Monday, December 29, 2008
Randonee Racing: A framework for training
While Lance, Wickenhauser, and Benoit might need to do micro-calibrated Lactate Endurance burns in order to gain an extra 0.1% against other elite competitors, you and I can achieve huge gains by focusing on some broader categories. I'll keep the number of training foci to three: speed skills, sport-specific workouts, and weaknesses/limiters. Over the next four posts, let's focus on each of these areas and then, on putting it all together in order to increase number of runs in a day or go faster than your buddies at the local rando race.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Backcountry skiing on crack!
The first Rando Races of the season are almost upon us:
If you're in CO, here is a bulletin from series sponsor, CAMP USA, about some clinics that help you "get up to speed" on rando racing:
GEAR UP FOR RANDO RACING
Bryan Wickenhauser, in conjunction with Boulder Performance Network (physical training professionals in Boulder, CO), will be leading a series of presentations and clinics on the rising sport of randonee ski racing throughout Colorado. Catch up with the tour at one of the following scheduled events.
-12/11/08: Rock & Roll Sports, Gunnison - 6:00p
-12/16/08: Boulder Rock Club, Boulder - 7:30p
-12/18/08: Boulder Nordic Sports, Boulder - 7:00p
-12/20/08: On-Snow Demo, Loveland Ski Resort - 7:30a
-12/27/08: Thin Air Sports, Mount Crested Butte - 5:30p
-1/23/09: REI, Boulder - 7:00p
-January 2008 (date to be determined): The Alpineer, Crested Butte
The COSMIC (Colorado Ski Mountaineering Cup) Race Series schedule is also online at www.cosmicski.com
This is one of my own adventures when high on Rando Race Crack: COSMIC race-director Pete Swenson and I climbed and skied the Dead Dog Couloir on Torreys Pk in under 3 hours round trip from the bridge -on Rando Racing gear! This isn't a record, I'm sure, as we didn't have perfect conditions, but I bet it could be done under two hours...some day it will! I wasn't trying to prove a point, but just wanted to have more fun with my backcountry adventures. The benefits of racing are: getting fit, getting your system dialed, and having fun with other backcountry crackheads! I'd encourage everyone to try at least one race this winter, amongst all your backcountry touring, and I'm going to post a simple-but-effective training guide for the every-weekend-backcountry skier to get ready for faster racing that adds up to more backcountry runs. Coming in a few days...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
32-year line
Just saw that some of the good mates from Boulder (see blog links at left) entered their own trip report in the same contest as my Earnslaw adventure over at TetonAT. Check it out and leave comments there! Good luck Goonies!
Made it another time around the sun! Housemates made a steak dinner, call from Dad and friends, and we got a little snow...pretty much all I could ask for, but then I got the note from TGR:
Awww Thanks Tetons! I haven't seen you for like, a week. Let's go skiing or something!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Word up to my new home and new employer
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It's me and 5 other jolly souls in that split-level, plus at least one dog. You can see Snow King (the town ski hill) at the right edge of the pic, Cache Creek is directly behind the house, and that old, silver Toyota in the driveway will soon be replaced by an even-older one:
From Driving to SFO |
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