Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Canadian Ski Marathon- going for Gold

Day 1. Level 4 for much, but easy at the end.
Started in the dark with about 240 other Gold skiers, at about -19C. My wax was awesome, and I was able to run up the hills past long columns of skiers, even with my 25lb pack. I needed to average about 7kph including stops, but was skiing at about 11kph when the trails were good, so the cut-off wasn't an issue.
Sections were great skiing, but others were mandatory skis-off hikes, and stretches of dirty snow beside roads and bare dirt bits ate my wax at around 45km. I made the last CP's 2:30 PM cut-off by noon, so I had a nice long break there, and had 5 cups of chunky soup, 4 gatorades and 2 packs of chocolate peanuts. Olympian Pierre Harvey and friends were there an hour earlier!
I took the last section much easier, cooling down so I'd not arrive at camp cooked.

I got to Gold camp just after 2pm, about 40/240 skiers, and immediately changed my top layers to tomorrow's ski clothes and my down jacket and fleece pants. There were about 30 bonfires all ready to go, and we set up circles of hay bales around them, with planks to dry our boots on in front. It was remarkably warm and comfy. A troop of boy scouts had boiling water available. No wind, -16C.
When my friend JB arrived we set up shop at another fire, and broke up our second bales to make probably the most comfy camping bed I've ever had, about 15cm thick. Most folks didn't bring a Thermarest.
I didn't need all my dinner, but did enjoy my Crash brownie. Slept in my down jacket, with a 2L bladder full of boiling water, and was too hot so I went for a walk to cool off when I woke at 1AM. The scouts stoked our fires overnight. Amazing scene, 2 rows of bonfires and a gazillion bivvy bags.

C • would be cool to see the line ... 4

No skiing today- I've got to ditch the last of the chest cold. I was out in the garage doing the green kister binder base by headlamp, and now I'm looking at my pile of gear with the forecast in mind, as it's only supposed to be a measly -16C low. We'll have more time in camp though to stand around and shiver. Off to the CSM tomorrow.

C • Break a leg 15

K/O came over to show us some Link exercises- squats with upper body at the same time. I'll have to start using them once we get some dumbells.

Easy 2-dog commute. Tapering this week after all. Another great -13 and breezy day.

Still have the cold, but the legs feel fine. Gorgeous -15C clear day.

Ski out to the car with large pack. Normally 6-7km are no biggie, but it was -24 and a strong headwind, so it was a bit brisk.

The dogs had to come out too, and wore boots and coats. No laughing please, these aren't northern sled dogs.

2 different trails in the PM. Still -22 or so, so just Bulletdog and me.

Note- GI upset, perhaps some variant of the cold?.

-25 this morning. Good practice for the Ski Marathon. Skied the dreaded Bear trail with Bash and Bulletdog. Actually not too bad at all, and did the extra Heron trail at the end.