Hip Replacement 

insight

Dear SkiPost, 

I am a 45 y/o male who has been nordic ski and bike racing at an amateur level since the late 90's. My guess is that my left hip failed due to me never taking a break, multiple falls while road cycling, mountain biking and at least one foray back into snowboarding.  The falls combined with dysplasia kickstarted early onset osteoarthritis in my left hip joint.  After 8 years of putting off surgery, and a slowly diminishing ability to train or even recreationally exercise, I decided this past summer to have a THR.  Being an obsessive/compulsive athlete, like many of us are, I've had lots of issues with patience while my soft tissue and bone mend themselves.  I am only four months out since my surgery, but happy to say that I am able to walk, sleep and ride my bike with little to no difficulty.  While I am roller skiing a fair bit already, I've found that easy bike rides and swimming are the best exercises that seem to not exacerbate the weakened soft tissues.

My PT has been working with me quite a bit as well, doing quite a bit of stretching, strengthening and balance work.

That said, you won't see me doing any spenst or other explosive training stuff this year.Hiking with poles and mindful roller skiing is the ticket for me I think.

I am looking forward to skiing this year, and hoping to tour a 50k if I am feeling 100%.  If not?  Hey!  I'll be skiing! And at this point?  I'd rather ski every other day, continue to be active and not feel the pressure of having to train.

Maintaining a positive attitude, keeping your activities fun and keeping a flexible list of goals to achieve has been super helpful to me in my healing process.

The surgeon that replaced my hip has told me that by year two, post-op,

I should be back to my normal self.  Please see the links below to help with your point of reference regarding your decision.

No hip implant is perfect.  But the Doctor that places the implant should be.  I chose ceramic on ceramic for it's negligible wear properties, biocompatible materials and common use in younger, more active patients.

Your surgeon can help you decide, but ultimately, it's your decision.

http://thesimplesecrets.com/JointReplacementFeedback.pdf

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10919294

http://bonesmart.org

Lycka till!  (good luck!)

bn

Swimming

Dear SkiPost,

How good is swimming for building a base in the summer.   I do three swim workouts: one speed and strength, one strength and endurance, and one pure endurance workout.  That is about seven hours of training. Then twice to three times a week I roller ski for recovery, doing a lot of specific strength work.   I also will race open water races ranging in distance from 1.5 km to 5km. My goal for 2015 is the VASA 50 km under four hours.

FYI- At 51, cross country skiing and swimming are the only sports I can beat my thirty year old son at.

Thanks for your time. Mark

Dear Mark,

You raise an uncommon but good question, one we perhaps should pay more attention to.  Swimming is great exercise and cover much of the endurance and strength spectrum as you point out.  As for motions, we are dealing with a fish in- and out of water; while much of swim techniques can be correlated to the upper body work in Nordic skiing, the leg work is entirely different.  Also, swimming is based on buoyancy while skiing is upright and weight bearing with various degrees of ground impact, and we have to add in the sliding dimension.  Swimming is most often thought of as supplemental rather than primary exercise in ski training, but who says it couldn't be the other way around.  You are rollerskiing, add in some more weight bearing distance work on your legs, and you should be ready to ski.

If this program will get you through the Vasa 50K under 4 hours is impossible to say; make sure your "upright" training on your feet supports the duration you plan to be skiing.  This would probably not be the most commonly recommended training method in cross-country skiing, but it may be the best one for you. 

We have a number of good cross-over examples in swimming and skiing; the Vasa Trainer, widely used by swimmers, was conceived as an upper-body development tool for cross-country skiers, and we see multiple training methods and devices shared between the two sports.  For those who remember, current U.S. elite ski coach Scott Johnston went from the US Swim Team to the US Cross-country Ski Team, and Norwegian Dag-Atle Bj�rkheim swam himself onto their national ski team under the time and efficiency constraints of medical school.  You will find many excellent cross-over examples, but don't forget your legs are going to carry you 50K.

All the best,  -j  

Jon Engen, Sun Valley, ID

www.xcskicoach.com  

In response to your follow-up, any training on foot is good training.  However, to optimize your outcome, you may want to consult a coach who can guide you towards ski training based on your background, overall physical condition, location and training facilities, etc.  An individual's specific needs, including the endurance and intensity question, would be addressed simultaneously.  By all means, going up means coming down, so you get two birds in one stone by training hill repeats incorporating climbing and downhill technique.  Your example from running points back to the components of a ski training plan. 

As a recreationalist, feel good about enjoying a broad spectrum of activities of varied duration, intensity and resistance loads. Getting into more serious development, consult a coach or other training resources, seek out a clinic or master group, and embrace found info into your personal situation.  Ski training is always using "mixing" workouts as a method of maximizing the efficiency of labor and training time.  Beyond that, elite skiers are training about 15 different types of workout modes or activities, most of which address more than one skill or ability.  Good master skiers generally cover a slightly less number of activities, but pack a broad spectrum of development exercises into their time. 

All the best, 

Jon Engen, Sun Valley, ID

www.xcskicoach.com  

Double Poling by 

David Lawrence

Double Pole Technique Overview, Cross Country Nordic Skiing

Video 2 = quick double pole drill built in an easy to follow progression. 

Double Pole Drill Progression Nordic Skiing

  

Check them out here: double poling videos.

 

Plus - The Biggest PSIA Nordic Event of the Year...

 

Be sure to sign-up for the first ever PSIA Nordic Ski Academy. 

You can read all about here.

 

Ski Fast!

 

David Lawrence

 

PSIA Nordic Team

XCSkiAcademy.com 

 

Follow XCSkiAcademy.com for tips, videos and articles

Double Poling

By 

Kim McKenney

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Double Pole 

It's a tongue in cheek article, but it also includes some tips for making it easier to learn to double pole. 

Article at http://crosscountryskitechnique.com/how-to-love-double-pole/  

Rollerskiing and Twigs

Dear SkiPost,

I started skate skiing late last season and picked it up again this pre-season as a way to get ready for the snow season.  While rollerski skating on a bike path a couple of weeks ago I hit a small twig which stopped my skate ski dead in its tracks.  I went down fast and hard.  I only have 250-300 miles on these wheels.  I would suspect that as wheels get worn they get smaller and will not roll over items as easy, but this seems too soon with such few miles.  I am now worried that it will occur again and find that small pebbles are creating problems. Any comments or advise.   I use Swenor Skate Elite Solid Rubber Wheels

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Your question is very timely since the fall season brings more leaves, sticks, and rollerskiers onto the trails.

It isn't common that the rollerski comes completely to a stop in such a violent way as to make you fall, but I think it is very common that debris will "catch" the wheel and cause you to lose control for a moment.  I'm coaching a lot of juniors and masters skiers right now and when we get to a section of trail with a lot of debris, we are only double-poling.  We will search for the cleanest sections of trail (or low-traffic road) to do our skating intervals.  

While this situation is more common with classic skis, or wide-wheeled skating skis, it can certainly happen with narrow-wheeled skate skis as well. 

Equipment solution.  The first solution is to mount the bindings are far backward as possible.  This reduces pressure on the front wheel decreasing the likelihood of situation "C."  Marwe rollerskis (sold by the author of this answer/article) have longer frames than many other models allowing you to shift more of the pressure toward the rear wheel.  An issue you may find with other brands is that the fork which connects the frame to the wheel wraps up onto the platform forcing the binding to be mounted further forward than optimal position.  The added benefit of mounting the bindings further back is that the ski will hang more naturally under the foot; more similar to a snow-ski than many other brands.

Training strategy solution.  The simplest way to decrease potential for wheel stoppage is to double pole through sections of trail that are particularly stick-y and stone-y.  If a section is really awful, try shifting your weight back slightly (I know this is bad technique but falling on your face is much worse technique) until you get to a more clear section.  Wait for the clear sections of trail to break out into your full-on V2 sprints!

Wheel durability varies hugely among different rollerski brands, but we have found that Marwe wheels are consistently the most durable on the market.  I have known skiers using other brands who will commonly go through 2-3 sets per year!  But I think wheel wear may be just a portion of the issue. 

Cheers to a lovely winter free of sticks on your trails! 

Kevin Johnson

GM at FinnSisu distributor of Marwe Rollerskis

Rollerskiing

Got Twigs? Go Tele!

I'm not talking about dropping a knee or anything, but a few inches of fore-aft offset achieves what Kevin referred to as 'shifting your weight back' on one ski, while shifting your weight forward on the other. The result is greater fore-aft stability. It only needs to be momentary, and I'll employ it when crossing weird lines in the pavement, twigs, pebbles or any interruption in forward glide. Should the front wheel stop, you can step forward into the opposite 'tele' stance, and glide on, OR step again.

This readiness to nimbly keep your feet under you also translates to on-snow situations, with slow snow, cones, leaves or needles, dips or bumps, or even challenging grip wax conditions. The same fore-aft separation is what so many skiers employ in aggressive all-out double poling to maximize extension and commitment, while retaining a modicum of fore-aft stability. 

While most of the above applies to classic, a bump encountered while skating can be recovered from with some quick steps too. One of the best bits of advice I can offer on this is to practice recovering. Unrehearsed recovery moves, while intended to avoid falls and injury, can by themselves lead to injury. Practice regaining your balance with twigs and pebbles before you're in the heat of the sprint, or the crux of the hill, and you'll have a reflex to rely on.

Scotty McGee

PSIA Nordic Team Coach

Rollerskiing 

Twigs 2

Kevin's suggestions are good for rollerskiing longer bike paths, although from experience I found it easier to get thrown over by a rock or twig that you happen to hit wrong on a downhill than I think his comments perceive. I'd also add that on a wet leafy section of trail, it pays to ski conservatively, if not double pole, unless one has absolute confidence in the wheels. I found some wheels - my experience was mostly with Marwe's - really don't like wet leaves.   

On a longer trail that I'm going out and back on, especially if doing the route more than once, I've often used my poles on the first trip to flip potentially troublesome rocks and branches/twigs off to the side, and even stopped to do it by hand.

As for short trail sections where one is doing intervals, such as where an uphill/downhill is involved, I found it helpful take a broom along and sweep the trail where needed before starting. Yes, really!  That several minutes makes it easier to concentrate on the skiing rather than constantly having to worry about one's life.

Finally, there were occasionally roads where I bit the bullet and wore knee and elbow protection, and even "crash pads" under my shorts (that's a brand name - they really do work).  I think when a technique, or even rollerskiing itself, is still new, that's not a bad idea.  And of course, a bike helmet.

Gene Goldenfeld

Weston Ski Track
Help save Boston Skiing 

 www.foljms.org

Hello All,

There is a possibility that Weston Ski Tracks may cease to exist in next couple of years. Currently they are trying to limit snowmaking and do not want grooming to be done on the main part of the fairways. There is a group called Friends of Leo J Martin Skiing (foljms.org) to prevent this from happening and they are hosting a celebration of skiing at Leo J Martin Golf Course aka. Weston Ski Tracks. 

What: 40 Year Celebration of Skiing at the Leo J Martin

When: 2-5 pm, December 14, 2014

Where: Charles River Water Authority Building, Leo J Martin Golf Course, Weston MA

CXC Super Fit Program

CHECK AND COMPARE YOUR GEAR

Get your equipment fit by using a state-of-the-art CXC 3D pressure mat and light table.

- 'Taste of Nordic' free rollerski and dry-land clinic 

Sun 11am-6pm 

Sun 12am-4pm 

Sun 11am-5pm

Win an Erickson

http://cxcskiing.org/road-bike-drawing

Soldier Hollow
 

Soldier Hollow Resort, located in Midway, UT, is seeking cross-country ski instructors and coaches for the 2014-15 winter season. Soldier Hollow, home of the 2002 Olympic cross country and biathlon events, is a full service Nordic center with 31km of trails, ski rentals, and lessons. In addition, Soldier Hollow offers recreational and competitive programs for over 400 youth. Email teamsoldierhollow@gmail.com for more information on available positions.

Galena Lodge, 23 miles North of Ketchum/Sun Valley (Nordic Town USA), is looking for a full time ski instructor for the winter season. Job would include Nordic instruction (beginner to advanced but mostly beginner) in both classic and skate as well as the following duties: servicing yurts, shoveling snow, packing snowshoe trails, renting skis and snowshoes, selling merchandise, some restaurant work, working hard and being awesome! Season is from Mid november to early April. Contact Erin at 208-726-4010 or erin@galenalodge.com for more details.

Mountain Shop in Portland OR

The Mountain Shop is Portland Oregon is seeking experienced Nordic Ski sales staff that have a serious passion for helping to expand and deepen the Nordic Culture in the Pacific Northwest.  An ideal candidate is a four season athlete with expert technical knowledge of Nordic ski gear, skiing technique (on snow and on roller skis) as well as ski tuning and maintenance.  We also have a serious commitment to adventure and road biking and looking for people how compliment the seasons with trail running, adventure biking and working with youth and adult programming, sponsoring races and an all-around. Please send your cover letter, resume, and an outdoor bio of your experience to Guy Trombley, General Manager of the Mountain Shop at

 Guy@mountainshop.net

West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation

Head Coach - West Yellowstone Nordic Ski Team

Position:  Head Coach - Nordic Ski Team

Primary Objective of Position:  Under limited supervision, acts as the Head Coach for the West Yellowstone Nordic Ski Team

Education and Experience:

The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for this position include the following:

• Strong Nordic ski teaching and coaching knowledge and skills necessary to teach Classic and Freestyle techniques
• Efficient verbal and written communication skills
• Strong leadership skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and delegate responsibilities when necessary

email Moira Dow  director@rendezvousskitrails.com or call  617-697-6126

Sincerely,

Moira Dow

Program Director

Yellowstone Ski Festival

West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation

Vail Nordic Center Job Opportunities

The Vail Nordic Center is looking for employees for the 2014/15 Nordic season.  The ideal candidate has retail experience, Nordic knowledge, Nordic teaching experience, and is able to work in a fast paced environment.  Interested candidate, please submit a resume and letter via email info@vailnordiccenter.com. check out vailnordiccenter.com

Yellowstone Track Systems, Inc.  

Job opening

Would you like to live in snow country?

Do you want a year round job.

Yellowstone Track Systems has an opening.

Pays well with benefits.  check out yellowstonetrack.com 

email Doug Edgerton Edgerton29@aol.com

Crystal Lake Camp Ski Center/ SVVC Coordinator 

 Williamsport Pennsylvania

 BNJRT 

Head Development Coach & Assistant Coaches

Boulder Nordic Junior Race Team (BNJRT) seeks candidates for Head Development Coach and Assistant Coaches. The Head Development Coach will be responsible for overseeing development of younger skiers (U14-U8) and assisting (and collaborating with) the Head Coach for older skiers (U20-U16). Assistant Coaches will primarily coach younger skiers with options to assist on race weekends. We seek coaches that are able to teach classic and freestyle techniques to athletes from 8-19 years old with varied skiing and athletic backgrounds and are able to find creative ways to integrate fun into training.

About BNJRT: http://www.bnjrt.net/

About Boulder: http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/

About Eldora Nordic: http://www.eldora.com/nordic.trail.html

Interested applicants please send a resume (PDF attachment) and cover letter (can be the body of the email) to the BNJRT Board of Directors at: bnjrtski@gmail.com The BNJRT BOD will review applicants and conduct interviews in the coming weeks.