Hey Good Morning
I have a troublesome issue. When the trail is uneven.. i.e. following a thaw/freeze
with a dusting of fresh snow. When I am out on one ski it is very unstable and thus I need to take shorter ineffective strides. Is there a tip for this uneven terrain to maintain glide out on your ski and stay stable???
Thanks
Hello,
These types of conditions do cause some trouble. One of the best ways to combat just about any terrain issue, whether it be off-camber trails or uneven/choppy snow, is to become better at skiing well on both your left and your right. In the case of a trail that falls away, it is far more efficient to use your poles on the uphill side in V1. This way your skis will be using gravity to pull your non-poling side along, because that side is riding downhill.
We can't forget that the best way to stay stable on your skis is to keep your center of gravity between the balls of your feet. Maintaining a ready stance with everything in a very neutral, forward position will help you maintain control when you are out on one ski at a time.
Hope you find smooth tracks soon!
Hi.
Consider this question for your emails.
I am an average citizen skier. When I skate ski, I ski so much more relaxed when not using my poles and just using my legs. Also, while this may not be true, it seems like I ski faster and with less effort over flats or even slight uphils without using the poles.
Then I try and add the poling and my skiing becomes less fluid and it seems like I am using much more energy. Do you think this is true? And, what are best practice techniques to be able to ski with both the legs and upper body in a relaxed fluid smooth motion?
Thank you!
Here are some tips for you to consider:
- While skiing without poles, swing your arms as if they had poles on. Perhaps you already do this, but what I am imagining is that there is a timing issue with your hands and your legs.
- Next after you have done this through the various strides (V1, V2, V2alt), add a "crunch" of the abdominal muscles into your poling motion. This might help you take out any possible hitch that occurs with your poles in hand, and will certainly help give you power if done correctly with your poles.
- All of this stuff is pretty basic, but taking a clinic or watching yourself on video, with and without poles, might just do the trick. Sometimes it is something subtle like where your arms are in relation to your body, and other times trouble occurs when timing is off. Having someone examine your technique, and seeing yourself on video are sure ways of making your skiing come around.
- Finally, there are several videos and CD-ROMs available through cxcstore.org These videos might give you what you need to get all of the things we mentioned above dialed in before you head out the door.
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| How To Stay Fit When Skiing Isn't Your Job |
By Chad Giese
Saab Salomon Factory Team
While being a professional skier for close to 10 years I have had plenty of opportunities to learn what training my body needs to be fit. Over the years I tried new things, went back to the old Finnish text book, tried even newer things, and then finally settled in on what I know works for me. My coach, Ahvo Taipale, and I would refer to this process as: Plan, Execute, and Analyze. We did this over and over again; on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. It resulted in a mixture of new and old training methods, from swamp running to lactate testing, from specific strength to max strength, from interval blocks to muscle maintenance, and now this knowledge is becoming very valuable.
I have passed along the simple training principles that I used when I was training full-time: Include intensity, speed, strength, distance, over-distance, and recovery into every week of the year. When each of these are done in the right proportion, at the right volume, and at the right intensity each week, success will no doubt follow. As a full-time skier I paid a lot of attention to the formula and near the end I think I got pretty close to figuring it out. Now, I am not training full-time, I have a full-time job, and a new son.
My new goal is to simply maintain my fitness and my base for as long as I can and there are a few workouts that I can rely on to make sure that I can still be competitive. Here’s the breakdown:
- Speed: This is something that can go quickly so it is important that I do this at least once/week. Instead of a set speed workout, I incorporate speed into an easy run, bike, or ski by doing a few sprints.
- Upper body strength: I can always turn to a good strength workout to make me feel fit again. Pull-ups are the essential part of my week and a good indication of my upper body strength. If I can do sets of 15 each week, I know my arms will be there when I need them in a race. This is a far cry from where I was at a few years ago, but not all that bad really. Double poling is really important. If I am able to get out on rollerskis or on snow during the week I will double pole for 1-2 hours. I use my legs much more than my arms because most of my training sessions are running or biking, so whenever I can I’ll take advantage of an upper body workout on skis.
- Intensity: I find that I have to do something hard each week. Sometimes it is planned, sometimes it just happens, but either way my lungs get a workout. I hang onto my upper end a lot longer when I work my lungs and feel the lactate buildup at least once per week. Sometimes these are structured, such as 4 x 4 minutes and sometimes I find myself just running as fast as I can for as long as I can. It has happened more than once that out of the corner of my eye I notice the track at the college near my house on my drive home from work and 30 minutes later I find myself running 400s. Sounds crazy I know and I think I am almost over this, but sometimes my body needs intensity.
- Over-distance: There is nothing better than a long workout to clean the system. If I can find the time to get in a good 2-4 hour workout each week, I’ll take it and consider myself lucky. As a full-time skier these workouts were essential to do many times a week in order to make it through a full racing season of 30 starts, but now they truly are a luxury. I feel much better when I can fit one of these in each week.
- Recovery: I used to pay very close attention to this when I was training full-time because I was packing 10-12 workouts into each week. This meant I needed to optimize the recovery between each workout. Now, I have more recovery incorporated into my week and just have to make sure I eat a balanced diet and remember to drink water, not just coffee.
These are a few things that I know work for me and keep me in touch with my high end fitness, strength, and speed. A lot of the really tough workouts I no longer do, like swamp running, but this new set of key workouts give me what I need to maintain my fitness. I came across these workouts through the Plan, Execute, and Analyze process over the years and your list might be different. We’ll see in the coming months if these workouts have done their job or if I’ve done enough work. Regardless, it is always fun to put a bib on.
See you out on the trails this winter doing a 4 hour double pole interval with speed thrown in. |
| SWIX Wax Reports - Weekend 1/2/09 - 1/4/09 |
SWIX
New Swix Glide Wax Remover & Base Conditioner The I84 Cleaner for Fluoro Glide Wax
Swix School www.swixracing.us
The new I84 Cleaner for Fluoro Glide wax by Swix is designed primarily for the skier who is waxing with the Category 1 and 2 Swix Cera Nova waxes: namely the Swix Cera F powders FC7, FC8, FC10, FC10BO and FC78 SuperCera; the Turbo Solids FC7BS, FC8WS and FC10BS; and the liquid Cera F’s FC8A, L8 and L10; and the HF and the new HF Black Wolf waxes.
Swix has found that these waxes are bonding so well and so strongly to the base that the typical hot scrape cleaning method does not remove all the old wax. The bonds of the fluoro molecules are too strong and remain as an impenetrable layer on the ski base not allowing absorption of a warm paraffin wax during a hot scrape cleaning application. The I84 safely dissolves flouro components.
The new I84 Cleaner is being used extensively by teams domestically and on the World Cup. It improves glide and conditions the base and is recommended for thorough base cleaning.
Use the I84 Cleaner by applying liquid to the base then lightly scrubbing base back and forth using a soft white nylon brush. Excess cleaner can be absorbed with Fiberlene. Let dry for 5-10 minutes. Brush base with T192N / T188 Fine Steel brush and follow by normal hot scrape cleaning 2-3 times.
If you are not using these Cera Nova Category 1 and 2 waxes, you can certainly continue to clean with a very warm, easily melting wax such as Swix BP99 or Swix CH10, let cool for 30 seconds to a minute and hot scrape off. This can be done several times until base is very clean. The new I84 cleans normal and low flouro waxes as well so it can be used as an all around glide wax / glide zone base cleaner for racing skis and snowboards.
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| Events/Clinics/Announcements |
The National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation announces their 2009
fundraiser calendar. It is filled with high-quality images of the US Ski Team from
recent World Cup action and features photos and bios of the next generation of US
ski racers - before they become household names. The NCCSEF has granted over
$175,000 to junior racers in the last 12 years. They've funded every World Junior
Championship team since 1997 and every J1 Scando Cup team since it was initiated in 1999. The annual calendar is a major Component of the NCCSEF Future Fund and you can be a part of this great tradition with your purchase!
Calendars are arriving from the printer soon and will be available direct through Boulder Nordic Sport as well as from the NCCSEF offices in St. Paul, MN. Coaches and clubs are encouraged to purchase the calendars for 50% to use as a fundraising tool. Half of the $20 price of the calendar will benefit the local club selling the calendar and half will go to the NCCSEF Future Fund.
The NCCSEF is a membership-based non-profit organization founded to promote the development of cross-country ski racing through the funding of activities that broaden entry level participation, challenge youth to achieve higher goals, and
support efforts that will eventually lead to success in international cross-country
skiing competition by US athletes.
Contact Phil Bowen phil@andersonbowen.com or Reid Lutter reid@nccsef.org for more information and to arrange delivery of calendars for your team or club
fundraiser. Visit nccsef.org to learn about an exciting opportunity for the NCCSEF
to earn $50,000 to help U25 skiers - with your help!
________________________________________________________
Upcoming Tour de Ski URLS:
Universal Sports.com
Monday, Dec. 29
Men’s & Women’s Sprint from Oberhof, GER 2pm ET
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Men’s 15k from Nove Mesto CZE 11:50am ET
On-Demand Coverage:
Saturday, Dec. 27
Women’s Prologue
Men’s Prologue
Sunday, Dec. 28
Women’s 10k from Oberhof, GER
Men’s 15k from Oberhof, GER
________________________________________________________
CXC is happy to work with SkiPost in offering the following products to
help make this year faster than last! Your purchases and support will help
shape the future of Nordic skiing in the US.
TRAINING LOG FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES. LOG IT! - NEW
Provides a template for recording daily training throughout the year, broken into 13 four-week periods, interspersed with photos and stories to inspire your training. Take advantage of the introduction to help build a plan for your season, then record and adapt your training over the year as your fitness progresses. The log is written by US Ski Team member and with forward by US Ski Team head coach Pete Vordenberg.
CXC ACADEMY (WEB BASED) – NEW
Training plans for high school, Junior Olympics, college, elite, masters and Birkie skiers with daily workout examples. Video of technique progressions, ski specific workouts, interviews and other useful materials.
“CXCAcademy.com is one of the best things to happen to XC skiing in the United States. Anyone who participates is truly rewarded with excellent training programs and technique examples”.
CROSS COUNTRY TECHNQIUE FUNDAMENTALS (CD-ROM)
This CD lays the foundation for both Classic and Freestyle techniques on which we can build a consistent technique program that will continue to develop great cross-country skiers for years to come.
WAKE UP! IT'S TIME TO TRAIN (DVD)
70 minutes of exclusive interviews with US National Team coaches, drills and
technique, fitness testing, sports physiology, core strength, training volume, intensity levels, race footage, and much more.
X-COUNTRY (DVD)
The inside story on one of the toughest sports around by top World Cup racers.
COMPETITIVE CORE TRAINING - REAL TRAINING FOR REAL ATHLETES (DVD)
Competitive Core Training provides the exercises and workouts that will help athletes of all ages, abilities, and sports develop a strong, flexible core that is essential to athletic performance and success.
Visit the CXC Store at:
www.cxcstore.com
and CXC Academy at
www.cxcacademy.com
_____________________________________
Ski and Tea
is a women's year-round ski-specific training group in the Birkie Trail area (Cable, Hayward, Seeley) founded by Linda Cook and Juli Lynch. Our group goal is to have every woman who comes "Be and Feel Successful and Proud To Be a Skier!" We are a mix of abilities and ages with a motto of "No Woman Left Behind!" Our first day of training together was January 4, 2008 with 8 women showing up. We now have over 104 women on the mailing list for our weekly newsletter.
Ski and Tea Women's Group is hosting Maria Stuber, Kristina Owen, JoJo Winters, Heather Zimmerman and Caitlin Compton - Five U.S. Team/Olympic
Hopefuls to conduct Five Women-Only Progressive Ski Technique Clinics. The clinics are Open Registration for Women of ALL levels - beginners to seasoned racers - ages 12 and Up! Each four hour clinic is $50.00 and 100% of the revenue goes to the Central Cross-Country Skiing (CXC) Elite Women Skiers to help them pursue their dreams and goals. The first clinic was Oct. 11 with Maria Stuber as Clinician, and the second clinic was November 7 with Kristina Owen as Clinician. Both clinics were smashing successes!
The next clinics scheduled are:
January 18--Ski and Tea Hosting Clinician Heather Zimmerman - More advanced Ski Technique for both Skate and Classic
February 18--Wednesday before the Birkie - Ski and Tea Hosting Clinician
Caitlin Compton - Race Strategies and Packed Snow Skiing Tactics.
Contact Linda Cook for registration information - lpcook@chibardun.net
NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails
to weanswer@skipost.com
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