Sunday, January 25, 2009

oops



So I took a pretty hard tumble on the skis yesterday and by evening my knee and ankle hurt a fair bit. Ankle swelled up so I put ice on it and took some advil. The swelling went down. I'm unsure what to do about getting ready for the race on Sunday. Do I lay off it? Do I go to cycling class on Tuesday? I am sure the answer I would get from a coach would be , it depends....

Ok if I lay off. I would get a max recovery for my knee and ankle. However I find it's best to maintain some training albeit lighter right up to race day. Otherwise I get sluggish.

If I try to get back on it when it feels reletivly ok, I risk putting pressure on it and possibly adding to it's injury. On the other hand If all goes well my ankle gets better and I get to do enought effort to stay sharp for race day.

It's race day and I am looking for a peak performance. So I am inclined to get back out there as soon as I can.

That being said I think workouts for the week should be short with a hand full of hill intervals and speed work. No long efforts to tax the system at this point. I am not going to aquirre any additional fitness In the next 6 days. Better to keep the pump primed and rest.

As you can tell race nerves are settling in, which is standard for me. I've been thinking , wax, trail conditions, pacing, evaluating where in the cource to pick up possitions. Where good passing opottunities may be found. Where to recover. Watching the weather. On and on.....

I have a fair amount of work to do this week. How on earth will I focus on it when the critical questions, Like whether to wear my training pants or my cycing thermal tights remain unanswered?


Stay tuned for more prerace panic.....


Sunday, January 18, 2009

42k day

So yesterday was according to the training schedule to be a 42 k day on the skis. it was a pretty tough day. I was struggling pretty much the entire ski. I was hanging in there but struggling. my lower legs and butt hurt after the first few k and never shaped up. the conditions were a little off too.. strong winds made for trails that were a combination of windblown Icy snowpack alternating with soft drifted patches. So it was difficult to really settle into a pace. and wind chill at time was a little rough. That all being said we did 38k in 3:38. so overall not to bad. I was getting close to bonk toward the end. I got really wobbly, pace slowed, and climbing efforts got really hard. I am really going to have to get better at managing my calories going in. It's tough tho.... on the bike i can drink and take in gu on the fly no big deal, but not so skiing so stopping to drink and gu is pretty disruptive to pacing.

I was hoping for a more confidence boosting " nailed it " sort of a day. It instead showed me I have work to do if I am to be ready for the birke.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

City of lake loppet test run # 1

I did a test run of the race course or the city of lakes loppet yesterday and had a really good outing. There we're 8 of us that did the run together. It was very nice to have a gang out there. We did the course in 3:03 @ a length of 33k. that's not very fast by elite skier stats. But it's 45 minutes off last years time so I'll take it. There was fair bit of standing around chatting/waiting for ppl so I think a sub 3 hour loppet is defiantly a possibility. I sort of doubt I'll be able to turn in a good time on the actual event. I am starting clear in the back as a first timer. The traffic will be really bad with long waits at the climbs and bottlenecks in the course. It's ok this is my first year at races and hopefully will get me seated in higher waves for next year.

As for how this pertains to the berke... I got to the end and felt that I could have continued with more hydration and fuel. So over all a really solid confidence builder.

Next weekend I am scheduled to do 42k So I'll do the back 9 section (9k) twice then proceed with the rest of the course. the back 9 is one of three hill sections and probably the largest of the three. So this route should offer 20k of hills or so. Close to the distance to double O on the birke. After double OO the birke course drops in elevation verses the front section which rises in elevation.

I am still not climbing efficiently but there nothing to do but practice. I'll be as good at climbing as I'll be by the time the birke is upon me.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Threshold test

Last night was threshold test at cycling class. The coach has us do a test using 2 x 8 minute max efforts as a threshold estimate. It's sorta tough. after you've done it a few times it's no big deal. I think people like to grumble about it though. I haven't been on a bike for 3 weeks. It's been all skiing, the looming specter of the birke is defiantly having a focusing effect on me. I've been skiing as much and as hard as I can. I could defiantly feel the effects of the skiing on the bike last night. I felt really really solid. Skiing does so much for your core that your sense of stability on the bike is really improved. Legs felt great, cardio was right on the numbers.

As much as cyclist don't want to hear it I think the best thing you can do for your cycling is do a bit of skiing in the winter. I have a City of Lake Loppet test run this weekend and then next I have a 42k lsd.

I converted a marathon training calendar to derive down the training distances and taper to the birke. I think the lsd numbers look good but the mid week stuff I think is light. running is harder on your body so I think as a skiing calendar the volume can go up.

On the todo list... practice, practice, practice v2!

skiing 18k today. I can't wait to be back out there!


In other news: if you missed the end of the tour de ski you really should go watch the final stage. Unbelievable personal efforts by the athletes.

here is the landing page for the tour

and here is a link to the mens finish

and here is the women's finish

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Vacation and an anniversary.

I've been on vacation in florida as I do once a year. Usually I come down at spring break time when the kids are off from school but this year some friends from france were going to be in miami for a few days so we came down now so we could see them.

I've been missing my skis but the warm beach has been really nice. With no bike or skis to keep me afloat I've had to run.. ooof. I have never been a fan of running but I felt I needed to keep up with something. the birke is a month and a half away and I am no where near ready. I couldn't really lay around for a whole week.

The weather here has been beautiful and running outdoors in the palm trees is not so bad really. We are going home today so one last dose of sun before returning the snowy north.

Today January first is the two year anniversary of my grand experiment to see what happens if I try to clean up my act. This journey has taken me so much further than i had ever anticipated.

On this day two years ago, I walked down to the basement in my ratty old bike shorts I hadn't worn in years put my old rusty bike on my rickety wind trainer and started to peddle. I only made it 15 minutes in the easiest gear and I thought I was going to die. I think the most important day may have been the second day however. Thats the day I returned to the basement and decided this was going to be a permanent change. I returned to the basement, and didn't say "fuck it" and give in to my old ways. That was a real victory. Every day since that I "go to the basement" has been a victory. It is a triumph over my weaknesses and I can have peace, knowing that for today I am doing what i should.

I still do not know where this is all leading me but I am getting a sense for where I been. The last two years have shown me I am not a weak as i presumed. I have learned that I needed proper nourishment to grow and without i was guaranteeing disappointment. I am beginning to get a sense of the sort of nourishment the gives me strength. Because I am providing better nourishment I am making honest choices, honest mistakes. choices and mistakes I can stand behind and respect.

So I think I am making some progress and I am taking thanks on this two year anniversary.

Thank you to everyone around me that gave me encouragement
Thank you to the few that have really really cheered me on! thank you very very much. you know who you are.

And frankly I have to thank myself. thank you me.

So do I have a new years resolution for this year?


yes.