Hey guys, looks like Feb will be the month of XC ski racing…three races in 3 weekends. Who is in?
Feb 3: Winterlude Tri, 8K speedskate-5K XC ski-5K run, Ottawa, ON http://www.zone3sports.com/winterlude.htm Feb 10: Lake Placid Loppet, 50K Skate Ski, Lake Placid NY: www.orda.org Feb 18: Keskinada World Loppet 50K skate ski, Gatineau Quebec: www.keskinada.com
Rounding the turn at the 10K checkpoint at the Keski:
4x Olympian Steve Cyr powers through:
And just in case you want to make it 4 races in 4 weekends, there is the Portland 50K speedskate 1 hour south of Ottawa on the Rideau River Jan 27th:
do you know whether or not the Sugarloaf ski marathon will happen? Sue Foster, the RD for both the marathon and the ski marathon, has moved to Bar Harbor and isn’t directing either.
Holy shit. I’ve been into the idea of doing some cross country skiing this winter, but I had no idea there was speed skating around. Are you serious? Normal people (who aren’t training for the olympics) can do this shit? Are you serious? I always wanted to speed skate as a kid, but there’s not much ice culture in Washington, so I just did a whole lot of inline. That aerial photo of the oval is beautiful.
CCF, there is tons of speedskating around for real humans. You can get your gear right in Vermont at www.nordicskater.com. You can speedskate right on the Olympic Oval in Lake Placid, or you can come up to Ottawa were we have the Rideau Canal, home of the Canadian IronDistance. In the winter, it is frozen and is an 8K long skating rink:
The chance of frostbite at Keski is 5/1 (in favour of getting frost bite). I’d say I look horribly cold in the Keski 2006 “sprint finish” (I know, bend more at the ankles)
CCF, there is tons of speedskating around for real humans. You can get your gear right in Vermont at www.nordicskater.com. You can speedskate right on the Olympic Oval in Lake Placid, or you can come up to Ottawa were we have the Rideau Canal, home of the Canadian IronDistance. In the winter, it is frozen and is an 8K long skating rink:
Ha ha ha. This is hilarious. I just went to the nordicskater website. The store is three miles from my house. I’ve ridden my bike past there a billion times and never seen it. It’s right at the base of my favorite climb. I think I’ll stop in tomorrow. Thanks for the info!
OK, we are gradually getting out of doughboyland. This morning, Trevor S from Rochester and I did a 90 min easy rollerski. Lots of technique work. Trevor is racing the Winterlude Tri and double Keski (Sat 29 classic, Sun 53K skate).
Trevor also took a moment to check out my position while I was riding on my rollers in the aerobars with head down at 105 RPM. Aparently my seat is too low, and bars are too high!
This morning, Trevor S from Rochester and I did a 90 min easy rollerski.
That was easy?
Put me in for the Winterlude, maybe the 25K classic LP Loppet (depends if wife ok’s it) and mini double at Keski. The Portland 50K nordic-skate looks interesting as well.
The set-up advice was worth as much as you paid for it.
BTW,The Weather Network says no rain tomorrow. But -3C.
Trevor, it was easy for me because I was on the “fast roller skis”. If you want to ride on the fast and “unstable” skis tomorrow, go for it! I figure after trying your’s out, mine has 10-15% less resistance
Just came back from coaching the kids at XC dryland training. Raised the seat of the bike ~7mm and then rode for 30 min rollers, aero position @95-105+ RPM. It certainly felt a lot easier as it opened up the hip angle. Hips were not rocking, but we’ll have to see about it when I get on a real road. Anyone can be a stud indoors…its hard to be smooth and aero in the real world
By the way, I am working on Triyoda to make a celebrity appearance at either the LP Loppet or the Keski…I might have a houseful of ST posers…better let my wife know
OK, Trevor is serious about this “Tour de Ski”. He’s forced my ass out of bed and it taking me up for some more roller skiing/lessons. I wonder it he can take out Triyoda by a few seconds like he did at Tupper Lake?
Any event that involves camping overnite will not be on my plan :-). Seriously, hats off to the Canadian Ski Marathon studs…back to back ~90K days and sleeping outside.
It is the same weekend as the LP Loppet
By the way, Trevor and I had a solid training day today. We went up to Gatineau Park and started with a 70 min run, where I acted as tour guide showing him some key landmarks on the Keski50K including the Penguin 1K climb with over 600 ft of vertical that comes at around 23 K into the race. Then after doing 20 min of downhill running to make sure Trevor’s quads were shot, we got on the rollerskis for 80 min.
So much for being a doughboy…5 hour training weekend. Well, at least Trevor got some free XC ski coaching this weekend which is as good as the money he paid for it and best of all, he got a 2 day jumpstart on his 2007 training plan where he plans to take out Triyoda at Ironman70.3 Newfoundland (and you know that both those guys are going to head to the rock for nothing but the good brew…)
!
Hey Dev, don’t scare people away from the CSM :>) It’s only the real psychos who camp out overnight (Coureur du Bois gold). You can spend Sat night soaking in a hot tub at the Chateau Montebello, sipping wine and feasting if you’re not quite as crazy and are satisfied with the Coureur du Bois bronze or silver.
The CSM is a fabulous event - scenic and challenging with lots of camaraderie. Not to be missed!
