Heat wave or no, its time to build strength

Hey Team, Been a while, Hope everyone is feeling fit!

Its time to hit the summer training with sport specific training for best performance this winter. Lets be careful out there, its hot this summer and the humidity makes even a 75F day feel like hell.

First, Everyone should be taking in a few cross country races this summer. 5k or 10k run distance are great for maintaining or rebuilding your cardio up for racing in January. If running a
isn't your thing, then get on that bike and get a couple hour long rides and get in a team spirit with a group ride. Find your races at Coolrunning.com

For our cardio, don't just run junk miles.
Make your cardio training last from 40 to 60 minutes, the same as a race would take.
Run/ Bike /skate Five days a week.
On day Six do 800m repeats at best effort. Do 4 sets and increase by weeks gradually until you can do 8 sets
Day 7 rest, you need a break so plan it.

If you have a race picked during the week, plan around it and still get your time in.

I've tried to come up with a body weight workout plan that involves more than pistol squats, squats, and box jumps. I'll get it out in a week or so. I want to see some more research first so you don't have to invest in a gym membership.

I also bought the CXC Nordic Smart Pack and will be experimenting myself with their materials. Of particular interest to me is their dry land training DVD.

Have a great week. Think cool thoughts of snow and keep your sights on the target.

Jeff

Too Cold to Run? Nah, go for it.

I found this article today and wanted to pass it along to the team.  Lets get out there and keep thinking snow!

Everything you need to know to Run in the Cold

Cheers,

Jeff

Endurance advice from a champion

This is a forward for the fine folks at Masterskier.com

Their feature article this week was from superstar Kiikan Randall

Building Endurance 

She talks about build up, extending the workout and intervals.

Enjoy,

Jeff

Coaching weekend & double pole workout

Hey Team,

This weekend I had a chance to attend a "Gaining the Edge" coaching clinic sponsored by NENSA. The clinic staff teach new coaches some important aspects of traditional and skate ski techniques and introduce them to  introductory physiology terminology.

The class was also a good chance to tune up some roller ski technique and see some equipment that I would not otherwise see. I spoke with other coaches and took away some great ideas for our team. I also was introduced to several great training aids and an app for video feedback that I will share with you.

Physically, my biggest take away was an on roller ski core workout that I can still feel two days later. The basic motion is the double pole crunch called the robot or Locked and loaded where a full poling is not used but rather a short burst only six inches downward pushes you along.  Hands from eye height to shoulder height only pushing a yard or so at a time.Do this for 10-15 minutes and feel a burn. Core is essential to this sport and this specific exercise will enhance your on ski performance.

We are getting close to some serious training weather so hit the rollers and dress up your technique. there are plenty of video online to watch and learn. On our next training weekend I look forward to sharing some great material with you.

Lastly this week, keep your cardio tuned up, you should all be comfortable with a hour long cycle or run at level 7/8 intensity with heart rate at 80% of max.If you have your rollers, go hit the bike paths and roads for 2 or three hours during the weekend.

All the best,
Coach Jeff

Winter comes

Hey team,

 Its starting to get cold and that means safe winter training! Get out there and start getting your cold weather lungs adjusted.

I'd like to welcome back the MA guard team to the training season. I look forward to working with you developing strength, technique and with development opportunity build up for this season Biathlon season.

I hope everyone had a good summer and have maintained or improved your cardio. I know my own fall race schedule is coming to a successful close. Keeping up on cycling and running are two key elements of a successful ski season so if you haven't been hitting the tar or gym, lets get busy!

A couple of items of note before I share a great roller ski article I read this week.

1) It snowed already out west and our very own weatherman has confirmed that patterns could result in awesome snow this year. Lets hope things are way better than last year.

2) I have a DVD "Cheeta Fast" to share with a teammate who wants an awesome lactate threshold treadmill workout. Its from the Runnervals series by Coach Troy Jacobson. You may know him from Spinnervals cycle training workouts and all his DVD's are first rate.

3)I'll be doing some site maintenance and putting up better local events of interest schedule events and I have committed to a post every 2 weeks or less. If you find an event you will be attending, let me know and I will share it as well. I won't focus on only Biathlon because so much of our sport is ski racing, there are plenty of opportunity to participate around the region. Ever feel like skiing up-hill for 10k? Try Ski to the Clouds March 13 and something outside the box to consider. There are plenty of training sites in the region and we can even do a few meet ups between the team at locations such as Weston Ski Track, MA or places like Bretton Woods Nordic Center, NH.

Now to the article.  This is a great review on what to look for in the roller ski hardware. I found it this week over at Snow Sport England here: http://www.snowsportengland.org.uk/roller-skiing-equipment
they cover what roller ski to be using for training and why. This goes beyond what were were discussing the last season about what makes for a good rollerski.

I look forward to a great training season and great races this winter. Good luck to everyone and welcome back Winter.

Jeff

Avoiding heat emergencies

Building off my last post, I had a summer Half Marathon racing experience to share with the team.

My family and I ran the Virginia Beach Rock & Roll Half Marathon this weekend in the high humidity and heat. We prepared well all season and did well but others weren't so fortunate. As can happen with any race, conditions were far from ideal. Start temperature was already in the 80's,  high humidity, and partly overcast. The spots of sunlight were perceptively warmer and the course had few shaded areas.

We started off at a conservative pace keeping the weather in mind and hydrated at each water station. We all carried a 20oz of water/Gatorade (for me sugarless NUUN brand) for electrolytes. Right away we saw people showing heat stress with people shedding clothing, running topless (men), women in sports bras. By mile three we started to see heat emergencies with medical teams attending to cramping runners and treating for heat stress.

We maintained our hydration plan and consumed water at every aid station. By mile 5 our pace slowed and we started to take walking breaks but those seemed even hotter as the apparent cooling wind died when we walked. We started dumping water on our heads at water stations to help cooling. There were heat emergencies at nearly every mile from this point forward to the finish.

At mile 10, I noticed my heart rate hitting max counts and I decided to slow down and monitor things very closely to avoid becoming a heat emergency myself. We watched each other for signs of heat emergency such as stumbling, cramping, confusion, dizziness, the profuse sweating was obvious because of our effort level but we looked to ensure we kept sweating. I took frequent walk breaks from mile 11-13.1 to ensure I would not become an emergency and  keeping my effort level below max for safety.

We all finished and enjoyed the post race ice water, chocolate milk, Popsicle, Gatorade, banana, and ice towel to help cool down.  Overall we watched ourselves closely, we planned for the heat but were still surprised by the intensity. I'm glad I had my heart monitor (Garmin Forerunner 405) on as an additional indication of my effort and I will continue to use it during peak performance events to ensure that I don't hurt myself.

At the finish while we recovered in the shade, we witnessed several post race emergency crews transport people from the crowd back into the support tents to treat heat problems. We continued our hydration consumption well into the afternoon to ensure our kidney function was back to normal by evening.

Strategy for off season cross training competitions:
Train to the event's likely conditions, duration, elevation gain, altitude etc.
Have a plan for likely obstacles (heat/cold, clothing, earplugs (for sleep), etc)
Plan nutrition and hydration for performance on race day (don't try something new on performance days)
Monitor yourself during the event and adapt (ability to perform under conditions of the day)
Post event, watch for symptoms during recovery, cramping, urination color, elevated pulse for example

Train safely!

Jeff

Summer heat

It's hard to think snow when its hot and muggy in the Bay State. This last year didn't leave us with many options either so all we can do is hope for the best this next season and live vicariously through other teams training in colder climes.

I've been watching the elite team profiles on fasterskier.com and their pictures of places like Alaska summer camp on a glacier. I guess we will have to be satisfied with rollers for now.

While I consider my own training, its time to think about the period to build up for next season. Get your cardio in gear and stay in shape with some summer biathlon regional competitions.

I'll start some training suggestions in a few weeks building up to that first snow.

All the best,
J

Fantastic Weekend

Well, we all were getting ready and all the hard work paid off. We had a fantastic showing and great effort by everyone. Thank you for your dedication to the workouts and the team. All of our athletes did a great job and I look forward to the next year of training.

I wanted to give you all a link to a recent news item about biathlon in the world cup.

http://fasterskier.com/2012/01/after-cross-firing-debacle-removes-neuner-in-tears-from-contention-berger-emerges-from-confusion-to-take-pursuit-victory/

Don't let up on your training and I will be purchasing some week by week training plans in the coming days.

Again, great job!

Jeff

Fast feet for all sports

Good day team,

We sometimes get caught up in strength, core and cardio training and forget about being responsive and agile. This week lets work in a few drills to keep us sharp on our feet. The downhill sections and turns require a bit of fast foot work to hop around the snow banking and should you find yourself in a traditional track, may need to bounce out quickly.

The old "fire feet" basketball exercise, front, back, left right, is a quick workout that will leave you panting so do it after a warmup but not after your anchor workout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-8aoQsmKjk remember nose, knees toes and an athletic posture.

Alternatives include ladder drills like these http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KYJX0Wt6OdM

For a full workout, try this batch of agility and polymetric drills http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2rkExDQq8P0

For more examples, try searching youtube for ladder drills, agility training, fast feet, etc.

Train well,

Jeff

Unique way to look at results

I thought this up last night as a way to view the results and to plan my next race and see how I was doing compared to our competition. I hope its useful to you.Aim for the center ring :)

Our race:

Oh and here is what a Word Cup event looks like just to compare. It makes sense now why a few seconds makes a huge difference in waxing advanatage. All these competitors are fighting for the top spot within 2 minutes.

Remember, on those days when you think about skipping out on training, your competitors arent.
Lastly, its raining today where I am and I did an inside workout called Cheeta Fast from Runnervals  Troy Jacobson (Spinervals). It specifically works on lactate threshold and strength and covers about 5 miles of high energy treadmill with elevations. Speed on the hills is critical as is the ability to breathe.

Jeff

More Competitions

I will keep adding to this post for New England Venues. Let me know if you find one to share. Yes I know NY isn't New England, but it has snow and its just as close as our home snow in VT and they seem to have quite a few clubs.

NH
http://pemi.org/biathlon.html

VT
Ethan Allen Biathlon of course

ME
http://www.somainebiathlon.com/
http://www.mainewsc.org/teams-and-programs/biathlon-program.html   Nothing here for 2012 yet

NY
http://polarbearbiathlon.com/
http://nybiathlon.org/blog/
http://lakeplacid.nybiathlon.org/
http://www.saratogabiathlon.com/blog/   Jan 28, Feb 18,19
Capital Region Nordic


Oh, and those wind stopper pants for $50 at the ski shoppe in WestYellow, well they are here for much less gents.

Article from last year's Snow Camp http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2010/12/121710-competition.aspx

Ontario Club and tips: http://www.biathlonontario.ca/Targets/W_Targets+_main.html

Notes from West Yellowstone

Hey Team! Oh my what a weekend. I hope you all had as much fun as I had. It's been a really long time since I had a weekend where work was so much fun and educational. A special thanks to Ernst, Doug, Rob and all the other great coaches and athletes for the many training tips and personable good nature. A special thank you to our own coach for actually getting us there. You are the man!

I think we all came away with more training ideas and technique than we know what to do with. Some things confused me and some things fell into place for me and clicked.  Everyone should be really proud of their accomplishments this week. Thank you all for preparing properly and staying on your training plans. I was very proud to be in such good company.

As you probably realized, the running/biking sports don't apply to strength or technique we just learned but do apply to cardio and endurance that we will use during the  8k & 10k events we are facing next month. Keep up the hard work, it pays off and makes you stronger for all your sports. You should all realize the leg and abdominal strength are key and we only have about three weeks left to make any changes that could make a difference by race day so focus on leg and abdominal strength then rest up the week of the race.

Onward and upward -

 I reviewed the attendance list and you might be surprised at who was on the ALL GUARD team and who are the up and coming hopefuls. Here is a hint, they are all in the top 12 finish positions. We may even see an olympian from this batch. We can say we knew them when, or they trained us and wouldn't that be cool.
So I took some notes along the way and wanted to share with you the most important ones first and the rest later in the week.

First a shout out for anyone who finds great equipment deal, please let me know to spread the word about pro team or Military discounts because we could use all the help we can get.

OK, lets go.

Next Biathlon competitions:
SKIREG.COM - schedule for nordic and biathlon events.

Regional Biathlon team sites or venues or schedules:
www.saratogabiathlon.com/nybiathlon.org
NYbiathlon.org  -  look at the right pane for regional schedule
www.syracusebiathlon.com
Western NY Biathlon

I'm looking for the Maine team sites, but can't find it yet. I'll keep you posted.

Ok, that should get you started, look for training sections and schedules. Anyone want to go halves with me on a rife so we don't have to share a state one?

Other useful information:
Hammer Nutrition, makers of gel and recovery products has a military discount and a deeper discount for deployed folk. Know anyone deployed?

Other great links I found and have been hoarding, sorry about that, just didn't have the time:
fasterskier dot com
skipost.com
skinnyskis.com They also have a race schedule on the right pane.
http://www.cross-country-ski.com/
http://www.bouldernordicsport.com/
http://www.cxcskiing.org/ - I'm going to purchase the coaching conditioning DVD kit for the next year, it has weekly workouts for us to periodize our efforts in the coming season for better performance.

Ok, so much more but for another day.
Remember to get out every day.

Jeff

Making the most of the workout

I'm sorry for the gap here in content, I've had some fun during the holiday and like most things in life, had to readjust to get back on track.

I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving and are staying on track with their training plan. Today I wanted to talk about having a reason for every workout, specifically the run, but it applies to any type of exercise. If you have become comfortable in your routine, then this is a good time for this conversation. Having a regular exercise pattern is key to constant progression but can become dull. The idea is to have a reason for each and every workout. Sometimes we need just a relaxing recovery workout during our normal slot, and sometimes we need a really hard push to break up some monotony on those days when we are feeling good and have the extra energy to push it. The trick comes in planning for those days.

The article here from Runners World has a great introduction to what many runners term a tempo run and how to add it to the cycle or weekly exercise. While this is geared toward running, it can be applied to snow sport training or other training as a means of maximizing your efforts. Pay particular attention to why it works in maximizing your workout time.

I am looking forward to working with everyone again and the snow in MT is looking sweet.

Jeff

Weston SKi Track First Timers

This just in!

Check out the Weston Ski Track Newsletter and see the First Timer season pass for only $110, normally $225 but act quickly.  What a deal!

Normal one day pass is $15, with rentals: +$18 but you won't need rentals for long (we hope).
Evening after 7:30 -$12.50
Three day: $39

Thats not all:

  Buy a Gift Certificate valued at $50 or more by Nov. 22 and get a free One-Day Skiing/Snowshoeing Trail Pass

This might be the better deal because its a free $15 if you use it for yourself getting a three day pass ($39) plus almost two more days for five total days of skiing for ~$54 (winter fuzzy math).

Jeff

Building Excitement & some answers

What a great weekend of dry land training and an all to brief introduction of roller skis. I am excited to really start thinking of our coming season. XC skiing has already begun in europe and in West Yellowstone.

RENDEZVOUS REPORTMONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011 AT 12:09AM11/13/11- Another couple of inches of new overnight, light snow gusty winds. Winter is here, building more base today. Rendezvous, Deja View, Tele Hill, Biathlon Range, Sprint Loops including Biathlon Red. Good skis should be fine on what is groomed so far. Excellent coverage except on the very edges in a few places. Single track and skate lane 4 m wide.

I am so looking forward to this winter! I am so glad to meet you all this last weekend.

I had some questions over the weekend and wanted to get the answers in out.

Chafing - long runs or skin suits that abraid on the skin can be prevented by using a product called "Body Glide" or Chafing Relief Powder-gel. I have used both BEFORE getting hot spots. I took some of the powder gel on a 50 mile hike with our Boy Scout troop and saved a good number of feet from painful blisters. At the first sign of a hot spot in a boot or clothing abraision, apply, then every time in that spot before activity.

Nutrition - this one was much harder for a short response but here is a quick poke at the important bits.

• NO ONE should be eating a 2000 calorie a day diet. Each day is different so you should adjust every day knowing what you are about to do, or have done that day. I'm not a big counter and don't log my meals but I know even on my normal workout days, I am not hitting 2000. Find a base matabolism calculator and start working from there. 
• Eat when you are hungry, which can be 5 small meals a day. An apple at 10 AM makes lunch not so ravenous.
• Ditch the big dinner plates. Portion control is essential to any nutrition plan. Cleaning you plate is a big mistake and with smaller plates, its easy to start breaking in that habbit. Swap the 12" plates for 8's.
• DO not start a specialty diet during a new physical training plan. No one can judge the results of either and it makes tracking progress a problem without building any good habbits. 
• Avoid deep fried or batter fried food of any sort at any time. There are so many better choices for every meal. Ask restraints about how they prepare so you can order smart.
• Temptation foods are ok once in a while. Everyone loves that one food that is bad for them. Start a plan and mark it on the calendar that you can have ONE from the naughty list every other week or so. Many of these foods are things like prepared meats, hot dogs, potato chips.
• Fatty foods arent evil. Properly used, fatty foods fuel cold weather activity just fine, thank you very much. In fact, some high quality fuel burn is a combination of fatty and protien foods (nuts, peanut butter). Have you ever frozen at night after beer, salsa and chips? I have. But I never get cold at night from eating a bean and cheese dish. Fast burn carbs won't keep you warm in the winter.
• Complex carbs and fiber should be a primary component of a diet.
• Lots of fruit and veggies. I get 7 or 8 portions of these a day. Blueberries and strawberries are my favorite and have the added benefit of antioxidants. While the antioxidants that we create internally from exercise are many times what we consume, I can use all the age fighting/healt inspiring that I can get.
• Salt is horrible stuff to athletes when it isn't controlled. It leads to painful swelling and bad performance. Watch any processed foods from 300+mg per serving. Ever look at a can of beef stew with 800mg of sodium? Athletes do need salts if they sweat a lot, but they can be managed well with bananas and normal food intake. I would rather lightly salt an egg white than eat a can of stew. My personal guage is my ring finger swelling up past the point where I can't remove my weedding ring. Chinese or take out food is also another unexpected source of sodium.

Cold hands/feet - Bring a hand muffler and scarf for standing around in the wind waiting for the team to finish zero or other waiting activities. The wind layer and down insulated jackets are are the best for very cold teamps that we are likely to see. After exercising or racing, get another layer on immediatly to preserve the heat. Wind and sweat lead to rapid cooling and its far easier to stay warm then the get warm again. There are chemical tabs to help with heating and over boots for an added insulation layer. Delay putting on plastic boots unti right before the race and store them indoors to prevent foot shock (ice cold boots rob energy and are stiff and chafe). There is an old addage, if you feet are cold, put on a hat, and I do and it helps. A good hat, not a knitt one that the wind can blast through.

Energy managment - Any outdoor winter activity that lasts over 1 hour will need a supplement. An hour of all out activiity will require several hundred calories and leave your system needing assistance. If you ate breakfast at 6am, zero your rifle at 8am, race starts at 9am or 10am, you are already down several cold hours and your dinner from last night has just about run out, no go race. Trying to race without more fuel is dangerous and you will not have your best day. Have a bagle with peanut butter for a mid morning snack but leave 30 minutes after eating to digest. Practice this in your evening workout before dinner but after working all afternoon! If you like, eat a GEL/GU pack 15 minutes before a workout/race and know that they last about 40 minutes.If you wont finish in that time, know you will be very depleted and may "Hit the Wall" as runners say and have nothing left to even get up that last hill. This feeling sucks, so if you start with a Gel/GU, plan to continue with another at the 40 minute mark give or take (my wife likes 30 minutes, I like 40). Practice this on a long workout day. Some Gel/GU has cafeene which does wonders for attitude on the back part of the trail, ask any cyclist. But be warned that two GU/GEL with caffeine may leave your tummy in trouble.

Ok, thats enough for today. It was a great weekend. If you found that you were sore today. That is ok, we did a good amount of running for a weekend. While its ok to take a day off, don't take more than one, and if you can, at least go for a walk (mile or so) to keep your system flushing out the tender bits.

It was a pleasure to meet everyone and see you soon.

Jeff

First Tracks and Balance

Dry land training, while great for strength and endurance does not make a proficient skier. Balance and core control are vital to skiing well.

Snow conditions were lousy this week with frozen crust on top of rotten melt underneath for my first tracks of the season. I finally managed to get on my skis and skate around my yard before it all melted. I realized quickly how much balance did for my ability to even make small strides. By the end of my 30 minute session, I was skating again and doing well enough to not totally embarrass myself at the Weston Ski track next month. I fell a number of times before I could get my legs back under me and start using my body correctly and I'm glad it was dark during my outing or I may have had my kids laughing at me as well.

So what balance exercises will we need to focus on and which leg muscles are involved? This article from NENSA is a great example of some exercises to incorporate in your strength workout called Dryland Skate Progressions to gain the balance you will need for specific skate skiing.  Please pay attention to foot position and direction and your weight distribution. Don't land on your heels. Push and land evenly on your foot or you will be down hard once you get on skis. Ski boots will give some rigidity that you will find essential later.

It's also time to start thinking about getting your own balance board. I use mine during tv commercials for a quick 3 - 5 minute sessions every other day. There are many different styles to choose from round boards to full roller planks that can seriously challenge you.

Jeff

Storm survival workout

Well the Northeast was smashed by an early storm this weekend and while I had good intentions of enjoying some of the white stuff, I simply havent found the time. Heck getting internet and fuel for the generator was a challenge.

My own situation this weekend involved serveral hours of shoveling, plowing, and hours more of lifting the chain saw, logs and limbs. I'm told we have 4 more days without power so we are in lifeboat rules at our house with generator on critical circuits only. We and the neighbors are fine and I hope you all are as well.

 I hope to get back on track with my personal plan but I did count the lifting as a strenth training cross training workout. I do hope to get in a few laps at least around the yard before it all melts later this week. 14" takes a few days to melt.

In the mean time, here is an Nutrition Edge article from Jeff Galloway (a former olympian) I received as a subscriber to his free email newsletter. Good stuff for all athletes. I ran my first two Marathons with Jeff's run/walk interval training plan and think that this type of start/stop is very similar to the downhill/uphill combinations we will be doing in our biathlon.

Another great resource is beginnertriathlete.com for training, nutrition and motivation from multisport amature enthusiasts.

Stay warm, its a winter out there.

Jeff

SNOW Time

Well it won't stay long today, but we got a snow dusting in central/western MA last night and more expected this weekend. Time to really think about skiing and how much fun it will be this winter. I'm excited and cant wait! Lets hope the Ski track opens early so we can get some good practice and some lessons. I know I could always use another lesson. I found that I had a pass that I didn't use from last season and is still good for this one so I really can't wait.

I subscribe to the Endurance Planet RSS and this week they are talking about meds and sports nutrition that I thought it was valuable for us as endurance athletes. While the EP site is dedicated to the multisport life of triathlon, we can directly apply their lessons just on a reduced scale.

Oh, by the way, black ice has a much more profound effect on runners than it does to cars. Lets stay safe out there while exercising in the slush and cold.

Jeff

Leg workout - steps and isometric hold

Its time to work the legs. We will do some isometric hold drills as seen in the video link. Do not add weight for this workout until you have done it dry a few times then add slowly if you wish.

Twice this week I suggest:

Prepare with a 10 minute jog/fast walk -or- jumping jacks -or- jump rope; to get the legs warm and flexible. Get out the interval watch or set a timer app on your phone (RoundTimer for iphone).

Do FIVE sets of:
1 minute step up 8"-12" normal outdoor step (can be done indoors)
1 minute isometric hold in proper ski race form

Do some abs to close out the workout with:
Plank on elbows 30 sec to 1min raise one leg for a more advanced plank
Side plank each side 30 secs.

Cool down walk 10 minutes or as appropriate.

FOAM ROLLERS

Sore legs yet from the workouts? you might benefit from a foam roller massage. Its just like it sounds, a 6" diam foam roller you use to roll out sore muscles. I have used a roller now for a few years and can tell you that it works on sore shoulders, back, hips/glutes, IT band, Quads and hamstrings. I have had to invest in foot message devices (roller and lacrosse ball) as well because I developed some foot pain two years ago and have to work out the tender spots on my calves every few days to keep myself in good form.  A lot of foot pain might be caused by calf problems. Check out TriggerPoint if this might be you as well.

Train well,
Jeff

Video time!

I found some great video at the US Olympic web site.  http://biathlon.teamusa.org/video

Remember that rest and nutrition are a critical component of our training. If you weren't able to pick up the nutrion hand out at our first meeting, you can find them here:

http://www.nensa.net/docs/Nutrition_Part%201.pdf

http://www.nensa.net/docs/Nutrition_Part%202.pdf

Have a great weekend,
Jeff