Training Log Archive: biggins

Sprint in Evertsberg, Sweden.
map and qr
So not exactly the best display of navigation ever, but I guess thats why they invented the first-race-of-the-year (and ideally made it not count for anything). I got totally fubared right off the start and blew 4 minutes on the first one. I had no idea where I was, and couldn't match anything up to the map, despite it being 200m from the start. In retrospect, it seems I started reading the map from the big fat trail that went almost through the start, not the skinny trail that went actually through the start. Make some vaguely parallel errors and throw a women's control in that field NW of 1 and I was hopeless.

I eventually figured it out, then picked a totally zigzag route to 5, and had about the slowest execution of 6-7-8 you could do. The red zigzag over the creek to and from 8 was a metal pipe bridge, where the bars were perpendicular to the trail but about 8" apart. They were iced over so you could slide fine, but it was kindof freaky to see so much through the bridge and still be sliding.

Anyway cleaner after that, but I never really got my head back into it enough to be actually reading ahead on the map. I was having a hard time picturing the trail junctions in my head, they never really seemed to line up. There were a bunch of bonus snowmobile tracks out there that looked identical to the ski trails (I started up one going to 10), and all the roads were snow covered and skiable, even the big ones. I guess I'm not used to so many buildings and urban stuff on a ski-o map.

Snow was new (it was snowing the whole time), but warm and greasy, so the wax was fine despite being mostly summer wax with a quickie layer of lf red on top. I did actually feel pretty good skiing, there were never any times I stalled out trying to pole up any hills or anything, which I guess is a positive, but there wasn't really that much steep climb. Ended up solidly dfl, by a couple minutes I think.

C • So how was it? 1

C • DFL 7

Ski with Cristina out west of the city somewhere. Got a bunch of new snow in the morning, and the groomer was out as we arrived, so the trail was pretty good. Clean and flat, if still soft. Foggy all day, but not cold, so nice out.

C • Ski-O 3

Easy ski from Sørkedalen, which was cool just cause its fun to say. Beginning part of the trail was super crappy: a dirty soft slushy snowmobile groomed jeep road. Then it hit a wide groomer groomed trail, which was much nicer, if still soft and slushy. Followed that up for a while, eventually got above the fog and it turned pretty nice. The trail was frozen up higher for the last couple km, so still punching through with the poles, but at least there was glide. And some blue sky here and there, and some views, and even rumors of the sun. All shortlived however, as then the grooming stopped and I backtracked down into the mush.

14-18 swedish ski-o tour idre fjall

Norway! Easy ski around Cristina's lake, which according to the map is apparently a couple lakes. Then I came around to the other side, and it looked extra crappy to get back across to the parking lot, so instead I turned around and skied back. Don't think it was shorter. Trails were ok for about half of it, icy postholed death for the other half. About 2/3 of it was lit, which came in handy on the way back. Good times.

I suppose its probably unfair to permanently judge a country based entirely on half a day of my life here, but it wouldn't be the first time so I'll do it anyway: Norway is sortof like home, except flatter, darker, wetter, and they're out of butter. Though to their credit: the ratio of icy-slush vs gravel on the trails was significantly better than 1:1, and its been 7 hours and I haven't gotten scowled at yet. Sorry France, you're still at the bottom.

C • Trip 5

done and done. Winter may now begin.

C • HD?! 6

wandering around prosser hill mapping some random trails here and there.

C • Looks like ski-O is back on... 11

Easy ski at Auburn with Jonis, to get in my last hit of sunny winter for the month.