Packing for Europe
Alayna checking in!!
We’re in an exciting time of year when we’ve done the bulk of hard work over the summer and fall. Now we’re just putting the finishing touches on our fitness to make sure we’re sharp for the racing season. This means doing shorter, faster, harder intervals. This might seem like a lot of “work,” however, with the strength and volume we’ve gained as athletes over the past six months, these tend to be the “good pain” type of workouts. My fellow endurance athletes out there can relate to this. When the workout is really hard but it feels good to go hard and make it hurt, it means racing is just around the corner.
Racing at last year’s CXC Rollerski Championships one week before flying to Europe.
This winter, I will be starting my season on the World Cup. The first World Cup races are in Ruka, Finland the day after Thanksgiving. From there, we travel to Trondheim, Norway and Davos, Switzerland before we take a break for Christmas. Last year, I went to northern Finland 3.5 weeks before the Ruka World Cup to find snow. This allowed me to have plenty of time to adjust to the different sensation of skiing on snow and even jump into some FIS races in Muonio, Finland two weeks before the first World Cup. I felt like this prepared me quite well for the season so I’m planning to do the same thing this year, meaning I leave in just over a week!
First few days of skiing in Muonio, Finland last November.
I never know how long I’m packing for. It could be two months, it could be the entire season. Last year, I left for Europe on Nov 2nd and returned to Minneapolis on April 1st. I can’t predict if I’ll be racing the World Cup all season, but if things go well then I hope to be. It’s best to be prepared for that outcome so I’m planning to pack my bags for five months of life on the road. This can be a tricky task, although I’ve done this for the past eight years so I’m getting somewhat efficient at it.
You never know how a travel day could go.
All of the things, ready for a day on the train.
Things I make sure I remember to pack:
Plenty of ski training clothes.
Ski boots and running shoes.
A few casual clothes: sweaters, t-shirts, sweats, and leggings.
One nicer outfit, usually a pair of jeans and a nicer sweater.
SO MANY socks, underwear and sports bras. These are the limiting factors of living out of a duffel bag. We don’t always have access to laundry, or sometimes it costs 5 euro per item to wash, so I’m usually mentally prepared to do sink laundry if I get low on any of these necessities.
Slippers. We live in hotels most of the winter and I pretty much live in my slippers when I don’t have my ski boots or running shoes on.
Heated socks. I don’t use these often, but when I need them, I am incredibly grateful for them.
3-4 gloves/mittens. 3-4hats. 3-4 headbands. 3-4 buffs.
A few hand and toe warmers, as well as face tape.
3 pairs of glasses.
A rain jacket.
A long puffy vest, which is probably my most used item.
My laptop so I can keep up with the world.
My kindle so I can read a good book wherever I am.
Vitamins and supplements. This one is tricky because they are small but take up a lot of weight. I can find some of these items in Europe but it can be tricky to read labels in different languages and I have to be very cautious about what is on the US Anti-Doping and World Anti-Doping lists. So I typically have to commit to five months worth of supplements.
My aeropress and a bag of medium roast coffee so I can have a fresh brew wherever I am. I’ll need to refill on coffee beans at some point.
A jar of peanut butter. This is such a staple for me on race day. I know that no matter where I am in the world, I can pretty much always find bread and honey. However, I can’t always find peanut butter that isn’t full of extra sugars. So I pack my own to ensure I can have a peanut butter and honey sandwich on race day that will fill me up without causing tummy issues. This also usually needs to be replenished at some point in the season and I rely on the wax techs and coaches who make multiple trips per season between the US and Europe.
Finally, my skis. There are a lot of them. I am so grateful for the ski fleet that I have. At the same time, carrying an awkward 50 lb ski bag through an airport with a duffel bag and back pack, sometimes switching terminals, catching buses or trains, transferring at stations… it’s a lot. I have to work up some serious self-encouragement on travel days.
Supposedly, this all fits in one duffel bag, backpack, ski bag and personal item. Every year, I write a list similar to this to make sure I don’t forget anything. Every year, I think that there’s no way I can actually bring all of this. Every year, I seem to manage it one way or another… We’ll see how this year works out.
All of the things, ready for a day on the train.