Race Ready

In this week’s episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy and Brian dive into the chaos, excitement, and pressure of early-season ski and biathlon preparation. From crowded inboxes to snow-hunting missions and travel logistics, they share what this time of year really looks like for coaches balancing athlete needs, race schedules, and constantly shifting plans. The conversation kicks off with a reflection on the all-too-relatable “Mas...

On this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with legendary skier, coach, and NBC analyst Chad Salmela for a deep-dive into performance, physiology, and the evolution of endurance training. Chad opens up about his eclectic career, from racing biathlon professionally, to leading NCAA runners, to shaping the next generation of Team Berkie athletes, and how each chapter has influenced the way he c...

In Episode 29 of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan reflect on the biggest lessons from this year’s training and racing season. From early-season takeaways at Soldier Hollow to insights drawn from World Cup athletes like Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Ben Ogden, and Campbell Wright, this episode dives deep into the mental and physical fundamentals that define elite endurance performance. The hosts explore the...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with biathlon phenom Campbell Wright, Junior World Champion, U23 Blue Bib winner, and 2x World Championship silver medalist, to unpack his remarkable journey from the Snow Farm of New Zealand to the top of the international biathlon stage. Campbell shares how a small ski club at Snow Farm and a passion for racing led him to Europe at just 15, w...

In this special episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Olympic gold medalist Jessie Diggins for an in-depth and deeply personal conversation about the mindset, training, and heart behind her success. From her early days racing at Minnesota high school meets to becoming one of the most decorated cross-country skiers in U.S. history, Jessie reflects on the long journey of learning, failing, an...

In this listener-driven episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan open with stories from Soldier Hollow, Whitefish, and early-season training camps before diving into a stack of listener questions. The duo explores the value of lactate testing for master skiers—when it’s worth the investment, when “easy, medium, hard” is good enough, and why feel still matters more than lab data. Along the way they touch on ...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, host Andy Newell sits down with Dr. Lauren Loberg, a performance psychology consultant whose experience spans the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team, the NFL, and elite winter sport athletes. Together, they explore the mental side of high-performance sport — from stress management and emotional regulation to the importance of mental “prehab” for preventing burnout and injury. Lauren shares her ow...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive deep into the benefits and challenges of altitude training. They share insights from observing world-class athletes like Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen training in Park City, and discuss how altitude adaptation varies from athlete to athlete. The conversation covers what it means to be an “altitude responder,” why timing and duration matte...

In this episode of Race Ready, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan welcome three-time Olympian and World Championship medalist Susan Dunklee for a wide-ranging conversation about her journey from Vermont ski racer to international biathlon standout. Susan reflects on her early days growing up in a skiing family, her transition into biathlon through the early days of "Project X", and the pivotal advice from her father tha...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Chris Grover, longtime U.S. Ski Team coach and current program director for cross-country skiing. Grover shares his perspective on what it takes to bring more World Cup events to the United States, the financial and logistical hurdles behind them, and how climate change and global economics are shaping the international race calendar. From Lake ...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dive into the lessons learned from Andy’s recent experience at UTMB and how they translate to building resilience as an athlete. From the challenges of fueling and sodium balance to the mental process of evaluating performance after a tough race, Andy shares candid insights into the realities of long-distance competition and what it takes to bounce back stron...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Olympian and legendary coach Jim Galanes for an in-depth conversation on training philosophy, athlete development, and the evolution of Nordic skiing in the United States. The discussion begins with the “dog days of summer” training block, where both coaches reflect on the heavy training loads their athletes are absorbing. Jim shares stories fro...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan dig into listener questions and explore the nuances of summer training for cross-country skiing and biathlon. They kick things off with reflections on their own recent workouts, highlighting the contrast between long, steady L3 intervals and high-tempo double-pole sessions. This sets the stage for a broader discussion on how different workout modalities...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with U.S. Ski Team standout Ben Ogden for an in-depth conversation about his journey from small-town Vermont skier to World Cup podium contender. Ben shares how the ski culture in Southern Vermont, with deep community roots and role models like the Caldwells and his own family, gave him the belief that a professional ski career was possible. He refle...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, hosts Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with Tim Burke — four-time Olympian, 2013 World Championship silver medalist, and current Director of Athlete Development for U.S. Biathlon. Tim shares his journey from growing up near Lake Placid to becoming the first American to wear the yellow bib on the Biathlon World Cup, including the pivotal coaching change that transformed him from a mi...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy Newell and Brian Halligan sit down with former U.S. Olympic cross-country skier Noah Hoffman for a wide-ranging conversation that bridges elite sport, personal growth, and advocacy. Hoffman shares his journey from growing up in Aspen and racing World Cup straight out of high school, to representing Team USA at the Sochi and Pyeongchang Olympics. He opens up about the pivotal moments i...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy and Brian dive deep into summer racing strategy, the value of time trials, and how athletes can sharpen both their physical and mental tools during the offseason. They discuss the timing and purpose of summer race series like the Jericho roller ski nationals, emphasizing the importance of high-intensity efforts at low altitude, building speed endurance, and using races as opportunitie...

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy and Brian sit down with Dr. Sharon Henry, Professor of Physical Therapy Emerita at the University of Vermont, to explore the intersection of neuroscience, balance, and athletic performance in Nordic skiing. With decades of research in neuromotor control and a unique perspective shaped by both clinical work and personal experience in the ski community, Dr. Henry offers an eye-opening d...

In this episode, we welcome seasoned coach Rick Kapala, Program Director and Head Nordic Ski Coach at the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation since 1987, a three‑time US Ski & Snowboard Coach of the Year, and a long‑standing force in developing junior athletes and national racing programs.

Rick shares his incisive perspective on the current landscape of junior development in the U.S., highlighting both the strengths and gaps in ...