Training Log Archive: kensr

Testing wax. Used 5 layers of Swix recommendation VR45, but had no kick. Added a couple layers of VR50 and that felt okay.

Decided I could do the half even after a week of racing in Europe. How hard can 25 km be?

Wax started okay, but was gone after a few km. Lots of double poling and no real problem until the hill up Ruthies. Fought up that, down the other side, and before the climb back up to the center I stopped for a couple minutes and globbed on more VR50. That was fair for most of the lap. Before going up Ruthies again I switched skis L/R to get the wax to the inside edge. That worked enough to help on the climbs.

Definitely should have had klister under everything, maybe purple given the temp in the 20's. Track was glazed and hard and abraded the soft kick wax rapidly. Forecast had been for a couple inches of snow during the morning, but that never materialized.

My classic skis are maybe 15 years old and very stiff. They do work at times, but the wax and conditions have to be just right. Maybe finally time to buy a new pair.

C • Old skis 9

Still full cover at home, 2-4" of corn snow. Groomed up okay considering how thin it is.

One leg of the women's WC relay from this morning. Lots on big trails.
Bad route choice to 5, took longer flat route to avoid narrow steep climb, ended up on a couple hundred meters of dirt gully. Should have bit the bullet and skied the short route or even run it. Then coming back went the short route and ran down the pitch, but probably could have skied it. Lost 3-1/2 min between the two legs.
Another warm day in the 40's, snow wet and slow in the exposed areas. HF10 was ok; pure fluoro would have been nice. Also some black stuff to repel the dirt and pine sap would have helped, too.

Same sprint O course as the World Cup, only after they were done. Three courses thru the local neighborhood, in side yards, back yards and some soggy fields. Teamed with the World Famous Sharon and we outlasted 4 other teams who DQ'd to come in 7th.

Moved west along the hills to Muhlleithen to another venue for more races. Well above freezing, cloudy. Snow cover adequate but soggy.

Walked from hotel to trail (30 m) and skied along the Kammloipe, a groomed ski trail that runs for about 35 km. They had an xc race on it yesterday that let you go 26 or 43 km and started from our event arena.

Trail was packed ok but a little soft for skating. Just a little distance to stretch the legs.

Temp right at freezing, HF8 ran fine. Snow like plastic, just starting to transform.

Last WMSOC race on more of the same map. Extended it up and down.
Three controls in a row with total 150m climb straight up the hillside. Really tired towards the top of that.
Took a misguided shortcut to the first control and added 3 contours climb to that leg and maybe a minute.
Course and snow were less sketchy on the downhills today, so those were ok. Did make one route choice on our longest leg to climb and then descend a long grade, rather than going down the steep hill and then up, just to avoid the tourists and kids walking down the trail. Turns out I probably picked the fastest route, even if I did go slightly off the printed map. I extrapolated two trails and figured they met just beyond what we could see. Proved to be correct.
Ended up 9th today.