Training Log Archive: kensrIn the 31 days ending Dec 31, 2007:
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Monday Dec 31, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 30:30 [3] 5.1 mi (5:59 / mi)
5" new snow last night on top of 3" we got last week when gone; total ytd 44". Snow warm and soft. Groomed to plastic consistency.
Skiing slow at first, got better once sun when down and temp dropped. Pretty much a rest day. Didn't feel too far up the scale on the energy level.
Skiing slow at first, got better once sun when down and temp dropped. Pretty much a rest day. Didn't feel too far up the scale on the energy level.
Skate Ski 10:25 [4] 1.4 km (7:26 / km)
Ski-O thru the fields and around the Pines; a bit off-track, too.
Skate Ski 34:20 [3] 6.0 km (5:43 / km)
Night skiing while Greg was snowshoeing trails thru the woods for more obscure ski-o-ing. New light from Dan is brilliant on the snow. Totally eliminates the darkness factor of night time. Even better than the alpha version of the rogaine light; 3 LED's at 4 watts each.
Wraps up a great December for xc training. Snow has been early and often. YTD 396 km. Best start since two years ago, when we spent a week in Colorado.
Wraps up a great December for xc training. Snow has been early and often. YTD 396 km. Best start since two years ago, when we spent a week in Colorado.
Sunday Dec 30, 2007 #
Skate Ski warm up/down (Garnet Hill NY) 13:00 [3] 2.3 km (5:39 / km)
Skate Ski race 1:22:00 [4] 14.2 km (5:46 / km)
Ski Score-O. Conditions granular and pretty fast. Not groomed particularly well. Couple errors: one route choice, once missed an untracked turnoff and overlooked an easy control at the end I could have picked up. Still finished 5th or so out of a pretty good sized crew, getting 23 of 31 points. Managed to squeeze ahead of Greg, who was penalized for being 3 minutes OT after getting all but 1 control.
Skate Ski 52:20 [3] 10.2 km (5:08 / km)
Afternoon tour around the trails. Lots of people out and the granular surface had been scraped to slick patches on the hills. Pretty tired after a heavy week of training.
Saturday Dec 29, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Balsams AM) 1:33:00 [3] 18.0 km (5:10 / km)
Ruthie declared this a rest day, so Greg and I beat each other up all day on the upper trail network. The new snow was tilled and packed, and tilled and packed some more, and may eventually settle down and firm up.
Skate Ski (Balsams PM) 1:25:00 [3] 17.5 km (4:51 / km)
Last training session here, so hit some more trails in the afternoon. Greg straddled a pole with his foot and snapped the pole with a loud pop (followed by a splat, but that was the faceplant).
Friday Dec 28, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Rangeley AM) 1:01:00 [3] 13.7 km (4:27 / km)
Drove over to Maine to hit the Rangeley trails. Got some fresh snow (about 6") overnight and knew they could groom it well.
Skate Ski (Rangeley PM) 2:00:00 [3] 24.5 km (4:54 / km)
Cruising the afternoon with Greg; Ruthie was skating in her own.
Thursday Dec 27, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Balsams AM) 1:43:00 [3] 21.8 km (4:43 / km)
This time went up from the hotel. Covered some great terrain around Mud Pond. Conditions were groomed well, although soft in places.
Skate Ski (Balsams PM) 1:13:00 [3] 14.1 km (5:11 / km)
More touring around, pushing on some harder trails in the afternoon.
Wednesday Dec 26, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Balsams) 1:15:00 [3] 11.1 km (6:45 / km)
Up for a few days with Ruthie and Greg in northern NH for a change of training venue. The plan is to ski lot, eat a lot, and ski some more.
Don't know the area, so went down from the hotel onto the lower trail network. Conditions here weren't groomed well and skiing was slow. Food, however, was great. Remind me to bring a dinner jacket next time I go on a ski trip like this.
Don't know the area, so went down from the hotel onto the lower trail network. Conditions here weren't groomed well and skiing was slow. Food, however, was great. Remind me to bring a dinner jacket next time I go on a ski trip like this.
Tuesday Dec 25, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 28:00 [3] 5.3 km (5:17 / km)
First morning session. Interrupted to hook up with Kenny on Ruthie's new video cam -- neat!
Skate Ski 49:00 [3] 6.7 km (7:19 / km)
More skiing before lunch.
Skate Ski 30:00 [3] 7.2 km (4:10 / km)
Groomed to smooth out the bumps. Faster despite temps into the 30's. Then chilled and hardened as the sun dropped and so did the temp. Set up video camera and did some technique filming. Have to analyze and figure why my ankles don't flex.
A couple laps into the Pines and one up to the end of the logging road -- crashed on the return to avoid catching up to Greg in the steep part -- he was scraping all the soft snow off with his snowplow.
Felt pretty tired today and just couldn't hit the fast laps very hard -- maybe 4:30 laps.
A couple laps into the Pines and one up to the end of the logging road -- crashed on the return to avoid catching up to Greg in the steep part -- he was scraping all the soft snow off with his snowplow.
Felt pretty tired today and just couldn't hit the fast laps very hard -- maybe 4:30 laps.
Monday Dec 24, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 43:40 [3] 10.4 km (4:12 / km)
Skate. Groomed two laps to break up the frozen surface after yesterday's thaw and rain; used Greg as ballast to dig the teeth of the groomer into the snow. Skiing was okay, fast but a little bumpy. Made balance an issue. Groomed again before we broke for lunch.
Fast lap 4:21
.
Fast lap 4:21
.
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:04:00 [3] 15.0 km (4:16 / km)
Afternoon training with Greg. Bunch of fast laps and one with no poles and one just double poling. Also about half with the map holder, trying to read a page from Time magazine about a NY couple living "environmentally sound" lives without any toilet paper.
Conditions fast, but some parts lumpy; hard to keep aggressive balance. Fast lap 4.07
Conditions fast, but some parts lumpy; hard to keep aggressive balance. Fast lap 4.07
Saturday Dec 22, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:01:00 [3] 13.7 km (4:27 / km)
Skate. With Dan and Greg. Really the first hard workout of the season. Bunch of quick laps, and a couple playing chase. I had a definite advantage as Greg hadn't managed to get on snow this season before now, so the odds were slightly better than normal, but still didn't match his speed. Snow firmed up from the other day and was quite slick.
Got the Bombi tensioner rebuilt with new o-rings and mounted without any problems. Groomed again after skiing and extended the packed trails thru the Pines. Will do the logging road tomorrow.
Fastest lap 4:06 (3.31/km).
Got the Bombi tensioner rebuilt with new o-rings and mounted without any problems. Groomed again after skiing and extended the packed trails thru the Pines. Will do the logging road tomorrow.
Fastest lap 4:06 (3.31/km).
Friday Dec 21, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:00:00 [3] 7.5 km (8:00 / km)
6" new fluffy snow, wet at times; 36" ytd, 20" on ground.
Classic. Groomed yesterday, but didn't ski as snow was right at freezing and just like glue. Let it chill overnight and skiing was good this morning. Had a couple inches come down overnight, so decided to ski classic. Okay on packed trails, but really breaking trail where I haven't groomed for awhile.
Classic. Groomed yesterday, but didn't ski as snow was right at freezing and just like glue. Let it chill overnight and skiing was good this morning. Had a couple inches come down overnight, so decided to ski classic. Okay on packed trails, but really breaking trail where I haven't groomed for awhile.
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:00:00 [3] 8.1 km (7:24 / km)
Classic. Afternoon circuit before dark. More laps around the fields, with a couple excursions into the Pines. Hadn't packed that, so going was slow.
Planned to groom after skiing, but the tensioner on one set of tracks failed and was getting slippage (and clanking and crashing). Had to crawl underneath and to remove the tensioner piston so I can replace the o-rings. Got the bolts off, but haven't pried the piston out yet. Got to complete before mid-day tommorrow or I'm going to get endless grief from the junior skiers and hotdoggers.
Planned to groom after skiing, but the tensioner on one set of tracks failed and was getting slippage (and clanking and crashing). Had to crawl underneath and to remove the tensioner piston so I can replace the o-rings. Got the bolts off, but haven't pried the piston out yet. Got to complete before mid-day tommorrow or I'm going to get endless grief from the junior skiers and hotdoggers.
Wednesday Dec 19, 2007 #
Weight Training 20:00 [3]
Core exercises: planks, dips, pushups.
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 43:00 [3] 8.2 km (5:15 / km)
Back from Burlington for some night skiing. No poles, double poles, couple surges. Trail in good shape and solid enough for me (but maybe not for someone a bit heavier with a walloping kick). Need to groom again tommorrow as it's snowing pretty hard now.
Monday Dec 17, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:20:00 [3] 14.0 km (5:43 / km)
2" during tail end of storm, ytd 30"; 18" on the ground now.
Skate on unconsolidated snow; had just groomed. Punched thru on the turns. Did some shallow hill workouts and some without poles.
Skate on unconsolidated snow; had just groomed. Punched thru on the turns. Did some shallow hill workouts and some without poles.
Sunday Dec 16, 2007 #
Hiking 1:00:00 [3] 2.0 mi (30:00 / mi)
10" snow overnight, eased off during the day, now seems to be resuming.
Snowshoed around the trails and then groomed them. No skiing as the snow was still pretty loose.
Snowshoed around the trails and then groomed them. No skiing as the snow was still pretty loose.
Saturday Dec 15, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:12:00 [3] 11.0 km (6:33 / km)
Groomed entire 3.5 km this morning; first time up the logging road, but cover was okay. Skied late afternoon. Most of the trails were pretty good, although the descent of the logging road was hairy as always.
Couple laps no poles. A half dozen surges on the hills. Roller skiing has definitely improved my weight shift.
Should be in good shape for the storm tomorrow. Much snow and some sleet is expected -- we'll see what actually makes it.
Couple laps no poles. A half dozen surges on the hills. Roller skiing has definitely improved my weight shift.
Should be in good shape for the storm tomorrow. Much snow and some sleet is expected -- we'll see what actually makes it.
Friday Dec 14, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:07:00 [3] 12.5 km (5:22 / km)
6" snow yesterday afternoon; ytd 18". Forecast had been for just a couple inches in the late afternoon, so got caught in very slow traffic and slippery conditions. Was driving the P-car with summer tires, as the minivan was in the shop getting -- ha, ha -- snow tires for the storm coming this weekend. Didn't make it back in time to ski yesterday at all.
Groomed first thing this morning and skied when I got home mid afternoon. About freezing, so hadn't set up much, but was still firmer and faster than has been to date. Will get up on the hillside tomorrow and start grooming that segment. Looking like great conditions for xmas!
Groomed first thing this morning and skied when I got home mid afternoon. About freezing, so hadn't set up much, but was still firmer and faster than has been to date. Will get up on the hillside tomorrow and start grooming that segment. Looking like great conditions for xmas!
Wednesday Dec 12, 2007 #
Weight Training 30:00 [3]
Strength workout: planks, dips, pushups, lunges, and something called inch-worm.
Monday Dec 10, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:05:00 [3] 8.6 km (7:33 / km)
Classic. 1" new snow overnight; about 8" on the ground now. Ruthie set a short loop, so I extended it for the 1.2 km Fields loop, without grooming a track. Okay skiing, but decided to groom when I was done. Not enough cover to set classic track without hitting dirt here and there, so just packed it all for skating. Once this gets rock hard plus some more snow, will be able to set track without worrying about the snow depth.
Sunday Dec 9, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Rangeley Training Camp) 2:30:00 [3] 23.0 km (6:31 / km)
Classic/skate half day. Mixed drills for a while; then played capture the flag. Finally a cruise to the gravel pit. I had skate skis, but everyone else had classics, so I just stayed in the track and double poled for the 8 km circuit.
Note
Two moose in the parking lot this morning -- a pair of cows, maybe mom and daughter. Saw a big bull moose the other evening on the way back to the condo -- right off the side of the road. Would not like to run into any of these guys. Clearly had no concern about us or our cars. Just moseyed along as they saw fit (and left huge tracks in the ski trails).
Saturday Dec 8, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Rangeley Training Camp) 3:00:00 [3] 26.0 km (6:55 / km)
Skate day. Drills for double pole, kick double pole (good), regular striding. Increasing tempo for hill climbing.
Friday Dec 7, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Rangeley Training Camp) 3:00:00 [3] 20.0 km (9:00 / km)
Classic day. Good drills and some free skiing.
Strength exercises at lunch -- planks, dips; bad news for tomorrow.
Strength exercises at lunch -- planks, dips; bad news for tomorrow.
Thursday Dec 6, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Rangeley Training Camp) 1:00:00 [3] 9.0 km (6:40 / km)
Drive to Maine and get going for the first afternoon of the NENSA masters trining camp. Good snow cover; lots of trails open. Skate skiing and drills today.
Wednesday Dec 5, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 38:50 [3] 7.0 km (5:33 / km)
Firmer snow today. Rewaxed with LF4; temp cold and snow still has teeth, so needed a harder wax. Ran faster with less work.
Off tomorrow for training at Rangeley, ME. Lots of snow this year.
Off tomorrow for training at Rangeley, ME. Lots of snow this year.
Tuesday Dec 4, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 1:02:00 [3] 8.5 km (7:18 / km)
Tried skiing witout grooming, but snow was still soft. Fired up the groomer (after winching it to a tree to get the starter engaged) and made a couple passes. Much better. Snow much colder than wax, so had to rewax, too. Good workout, but slow.
Monday Dec 3, 2007 #
Skate Ski (Kingdom Valley Trails) 58:00 [3] 7.6 km (7:38 / km)
10" new snow last night -- didn't even have to make it myself. Still had to work; had a client in Burlington, which meant a really long drive up an unplowed I-89 starting before 5 AM.
Got home and packed the Fields and Pines and skied it right away. Should have let it set up, but wanted to ski before dinner. Punched thru on all the upgrades; overall pretty slow.
Will regroom tomorrow after it settles. I have extended the groomer to have a 6' rigid center plus 1-1/2' snow flaps on each side. Gives me a 9' wide smooth trail on a single pass -- perfect skate lane.
Got home and packed the Fields and Pines and skied it right away. Should have let it set up, but wanted to ski before dinner. Punched thru on all the upgrades; overall pretty slow.
Will regroom tomorrow after it settles. I have extended the groomer to have a 6' rigid center plus 1-1/2' snow flaps on each side. Gives me a 9' wide smooth trail on a single pass -- perfect skate lane.
Sunday Dec 2, 2007 #
O - competition long (Blue Hills Traverse) 2:44:27 [3] 17.8 km (9:14 / km)
Ran as a the last long training run before ski season starts -- as in tomorrow! Steady pace around a good course by Dean. Easy nav at a comfortable speed. Only error cost a couple minutes at #7; maybe a route chioce or two; just cranked along at my distance pace. Mostly alone. Straight line distance 13.6 km.