Summer Camp
September 10, 2026
About a month ago, EMXC skiers exited the wonderful state of Massachusetts in search of quiet roads, mountainous terrain, and a sturdy patch of trees to hang our hammocks. We found ourselves on the trusty grounds of the Dublin School, in Dublin, NH for 5 days of training, delicious dining hall meals, and team bonding.
The team has held summer camp in Dublin for many summers, and skiers and coaches alike look forward to stepping into an environment where the distractions of everyday life are pushed aside and quality time together is spent just thinking about how we can best support ourselves and our teammates in training and living.
We spent the first training session of camp working on bounding and ski-walking technique, and then exploring the freshly mowed ski trails of the Dublin Nordic center with pep in our steps! Athletes had fun chatting and setting a tone for camp as a group - it was the first time in a while that the whole group had been together like this after a summer of various people traveling at various times.
After training, during the first meal at camp, coaches sat around a circular table in the dining hall and discussed our goals for the team at camp. The number one goal was for everyone to have fun and make new friends. An hour or so later, coaches asked the athletes the same question - prompting them to discuss in small groups (which would become the group they would later perform a skit with on the last day of camp). The athletes had similar goals for camp, which were along the lines of: have fun, get tired, support new teammates, be on time, listen, and respect the environment. As goal setting wrapped up, the sun set in pink and orange and games of manhunt and frisbee began. Each day, after the chaos of training and meal times, we gathered as a team and reflected on our team goals, and brainstormed new ways to accomplish these goals the following day.
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The second day of camp (our first full day) began with the arrival of a big yellow school bus on campus, which scooped up the team after breakfast and delivered them to a Citgo parking lot just 5 minutes from the school. From there, classic rollerskis were donned and double pole intervals commenced. Coaches operated as a well oiled machine, operating van shuttles to get athletes down from the top of the hill, taking video, doing technique drills, and cheering. Athletes worked hard, and upon reflections at the end of camp, many campers said this was their favorite workout of the week! Hard work was rewarded in the afternoon with a lively (and hot) game of capture the flag and swimming. By the evening “training talk” in the auditorium, folks were tired but still engaged, and nobody (to our knowledge) fell asleep during coach Chris’s visualization session.
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The third day of camp included an over distance rollerski around the many lakes within the towns of Dublin, Harrisville, and Nelson. With smooth pavement and rolling terrain, this was a perfect opportunity to ski well for an extended period of time. We skied past lakes and through tunnels of trees, where the sunlight bounced off the water and peaked through the trees to give us pretty things to look at along the way. Along the theme of “things to look at,” after lunch that day we gathered back in the auditorium to look at technique video from the previous day’s classic ski. It was a productive time of learning from one another’s strengths and weaknesses (because we all have both).
Annnnnd speaking of “strengths,” the next workout of the day was… strength! The team warmed up well, did the Canadian strength test to track their strength progress, and then did a bit of additional strength. Skiers were TIRED after this one, but this did not stop them from dressing up for a formal dinner and presenting a cake in celebration of coach Chris’s birthday. We ended the night with a movie theater experience and screening of “10 things I hate about you” in the auditorium, popcorn and rootbeer included.
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The relaxing movie night proved to be the perfect recovery activity to set everyone up for their morning workout. The fatigue of our biggest week of training was starting to show, as the group was quieter with less pep in their steps. Nevertheless, they persisted and brought focus and determination to agility and plyometrics work. To keep it exciting, they rotated through three stations - a rollerski agility station, an on-foot field agility station, and a plyos station. Despite tiredness, most of the crew thought this was super fun! That afternoon was less structured with a trail run, led largely by captains, around the Dublin trail network and ending at the waterfront.
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The team was buzzing with excitement that evening in anticipation of skit performances after dinner. Teams were huddled at dinner time around the circle tables discussing plans for skits, and athletes were dressed in strange attire, presumably already in their skit costumes. Skits were entertaining, and some talented actors had their time to shine under the limelight. With that (and some time in the gym for unofficial obstacle course racing), our last night at camp wrapped up!
The final morning began with folks rushing around filling up running packs with water and snacks and preparing for a long workout running up and down Mount Monadnock. It has been a tradition of camp to finish the week off with this hike. This year, we had just as much fun as always scrambling over exposed rock, snacking at the top (summit hashbrowns anyone?!), spotting wildlife (tadpoles!!), and taking photos. We returned to campus with noodles for legs, took a swim in the lake, and had one final lunch together before parents arrived and whisked everyone back to MA.
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Reflections from camp included loads of gratitude - for a great bunch of coaches, a close-knit and supportive group of skiers, and tired legs from quality training. Cheers to setting goals and accomplishing them!
Following camp, we took a rest week and then got back to a couple more weeks of big training before school started. Now, we’re transitioning into a new phase of training that accounts for all the energy brains use when they’re in school all day.