2nd Week of Dryland ski classes (Core)

Started off class with asking how many people did their homework which was confession time for some, as 3 hours was about max for most, some doing far less. The goal was 5 hours of ski specific training.
Please try to be at class on time, and send an email if you think you might be late.
Introduced another class member.
Please remember to bring a quick 75-100 calorie snack with water for the next class. There will be a 2-3 minute break around the 45 minute mark. Over the next several weeks, snack choice will be discussed.
I stressed once again that skiing is GRAVITY FIRST, then body weight, and then muscle.
Class had a 'choice' of working on core or legs, but of course CORE it was. The body needs a strong core first and foremost!
Started off with having a seat on the picnic benches, and doing 4 sets of 30 second holds, with a 1 minute break, after stretching the forearm and wrist.
Core and calves always seem to need more work then the rest of the ski muscles.
Went outside and did several exercises of review ski walking, which was covered in last class.
Paired up in twos, and they did leg throwing, where they lay on their backs and grab the person's ankles, that do the throwing. After showing that pushing the legs is not done timidly, most did get a workout. This exercise, very quickly shows who has a weak core.
Introduced Ski striding. The difficulty is to still find your hips still falling forward, before the knee dip push, (ahhh) Most of you know when you are getting it.  :)
Curb running for balance while HR was up a bit, and then more practice ski bounding
Introduced just a little bit of double poling (DP) to have the students realize, POLES are for PUSH.
As we stressed, you have to be mentally strong, not just physically strong, to apply technique while hurting, and bit by bit your technique will stay together, as your HR goes up, up, up.
Have an awesome week and please try to get your homework done, especially those who are planning on doing the 31km or the 55km.

After class, wifey and I went fatbiking on the local ski trails, as weather was very nice, warm and dry, which will not be likely much longer.

First Class. A New #Nordic Ski season 2018-2019 (ski walking)

A new season with some new faces. It is a good mix of new and old students.
                              Winter is coming at least according to the work of the beaver. :)

There are few points that I try to follow, that you should know about.
1. If it hurts, too bad. If it is pain, stop, or work around it.
2. Always listen to your body.
3. Suck air and suffer, always paying attention to points one and two.
4. Never let your brain go on automatic pilot! Always be thinking of what you are telling your various body parts to do!!
5. I believe in specific ski strength. Trim yourself down if need be or you might need some muscle. I am old school and believe in 3 sets, 10 reps to failure, with warmup and cool down sets.
For myself if I start sucking air, I stop and take a picture of the beauty around me. Contradictory, of course, lol.
6. When it rains, I train, is an old motto of mine, because we were sent home from work construction. Translation means, yes there is class regardless of weather, and we will do a work around if necessary.

Now back to the first class.
We went around in a circle and you mentioned a few things about yourself, and what sport activities you have been doing.
We practiced falling forward from the ankles, with a partner.
Nordic walking pole length; I normally recommend hands at around 2-4cm above the height of a right angle of your elbow.
Then we practiced ski walking uphill, leading with the belly button, falling forward, letting gravity do its thing.
We then emphasized elbows bent forward at around a 90' and back 90', with normally, next to no tricep extension. This is assuming you are crunching!
Use your elbow to drive forward, on each falling step.
We learned that you should be able to put a ski pole, back, through bent elbows.
Coming downhill you keep your legs bent, butt low, and pretend to go around a planted pole on each turn.
We practiced falling forward with just one leg, and taking a falling step with a partner.
Then you practiced ski walking again.
We mixed it up and you practiced balance, walking on the concrete curbs.
Then there was some ski walking up the pylons.
Then we added some spring (boing) to each step
2 legged hops up the hill, on either side of the pylons
Another round for balance on the curbs while HR was still a bit elevated.
Stretching is important and I like to stretch in hot water, with jets, not saunas.

I am on Instagram as ucanskixc.


HOMEWORK is 5 hours of ski specific training for the next few weeks. Of course another 10-15 hours of other training is ok for now. Do what you can, life for all of us, gets busy at times.  :)

A few animals I have seen in the past few months, while skiing.

Late last season, World Cup ski racing observations

Diggins tuck
Shoulders are lower then the butt, which is high. Legs are almost straight, weight are on the heels. Hands are in front but with bent elbows. This position allows you to stretch the back and the hamstrings.

Sunby Grip
Hands are bent in ever so little, as the wrist is straight and elbows wider then hands.

Sunby Stands straight and compact

Sunby butt drop. Ever since Sunby did his experiment with no kick wax and it backfired in the relay race. He used a very deep butt drop. Since that time I have taught an exercise, where I used the butt drop but only after the your center of gravity has come forward.

Hip drive/ski cross/tight butt. I feel hip drive stretches the hip flexors a bit. It is better to think of tighting the butt and crossing the rear ski to the midpoint of the track. This all helps with weight shift and glide.

Klaebo uphill run. On real steep uphill he runs with a very obvious lift of a running motion

Circular poling versus straight forward and back. This has been around for some time I believe however that straight forward and back is still the best, even at very high turnover DP rates.

This article has been sitting since spring and I had not published it. Oops. Have FUN.

Notes on Skiing Long before the Birkie

                              Moose less then a stone throw away off the ski trail.

Two weeks before the race, is the last time that you should be considering, skiing long. I am not saying ski the distance, but if you are going to be, say, a 6 hour skier, then you ski at least 2/3rds of the time, not the distance. So, a 6 hour skier would ski at least 4 hours.

Due to faster snow and your own rest recovery leading up to the race, you can normally fudge one third. Of course, if you are able ski the expected time of what you figure you are going to do, then do so.

Those that are a bit younger (under 35), may be able to ski long up to within 10 days of the race. However in my years of observation and personal experience, I feel you cannot recover fully, in just a week before the race, if you have skied long.

You may need to go out of town to find decent ski conditions too, unfortunately.

After skiing long, do lots of stretching, preferably in water, eat and drink lots, in the last several days before the race.

Treat yourself to a massage to if you like, but not within the last 2 days of the race, unless of course you do it all the time.

Do not do anything that you are not used to. If you do abnormal exercises, then the newly used muscles will be sore and tender.

As usual, feel free to send me any questions that you may have.

See you on the trails. Look around and enjoy nature as well.
                                                                   
                                                                          Porcupine

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