Caitlin Compton

12/12 -10K Freestyle

12/13 – Sprint Freestyle

Brandan and I arrived last night in West Yellowstone, MT and got in a nice 30 min jog in the new falling snow.  We arrived in Bozeman around 2pm and found 2 feet of newly fallen snow. The roads were actually in really good shape and the drive was very uneventful, which is a good thing. Once in Bozeman we picked up Dave Chamberlin and finished getting the last of the supplies needed for our two plus weeks in West Yellowstone. We then joined Brandy Stewart for a quick bite to eat at the Burrito shop before the final hour and a half down to West!

Today I skied in fresh powder, mild temperatures and sunshine. Heaven!

12/5 – Skate Sprint – 1st Qualifier – 2nd overall

12/6 – 10K Classic – 18th

11/25 – Classic Sprint Qualifier – 34th

11/27 – 10K Free  – 18th

11/28 – 5K Classic – 21st

Phew!!!

After a very busy month of training and fundraising Brandan and I are off for my Olympic Qualification races!

This has been one of the most challenges years for me (for many reasons) yet I am so motivated and excited to start the season off strong and continue to get faster every week

Brandan and I are under one of the tightest budgets imaginable. We are leaving with just enough money (not all the fundraised checks have cleared yet) to get to West Yellowstone. Please check in often to hear funny stories (that’s right Dave I will have more to share!) and news of success from both of us.

I cannot thank everyone who helped organize and come to both my Fundraisers eanough! You were all incredible and I wouldn’t be heading out West without your help. I am so lucky that there are such wonderful people in the Twin Cities Ski Community. I know I will make you all proud

A few people I would like to thank here are: Piotr Bednarski, Ben Kremer, Cheryl + Jeff DuBois, Kate Ellis + John Harrer, Kuan + Heidi Teoh, Angie Robinson, Dave Christoperson, Mary Vancura, Kevin +Deb Ivens, Brandan Ostroot, Ahvo Taiple, Jan Guenther, Andy Turnball, Rudi Hargesheimer (Midwest Mountaineering), Kim Rudd, Mary-Beth Tuttle, Luke Skinner, Fast Wax, Ian Harvey, John Munger,  Peter Hanson, Bruce Adlesman and everyone else who contributed to the silent auction items. I would also like to thank the huge crowds that showed up for my fundraiser, and those who could not, who sent their words encouragement and support for this journey. I will never forget what you have done!

I have learned so much from my experience this year and what I have taken from this all is…creating an Elite Racing Team is more than just talking about it. This takes a lot of planning, sacrifice and money. Anyone out there considering starting their own team should have a very thorough budget and business plan before they start recruiting athletes. Especially very poor athletes (no matter how fast they are!) I give CXC and the US Biathlon Team a lot of credit now that I have seen how difficult this all is and how far they helped me get. I hope I can help other athletes in the future pursue their dreams by sharing my experiences and guiding them to the best opportunities available.

I will leave you with a quote I received from a very nice gentelman at the Mobil station where the van is being prepared for the trip.

“The race is not won by the swift and the quick, it is won by the one who endures to the finish.”

Here is a short list of the many items available at tonight’s silent auction.

• Rossignol Delta xc skis
• Rossignol Poles
• Toko Ski suit – Size L
• Toko Jacket – Size S
• Toko Tights – Size XL
• Toko Jacket – Size L
• Tuva midlayer top – Size M
• Bjorn Dahlie Vest – Size M

There will of course be much more stuff available, be sure to bid early and bid often!

Classic Rollerskiing  – Level 3 Intervals – Edina, MN

Pre-Season Ski Party and Birthday Bash/Fundraiser for Caitlin Compton

Please come to our Pre-Season Ski Party and Birthday Bash/Fundraiser for Caitlin Compton. Proceeds go to Caitlin’s Pathway to the Olympics – covering costs specific to training and competitions. Everyone is welcome; there will be lots of fun, food and drink (including some great homebrews). A silent auction will include goods from Caitlin and her journey this far, as well as items/services from ski companies and local businesses. Everyone will receive a free, limited-edition poster, signed by Caitlin.

When: 7PM – November 7, 2009 (Caitlin’s Birthday!)
Where: 20 Black Oak Rd, North Oaks (Cheryl and Jeff DuBois’ home)
RSVP: Please RSVP at evite.com: Brew-Ski for Caitlin

Questions? Call Cheryl @ 651-486-9585

If you can’t make it, but would still like to donate to the cause, click here for more information. (You can still get a signed poster, too.)

Co-Hosts:

Ahvo Taipale/Finn Sisu
Gear West
Andy Turnbull/Hoigaards
Piotr Bednarski
Ben Popp
Dave Christopherson
Hilary Patzer
Angie Robinson
Mary Beth Tuttle
Mary Vancura
Michele and Brent Oja
Kevin Ivens

In just under 2 weeks I will once again be moving. I have moved about 8 times in the past 4 years and I am hoping to stay put for a little longer this time. I am not moving very far from where I live now, only about two miles, but the area is quite a bit different.

I currently live in a part of Minneapolis known as Uptown. It is a vibrant area just southwest of Downtown that boasts tons of small shops, coffee houses, art galleries and restaurants. It is a fun place to live with so much going on all within walking distance. The only trouble with living in Uptown is the cost of living here. Ben and I don’t get to experience Uptown the way others do because we are always on a budget but it’s fun to be around it all.

Last year Ben and I were lucky to get our current apartment because they needed an on-site caretaker. We had a huge reduction in rent but the work was pretty hard and sometimes really gross. When we heard, after a year of living here, that they no-longer needed us to care-take we knew immediately that we couldn’t afford to live here! So it was time to move elsewhere.

Our budget is pretty tight so we ended up searching through tons of apartments and most were too much for us. I finally found the perfect spot last week! We had a list of criteria that we were looking for but most important was the price.

It is an upper unit in a duplex located in the Harrison Neighborhood of Minneapolis. We now have a big backyard, a huge basement, free laundry and the ski trails are a block and a half from my door! We will care-take at our new apartment too so we will be saving some on rent but doing some extra work too.

With Theodore Wirth Park (the site of the 2011 XC Junior Olympics) outside my back door there are countless recreational activities available. I will be contacting the local high school called Harrison Academy and will begin working with their students this fall. I will update soon about what the plans are for the upcoming weeks.
I am also happy to report that my symptoms have subsided and I am back to feeling like myself. Training has been going well and my energy has been great!