Director Dominates

Proving he knows how to do more than send people into battle, HURT Director Aaron dominated the family Battling Tops tournament the day after Christmas. The youngest of 19 competitors, Aaron cruised through the brackets, defeating two adult cousins and both parents on his way to the championship.


In this picture, Aaron shows his steely gaze as he prepares to launch his top in the final round.


Aaron stayed focused throughout despite much taunting and numerous attempts to distract him. "I wanted to show my team how it's done," said Aaron. "Don't worry about the competition, trust your training, keep your eyes on the goal. None of these people believed in me, yet I knew I could win."

For anyone who doesn't know, Battling Tops is a game from the late 60s. It's no longer made, but thanks to the wonders of technology you can find it on ebay for only 10 or 12 times what it cost back then.

"It's a great way to prepare for competition," said Aaron, "especially since all it ever does around here is rain and the boys can't ski."

Christmas Comes early for HURT skiers

The World famous Christmas 5K in Osceloa, NY saw a huge turnout from HURT skiers and may have given the team a substantial edge in the quest for the NYSSRA club championship. While NYSEF had a solid turnout yet again and may have added to their early season lead, HURT stormed passed idle Peru and had 9 skiers earn massive points in the todays 5K event. The HURT team bus brought Chris Yarsevich, Tim and Austin Huneck, Dave Kvam and Justin Tetlow and they were joined at the race by Adam and Ed Luban, Doug Diehl and Matt Torniainen.

(HURT team bus....slightly modified)

Team Director Aaron was psyched to send his boys out on a near-perfect day to ski on the finest snow NY has to offer in the early weeks of the season. The climbers course was no match for the speed Aaron sent into action today. (Team director Aaron was conspicuously absent from todays race but TMZ earlier reported that he was seen driving a garbage truck West on 90 to reportedly "pick up all that trash" that the RNR boys had been talking.)



We caught up with Aaron just outside Macedon via cell phone and asked him about the days events.

Q: So Aaron...your thoughts on the day?

A: Well RNR brought some muscle today and Chad didn't disappoint....I was pleased with Kvam's 2nd place effort and speedy 12:20 but quite frankly....we haven't got our special-Russian-made-HURT-uniforms in the mail yet so I really didn't expect him to take him down in his first race. Other than that...Rochester doesn't scare me too bad...I mean....I beat the Donkey Kong game on like my fourth try...and that was with no cheat codes, power boosts or banana-wammas.....I mean seriously...that game is like so 2001....
Honestly I am really psyched.....Yarsevich ripped through the M1 category and was joined in very solid performances by Diehl, Tetlow, Torniainen and the Lubans. The race of the day had to be from my big brother who turned in a solid second place in the J2 race...and more importantly....beat my father....for the first time ever.....This is the one part of the day that concerns me. If my brother becomes the alpha male in household it could be a long winter for us all.

Q: How do you feel about the mysterious absence of all of Peru?

A: Its a huge early season advantage for us. But I have been around this block before and I know that their director is a crafty veteran with more than one trick up his scull-laden sleeve. Perhaps its just strategy....rest now...wup-ass later. Or perhaps its a move designed to lull us into a false sense of security....I dunno. All I know is we plan on keeping the pedal to the metal and gun for those speedsters from NYSEF.

Q: What are your training plans between now and Christmas?

A: top secret....but I will tell you this...I am personally taking all of Justin's christmas cookies....no more excuses!


(Osceola race recap)

Full race results found here: http://www.nyssranordic.com/currentresults.html

Wednesday Night Roller Derby!

Last night was a crazy night of training!

Seven HURT members rendezvoused at their secret training grounds to find perfectly groomed skate lanes and super fast conditions with no bare spots and a firm base. The team did 8 x 3.5 minutes intervals on a crazy course, featuring two big down and ups along with some sharp turns and one huge step turning 270 degree high speed oval. It was like roller derby on skis, complete with a few good crashes. It was great!



CJY

Mark your Calendars: TRI-HURT-ATHON

Race #1 is in the books and now it is time to consider your own plans for racing in the weeks ahead...What races will you do? Where will you travel too? When will you peak? Whatever you do, plan to be in Chestertown on February 14th for the 1st annual TRI-HURT-ATHON.  This combination sprint/pursuit race will test all three facets of your racing.  It will be an event not to be missed with great skiing, great food, cash prizes, and a full day of nordic events.  Check out the official race site at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/trihurtathon.html

Race Director Aaron demands your presence...

Register at http://www.skireg.com/events/register.asp?EventID=3061

The Season is On

HURT Team Director Aaron sent his boys to the NYSEF season opener Sunday and he was not disappointed. The master's race was a showdown between HURT and Peru, with both clubs putting four skiers in the top 10. Doug Diehl led the HURT parade, finishing 2nd overall and 2nd MM5. He was joined by Martin Donelly-Heg, 2nd MM3; Chris Yarsevich, 1st MM1; Tim Huneck, 3rd MM5; Andy Farry, 3rd MM2; and Dave Burt, 2nd MM6.

Justin Tetlow mixed it up with the college kids and came away with a strong 4th place in the SR race.

HURT young studs Austin Huneck and Brian Halligan finsihed 3rd and 4th respectivley in the J2 race, coming in on the heels of two older and highly touted NYSEF racers.

All this translated into major points for HURT, which made the director happy.

"I knew my team was ready," said Aaron. "They've been skiing on slush and ice across golf courses and soccer fields all week. Clearly, that prepared them for the Ladies 5K loop."

Aaron was also not fazed by having his team ski the most difficult course of the year the first time they were on real snow.

"That course isn't so tough," he said. "Those ladies from the Soviet Union and East Germany didn't complain when they used it in the Olympics. The fact that they only had to do it once and that they were, technically, men is irrelevant. I would have come and skied it myself if my soccer team didn't need me."

Next up is Osceola. Get your powder skis ready.

Team HURT Just Got Faster!

With a cunning decisive move, Team Director Aaron sacrifices his personal wax booty for the team.



"Instead of winning all my backyard sledding races this year in dominating fashion, I have decided to donate 2 Kilos of Swix LF6 to my team. This will help eliminate some of their lazy boy excuses! Therefore, when they don't sweep the podium, I can really let them have it."



Aaron added "Oh yeah....AND we just officially added one of Poestenkill's most dominant athletes EVER-that-I-can-remember-hearing-of"

Aaron was referring to the official addition of Mr. Jay Thomas...cyclist turning nordic stud....who was added to the official team roster at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/RaceTeam.html


Several other folks have verbally committed their souls to the HURT nordic brigade but without a picture and electronic commitment the roster cannot be completed....so if thats you, send a jpg version of yourself to hurtnordic@gmail.com

Crandall Work Party a Success!

Eight dedicated HURT members braved the cold and fresh snow on Sunday morning to clean up 2km of Crandall Park trails. Team HURT quickly discovered this was a bigger job than just one day. Many limbs were cut back, making the trail wider and opening up the trail for the snow. It appeared that some of the trails had not been cut back since the Nixon administration. The "Mayor of Medicare" Rene Clark stated that he remembered when some of these trees were just samplings, back before "the horseless carriage."

First Ski of the Year

1" new snow + Rock skis + Golf course = First ski of the year!

Crandall Park Work Party Sunday 12/6/09 9am

Don't forget, the Crandall Park work party is scheduled for 9am Sunday 12/6/09. Meet behind the Inside Edge. Please bring any pruners, saws, shovels, rakes, etc you might have.

The plan will be to trim low hanging branches to maximize snowfall and to fill any holes, erosion, etc.


Team Director Aaron will have no slacking like pictured above! "That's right, be prepared to get dirty and work hard!"

See you there!

CJY

Dedication, focus and preparation

December brings excitement to ski racers in NY because it means flakes are in the air and competition is on the mind. While SOME nordic teams from around the state are JUST STARTING to outline a training plan for the weeks leading into the NYSSRA season, other teams like HURT are amping up their dedication and focus towards stomping through the nordic season events. In a week that saw some of the states first accumulated snow, Aaron sent out his plans to each of his skiers to fine tune their skills and train their weaknesses.

His first move was to test the speed of his two running studs, Dave Kvam and Chris Yarsevich in the Chris Dailey Turkey Trot 5K in Saratoga. The 17:16 and 18:02 respectively show that his guys are ready to handle the race pressure on a course that features a lot of steady climbing and a field of speedy juniors.

His second move on saturday was to scope out the training grounds the arch rival Peru will use in the upcoming weeks. In a stealthy and spontaneous move he sent his father Tim and Dave up to the Whiteface highway to get their first snow legs and climb the toll road to the castle. They were greeted with changing snow conditions and a solid 8 percent grade as they made their way up and down.







Identifying weaknesses is really what Aaron is all about and having studied hours of tape from his Syracuse contingent he noted they needed work on cornering on technical downhills. He was quoted as saying "I see strength, speed and consistency from Adam and Ed but when they corner they look like Bambi on a frozen pond....HEY! what a great idea...I'll send them to rollerski on a frozen pond! As you can see from the photo evidence....the Syracuse boys obeyed the ruthless team director without complaint and gained valuable experience skiing that will be put to good use on hard icy conditions.....and they gained a little toughness too....



Finally...Weekly Wednesday training has stepped up to new levels of ferocity and intensity as his boys continue to roll through hill repeats skating, striding and with power double poling. Each wednesday brings faster times, improved efficiency, and form that is just waiting for snow.

Kingston Follow-up

After the great success at the Kingston races, team director Aaron has setup a Wednesday night scrimmage against another tough opponent. Watch out, they mean business!

With Diehl or no Diehl H.U.R.T rolls in Kingston

Ever a student of history, team director Aaron sent the majority of his army of skiers into the suburban jungle of Kingston this past weekend in a way that was modeled after the British failed attempt to separate the colonies in 1777 . The precise organization, timing, carpooling and transportation of gear was eerily similar to the way the British troops hauled their canons over the foothills of the Adirondacks those many years ago. Aaron, however was hoping to avoid the pitfalls that befell those redcoats at Saratoga and Fort Stanwix....

So he had his team wear green instead. Failure averted.


While most nordic skiers either found their way to West Yellowstone or Beitostoelen, Norway this past weekend, Aaron decided that a good early season test for his band of skiers was to race against a hearty and enthusiastic mob of middle school girls and some local talented junior boys. Aaron said after the race "I wanted to simulate some of the race conditions that my guys will see throughout the season. The agility, body awareness and mental focus needed to negotiate through these types of crowds is something that can't be simulated in a workout. Not to mention the crowd noise! The high pitched screaming and cheering is something we need to get accustomed to."

He followed that statement shortly there after by saying..."Besides, I am not 100% sure they have been training hard enough to race against competition that is stiffer than what they saw today....It may have been good that they go into the season with a little bit of winners confidence."

He was visibly pleased with the effort he saw from Martin Donnelly-Heg who finished 1st in the classic and 2nd in the skate. "I think the girls put it best when they said "he's a beast" and "he's hot". He gave the MVP for the day to Jim South who planned a short vacation around the rollerski races to show his true dedication to the team and the team director. Aaron said "Everyone should model there behavior after Jim...do what I say, when I say it and be willing to go anywhere to ski for HURT!" The only big disappointment was that rollerski speed-ster Doug Diehl has been sidelined with a early season injury. Aaron assures he'll be back soon.

Other strong performances were put down by Chris Yarsevich, Tim Huneck, Justin Tetlow, Dave Kvam, Andy Farry, Sean (Hurt-for-a-day) Halligan, Chris and Will Freilinghaus, Brian Halligan and Carol Fischer (thanks to Carol for filling the women's requirement and earning Team HURT the championship.)

Aaron was asked about the individual performances and he credits Justin Tetlow with the performance of the day with a monster 5K classic race (3rd place on undoped wheels) that finished in a dramatic sprint with Bob Underwood. In fact Aaron credits Tetlow with doing just enough to impress Underwood and convince him to throw his family support behind Team HURT for the 2009-10 season.

When asked about Kvam's performance he said "If that guy gets one more 7th place finish he and I are going to win in Vegas and buy the team a ski tunnel."

Special Thanks to Greg Malia for hosting an awesome event with great prizes, donations, sponsors and amazing lunch buffet. I would be willing to bet that the Chili in West Yellowstone was not as good as that found in Kingston.

Enjoy the following episode of HURT television which was shot with the help from a group from the Kingston girls nordic team. Its a truly unique perspective into the world of ski racing.

Team Director Declaration!

Team HURT Overlord/Team Director (Aaron) Declares:


"The Kingston rollerski races are coming up in just two days, so I ordered my team to get all their whining and complaining out of the way on Saturday. Therefore, I am sending them on a 45K over distance rollerski with a few thousand feet of climbing thrown in for good measure. I figure they can get all their slowness, bad technique, pulled and overtired muscles out of the way on Saturday, in order to be really fast on Sunday. Hey it worked the day before Sufferfest! You know what they say, if it ain't broke, break it, or is it fix it?. I always confuse those two."

--Aaron

Rollerski Domination

Any HURT members who want to join in on the rollerski races in Kingston this Sunday should let me know by Tuesday night (thuneck@nycap.rr.com, or reply to this post). The maximum entry fee for a team is $100. We can divide that by however many skiers we have and bring the entry fee down, maybe way down. Right now we have 6 for sure -me, Dave, Chris, Doug, MDH, Andy, and possibly Brian and Sean. Anybody else?

I have to let the promoter know our team via email Wednesday. We can fill out forms and pay down there on race day. Join the fun and add to HURT's domination. And, if you know any women who want to race, sign them up so we can enter the team championship. We need at least one. They don't even have to be a HURT member, just HURT for a day.

Plans for Kingston Domination

Team HURT is getting it together for the Kingston Rollerski races next weekend. We plan on bringing a strong team of open and masters skiers to show those "downstaters" how it's done! See you there!

Wednesday Night (11/11) Training Update

The HURT team has been enjoying the traffic free back loop in SPAC these last few weeks. This portion of the park is closed at 5pm, so it becomes our own personal rollerski course. It's nice to ski in the dark without worrying about being hit my a soccer mom driving her 5,000lb SUV excessively fast while screaming at her kids and talking on the phone.

This past week, we changed it up a bit and did a strength specific double poling workout brought to us by Team HURT's own Justin. It was a great drill and I can still feel it in my lower back, but it's a good burn!

Festival of Pain!

This Sunday saw the close of the HURT Festival of Pain. This ancient Pagan festival is steeped in tradition and since the dawn of man has seen massive amounts of rollerskiing and running to evoke the gods of endurance, high performance and winter weather. This tradition was carried on in force as HURT skiers banded together this past weekend for a solid three day training block.

(our ancient forefathers preparing to rollerski....before they realized cloaks made for a great deal of wind resistance)

Team Director Aaron was more than pleased that the final event, Peru Nordic sponsored SUFFERFEST, brought out the best in his nordic team. Race Winner Doug Diehl, was joined by Chris Yarsevich, Martin Donnelly-Heg, Andy Farry, Dave Kvam, Justin Tetlow, Dave Burt, Tim Huneck and his brother Austin Huneck. Team HURT was the most well represented team at the SUFFERFEST event, followed closely by rival Peru squad. While pleased with the win, Huneck was even more pleased that EVERYONE on his team dropped massive amounts of time of their respective PR's.

Team Director Aaron, ever the perfectionist, was a little annoyed that older brother Huneck chose to ride up the mountain on a bike. After the event Huneck was quoted as saying "I know big bro was used to help dad to a strong performance by lugging up his gear but I would have much preferred if he had loaded up a toboggan and dragged it up on skis. I mean I don't think thats an unreasonable expectation! The guy didn't run on Friday or ski 44K Saturday! He's fresh as a daisy! I'll have to work harder to whip him into shape."

In response to his younger brother's comments Austin quietly pounded his fist a bit and turned his head away grumbling.....our reporter said it sounded like ".....just you wait....grumble grumble...pound grumble face"

Congrats to all the skiers who enjoyed the perfect day up Prospect and enjoy the latest episode of HURT Television.

THANKS TO INSIDE EDGE/RELIABLE RACING WHO DONATED THE RAFFLE PRIZE! (Also won by Dave of Team Hurt!!)




In other HURT news....Aaron did not waste time relishing the small gains of the past few days. He was immediately off to bolster the squad in anyway possible. In what many see as a bold move he went out and signed the veteran skier Rene Clark to the squad. When asked about the recent signing he said "Look...I know Rene has had some bad luck in past years with the broken shoulder, damaged sight, stiff neck, sore knees, bruised arms, pinched nerves, tweaked muscles, turned ankles, tooth aches and hang nails but thats all in the past. The guy has the heart of a champion and is without a doubt in a class all by himself...Do they even have NYSSRA classes that high? But anyways...if they do, he will dominate and earn us many many team points."

Festival of Hurt 2/3rds Complete

After beating back the night and the cold temperature, team HURT managed to bang out a good 80 minutes and 10 miles of over distance running.

Here is the team just before setting out.


Team Director Aaron Huneck studied the results of the 10 mile run and proclaimed "You guys should have ran at least double that, are you trying out for the modified girls color guard team or something!"

After the verbal tongue lashing, team HURT had to redouble our efforts. Day two brought sunshine and lots of K's on the rollerskis.


And some serious climbing. We added this dead end hill to the ski, just to save us from Aaron's wrath, determined to work hard enough to please him.




We were so far out in the boonies, the ubiquitous Stewart's Convenient Stores did not even exist, only local Mom's and Pop's.


Tomorrow is the final day of the weekend, with Sufferfest looming!

Festival of HURT Begins Tonight

A message from HURT Team Director:



Ok team, it's time to work and feel the HURT!

See you tonight at 5pm at SPAC. Park in the lot next to the Gideon Putnam Hotel (not the actual Gideon lot). We will running about 10 miles. Bring a light and a reflective vest if you have one.

major signings for HURT team director

While most of the guys spent Wednesday adding volume and calculated intensity to their weekly training schedule, Aaron was out writing contracts and doling out wads of cash to his two newest HURT members. Despite multiple attempts using common communication methods that failed, Aaron and his prize competitors were not disheartened...especially when the new skiers realized now they had enough 500 dollar bills to finally buy "Park Place". Just before the final trade deadline, he locked up the talent of MATT TORNIAINEN and DAVE BURT.




Aaron was quoted as saying. "We have locked up some big talent here today....Matt has a champions history and from what I have seen, he is well on his way back to fitness of old....Dave is a bit of a wild card, I know the guy shoots a great game of golf and he brings years of ski race experience to our youngsters. I believe their may be some speed left in those ol' legs and besides....I freakin' love that yellow hat!"

Check out the full growing race squad at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/RaceTeam.html

Be sure to join Team Hurt for the "Festival of PAIN" this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday: "Run 'till it HURTS"....5pm....Gideon Putnam Parking lot at SPAC
Saturday: "Ski 'till it BURNS"....9am....CY's house...directions forth-coming
Sunday: "SUFFERFEST.....9:30am.....Prospect Mountain Highway...Lake George

Aaron will be there with a bull-whip and a clip board so don't miss a single moment.

Tune in to next week for HURT TV of the weekends festivities.

Saturday 40K Rollerski

We will be starting the 40K rollerski on Saturday at 9am in Saratoga. We will start from my house, I will email out my address. If I don't have your email, drop me a line at.... cyarsev@gmail

CJY

Suit Size Kits Have Arrived

Today, the suit size kits arrived. They sent full suits (tops and bottoms) in every size from XS-XL.

I tried on the Small and Medium. I was wearing my normal skiing clothes underneath (long john bottoms, t-shirt, long sleeve, and a tight stretchy vest).

I would say the bottoms fit true to size. I am almost always a small in everything and the small suit bottoms fit well.

The tops run tight. I fit in the small, but the armpits and chest were tight. I think I will be ordering a medium top, to better accommodate extra layers.

Small Suit



Medium Suit

HURT Festival of Pain LOOMS

This Friday (11-6-09) kicks off the HURT Festival of Pain, an over distance weekend extravanganza!

Meet at SPAC (parking lot next to the Gideon Putnam) at 5pm. We will plan on a 10 Mile Run, bring a reflective vest and a light.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3239795

If people are interested we can carb up for Saturday with Pizza and beer after the run.

Saratoga Fall Back 5 Trail Run

I ran the Saratoga Fall Back 5 Trail run this morning. Nordic legend, Bobby Underwood taught me a lesson, beating me by over two minutes, ouch! We need to get him on team HURT.

CJY

Training for Sufferfest

Today's ski up Prospect mountain was a tough test, felt a little like this.

Stage 6 of last year's Tour de Ski...

Tour de Ski Video

Sufferin' across the state

Tough choices for Team Director A.Huneck....Initially his plan was to send his squad here....

Training Idea



But after weighing his options he made some wiser choices....

Seeing this weekend as a big opportunity to test the fitness and mental focus of his athletes, race director Aaron Huneck sent everyone into action in events across the region (well...almost everyone). Sensing some building momentum with his running studs from the Syracuse area he sent them into action early on Saturday in races in around Tug Hill.

Really though, he saw a great opportunity to score maximum points in an obscure event. So off went his Syracuse charges north into the heart of the Tug Hill snow belt for the Sandy Creek X-C Invitational. Master strategist Aaron knew the Lubans would know the venue well-- it was Sandy Creek HS, the epicenter of activity for every Tug Hill Tourathon in recent years. Both Lubans showed that Aaron's confidence in them was well-deserved. Adam finished 11th in the varsity boys' race, helping Nottingham to a 2nd place team finish and earning another t-shirt for the H.U.R.T. Hall of Fame. Two hours later, Ed finished 2nd in the open race, proving once again it's not how fast you are but how obscure the race is. While the course was surprisingly devoid of snow, Aaron noted that the extensive mud, puddles, wind, and driving rain would serve the boyz well in preparing for the evil the Peruvians will try to throw at them in the upcoming ski season.

In an interesting strategic move, Aaron sent T. Huneck, Chris Yarsevich, Dave Kvam, Martin Donnelly-Heg, Justin Tetlow, Doug Diehl, Dave Burt and Andy Farry all into action against each other and against a mixed group of tough skiers from Peru and Saratoga Biathlon Club. Whether he was hoping to intimidate the opposition with massive numbers, pit his boys against each other to push the pace, or simply got lazy searching for other events it is unknown. What is known, is that some of his guys came to RACE! Doug Diehl came away with a sizable victory. T.Huneck and Andy Farry threw down massive times taking advantage of good fitness and fast razor scooter wheels. MDH, Yarsevich, Tetlow put down strong efforts and worked hard the whole day. The big disappointment was Kvam who worked hard but did not live up to expectations. Despite his pleasure with the overall team result, he made Kvam jog down the mountain and has forced the Senior skier to ski up again next week. Most of the other guys earned the right to save their second attempt for SUFFERFEST.

Kvam said after the race "I think I had my skis in the hot-box a little to long and maybe a little to hot. I think it was a big factor. I'm not worried though, I won't disappoint Aaron again."

Results for the event:

Doug Diehl 36:37
Chris Rose 37:24
Jim Kobak 39:45
Andy Farry 40:01
Tim Huneck 42:00
Bob Maswick 43:42
MDH 45:10
Chris Yarsevich 45:15
Dave Kvam 46:21
Tom Moffet 46:52
Justin Tetlow 57:03
Renee Harde 58:55
Dave Burt 59:03

The leader going into event two of "THREE SUFFERIN' SUNDAYS" is DOUG DIEHL

Enjoy HURT television


better quality video found at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/pictures.html

HURT Suits Are On Order!

It's offical! The HURT racing suits are on order. I can feel us getting faster!

A Message from HURT Team Director (Aaron)

It's Wednesday night and you know what that means. I expect my team to do some solid intensity work tonight. With the Festival of Pain and Sufferfest right around the corner, they can't be out there lolli-gagging it around the park.

Power and Influence

Roger Goodell, George Steinbrenner, Maria Sharapova and Aaron Huneck top the list!


Greg Gumbel, noted reporter and sports historian, has recently named the most influential people in all of sports, as judged by their ability to manipulate masses of people, get results and have power over people over an extended geographic region. Whether it be through wielding power in the richest league in sports (Goodell), Spending billions on buying an all-star team and angering the world outside of downstate NY (G.S.), wielding sexual prowess and causing women everywhere to glare at the husbands (Sharapova) they all pale to Aaron Huneck's ability to cause many grown men, from far and wide, to willingly suffer in the name of HURT skiing. Take a look at the proof:



Friday: Huneck bolsters roster

Aaron Huneck recruits and signs Pennsylvania skier Jim South from the recently defunked Team NJS...While Jim admittedly is working to regain form of old after a few tough years, he promises to contend in Western NY NYSSRA races and earn points that would otherwise go to Rochester and Buffalo based teams. He carefully explained to Huneck
"I know I am far from the Hudson River, but considering I own several of my own planes which travel fast, and a postcard of the Hudson River, and I was there once as a child, I think I really belong on this squad, besides I like the suit."


Saturday: Huneck sends the Luban duo to dominate Central NY

Finishing in a near mirror image of their results from last week's Applefest, Adam and Ed Luban put the HURT on a tough Weedsport x-c course that included a beast of a climb and a long, steep, off camber, slippery downhill. Remembering Team Director Aaron Huneck's directive to always think about earning maximum points for the team, Ed figured that it would be better to enter an unadvertised race first thing in the morning in the middle of nowhere than worry about where to find some competition. That selfless choice proved a sage one, as Ed took the lead at the bottom of the hill, looked back only to see when it was OK to slow down (thankfully it was), and won the race in dominating fashion. His winning (trophy) t-shirt will soon be on display in the H.U.R.T. Hall of Fame.

When Adam arrived and learned about the t-shirt, he knew Aaron would expect him to equal Ed's performance and earn another shirt for the team. He proved to be up to the task, finishing 10th and leading Nottingham to a 3rd place finish in the Varsity II race. Wee freshman Adam showed his mettle as he bided his time, then put the HURT on his rivals on both the uphill and the downhill. Coming off the hill he was in 12th place, which would have been a fine result and still first on his team. But he knew t-shirts only went 10 deep, so he pushed pain aside and surged past the two runners he needed to pass to fulfill what he knew would have been Aaron's instructions.

Ed was excused from the afternoon roller ski workout as a reward for his victory. He was concerned Aaron might not be pleased that he used the time to load up on grease at Stella's, home of Syracuse's best home fries. But Aaron, being a student of all aspects of training, pointed out that it's always important to replenish right after a hard race.

Sunday: Huneck sends Dad and Kvam to dominate Saratoga County

Despite, his fathers pleas to skip an event that he does not train for, Aaron sent his father into action in the Clifton Park/Halfmoon Duathlon. Through the tears, pain and overall suffering Huneck turned out a strong finsih of 5th overall and 2nd in the 50+ age group. His time was somewhere around 1:20. He finished the first run 9th, moved up to fourth after the bike, and got passed by one guy in the second run. Aaron continued to berate his father for fading a bit on the second run but defended his harsh words by saying "I know this man, I can push him harder than all the rest. Besides, I know that once its all over, we can go have a grill cheese together and everything will be ok."

Kvam on the other hand, skipped the dual and jumped in the Saratoga National 5K race up at SPAC. Kvam knew Mike Wynn would be in action and wanted to tangle with his friend, rival and training partner. Huneck wanted to see how his running stud matched up with the dominate Wynn. Kvam paced Wynn to 5K PR and went stride for stride with the Queensbury runner and stepped across the line in 16:56....1 second infront of Wynn. Kvam said after the race...."Wynn and I are great pair in a race together, he pushes me, I push him and we are like dead even. I knew I couldn't bare to loose that last step to him, because if I did I would just get another 11 year old yelling at me....I can't take that happening again...that's why I left my old job...believe me...it isn't fun. I am just fortunate Wynn didn't have on faster wax today."

Bottom line....A.Huneck knows how to get the best out of his squad...just imagine if he had the billions Steinbrenner has

Wednesday Night Training 10/14/09

It was a small showing last night, but Chris and Dave did some solid double pole intervals (5 x 4 minutes). The weather was cold and windy, it sure feels like snow is in the air.

Some teaser shots...




CJY

Time to Order HURT Racing Suits

I just sent out an email about ordering racing suits. If I missed you, post a comment here including your email. The suits are 150 dollars including shipping. We plan to order next week, so we are collecting money now.

We settled on the Mt Borah Standard Suit. Here it is...



CJY

CBRC is top Iron Cross team

The Capital Bicycle Racing Club won the team competition at the Iron Cross in Pennsylvania last Sunday. CBRC fielded a composite team with members on loan from various teams, including HURT NORDIC. In this photo, members of the CBRC team surround the podium with cyclists from the second and third placed teams.



Yes, those are indeed cases of beer. Top prize was a case of Ommegang Rare Vos. CBRC team leader Le Q was elated with the victory. Q spent much effort and considerable negotiating skill assembling this team.

"There's nothing like winning Belgian beer from Cooperstown in the hills of Pennsylvania," said Q. "It will certainly make the six-hour ride home more festive."

The Iron Cross, billed as America's longest cyclo-cross race, takes place in and around the Michaux State Forest in south central Pennsylvania. More of an adventure race than cross race, the Iron Cross is 62 miles of dirt road, paved road, single track, and a couple hike-a-bike sections. Total elevation gain is more than 6,000 feet.

HURT team director Aaron Huneck was impressed with the result, which saw his father take top NYSSRA honors.

"This shows HURT members are willing to travel as far as necessary to score points," said Aaron. "I'm surprised how well my old man finished considering how little he rides his bike."

Still, Aaron had some concerns.

"Dad said he missed a turn and lost several minutes or he would have had an even better time," said Aaron. "He's done this race four times. How could he not know the course? Does he have Alzheimers or something?"

Aaron was also not impressed with the prize.

"The NYSSRA team points championship is the only prize I want," he said. However, he later admitted he might have had a different opinion if the top prize had been root beer.

race results - Luban dominates applefest

Western members take advantage of early season races and post big results.

It was a successful week for the defenders of HURT's western flank. On Wednesday, Adam helped the Nottingham Bulldogs to a decisive x-c victory over Oswego. It was the first win for the Bulldogs in two years.

On Saturday Adam and Ed Luban went down to LaFayette for the Applefest races. Adam was doing the 5k and Ed, employing successful max point earning strategy, entered the 5k as well. After the race, Team director Aaron Huneck asked Luban if he chose to enter the shorter race because he was "scared-yeller-bellied-chicken-$#%T" but Luban carefully explained that he saw maximum point earning capabilities if he entered a race with competition he was sure to dominate. A.Huneck applauded Luban's tactical mind and selfless choice for the betterment of the team. It is that kind of act that will help HURT squeak out those extra points against Peru.
The race started with a half mile uphill. Adam found himself in the front with 5 LaFayette HS runners. He shed them one by one, then left the last one behind with a surge with half a mile to go, to win the race going away. Ed was a couple minutes behind, but passed two of the fading LaFayettes and finished 9th. Ed won his age group and beat all the 30's, 40's, and young 50's.

Aaron gave Adam the afternoon off as a reward for his win. But just to ensure Ed will be ready for any distance Arron made him go for an hour-long roller ski. I guess Top 10's are good but not good enough...


Adam receiving the oddest trophy ever seen

SNOW in Lake Placid

Upcoming Events

H.U.R.T team director Aaron Huneck asks.....how's your training been? feelin' fit? ARE YOU READY?

Frost (and even flakes) have been seen in some of the nordic haunts in upstate NY this past week and H.U.R.T team members are ready to find out how their early season fitness is stacking up. With cooler temps and winter weather on the way you may want to test your high end performance in the next couple weeks. Check out the following list of local race opportunities for running, biking and rollerskiing. More than likely, you will find some H.U.R.T members at each event. Hope to see you there!

time to hit it!...


Sunday, October 18, 2009
MOHAWK TOWPATH BYWAY - 6th Annual Duathlon - http://www.mohawktowpath.org/files/DuathlonEntry.pdf

Sunday, October 18, 2009
SARATOGA NATIONAL BANK CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC - 5K xc running race - http://www.saratoganational.com/CCCLassic/sn-cclassic09.html

Sunday, October 25, 2009
SUFFERIN' SUNDAY #1 - Prospect Mtn Highway - 5 mile rollerski up the mountain -
http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/teamschedule.html

Sunday, November 1, 2009
SUFFERIN' SUNDAY #2 - Prospect Mtn Highway - 5 mile rollerski up the mountain -
http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/teamschedule.html

Friday, November 6, 2009
HURT FESTIVAL OF PAIN DAY #1 - "Run 'till it HURTS" - http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/teamschedule.html

Saturday, November 7, 2009
HURT FESTIVAL OF PAIN DAY #2 - "HURT Loppet" - http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/teamschedule.html

Sunday, November 8, 2009
SUFFERIN' SUNDAY #3....aka SUFFERFEST....aka HURT FESTIVAL OF PAIN DAY #3 - Prospect Mtn Highway - 5 mile rollerski up the mountain - http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/teamschedule.html or www.perunordic.com

Lots of opportunity to get some great fall benchmarks on your fitness. The eyes of the world will be focused on Prospect Highway on Sunday the 8th for preseason winter rankings! BE READY!


As always....join HURT skiers for their weekly training session on rollerskis. This week....Clifton Commons in Clifton Park. See you at 5:45.

HURT Racing Suit Ordering

Team:

It's about time to order HURT Racing suits. We would like to place our order in about a week and half, on Monday October 19th.

The suits are from Mt Borah Custom
http://mtborahcustom.com

We need to order at least 6 suits, as that is the minimum order quantity. 6-12 suits are the same price per suit.

Pricing:
Standard Suits = $145
Standard Suit Lined = $160
Pro Suits = $180
Pro Suit Lined = Not Available
Tassel Hats = $32

So here are the requirements.

1) As a team we need to decide what type of suit we want (standard, pro, lined, etc)

2) Once decided, we need to collect money. You can write me a check for the suit price, plus $5 shipping. But first we need to settle on which suit. Once this is done I will send out my address so you can mail me a check.

3) I will then collect the money and order the suits.

So please chime in and state your type of suit preference now, before it’s too late.



Thanks

CJY

Towpath Duathlon

Get ready for the Sufferin' Sundays and The Festival of Pain with the Mowhawk Towpath Duathlon on Sunday, Oct. 18. The event is a 2.2-mile run, 16-mile bike, and 2.2-mile run. The start, finish and transition is at Krause's Grove on the river about a mile and a half west of Rt. 9 in Halfmoon. Event begins at 9:00. You can get an entry form at mohawktowpath.org. NYSSRA members get a $5 discount. This is run by Eric Hamilton. It's a low-key, fun event and it's for a good cause.

40K Rollerski Scouting Report

Today I went and scouted out the 40K Rollerski loop slated for Saturday November 7,2009.

The route is going to be tough! It took 1.5 hours on my road bike, so bet on at least 2.5 hours on roller skis. The first 13 miles are almost all up hill. I have ridden this loop many times, but today I tried to pay attention in regards to rollerskiing specific concerns.

For the most part the roads are good to very good condition. There are a few rough spots, but they are on flat or uphill sections. All the long downhills have plenty of run out to slow down. There are two short downhills with sharp turns at the bottom, they may need to be walked.

There is also a good refueling stop (small corner store) about 15 miles in. This route will definitely require some food and water.

I am really looking forward to it.

CJY

Technique training with CXC

HURT nordic had a strong turnout this Sunday in Lake Placid as skiers from around the country gathered in Lake Placid for a technique session with some of USA's finest skiers and coaches. Garrett Kuzzy, Matt Whitcomb, and Chris Grover led the mixed group of skiers through strength drills, agility progressions, and drills on rollerskis to improve double poling, V1 and V2 skating. Kvam and MDH were joined by Chris and Will Frielinghaus and a van full of young Queensbury skiers some of who may be hoping to one day ski for HURT.

Technique drills stressed compact double poling with emphasis on core impulse and skate technique with acute ankle flexion and perfect body position and stabilization.

Special Thanks to team CXC for taking the time to help all the skiers from NY, New England and the Midwest. It is true that Midwestern folk may be the nicest people you'll ever meet. Stay tuned for a special HURT video highlighting the events of the day and the many lessons learned.....coming soon

Some local skiers were conspicuously absent.... especially from a team that is based out of a nearby town that won't be named but ends in "eru"


Team Note: This Wednesday. HURT practice will be in Clifton Park. Meet at 5:45 near the corner of Moe and Rt. 146. See the team schedule for better directions at hurtnordic.netne.net

See you then

HURT Festival of Pain Takes Shape

Here are some preliminary routes for the HURT Festival of Pain:

Friday November 6, 2009
10 Mile Run
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3239795

Saturday November 7, 2009
40K Overdistance Roller Ski with some serious climbing, almost 2,000 ft of vertical.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3238880



CJY