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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    304

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    In the last few days we have gotten about 20 inches of snow- beautiful fluffly powder, and then a little granular snow/sleet on top. I went out Friday and Saturday and got to use the new skis. It was great, and I worked my butt off breaking a trail through all that snow.

    For the first time in years, it looks like we will have lots of snow over the Christmas to New Year's week, which I have off. Yippee!!!!!

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    steuben county new york
    Posts
    626
    Yesterday was my first outing with my skis. I had no trails so I had to make my own. It wasn't fun. the snow has a icy coating so I either had to use them like snowshoes or when I got under any momentum, I would come to an abrupt stop as I would sink into a hard spot in the snow. I wish the snowmobilers would go my the house so I could have a trail to go on! Last year a friend let me use his snowmobile to make some trails and that was really nice. I should put a bug in his ear and see what he's doing. I hope the snow sticks around. Calling for warmer weather today and possibly tomorrow.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    979
    i've been out skking everyday since I got home. It has been fantastic. My goal is to get all of the skiing out of my system before I have to return to DC.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Perpetual Confusion and Indecision
    Posts
    488

    Nordic US Senior Nationals

    This is so exciting. We're hosting them locally (and did last year, too). I'm too old, fat & slow to compete, but signed up to work all 4 race days. I touched some Olympians yesterday! I worked in the chipping station yesterday, and I think that is where I'll be tomorrow, too. Last year I was removing chips and sweaty, snotty lycra bibs, which was less pleasant.

    Plus, yesterday I learned just how many layers I need to wear to stay warm when it is 18F with 25-30mph winds. I was sure I'd freeze, so I was really happy (I don't stand around in the cold well). The secret number is 7. Microweight Smartwool tank, 2 microweight Smartwool long sleeve shirts, thin zip-neck, very thick & soft Mtn Hardwear Monkey Woman jacket, wind shell, and knee-length down coat. On the bottom it was microweight Smartwool bottoms, very thick fleece pants (including an extra coating of dog & cat fur), and snow pants. 3 pairs of wool socks, big clompy boots, and my new Mad Bomber hat. Polypro gloves under thick mittens, with handwarmers in mittens and boots. I was actually sweating a little if I moved around much. Guess I'll dress the same tomorrow, since it's supposed to get down to 1F tonight, and be windy all day.

    On the down side, ever try dealing with tampons in a porta-potty with that many layers on? NOT FUN.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    213

    Bring on the snow!

    Skierchickie, lucky you living in the land of endless snow!

    I love the U.P. and and hope to ski my third Bear Chase this year. Hooray for snow! The season is off to a great start!

    I'm already over 100 km over my total from this time last year.

    It's great to have a fun sport to look forward to in summer and winter

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    31

    Aha! Other "fanatics!"

    Yes, bicycling is nice if there is no snow available for xc skiing . . .

    Just finished six days of being able to xc ski every day in the Sierra Nevadas here in California. Pure heaven.

    My DH, who'd rather go to a nice warm beach, thinks I'm a "fanatic" because I will ski with a light snow falling He'd never make it where some of you gals live, would he??
    All things in moderation, including moderation.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    31
    PS: Roadie Gal:

    The only thing I've ever found that got me in shape over the summer so I wasn't dying the first couple days of skate-skiing was the one summer I did a whole lot of mountain biking on steep uphills. But that's too painful!
    All things in moderation, including moderation.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Perpetual Confusion and Indecision
    Posts
    488
    Pyxichick - I am lucky to live here! Sounds like a lot of the midwest has been getting snow this year. Glad you've been racking up the k's! It's too cool that you're a Bear Chase skier. I live 5 miles from Swedetown. Do you ski the long or the short one? I typically do the short one - I always bonk in 50k races (and puke anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours after), and I haven't done one in a long time. 20-30k seems to be my race distance, but it's hard to train for anything longer than that. 26k is my longest ski so far this year.

    I'm really looking forward to working at Nationals tomorrow. It's the individual sprints. It's also supposed to be in the 30s tomorrow and Sunday (with a little rain predicted starting Sunday ), so it shouldn't be too cold.

    Caribou & Roadie Gal: I always die the first few days of skate-skiing too (and the first few days of striding, which I managed to get through this week - now I can walk again!). I tend to let my training fall apart in the fall, when it gets cold & rainy and starts getting dark early, so ski season always begins painfully.

    Well, next Saturday I'll start helping out with the local kids' ski program, and a couple of weeks later is my first race of the year.

    Have a great season, everybody!

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    31

    Uh-oh; new gear attack!

    Well, my skating boots have never fit quite right despite trying various insert/sock combos. Got fed up after getting bad blisters on top of sucky control, so went into my favorite xc center for new boots. The new second-to-the-top of the line Salomons fit PERFECT. I refused to take them off. But then I needed to switch from NNN bindings to SNS, and of course only the Pilots would do! And you get 15% off each item when you get 3 items instead of just two, and the carbon fiber poles felt SOOOO nice and light . . .

    At least this is incentive to get up skiing a lot, to justify this stuff!

    PS: The new gear works like a dream. Can't wait to head back up this weekend.

    Anybody else indulge themselves lately?
    All things in moderation, including moderation.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Welsh but living in Munich, Germany
    Posts
    324
    Oooh, that sounds good.

    I love my carbon poles, nice and light and they have the nice hand-loops that you just velcro round. Do be aware that they break more easily than aluminium - DH was very glad that he'd insured his with his skis.

    Has anyone here tried Start grip-tape on their classic skis? I'd be interested to hear how you got on with it as I'm not terribly happy but I've heard other people raving about it.

  11. #26
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Perpetual Confusion and Indecision
    Posts
    488
    Yay for the new equipment! The carbon poles should make a huge difference - not just lighter, but stiffer, too. Years ago my first skating poles were probably the first generation of Swix Alulight. They were sooooo sproingy (in a bad way). Sometimes I still run with them, and they just flex and vibrate. I'm sure the more current aluminum poles are much better, but carbon rocks! While it's true, they do break easier, I'm on my second pair of carbon poles since 1990 - I've never broken one. I do worry when I'm headed into a big, icy crash, but so far, so good. My DH fell on one once and broke it. Well, twice, actually. Plus the replacements for the more recent pair, he broke by slamming the hatch to the Jeep on them, as they were sliding out. Practically new.

    Bron: I haven't used the grip tape, but I've heard good things. However, one person recently told me she's been having trouble with it peeling off, but that maybe she isn't applying it quite right. I should also say I don't know if it was Start or some other brand (I don't know if anybody else makes it?). I don't stride that much anymore, and it's usually 20F or below here, so usually it is really easy to wax. I don't even remember when to use klister. So I haven't tried the tape yet.

    Doing my first race of the season tomorrow! So scared. I've been racing for about 30 years now, and I still get all stressed out. I don't know why - I'm too old, fat & slow to expect much. Anyway, 23k freestyle tomorrow, either a 10k or a 5k (+ 5k skijoring if I do the 5) next week, and a kinda big 25k the next week.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    St. Paul, MN
    Posts
    979
    I'm back in DC and horribly missing skiing already. When I was home in minnesota I bought a season pass for 3 weeks of skiing at the local trail. It was the best winter I've ever had! I went skiing everyday and topped it off with the Gunflint trail with some friends.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Welsh but living in Munich, Germany
    Posts
    324
    So Skierchickie, how were the races?
    And donīt let me hear you saying that you are old, fat or slow again

    DH and I did a biathlon course; itīs something I have wanted to try for years and it was great.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    201
    We've just got enough snow for me to try out my new skis, so I have been out a couple of times a week plus lessons since the beginning of Jan.

    It's been pretty warm...what I'm finding though, is even with layers my wet base layer makes me freeze to death after we stop, so if we are having coffee or whatever I have to bring a dry sweater. I sweat like a horse. Any tips on that? I have a wool long sleeved base layer, a microfleece top, and a windbreaker (sometimes vest with that if it's colder). Doesn't seem to make a diff whether it's -5C or -20C.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Perpetual Confusion and Indecision
    Posts
    488
    OK Bron, race #1 went badly! I felt, well..... old, fat & slow (oops! I said it! But there it is)! It had these huge hills. I hurt most of the way - more than I should have. I wasn't expecting walls out there. Anyway, I always say there is no better way to train for racing than by racing. I'm skipping the one this weekend (wimping out - it's supposed to be 3F and windy). I do have a conflict between the race and the kids' ski program I'm helping out with. It looks likely that the kids' program will be canceled (-10 wind chill cutoff), so I still could possibly do the skijoring race.

    Biathlon sounds so cool! I'm pretty sure I couldn't settle down for the shooting. I bet it was all kinds of fun.

    Teawoman: Welcome to the club! I sweat a lot too, and I have never found anything that breathes enough. If I dress warm enough to not freeze, then I sweat so much that I never get warm (if it is really cold out). By the time I take my jacket off to vent, I'm already wet. Then I freeze after. I do get cold afterward if I don't get out of my wet clothes. You may be overdressing, though (you don't say how warm the weather is, just that it is warm). When I was younger, I always dressed a lot lighter, never wore a hat, and usually ended up pushing my sleeves up unless it was 10 degrees or so. Now I'm 42, and I go from cold once I step out of the car straight to cold from being sweaty.

 

 

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