Category: XCFeeds

We had a really productive classic workout this morning. We warmed-up skiing easy for 30 minutes, then we did three intervals of 20 minutes each at threshold (a pace you can sustain for at least an hour). In each interval, we had two sprint bonuses. A sprint bonus is a “finish line” in the middle of a race where world cup points or cash are awarded to the first person or people across the line. They are a staple in every world cup mass start. Today’s workout was a great way to practice without having a full race. Tad Elliott dressed up old school with knickers and long socks for the workout:

On the cool-down, Eric Packer took this cool picture of me in the tunnel.

This afternoon we went for an easy hour and a half run as a group and started getting our stuff together. Tomorrow morning we have one last ski in the tunnel. Then we drive to Munich and do strength there. On Friday we fly back to the U.S.

This morning we did two hours of classic distance in the tunnel. At six to seven minutes per lap, you get a little dizzy skiing around in there. As Eric Packer said, “It sucks not having any intensity to do in the tunnel to break the workout up.”

This afternoon we did strength in another new gym.

We had to be inventive again to get our exercises in, including using an extension cord as a jump rope:

However, it was great because the floor made a perfect speed ladder:

And there were some nice motivational pictures on the wall.

Tad Elliott got some heavy lifting in.

I went out to dinner with German skiers Monique Siegel and Thomas Wick. We had some delicious food.

Lastly, I was walking around Oberhof after dinner and saw a picture of U.S. Nordic Combined Athlete Johnny Spilane in front of the local sports store. Crazy to be in the middle of Germany and see a poster of a friend and teammate.

We did an individual start skate race in the tunnel this morning. We did 6 laps of the loop here, which comes to about 11 kilometers. Although summer races don’t mean very much because everybody is in different stages of their training and there is a lot of time before the race season, it was a great opportunity for me to test some of the technique changes I’ve been working on this summer. The conditions made for a great test because they were icy and fast, conditions that have been tough for me in the past. Chris Grover took some great video of the race.

I was really pleased with how things went. The best sign for me was my ability to elevate my lactate and heart rate (to 7.0mmol and 173bpm.) This shows that I was able to use my aerobic system and wasn’t being held back by the pace. I felt relaxed and controlled.

Unfortunately Andy Newell wasn’t able to compete because of stomach issues. Here are the results, which again don’t mean a whole lot.

Yesterday morning we did skate sprint intensity in the tunnel. The workout was three sets of eight repetitions of 30 second intervals at sprint race pace. (A sprint race in cross country skiing is anywhere between 1200 meters and 1800 meters and generally takes between three and three and a half minutes.) The first set of intervals we did on terrain that  went down then up then around a 180 degree corner and back down and back up. The second set we did straight uphill. The third set we did from a standing start on flats with another 180 degree corner. Here’s some good video from Jason Cork of the session.

This morning we classic skied in the tunnel. Here’s a cool picture Eric Packer took.

It was great skiing because we had the right kick wax on our skis thanks to the Canadian junior team telling us what to use. They’ve been here for more than a week. We were skiing on blue klister covered with VR50 hard wax. Here are Cork and Tad Elliott waxing skis in a hazy tunnel (because of the snowmaking machines.)

The workout this morning included more fast skiing. It was a two hour distance session with 16 ten-second speeds. Cork took some more good video from this morning:

This afternoon we did an easy hour and a half skate roller ski. We took some time to do another synchronized skiing photo shoot.

The rollerskiing is great here in Oberhof. Some of the paved trails are on the same course I hope to race this winter for the first two stages of the Tour de Ski. It is a great opportunity to see the trails. Here are (from left to right) Eric Packer, me, Tad, and Simi Hamilton skiing under one of the ski bridges here in Oberhof. Cork is standing on the bridge. Coach Chris Grover took the photo.

And here’s a picture, also by Grover, of me leading Simi up one of the hills.

I was super impressed and inspired watching the Olympic Track and Field 10000 meter race this evening. Mo Farrah of Great Britain won and Galen Rupp of the USA was second. This past Spring I got to run with Mo, Galen, and Dathan Ritzenhein (who finished 13th in the 10000 this evening, also of the U.S.) when they were in Park City training. They were great guys and incredible athletes. Here is a picture with the runners and my teammates.

I am in blue on the top row, third from left. Dathan is in black next to me. Galen is in black, second from right on the top row (next to my teammate and overall World Cup Sprint Champion Kikkan Randall). Mo is kneeling in the center.

As Andy Newell said this morning, “Skiing in a tunnel is like skiing in a refrigerator.” That wraps up what it feels like pretty well.

The Oberhof tunnel has 1.2km of skiing. It is much newer and nicer than the other tunnel I’ve been to in Torsby, Sweden. We were in Torsby last November and the snow was soft and sugary. Here in Oberhof it is great, very close to what we race on in the winter.

Plus they have windows here in Oberhof. They were making snow in the tunnel today so it was a little hazy and slow in that area of the tunnel.

They were taking a bunch of old snow out of the tunnel today. It is tough having them run trucks in the tunnel. You smell the fumes when you’re skiing. It can’t be healthy.

Here’s the snow-making operation:

It’s always strange to me when the garage door is open because you’re looking out at green grass.

Here’s what the tunnel looks like from the outside:

On a different note, the hotel we’re staying in serves us 3 meals a day plus apple pie, ice cream and coffee at 3P.M. It’s fantastic, but it can make afternoon training a little tough. Here’s Andy with his pie:

We made it to Oberhof, Germany after a 6 hour drive from Ramsau. This is my first time here. It was a long travel day made longer by construction and traffic, but it’s good to be here. I am particularly excited to be here, not just because there is a ski tunnel and great training opportunities. Oberhof will be the venue for the first two stages of the Tour de Ski, on December 29th and 30th, 2012. The Tour de Ski is a series of World Cup races (7 races in 9 days for the 2012-13 season) modeled after the Tour de France. It is one of the biggest events in the world for cross country skiing. I hope to compete in the Tour for the first time this coming season.

Also, we were told before we arrived that the weather is always bad in Oberhof. We were pleasantly surprised to see the sun today. Here is Andy Newell in front of our great hotel, the Waldgasthof.

The rooms are nice, especially because I got the single this time.

The hotel provided us with a cooler full of drinks.

And a basket full of candy in our rooms.

And they provided us a great wax room.

And a barbecue for dinner, with burgers, grilled pork and wieners. Simi was especially excited:

I can see the ski jumps from my balcony.

Also, here’s some video from our ski on the glacier yesterday. I was doing 2 hours double pole only. It looks incredibly slow in the video and it was, but it was hard.

I had a fun last night in Ramsau. Monique and I went to the spectacular home of Ronnie and Astrid Wolf. Their primary residence is in Bergstrasse, Germany, but their home in Ramsau is located on a gorgeous lot with great views of Schladming.

They also have a workout room that is better stocked than most public facilities I’ve visited.

And their hot tub was nice.

I got to ride their sweet Can-Am 4-Wheeler.

It was really powerful and fun.

Ronnie also showed me his impressive shotgun collection.

After dinner, we went to a party under the full moon and around the fire at Trond’s house.