Training Log Archive: O Steve!In the 7 days ending Jan 8, 2017:
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Saturday Jan 7, 2017 #
xc classic skiing 1:36:17 [3]
ahr:160 max:171
Sisu Ski Fest 15K Classic....short report. Good in so many ways....
I used the cheapest most old school wax job I have used in years......2 layers of Start Green for glide on waxless ski for Kari and I...honestly, I didnt even clean the bases. Just waxed on top off some old Rex blue and called it good.
It was 1F at the start and maybe rose a couple of degrees but the wind was gusting icy and brutal in spots. First time I ever raced in a ski coat, and some windproof training tights and it was perfect
The skins skis I was using should should be lousy for these conditions (they are best on difficult to kick was days around 32F) and after my quick pre race test I told Kari "I have good kick but not much glide" but when I looked at others warming up it looked like everyones glide was sucky with the new falling powdery snow so I wasnt overly concerned.....
Great to be able to line up in the third and last wave with Kari right behind me with about 20-23 or so in our wave, 94 in the total 15K classic field (I like to race in a field of at least 100 and I hope a few more come to race this fun event in the future ) I get up in the front row and as soon as we go a women to my right double poles with more effort than me and gaps me quickly....I am 2nd and seem to be leaving others behind including Kari. I ski alone 2nd in my wave for a long time....till the merge with the longer race course at 4k....
As I am skiing I notice a could things....I am getting good kick with the skins, although when I am racing I will hop out and herring bone some of the pitches because I dont want to risk slipping in the track just to get a few more strides in the track up the hill and the skins grip good in the loose snow on uphills right by the track. But the one thing I notice, that continue to blow me away, is I tend to gap people with my GLIDE with these skins....and that makes no sense. they glide great in the track (especially if you lift your toes) and even though they tend to "catch" in the soft snow in the skate lane (they glide ok in the firm skate track). This makes no sense to me but that is where I made up time on others that were skiing close to me. We would be together on the flats and hills and then a down hill would come and I would lose them.
We are going along and I notice that I am catching people and out gliding them....eventually catching some 2nd wave 15K classic skiers that started 10 minutes in front of us and that is my indication that things are going well. My pace is not fast, just decent, but relative to others I am moving very well....I always hope to crack the top half of the field and if I am in front of all but 1 from the last of 3 waves and catching wave 2 it seems my plan...
Every year the pace at the 11k split is much faster than the final avg pace....dont know why?......uphill?, just bad snow?, i don't know but something to remember in future years...the last 3K., similar to last year, is a windblown track, gusty icy wind, no tracks at times nightmare that slows everyone down....but, I did notice that my old school wax job seemed to be even better relatively in the crappy wind blown gritty snow....Start Green with nary a fluorocarbon did very well.
I crossed the line a bit confused that my time seemed very slow to me but I thought I did very well moving up in the field. I went inside to grab my jacket from my transported bag ready to take a photo of video of Kari since I figured I beat her in by a margin of 7-10 minutes or so.....as I went back out there she was! She said she could see me at times up front but could not close the gap and ended up only a bit over 2 minutes behind.
final results: I was 29th of 94 finishers, top 30.8 % (best placement by far in this race) best % back from the winner ever in this race by far, and beat all my close competitors from former years, while having my slowest pace ever. Looking at the results later showed the track was one of the slowest I have ever raced, everyone was very very slow.....I will give my results a grade of A. It was a good day in the minor leagues....
Kari did even better for herself...she was 37 of 94 overall and won the 40-49 age group. Fun to see her win her age group on her waxless skis....
.burger and a beer at a local bar after the race to top off a great day....
I used the cheapest most old school wax job I have used in years......2 layers of Start Green for glide on waxless ski for Kari and I...honestly, I didnt even clean the bases. Just waxed on top off some old Rex blue and called it good.
It was 1F at the start and maybe rose a couple of degrees but the wind was gusting icy and brutal in spots. First time I ever raced in a ski coat, and some windproof training tights and it was perfect
The skins skis I was using should should be lousy for these conditions (they are best on difficult to kick was days around 32F) and after my quick pre race test I told Kari "I have good kick but not much glide" but when I looked at others warming up it looked like everyones glide was sucky with the new falling powdery snow so I wasnt overly concerned.....
Great to be able to line up in the third and last wave with Kari right behind me with about 20-23 or so in our wave, 94 in the total 15K classic field (I like to race in a field of at least 100 and I hope a few more come to race this fun event in the future ) I get up in the front row and as soon as we go a women to my right double poles with more effort than me and gaps me quickly....I am 2nd and seem to be leaving others behind including Kari. I ski alone 2nd in my wave for a long time....till the merge with the longer race course at 4k....
As I am skiing I notice a could things....I am getting good kick with the skins, although when I am racing I will hop out and herring bone some of the pitches because I dont want to risk slipping in the track just to get a few more strides in the track up the hill and the skins grip good in the loose snow on uphills right by the track. But the one thing I notice, that continue to blow me away, is I tend to gap people with my GLIDE with these skins....and that makes no sense. they glide great in the track (especially if you lift your toes) and even though they tend to "catch" in the soft snow in the skate lane (they glide ok in the firm skate track). This makes no sense to me but that is where I made up time on others that were skiing close to me. We would be together on the flats and hills and then a down hill would come and I would lose them.
We are going along and I notice that I am catching people and out gliding them....eventually catching some 2nd wave 15K classic skiers that started 10 minutes in front of us and that is my indication that things are going well. My pace is not fast, just decent, but relative to others I am moving very well....I always hope to crack the top half of the field and if I am in front of all but 1 from the last of 3 waves and catching wave 2 it seems my plan...
Every year the pace at the 11k split is much faster than the final avg pace....dont know why?......uphill?, just bad snow?, i don't know but something to remember in future years...the last 3K., similar to last year, is a windblown track, gusty icy wind, no tracks at times nightmare that slows everyone down....but, I did notice that my old school wax job seemed to be even better relatively in the crappy wind blown gritty snow....Start Green with nary a fluorocarbon did very well.
I crossed the line a bit confused that my time seemed very slow to me but I thought I did very well moving up in the field. I went inside to grab my jacket from my transported bag ready to take a photo of video of Kari since I figured I beat her in by a margin of 7-10 minutes or so.....as I went back out there she was! She said she could see me at times up front but could not close the gap and ended up only a bit over 2 minutes behind.
final results: I was 29th of 94 finishers, top 30.8 % (best placement by far in this race) best % back from the winner ever in this race by far, and beat all my close competitors from former years, while having my slowest pace ever. Looking at the results later showed the track was one of the slowest I have ever raced, everyone was very very slow.....I will give my results a grade of A. It was a good day in the minor leagues....
Kari did even better for herself...she was 37 of 94 overall and won the 40-49 age group. Fun to see her win her age group on her waxless skis....
.burger and a beer at a local bar after the race to top off a great day....
exercise bike 5:00 [3]
ski warm up.....
Friday Jan 6, 2017 #
Note
Taking a risk skiing my skins tomorrow. ...I was torn between my waxable atomic skis or my skins. These conditions for the race should not be good for skins BUT these skis seem to glide well....and I don't know why. It makes no sense. But ultimately I decided to try something new and see what I learn. And if I blow it its only 15k. Kari and I are skiing the same race from the last wave so it should be fun. If I picked the wrong skis perhaps I could still keep up with Kari and we ski together and that ain't so bad.
Thursday Jan 5, 2017 #
exercise bike 1:00:04 [3]
ahr:104
Taper/recovery
Wednesday Jan 4, 2017 #
exercise bike 1:01:16 [3]
ahr:107
Recovery
Tuesday Jan 3, 2017 #
eliptical machine 43:06 [3]
ahr:107
recovery....
Run 39:00 [3]
ahr:123
Run at the stadium with the hoards of serious runners who wanted to avoid the icy streets...
objective....run a bit of speed to aid run and ski speed with lots of rest to insure the legs are not taxed for saturdays race...
1/2 lap is just under a quarter mile....
did a series of
1/2 lap easy run
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap mild run
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap firm run speed
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap moving out run speed
1/2 lap walk
repeat
plus 2 full laps of at firm tempo pace
objective....run a bit of speed to aid run and ski speed with lots of rest to insure the legs are not taxed for saturdays race...
1/2 lap is just under a quarter mile....
did a series of
1/2 lap easy run
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap mild run
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap firm run speed
1/2 lap walk
1/2 lap moving out run speed
1/2 lap walk
repeat
plus 2 full laps of at firm tempo pace
Hike 37:17 [3]
wanted to include the walk part of my run workout separate since it was not a pure run
Monday Jan 2, 2017 #
xc classic skiing 57:33 [3]
our up North ski tour included the wonderful old school singletrack classic at Korkki Nordic....Kari had never skied their before and I was itching to get back.
Had good snow conditions once again in a sketchy year and had a good spin with a few whoops and hollars....
met my race prep goal of 10 ski's before Kari and I take on the Sisu ski fest including some solid interval prep. Good to go. May go for one more ski this week to sharpen up but will mainly focus on easy recovery to rest the legs.
Had good snow conditions once again in a sketchy year and had a good spin with a few whoops and hollars....
met my race prep goal of 10 ski's before Kari and I take on the Sisu ski fest including some solid interval prep. Good to go. May go for one more ski this week to sharpen up but will mainly focus on easy recovery to rest the legs.