Extra Blue: Recent Episodes
Alayna
A podcast about cross country skiing. Bringing you stories, insight, tips and knowledge about ski racing at the elite level.
On this episode, I welcome Johnny Hagenbuch to talk about his build up for this season while training with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. Johnny grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho and you’ll hear just how much the SVSEF program had an impact on him, particularly, from the former program director, Rick Kapala.
We also discuss Johnny's time as a junior in Sun Valley, and what it was like to be a part of a winning Junior World Championship relay team just one week before the world shut down for Covid. Johnny shares what it was like to train through Covid and how he learned a lot about himself and how sometimes you have to chase happiness over training hours. He’s carried that sentiment with him the past few years while he attends Dartmouth College, racing on the EISA circuit while chasing World Cup goals as well.
I hope you enjoy this conversation with Johnny as we dive into what gets him fired up for ski racing and for the winter ahead of us.
Johnny's Strava: https://www.strava.com/pros/45561878
Johnny's IG: https://www.instagram.com/johnsteelhagenbuch/
NNF Drive for 25: https://nationalnordicfoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/264502-alayna-sonnesyn-s-fundraiser
Team Birkie Online Auction: https://www.32auctions.com/TeamBirkie2025
Strength for cross country skiers of all ages and abilities. On this episode, I welcome US Ski team strength coach, Tschana Schiller. Tschana is the leader for all things related to strength for cross county skiers in the US. She has been with the ski team for over 20 years and has brought so many insights into the philosophy of strength for us cross country skiers. She works with athletes like Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher but really her strength concepts get trickled down into clubs all across the country and are incorporated into many young athletes programs. Today we are diving into what skiers should be focusing on and how to get to the start line feeling their like strongest and best self. We talk about where the areas of focus should be for young skiers in high school or starting college. We then talk about the time-crunched athlete and how they can make the most of a few minutes out of a packed schedule. Finally, we talk about the secrets behind strength training for world cup athletes! I hope you enjoy this episode with Tschana Schiller!
Today’s guest is someone who has inspired me since I was a teenager on the Wayzata ski team.
I sit down with Maggie (Pierson) Bowman to talk about the realities of being a woman in endurance sports; the pressures, the expectations, and the ongoing challenge of balancing athletic goals, career ambitions, and family planning. Maggie shares how the pressures she felt around body image and performance in high school and college shaped her philosophy on training, recovery, and self-worth.
Maggie was a Wayzata runner/skier, where she was MY team captain when I was in 8th grade. She went on to become a 14-time All-Conference athlete at Luther College, the Dean of Students at The Blake School, and now a full-time running coach. Maggie has built her career on creating supportive spaces where women can talk openly about fueling, cycles, and long-term health.
We dive into how she’s reframed success, what it means to pursue sport through different life stages, and why it’s so important to give women permission to dream big, while honoring their bodies and their lives beyond racing.
Sammy Smith is a member of the U.S. Ski Team, a D1 soccer player at Stanford University, and one of the most exciting young athletes representing Team USA right now. At 19, she’s a World Cup regular on the ski circuit, with a silver medal from the 2024 World Junior Championships in Planica, numerous top-30 World Cup finishes, and a growing reputation as one of the U.S. team’s top sprinters.
But her story goes far beyond skiing. When she’s not chasing podiums on snow, she’s competing on the soccer field for the Stanford Cardinal, one of the top collegiate soccer programs in the country, and she’s already represented the U.S. at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup and the Pan American Games.
Today, we’re chatting about how she balances two elite sports, at an incredibly high level, with some fierce competitiveness, as well as what she’s learned from setbacks and success, and what it really looks like to chase big dreams in both summer and winter.
Link to Go Big Foundation: https://www.gobiginc.com/
Link to Sammy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthasmith__7/
On this episode I welcome Adam Witkowski and Skylar Patten. Both Adam and Skylar are new athletes to Team Birkie and recent graduates from Michigan Tech University.
Both Adam and Skylar have faced numerous injuries over the years. We discuss how they dealt with training through injury, rehab, and staying motivated and driven throughout the healing process.
There’s no easy way to say it, injuries suck. But these two have put their heads down through the healing and rehab process to continue pursuing their goals in ski racing.
I welcome Team USA ski racer, Luke Jager. Luke is from Anchorage, Alaska where he grew up skiing for Alaska Pacific University. From a young age, Luke stood out as a top American junior and solidified this notion in 2019 when he, was a key member of the men's relay team that won World Junior Championships. An outstanding result at the time and what has really set the bar for Team USA at these international junior competitions.
Luke went on to ski at the University of Utah where he continued to balance racing the NCAA schedule along with international competitions, his first world cups, first World Championships, and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. In this episode we talk about some of these highs and we also discuss how over those years the progress hasn’t always been linear… It’s been both a blessing and a curse to have grown up with such a talented group of other guys. How it’s hard not to compare yourself and your progress to those around you. We talk about how Luke has worked to overcome some of those disappointing moments and at the end of the day keep the focus on his love for skiing. But we also acknowledge through both of our experiences how sometimes that easier said than done!
Luke and I go on to chat about what it means to no longer be on the US National team, what that means for him this winter, and what his training has looked like this summer to prepare for the winter ahead. I hope you enjoy this episode with Luke!
On this episode of Extra Blue, I welcome guest, Mary Kate Cirelli. MK and I discuss her experience with disordered eating starting as a young athlete and her path to recovery. We also talk about what it’s like to carry that with you for the years to come. How it’s nearly impossible to never let it affect you again, but that it also doesn’t need to define you. We chat about MK's challenges on another college team and how she navigated that, as well as the struggles that occur when moving on from the sport. I appreciate MK being so willing to share her story on Extra Blue and we both agree that we hope this episode serves as awareness to the realities of disordered eating as an athlete and how a support system can make a huge impact.
Resources:
Eating Disorder Hotline: https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/eating-disorder-hotlines
The Emily Program: https://emilyprogram.com/
Talking to High School Students About Eating Disorders: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/talking-students-eating-disorders/
From National Champ to World Championships, on this episode of Extra Blue I welcome guest Kate Oldham. Kate had a standout season this past winter, winning her first national title in the 10k skate in Anchorage, qualifying for her first World Cup where she DOMINATED, enough to qualify her for the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway. Although it was a whirlwind of a season, I had a front row seat to watch as Kate handled herself with grace, allowed herself to be patient and strategic, and race with the ebb and flow of a ski season. Kate and I frequently roomed together during our travels this winter and it was super fun to get to know her better and about her journey from Colorado, to Vermont, to Montana. Battling through covid uncertainty, and searching for the right place that felt like home to her. Kate recently graduated from Montana State University and has joined the BSF Pro Ski team in Bozeman, Montana where she is preparing for her first Period 1 on the World Cup come November.
How to Wax for a World Cup Podium! On this episode of Extra Blue I welcome World Cup skier, Gus Schumacher, along with his wax technician, Chris Hecker. We catch up with Gus about how his summer training is going and how he’s been trying to find as much snow as he can this summer, whether that be in Bend, OR or on the Glacier in Alaska. We also talk to Chris about how he’s working with the US Ski Team this summer to conduct more ski, grind, and wax testing on snow, with travels to Bend, OR, Norway, and the Ramsau, Austria to get on glaciers.
Later in this episode we get into the nitty gritty of Gus’s ski fleet and how Chris supports him throughout the World Cup season by managing his fleet, testing skis constantly, preparing them for race day and ultimately working with Gus to pick out the best ski, grind, and wax for each race. We dive into the step-by-step process that went into waxing for Gus's second place finish at the Falun World Cup this past winter.
We launch a new era of Extra Blue powered by Gear West! In this episode, we welcome Margie Freed, Minnesota native, fellow UVM Catamount and now a standout member of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project and the US National Biathlon team. We discuss what it was like for Margie to make this transition from cross country to biathlon, how often she still classic skis, and some of her favorite memories so far competing around the world as a World Cup Biathlete.
On this episode I welcome guests, Zak Ketterson and Quinn McCloughan for a little Q&A on all things related to cross country skiing.
I did a full episode with Zak back in 2023 so if you’re interested in learning more about him I recommend giving it a listen! Zak and I welcome Quinn to the podcast as the owner of Bearskin Lodge, a supporter of Team Birkie, and a lifelong ski enthusiast. Quinn runs the Bearskin Lodge up in Grand Marais, MN where he lives with his family. The lodge is open season-round to guests and is just off the Central Gunflint trail. We chat a little bit about Bearskin and how it represents authentic northern Minnesota living.
In this episode we flip the narrative and Quinn is the one doing the interviewing! He asks Zak and me questions about life on the road, competing at the World level, and plenty of other ski-related topics.
On this episode of Extra Blue I welcome friend and former college teammate, Lizzie Larkins. Lizzie recently wrapped up three years as the assistant coach at Montana State University. During her time there, she also continued her education and graduated from MSU with a Master’s of Science in Sport and Coaching Sciences. It was during her studies that Lizzie conducted a research project titled: Navigating the Transition: How US Nordic Skiers Transition Out Of Competitive Ski Racing. I think this is an incredible topic that is often overlooked. For many skiers, our self-identity is intertwined with being a ski racer.
In this conversation, Lizzie and I talk about what she discovered about this transition, both from her own experience of stepping away from racing and through her research. What she found was that camaraderie is a huge theme for individuals navigating this process and that talking about it or going through it with the safe space to talk about it and feel supported is so important.
Team Birkie is a Midwest-based professional ski team led by Team Director Yuriy Gusev and Head Coach, Julie Ensrud. Team Birkie was formed through a collaboration between the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, The Loppet Foundation, and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC). In this episode, we dive into the history of professional ski racing in the midwest, how Team Birkie got started, and the direction Team Birkie wants to take going forward.
The team supports athletes competing at the World Cup, U.S. SuperTour, and regional marathon levels, as well as biathletes and college summer skiers. Team Birkie is dedicated to advancing skiing in the Central Region. With its home base in Minneapolis, MN, Team Birkie promotes partnership and community engagement, striving to set higher standards in the sport and inspire the next generation of Nordic skiers.
On this episode of Extra Blue I welcome Jan Gunther and David Chamberlain. Jan is the owner of Gear West Ski and Bike shop located in Long Lake, MN, just west of the Twin Cities. Founded in 1992 by Jan and her husband, this little shop has grown to be the largest ski shop in North America! In this episode, we dive into how Jan built the shop, touching on the subject of starting a business as a woman in the 90’s, and how she’s built the team of experts around her to bring the best products and services possible to the ski community. That team of experts would not be complete without Gear West’s head of service, David Chamberlain. David was a professional ski racer himself, competing on the World Cup and at multiple World Championships. He took his knowledge from elite performance and ski preparation and turned it into an incredible service to offer others at Gear West.
In this episode, we talk about the symbiotic relationship between Gear West and the ski community. One would not be able to succeed without the other! I’ve seen the impact Gear West can have on a community through the countless events, sponsorships, and engagements that are all circled around getting more people outside, with the love of the sport.
URL: https://www.gearwest.com/collections/alayna
**Kelsey Dickinson is a biathlete for Team USA and traveling the World Cup circuit all season. She grew up in Winthrop, WA, attending the College of St. Scholastica where she balanced both biathlon and cross country, and then joined the Craftsbury Green Racing Project. Kelsey just achieved her career best result in the 15k individual race in Ostersund, Sweden, landing in 36th place and scoring her first World Cup points. On this episode, we dive into the similarities and differences of cross country vs biathlon and what Kelsey's experience has been like going from the domestic circuit, to the International Biathlon Union, and on to the World Cup. Finally, Kelsey shares with us her passion for her side hustle working for the Women’s Ski Coaches association. She shares the vision for the organization that was founded by Maria Stuber and how it is working to develop, retain and advance women in ski coaching leadership.
You can follow Kelsey on instagram: @delseykickinson
Follow the WSCA: @womenskicoaches
Learn more about the Women's Ski Coaches Association: https://www.womenskicoaches.org/**
Flora Dolci is a member of the French National Cross Country ski team. She has multiple top-20 results on the World Cup and is a fierce competitor, but I believe she is known more for how kind and sweet she is. Truly one of the nicest humans, always with a smile on her face and always looking to have fun. We talk about her path as a skier growing up in France, how she reached the National team and what she gets up to when she isn’t racing or training (like rock climbing, paragliding, studying, and being a part of the French army).
We chat about so many other topics like racing equi-distance and racing the first Women’s 50k Holmenkollen last year. We also discuss the community that builds cross country skiers and how similar the journey can be for a young American skier vs a young French skier. There are many paths to get to being a strong adult athlete and no one’s experience will look the same. Rather, Flora grew up trying all sorts of sports like karate and canoeing. She believes that learning to use your body in so many different ways and so many new skills, especially at a young age but even today, the more they can help contribute to strength, balance, agility, body awareness, which all come into play for cross country skiing. Overall, we share our joy for ski racing and our enthusiasm for outdoor activities!
Follow Flora on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flora_dolci/
Kristen Bourne has been the USST D-Team coach for over year now and has taken on some impressive roles. Not only is she coaching 8 athletes on the D team, plus two A and B team athletes, attending all of the team training camps, visiting and working with her athletes all over the country during the summer and fall... she is also a full-time World Cup coach, ski tester, organizer, planner, administrator and leader. After only 3 world cup weekends last year, she stepped up to take full control of the USST during the Tour de Ski when a majority of the staff got sick. And she did it with the most positive energy and smile on her face.
I love chatting with Kristen in this episode about her journey to get to where she is today. It felt like I was talking to an old friend, because she is! Kristen and I go back to our Junior racing days together on the Midwest circuit and have countless hours, training, racing and traveling the world together. It was so fun to catch up with her in person when we recorded this podcast back in Vermont this summer!
Katie Feldman is an American skier who just wrapped up a successful racing career with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. After 5 years of Supertour racing, this past year was the cherry on top as she raced the Visma Ski Classic marathon circuit around Europe all winter. This collection of marathon races range anywhere between 40-90 kilometers, sometimes back-to-back days, and frequently the elite racers will chose to double pole the entire classic race.
On this episode of Extra Blue, Katie shares how she prepared for so much double pole this past season, what it was like to race on the Visma Ski Classic circuit, plus some highlights of her season in Europe.
Katie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katfeld/
Visma Ski Classics: https://skiclassics.com/events/
David Norris raced in 58 World Cups as a professional skier. He competed in 3 World Championships and had many top-30 results on the World Cup, yet he was never named to the national team and never received funding from the national team for his racing. Instead, he had to find and build his own network to financially support his ski goals, despite being one of the best (if not THE best, at the time) distance skiers the country had.
On this episode of Extra Blue, David and I discuss self-funding a World Cup ski career. We chat about how we've both leaned into our communities, worked a few side hustles, and done what we can to fundraise enough money to cover the price tags associated with cross country skiing at the highest level.
David's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandmasternorris/
Katherine Steward-Jones is a World Cup Skier for the Canadian National Ski Team. She has had a stand-out season this year with 3 top-13 finishes on the World Cup and is currently ranked 18th in the World Cup Distance points. Originally from Chelsea, Quebec, Katherine now skis for the Alberta World Cup team based in Canmore. On this episode, we discuss Katherine’s development as a Canadian athlete, how she overcame a severe concussion a few years ago, and what changes she made the last few years that have contributed to such a successful 2023 season.
Katherine’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kstewartjones/
Zak Ketterson is a member of the US Ski team and a fellow native to Minnesota. He was recently named to the World Championship team, but was not given starts to his goal races and decided to forgo attending the championship event and head home instead. In this episode we discuss this difficult decision and relate to each other on so many levels as we share similar season outlooks.
Zak will be racing in period 4 of the World Cup in Scandinavia - including races back in Falun, Sweden. Last year in Falun, Zak raced to an outstanding 15th place in the 15k freestyle.
Zak's blog: https://www.zakketterson.com/
Zak's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zaketterson/
Gear West End of Winter Sale: https://www.gearwest.com/collections/end-of-winter-sale
**Most foreigners come to the US for college as their last stop as a ‘pro skier.’ There have been a few exceptions over the year, including Jasmi Jonsuu, a Finnish skier who attended the University of Denver before she raced her way onto the Finland National Ski Team. In this episode we chat about her journey, traveling across the pond and emerging herself into the NCAA system, falling in love with Colorado and parts of the US, to then find her way back to her homeland to chase an Olympic dream.
Jasmi will be racing at the World Championships starting next week in Planica, Slovenia. You can follow her on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasmijoensuu/
Find more info about Gear West wax service for the Birkie: https://www.gearwest.com/products/gear-west-marathon-race-wax-service**
This episode of Extra Blue takes a look at the behind-the-scenes of World Cup ski racing with the support staff. Anna Giguere is a physical therapist and Cada Fabian is a high performance chef. Both are veterans with the USST as they were with the team in the weeks leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics last year.
This season, they joined the team for the Tour de Ski and are continuing to support through a training camp in Seefeld, Austria as well as Period 3 of the World Cup. Not only do they keep world cup athlete and staff bodies together physically, they are also a huge part of the mental and emotional support system. They are always available for a smile and hug after a race, provide the best cheering, and are HUGE advocates of spa night.
Ben Ogden is a member of the US Ski Team, University of Vermont Ski team, and the SMS T2 club team. Ben is coming off a 6th place finish in the 10k Classic World Cup during the 3rd stage of the Tour de Ski. He is also a regular in the World Cup sprint semi-finals and I am sure we will be seeing this man on a podium in the near future.
When Ben isn’t traveling around Europe for ski racing, he can be found on the UVM campus working on his masters in mechanical engineering, tinkering with his car, welding in his dad’s workshop, or mountain biking through the back trails of Southern Vermont. Ben brings a great perspective on ski racing; balancing the World Cup schedule with his college studies and competing at the NCAA level too!
Ben's instagram: @ben.0gden
**Jessie is a 3x Olympic medalist for team USA. She is an advocate for mental health, eating disorder awareness, equal rights, getting the community outside in the winter and so much more! She uses her platform for GOOD to promote the Emily Program, Protect Our Winters, ShareWinter, and many other impactful organizations in the outdoor community.
Many of you already know her story as she shares on social media, her blog, and in her book Brave Enough. In this episode, we chat about Jessie the person, how she’s feeling about period one of the World Cup season, what she’s looking forward to in the upcoming races, and how she has learned over the years to trust the process. Jessie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessiediggins/ Jessie's website: https://jessiediggins.com/ Brave Enough: https://jessiediggins.com/book/**
Rosie is a member of the USST and a world cup podium skier. In this episode, we chat about the road to get there and how it wasn’t always smooth. Rosie has faced many obstacles in her career: knee surgery, her dad passing, mono, underperforming at the Olympics, all of which led to her being named on and off the national team. Despite this, Rosie has learned to process each setback and overcome adversity, while holding a respectful relationship with the national team.
This Klister Konversation is very relatable to me as I have found myself so close to achieving a national team nomination, an olympic team, certain world cup starts etc. It has been challenging over the years to maintain a healthy perspective on the decisions made and with the decision makers. We discuss defining our own self-value within the sport and how we can use setbacks to work toward greater goals.
Last year, Rosie wrote a blog article referenced in the episode: Why My Skiing Age is More Important than My Biological Age: https://www.rosiebrennan.com/post/why-skiing-age-is-more-important-than-my-biological-age
You can follow along with Rosie on her instagram @rosiebrennan.
Megan currently serves as the lead Sport Dietitian for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, organizing nutrition provisions for the elite club programs of biathlon, rowing, running and XC skiing and supporting the Center’s seasonal dining hall menu development and execution. Megan continues to engage as a member of the USOPC Nutrition team, collaborating with fellow Olympic dietitians and contributing to internal educational documents, dietetic protocols, and performance nutrition best practices. Megan is passionate about using sport nutrition practices to encourage not just peak performance, but also sustainable, positive relationships with food and body image within athlete populations.
Megan believes:
**There is no "good food" or "bad food" list, but rather a precedence on the times when making smart nutrition choices has the opportunity to help or hurt an athlete's training goals.
I have personal experience working with Megan; we have worked together to optimize my nutrition efforts around ski racing and training throughout the winter. In this conversation we discuss some over-arching nutrition requirements for winter athlete and then compare nutritional needs for elite, master and junior athletes.
Mentioned in the podcast:**Eat Right (Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Website): https://www.eatright.org/
Examine (Peer-reviewed supplement/nutrient info): https://examine.com/
Team USA Nutrition Factsheets: https://www.teamusa.org/nutrition
Gus Schumacher is a professional cross country skier for Team USA. Born in Madison, WI but raised in Anchorage, Gus shares a little bit about his life living in Alaska.
Gus has been on the National team and racing on the World Cup for many years now, but this year he’s sharing a little more upfront about his goals for the season. He recently wrote a blog about it on his website: https://www.gusschumacher.com/blog
Gus also shares his experience with the Men’s USST and how it has evolved over the years. He talks about Protect Our Winters, an organization that he is passionate about and a working advocate for the cause.
You can continue to follow along with Gus’s season on his social media: https://www.instagram.com/gus.schumacher/
This episode is sponsored by Gear West Ski & Bike Shop. Gear West is having it’s 8 Days of Deals sale. Now through Dec 5th you can get 20% off a select collection of items including Swix baselayers, Craft baselayers, Salomon boots, Bliz Eyewear, wax & tools, and so much more! Use the code 8DAYS at checkout when you shop the collection of 8 Days of Deals: https://www.gearwest.com/collections/eight-days-of-deals
On this Women Led Wednesday I welcome Abby Drach to the Extra Blue podcast.
Women Led Wednesday occurs annually on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The campaign was launched in 2018 with the intent to bring more awareness to business women and female entrepreneurs through the holiday season. Women are only 25% of executive and senior-level officials and managers, only 20% of board seats and only 6% of CEOs. In 2015 there were more CEOs named John than there were women of any name. If you're interested in supporting Women Led Wednesday you can learn more at: https://womenledwednesday.com/.
Abby is the founder of Indura Athletic, a female owned and inspired company that is on a mission to create ethically sourced athletic apparel that empowers and supports athletic women’s bodies. Rather than asking women to fit into clothes, Indura Athletic apparel fits clothes to women – making space for powerful lats, broad shoulders and strong legs. Through artfully designed, sweat-tested, and well-fitting apparel, women can tackle their workouts while feeling confident in their physique - whichever shape it takes. Abby is the perfect guest for this Women Led Wednesday! You can shop (sale) Indura Athletic at: https://www.induraathletic.com/.
Julia Kern is a professional cross country skier for Team USA, my own teammate on the SMS T2 Ski Team, and my friend. She has many podiums to her name, from eastern cups in New England, to Junior Nationals, to World Juniors, and even on the World Cup. Despite her many accomplishments in the sport, Julia’s love for sports doesn’t end with skiing - an avid basketball player, surfer, mountain biker, rock climber, backcountry skier, the girl can do it all! On this episode, we chat about her story, growing up in Boston but learning to ski in Germany with her German grandparents. She also tells us about her first international race experience as a 14 year old, the obstacles she’s had to overcome from injuries, the effects of the Covid pandemic, and what she’s looking forward to as the season approaches.
I couldn’t think of anyone I would be more excited and comfortable with bringing on as my first podcast guest. I feel like Julia and I were chatting just the way we do when we’re training, traveling, or just hanging out together…. Please welcome, Julia Kern!
Welcome to Extra Blue! Extra Blue is a podcast about cross country skiing; sharing stories, race results, training insight, innovation in the sport, and inspiration for the next generation. Whether you’re an experienced racer competing at the highest level or a beginner getting out on fish scales, I hope to share with you the passion and love for this crazy sport.