FasterSkier

Category: XCFeeds

A collection of live feeds from cross-country ski blogs around the web.

  • Running: What’s The Relationship Between Distance And Pace?

    I’m breaking the rules and posting about running instead of skiing.  But skiers spend quite a bit of time running, and I’ve developed an interest in ultrarunning, so I thought this might be fun.

    I was reading about the Comrades Marathon recently, and was suitably impressed that those runners are stringing together roughly 55 sub-6 minute miles in a row.  So I thought it might be fun to look at how distances affect running speeds.  Not a new idea, for sure, but fun nonetheless.

    I grabbed some records from here and here<1.  Most are for set distances, but some are records for specific times (distance travelled in 12 hours, 24 hours, etc.).  I only used verified records, nothing that was “pending” or noted with an asterisk.  Obviously, when you get up above 10,000 meters, many of these races aren’t taking place on tracks, so the course and surface type will play a role.  Where possible I noted whether the race was on road or track (IAAF has some 100km records that I can’t quite discern whether they are road or track).  The chart is below:

    Updated: Fixed y axis labels to read “Average Pace” rather than “Average Speed”.

    The speeds are recorded in minutes per mile.  The distances are in miles, but I’ve plotted them on a log scale, since they vary so much.

    Something appears to happen at around 30 miles.  Also, just eyeballing the graph, it appears that when you increase the distance travelled by a factor of ~1000, the average speed over that distance decreases by about a factor of 3.5 or 4.  However, your body doesn’t really know how far you’ve gone, just how long and how hard.  So it might be more relevant to look at the same plot but with the total race time on the x axis:

    Since all I’ve changed is the scale, the shape of the plot hasn’t changed, just how we interpret the x axis.  Now we can see that the “bend” is happening at around 100 minutes for both men and women.  It appears that when the length of effort increases by a factor of 10 you sacrifice a bit less than 1 minute per mile until your total length of effort reaches 100 minutes.  Then for each increase in race time by a factor of ten you lose closer to 2-3 minutes per mile.

    Before extending this too far, keep in mind that these data represent the very fastest human beings at these distances, so any relationship we find here really only applies to the very limits of human running.  What you or I experience may differ dramatically.

    Still, I’d say human beings are well adapted to running long distances.




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    1. I wrote this before the 800m men’s record was broken recently. <↩

    Related posts:

    1. <Most Improved: Men’s Distance
    2. <Most Improved: Women’s Distance
    3. <Most Unimproved Women: Distance


  • Johns Brook

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/TH2FQbuOyII/AAAAAAAABBI/HQ2RfiPFK-k/s1600/IMG_1439.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/TH2FQbuOyII/AAAAAAAABBI/HQ2RfiPFK-k/s400/IMG_1439.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511708036337420418″ //adiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1362992899157556571-5286031606469918444?l=comeskiwithme.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Cross Country Skis For Sale on E-bay?

  • Racing & Grinding

    It might still feel like summer, but I’m already starting to dial in the little parts of the ski racing equasion. Mark Waechter of Ultra-Tune has been showing me the ropes in getting a better handle on my racing boards. Between the morning and afternoon sessions my coach Scott Johnston and I were cranking on my fleet of skis; first scraping, followed by flex testing, then finishing with waxing. At the next Ultra-Tune session I’ll take this information and plan out a lil grinding plan with Mark to have both my old and new Rossignol’s running better than my competitors. Watch out…

    The past weekend made for an altogether different kind of grind – the 11.5mile Cutthroat Classic. It’s a classic trail run that crosses from Rainy Pass on the Western side of the North Cascades, that then drops down from the high alpine setting into the sunny side of the state. With three miles of climbing remaining, I decided to set off solo and put about four minutes on the closest pursuer by the time we reached the valley on the other side, who came all the way from Track Town USA (Eugene, OR) to defend his Northwest trail running title. It felt good to race and be so in control, especially in longest running race of my life.

  • Adventure

    After a hard week of training on the glacier, a recovery week was much needed. I took advantage of an easier week and went on some fun adventures in Alaska with my sister, Kristy. We drove 7 hours East of Anchorage to the McCarthy Kennecott area, located at the foot of the Wrangell Mountains. The drive there is not an easy one, seeing as it takes over 2 hours to drive the last 50 miles. We loaded down the car with bikes, backpacks, rain gear, tent, food, water, and everything else we thought we might need for the next five days.


    In order to get to McCarthy, you have to park at the end of the road, cross a foot bridge and walk or bike 1.5 miles. Even though the town is quite small with a population of about 40-50, it is a popular tourist destination in the summer. Five miles up the road is Kennecott mine. This area is full of artifacts and history from its mining days in the early 1900’s. Copper was discovered in Kennecott in 1900 and the mines and the town of Kennecott were built quickly after the discovery. By 1938 the copper deposits in the mountain were gone and the town was completely abandoned. Over the 30 years that the mine was up and running, $200 million in ore was extracted, making it the richest concentration of copper in the world!


    We had fun exploring the old mining town and reading about the history from that time. We ventured out on some cool hikes that took us to a couple of the mining sights. As you can see from the pictures, several artifacts were left by the miners long ago.


    Despite some pretty wet, rainy weather and a few run-ins with bears, we had a great time!

    During my time in AK, I went on several hikes in the Anchorage area. It does not take long to drive out of the city and be in the middle of nowhere. Kristy and I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and ran back to a lake called symphony lake. The views are always beautiful there, rain or shine.


    I am back in Ketchum and looking forward to a 10 day training camp with the U.S. Ski Team in a week. Fortunately, the team is coming to Sun Valley to take advantage of the great facilities and the endless trails we have in this area. Looking forward to some good training! I’ll keep you updated!

  • Adventure

    After a hard week of training on the glacier, a recovery week was much needed. I took advantage of an easier week and went on some fun adventures in Alaska with my sister, Kristy. We drove 7 hours East of Anchorage to the McCarthy Kennecott area, located at the foot of the Wrangell Mountains. The drive there is not an easy one, seeing as it takes over 2 hours to drive the last 50 miles. We loaded down the car with bikes, backpacks, rain gear, tent, food, water, and everything else we thought we might need for the next five days.


    In order to get to McCarthy, you have to park at the end of the road, cross a foot bridge and walk or bike 1.5 miles. Even though the town is quite small with a population of about 40-50, it is a popular tourist destination in the summer. Five miles up the road is Kennecott mine. This area is full of artifacts and history from its mining days in the early 1900’s. Copper was discovered in Kennecott in 1900 and the mines and the town of Kennecott were built quickly after the discovery. By 1938 the copper deposits in the mountain were gone and the town was completely abandoned. Over the 30 years that the mine was up and running, $200 million in ore was extracted, making it the richest concentration of copper in the world!


    We had fun exploring the old mining town and reading about the history from that time. We ventured out on some cool hikes that took us to a couple of the mining sights. As you can see from the pictures, several artifacts were left by the miners long ago.


    Despite some pretty wet, rainy weather and a few run-ins with bears, we had a great time!

    During my time in AK, I went on several hikes in the Anchorage area. It does not take long to drive out of the city and be in the middle of nowhere. Kristy and I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and ran back to a lake called symphony lake. The views are always beautiful there, rain or shine.


    I am back in Ketchum and looking forward to a 10 day training camp with the U.S. Ski Team in a week. Fortunately, the team is coming to Sun Valley to take advantage of the great facilities and the endless trails we have in this area. Looking forward to some good training! I’ll keep you updated!

  • Adventure

    After a hard week of training on the glacier, a recovery week was much needed. I took advantage of an easier week and went on some fun adventures in Alaska with my sister, Kristy. We drove 7 hours East of Anchorage to the McCarthy Kennecott area, located at the foot of the Wrangell Mountains. The drive there is not an easy one, seeing as it takes over 2 hours to drive the last 50 miles. We loaded down the car with bikes, backpacks, rain gear, tent, food, water, and everything else we thought we might need for the next five days.


    In order to get to McCarthy, you have to park at the end of the road, cross a foot bridge and walk or bike 1.5 miles. Even though the town is quite small with a population of about 40-50, it is a popular tourist destination in the summer. Five miles up the road is Kennecott mine. This area is full of artifacts and history from its mining days in the early 1900’s. Copper was discovered in Kennecott in 1900 and the mines and the town of Kennecott were built quickly after the discovery. By 1938 the copper deposits in the mountain were gone and the town was completely abandoned. Over the 30 years that the mine was up and running, $200 million in ore was extracted, making it the richest concentration of copper in the world!


    We had fun exploring the old mining town and reading about the history from that time. We ventured out on some cool hikes that took us to a couple of the mining sights. As you can see from the pictures, several artifacts were left by the miners long ago.


    Despite some pretty wet, rainy weather and a few run-ins with bears, we had a great time!

    During my time in AK, I went on several hikes in the Anchorage area. It does not take long to drive out of the city and be in the middle of nowhere. Kristy and I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and ran back to a lake called symphony lake. The views are always beautiful there, rain or shine.


    I am back in Ketchum and looking forward to a 10 day training camp with the U.S. Ski Team in a week. Fortunately, the team is coming to Sun Valley to take advantage of the great facilities and the endless trails we have in this area. Looking forward to some good training! I’ll keep you updated!

  • Adventure

    After a hard week of training on the glacier, a recovery week was much needed. I took advantage of an easier week and went on some fun adventures in Alaska with my sister, Kristy. We drove 7 hours East of Anchorage to the McCarthy Kennecott area, located at the foot of the Wrangell Mountains. The drive there is not an easy one, seeing as it takes over 2 hours to drive the last 50 miles. We loaded down the car with bikes, backpacks, rain gear, tent, food, water, and everything else we thought we might need for the next five days.


    In order to get to McCarthy, you have to park at the end of the road, cross a foot bridge and walk or bike 1.5 miles. Even though the town is quite small with a population of about 40-50, it is a popular tourist destination in the summer. Five miles up the road is Kennecott mine. This area is full of artifacts and history from its mining days in the early 1900’s. Copper was discovered in Kennecott in 1900 and the mines and the town of Kennecott were built quickly after the discovery. By 1938 the copper deposits in the mountain were gone and the town was completely abandoned. Over the 30 years that the mine was up and running, $200 million in ore was extracted, making it the richest concentration of copper in the world!


    We had fun exploring the old mining town and reading about the history from that time. We ventured out on some cool hikes that took us to a couple of the mining sights. As you can see from the pictures, several artifacts were left by the miners long ago.


    Despite some pretty wet, rainy weather and a few run-ins with bears, we had a great time!

    During my time in AK, I went on several hikes in the Anchorage area. It does not take long to drive out of the city and be in the middle of nowhere. Kristy and I took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and ran back to a lake called symphony lake. The views are always beautiful there, rain or shine.


    I am back in Ketchum and looking forward to a 10 day training camp with the U.S. Ski Team in a week. Fortunately, the team is coming to Sun Valley to take advantage of the great facilities and the endless trails we have in this area. Looking forward to some good training! I’ll keep you updated!

  • Grindin’

    It might still feel like summer, but I’m already starting to dial in the little parts of the ski racing equasion. Mark Waechter of Ultra-Tune’s been showing me the ropes with getting a better handle on my racing boards. Between the morning and afternoon sessions my coach Scott Johnston and I were cranking on my fleet of skis; first scraping, then flex testing, finishing with waxing. The next session at Ultra-Tune I’ll take this information and plan out a lil grinding plan to have both my old and new Rossignol’s running better than my competitors. Watch out!br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/THyGkWbX9dI/AAAAAAAAAaI/CGSbie_9WZk/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/THyGkWbX9dI/AAAAAAAAAaI/CGSbie_9WZk/s400/IMG_2920.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511428003048453586″ //abr /br /The past weekend made for an altogether different kind of grind – the 11.5mile Cutthroat Classic. It’s a classic trail run that crosses from Rainy Pass on the Western side of the North Cascades, then drops down from the high alpine setting into the sunny side of the state. With three miles of climbing remaining, decided to set off solo and put about four minutes on the closest pursuer by the time we reached the valley on the other side, who came all the way from Track Town USA (Eugene, OR) to defend his Northwest trail running title. It felt good to race and be so in control, especially in longest running race of my life. br /br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/THyGj0HTDVI/AAAAAAAAAaA/Vgg9aIByX9U/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/THyGj0HTDVI/AAAAAAAAAaA/Vgg9aIByX9U/s400/IMG_2897.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511427993837440338″ //adiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-2719848428663547321?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Orientation

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxLOKndScI/AAAAAAAAEO0/ptFQqgfmgXU/s1600/IMG_8125.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxLOKndScI/AAAAAAAAEO0/ptFQqgfmgXU/s400/IMG_8125.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511362750734748098″ //aEveryone arrived at school yesterday and this morning we started 2 days of orientation. The seniors headed down to Camp Hi-Rock and the rest of us stayed here for a variety of activities. We started with the Tour of Stratton which combined climbing the mountain fast and performing a variety of activies at the four check points along the way. The weather was glorious and a good time was had by all. br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxJstN7LhI/AAAAAAAAEOk/Z59xF0vCYyo/s1600/IMG_8130.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxJstN7LhI/AAAAAAAAEOk/Z59xF0vCYyo/s400/IMG_8130.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511361076395716114″ //aThis was the winning team (with Tyler in the yellow). Everyone had fun hiking the mtn, making their pyramids and learning each others names and home towns. Thanks to Tim Taylor for setting up the event!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxJPldbCoI/AAAAAAAAEOc/XE9RTXJqY2o/s1600/IMG_8135.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxJPldbCoI/AAAAAAAAEOc/XE9RTXJqY2o/s400/IMG_8135.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511360576097028738″ //aChilling out on top.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxIQpNHoDI/AAAAAAAAEOU/KmmEzJ5kEGY/s1600/IMG_8142.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/THxIQpNHoDI/AAAAAAAAEOU/KmmEzJ5kEGY/s400/IMG_8142.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511359494770630706″ //aAfter a bag lunch, we hiked down, went to the Dorset quarries and then had our SMS Jeopardy game before dinner. Tommorrow we head to Lake St Catherine for more fun, games and swimming!br /On Wednesday we jump into classes and specific ski training.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-3489842789313895339?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Stuff To Train To…

    In place of some introspective blog post I’ve decided to offer something light for today’s entry. Here they are, the top-5 songs on my IPod this week for training sessions. Judge me, not. span style=”font-weight: bold;”br /br /”Just Sixteen” by Velvet Revolver /span(With Slash on lead guitar it’s easy to make rock sound this good)br /http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMcQ7-mitvcbr /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;””If Rap Gets Jealous” by K’naan /span(thanks, Erik!)br /http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlBFLuW-_ekbr /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;””Starstruck” by Lady Gaga /span(shameless, I know. But I can’t fight the beat…)br /http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUbPgTIY4iQamp;feature=relatedbr /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;””King Nothing” by Metallica/span (A total classic – guaranteed to increase your max lift by 10%!)br /http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAGP24eq_0oamp;playnext=1amp;videos=uDJVJ3ugFbgamp;feature=artistobbr /br /span style=”font-weight: bold;””The Hand That Feeds” by Nine Inch Nails/span (Nothing to say. Great song.)br /http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwhBRJStz7wdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-7333022236231386496?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Prediction Game: Who’s Gonna Podium In Their Very Next Race?

    Five mystery skiers, all women.  For each skier, their very next  (distance) race is a WC, OWG or WSC race.  Which of them are going to finish on the podium (top 3) in their very next race?

    To make things a bit more challenging, I’ve omitted the x axis labels (which is date, not age), so you can’t work backwards from what season I’ve stopped each graph in.  Update: Just to clarify, the tick marks on the x axis represent a time gap of about five years. But I will tell you that the races that I have plotted aren’t limited to major international competitions (WC, OWG, WSC); I’ve plotted every distance result I have for each skier.

    Update2: Apparently I can’t seem to write very clearly this morning.  It should also help to know that the “next race” each skier is about to do is potentially a completely different race.  So it’s not like they (or any of them) are about to compete in the same race against each other.

    I will also tell you that there is at least one skier who podiums and that for those who do podium, it’s their first career podium.

    Leave your guesses in the comments!

    I’d say I’m going to post the answers tomorrow, but my traffic probably isn’t high enough to warrant that quick a turnaround.  How about we leave this open until Friday?

    Update 3: Yet another reader requests a hi-re version of the graph.  Honestly, I don’t think it will help much.  But I am nothing if not responsive to my readers (click through for full version):




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    Related posts:

    1. <Podium Heartbreak
    2. <Race Summaries: Introduction
    3. <Fragmented FIS Race Scheduling And What It Means For The Sport


  • Sunshine and Crust

    Two days after the Hoppet, conditions are perfect for crust skiing.  Finn Marsland, Valerio Leccardi, Esther Bottomley, Nick Grimmer, and I had an epic ski this morning.  Instead of boring you with words, I give you photos from the Falls Creek High Planes and the Bogong Plateau, high atop Australia.  Enjoy!

    How's that scroggin?

  • Hoppet Report with Photos

    After ten days of murky, overcast Australian skies, I awoke on Saturday morning to bright sunrays streaming through the window. A vivid bluebird day was the ideal backdrop to the 2010 Kangaroo Hoppet. Three feet of fresh powder fell on Falls Creek during the week and was groomed to perfection under the Southern Cross the night before the race. Over 1000 skiers from around the world toed the line for either the 42km Hoppet, 21km Australian Birkebeiner, or the 7km Joey Hoppet.

    Photo: Matt Hull – Falls Creek

    The cannon blasted at 9:30am and we were off without a hitch. The field strung out quickly through what locals appropriately call “Sun Valley.” The front runners took turns at the lead and by the time we came through the first aid station at 7km, there was already a five man breakaway, including four-time Hoppet champ Ben Sim, Continental Cup champ Callum Watson, Australian biathlete Alex Almoukov, Swiss sprint Olympian Valerio Leccardi and yours truly.

    Sim leading the train

    Once we realized we had broken away from the field, the pace settled into a consistent cruise. The local resort television station had a snowmobile documenting the race, making the race feel that much more Pro. The first 10km of the 21km loop are very flat, skirting around the Rocky Valley Dam reservoir. The second half of the loop gets hilly, with a 6km constant V1 climb, dubbed “the Paralyzer.” I took the lead up the Paralyzer and was treated to untracked corduroy snaking up through the snow gum trees. Our little group stuck together over the high point and back down through the lap.

    On our second lap, the race got a little more interesting as we lapped hundreds of skiers in the smaller races, darting through tiny gaps and getting cheers from the folks we passed. There was even a pair of snow bunnies who, upon getting passed, called out with their lovely Australian accents, “Hey fellas, mind stopping to give us a quick lesson?” Man, life is full of tough decisions.

    The Crew with Antarctic Expedition Training Center and Boat House in background

    Before I knew it, I was back with the pack and cruising up the Paralyzer for the second time—a little faster than the first. Leccardi laid down the hammer over the top and shattered our little group into pieces. Unfortunately, I was the caboose of the train and almost derailed on the fast descent. It was fun slaloming past the lapped skiers, but the gap between me and the leaders kept getting bigger. In the end Leccardi comfortably took the win, with Almoukov, Sim, Watson, and I rounding out the Top-5 in about 1 hour 40 minutes—over six minutes ahead of the next skier.

    Simbo and Almoukov going for second. Photo: Matt Hull – Falls Creek

    Skiers kept coming across the finish line for the next six hours. Among them was my dad, in Australia for the Hoppet—completing his 11th Worldloppet marathon. We kicked back at the finish line, soaking up the warm Australian sun in t-shirts, enjoying big kangaroo burgers after an exciting day at the races.

    Jimbo at Falls Creek Nordic Bowl

    I’ve got another week here Down Under and look forward to enjoying some more sun and ideal winter conditions before heading home.

    You can also follow along (“like” CXC Skiing) at facebook.com/cxcskiing

  • 100%

    Today Lauren and I were coaching the BKL kids, and had them running 2 minute intervals on the trails. We tried to explain that the intervals were supposed to be as hard as possible: run as fast as you can! Go as hard as you can go! Give 100% – this shouldn’t feel like 90% or 80% or, as you requested, 30%! You should feel like collapsing at the end! (But don’t, please actually keep moving around so you will feel better!)

    There was a bit of grumbling – 2 minute running intervals are really tough, if you do them correctly, and Pepa always calls it the workout where us GRP members will be “on our knees praying” – and one kid said, “How about at the end the coaches have to do whatever WE tell them to.” This idea has been brought up by this and other kids multiple times.

    Lauren did a good job of explaining why this wasn’t a legitimate argument. “Yeah, see, Pepa already gets to do that to us, every day, twice a day……”

    The kids might have thought that we were being slackers, but they hadn’t seen us this morning.

    testing1

    What did we do this morning that was so hard? A 5k test on the SkiErg, as hard as you can. If that’s not hard enough, add a breathing tube in there, and a noseplug to further restrict your breathing. The chair behind me in the picture is for when you collapse at the end of the test, because you will collapse. You won’t be able to stand up.

    testing2

    This was early in my test, probably somewhere in the first 1000 meters. You can see (or maybe not) that my heart rate is 178 on Pepa’s big fancy monitor. By the end, my heart rate was 199: yes, that’s 100% of my max. The test was strange in that I hit my max heart rate and had a high-ish VO2Max, but the time was slower than when I tested in the spring. While this might be frustrating to an athlete, to a coach, it’s really no matter: for Pepa, everything is data, telling her how we are responding to training and what we should do differently.

    After sprinting it in, I was ready for the chair, and the chair was ready for me.

    testing3

    Thanks Marc for taking pictures!

  • Anchorage Training

    Not a whole lot has changed in the past couple of weeks of training in Anchorage with APU. Summer has finally come at the perfect time to throw down lots of hard training.  Here is a video of APU boys and girls, distance skiers and sprinters, putting in some hard double pole intervals out at Kincaid. Last week we had testing series to find out where our training sits at this point- and what areas we need to work in for the next month of training. Time for some power training for most of us!divspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=” white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:12px;”object width=”640″ height=”385″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/DI90gMTwTFc?fs=1amp;hl=en_US”param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/DI90gMTwTFc?fs=1amp;hl=en_US” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”640″ height=”385″/embed/object/spanbr //divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2018521813175454198-6635083544405694514?l=sadiebjornsen.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • School is off and Running!

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  • 2010 Kangaroo Hoppet

    Ideal day for the 2010 Hoppet–first time seeing my shadow (and also the sun) in Australia!  Cruised the 42km with a 5 skier lead pack.  Lost a little juice towards the end and finished 5th, about a minute out from champ Valerio Leccardi.  My Dad wrapped up his 11th Worldloppet marathon with a 3:14 42km Hoppet.  Enjoyed a brat while soaking up the rays after the race.  Photos and report to follow. . .for now, we’re off to Mt Beauty for awards and celebration.

  • Week In Review: Friday August 27th

    It’s been a light week at Statistical Skier; had to move the Statistical Residence to a new (much improved) locale closer to work, so things have been a bit hectic.

    • We mucked around with the speeds that skiers travel at, looking at differences between races in Europe and the US.
    • A short not on rivalries, in which I unwittingly dissed Marcus Hellner’s sprinting ability.
    • Finally wrapped up XC skier retirement posts (really, honest!) with Tore Ruud Hofstad.




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    Related posts:

    1. <Week In Review: Friday July 16th
    2. <Week In Review: Friday July 23rd
    3. <Week In Review: Friday August 6th


  • MOD Fall Clinics – Learn the Secrets!

    Join the MOD Squad and coach Scott Johnston for any one (or more!) of three, 2-day seminars on the secrets of successful endurance training. The clinics will be:br /br /September 24-25 Wenatchee, WAbr /October 9-10 Mazama, WAbr /October 23-24 Kongsbergers Ski Club, Snoqualmie, WAspan style=”;font-family:quot;;font-size:14pt;” o:p/o:p/spanbr /br /Training topics will include strength, speed, aerobic base training, training fast twitch fibers for endurance and much more. If you are an endurance athlete at any level in any sport these principles apply to you.br /br /The clinics are open to all ages and abilities and all attendees will receive a camp packet with a training manual chock-full of knowledge and research to help them in their quest, a Methow Olympic Development t-shirt, and a DVD of training footage and instruction with MOD athletes. Junior skiers (under 20) can attend the seminars for free (packet materials extra).br /br /For more information and to register, go to:br /br /Wenatchee Clinic registration:br /