Wearing a Hat?

Would you please respond to the issue of wearing hats to help maintain core temp and thus not jeopardize performance. Our middle school & high school girls are into looking good with brightly colored headbands that leave much of their hair & head exposed to the elements.  Today at the JNQ Sprint races in Wausau we had pouring rain (it could have just as likely been heavy wet snow) coming down that was totally saturating their head/hair as well as their race suits. While coaches are concerned with the wax on their athlete's skis, it does not seem like they are as concerned with lessened performance due to inappropriate dress. I am not talking about sunny 30+ race days. I was always taught that if core temp was maintained or even increased - the extremities (legs/arms and the muscles in those legs and arms) would perform at a higher level than if the body was chilled and the blood was being shunted to the core. Is this old school thinking? I believe if an expert responds to this, I have a better chance of being listened to when I tell them to put a hat on!

Worried Coach

Yes, the human body performs best when its core temp remains around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Too cold (or too hot) and performance quickly drops. We lose heat through conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. We constantly release heat in the form of radiation. Conduction occurs when our bodies give away heat to that other object that we are in contact with that has a lower temp, like snow or air particles.  Convection occurs when we transfer het to air particle through motion i.e. "wind chill" Finally, when as we sweat, ( or get wet)  we transfer heat through evaporation, as water on our skin transforms into a gas. Since our bodies naturally give away heat to colder, active particles, air particles in wind, and water particles (snow and rain) can accelerate that effect.

To combat rapid cooling, we shiver to generating heat by exciting our muscles. In the cold many parts of the body blood vessels in our skin tissue constrict, or tighten up to keep blood away from the cold outer layer of the body and helps circulate warmer blood to our core areas. But this tightening is not good for peak performance and racing.

Why a hat? Because areas around the head, neck, chest and groin don't constrict as effectively as the smaller ones near the skin and thus more even more susceptible to heat loss. Furthermore water is denser than air, so it absorbs more heat (up to 32 times more) than air. So when you are skiing in rain or snow you can get hypothermia quicker if the rain or snow is falling on your uncovered head and neck.

That's why Nordic racing attire includes a hat and often neck gaiter.

When your core temperature down to 95 degrees or below it is called hypothermia. When your re-warming reactions are not enough to overcome the cooling process, hypothermia can set in and skiing performance will decrease quickly.  Mild Hypothermia includes shivering, goose bumps, difficulty with complex motor skills Moderate Hypothermia includes violent shivering, sluggish, speech problems, difficulty with fine motor skills. Severe Hypothermia includes rigid muscles, dazed, shivering has stopped, blue skin, erratic heart beat.

So dress properly, starting with your first layers and finishing with a hat and neck gator (and glasses) to keep you muscles warm and relaxed to race better.

Image Salomon / Nordic Focus

 

 Andy at SkiPost

Ankle and Ab Poling

from the PSIA Nordic Team corner

Strong, dynamic V2 and double poling at any speed depends on the right body movements at the right time. To synch the two (body movements and timing) during double pole and V2, synch the ankles and the abs when you flex and extend.

You probably know that when you pole you should compress with the abs. And you might know that when you pole, you also compress the glide ski leg by flexing the ankle and knee.

Here's the teaching point: compress the ankles and abs simultaneously when you pole, either double poling or when you V2. It does two things. First, it drives the hips forward when the hands move past the hips. Second, it creates a stronger poling synergy with the upper body and the lower body.

If you compress the ankles and abs simultaneously, you also must extend the ankles and abs simultaneously. Cordinating high hands with tall legs, gets you over the ski and ready for dynamic poling. When you pole, compress the ankle and the abs simultaneously for greater power, driving the hips forward and loading the poles.

Heikkinen using the entire body

 Salomon/NordicFocus image

First try synching ab and ankle flexion and exstension double poling, I call this "A" "A" poling - poling with abs and ankles together.

After mastering the "A" "A" timing during the double pole, move the timing to the V2 technique. Make sure to practice at slow speeds and then increase the tempo to make sure you own the timing at all speeds.

AA poling is nothing new, only a coaching point for you or your athletes to tune into when skiing. Sometimes the hardest task is coordinating the upper body with the lower body. If this timing ever should elude you, try this drill.

David Lawrence
PSIA Nordic Team 

Coaching Resources continued

In response to  looking for coaching resources  

we would also add PSIA - the Professional Ski Instructors of Americafor all kinds of resources for ski instructors, from publications to on-snow clinics with top-notch instructors.  www.thesnowpros.org/

and  the tremendous resources that Central Cross Country (CXC) has put together.

www.cxcskiing.org/

http://cxcstore.myshopify.com/collections/dvds

www.cxcacademy.com

SNS Options- continued

Last week we answered a question regarding SNS boot options we have one addition this week.

In the U.S. you have 4 choices for Salomon Nordic System (SNS) boots: Salomon, Atomic and One Way are sold throughout the U.S Nordic belt and you can also get the Austrian  Hartjesand brand of boots thought one importer/retailer linked here. In Europe you could also get SNS boots from many other brands including Botas and Technopro.

Race Day Waxing Suggestions

The race season has begun.

This weekends wax suggestions

Intermountain JOQ Opener Lake Creek, Ketchum, ID

Far West JOQ's Auburn Ski Club, Soda Springs, CA

Besh Cups, Anchorage AK

SmartWool Wasatch Citizens Series #1 Park City UT

Skinny Santa Solstice Ski, Elk River, MN

Holiday Relays Troll Hollow, Dresser, WI

 All wax recs can be viewed at Start US Blog and on Facebook

Great Glen Trails now hiring for part / full time ski instructor. 

Must be willing to work with skiers of all ages and be friendly with the public. 

Hiring for Thursday - Sunday starting Christmas Vacation. 

Training and huge industry perks included. 

Call Nate: 603-466-2333  nate@greatglentrails.com