Preparing for Next Years Canadian Birkie

Picture taken during the Ski Tour Canada 2016 World Cup at the relay races in Canmore

At the wrap up party for Birkie students, the Birkie Adult Training Group (BTG) the following question was asked. What are you going to do to prepare for next years Canadian Birkie?

These are some of your answers:
Running
Swimming
Paddling
Lots of Roller Skiing
Bicycling
Hiking, Hiking with ski poles, Walking
Triathlons
Lose some weight
Train four or five times a week.
Do some specific weight training for skiing
Lots of core strength
Bicycle touring
Work on Balance and try some slack-line
Ball exercises
Continue in Martial Arts
Trail Running
Mountain Biking
Roller Blading
Take some Downhill and Nordic Ski Lessons

These exercises are all very good. Staying healthy, outside and uninjured is very important. As a coach I will add a few more that I will be doing. Chase snow. Stay on skis as long as you can in the spring and get on snow, early in the fall.
If you can, go glacier skiing.
Review video of the best skiers in the world.
Do Dry-land Nordic walking, bounding, striding, double poling, offset, stutter step, etc. The hillier the terrain the better.
For those of you who want to be more serious, perhaps consider joining a racing ski club and get a full time coach. Consider doing some other form of summer time racing, to keep mind and body sharp.
Perhaps order some new skis, poles, boots, wax, ski clothing or get your old skis stone ground?
Perhaps the local club needs some volunteer work on the trails?
Consider commuting to work under your own power, run, bike or roller ski, etc. as it will safe you money and time.
Use a heart rate monitor to see if you are going too hard or easy?

Remember that as we age, recovery is not nearly as quick, so train gently but strongly, and figure in lots of rest time.

As always, email me if you have questions. Refer to my summer blog from last year if you want tollok at video clips of the best skiers training.

Be Safe and Have FUN.

The Canadian Birkie 2016 That Never Was

El Nino won this year. There just was not enough snow to hold the race this year.

The students of the Birkie Training Group, BTG, were asked how has the cancelled Birkie affected you?

These are some of their answers:
Many have stopped skiing because of next to no snow, even now. Icy conditions have made it dangerous. Due to quick rise and fall of temperatures during the day you need to pick the best time of day, to ski.

Some of you felt bad for others, who were so disappointed and had put so much time and money in preparing for the race.

Others of you were kind of happy because you had not done all your homework.
Homework is where once a week to 10 days, they need to ski long. (i.e 3-6 hours)

Others have taken up the opportunity to learn ski skating. This has worked out well, as many guys know how to ice skate and have leg muscles that are somewhat able to handle the new sport. For the ladies who like speed and not having to worry about kick wax, ski skating has turned out to be a new adventure.

For others even if the Birkie was cancelled, at least it was a motivator for the winter season to get outside and get fit.

Many went and tried other Loppets that were not cancelled, and learned of new places to ski, throughout the province. It was mentioned that in future years you will not put all your energy towards one race, but will have several other mini goals, as was suggested by the instructors in the first place. The more you are exposed to different snow conditions and trail, the more experienced skier you will be.

A few of you expressed relief that you did not have to worry about what wax to use for the Birkie. Many of you have taken the waxing course taught by Mike, and you felt ready for just about any waxing issue.

Others of you bought new ski equipment as prices were better at the local store, due to the slow season. Zero skis, waxless skis, rock skis and skate skis, were all added to some of your ski gear.

To sum it all up next years Birkie is less then a year away. We can only hope that next year we will have lots of snow! Man made snow should be ready at Gold Bar to cover at least 2.5 km, hopefully.

The next blog is about what kind of training you said will be doing for the coming summer.

                                This picture was taken last winter!! At SWC