Training Log Archive: PrueD

Koenig Ludwig classic race in Germany. 2 laps of 25 kms. It was a very cold and gloomy day. I started in the back row as l didn't want to get mown down. The first few kms had a couple of hills -'dangerous downhills' are the Aussie's friend, as we seem to be able to handle these better than the locals and made up a few places there. But then it flattened out and was a real slog. I felt a groin muscle pull at about 10km so eased off on the pace. My skis didn't run well on the gentle downhills and lots of people sailed past while l was going flat out. Lots of people used skating skis and double poled the whole event. I felt absolutely stuffed by the end. That makes 6 world loppets finished, with 4 to go to become a world master.

Woke to a cold still morning in Innsbruck, with snow coating the trees. Drive to Seefeld and skied around an undulating ski track that wound through the pine forests. In the afternoon we drove to Ettal through absolutely spectacular country and registered for the Koenig Ludwig race. Tomorrow is the skating race and Sunday the classic race. We are doing the classic 50km on Sunday. Along with friends Marg and Bruce (who are multiple World Masters) we are the only Australians out of several thousand entrants. The track looks pretty flat and wet and l'm beginning to think l should have skated. My cold seems just that.

I've come down with a head cold, which l hope will go away quickly, and didn't ski today. It was lightly raining and then snowing for most of the day. We are staying in Innsbruck and it is bitterly cold.

Cross country skiing at Seefield Austria, with '70 flights of stairs' worth of climb and some pretty steep downhills. I've got a new pair of light touring skis and, being modern, they seem a bit faster than my old racing skis, so l think l'll use them in the races. The scenery here is just spectacular. I nearly got run over today because l was looking the wrong way when l stopped onto the road

It was raining today so we helped the local economy by visiting the ski shops and then drove to Innsbruck. The scenery was quite brilliant. On arrival at town we went shopping, but must have been in the middle eastern quarter as we ended up in an entirely Muslim fruit shop. I don't expect to see any of those ladies on the ski slopes.

C • Innsbruck 1

A drive up out of the mountains today east of Munich. I was quite surprised at the neatness of the landscape - green rolling hills interspersed with coppices of pine trees and deciduous trees, and beautiful villages, each with a prominent church spire. It looks as though you could walk the length of Germany cross country without crossing a fence.
We then went back into the mountains and visited Ruhpolding, where we did a shortish ski circuit. My legs (inner thighs in particular) are a bit sore.