Birkie Class 2-15-11 Zipper Dicken Temps

I was a little taken aback tonight, speechless as it were (not impossible). At one point, doing a V2 and nearly everyone was in sync, doing it right and in rhythm. I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately we went into a dip segment and that all changed.
Collectively everyone is doing amazingly better, stronger and faster, too bad we are almost out of time. Now is the time to put it all to good use and we will talk about that next week but for now be confident, you all look pretty good.

Lots to do so let’s get to it.

Santi Ocaris, former UWGB skier and now CXC member is in town to do a clinic tomorrow. See attachment. The venue has changed to Neshota but everything else is the same. It is not often you get a chance to ski with an elite athlete (he finished 2nd at Mora this weekend) plus he is a good kid with a mammoth work ethic. Tomorrow, Wed. the 16th 4-6pm at the shelter at NESHOTA (not the camp)

The camp is closed: The gates are closed at the camp in an effort to preserve the snow and keep walkers from cratering the system. I think this is the best course of action until temps cool by Friday.

The Stump Farm Race and Bay Nordic events are on for Saturday. for more info. This is a good tune up for the Birkie and because it is fast is a good confidence builder.

Congrats to our marathon finishers this weekend (Dave, Jo, and Ces) they did two marathons...the race and the 7 hour drive home, uggg.

I am off to the MWSRA ski show tomorrow. We look at (fondle) all of next years gear and get out the crystal ball to decide how much to bring in, 9 months before we need it. It's a wacky system but when in Annecy....

We are already thinking about Birkie waxing and are stocking waxes we "think may work" but for everyone else put it out of your head. This weather rollercoaster we are on reminds me of the Zipper Dicken being built down at Bay Beach...without being a tax burden that is...up one minute...down the next. Good effort tonight, if it felt easier then good, it means things are happening, take that as a positive. We ramp down with our last effort next week, stay loose, work on balance and try and ski some. Nice night, we'll see you at 6:00pm next go-round. Feel free to email me at goincomp@att.net with any questions.p://http:// ">

Birkie Class Feb. 8th. Uber Mench Pays a Visit

For such a bitter cold night things really heated up fast. The new steps really came in handy, this will help out with the crowding in the future. I would like to orient them differently as well which should help as well. I even saw some genuine pained expressions last night (as opposed to the painted on ones you normally use to make me feel bad).
Those "push back" drills are really an effective use of the upper body. They are really effective at mimicking the "feel" of a V1 on a steep uphill as the timing and velocity are very similar.

Badger State Games went well for a lot of the group. See www.skinnyski.com for results and trail reports and more. Dave Hess is off to Mora this weekend, wish him luck. The 58Km Vasaloppett is the longest point to point marathon in the US, this should be on your bucket list, it is a great race. As the tempurture rollercoaster continues be sure to keep up on your waxing. These weekly swings dictate that you wax often but that is good, skis get faster with every coat. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYmy3952ZXg for a cool wax testing aid, very neat! As we approach two weeks to the Birkie this would be a good time to do one last long ski. Practice drinking and eating and being steady. Keep waxing your skis and build up that reserve of wax in your ski. This is also a good time to fine tune your balance, get out the wood and do it.

It is amazing how improved everyone is getting. It may not feel so good it but remember that we have also increased the intensity and duration of the efforts. Next week we will work on breathing and breath control, get ready for a big blow. Valentines day is next Monday so be sure to do something nice for your sweetie. Check out our latest newsletter by signing in at http://www.incompetition.com/html/register.psp

The weekend promises to be nice and warm, perfect for a long ski. Plan on the Stump Farm Classic on the 19th and be ready to go at 5:57pm next week as we Climb Firetower. Nice effort this week, now go ski.

Birkie Class 2-1-11 Groundhog Tetrazzini, mmmm

With the winter winds blowing just feet from our feet we had what I characterize as the best workout of the season, the above photo not withstanding. The highlights include vastly improved balance work. Notable core strength increase and most importantly: FOCUS. There was no "eyes down" and shallow breathing. It was all business and it was good. Jen had what I consider perfect Power V Up's....we have a role model/victim for next week.

There remains some room for balance and timing and we want to be cognitive of the reason we do things perfectly (muscle memory) and that it can go both ways, you will memorize things whether you are doing it right or wrong...do it right. Get on the wood this week. Those that practice balance are the ones WITH good balance, quite the concept!

Lots to talk about and some more homework.
We have our last skate ski clinic this Saturday the 5th at 9:00am See
www.incompetition.com for more.
Badger State Games are this weekend. Check you weather forecast as we are going on a roller coaster ride temp wise (no not the Zipper Dicken). http://www.sportsinwisconsin.com/node/251
Santi Ocariz is putting on a skate clinic at the camp on Wed. the 16th and we have our annual Birkie Wax Clinic on the 9th. Email me at goincomp@att.net for more on those.
Lastly, the Stump Farm Classic Race is the 19th at the Camp, it is a good tune up for the Birkie. See http://skiwithanst.org/

The snow is great now, best of the year and the temps are going to be warmer this weekend, it could be the best weekend to ski this year. Check www.skinnyski.com for reports and weather. I challenge anyone to ski the Quad this weekend. Neshota, Camp, Brown County GC and Barkhausen. All have their unique qualities. Put a post up at Skinnyski for all four and win a pair of ski slides. I am actually gratified to notice the improvement in the workouts. It may not feel easier but it looks better and as always it is now how you feel but how you look. Nice work. Three weeks to go, next week we start out at 5:54* Now go ski.

* we'll see if that works.

Birkie Class 1-25-11 Dedication

Obsession,compulsion or dedication. Skiing well takes a little of the former but a lot of the latter. Todd Rosvald sent in this photo of himself doing a balance workout, not too unusual except that he was was doing it in the 9th floor stair well of the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas last week, you decide what category he fits into. Note the 2 X 2's he had with him, imagine his answer to the TSA dudes after the full body scan. Speaking of lumber Paul Braun offers anyone specially cut Swedish lumber in the 5.08 centimeter X 5.08 centimeter dimension for only $12/meter. See http://www.braunbuilding.com/ for more great deals.

The class went great tonight. Judging by the sweat I had to think the effort was a solid one. We are getting more and more folks who can pull off the Power Plank, impressive. I am seeing deeper and stronger compressions which will pay dividends come Birkie time. We still need to work on balance some more. These drills work and for the ones that are doing them keep them up as you are already finding out how effective good balance can be. I kind of expect a little more upper body soreness this week but that will peak as we will only have to maintain that effort from here on out.

Lots to report. Congrats to those who did the Birkie Tour this past weekend in cold conditions. Not easy. See http://vimeo.com/19136243 for the helmet cam video. This week promises to be warmer with temps in the 20's through Saturday before it cools again. Get that long ski in early. The Noque Marathon promises unusually warm temps (for them) but with the likelihood that new snow will slow things down a bit. Check with www.skinnyski.com for updates and http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Marquette&state=MI&site=MQT&lat=46.5508&lon=-87.3957 for MQT weather. The Birkie has a bunch of changes taking place this year be sure and check those out at www.birkie.com including the Telemark Lodge re-opening at least for the races.

As the weather moderates it is time to re-flood the skis with wax that the colder dessicated snow sucked out of them. Most trails are in good shape and I know several are doing some long efforts this weekend at Lakewood. These are great trails for simulating the Birkie. Stop at the Dairy Delite Depot in Suring on the trip home for a protein recovery drink (Chocolate shake).

OK, we got a lot done but now it is ski time. I don't think 50-100km between now and next Tuesday is unreasonable. Find some hills, get a friend and do some distance. Focus on technique and the RECOVERY portion of your stroke. Think GLIDE, RECOVER and PUSH. Nice night tonight. I will send an email blast about Noque waxing on Thursday. Good luck if you race, have fun when you ski.

Birkie Class 1-18-11 Man's Best Friend

What a crowd, what gluttons for punishment. It was a busy night for the upper body. I have already heard of some tired arms. Paul Braun reports that his arms felt like doggy doo this AM as he circulated the Neshota hills. After 7 weeks I am seeing strong aerobics, and pretty good strength. I am a little nervous about the balance thing however. Balance is like strength, it is very trainable and very important as it effects the way you ride a ski. A strong balance component allows you to ride a flatter ski and flat skis are fast skis. FLAT SKIS ARE FAST SKIS. (worth repeating). Practice your balance drills. Jo and I have a new rope drill for next week, your hips will love it, blame her if you hate it.

The snow is great but the temps are predicted to fall. Morning skiers will almost certainly be facing sub zero or single digit temps, combine that with fresh, fine grained snow and you have a recipe for slow skis. I mentioned PRE-WAXING skis in anticipation of applying cold waxes. The high temps required to apply a cold wax can (will) damage a ski base. Pre-waxing means applying a base coat so that you are not waxing a DRY SKI. If you have a wax job in place that has not been used you are ready, if not, you just apply a coat of a SLIGHTLY warmer (Swix CH/LF 6 or 7 - Toko Red) like you always do, scrape and do a brushing and then go on to the colder wax. Remember, prewaxing is NOT the wax you ski on, it does not have to be perfect, don't spend a lot of time on it, save that for the cold wax that comes next. They are predicting
- 20F temps up north this week. Get out the handwarmers. At cold temps Balaclava's are a smart choice, staying warm is nice, staying healthy is critical.

Most of you have the jackets and are reporting they are nice and warm. Lighter base layers are all you will most likely need. Andy reports that they show off his ripplin' pec's and that chicks dig it, sort of. Speaking of jackets, do you know why dogs are MAN'S best friend? Because guys like dogs! Barky the dog was a hit with the dudes but the gals vetoed him. Poor Barky.

Time to go ski. The snow is at it's best and this will be a good time to experiment with waxes and cold weather clothing. Skiing in cold also sucks calories, always a good thing.
We had a good workout last night and as we hit week eight expect a mini peak as we introduce a few new ideas and bring up the intensity a notch. The Birkie Tour is this weekend as is the MPLS JOQ with several local juniors racing. The 3rd session of BayNordic is this Saturday so watch for the hoards of munchkins at the camp. For most this will be an OD weekend. Get to it....with a friend.

See www.skinnyski.com for trails and weather.

Birkie Class 1-11-11 Swing Lo

As the avowed leader of the Old Fat Guys who are Stiff as Bricks Club, I was shocked to see that virtually no one could slide their foot down to the floor from a paltry 8 inches. That tells me that lots of folks are not comfortable with their balance and have not developed the strength required to maintain a hips forward, flexed knee position. Remember the icy conditions last week? The people who thrive in these conditions (ME) are the ones comfortable in this position; it is not hard to see the parallel there. As a good note more and more of you are figuring out the Super Plank (Planck in German) position. It is really not about strength but rather control and controlling your effort. I am also getting very impressed with your Super Vee Crunch. Collectively this is certainly the best group ever to do these. It takes an inordinate amount of strength with control to pull this off, nice. Goals for next week include getting the triceps parallel with the floor when stepping up and more pelvic tilt on the rope pull.

The divine Ms. Lulloff reminded me (in between winking at Tyson,) that her TFL was sore. Good. The TFL is a major ski muscle connecting the quad with the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor_fasciae_latae_muscle Real men skiers would be more apt to wear a Speedo and flex that muscle to impress skier chicks rather than their biceps (if they had any).

We still have a few jackets to hand out and they are here, with your names on them. I will also bring them next week. The new snow yesterday really helped clean up the trails and more is forecast later this week. Things are looking good for that OD ski this weekend, now get to waxing. Speaking of wax we are having a WAX CLINIC here tonight at 6:00pm See www.incompetition.com . I want to review basic wax application and hot cleaning as the snow we had was quite dirty and most skis benefit from cleaning.

As you may have noticed the 2nd installment of the Bay Nordic group was last weekend. Over 130 kids and nearly 100 parents and coaches made for a great day. See Steve Hoffman’s photo’s at http://shoffmanphoto.smugmug.com/CrossCountrySkiing-2010/Bay-Nordic/Bay-Nordic-01-08-2011/15384973_Tm9CG#1151402056_5HdKj
Saturday also was one of the busiest days in years at the camp. The number of skiers taking to the trails is outstanding. I saw skiers from Madison/MKE and the UP there, wow.

Good solid effort last night. I would ask that you “Work the Wood” and do some balance drills this next week. Next week we start (really) at 6:00pm so tell your family, staff, dog and others under your purview that you are unavailable after 5pm.
Lastly Todd Rosvold has an interesting method of calculating per kilometers times. My response is below his. See his:
Average speed calculations

20.512 Average speed = distance/time
Distance 29.4 Minutes 42 60 0.700
Hours 1 Seconds 1.45 60 0.024
Minutes 21
Seconds 50
Total Time 1.2150
Time Factor 1.433
Time factor 0.724
1.367 Time = distance/average speed
Distance 29.4
Ave. Speed 21.5 99.7
0.867
30.817 Distance = time * average speed 114.9942
Hours 1
Minutes 21
Seconds 50.00
Total time 1.43
Ave. Speed 21.5



#DIV/0! Average speed = distance/time
Distance 29.5
Time

Now mine:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=27335
and after that check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyBjqY3r0k as you do your drills.

Birkie Class 1-4-11 Choo Choo Could

Whew whew, 49 skiers pulled the train last night in a workout bound for glory. It was an impressive night to watch as the efforts were both physical and technically improved (noticed I said improved, not perfect). The line lead by Joram and Steve was “on” all night. We may orient that way from now on as it really helps to have someone in front of you and the Birkie is after all just a series of packs heading down the trail. I would be a jeenyus if I had actually thought that one up. Andy L. has a new twist to doing crunches next week…..you can blame him. Meanwhile our balance drill with the WOOD needs still more work. Do your homework and don’t be in the 80% with (medial) knee collapse. Hide that binding as you ski with your knee.

News: Kris Freeman of the USST is placing well in the World Cup Tour de Ski. To give you an idea of the intensity at that level, in one race the top 11 skiers finished within 11 seconds of each other.
See www.skinnyski.com or more and for trail reports.

Bay Nordic continues this Saturday at 10:00am. Lots of fun and fun to watch. http://baynordic.blogspot.com/

The trails are amazingly good considering the weather. Having a Pisten Bully really can save the day, look for areas that have one. Here is what we are looking at for a new machine. http://www.pistenbullyusa.com/en/products/pistenbully-100/standard.html That would be my dream job!

We have a wax clinic next Wednesday the 12th, the Women’s Tea and Ski continues next week and there are a couple slots available for a skating clinic on the 15th. We have a free entry for the Seely Hills Classic coming up and the Boulder Lake (near Duluth) if anyone wants them. See www.incompetition.com for a schedule.
Be sure and get in the right mindset and improve your Hip Score by getting on this before next week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piUWIqWSthA

The important thing now is to ski. Do your balance drills and focus on proper technique on the fast snow we have. Lakewood has good snow and the big terrain needed to simulate the Birkie trail. The Birkie has 8900 skiers ready to ski, be sure you are ready too.
Next week the rope returns as we board the ski train at 5:54pm.