I am tired of riding my bike this winter. So I bought some V2 roller skis and I am planing to do my first XC race this year. So far the training is going well and the motivation is high. The workouts are incredible and I think the double-poling reallyhelps my swimming as well.
Since I have no exp. with racing I am looking for some info as to what these races are like. How do you start, how long is the avg. ski marathon? Should I try to do a qualifier before the Birkie, etc? I guess I would try to be competitive and not just try to finish.
Any good races in southern WI or IL? Cerveloguy, I noticed you are a XC skier -any input?
redemann. unless you are good enuf to get an invite for the “coop” up in the elite wave it is considered Bad Form to sneak your way into a higher wave in the birkie with a pansy-a$$ qualifier. avoid this yuppie-scum path! start in the back and pay yer dues, brother! see if you can go from last wave to first on one fell swoop!
the “nocq” up in marquette is a fabulous race - unbelievable scenery high above lake superior.
if you do shorter races be prepared to suffer mightily. those guys in the hour record thread are wrong - xc skiing hurts more than cycling. as an AG beginner you will get hammered mercilessly. xc skiing is like swimming in that it is technique oriented, and the dudes that do lots have been doing so for a long time. ski marathons are about as long time - wise as running marathons . . . .the birkie is usually won a tad over 2 hours. lots of avg joes shoot for the sub 3 hr mark as a way to call it a good day - if you wish to go under that and approach 2.5 or the like you are gonna have to be hauling some serious a$$, just like you would for a marathon of equal time. finally, it is tons - o - fun, and very similar to tri in various ways, IMHO. the effort, pacing, equipment, technique, different conditions etc balance is close one to the other.
finally - be sure to road trip for snow. nothing in the world like laying down first tracks after the pisten-bully at lakewood, wi - or minocqua - or on the birkie trail . . . . . .all just a few hours from you. see ya.
The one thing I wasn’t prepared for at my first race was the amount of double-poling at the start. Everyone’s so packed in that you can’t use your skis much at the start.
thanks for the advice guys. Just got back from a short rollerski workout. Seems like double poling is key if you want to have a quick start and get up front. Being a strong swimmer seems to help.
I am not a novice skier but just have never been racing. Can you qualify in another race in order to get into a faster wave? Also what kind of workouts are you guys doing?
Here is another site with lots of training info and schedules: www.xcskiworld.com. I recently have applied myself in Nordic ski racing and can’t stress enough the need for good coaching as both disciplines are very technical. Guys you normally shell on the bike take serious revenge on you out on the snow. JD Downing recommends two (gym or ski-specific) strength sessions, one (roller ski or on snow)intensity and one long (no stopping) session a week minimum to get ready for a ski marathon. I recommend having both classic gear (for LSD and just exercising the dog) and skate stuff so you can ski whenever and wherever possible.
looks like you can weasel your way up to 5th wave start with a qualifing race these days ( tho the Dishonour and Shame in doing so would make any samurai fall on his own carbide tipped swix star carbon pole ). as i recall, that will getcha up around the 4 hour crew. you would have clear sailing for about 2K from the start, then will be stuck walking the hills in crazy traffic for another 5K or so - but then will be able to rumble.