Getting better

Today I ran for a short period at eh gym and the calf felt really good... pheew. So it looks like this injury is going to clear up relatively soon. I did all my strength stuff today and all went well.

I think I'll be ok for rollerskiing and and hill bounding work this weekend. Wooohooo!!! Not being able to get you was driving me batty. No too much else to report. Just waiting for snow.... tick... tock....

The ski coach that was hired for the ski team will be meeting with us for the first time on sunday so it will be interesting to see what he has in mind. I am sure he'll be a hugh help.

Can't wait to get back out on the skis and running in the woods!

oops

Well I've gone and done it. I tried to get two workouts in yesterday and managed to pull the dickens put of my right calf. I can barely walk on it. Kind of frustrating I was really starting to see some progress now I'm laid up for a few days at least. Aaarrrggggg!

I went out early in the day and did a couple hours worth of rollerskiing. Then in the evening went to hill bounding/ running and whammo. I could feel a serious POP in my rights calf.

I guess I'm not ready for a two-a-day work out schedual just yet.

So it't vitamin I for me today. Oh well. This too shall pass.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Rollerskiing breakthrough

I've been trying to get on my roller skis whenever conditions permit. So far this fall I have really been struggling. Roller skis are a wobbly affair. They are very unstable feeling and hard to stop on. I have had two crashes on them one of which was 6 weeks ago and my shoulder is still sore and do not yet have full range of motion back yet.

Yesterday was a real breakthrough however. For a few moment it actually felt a great deal like skiing! wow! As I have discussed in the past at times training is some bitter medicine you have to take. Yesterday it was standing at the summit. Days like yesterday are why you go take your medicine.

Just for reference I'll include a you tube video of some rollerskiing done properly for those that may be unfamiliar. this is a video of a local skiing celebrity. Her name is Caitlin Compton and she lives and trains here in Minneapolis for the Vancouver Olympics. I see here out training from time to time and it is so great to see. Her skiing has a flow and ease to it that is like magic. It is truly inspiring. What I wouldn't give to be so gifted.

I am hoping to get out today if the leaves dry a bit this afternoon. They get pretty slick.

See you on the trails.

Pre season skiing training

Well here we are in the fall and getting ready for cross country ski season. I took a couple weeks off to rest after my last race of the bike season and starting yesterday officially started ski season training. we've been doing some hill bounding but it's only twice a week. I started strength training last night and will be doing mostly long slow distance on the roller skis over the next three weeks then on to more threshold based work on the roller skis. I would really like to be on the roller skis 5 days a week if possible and two strength workouts a week. We'll see if I can fit it all in.

We had a Surprising snow this week it's all melted off but the temps and snow are unusual for this time of year. I am hoping this means we'll have good snow this year all year.

Not a photoshop trick

This is not a photoshop trick or optical illusion; that is yours truly on the top of the podium. this weekend was the last race in the minnesota state championship series and I came in first in my age bracket. I was in the citizen/beginner race. So there are harder divisions to work towards but this was a real win. It was a tough race and up to the last 1/4 mile a toss up as to who would win.

For most of the race I was trading the lead with two other riders and I didn't know if I was going to hang on to the end. Fortunately as the race progressed the other two started to wain and my strength was holding. In the last few places where the trail opened up wide enough to pass I really put the pressure on and speeding up the pace and eventually was able to ride off the front.

This course thankfully played into my straights and didn't penalize me to greatly for my weaknesses. It had frequent sections of grassy double track to plow through and made very good sprinting opportunities. Which as it turns out is a strength for me. It's surprising smaller guys don't tend to be good sprinters. Climbers yes but sprinters not so much.

The track did have a good deal of very tight twisting single track which I am not very fast in. so I was loosing ground in the single track and gaining it in the open. If I am too Improve my overall standings and or move up in division Bike handling skills really need work.

I must say I am very pleased with the seasons end. As always through the season there have been countless times where I get beat so bad, it is nice to not be at the bottom of the pile for once.

Ok bike season is over.... time to ski... birke is in 153 days... better start getting ready!

Transition

This week started transition to ski season. Which means trail running and hill intervals with poles.

Like the last couple years by September I an ready for a change of pace. My skiing mentor is telling me that I need to spend more time on my rollerskis. I went down pretty hard on them acouple weeks ago and now I'm scared of them. I'll have to buck up the courage on keep trying. Maybe football pads : ).

My 73 year old father started working out at a gym last week after years of reletive inactivity. After 3 years of work and improvments I almost envy him. To be starting at the beginning on hindsight was a really exciting part of the grand experiment. Change and improvement comes so fast in the beginning. Mental peace, clarity; once long forgotten, return and the contrast is so drastic.

I have distant friend who I know is really struggling and I hold hope for her that she finds her path to feeling better soon.

So many of us live unnessesarily discomforted.

Wishes to us all for peace, not joy, not elation simple peace will do.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Albany Road Race

I races this weekend in Albany Minnesota. It was on the coarse of the state champ. road race last year. It has one big climb and a few rollers so the race comes down to the one climb with the finish line at the top.

My race didn't go very well... just not my day I guess. It was 3 laps and I dropped out at the end of 2. A team mate and lost touch with the main field going up the climb the second time and struggled to catch them on the second lap but by the time we got to the climb to go up the third time we were blown and decided to call it.

Why poor performance? I have no Idea..... just one of those days.

I have the potential to do 3 mountain bike races before the season is up. I am going to try to do some of them. So there is still time to end on a high note.

Then plans are a couple weeks off and start base training for skiing. I am ready for a break in training. It's been a long haul sense february.