|
Ask us, We Answer
Do you have a Nordic training, technique, equipment, travel, or event question? Just email us at weanswer@skipost.com |
|
Drink Belt
Dear Ski Post,
I am looking for an insulated drink holder with insulated gel pockets to use cross-country skiing. Something like this would come in really handy for the Birkie-usually my water bottle with energy drink freezes before OO and the gel packs are rock hard long before that. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Something like this would be nice in the summer to keep the water/energy drink cold longer as well.
Thanks for all of you help and information. See you at the Birkie next February.
Thirsty after OO.
Dear Frozen Drinker,
While there are many "Camelback Like" devices out there a new piece that I like is the Salomon's S-Lab Insulated Hydro Belt (366357) - $100.
It allows you to carry the water on your hips rather than your shoulders and has a pocket for gel packs wax etc and a hose to get you the drink.
|
|
Dear SkiPost,
I am planning on traveling some next winter to race some ski marathons. What are 3-4 must do" US events ?
signed, got the marathon itch.
Dear got the Ski Marathon itch.
I would suggest starting your season with a visit to the West Yellowstone Ski Festival over Thanksgiving week. The joy of West is that you can ski from the front door of your hotel to the trails. Demo the latest and greatest gear. Ski until lunch. eat allot and ski again. Then mingle with thousands of other nordic enthusiasts and gear reps at the nightly expo. Get a leg up on you rivals and over-ski over Thanksgiving.
|
|
The first stop in Ski Marathon racing in the US is the long standing American Ski Marathon Series. This series has existed in one configuration or another for 36 years now. The ASMS is administered by XCSKIWorld.com .xcskiworld.com/asm-series .
American Ski Marathon Series
Noquemanon Ski Marathon - January 23-25, 2015
Point to point marathons, national focus is the classic event.
Lake Placid Loppet - January 24, 2015 -- tentative date
Relive the 1980 and 1932 Olympics.
Methow Valley Pursuit - January 23-25, 2015
2 days of racing in warm conditions.
Craftsbury Marathon - January 31, 2015
Also serving as the 2015 AXCS National Masters weekend!!!
Classic and Maple Syrup, what could be better.
City Of Lakes Loppet - January 30-February 1, 2015
Urban Marathon with weekend full of options.
Alley Loop Nordic Marathon - February 7, 2015
Nordic costume party
Boulder Mountain Tour - February 7, 2015
Fast course, sunny days, big smiles
Mora Vasaloppet - February 7, 2015
Blueberry soup next best event to racing in Sweden
North American Vasa - February 14-15, 2015
Fun loop, good food,
Minnesota Finlandia - February 14, 2015
Old School Charm
American Birkebeiner - February 21, 2015
Grand daddy - be prepared
Tour of Anchorage - March 1, 2015
Tour a US city where Nordic is King
Pepsi Challenge - March 7, 2015
Giants Fridge World Cup Course
Yellowstone Rendezvous - March 7, 2015
Where wildlife on the trails could mean Bison
Great Bear Chase - March 7, 2015
March Midwest Snow
California Gold Rush - March 15, 2015
Tahoe in March, Enjoy the tan.
Each of these ASMS events has its own charm and I suggest you put them all on your must do 5 year calender.
|
Some others great events.
Some other events that are not part of the ASMS are:
Trapp Family Lodge, need I say more
On the edge of Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Up 12 km, down 18km, best finish line party.
NE Beauty
Not your normal nordic ski race
|
The Marathon List
I can not make a list without someone finding fault. So I apologize beforehand for those events I overlook or do not mention high enough. We will continue to add more details each next week and world loppets in future weeks. If you wish to add you favorite loppet email weanswer@skipost.com
|
OSCR Year 1
|
USSA L100 CROSS COUNTRY CERTIFICATION
TUESDAY, JULY 29TH, 2014
Earn your L100 Coaching Certification at 11,200ft, in beautiful Aspen, CO. This workshop aims to help coaches efficiently complete the certification process in one day (CPR and First Aid training must be completed in advance). Participants can come for the whole day or just participate in portions a la carte. The Aspen L100 certification will be casual with plenty of opportunity for coaches to discuss and share ideas. Please contact Maria Stuber at mstuber@teamavsc.org for more information on pricing, what to bring, where to meet, Aspen lodging, and how to create your MyUSSA Account in advance.
|
|
Summer Training
Dear SkiPost,
Some people tell me summer should be all about base work. Others (including SkiPost) emphasize that I do not do enough intervals. So what is it? Should I just do base work in summer or should I work on intervals or both? Signed confused.
Dear confused,
Cross-country skiing is a primarily aerobic sport. The best way to develop your aerobic system, and even your higher end fitness (V02 max and lactate threshold) is with easy to moderate (60 to 80% of max heart-rate) intensity distance (45min to 2hr) sessions. This type of training comprise about 80% of the training load, even for elite ski racers.
This being true, it is also the case that the training week should be built around one to three harder training sessions. A harder training session is either a short hard session or a long easy session. For instance many programs are built around two interval sessions and one long (3hr) easy (heart rate around 70% of max) session.
Your body adapts to a certain stress after 4 to 6 weeks and so if you don't change that stress, doing what you have already been doing will only serve to maintain what you have built. It can be helpful to look toward your racing season and plan backward. You should end up with a plan that builds toward the racing season. The basic idea is to build your aerobic base over the summer, work on more race like aerobic and anaerobic fitness in the fall and early winter, and race fast in the winter.
In the summer then you would consider doing mostly easy to moderate intensity workouts with one session a week of harder training, and some strength training.
Monday: speed and spenst. Spenst = as per the spenst email. Start the workout with a warm up, spenst and then do speed. Speed = controlled efforts at higher than race pace of 15 to 30 seconds in ski terrain. Start with 5 to 10 sprints and build to around 20 taking 2 to 5 minutes rest between. Or you can simply build sprints and spenst into a distance session so that as you run or rollerski along you sprint or jump up hills as you come to them.
Tuesday: Easy distance session (1 to 2hrs at around 70% of max hr). Strength training = high repetitions (20 to 30) with lower weight. Weight should be such that you cannot do more than 3 sets of 20 to 30 (you finish the first set no problem, struggle at the end of the second set, and have a tough time getting 20 to 30 on the last set.) Focus on ski specific strength including a lot of stomach and back work.
Wednesday: Easy distance or off.
Thursday: Easy distance and strength (specific strength on rollerskis is great).
Friday: Easy distance or off
Saturday: Intervals. Build up to higher intensity as the fall goes on. Start with intervals of 5 to 10 minutes with 3 to 5 minute rest between at 80 to 90% of max hr. Build up to intervals of 3 to 5 minutes at 90 to 95% of max hr. Total "on" time should also increase as the fall goes on. Start with 10 to 15 minutes of "on" time and build to 30 or 45 minutes of interval time. In all cases intervals should NOT leave you totally wasted. At the end of your interval session you should always feel like you could do one more, and with pacing you should make the same distance with each interval (every 5 minutes should take you the same distance). If you go shorter each time than you are going too fast.
Sunday: long easy distance. Hr 60 to 70% of max - 3hours.
This is only an example. As the summer/fall/early winter goes on you extend the duration of the workouts gradually, making sure you get lots of rest so that you are getting stronger and feeling better rather than getting more and more tired as the summer goes on. For instance, you could do the above week for two weeks then take one week easier before returning to the above week schedule. For example: Week one = 6 hours, wk 2 = 6hrs, wk 3 = 4hrs, wk 5 = 7hrs, wk 6 = 8hrs, wk 7 = 5hrs, wk 8 = 7hrs, wk 9 = 10hrs, wk 10 = 6hrs... build up so that your biggest weeks are late in the fall or early in the winter.
There is a lot of training material out there, but this is the basic idea: training breaks the body down, rest builds it back to a level higher than before training. Remember REST builds the body up.
|
Slackline
What do you think of slacklining as a balance training vehicle for xc skiing? It's a popular past time in the rock climbing world.
Signed unbalanced
Dear Unbalanced, Yes I would consider the Slackline a good tool to work on balance and foot feel. Above is a picture of my daughter on the slack line in our yard. As with all training tools it is best to be as specific as possible. But if you can add the slack line to your training without taking out ski specific actions I can only see benefits. Andy at SkiPost |
Citizen Skier Ski Technique Clinics
Join CXC for one or several of its ski technique clinics at select CXC Masters Team Chapter locations. Open to non-members. We work on ski technique, agility and strength.
CLINIC DATES & LOCATIONS: View
PRICE: full day, $100 / full weekend, $200 / full season, $500
MORE INFO HERE
|
Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation's annual Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest is now open for entries! The winning design will be featured as the official T-shirt of the 2015 Swix American Birkebeiner to be held February 19-22nd, 2015-the 42nd annual event.
Anyone Can Enter the Contest - No Design Experience Necessary
Deadline for Entries is July 15th, 2014
T-Shirt Design Guidelines and Rules
|
Bjorn Daehlie Team Apparel
It is so new they do not have an English translation.
So check out the images below.
and find a Norwegian to read it for you.
Top Quality Fabrics
Norwegian Racing Fit
Rare
If you manage a Team in need of new, rare apparel
|
If you manage a Team in need of new, rare apparel
|
|
Wax Nerds Wanted
Why Start? Because Start delivers the most complete wax system available. More kickers, more gliders, more fluor... Get More with Start.
Apply to be a Start Waxing Ambassador & Hometown Hero.
|
|
Anette Bøe
Ski Coach - Instructor
Anette Bøe , the multiple time Olympic and World Championship medalist from Norway is looking to share her coaching and ski instructing skills with North Americans.
Anette has been a coach for the:
Norwegian Women's Cross Country Ski Team
Norwegian Women's Hockey Team
and run her own ski school.
Education: Norwegian University of Sports; Bachelor phys.ed.
Norwegian School of Marketing, Oslo, Norway Norway Future Female leader & coach program
If you are looking for a highly qualified coach and instructor and would like to discuss the options with Anette email weanswer@SkiPost.com
and we will put you in touch with her.
|
Grand Mesa Nordic Council Operations Manager
Revised: 5/30/14 !
Overview !
The Grand Mesa Nordic Council is a 22 year old non-profit entity that actively promotes winter recreational opportunity by maintaining a system of 3 groomed trail heads on the Grand Mesa. Through a
cooperative agreement with the USFS, trails are groomed out of Skyway, County Line, and Ward Lake. !
GMNC's Operations Manager plays a key role in the continued success of the organization. The condition and over all ski-ability of the trails is our primary product. Proper trail preparation has a major impact on
our skier days, related trail head donations, and membership numbers. This is a seasonal position, and wages will be commensurate with qualifications and previous working experience. !
The Operations Manager reports directly to the President of GMNC and serves at the pleasure of the Executive Board. Direct supervision is exercised over GMNC hourly groomers and the Director manages
vendors and contract grooming of trails.
Grand Mesa Nordic Council Membership Director
Revised 5/30/14 !
Overview !
The Grand Mesa Nordic Council (GMNC) is a 22 year old non-profit with 500 members that actively promotes winter recreational opportunities by maintaining a system of 3 groomed trail systems on the Grand Mesa. Through a cooperative agreement with the USFS, grooming originates at the Skyway, County Line, and Ward Lake trailheads. ! The Membership Director is a seasonal position (September-May). The Membership Director is responsible for maintaining existing memberships with the GMNC by proactively communicating with members and acquiring new members by engaging in effective marketing. Close communication and cooperation with GMNC's Treasurer is paramount to success in this job as tracking of donations, donor database and donation information is managed and executed by the Membership Director. !
Both positions are part-time and seasonal, but gives skiers support for very high altitude training (i.e. above 10,000').
Apply by:
To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to GMNC President via e-mail at
grandmesanordic@gmail.com.
more info at www.gmnc.org
|
|
The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) Seeking Head Coach
The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) is seeking a full-time year-round Coach/Director to lead the competition and recreational ski programs. The Coach/Director will be a primary coach for the Comp and Jr Comp teams and will be responsible for oversight and development of an integrated recreational and competition program to develop skiers following the mission of the TUNA Junior Program. Please refer to the attached position description for details. Interested applicants should review the position description for details and send applications and inquiries to coachjob@utahnordic.com.
Duties will include:
- Preparing and supervising team and individual training plans for Comp Team athletes.
- Administrative duties in connection with the operation of the Comp and Junior Comp teams.
- Providing coaching and waxing support for local ski races, travel with the Comp Team for out-of-town trips, provide coaching and wax support for IMD Junior National Championship Qualifier events, and organize and lead a number of out of town training camps. The Coach will also provide support for select regional and National events.
- Planning, organization, and coach recruitment for TUNA's Recreation and Development programs.
- Assisting the TUNA Board in team development functions and fund raising.
- Maintaining on-going communication with Comp and Jr. Comp Team athletes and their parents.
This is a year-round position that, in addition to Winter skiing activities and competitions, also includes Summer and Fall dryland training and training camp responsibilities. Interested candidates are encouraged to send a cover letter, resumé, and list of three references to coachjob@utahnordic.com.
|
|
Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation
Junior Nordic Head Coach
Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation (TVSEF) based out of Driggs, Idaho, wishes to retain a head coach who will have primary responsibility of coaching our middle school and high school aged team members. The head coach will also have the responsibility of the day to day planning, administration, and oversight of all our Junior Nordic Programs. The job will be salaried and seasonal from approximately October - March. Contact Dan Streubel at dan@streubelphysicaltherapy.com for further information and to obtain a detailed job description of our head coach position. www.tvsef.org
|
|
Leavenworth Winter Sports Club
Head Coach/ Program Director for Nordic Team
Leavenworth, WA
The Leavenworth Winter Sports Club is seeking a Head Coach/Program Director to work with its Nordic Program, serving kindergarten through high school age skiers and competitive racers. This is an exciting opportunity to join an established Club with very successful programs and develop a comprehensive Nordic Program for all ages.
This is a seasonal salaried position (December through March) that requires availability for weekly practice and perform other aspects of running the team including travel to scheduled races and camps. The position is seasonal part-time (June -November) as off-season training programs are developed.
Qualifications:
1. Energetic and highly self-motivated
2. Collegiate or national level racing and/or coaching experience
3. Planning, budgeting and organizing skills
4. Team leadership
5. Strong written and verbal communication skills
Duties include:
1. Guide and develop the overall LWSC Nordic Program structure and vision
2. Athlete education and coaching, with an emphasis on fitness, technique and skill development
3. Supervise and conduct safe, fun and developmentally appropriate practices and activities for each age group.
3. Plan, develop, and implement training plans and practice sessions for high school age skiers
4. Identify strengths and weaknesses of athletes
5. Nurture and develop athletes' potential skills and abilities
6. Analyze and evaluate athlete's performances and modify training programs
7. Maintain scheduling with different age group practices
8. Work with and manage assistant coaches and parent volunteers conducting practices, waxing, events, races, and carpooling.
9. Communicate with athletes and families by email, website, and social media about schedules and upcoming events (LWSC staff will assist in these duties when applicable).
10. Attend races with the team. Coordinate waxing (both classic and skate) and wax testing while at races.
11. Assist in fundraisers and functions over the course of the year.
Please send resumes and references to:
Mark Milliette, General Manager mmilliette@skileavenworth.com |
|
Summit Nordic Ski Club
head coach
SNSC is an established Nordic ski club located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, home to four outstanding Nordic ski centers, as well as Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain alpine ski resorts . Located just 75 miles west of Denver, this outdoor oriented community offers excellent training facilities including 40 miles of detached paved bike paths and an extensive trail
network.
"The primary mission of the Summit Nordic Ski Club is to provide the youth of Summit County with a well-balanced ski racing program including fitness, self-esteem, and character building through training
and competition within a nurturing environment. '
Responsibilities Include:
Coaching junior skiers from our Prep, Devo and Comp programs including those who are aspiring to compete at Jr Nationals and the Scando Cup.
Head Coach will be travelling with athletes to appropriate racing opportunities and camps. Develop a regular schedule of practice and training for our athletes.
Qualifications Include:
Ability and desire to work with all age groups and abilities
Strong communication and organizational skills
Previous coaching experience preferred
This year around position involves coaching and mentoring U12 thru U20 aged athletes and to help foster and grow Nordic Racing in our community.
Reply with a cover letter and resume to:
|
|
Nordic Center Director
at Snow Mountain Ranch/YMCA of the Rockies,
Granby CO
Position Summary:
Responsible for managing and directing all operational aspects of the Nordic Center, including year-round trail development and maintenance, and coordinating year-round special events. Manages specialty retail outlets on property.
To see an overview of the position, including requirements, compensation, and the application process, please view:
http://snowmountainranch.org/work/year-round-employment/
ABOUT THE SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH NORDIC CENTER
More than 20,000 skiers per year visit our property covering 5,200 acres of mountain meadows at an altitude of 9,000 feet. Snow Mountain Ranch's Nordic Center has more than 100 kilometers of groomed trails accommodating everyone from the first-time classic cross-country skier or snowshoer to the elite racer/skate skier. We are proud to host members of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic team for their training, regional races, the Colorado Biathlon, and other world class events. Beyond cross country skiing, families and groups can enjoy ice skating, sledding & tubing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides. Canine companions are welcome to join skiers on some of the trails, for a full-family workout.
Applications due by May 30, 2014.
|
About SkiPost
Cross-Country skiing's community lodge. Where knowledge and stories are shared. The goal of SkiPost is to make the sport of Cross-Country skiing easier and more enjoyable for all who choose to participate. If you have questions on Cross-Country Skiing email us weanswer@SkiPost.com and visit SkiPost.com
Enjoy Winter,
Andrew Gerlach
Director/Editor- SkiPost
|
|
