rest of the winter.

Then on the 23rd-27th of March—US Biathlon will hold US Nationals at Lake Placid. This venue is lower—and a good place for an aspiring biathlete to dip their big toe in the water of National competition!!!

So please let me know your plans—so we can adequately staff these events!!

Enjoy the Journey—you have been working hard to get to the main season—just now coming up!!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon