Training Log Archive: BorisGrIn the 28 days ending Feb 28, 2011:
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Monday Feb 28, 2011 #
Running 38:25 [2] 7.68 km (5:00 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Evening run to test the shin. Hoped to do intervals in Stadsskogen, but ended up just jogging around the lit track after running there from Jan and Linnéa's place. Shin hurts. A lot. Dammit.
Saturday Feb 26, 2011 #
Skiing 1:50:00 [3]
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 6
On our last day in Silvaplana, Kat actually felt like she had some strength, and so we decided to head up to Morteratsch and finally get to the glacier. Ross was easily convinced to come with us. We took the bus up to the Morteratasch campground and skied up to the glacier from there. It was an absolutely spectacular day, and the mountains and snow and ice looked really beautiful. It was a bit of a climb up to the foot of the glacier, but it was worth it. Kat had a great time climbing around the ice, and I had fun boosting her into an ice cave and giving her a good push to send her sliding across the ice deeper into the cave. On the way back, Kat took the bus, and Ross and I skied hard, realizing that we had to be back in Silvaplana soon. This was a good tough workout, as I had virtually no kick at all, so I skied the flats and downhills really hard and then herringboned the uphills while Ross caught up and passed me. I was pretty dead by the end, and I think this finally did in my shin, as it's been hurting nonstop since.
I was really sad to leave Switzerland, but it had been an amazing week! Thanks to Beatrice for organizing it, to Marc and Sandra for falling in love, and to all the friends for being there to provide entertainment! :)
On our last day in Silvaplana, Kat actually felt like she had some strength, and so we decided to head up to Morteratsch and finally get to the glacier. Ross was easily convinced to come with us. We took the bus up to the Morteratasch campground and skied up to the glacier from there. It was an absolutely spectacular day, and the mountains and snow and ice looked really beautiful. It was a bit of a climb up to the foot of the glacier, but it was worth it. Kat had a great time climbing around the ice, and I had fun boosting her into an ice cave and giving her a good push to send her sliding across the ice deeper into the cave. On the way back, Kat took the bus, and Ross and I skied hard, realizing that we had to be back in Silvaplana soon. This was a good tough workout, as I had virtually no kick at all, so I skied the flats and downhills really hard and then herringboned the uphills while Ross caught up and passed me. I was pretty dead by the end, and I think this finally did in my shin, as it's been hurting nonstop since.
I was really sad to leave Switzerland, but it had been an amazing week! Thanks to Beatrice for organizing it, to Marc and Sandra for falling in love, and to all the friends for being there to provide entertainment! :)
Friday Feb 25, 2011 #
Skiing 30:00 [1]
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 7
Kat was a little better this morning so, after we had breakfast and everyone had gone off to ski to the Morteratsch glacier, she and I went out for a little while. It was tough going for her just after the illness, so she had to take a lot of breaks. Additionally, the wind was crazy today (lots of kite-skiers out there on the lakes!), and so it got much easier when we turned around. I thought about skiing more after Kat had gone in, but all the tracks were covered with windblown snow, and my shin hurt, so I called it a (short) day.
Kat was a little better this morning so, after we had breakfast and everyone had gone off to ski to the Morteratsch glacier, she and I went out for a little while. It was tough going for her just after the illness, so she had to take a lot of breaks. Additionally, the wind was crazy today (lots of kite-skiers out there on the lakes!), and so it got much easier when we turned around. I thought about skiing more after Kat had gone in, but all the tracks were covered with windblown snow, and my shin hurt, so I called it a (short) day.
Thursday Feb 24, 2011 #
Skiing 20:00 [1]
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 6
Kat was feeling really sick this morning, so I spent some time with her and then went out with Sandra to help teach her friends Lindsay and Andrea how to skate ski. It was fun teaching Andrea, and he had a really good attitude about learning. I would have stayed out longer, but my shin was really painful at this point, and so I came back in and took the rest of the day off.
Kat was feeling really sick this morning, so I spent some time with her and then went out with Sandra to help teach her friends Lindsay and Andrea how to skate ski. It was fun teaching Andrea, and he had a really good attitude about learning. I would have stayed out longer, but my shin was really painful at this point, and so I came back in and took the rest of the day off.
Wednesday Feb 23, 2011 #
11 AM
Skiing 3:27:33 27.08 mi (7:40 / mi) +323m 7:23 / mi
ahr:173 max:177
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 5
The plan for today was doing the Engadin Ski Marathon course - 42km of relatively benign classic skiing. The first 12km or so are basically completely flat and on the lakes, then 12-20 actually feature some hills, both up and then a nice descent into Pontresina, and then very gradual descent all the way to the finish. The course has a net drop of about 150m.
My shin started hurting the day before, after the morning's classic ski, but I wisely ignored it, deciding that it will go away in a day, just like it did the week before, after the Orsa ski marathon.
Anyway, it was a beautiful sunny morning and, after Sam and I waxed a whole bunch of skis, a large group of us (Sandra, Sam, Cristina, Melissa, Ross, Beatrice) took the bus to the marathon start at Maloja. I was the only one classicing and hoped to have company from Sam and Ross, who were skating, most of the way.
My plan was to ski at 5min/km pace, which would give me a 3.5 hour ski for the 42km. As soon as we started, it was clear that the conditions were really tough. There was strong headwind, which made for slow going, especially for the skating folks. So pretty soon after the start I got a bit of a gap ahead of Sam and Ross and was on my own the whole rest of the way. The first 10km back to Silvaplana were a real struggle with the wind, and I often had to double pole kick or even stride on the flats. I went through the 10km mark in just under 50 minutes, which was encouraging for my 5min/km goal. Soon after I passed Carson, who also said he was struggling with the wind. Once past St.Moritz and up into the hills, the going actually got easier, as my kick (blue extra) was good in the shade, and there was less wind. Thanks to the steep downhill into Pontresina, I got a bit ahead of my goal pace, going through 20km in 1:32. I stopped to eat a granola bar and look at a map, as I really wasn't sure how the course went from here. (It was good that I looked at the map a couple of times here, as Ross and Sam managed to get off-course here!) The next 5km were a slog along the highway out in the open, with slight uphills that I had to herringbone up, as I had no kick at all out here. I stopped to rewax when the course crossed a random parking lot, and put on violet, which was very slightly better. From 25km in, the course was pretty boring - mostly flat with an overall slight downhill, the entire way in the fields, with massive gusts of wind often blowing snow into the tracks. It was just a matter of counting down kilometers. Oh yeah, and there was a random break when the course went through a small town. This meant running on the streets for about 500m. I skied at a pretty steady 5 min/km here, double-poling almost all the way, and got to the anticlimactic finish (the tracks just end in the middle of a field) in 3:26:30. From there I followed some Swiss people to the next town down the valley and took the train back after an almost one-hour wait. This was a fun experience and made me a bit more confident before Vasaloppet. Now, if only my shin would fix itself...
The plan for today was doing the Engadin Ski Marathon course - 42km of relatively benign classic skiing. The first 12km or so are basically completely flat and on the lakes, then 12-20 actually feature some hills, both up and then a nice descent into Pontresina, and then very gradual descent all the way to the finish. The course has a net drop of about 150m.
My shin started hurting the day before, after the morning's classic ski, but I wisely ignored it, deciding that it will go away in a day, just like it did the week before, after the Orsa ski marathon.
Anyway, it was a beautiful sunny morning and, after Sam and I waxed a whole bunch of skis, a large group of us (Sandra, Sam, Cristina, Melissa, Ross, Beatrice) took the bus to the marathon start at Maloja. I was the only one classicing and hoped to have company from Sam and Ross, who were skating, most of the way.
My plan was to ski at 5min/km pace, which would give me a 3.5 hour ski for the 42km. As soon as we started, it was clear that the conditions were really tough. There was strong headwind, which made for slow going, especially for the skating folks. So pretty soon after the start I got a bit of a gap ahead of Sam and Ross and was on my own the whole rest of the way. The first 10km back to Silvaplana were a real struggle with the wind, and I often had to double pole kick or even stride on the flats. I went through the 10km mark in just under 50 minutes, which was encouraging for my 5min/km goal. Soon after I passed Carson, who also said he was struggling with the wind. Once past St.Moritz and up into the hills, the going actually got easier, as my kick (blue extra) was good in the shade, and there was less wind. Thanks to the steep downhill into Pontresina, I got a bit ahead of my goal pace, going through 20km in 1:32. I stopped to eat a granola bar and look at a map, as I really wasn't sure how the course went from here. (It was good that I looked at the map a couple of times here, as Ross and Sam managed to get off-course here!) The next 5km were a slog along the highway out in the open, with slight uphills that I had to herringbone up, as I had no kick at all out here. I stopped to rewax when the course crossed a random parking lot, and put on violet, which was very slightly better. From 25km in, the course was pretty boring - mostly flat with an overall slight downhill, the entire way in the fields, with massive gusts of wind often blowing snow into the tracks. It was just a matter of counting down kilometers. Oh yeah, and there was a random break when the course went through a small town. This meant running on the streets for about 500m. I skied at a pretty steady 5 min/km here, double-poling almost all the way, and got to the anticlimactic finish (the tracks just end in the middle of a field) in 3:26:30. From there I followed some Swiss people to the next town down the valley and took the train back after an almost one-hour wait. This was a fun experience and made me a bit more confident before Vasaloppet. Now, if only my shin would fix itself...
Tuesday Feb 22, 2011 #
Event: Engadin 24
11 AM
Skiing 2:00:48 14.47 mi (8:21 / mi) +437m 7:38 / mi
ahr:155 max:180
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 4
Classic ski with Marc, Ross, and Sam, and a little with Zan and Kat, too. We skied out towards Lej de Staz and then skied up to a nice Alp, skied a lap under the power lines and then flew back down the hill, some of us wiping out more than others. Was pretty tired on the way back with virtually no kick left, and Sam smoked me into the finish.
Classic ski with Marc, Ross, and Sam, and a little with Zan and Kat, too. We skied out towards Lej de Staz and then skied up to a nice Alp, skied a lap under the power lines and then flew back down the hill, some of us wiping out more than others. Was pretty tired on the way back with virtually no kick left, and Sam smoked me into the finish.
5 PM
Skiing 1:11:33 [0] 10.95 km (6:32 / km) +47m 6:24 / km
ahr:67 max:67
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 4
Late afternoon skate ski. Started out with Biggins, who was embarking on part 2 of his Engadin 24 crusade. We skied at a good pace until I turned around and decided to go back, at which point I realized that we'd had a massive tailwind the whole way down to Majola. Getting back was a struggle into the wind, as I sometimes felt like I was standing still. I don't envy Biggins, but am certainly impressed by him!
Late afternoon skate ski. Started out with Biggins, who was embarking on part 2 of his Engadin 24 crusade. We skied at a good pace until I turned around and decided to go back, at which point I realized that we'd had a massive tailwind the whole way down to Majola. Getting back was a struggle into the wind, as I sometimes felt like I was standing still. I don't envy Biggins, but am certainly impressed by him!
Monday Feb 21, 2011 #
10 AM
Skiing 2:05:00 [2]
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 3
Morning classic ski, mostly with Ross. Went to the hill above Pontresina and back, and then did 2x10 minute double pole intervals from Silvaplana towards St.Moritz and back.
Morning classic ski, mostly with Ross. Went to the hill above Pontresina and back, and then did 2x10 minute double pole intervals from Silvaplana towards St.Moritz and back.
5 PM
Running 1:25:00 [3] 15.0 km (5:40 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 3
The plan for the afternoon was an easy 45 minute recovery jog. Turns out there is no such thing if you set out with Ross and Christoph. We ran up to Hahnensee up at 2153m. Well, Christoph and Ross ran up. I huffed and puffed and coughed and finally somehow got there. It was actually awesome up there with gorgeous views over the Engadin, and running back down was really fun too.
The plan for the afternoon was an easy 45 minute recovery jog. Turns out there is no such thing if you set out with Ross and Christoph. We ran up to Hahnensee up at 2153m. Well, Christoph and Ross ran up. I huffed and puffed and coughed and finally somehow got there. It was actually awesome up there with gorgeous views over the Engadin, and running back down was really fun too.
Sunday Feb 20, 2011 #
Skiing 40:00 [2]
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 2
The wedding ceremony was beautiful and multilingual: French, German, and English, with some songs in other languages, including Finnish! Ross managed to get through his French reading in style, and I apparently deafened the audience with mine (in American). Marc's vows to Sandra made German sound beautiful for the first time ever, and I was ready to cry despite not understanding a single word. Really, a beautiful ceremony in a lovely old church overlooking Neuchatel.
We then had wine (a lot of wine) and appetizers (cheese!) while Marc and Sandra greeted what seemed like the entire population of Switzerland who came up to wish them well. Ross and I pried them away from the adoring fans for a minute to play the shoe game. Apparently, they will have 3.5 children. And Sandra has the better handbag collection. Mingling with Swiss orienteering stars was cool. (Simone was there! Woo!) Some familiar faces, too, like Peter H and Marion C, Franziska W, and a few others.
After the super-cool balloon+promise release (I promised the happy couple 1kg of chocolate should my balloon be found by some innocent farmer and returned to Sandra and Marc), it was party time. A massive bus drove us up the hills to the hotel/restaurant, and partying began.
The dinner consisted of a steady stream of yummy food punctuated by Sandra and Marc's friends outdoing each other with elaborate skits, slide shows, speeches, and games, the best of which was undoubtedly Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: the Sandra and Marc edition. Our table had a clear lead until I had to go and convince Matthias M and Baptiste R that Sandra and Marc are wimps and would need a whopping 9 years of training to run around the world. Oops. But at least we got to watch Marc do 32 push-ups. Though Cristina said only a few of them would count in a US Air Force fitness test. I think this might be a good time to invade Switzerland and its wimpy push-ups.
Finally, the dinner came to an end, and dancing began. It was 1.30 now - the party had already gone on for twelve hours! The dancing was really fun, as a hardcore group of Swiss (including the awesome groom and the barely-bustled bride), Finns, and Americans kept going till the DJ had to get to sleep. It was great to take breaks from dancing by running outside and throwing snowballs at Erin. The wine flowed and, despite a serious attempt, we did not manage to finish it.
We left in the morning in fine American style - neglecting to pay for the hotel and running off with the room keys.
After an endless succession of cars, trains and buses, (Isn't Switzerland basically the size of New Jersey? Why the hell does it take so long to get across it? I am pretty sure we were just going in circles the entire time.) we were in Silvaplana, and so were our skis. Success!
As soon as we got there, Kat, Biggins, and I grabbed skis and headlamps and went for a hangover-curing ski on the lakes. Double-poling in the dark with the falling snow was fun.
The wedding ceremony was beautiful and multilingual: French, German, and English, with some songs in other languages, including Finnish! Ross managed to get through his French reading in style, and I apparently deafened the audience with mine (in American). Marc's vows to Sandra made German sound beautiful for the first time ever, and I was ready to cry despite not understanding a single word. Really, a beautiful ceremony in a lovely old church overlooking Neuchatel.
We then had wine (a lot of wine) and appetizers (cheese!) while Marc and Sandra greeted what seemed like the entire population of Switzerland who came up to wish them well. Ross and I pried them away from the adoring fans for a minute to play the shoe game. Apparently, they will have 3.5 children. And Sandra has the better handbag collection. Mingling with Swiss orienteering stars was cool. (Simone was there! Woo!) Some familiar faces, too, like Peter H and Marion C, Franziska W, and a few others.
After the super-cool balloon+promise release (I promised the happy couple 1kg of chocolate should my balloon be found by some innocent farmer and returned to Sandra and Marc), it was party time. A massive bus drove us up the hills to the hotel/restaurant, and partying began.
The dinner consisted of a steady stream of yummy food punctuated by Sandra and Marc's friends outdoing each other with elaborate skits, slide shows, speeches, and games, the best of which was undoubtedly Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: the Sandra and Marc edition. Our table had a clear lead until I had to go and convince Matthias M and Baptiste R that Sandra and Marc are wimps and would need a whopping 9 years of training to run around the world. Oops. But at least we got to watch Marc do 32 push-ups. Though Cristina said only a few of them would count in a US Air Force fitness test. I think this might be a good time to invade Switzerland and its wimpy push-ups.
Finally, the dinner came to an end, and dancing began. It was 1.30 now - the party had already gone on for twelve hours! The dancing was really fun, as a hardcore group of Swiss (including the awesome groom and the barely-bustled bride), Finns, and Americans kept going till the DJ had to get to sleep. It was great to take breaks from dancing by running outside and throwing snowballs at Erin. The wine flowed and, despite a serious attempt, we did not manage to finish it.
We left in the morning in fine American style - neglecting to pay for the hotel and running off with the room keys.
After an endless succession of cars, trains and buses, (Isn't Switzerland basically the size of New Jersey? Why the hell does it take so long to get across it? I am pretty sure we were just going in circles the entire time.) we were in Silvaplana, and so were our skis. Success!
As soon as we got there, Kat, Biggins, and I grabbed skis and headlamps and went for a hangover-curing ski on the lakes. Double-poling in the dark with the falling snow was fun.
Saturday Feb 19, 2011 #
Orienteering 35:05 6.0 km (5:51 / km)
Sandra and Marc wedding trip - Day 1
Arrived in Neuchatel and successfully found the old hotel stocked with US orienteers. Yay! Ross and I got up in the morning and ran the M35A final sprint course from last year's World Masters. We had one map, so we traded off memorizing legs while the other person led the previous leg without a map. Good training, Ross was quick. Running through the castle ruins was very cool. A fantastic breakfast spread courtesy of Marc waited back at the hotel!
522/2000
Arrived in Neuchatel and successfully found the old hotel stocked with US orienteers. Yay! Ross and I got up in the morning and ran the M35A final sprint course from last year's World Masters. We had one map, so we traded off memorizing legs while the other person led the previous leg without a map. Good training, Ross was quick. Running through the castle ruins was very cool. A fantastic breakfast spread courtesy of Marc waited back at the hotel!
522/2000
Friday Feb 18, 2011 #
Running 25:34 [2] 4.42 km (5:47 / km)
Running to Jan's house and then back "home" from the last control.
Orienteering 1:04:44 [2] 7.0 km (9:15 / km)
Hanging controls for Jan's training tomorrow. Mostly city orienteering, with some forest parts. Nice and cold out (-15C), but the running felt good, and the orienteering was fun. Off to Switzerland now!!
503/2000
503/2000
T.rex training 3:00 [1]
A bit of T.Rex training after the run.
Thursday Feb 17, 2011 #
Running 55:00 9.17 km (6:00 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Intervals with Linné. The intervals were (3(1)-2(1)-1(2))x5, though I only did it x3 to avoid wiping myself out soon after a bad cold. Felt strong running, but the really cold temperature made it hard to get into a good flow. Calves sore on the last pair of intervals, but I think they are just tight.
T.rex training 40:00 [1]
Jympa/circuits led by Marta after the intervals. It was a really great program, with nice exercises and good music. Really enjoyed it.
Wednesday Feb 16, 2011 #
T.rex training 5:00 [1]
Some T.rex work after the run.
8 AM
Running 1:12:39 [2] 7.93 mi (9:10 / mi) +96m 8:50 / mi
shoes: VJ Supra
Morning run, rerunning last night's Tuesday line-O that I missed because of skiing. This went mostly on trails and bicycle paths with occasional forays into the knee-deep snow in the fields and forests. Nice morning run.
Tuesday Feb 15, 2011 #
Skiing 30:00 [2]
Warm-up and a very slow cool-down
Ski Race 38:50 [5] 10.0 km (3:53 / km)
OK Linné's club champs in skiing
This consisted of four loops on the 2.5km lit track next to the clubhouse. The temperature was a tropical -10C, and the tracks were fast except for the places where people or dogs had run through them. I started 1 minute ahead of Mats and hoped to hold him off for at least a lap. As a result, I pushed really hard the first lap and managed to stay ahead. He caught me halfway through the second lap and passed me when I managed to wipe out when taking a corner on a downhill. I was working hard and seriously hurting on the final lap, only just holding off Lofas, who started 4 minutes behind. Ended up in a glorious last place, 2 seconds behind Millinger and 4:25 behind the winner. However, I thought I skied well and tried thinking about leaning forward at the ankles as Alex suggested, which felt natural as soon as I started doing it again.
This consisted of four loops on the 2.5km lit track next to the clubhouse. The temperature was a tropical -10C, and the tracks were fast except for the places where people or dogs had run through them. I started 1 minute ahead of Mats and hoped to hold him off for at least a lap. As a result, I pushed really hard the first lap and managed to stay ahead. He caught me halfway through the second lap and passed me when I managed to wipe out when taking a corner on a downhill. I was working hard and seriously hurting on the final lap, only just holding off Lofas, who started 4 minutes behind. Ended up in a glorious last place, 2 seconds behind Millinger and 4:25 behind the winner. However, I thought I skied well and tried thinking about leaning forward at the ankles as Alex suggested, which felt natural as soon as I started doing it again.
Monday Feb 14, 2011 #
Skiing 45:00 [1]
Decided to follow Alex's advice and do a double-pole session in Hågadalen. Instead I mostly froze. It was about -20C when I set off, and I could very soon not feel my hands or, a while later, my face. So the workout turned into a bunch of double-pole kicking, striding, and standing still trying to warm my face. I saw one other idiot out there, skiing with his headlamp, looking foolish like me. Days like this were meant for TV-watching on the sofa.
The night was rescued by a romantic Valentine's Day dinner of heart-shaped pizzas with Mats and Rasa at Basilico.
The night was rescued by a romantic Valentine's Day dinner of heart-shaped pizzas with Mats and Rasa at Basilico.
Running 10:00 [1]
Running with skis to and from "home".
Sunday Feb 13, 2011 #
Skiing 1:15:00 [2]
Was very sore when I got up, but actually felt pretty good when I started skiing. Did a couple of loops with Tomas, and then the flat 10km by myself before skiing back up to Fryksås, where we stayed.
Saturday Feb 12, 2011 #
Skiing 30:00 [2]
Skiing to the start and then very slowly back from the finish.
Ski Race 3:08:40 [4] 42.0 km (4:30 / km)
Orsa-Grönklitt Ski Marathon
This was obviously the sensible thing to do right after being sick all week. Alex will be proud of me.
Seriously, though, it was my last chance to do a seeding race for Vasaloppet. Every row that you are seeded up means 1200 more people you don't have to start behind in the massive crowd that apparently happens at the start of every Vasaloppet. I figured just finishing this race would move me up a few rows, saving at least 30 minutes of frustration during Vasaloppet.
Luckily, I woke up feeling good. Still stuffed up and coughing, but no headache or any signs of fever. Skied down to the start with Bara and Zuzana, and waxed according to instructions given by Martin and Radek, who actually knew what they were doing. About 900 people at the start in a wide field that quickly narrows down to 4 sets of tracks. I was stuck behind some people at the end of the field, but the wait was less than a minute before I could move again and double-pole like crazy along with the masses. I guess I got out to a decent start because once we hit the flat and downhill portions of the course, everyone was passing me. This is probably a combination of several factors: (1) my weak T.Rex arms, (2) being sick all week, (3) slow skis, and (4) poor double-pole technique. Some of these can be improved on before Vasaloppet, so that is promising. Anyway, the conditions were pretty slow, and I had to do a lot of double-pole kicking and even striding on the flats, which is not a good sign. The course consisted of two loops. The first 13km of each loop were basically flat, and the last 8km were pretty hilly, with two nice longish climbs that were definitely strideable. As soon as the hills began, I felt like a new man and started passing lots of the people (mostly old men) who had double-poled past me earlier. This gave me energy and willingness to fight, and I decided that I would do the whole race when I went through the stadium in about 90 minutes, just ahead of Bara. Keeping Bara behind me was a nice goal for the second lap, and so I set off after clumsily opening a gel with my teeth, eating some of it, and then clumsily closing it again. This time I was basically catching people the entire lap, though I passed one group on an uphill that then flew by me again on a downhill. The flats were a bit of a struggle again, but my glide seemed a bit better now, and I was just looking forward to the hills. This time the tracks were more chewed up, and a lot of people were just walking up the hills or even standing still. I started pushing really hard for the last 5-6km, and that mostly felt good. I did not feel like my muscles were dead by the end of the race, which is a nice bonus. Most of the second lap was spent in a back-and-forth battle with one guy who kept getting ahead of me on the flats and then getting passed by me on the hills. I finally got away from him towards the end and was pleased with myself until seeing in the results that the guy was the winner in the women's 45 class.
I ended up 116th out of the 170 or so M21's who started, over an hour back. Not very impressive, but I felt good and had fun, at least on the hilly parts, so that is encouraging. I also soundly defeated a competitor in the men's class in next month's Ski-WOC, so that is a bonus.
This was obviously the sensible thing to do right after being sick all week. Alex will be proud of me.
Seriously, though, it was my last chance to do a seeding race for Vasaloppet. Every row that you are seeded up means 1200 more people you don't have to start behind in the massive crowd that apparently happens at the start of every Vasaloppet. I figured just finishing this race would move me up a few rows, saving at least 30 minutes of frustration during Vasaloppet.
Luckily, I woke up feeling good. Still stuffed up and coughing, but no headache or any signs of fever. Skied down to the start with Bara and Zuzana, and waxed according to instructions given by Martin and Radek, who actually knew what they were doing. About 900 people at the start in a wide field that quickly narrows down to 4 sets of tracks. I was stuck behind some people at the end of the field, but the wait was less than a minute before I could move again and double-pole like crazy along with the masses. I guess I got out to a decent start because once we hit the flat and downhill portions of the course, everyone was passing me. This is probably a combination of several factors: (1) my weak T.Rex arms, (2) being sick all week, (3) slow skis, and (4) poor double-pole technique. Some of these can be improved on before Vasaloppet, so that is promising. Anyway, the conditions were pretty slow, and I had to do a lot of double-pole kicking and even striding on the flats, which is not a good sign. The course consisted of two loops. The first 13km of each loop were basically flat, and the last 8km were pretty hilly, with two nice longish climbs that were definitely strideable. As soon as the hills began, I felt like a new man and started passing lots of the people (mostly old men) who had double-poled past me earlier. This gave me energy and willingness to fight, and I decided that I would do the whole race when I went through the stadium in about 90 minutes, just ahead of Bara. Keeping Bara behind me was a nice goal for the second lap, and so I set off after clumsily opening a gel with my teeth, eating some of it, and then clumsily closing it again. This time I was basically catching people the entire lap, though I passed one group on an uphill that then flew by me again on a downhill. The flats were a bit of a struggle again, but my glide seemed a bit better now, and I was just looking forward to the hills. This time the tracks were more chewed up, and a lot of people were just walking up the hills or even standing still. I started pushing really hard for the last 5-6km, and that mostly felt good. I did not feel like my muscles were dead by the end of the race, which is a nice bonus. Most of the second lap was spent in a back-and-forth battle with one guy who kept getting ahead of me on the flats and then getting passed by me on the hills. I finally got away from him towards the end and was pleased with myself until seeing in the results that the guy was the winner in the women's 45 class.
I ended up 116th out of the 170 or so M21's who started, over an hour back. Not very impressive, but I felt good and had fun, at least on the hilly parts, so that is encouraging. I also soundly defeated a competitor in the men's class in next month's Ski-WOC, so that is a bonus.
Friday Feb 11, 2011 #
Note
(sick)
Feeling better again today. Still no training, but I was on my feet all day and felt ok. Moved my stuff from one temporary apartment to another, then dragged myself across town to get a ride up to Orsa with Mats Ferm.
Thursday Feb 10, 2011 #
Note
(sick)
Still sick, but feeling better than yesterday. Went in to work, but nowhere near ready to train yet.
Wednesday Feb 9, 2011 #
Note
(sick)
Very sick. Didn't leave the bed today. Symptoms similar to those of Martina, the Czech girl who came skiing with me and my friends Bara and Martin last weekend.
Tuesday Feb 8, 2011 #
Note
(sick)
Sick. Felt like a zombie at work.
Monday Feb 7, 2011 #
T.rex training 5:00 [1]
A small dose of T.rex training after the night sprint. Roar.
Running 25:00 [2] 4.17 km (6:00 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Warm-up and coo-down
Running 4:48 [5] 1.33 km (3:37 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Tour de Linné: Prologue
This year's Tour began with a 1.33km running loop followed by a night sprint around the Ekeby sprint map, right around me old neighborhood.
This year's Tour began with a 1.33km running loop followed by a night sprint around the Ekeby sprint map, right around me old neighborhood.
Orienteering 20:47 [5] *** 3.2 km (6:30 / km)
spiked:10/13c shoes: VJ Supra
Tour de Linné: Stage 1
The night sprint was really fun, with some tricky route choices. Because of the snow and ice, roads and bike paths were much, much faster than anything else, so that had to be taken into account. My two biggest time losses were caused my massive piles of snow in my map, where the map showed a cul-de-sac and a parking lot. Really enjoyed the sprint, but felt rusty and slow with my map reading, and just plain slow with my running. Was surprised not to come last in the men's category.
Splits (quiz, how many JWOC medalists are in this results list? how many Swedish Champs medalists?): http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/sv/default.a...
Map: http://oklinne.nu/documents/documents_open.php?id=...
488/2000
The night sprint was really fun, with some tricky route choices. Because of the snow and ice, roads and bike paths were much, much faster than anything else, so that had to be taken into account. My two biggest time losses were caused my massive piles of snow in my map, where the map showed a cul-de-sac and a parking lot. Really enjoyed the sprint, but felt rusty and slow with my map reading, and just plain slow with my running. Was surprised not to come last in the men's category.
Splits (quiz, how many JWOC medalists are in this results list? how many Swedish Champs medalists?): http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/sv/default.a...
Map: http://oklinne.nu/documents/documents_open.php?id=...
488/2000
Note
(sick)
Started to feel sick in the evening.
Sunday Feb 6, 2011 #
Skiing 2:55:00 [2]
Classicing with Bara and Martin at Säfsen. We skied down to the 23km loop that goes behind and around the alpine resort and skied all of it at an easy pace. It hadn't been tracked in a couple of days, so the going wasn't very fast, but the scenery was awesome. Blue skies, and snow and forest everywhere. Really, really nice. The track finished by climbing most of the mountain the alpine resort is on and then rocketing back down. Pretty tired by the end, but not to the point of dropping dead. This has to be encouraging.
Saturday Feb 5, 2011 #
Skiing 2:00:00 [2]
Classic skiing at Säfsen in Dalarna. Did 23km - a 9km loop with Bara, then another 14 km by myself, a little bit faster. Felt awkward and unbalanced at first, but then much better as the session went on. The conditions were good, and I had good kick after rewaxing.
Skiing 1:45:00 [2]
Skating in the late afternoon down on the skate trail in the Säfsen valley. These were probably the most beautiful skating conditions I've ever experienced - just a pleasure. Still, I got tired and struggled towards the end while Bara and Martin were flying up the hills. My skating technique is even less efficient than my classic.
Thursday Feb 3, 2011 #
Running 56:00
shoes: VJ Supra
Sore and achy everywhere after yesterday's bike crash on the way home from work, but decided to do the club intervals anyway. The intervals were on bike paths, which meant a lot of ice, some asphalt, and some gravel. Frightened of slipping, I wore O-shoes. These worked rather well, actually. I had good grip and did not slip, though running hard in O shoes on hard ground several days in a row isn't great.
Anyway, I did 4x5 minutes with 2 minutes rest. I felt surprisingly good once I warmed up, though faded a bit on the last one.
Anyway, I did 4x5 minutes with 2 minutes rest. I felt surprisingly good once I warmed up, though faded a bit on the last one.
T.rex training 35:00 [1]
Circuits at Hågadalsskolan after the intervals, led by Elisa and Hanna.
Wednesday Feb 2, 2011 #
Running 10:00 [2] 1.67 km (6:00 / km)
shoes: VJ Supra
Warm-up plus cool-down
Orienteering race 56:17 [4] *** 8.0 km (7:02 / km)
spiked:15/16c shoes: VJ Supra
Uppsala Night Cup organized by IF Thor on Vårdsätraskogen. This was mostly streets and trails with short forays into the deeper snow in the forest. I was forced to work hard and run hard for the first time in a while. It felt good, though I certainly am much slower than I was 3-4 years ago. Didn't really make any mistakes, though I am not sure about one route, and I didn't see the faint reflector on the last control for a few seconds. Ended up 12/15 in a small, but strong, field, almost 9 minutes down on Jan.
Results: http://www.ncsportcup.se/docs/splits20110202.html
475/2000
Results: http://www.ncsportcup.se/docs/splits20110202.html
475/2000
Tuesday Feb 1, 2011 #
Running 1:36:02 [2] 14.0 km (6:52 / km)
shoes: 2009 VJ Falcons
Tisdagsbana D2 with Linné. Got into Arlanda at 7:30am, went straight to Ångström for work. After work struggled to drag myself "home" with my big bag and skis, then snapped out of it and got to training. So great to see all the familiar faces! The course itself was mostly running on trails and smaller roads, with occasional shortcuts across deep snowy fields a la Stratton Brook. But the fun was in feeling part of a group, having other lamps lit up the darkness around you, and of course, the sauna, soup, and good company after the training. Spent most of the time running with Sofie and Mari, who did not miss a beat or have to slow down after her lamp went out.
The course is here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15770321/Bana%20D2.jpg
The course is here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15770321/Bana%20D2.jpg
Note
During tonight's run it was pointed out to me that Vasaloppet will be March 6th this year, and I will still be in Sweden then. Is there any reason not to do it? What do I absolutely need to do in order to finish the race without completely falling apart? Now that I've got the idea in my head, I really want to do it.
C • Do it!! 14