I finally arrived in Ostersund, Sweden yesterday after a two-day marathon of travel from Lake Placid – Lake Placid-Albany-Newark-Frankfurt-Stockholm-Ostersund. The skiing is great here and it looks like most of the teams have arrived already or are slated to be here in the next few days. After the -20C weather of Canmore last week, I figured I was free of the extreme freeze for a while but it looks like the the temps are predicted to be hovering around the -20 mark all week in Ostersund. I was out classic skiing this morning and the stadium thermometer read -17C. It’s still nice to be out on wide, well-groomed, lengthy loops after the 1200-meter loop of Canmore.

We’ll be training through the weekend and early next week, testing skis and making any final adjustments before the first race. The first men’s race is a 20km Individual, scheduled for Thursday of next week. Looking forward to getting back in the World Cup mix!

Greetings from Canmore.

The races in Canmore are over and it looks like I’ve been chosen for the fifth and final spot for the December world cups. Congrats to Russell Courrier for his world cup qualification, and an impressive sweep of all three trials here. I hope to move forward from here and build on the momentum of a season’s worth of training and preparation… And, oh yeah, it’s nice to get the coldest races of the year out of the way in November! It hasn’t gotten above -16C here for the past four days… The temp at racetime this morning was -19C… just a degree shy of the international cutoff!

Best,
Lowell

Greetings Everyone!

At the moment, I’m in Canmore, Alberta for the National Team Pre-Season Training Camp and World Cup Trials races. In about a week, I will be competing against the rest of the American biathlon contingent for two of the five eventual World Cup positions. At the moment, Tim Burke, Jeremy Teela, and Leif Nordgren are prequalified for the first World Cup start in Ostersund, Sweden at the beginning of next month.

As an aside, the slideshow at the top of this post is a new addition to the website. The photos included are a random sampling of what I’ve been up to over the last couple of months. I believe the most recent shots (of Canmore) are towards the end of the show. The beginning features shots from our October Utah Camp, then the US Biathlon Board Meeting and Foundation Kickoff in Jackson Hole, WY, a few shots from home, and finally my recent travels in Canmore, Alberta.

I arrived in Canmore on Nov. 2nd with the hopes of getting on snow right away. Canmore was selected as our preseason training site this year as the venue staff had guaranteed snow on or before October 22. They did follow through on their promise and athletes were skiing throughout the end of October. However, due to some freakishly warm temperatures in the Bow Valley, the 800-meter artificial snow track gradually melted and, by the time I arrived, it was little more than an ice-gravel-sawdust path. However, things are looking up after a week of dryland training. The temps are now low enough to blow snow 24/7 and it looks like we will be on manmade snow within a few days.

The upcoming trials races will take place starting on Tuesday of next week. We will compete in three races and the full World Cup and Europa Cup teams will be named following the conclusion of this race series. Hopefully, I’ll be headed home for a brief pre-Thanksgiving respite and then over to Ostersund on November 25th.

It’s hard to believe that another training season is yet again drawing to a close and the World Cup tour is just around the corner. It feels like just a few weeks ago I was in Vancouver for the Olympics. As some of you may know, I was disappointed with my overall performance throughout the season last year. After a few weeks away from the sport in April, I came back to the Spring training camp with a fresh outlook and the desire to make the changes necessary to reach my goals on (and off) the biathlon course. With the help of coaches Per Nilsson and Armin Auchentaller, we crafted a specific training plan, incorporating the successful parts of previous plans and incorporating new ideas with the end goal of having a top performance at World Championships this winter. I feel like I’m on track and I’m happy with how the training has gone so far. Now, it’s just a matter of executing on the race course. Next week will be the first test!

I hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy and looking forward to a snowy (or not) winter!

-Lowell

Hi All,

Back across the pond in Oslo right now getting ready for my last World Cup races.  This is the first time the IBU World Cup has returned to Oslo since the 07-08 season.  They have spent the last two years tearing down the old Holmenkollen Ski Jump and building a new complex along with a revamped biathlon and cross-country arena.  Check out the picture to get an idea of what the new venue looks like.

Much has happened since I last posted – namely, the Olympic Games.  It was an interesting feeling walking in to closing ceremonies and realizing, “Wow, it’s actually over.”  This was not just the “Closing” of a two-week stint of racing during Ferbruary 2010.  This was the culmination of four years of training, competing, extensive travel, and extremely hard work by an incredible team of dedicated individuals.  It was a bittersweet night for me.  I am proud of what the U.S. Biathlon Association and my team have accomplished over the last four years.  I have been in the top 15 on occasion, moving towards individual success.  I have been a part of record-setting Men’s Relay performances (5th and 6th in Rhupolding, Germany World Cups ’09 and ’10).  I have watched my teammate Tim Burke make history and wear the World Cup leader’s yellow bib – the first time an American has ever earned that honor.

All in all, there have been many high points throughout the last four years.  But I have to say, with regard to the Olympics in Vancouver, I cannot say that I am happy with the way things turned out.  I expected better.  We expected better.  The one bright spot was Jeremy Teela’s 9th place in the opening Sprint race.  He deserves a lot of credit for putting together a record-breaking (top American Olympic result) performance on an extremely difficult day.  I can only say that I put my heart and soul into every hour of training, every interval workout, every long European training camp over the last four years.

Now, it is time to look forward, assess my strengths and weakness from the past, and formulate a new plan – one that will bring me to my highest potential.  And so I head into this final stretch of the season with hope, and the motivation to keep reaching for the top!

Finally, I would like to thank a few key people that have thrown their support my way during the last four years:

Joe Straub and M/E Engineering P.C.; Joe stepped up and committed to four years of support and encouragement after the Torino Games in 2006.

Jeff Byrne and Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA); Jeff and the rest of the ORDA staff have directed the development of the new roller loop in Lake Placid while continuing to improve the other Lake Placid Olympic Venues which make my hometown a great place to train.

TD Bank; In 2006 TD Bank saw the potential that US biathletes in Torino.  They were willing to stick there neck out and take on the title sponsorship role for U.S. Biathlon.  There role has been truly crucial to all of our success on the international biathlon stage.

Grant Stewart and Stewart Filmscreens; Without warning, the Stewart offices called U.S. Biathlon one day a couple of years ago and expressed a desire to help out in whatever way he could.  Since then Stewart has become one of our leading sponsors and Grant has quickly grown in to one of our biggest fans.  He even made the effort to stop over and take in the Ruhpolding World Cup this year during on of his European business trips!

Per Nilsson, Bernd Eisenbichler, Armin Auchentaller, Max Cobb, Andy Shepard, Andi Elmslander, Petra “Gara” Garabik, Martin Beirmeier, Muck Bauer, Ed Merrens, James Upham, Pat Coffey:  These are the people that have worked behind the scenes, behind scopes, out on the ski trail, behind video cameras, and in the wax room to give us – the athletes – the best chance in what has become the strongest international biathlon field in history.  I am grateful to every one of these people for their selfless and tireless dedication to our collective dreams.

There are many, many other influential people that have helped me out throughout the last four years and beyond but I’m afraid I can’t mention all of them here.

Thank you to all.

-Lowell

Hi Everyone.

Just a quick Opening Ceremonies Day post for you all.  I’m in the Olympic Village now and things the preparation for the first race is almost over.  Today I just have a short jog and recovery day.  And, I will be heading over to Whistler to meet up at an Opening Ceremonies reception that US Biathlon has set up for athletes not walking in the Opening Ceremonies.  Unfortunately, since our race is only two days away, and the entire Opening Ceremonies is scheduled to take 11 hours from door to door,  I won’t be participating.  It’s a tough call since I missed the Torino ceremonies for the same reason.  But, I’m here to compete, not for the pomp and circumstance!  You should still watch the Opening Ceremonies because my friend Mark Grimmette from Lake Placid – a five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist in luge – will be the flag bearer for the U.S. Team.  Congrats Mark!

In other news, Brian Martin (US Luge) and myself will be featured on the Greenlaces.org website as the Green Olympians of the Day, today, Ferbruary 12.  Greenlaces will be featuring a different Green Olympian for each day throughout the Olympics.  Be sure to check out their website

Hi Everyone.

Just a quick update from Vancouver.  We spent the last ten days on Mount Washington, Vancouver Island, B.C. training.  It was a great camp and I feel ready for the Games as we head towards Whistler.  After the island training, we took a quick flight back to Vancouver where we have spent the last few hours undergoing Team Processing for the Olympics.  We now have all the apparel and will soon be heading up to Whistler and the Olympic Village, our home for the next three weeks!  I am excited and ready for the Valentines Day Olympic Opener – 10km Sprint on February 14th!

-Lowell

Check out the article on Greenlaces at Fasterskier.com!

Just got to Antholz in Northern Italy for the last world cup before the Olympics.  It has been a whirlwind biathlon tour of Europe over the past month.  After the third world cup races in Pokljuka, Slovenia, I traveled to Jablonec, Czech Republic to train and spend Christmas with my girlfriend.  We arrived in a snow storm and the weather looked favorable for good conditions.  However, a couple of warm days and there was just a 900-meter loop of man-made snow.  I trained there for a few days and then we hit the road again, in search of better conditions.

We managed to secure housing in Oberhof during the week of New Years – thanks to Tim and Andrea!  It was a good week of training but I still had the Olympic qualification in the back of my mind.  Three of the five available spots had already been filled and I was hoping to qualify for the fourth or fifth through the last trials races in Altenberg, Germany.  USBA had planned to use the Altenberg IBU Cup (IBU Cups are the division of biathlon racing just below the World Cup) as the setting for their final selection for the last two men’s slots and three of the four women’s spots.  It just so happened that the Czech’s planned to take their World Cup team to the Altenberg IBU Cup, so Zdenka and I left Oberhof and headed to Altenberg.  The racing went relatively well and I qualified for the fourth position on the Olympic Team.  No matter how prepared you are, how much experience you have, and how much support you are given, it doesn’t make Olympic trials any easier.  But on the other hand, this was my fourth Olympic Trials (The Nagano Olympic trials were some of my first biathlon races) and I knew what to expect.  Congratulations to Wynn Roberts, who qualified as well.  The final men’s team will consist of myself, Tim, Jay, Jeremy, and Wynn.

From there, it was on to Ruhpolding.  25,000 people showed up for the five-day World Cup just south of Munich, Germany.  The Sprint went poorly for me and I was looking for a better result.  The Relay went much better.  I used one extra round during the race and finally felt decent on the ski course, tagging in 5th, a few seconds back from Norway in 4th.  Jay actually moved up to third during a portion of his leg.  Ultimately, we finished in 6th just a few seconds off of 5th and 4th.  The main positive point is that we were finally knocking at the door of the elusive relay medal.  The Olympic Relay will be the next relay race for the four of us.

And now, I am back in Antholz for the final week of world cup racing.  This week is more geared towards training and preparing for Vancouver.  This means, depending on what my coaches and I think is best for top results at the Olympics, I may or may not race.  I am looking to perform at my peak in just over three weeks.  After this week, Tim and I will head to Vancouver Island for a short training camp prior to team processing and entrance to the Olympic Village.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point – my family, my coaches, US Biathlon, and my sponsors.  The next month will surely be one of the most important times of my life.  I am looking forward to it and I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed such loyal support throughout the last two decades of my athletic life.  See you in Vancouver!

-Lowell

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday was a great day for U.S. Biathlon in the first men’s race of the World Cup Season!  Tim had a great race and got on the podium for the first time in his career, placing 2nd, just behind Norway’s Emil Svendson.  Congrats to Tim and all the rest of our staff who have worked so hard over the last few years to get us in a position to vie for a podium.

For me, it has been a challenging fall given how well training went up until October.  I feel that, generally, my immune system is fairly strong and I don’t usually get sick that often.  Yet, at the end of October, I came down with a bad cold, then a few weeks ago I got the flu.  After recovering and having a good two weeks of training in Sweden, I again find myself fighting another, albeit milder cold.  I chose to sit out the 20km yesterday hoping that it would allow me to recover for the next race on Saturday.  I have my fingers crossed and I’m hoping to be ready to race then.  I’ll head out for some easy training this afternoon and see how it goes.  I’ll keep ya’ll posted on the progress.

-LB

Here I am.  Sweden.  The name of the town, Rambudgerbergerbaguh… (not sure).  It’s about 3 hours north of Ostersund in the tundra-ish area.  It’s actually pretty close to Sylarna, where Tim, Per, and I went on that epic running adventure this August.  We landed in Ostersund yesterday after a fairly uneventful trip across the pond.  There’s a good amount of snow on the ground and the forecast is cold so I’m eager to get out on the tracks tomorrow and get back into the swing of it.

And that’s just it.  I’ve been out sick for about a week now.  Yes, I did get the flu.  Yes, it was most likely H1N1. No, it wasn’t that bad.  What can I say… at least now I’m immune and I can’t get it later on in the season.

As promised in my last post, here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.  Namely, some shots from our 3-week training camp out in Utah and a few shots from a brief trip down to New York City for the 100-Days To Vancouver celebration.  Enjoy.

Here’s to winter and all it may bring!

-LB