Training Log Archive: 'Bent

Cookie Race Ski Marathon. GPS to follow when I get home.
First *real* ski race. I didn't know what to expect, with the slow steep climbs, so I lined up at the 3:30 mark at the start.

Started off OK but got a stitch in my side that lasted on-and-off for the first half. It went away around Elk Pass.

As I'd planned, my skis didn't glide as well as most of the others, but I could run up hills past those walking herringbone on the Whiskeyjack climbs. I made up about 7 places here.
I was running low on gas at the high point at Elk Pass, but a cookie and a slug of Gatorade followed by a lo-o-ong gradual descent was great. Probably 8 km of double- poling!
The climb up Packers let me pass another 6 skiers. I had a hard job catching the last of the 3 ahead of me on the long final descent, and poled myself silly trying to reel in the other 2 with their better glide, but came up just short on the line.

I ended up at 3:09, 10 th of 35 in my group and 50' behind the overall winner. Bash surprised us by coming in 45 min ahead of her estimate, for a podium finish!
Carbon and Carbon's Offset rocked the 24k on their first week of skinny skiing.

I was happy with my time, and my knee was not too bad. Good times!

C • Very well done! 4

(90min) VO2Max gave us a Classic ski lesson, including slow-mo video critique.
Not only is he a great skier, but also gave us some great tips.

Bash and I did another loop to try out the stuff we learned. Bash is a quick learner! I need some work on the Beaverslap, and I am standing too tall at the end of the stride.

Canmore Nordic with Bash. An easy-ish taper ski, but conditions were quick near 0C. Fantastic trail system!

Ski out from Skoki.
Windy snowy morning cleared up into a breezy but spectacular day. Tons of stops for photos. Some dense powder made for meniscus- unfriendly telemarking down the steep side of Deception Pass, and some tough trail breaking across Ptarmigan lake, but so spectacular that who cares? Great to have some real winter . Boulder pass was howling with headwinds, but after that it was one long gorgeous ski down to the car through snow- laden trees.
A really great little trip!

C • Awesome! 8

Windy and snowy today at Skoki. Bash and I headed out for a tour around Mt Skokie and a side trip to Natural Bridge. Some great tree skiing with a few steep climbs, and another face plant on Gopro. We caught up to a family with their amazing 10 year old twin girls who had skied in the day before! 
Hard to find tracks on our side loop, and the ones we saw were suspect so we never found Natural Bridge, but had a great ski anyway. Our tracks were already gone and it was snowing horizontally on the last part of the loop.
When we got back the girls had saved us a slice of chocolate cake!

Skoki with Vj and Mike.
Snowy, scary drive without snow tires turned into a bluebird day. VJ had a bit of a tough time without skins on the first section going up the ski- out, but once we got up high wax was fine. Gorgeous views and great skiing.
We switchbacked up Deception Pass, and Mike and I got some good tele turns on skinny skis. Caught a great yard-sale crash on the Go-Pro too. At the lodge we all had some great soup then VJ and Mike headed back. It was great skiing with them.
Bash and I got another shorter ski after lunch too, down to Merlin Meadows and around.

Met up with Carbon and CB for a ski at Pocaterra. Great day, excellent ski conditions, and a few big hills. See Bash's log for Pics.