Hey everyone, I would like to start out by saying, “Thank You” all again for your support! I am going to try and keep you posted a little more frequently this year. I really enjoy hearing back from you. It keeps me fired up and connected back to the US.
The First 2 weeks over in Europe have flown by, if this is any sign to how the season is going to go, it’s going to fly by. I have had a tough start to the season. The week before I left for Europe I got hit with a hard case of food poisoning which killed me for about 4 days, and then after arriving in Beitostolen for a pre-season camp and races I came down with a mild cold, which put me out of the first races of the season and about the first week of training on snow. With that all behind me, the team packed up and we shipped off to the opening World Cup in Kuusamo, Finland for the “Ruka Triple”.
I think it’s safe to say that the opening World Cup in Ruka is one of the toughest, coldest, and all-around hardest World Cups of the year. Coming off of the previous weeks I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the classic sprint, I was surprised to see my body felt as good as it did when we did pre-race intervals on Thursday. Friday was a very close and one of my best classic sprints on the World Cup, I finished 32nd just .04 out from qualifying. Saturday and Sunday were two tough 15k races for me. I could tell I was out there battling from the start- and I was missing a little bit of a “spark” in my skiing. I know that this is something that is pretty common for me, especially since I wasn’t able to get in any pre races in Beitostolen, and much snow time. I’m a skier who will race into shape and once I am there the stars can align on any given day. I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and getting some more sprinting in, and racing in general! All in all, I walked away from the weekend satisfied and with a lot of confidence.
I’m currently back in Norway, in Lillehammer, getting ready for the 30k Skiathlon on Saturday, with hopes of a relay start on Sunday. I haven’t seen the sun since I have arrived here so, I think there are a few of us who are itching to get to Switzerland to see our old friend “Mr. Sun”. I know some of you will be glad to hear that the food has been good- now that we are back in Norway. No more “Mystery Meat” that’s served up in Finland.
For more information on how to view the races, go to the US Ski Team website for more information. Also, my mom has informed me that I have 15 more bags of coffee to sell! If you are interested in purchasing, please call her at 715-892-0542 (Great Christmas gifts!). Thanks for your support!
I hope that you all are enjoying the start of Winter!
Sincerely – Kevin
There are several ways you can help Kevin on his way to the 2022 Winter Olympics, you can send a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to SVSEF, PO Box 203, Sun Valley, ID 83353 (Memo: National Team Support/Kevin Bolger). Other donations may be sent to Kevin Bolger, PO Box 87, Minocqua, WI 54548.
