chargelife » Race Stories http://chargelife.com Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog Mon, 27 Feb 2012 04:36:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog chargelife no Brandon, Heather & Hayden Storm Nelson’s Adventure Blog chargelife » Race Stories http://chargelife.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://chargelife.com/category/race-stories Ode to an Erg… http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:06:45 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1984 Hours after welcoming Jazlyn into the world last spring, we bought a kayak erg. At the moment of the arrival of our newest child, I think we realized, we were going to busy! And, boy we were right! Every second of my day and night are accounted for. So, walking down to the garage and getting a killer workout, versus loading my boat in the dark winter morning, driving to the lake or bay, paddling, reloading my boat, driving home, unloading boat and gear… well, what can I say but,  Brandon and I LOVE the simplicity and efficiency of the ‘home’ paddle workout. And, on top of that, it sure has kept us fit.

Since our last Wednesday Night race in October, I have been getting in my boat an average of once a week, Brandon has not gotten  in his boat at all.

Last Sunday was the Deception Dash Dash. A PNW classic, with 150 boaters coming out in the dead of winter, with hopes of cold, stormy conditions facing them as millions of gallons of water pour through the world famous Deception Pass leaving a sea of swirling seas and standing waves in its path. This year, we were greeted with a gorgeous clear day and a slight breeze and the pass met us with a quiet calm.

As for our performance, we both felt great. I was first in the women’s surfski, finishing just ahead of a group of surfskiers I can only stay ahead of at our Wednesday Night Races on a good day! Brandon had a great race too, paddling a comfortable pace that put him third.Without the Erg… well, the story would not have such a happy ending!

Thanks Bill Walker for another fabulous race…. and cheers to our Erg!!!

Race Photo courtesy of Gary Luhm Photography

 

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/12/ode-to-an-erg.html/feed 0 Sound Rowers Lake Sammamish Race 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html#comments Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:01:14 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1975 The highlight of my races these days is paddling across the finish line to the sight of my family cheering me on. They are easy to pick out, find the tallest person, note the cute-as-a-button baby girl strapped to his chest, and the tow-headed boy at his side yelling, ‘Go Mama Go!’
Then, I ask the question that has been in the back of my mind the entire race, “Tell me about all the adventures you had while Mama was paddling!”
Saturday I raced the 13-mile long course of the Sound Rowers Lake Sammamish Race in Issaquah, WA. The race is held out of Lake Sammamish State Park, a gorgeous lakefront park with a playground to monkey around on, bike trails to explore, trees to climb, and of course beaches!
The race is a fast, flat diamond shaped out-and-back. I hooked up with a two-man outrigger canoe (OC2) I had finished a few minutes behind at the 14-mile Mercer Island race a few weeks ago. My goal was to try to hang with them as long as I could, which turned out to be about 8.5 miles before they pulled ahead or I dropped behind.
It was that moment that I realized how much difference the small-blade Epic wing paddle I had borrowed for the Mercer Island race really made. Today I had my normal mid-size Epic wing blade.
At Mercer, paddling 14 miles with the small blade, my stroke felt smooth and even-tempo’d and my muscles never fatigued. Which, since I limit my training paddles to about 1 hour these days, was AWESOME!
Yesterday, at 8.5 miles with my mid-size paddle, all the sudden my muscles just had enough. It felt like I was paddling with a club. At that moment it was clear: topping my Christmas list this year (Santa, are you getting this?)… a small blade Epic Wing Paddle!
None-the-less, I had a great race and was the third surf skier to cross the finish line behind only Greg Barton and Gabe Newton. Ignore the 15  or so minute time difference and it sounds pretty dang impressive!
OK, now back to my question: What were Hayden, Jazlyn and Brandon up to the 2 hours I was on the water? They spent the entire time at the Springfree Trampoline Shop just a few miles down the road. Hayden demo’d every one of their 7  in-store trampolines WOWing the saleswoman with his roof raising jumps and athletic prowess on the tramps. Even Papa and Jazzy got some air time!
I am pretty sure I can safely say, (Santa, you still there?) Hayden, Papa and Jazzy REALLY want a trampoline for Christmas!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/sound-rowers-lake-sammamish-race-2011.html/feed 0 Paddle for Food Relay 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:43:52 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1969 There’s something extra special when a paddling event combines with a fundraising effort. It’s the magic in and on the water. The humility — and charity — in the face of nature, that most experienced paddlers feel. The singular reason that defines both why most paddlers paddle, and also why they would choose to leverage their passion for one day to help the needy: “Because we can.”

For one day each fall, for the past 3 years, Lake Padden in Bellingham has been the setting for one of the funnest and most rewarding paddle/fundraiser events of the year: The Paddle for Food Relay.

This year, 50 paddlers took part, paddling 39 boats, divided into 13 teams of 3, covering a total of 8 laps per team, with every paddler doing a minimum of 2 laps and a maximum of 3, laughing like a million monkeys, and in the process raising $2500 and nearly 500 pounds of food for the Bellingham Food Bank.

In a race this potentially chaotic, especially considering that teams are assembled by an over-caffeinated “committee” of 3 in the 10 or so minutes directly before the start, it’s practically a miracle that — at the end of it all — a mere 7 seconds separated the first two teams! (Heather all but closed the gap in the final lap, but her and her teammates settled for 2nd!) And only about 5 minutes separated all 13 teams.

Truly, a miracle.

Thanks, Peter Marcus, for brainstorming this awesome race a few years back. And thanks to all paddlers who showed up to throw down — for fun, and for the Food Bank!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/10/paddle-for-food-2011.html/feed 0 Lake Samish Salmon Roe 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:16:06 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1956 After having my forward stroke fine-tuned by Greg Barton himself on Friday, on Saturday morning Brandon and I raced the Sound Rowers Lake Samish Salmon Roe.
We had decided to race the 5.5 miles together, in a tandem Stellar surfski. (Thank you Drew and Stellar Kayaks for the boat!)
With over 150 racers, and almost every type of human-powered craft you can think of in attendance, the Salmon Roe is THE local showdown. Brandon and I have in the past raced solo surfskis, tandem outrigger canoe, tandem kayak with Hayden riding along, and so this year we decided to see how we stood up amongst the powerhouse tandem surfski teams.
Among the top competition was Don Kiesling and Juraj Osusky in a 2-man flatwater sprint kayak (K2), Eric Moll and Ludovit Tatos (tandem surfski) and Joost Zeegers and Paul Clement (tandem surfski)… all with race resumes as long as their boats.
In the solo division, Greg Barton himself and Gabe Newton were the men to beat. Beyond that would be a sea of surfskis, outrigger canoes, a 4-person kayak, war canoes, big rowing boats and sleek rowing shells, SUP, pedal craft and sea kayaks all ready to throw down!
We lined up on the start with Greg Barton directly next to us. When the start gun went off, we burned rubber off the start line like a friggin’ Indy car!
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be racing side-by-side with Barton, even for a minute. But in the back of the tandem, as we fell into a comfortable race pace we could maintain for the next 5-miles, there he was!
The pack immediately thinned. Don K and Juraj took the lead. Eric and Ludo second with Barton and Gabe hot on their heals.
We were next, with Joost and Paul right behind. As we neared the half-way point, we were racing our own race. Don and Juraj had secured their lead. Eric and Ludo and Barton were next. Gabe had fallen behind, as had Joost and Paul.
I focused on following Brandon as closely as I could. Barton in his clinic had said when paddling tandem, you not only follow the front paddler’s entry, but every single part of the stroke. So I tried to match Brandon’s exact paddle angle, his exit, his posture, his rotation.
After 38 minutes and change, we crossed the finish first mixed tandem, and 3rd tandem overall. Stoked! Barton maintained his position behind the two tandem skis and was the first solo.
Racing aside, Salmon Roe has become the end-of-summer party for paddlers and their families. Spectators follow the race on bikes or in their cars cheering the racers on. It’s a giant play-date for kids who run in the lake-side grassy fields and play on the beach while their parents race.
The post-race salmon/potato/salad feast is Pacific Northwest outdoor dining at its finest!
A few ‘paddler favorite’ vendors appear to offer use of demo boats. JD Davies from the Gorge and Drew and Lee from Stellar Kayaks came this year.
Mark your calendar for next year, and we’ll see you on the water!!!!

Click HERE for race results!

Click HERE for race photos by Michael Lampi!

Click HERE for Bellingham Herald race photos!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/09/lake-samish-salmon-roe-2011.html/feed 0 Jericho Oceanman 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/08/jericho-oceanman-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/08/jericho-oceanman-2011.html#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 18:39:45 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1930 The first time I did the Oceanman was in 2009. It is one of the races that keep you laughing and humbled while you race. Swim, paddle, run, SUP doesn’t capture the personality of this multi sport race. Those are the physical elements. But, half way through and in between events, race director Gary Parsons keeps you on your toes by having you do things like an obstacle course or one year he incorporated a blow-up matress!

This year the more zany ‘special tests’ were replaced by a SUP leg at the end of the race. But, he still kept us humble by having us run across a log in front of the crowd at every transition. There are actually two logs, side-by-side, in case you have the opportuntiy to pass a racer on the ‘log run’!

This year I had an exciting race for first in the Iron Division. A racer from BC, Shannon Bell, has won the iorn women’s race in 2008 and 2010. I won in 2009. This was the first year we would race against each other. She is a strong swimmer, and came out of the 1/2 mile swim about 2 minutes ahead of me. The water was incredibly choppy this year, with wind waves coming off the break water causing a washing machine like refraction that left me, and I am sure alot of others, a little nauseas and wobbly on their feet going into the paddle.

At the start of the 3+ mile paddle Shannon looked like a spec in the distance. After a few minutes of bobbling around, I worked through the wobblies from the swim and tried to make some time on Shannon. But, she’s been training hard for the Molokai World OC6 Championships and it showed. I was able to make up a bit, but she still had a strong lead going into the run.

I came through the transition quickly, throwing my shows onto my still sandy feet, not giving up hope yet! I would guess she had a minute and a half lead or so. On a straitaway I caught sight of her ahead, and realized I was making time. Then, I missed a turn! All the sudden I found myself in a field of picnicers, without a race marker to be seen! My hope sunk. I stood there, not sure which direction to go. Then, a nice man on a bike came chasing me down and sent me back in the right direction. I was back on course, but how much time did I lose? 1 or 2 minutes? I picked up my pace, watching the orange race ribbons very closely. After another mile, I caught sight of her again. I was making up time. As strong as she was on the surfski, I fiured I had to pass her on the run if I was going to hold her off on the SUP. Then, I was there, side by side, then passing her. We were near the end of the run, so I ran as fast as I could without taking my eyes off those race markers!

I arrived at the beach in time to see Rob Hansen coming out of the SUP leg to win Iron Men. I crossed the log just behind him to see Hayden standing at the end of the log holding up a Gatorade for me. Oh, my heart just melted. I swigged some Gatorade and ran down to my SUP. It was already in the water waiting for me. I chucked off my shoes and headed out.

The 1 1/2 mile SUP, like the swim, is a two lap leg, with a run up the beach in the middle. The water was still pretty sloppy and my legs tired from the run. I paddled pretty conservatively, afraid I was going to end up going for a swim. As I got my sea legs back, I was able to throw in a little more effort. I passed a couple racers, one of them the Third Place men’s iron.

After the SUP, my feet hit the sand for the final run up the beach, across the log and into waiting arms of Brandon, Hayden and Jazlyn.  I finished first place in the Women’s Iron Division and was 3rd Overall Iron Finisher. The fire for multi-sport and trail running has been re-ignited!!! Next up on the calendar: SUP the Paddle Grand Prix August 27th, Iron the Bellingham Traverse September 17th , and then the run the Baker Lake 50KM Trail Run October 1st .

As for Brandon, ask him about his plans to enter the world of Open Water Rowing!!!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/08/jericho-oceanman-2011.html/feed 0 Wildside Relay 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/08/wildside-relay-2011.html http://chargelife.com/2011/08/wildside-relay-2011.html#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:36:23 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1920 Sunshine, warm winds, warm water, waves, world class paddling, good friends, a killer cabin on the river with a hot tub, an endless supply of rocks for Hayden to throw into the river, and a throw in a 23-mile downwind relay race!
I could safely say Stevenson, Washington and the Columbia River Gorge have collectively become one of our favorite places on the planet. We were down two weeks ago for the Gorge Outrigger races, and this past week we returned for another epic JD Davies event called the Wildside Relay. This is a 23-mile, 4-leg, downwind relay starting in Stevenson and ending in Bingen, WA. Teams of two pair up. One racer does legs 1 and 3, the other takes 2 and 4 and they leap frogs their way down the funnest, windiest, surfiest stretch of river you can imagine! Steady 3 and 4+ foot swells and steady 20+ knot winds are a typical day for the Gorge.
Race day did not disappoint. Brandon and I teamed up. I was to race 1 and 3. Brandon took 2 and 4. The kids were our ‘baton’ as we traveled with about 100 racers from California, Oregon, Washington and BC from checkpoint to checkpoint. At the checkpoint, racers would meet their teammate in the water, the racer coming in would run up and ring a bell while the racer about to leave would holds both boats. The bell ringer then runs back into the water, tags their teammate sending them off. Back on the beach, the racing doesn’t end! I would load my boat, grab the kids and load them, drive to the next checkpoint, nurse Jazzy, change her diaper, give Hayden a snack, unload my gear, then send Hayden and Jazlyn to play. By then, racers would be coming in! Yikes!
Hayden and Jazlyn were in heaven as some of their favorite friends in the world were amongst the crowd of supporters… Danielle, Abby, Maddy, Mikyn and Ashby traveled along with the race, supporting their racers (Mischa and Bill) and playing in the riverfront exchange areas.
I first did this race about 5 years ago. There were a total of 4 surfskiers in a crowd of outrigger canoes. Me and Tracy Landboe teamed up against Don Kiesling and Jeff Hilburn. To make it interesting, we made our own little surfski wager: if Tracy and I came within 2 minutes of Don and Jeff, they owed us beer. In the end, Tracy and I were a 12-pack richer!
Now, the race has grown to be known as the race to come to and fine-tune your surf skills on the way to the US Surf Ski Championships in San Francisco two weeks later. Among the racers this year was Olympian Greg Barton!
At the end of an epic day of surf-racing, Brandon and I took 6th place overall and were the 1st mixed team. Hayden and Jazlyn were happily exhausted, as were Mama and Papa.
We spent Sunday finishing up a week of paddling with some surfing behind the river paddle wheeler and some lazy downwind runs up the river before heading home.
We are already dreaming of next year!!! Thanks JD!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/08/wildside-relay-2011.html/feed 0 Interview with John Barron, Owner of Barron Heating 2011 Ski to Sea Overall Winner http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-john-barron-owner-of-barron-heating-2011-ski-to-sea-overall-winner.html http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-john-barron-owner-of-barron-heating-2011-ski-to-sea-overall-winner.html#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:29:24 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1902 What started out as a favor for a friend became a phenomenon.

Meet John Barron, owner of Barron Heating and the man behind the awesome team that dominated the 2011 Ski to Sea and became overall winner of the race.

His sponsoring a Ski to Sea team started as favor for his friend Dan Bass who, at the time, was looking for someone to sponsor his race team by financing for their entrance fee.  John obliged and after the race, the whole team got together for a small barbecue party which led to a wonderful relationship – the Barrons and the team just clicked and from then on, their relationship have only gotten stronger.

Listen in on as John tells his tale of how he got involved in the Ski to Sea, how they have manage to win year after year and the relationship he shares with the whole team.

Enjoy!

 

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-john-barron-owner-of-barron-heating-2011-ski-to-sea-overall-winner.html/feed 0 What started out as a favor for a friend became a phenomenon. - Meet John Barron, owner of Barron Heating and the man behind the awesome team that dominated the 2011 Ski to Sea and became overall winner of the race. - What started out as a favor for a friend became a phenomenon. Meet John Barron, owner of Barron Heating and the man behind the awesome team that dominated the 2011 Ski to Sea and became overall winner of the race. His sponsoring a Ski to Sea team started as favor for his friend Dan Bass who, at the time, was looking for someone to sponsor his race team by financing for their entrance fee.  John obliged and after the race, the whole team got together for a small barbecue party which led to a wonderful relationship - the Barrons and the team just clicked and from then on, their relationship have only gotten stronger. Listen in on as John tells his tale of how he got involved in the Ski to Sea, how they have manage to win year after year and the relationship he shares with the whole team. Enjoy!   chargelife no 36:28 Gorge Outrigger Races 2011 http://chargelife.com/2011/07/gorge-outrigger-races.html http://chargelife.com/2011/07/gorge-outrigger-races.html#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:37:28 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1898 We just returned from a weekend of racing and camping out on the Columbia River at the 2011 Gorge Outrigger Races, in Stevenson, WA. That place ALWAYS delivers, even through rain and relative lack of windy conditions.

Just this year, Bellingham welcomed its own outrigger club, BBOP, and new OC-6, and this was the club’s first experience racing at the Gorge against clubs from all over the west coast.

With friends to play with, a pond to SUP, space to run, kites to fly, an endless supply of rocks to throw into the river, playgrounds, good food and s’mores to be eaten… Hayden and Jazzy LOVED camping as much as we loved paddling.

Now, about the racing…

6-man canoe paddling is an art of its own, and the top teams train together for years before achieving consistent success. So considering the fact that our men’s team — with whom I’ve paddled exactly twice before arriving at the Gorge — is brand spanking new this year, any finish in the top half of the two-dozen-or-so boats would be cause for celebration.

The course is triangular in shape, goes in and out of the strong current running in the Columbia right now, up and down-river, up and down-wind, and has 3 turns. Boats do 2 full laps on the course for a total of about 8 miles.

These boats are HUGE. 40+ feet long and weighing 400 pounds empty. Pack them with a bunch of amped-up, ready-to-throw-down racers and the scene is just awesomely intense.

In our boat, from front to back, were Brian Boatman, Gabe Starbuck, me, Mark Lazich, Dan Mosely and Alan Lipp steering.

We hit the turns perfectly, mixed “power 10′s” with hard pushes to catch small swells on the downwind leg, wrestled the up-wind legs without losing any ground to other boats, and in the end we came in 6th overall!

Not bad at ALL for a rookie team!

On Sunday, Heather entered the small boat race in her surfski and diced it out with nearly 40 other boats on a slightly shortened version of the same course.

Only that day, it was glassy, hot, humid conditions for the racers to endure. Still, Heather represented beautifully as Hayden, Jazzy and I cheered her on. She finished 2nd surfski behind Dave Jensen, just edging out our good friend Eric Gerstl in his OC-1, who won that class. Our friends Lance and Michelle dominated the mixed OC-2 class in Michelle’s first ever OC race. She was all smiles as they crossed the line!

We’ll return to the Columbia for a full week of paddling next Tuesday. That place feels like a 2nd home, and if you’ve never been, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It’s world class!

PS… thanks JD and all the volunteers who make that race weekend a success. We love you for it!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/07/gorge-outrigger-races.html/feed 0 Interview with Todd Warger, Producer of The Mountain Runners Movie http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-todd-warger-producer-of-the-mountain-runners-movie.html http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-todd-warger-producer-of-the-mountain-runners-movie.html#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:17:14 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1890 The Ski to Sea Podcast, as most of you know, has broadened its reach to cater not only to Top Guns and racers, but also to anyone who has a story worth sharing about the Ski to Sea.

I had the pleasure of interviewing a man that has a unique and special relationship with the Ski to Sea: special guest is Todd Warger.  You’ve probably heard about him with his highly-praised documentary on the Bellingham Shipyard.

Todd works for the Whatcom Museum, which led him to do his next documentary The Mountain Runners.  This documentary features the history of the Mt. Baker Marathon and how it evolved to the race that we have all come to know and love as the Ski to Sea.

The film is due to be released Spring 2012. But in this interview, you’ll get  a ‘backstage pass’ to some of the “unbelievable” triumphs and “horrific” near-tragedies that befell the entrants to what may be American’s first “extreme” adventure race!

Here we go!

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/07/interview-with-todd-warger-producer-of-the-mountain-runners-movie.html/feed 0 The Ski to Sea Podcast, as most of you know, has broadened its reach to cater not only to Top Guns and racers, but also to anyone who has a story worth sharing about the Ski to Sea. - I had the pleasure of interviewing a man that has a unique and spec... The Ski to Sea Podcast, as most of you know, has broadened its reach to cater not only to Top Guns and racers, but also to anyone who has a story worth sharing about the Ski to Sea. I had the pleasure of interviewing a man that has a unique and special relationship with the Ski to Sea: special guest is Todd Warger.  You've probably heard about him with his highly-praised documentary on the Bellingham Shipyard. Todd works for the Whatcom Museum, which led him to do his next documentary The Mountain Runners.  This documentary features the history of the Mt. Baker Marathon and how it evolved to the race that we have all come to know and love as the Ski to Sea. The film is due to be released Spring 2012. But in this interview, you'll get  a 'backstage pass' to some of the "unbelievable" triumphs and "horrific" near-tragedies that befell the entrants to what may be American's first "extreme" adventure race! Here we go! chargelife no 42:52 Top Gun Podcast: U.S. Olympian and 2011 Women’s XC Ski Racer Holly Brooks http://chargelife.com/2011/07/top-gun-podcast-u-s-olympian-and-2011-womens-xc-ski-racer-holly-brooks.html http://chargelife.com/2011/07/top-gun-podcast-u-s-olympian-and-2011-womens-xc-ski-racer-holly-brooks.html#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:46:40 +0000 Heather http://chargelife.com/?p=1882 Have you ever heard of “The Holly Brooks Special Recipe”?  No?  Well, it’s because this is the first time anyone will ever hear it!  Listen in as Holly Brooks, Olympian and 2011 Women’s XC Ski Top Gun, tell us how she got to where she is right now — From being an average, middle-of-the-pack racer to becoming an Olympian!

As an athlete, like any others, she experienced hitting the wall, feeling too much pressure either mentally, emotionally or physically.  BUT Holly will share her ‘Special Recipe’ as to how to overcome this and come out even a better racer than before.

Most of us have this ‘The fabulous life of an Olympian’ notion but Holly tells us the real score of how, if you’re not an Olympic Gold Medalist, other athletes like her, who are still aspiring to achieve that gold, really live — How most of the Olympians actually get to the Olympics.

And after hearing her story and you want to help send Holly to the 2014 Olympics, go to www.hollyskis.blogspot.com and click on the donate button.  Sacrifice a little, give a buck or more, you’ll be helping someone achieve something that she has been training hard for!  AND in the 2014 Olympics, if you see Holly on it, you could actually brag to everyone that YOU helped her get there!

To do my part, for every 10 downloads of this podcast, I will be donating $1 to her cause.  So, if you don’t have a dollar to spare, download this podcast here or on iTunes, recommend this to your friends via Facebook or Twitter or whatever, so WE could help Holly get to the 2014 Olympics!

Holly’s already doing her part, training freaking hard to represent our country in the 2014 Olympics — Let’s do ours!

 

]]> http://chargelife.com/2011/07/top-gun-podcast-u-s-olympian-and-2011-womens-xc-ski-racer-holly-brooks.html/feed 0 Have you ever heard of "The Holly Brooks Special Recipe"?  No?  Well, it's because this is the first time anyone will ever hear it!  Listen in as Holly Brooks, Olympian and 2011 Women's XC Ski Top Gun, tell us how she got to where she is right now -- F... Have you ever heard of "The Holly Brooks Special Recipe"?  No?  Well, it's because this is the first time anyone will ever hear it!  Listen in as Holly Brooks, Olympian and 2011 Women's XC Ski Top Gun, tell us how she got to where she is right now -- From being an average, middle-of-the-pack racer to becoming an Olympian! As an athlete, like any others, she experienced hitting the wall, feeling too much pressure either mentally, emotionally or physically.  BUT Holly will share her 'Special Recipe' as to how to overcome this and come out even a better racer than before. Most of us have this 'The fabulous life of an Olympian' notion but Holly tells us the real score of how, if you're not an Olympic Gold Medalist, other athletes like her, who are still aspiring to achieve that gold, really live -- How most of the Olympians actually get to the Olympics. And after hearing her story and you want to help send Holly to the 2014 Olympics, go to www.hollyskis.blogspot.com and click on the donate button.  Sacrifice a little, give a buck or more, you'll be helping someone achieve something that she has been training hard for!  AND in the 2014 Olympics, if you see Holly on it, you could actually brag to everyone that YOU helped her get there! To do my part, for every 10 downloads of this podcast, I will be donating $1 to her cause.  So, if you don't have a dollar to spare, download this podcast here or on iTunes, recommend this to your friends via Facebook or Twitter or whatever, so WE could help Holly get to the 2014 Olympics! Holly's already doing her part, training freaking hard to represent our country in the 2014 Olympics -- Let's do ours!   chargelife no 49:33