Cooked after 3-4 races

On 20 Mar 2007 17:50:33 -0700, wrote:

To me, suggesting that an XC skier spend time during rare snow time
NOT skiing is the long season bike race mentality coming in, I think.

The guy asked how to avoid being cooked for racing. It's his choice.
Be cooked and ski more, or not cooked and ski less.
--
JT
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On Mar 20, 9:15 pm, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:
On 20 Mar 2007 17:50:33 -0700, wrote:

The guy asked how to avoid being cooked for racing. It's his choice.
Be cooked and ski more, or not cooked and ski less.


JT,

I was talking past tense, what I used to do. I could maintain that 9
hr/wk schedule, start racing Jan 1st (maybe in Dec), and make it until
mid-Feb before getting tired. No break. It's interesting that I used
to race 6 races (maybe more) before getting tired, and now it's less
training, taking a break, and 3 races before getting tired. Back then
I was doing over 500 hrs/yr, now it's consistently less than 400.

I think the guys I'm racing against are becoming less competitive. The
years of poor snow has made it tough to train, and if you do train and
take it "seriously," you get some ribbing from friends. I had a friend
show up at a race this year and he couldn't tell me what wax was on
his skis (hadn't waxed in a month and he was telling the truth since
his skis were dogs). Most of the guys are skipping summer rollerskiing
and competing in running, cycling, or tri's. Other friends have
flipped to being cyclists or one friend just gave up. He's still in
the top 200 but that's his only "race" of the year.

Jay W

Bjorn A. Payne Diaz wrote:
On Mar 20, 9:15 pm, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:
On 20 Mar 2007 17:50:33 -0700, wrote:

The guy asked how to avoid being cooked for racing. It's his choice.
Be cooked and ski more, or not cooked and ski less.


JT,

I was talking past tense, what I used to do. I could maintain that 9
hr/wk schedule, start racing Jan 1st (maybe in Dec), and make it until
mid-Feb before getting tired. No break. It's interesting that I used
to race 6 races (maybe more) before getting tired, and now it's less
training, taking a break, and 3 races before getting tired. Back then
I was doing over 500 hrs/yr, now it's consistently less than 400.

I think JT's idea holds true. With less training base you just can't
ski as much during the season.

But in the midwest many of us are going to want to ski whenever there
is snow.

I'm saying that's a factor to deal with somehow.

How to keep up daily skiing with a minimal base?

I suppose you just have to have as good of a base as you can get and
then avoid outright intervals during the snow season.

How to have the best base for XC on minimal hours? I suppose
rollerskiing. But maybe not---I'd say maybe be sure to get in several
long day outings in the summer then running and canoeing in the fall.
Circuits, too---stomach work. But let's get even more specific: I
suspect it's the upper body most of all that gives out for most
citizens, unless they're already paddlers. That's the body part that's
working hardest. Or focus on DP rollerski. But perhaps trail running
does the most for cardio, per hour.

Or maybe you do just have to take, like, a day off every week.

JT: Do you think that stretching and massage (even just a couple
minutes) during that day off would really help with recovery? Maybe
adding those things to the daily routine of a skier who can't take a
day off when there's snow would really help them not get so tired.
Seems like it might---maybe that's a critical missing link. I could
easily add them back into my mix.

PS: I used to do stretching (especially pre-race) and massage and easy
days "back in the day." And could string 10 good races, five weekends,
together, no prob. I made sure to get a good, real massage after every
50k race. It seemed like it saved me. But back then going for a fast
run for 4 miles felt "easy" and hardly raised my breathing---I needed
big hills to get a workout in even. Funny days.

Maybe the massage/stretching would be really helpful for busy low-
hours citizens. --Especially if they're too excited by snow to take a
day off.

--JP