Training Log Archive: igoup

Starting to taper. Did lots of no poles on the flats. The trick is to remember to carry the same leg technique when I add the poles back in -- it's easy to slip into old habits. I don't actually know what the difference is but i feel something -- just not sure what that something is.

Had an avocado and tomato on toast sandwich before starting and 3 Gus along the way. No energy issues.

Got bored.

The RP3 is clean because i cleaned it two weekends ago.

98% no poles.

Ran into Chris Peasley -- turned around and chatted for a bit.

Bike is still dirty.

]Back to William O'Brien SP. Crisp and clear and that's bad news. It was -6F when we started skiing and the snow was like sand. It took a good 35 min for my fingers to warm up. I should have had better cheek and lip protection -- both feel wind burned. Some sections in the sun were nice enough to get some glide. Sections in the shade were really hard work. Once my body warmed up, it was nice to be out and the the trails were pretty. However, it would have been a good day to have classic skis. I finished very tired and was dragging all day.

Moraloppet 20k, at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora, MN

Very low key 10k/20k event 90 min from home. Only 80 or so people in both races split roughly evenly.

Took a short 750m WU more for balance than anything else.

A little warmer at 10F today but snowing throughout. There was another 5cm of new snow on the track the second time around. Not super slow conditions but not at all quick... I don't think anyway -- I'm not a very good judge though.

After the first 600m loop and passing back by the center I settled behind two other guys. After a bit an older woman latched on behind me. After a bit more she went to the front and offered to pull but then proceeded to pull away. Once we hit the little punchy hills the guy up front dfropped off. #2 and #3 (me) were ready to take our turn but he just dropped off. #2 was better on the steep little hils so I always lost a little ground on the climbs. However, I was able to relatch on fairly quickly. Eventually, we caught another guy around 8k and so we were #2 and #3 again. Then another guy caught us so he became #4.

When we completed the first loop #1 pulled in for the 10k finish, while #2, #3 (me) and (#4) went around the center to the aid station. I drank a half cup of gatorade and took off leaving #2 and #4 behind. After that, I was on my own for the second loop. I could sometimes see the woman ahead of me but I wasn't catching her. I could see #4 behind me when we went back and forth in the switchbacks. For a while I thought he might catch me but by about 4k to go he seemed far enough back that I didn't worry about.

With 4k to go I started feeling tired. My footwork wasn't as crisp and couldn't manage V2 anymore. Nevertheless, I kept up my pace and put in a little kick at the end.

Garmin says 21.6k, 180m climb, 1:24:30ish for an average pace of 3:56. No complaints about that. To go faster my technique needs to improve a lot.

Pat skied classic and finished about 20min behind me. Pat's crewmate from college, Dave "Evil" Evenson finished about 10min back. We all went into Mora to the Crystal Cafe for lunch and had a lot of good laughs.

We had time for a short nap when we got home before heading over to the home of Pat's younger brother Sean and family = pizza, salad, a 9pm walk for cookies.