Training Log Archive: bl

TRT at 2:50p, groomed with soft surface in sun, crusty in shade. Not good enough for open-field crust skiing. Can walk on the crust surface in woods all around the house. It's interesting & nice to be a foot taller.

Tired day - Beth up at 0315 for 6a flt to FL & did not get back to real sleep. Finally, though, had her drive herself, leave car in long term pkng for the 4 days away.

Bad day --- fingers on both hands were numb by first point. Had decent gloves with 2 chemical hand warmers in each (put in about an hour before) but fingers were still too cold with way too far to go. Was annoyed/frustrated/distracted/not having a good time so I bagged it - couldn’t use poles effectively etc. Didn’t help that e-punch had come off gloved forefinger a few minutes before start (tho I’d considered that in past 30’) & had to remove gloves to fiddle to get it back in place. Wind chill etc on a morning such as it was is a good test of preparedness & I was an amateur. Practice makes perfect & ski racers see a lot of the kind of windy cold there was this am. It was fine in woods but there was no way the fingers were going to warm up. Recall a super cold UNO ski O at Bretton woods years ago w/ cold fingers (old cold damage/sensitivity) but stuck that one out. A “must go” am such as this was is not what I see much of - usually skiing is a choice as to where & when unless a race-type effort. Had good down mitts but no plan for the punch with them. Will make some accommodation. It’s possible to be comfortable, even in windchill cold.

Visit to SM trails around 3p for dogs who were shortchanged past 2 days. Conditions were great Fri pm but now ice, crust, a few places of bare ground under trees. Nice enough 20F though.

West Point not a month away & I've done less running in the past 2-3 months than in years past. Not possible to play catchup but time to head in that direction.

At Trapp Family - drove up with Beth & dogs, left 0600. Around 40F & windy at 9a arrival. Got some temp appropriate yellow fluoro wax from Jim A. Saw Coach at one point where I elected to remove my skis - took maybe a minute to get them back on. Not a good idea to take off - groove in boots fills with packed snow, map holder doesn't allow easy access to "ground floor" & maybe balance issue chipping in too.

Saw Larry B for a few points, could not keep pace with him either. Then Sharon came by - at one point, the 3 of us were standing at a control - an easy 105 yrs of 'hanging out' with O. Really quite tired by finish, napped in car for about 50' then drove off to Burlington. Mediocre technique & no surprise. Needs work & more work, might have stayed for clinic but low on energy - spitting rain fm a gray sky not motivating either.

Middle Course 2 - Splits

Event: US Ski-O Championships
 

TRT - groomed for a surprise & surface was good. T mid 30s.

SPS, windy, 20F. Snow blowing across fields everywhere. From NHH at 2:30, really thought a nap was in order but went to find some lee at SPS & had a good time. Groomed hard pack (lots of rain last night) with most 2" dry snow on top. Also, some in woods off trail & a short spin on snow-covered artificial turf (turned up looking for spring most likely). No one in sight - everything untracked.

Weights & cardio - gray & raining, snow forecast...

At Turkey River at 11a, 52F when I left - too much warmth for skating.