Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Oh, Strava, you are bad at elevation.

So be it. 30m becomes 20m, somehow. Warmed up with Collin with a short loop. Hard and fast. Good for skiing.

So, my legs were kind of shot.

Started too far back (or something; I think I could have pulled rank and started in the front line) again and had to pass people, so burned some matches. Felt good for the first 10k since it was sort of icy and fast. But the sun came out and slowed it down and my skis were slow.

Fell behind the pack I was with on towards Wirth Lake and felt pretty sluggish through the hills in Butler and Bog. Took a goo and Gatorade at the 394 feed (that's the feed where you cross Interstate 394; yes the Loppet is that awesome.) and felt better on to the lakes. Found a pack in to the wind across Cedar, and then stayed with said pack on to Isles.

On Isles we were about 150m behind a large pack, but I realized it was much faster to ski on the icy packed snow from the Luminary Loppet last night, and made up a lot of time leading another skier across that. We caught the pack on Calhoun and in to the wind got a ride. It was slow, and the other skier attacked and I followed and Scott Kyser was pulling the whole way and we broke the pack apart. I stayed with four guys through the hills there but didn't have a high gear back on to the lake, and fell behind most of them.

Of course, I raced more than anyone. And my skis were slow on the warm snow. If the race was 6 hours later once the front had come through, it would have been straight Weston conditions. 2:10 is not too bad for a 42k (winners in 1:51). My legs were shot and I had some dehydration cramps. Good deal!

So, Strava says I gained 260m. But when I go through Strava and add up the ups and downs, it comes out to 424m. I'm going with that.

Skiing around, testing wax. Wax tested. Tracks were solid, but variable, since the snow packed down and froze against the ground in places.

Damn the Loppet is fun. I'd forgotten that the Classic race is a mass start and got there late. I probably could have gone to the front but didn't want to be a dick, so I wormed my way in to the pack, starting well behind where I should have (including behind all the women, and I beat all but one, IOW if Ali had shown up she could have walked away with some cash money). Gun went off and I spent the first 2k passing people on the margins, then settled in to some groups. Saw some people I knew and put some time between them, skied in no man's land across Wirth Lake but it wasn't too windy.

Kick held up in to Butler and Bog, although there was more herringbone. Passed a few more people and latched on to a small group on to Brownie and Cedar. A guy passed us and we couldn't catch him, and I skied Isles with one other guy and we were then caught by and integrated in to a small pack for the bike race in to the wind on Calhoun. I took some pulls, probably too much, and then was dropped by the pack in Minikhada. Oh well.

Overall good kick except for the end, great conditions (20s, sunny, although breezy) and loads/heaps of fun. Under 2:30, 32nd, which is not too shabby for flying in and drinking the night before.

Then I had an hour to decompress before SKI-O!

Of course it was non-technical ski-o, especially with only a few inches of powder on the lakes, so it was ski in straight lines to he controls. A little route choice around the islands, and it felt good to ski with a map.

Or the excuse for skiing I was able to muster after the marathon and 1:30 to put on some dry clothes. Came second because my legs were shot. Good thing I'm done for the weekend. Oh, wait.

Flew out to Mpls* on a poor night of sleep. I had decided to ski the sprints because why not? Took the bus from where I am staying to the lakes, then skied down to the Loppet Village.

* Only a 1:30 mechanical delay on the way. I was listening to air traffic control on my headphones, natch. After a while of sitting back from the gate ATC called the plane and asked if we were moving. The captain said they had a fault and were troubleshooting. She gave them a minute to figure it out, but we were blocking several other planes in the alley and if we didn't figure it out we'd have to pull back to the gate.

Which we had to do. I was chatting with the guy next to me and said "yeah, we're going to have to pull back to gate to troubleshoot a mechanical issue." The the captain came on the PA and said the same thing. I'm a huge nerd.

Skied up and down the course a couple of times. It's short. And a little grassy on the hill.

Skiing around the lake to warm up. Then I went and found someone wearing CSU tights who won her age group sprint, and who goes to Macalester, and we talked about how Macalester should have a ski team and both running coaches want one because they lose recruits to schools with a ski team.

Ugh, I'm still bitter about this 12 years later.

So the sprint came. Only four people in my heat. But I was cold and not ready to go, and was on the outside of the first turn and didn't get a good place. Then I caught an edge trying to catch up. Oh, well, a nice donation to the Loppet Foundation.

Two very good things have happened re: this weekend:

1) It snowed. Not here, good god, it's 55˚ out (but might snow tomorrow?). But Minneapolis had a storm coming. First it looked like it might bring 4–6 inches, enough for the Loppet, but barely. Then it looked to go south for a couple of model runs, which would have been an interesting way to spend $400 on a ski weekend. Then it trended north (6–8") and when the storm hit, Minneapolis was in the epicenter. It wound up pivoting three deformation bands over Minneapolis, dropping a foot of fresh powder on the Loppet course (which already had a thin, icy base). Full marathon race course, plus the Ski-O will be quite Ski-O-able.

2) I went to wax my soft, fast, happy skis for the first time this year, because, we haven't had anywhere near the right or good enough conditions to use them (but this weekend they should be fast). I was pretty sure I was lazy last year and never put storage wax on them, but I took them out of the closet et voila, storage wax! I patted myself on the back for not being that lazy.

I signed up for the Loppet sprints at the last minute, because why not? That gives me four races in 40 hours. I don't expect to do well (#notasprinter) but maybe Weston training will be good for something. And I signed up for the Delta credit card because it will save me $100 of baggage fees in the next three weeks (and the $95 annual fee doesn't kick in until next year, anyway).

Relays with Alex! I forgot my watch and maybe she did to, but figure it took about 25 minutes of running time, with stretching and moving water in between. Felt pretty good with a jankle and having not run stairs in a while. Took the first set of sevens and a bunch of fives. We raced my sister's BF for a while (well, Alex raced him and I raced his partner), sort of. One of these days we'll drag my sister out of bed early to come to NP stadiums.

Four miles of warm up, some with poles. Surprisingly fast tonight, not slushy. Real Weston conditions. I don't do well in real Weston conditions. Of course, they were busy grooming right before the race to make more sugar/mashed potatoes (mashed sweet potatoes? Yum!).

Whoo boy fast. I started off with the pack but fell to the back of it pretty fast, and then got accordioned off the back. It was one of those days where wax helps, but staying up helps, too. My ankle felt a little weak, and I felt slow, so I fell off that group, and in to another, and in and out of it. Finished in a sprint, but pretty far down the totem pole.

Some cooling down. Still fast!