Training Log Archive: Bash

Thanks to the February Challenge, I had to run at least 5K after travelling across the country. There was dense, crusty snow about 10-15 cm deep on the trails and it was like running in taffy. BulletDog did better in it than I did.

I'd been hoping to feel strong after generating extra red blood cells at altitude but not today!

'Bent, Carbon, Carbon's Offset (formerly known as "Mike") and I headed to Pocaterra in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park for the Kananaskis Ski Marathon. It's also known as the Cookie Race because members of the Foothills Ski Club stock the aid stations with huge stacks of homemade cookies. It sounded like my kind of race!

None of us had done a pure ski race before, and Carbon's Offset was even using rented gear! We were keen to give it a try and this race sounded like it would have a fun atmosphere. We met Meridian in the hut - great to see him. He was also doing his first ski race. The Carbons were wisely testing the water with the 24K distance while the other three of us had jumped into the deep end with 42K. (The Carbons later wished they had done the longer distance since they finished with energy to spare.)

Lining up in one of the six tracks at the start, my main concern was to be far enough back that I wouldn't hold up any real ski racers. There were 148 of us starting at once, and after a short distance, we would merge into three tracks and then two.

For the first few kilometers, we shuffled ourselves around to find our place in the pack. We were mostly climbing and I was feeling the altitude. I was OK for the first 10K but then we went up Whiskeyjack, a 4K trail that climbs steadily and sometimes steeply. My head felt fuzzy and I couldn't breathe deeply enough; I felt like I'd used all my energy up. Note to self: my body is rather keen on oxygen.

When we got up to the high ridge to do the long, gentle climb to Elk Pass in blowing snow, I got a second wind that lasted for the final 25K of the race. It helped that we did more downhill than uphill after that so there was more time to recover.

Ski racing is harder work than what I usually do in a race this long. Respect to VO2Max and the other ski racers I know! My legs felt reasonably OK but my arms felt like jello at times, and I was breathing hard on the longer uphills.

Highlights after Elk Pass included an awesome 4K section of rolling, twisty single track through the forest, another extended climb up Packer's trail, then a 6-7K run to the finish line that was 95% double poling. Big thanks to VO2Max for the double poling drill yesterday - I definitely used what I learned.

Aside from the race, this was a beautiful, scenic ski in terrific conditions with fresh snow falling for much of the time we were out there. This meant slower times than last year's race but it added atmosphere.

I had been hoping to finish under 4 hrs 30 min, which would be about double the elite male winning time. (The podium included two Olympians and a 5-time World Masters champion.) During the first half of the race, this seemed like it might just be possible. But after I started to feel better and began hitting more downhill stretches, I saw that I should be able to break 4 hours. In the end it was 3:43 - yahoo!

Even though 'Bent, Carbon and Carbon's Offset were all finished, there was no one at the finish line to greet me. I knew this was good news since it meant they weren't expecting me yet. I met Carbon's Offset at the refreshments a little while later and we had fun sneaking up behind 'Bent and Carbon as they watched for me at the finish line. I tapped Carbon on the shoulder to offer her hot chocolate, and her scream when she turned around was priceless! :)



It was great to hear that everyone enjoyed their races and felt good. Carbon's Offset was even planning to buy ski gear so he could do it again! 'Bent finished in 3:09. The winning time (by the 5-time World Masters Champ) was 2:18 so 'Bent did well. :)

I managed to scrape onto the podium with 3rd in my age group. The woman in 2nd place was the female overall winner of the past two Canadian Birkebeiners so it's safe to say that I couldn't have improved on my result! We've seen enough podium pics of VO2Max that we couldn't resist setting up a similar pic to send to him. It was intended to be a joke but I ended up kinda liking it!



We headed back to Calgary for a celebratory Thai dinner with Carbon, Carbon's Offset and Zoolander. Great to catch up with him.



We also had a tour of the Carbons' bikes, Lupine lights and other gear room goodies, followed by an AR slide show. So much fun to spend time with them!

(Garmin measured 40.8 km but I'm assuming they've measured the race course for real.)

With our first pure XC ski race coming up tomorrow, it was time for drastic measures. After classic skiing since our early teens, 'Bent and I finally had our first lesson. It was an unofficial one with VO2Max, who has had a great February with podium finishes on the past three weekends including the 51K Gatineau Loppet.

As would be expected, there are some differences in the ways we approach the sport. VO2Max arrived early and went into the Alberta World Cup Development Centre wax room, put his skis in a vice and painstakingly applied multiple thin coats of wax for today's temperature. Meanwhile, 'Bent and I just took a few lazy test strides on yesterday's old wax and said, "That'll do. It's colder today."



VO2Max is an awesome teacher. I'm going to write down all the pointers I can remember elsewhere but the biggest change I need to make is to bend my arms more, keep them closer to my body and relax them and my shoulders as they swing - except during the "power" portion of the swing from pole plant until just before my hips.



We did overstriding (practising striding technique on gentle downhills where we normally wouldn't stride), double poling in rolling terrain and legs-only uphill. VO2Max videotaped us on my camera and we reviewed it indoors afterward so we could see exactly what we were doing. Cool!

Many of Canada's top skiers train in Canmore so we were passed by various fit-looking people who said hi to VO2Max. The woman in the white jacket below was the first to go by - but since Beckie Scott is an Olympic gold medalist, we didn't mind being left in her dust.



This really was a special treat - and now we're *totally* ready for the Kananaskis Ski Marathon. ;) Thanks, VO2Max - and all the best at the National Champs.



(Elapsed time 1:15)

We had to test out our improved technique with another loop around the Canmore Nordic Centre. I just noticed that we've skied 130 km in the past 7 days - probably almost as much as we've skied all year. Not the proper way to spend the week before a 42K ski race if we were taking it seriously - but hey, it's a vacation.

We met Slice for lunch afterward and heard her stories of Huairasinchi. Sounds like a tough race but Tecnu did really well!



Later, we had dinner with Carbon and Mike. We're looking forward to tomorrow's ski race. My goals are modest - to finish the 42K distance and beat one guy!

Photos have been added for Monday's ski in to Skoki Lodge from Lake Louise.

After doing very little skiing this winter, 'Bent and I have gone crazy over the past week! In deference to our 42K ski race on Saturday, we did a shorter ski at the Canmore Nordic Centre today. The trails were super fast on our first 12K lap, and the skiing felt easy after travelling in the backcountry with packs. After doing the main loop, we messed around for 4K, exploring trails that are hillier and less commonly travelled.

After that, VO2Max gave us a tour of the Bill Warren training centre where the National team athletes get in shape. We were impressed by a few things:
- the "poling" exercise machine, which felt very real and could easily be built by someone with handyman skills
- the temperature-controlled ice bath / hot bath tubs in the "regeneration" room
- the soon-to-be-installed roller skiing treadmill where skiers will be able to simulate particular race courses

Skoki Lodge to Lake Louise. Pics to come.

Around Skoki Mountain, Red Deer Lakes, toward Natural Bridge. Pics to come.

An aside on Skoki Lodge... I worked in Lake Louise as a university student and became interested in the history of the Canadian Rockies. When it opened in 1931, Skoki Lodge was the first commercial backcountry ski lodge in Canada. Guests would travel by train to Lake Louise, ski 19 km into the lodge and stay for up to 6 weeks. Now designated a national historic site, the lodge continues to operate without electricity or running water.





Lucy the Jack Russell "skis" into the lodge and supervises guests when the manager is busy elsewhere.



Rooms in the lodge are small and simple.



There are several cabins as well. The lodge holds 22 guests.



There's plenty of snow. They had to dig passages to the outhouses.



William and Kate stayed there last summer during their Canadian trip and signed the guest book.



So did Mr. and Mrs. Lawren Harris of Group of Seven fame. (The date is 1945 although they made other visits.)



A few months after we started dating, 'Bent and I and our friend Danskiii dropped by Skoki for tea during a backpacking trip. I wrote "I'll be back". Who would have believed it would take 21 years? I sure hope it's not as long next time.

Carbon and Mike joined 'Bent and me for our ski into the backcountry to Skoki Lodge, starting from the Lake Louise ski area. We planned to stay for two nights but Carbon and Mike needed to get back to Calgary, so it was a long day for them. Compared to their great performances at RTNX and ARWC last year, I'm sure this was easy!

This may have been the most scenic ski I've ever done from a parking lot (as opposed to a backcountry lodge). If you don't like photos, you'd best stop reading now because there are way too many! :)

Lodge guests are given lift tickets that let them cut off about 3.5 km of the route, almost all of which is uphill on the downhill skiers' ski-out trail. Since we didn't all have lift tickets, we started at the lower parking lot and got a better workout!

This first part of the route was a slog - especially for poor Carbon, the only one of us without climbing skins. 'Bent and I were carrying packs with clothing and ski gear for 3 days so I was grateful for the skins.



Whenever there was an opening in the trees, the views were amazing.



When we had climbed just above Temple Lodge, we took off our climbing skins and waxed. That was the last time 'Bent and I used skins on the trip, although we wouldn't have guessed that.



From here, we were on a narrow trail that travelled through trees and open alpine meadows.









After a long, gentle climb that got a little steep at the end, we came up to Boulder Pass, the first of two mountain passes we would cross to get to Skoki.



This was the only place where the snow was a little thin - but only for about 10-20 meters.



Carbon led us to the top of the pass.



A whole new alpine world opened up beyond the pass. Wow.



We skied across Ptarmigan Lake, which is usually windy. On the return trip two days later, I was totally bundled up here.



Then we continued a short distance up the valley.





Most skiers use climbing skins for Deception Pass but in the spirit of team solidarity, we all went skinless to keep Carbon company. It wasn't bad at all - just a bunch of switchbacks.



Top of Deception Pass, 2475 m (8,115'). Skoki Lodge is about 1,000' below in the valley behind us.



We couldn't see Skoki from here but it's down in those trees.



The ski down off the pass was fast, fun and beautiful.







The boys did some tele turns. 'Bent was wearing a GoPro video cam on his head. In addition to capturing some great turns, he filmed his own spectacular face plant. Stay tuned for further coverage on Youtube. Too bad he didn't film the part where we had to dig in the snow around his body print to search for a missing Thermos.







We made it down to the treeline, where we had to start skiing more carefully.



We arrived at the historic lodge just in time for lunch. Today's feature was savoury lamb stew or cabbage soup. Yummy. For us, this was the first of several days of delicious overeating.



After hanging out at Skoki for awhile, it was time to say goodbye to Carbon and Mike. So glad they joined us for this adventure!







(Elapsed time 3:45 with stops.)

'Bent and I got awfully comfortable by the fire but the snow was so nice that we couldn't resist a short ski from Skoki Lodge to Merlin Meadows.