Raising The Level Of Cross-Country Skiing In America
Summer Training
It's time to start getting serious again--we're approximately 16 weeks from ski able snow here in the mid west, and time to start focusing on winter goals. I've always found June and July the hardest months to train, with things getting more focused once August is underway. Maybe it's the number of weeks, maybe it's some noticeable early signs of fall (or at least really late summer), who knows. The Grasshoppers are out, the Sumac is starting to turn red, the oak trees are shedding acorns, fall sports practices have started for the local high schools, got my first Vasaloppet mailing of the season (is there any better sign?), and I saw a tree in full autumn glory on Sat (ok, it was a sick and kind of messed up tree, but it was bright gold nonetheless....). The feeling is there--it's go time to get ready for winter.
The bike has been put away for the OD workouts, and the poles have come out. Plyo has changed to incorporate poles and as much ski-specific strength as possible, intensity has begun to increase, as well as rollerski volume. I'm already feeling like I'm in the best shape I've been in for years--let's just hope that this can translate over to snow, and be sustainable through the Bear Chase in March. It's difficult for me to judge where I am compared to last year in a concrete manner. Last season I was overweight and out of shape coming of an extended overseas deployment. I'm starting from a better place this time, as I know I'm stronger now than I was then. While I'm aware of progress, I really will have no measurable baseline or comparison until I get onto snow and can start skiing again.
It's been challenging trying to get the most out of the season, so my results have been hit-or-miss recently High School Fall sports workouts have started with 2-a-day workouts, which entail transportation requirements for my daughter (carpool!!), work throws a wrench into things frequently, and then there is the weather. Life just gets in the way sometimes, but then there are things that are more important that training......
While August can have some beautiful training days, it can have some of the absolute worst as well. Take Monday for example, I tried to do a plyo/pole strength workout and only lasted for 30 minutes of a planned 60 minute effort--temps were over 90 degrees. I just couldn't recover between sets (I hate that). I shouldn't' gripe about the weather however--it's better than Iraq in August......
If nothing else, this whole process is improving my confidence:
I mapped out the routes I've used for my last two OD sessions, and they've both been in excess of 11 miles. That's a distance that I never thought I'd see myself running....or whatever you call that pole hike/run thing I've been doing. I only see the distance on that workout increasing as I add hours. I feel really good after this workout......after I recover that is.....
I looked at the Bear Chase maps and terrain profile--all of a sudden the distance doesn't look that bad.
This is starting to feel doable, and my confidence is starting to increase after what was a pretty bad season last year. The mental barriers in this, like all sports, are huge, but that's all they are, is mental, and with time and training can be overcome. Last year, if you would have asked me to DP for 30 min I would have just laughed at you.....I can do this now, it's kind of cool
The bike has been put away for the OD workouts, and the poles have come out. Plyo has changed to incorporate poles and as much ski-specific strength as possible, intensity has begun to increase, as well as rollerski volume. I'm already feeling like I'm in the best shape I've been in for years--let's just hope that this can translate over to snow, and be sustainable through the Bear Chase in March. It's difficult for me to judge where I am compared to last year in a concrete manner. Last season I was overweight and out of shape coming of an extended overseas deployment. I'm starting from a better place this time, as I know I'm stronger now than I was then. While I'm aware of progress, I really will have no measurable baseline or comparison until I get onto snow and can start skiing again.
It's been challenging trying to get the most out of the season, so my results have been hit-or-miss recently High School Fall sports workouts have started with 2-a-day workouts, which entail transportation requirements for my daughter (carpool!!), work throws a wrench into things frequently, and then there is the weather. Life just gets in the way sometimes, but then there are things that are more important that training......
While August can have some beautiful training days, it can have some of the absolute worst as well. Take Monday for example, I tried to do a plyo/pole strength workout and only lasted for 30 minutes of a planned 60 minute effort--temps were over 90 degrees. I just couldn't recover between sets (I hate that). I shouldn't' gripe about the weather however--it's better than Iraq in August......
If nothing else, this whole process is improving my confidence:
I mapped out the routes I've used for my last two OD sessions, and they've both been in excess of 11 miles. That's a distance that I never thought I'd see myself running....or whatever you call that pole hike/run thing I've been doing. I only see the distance on that workout increasing as I add hours. I feel really good after this workout......after I recover that is.....
I looked at the Bear Chase maps and terrain profile--all of a sudden the distance doesn't look that bad.
This is starting to feel doable, and my confidence is starting to increase after what was a pretty bad season last year. The mental barriers in this, like all sports, are huge, but that's all they are, is mental, and with time and training can be overcome. Last year, if you would have asked me to DP for 30 min I would have just laughed at you.....I can do this now, it's kind of cool
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