Training Log Archive: O Steve!

warm up/wax test ski for the Mora Vasaloppet

Mora Vasaloppet 42K Classic Ski marathon...I immediately went out to test my wax and was surprised that they weren't gliding all that great (blue Nordlite LF with Fast wax HF green on top...nothing terrible, just nothing great....just used wax I had since I didn't want to go buy any)...despite talk of a fast track my skis didn't seem all that rocket like but the kick was on with (Swix VF 40)...I threw on some special Green kick wax (1 quick layer) hoping to cut the drag a bit and off we went...

I started in untracked area and went wide to the left track on the trail and it didnt serve me as well as I thought...next year start in the left track and take the curve wide...I didn't think the start was all that great and immediately a good number surged by me....no worries, its a long race....the first K I suspected my glide and double pole was not doing all that great so set in to single stick and stride (to use my good kick) where others were double poling....Mora is the one race where glide really matters due to its flat nature but my ski's were telling me they were more kickers then gliders....

There was the occasional hay straw in the tracks and on the flat area right after the start I hit one dead on the stride and my ski stopped sending me down in a quick heap only to bounce right back up only losing about :03

I hit the classic only trail and was skiing in a group but I was slowly getting passed as I tried to keep cool....just as I thought I was making up time on the group through the twisty technical parts of the trail and the uphills but every one seemed to have a better double pole glide than I did so I just kept up the striding.....through the next flat part of the course I slowly lost ground as people crept by and if memory serves I hit the 10K in 47 minutes or so.....which told me my time would be close to last year at this pace and that any thoughts of cracking the top half were a pipe dream and I might have to work to stay in the top 60%...

I used the track the entire way after testing the skate lanes for fast snow but they did not seem to be any faster...so I stayed put and worked it...

Towards the last 12K or so the weather must have warmed a bit and I noticed my ski's seemed to glide just a bit better and kick just as good and I started to stem the slow bleed of people coming by in dribbles.....I passed many back at aid stations as I took my feed on the run and managed to stay away....I was also helped my the more rolling hills at the end of the course where I had great kick....

I skied a nicely paced race and came across thinking my 2nd half was better than my 1st half and strided across in 3:16:23...

I ended up finishing 189th of 339 for a top 55% finish that was actually slightly better than last year (never would have guessed that) and met my personal pre race criteria for a solid "B" result..honestly, to crack the top half I would need to luck in to the wax a bit....I must have gotten a better start than I thought and any time I can bet last year is a victory over the aging process...my new heart rate monitor showed 164 avg for the race (2 beats higher than last year) at with a AT of about 168 or so I could not have given much more in sheer effort...a satisfying race....oh yeah, I burned 3103 calories...so why don't I lose any weight? : )

C • Congrats 1

Sydski!....

Kari and I skied LOI with Syd in a front carrier (her first ski ever)...worked good for the lakes...it was a great times and the lakes were in great shape with plenty of people out.....ran into Rainbow and Mobiz and skied a bit with them and took a few pictures....

Goals for Mora 42K Classic (traditionally, slightly more competitive than some other race fields...

A=top 52.5% of field
B=top 57.5% of field
C=top 62.5% of field
D=top 67.5% of field
F=<67.5% of field

Forgot to mention a little quirk at the City of Lakes Loppet.....there were two places on the course where there was a fork in the trail and a sign said "Skiers Choice"...you could go left or right.....a little route choice during the race!!!!

....true to form I think I choose wrong on each to lose a total of :05 or so....I did avoid some climb but noticed others gapped me a bit taking "the road less traveled".....JJ, Rainbow?....how did you make out????

C • Skiers choice 3

skated Cedar up to the bog and did loops back to Cedar and LOI.....tried to keep effort down to a 2 and save it for Sunday....

...seems like the best strategy for getting in hours with kid is to stretch my workouts out a bit and doing less workouts/week...

Recovery ski in Butler Bog and JD Gardens.....going very easy as I was sore from yesterday...with the new snow I was doing more ski hiking at times but just enjoyed the easy striding and 'boning the uphills.....just getting in some time as I have the 42K Mora Classic Vasaloppet on sunday.....