Good Snow = Better Skiing = Better Skier

January has been a tough month for cross-country ski training. After a New Year's thaw we were left with only a bit of snow, and any snow that could be found was at least an hour's drive away. But last week the weather finally began to cooperate a bit.

Throughout the week we had several Alberta Clippers come through. Then on Martin Luther King Day we finally got ourselves a nice little front-dropping about five inches on the Madison area throughout the day. All total we saw about nine inches for the week. Not a ton, but at least enough to reopen the Madison area trails. So last night after work I grabbed the skies and hopped over to Elver Park.

It felt really good to be back in the woods. Back on good snow. Over the past couple of weeks I skied at Lapham Peak over near Milwaukee-a short loop covered with man-made snow. I also made it to Blue Mounds State Park-beautiful trails, although a bit bare and icy in places, and then I spent a couple of days over at Mirror Lake State Park-the best snow in the area. But even the best snow in the area left me feeling anxious about my ability to train effectively. Last night however lifted my spirits once again.

Skiing on bad snow seemed to challenge my skiing abilities. I tired easily, wasn't able to hold a flat ski very long, and always had to worry about scratching the bottoms of my skis. It seemed as though I never got comfortable, and once again began doubting my abilities to ski 50km. Last night however the snow was fantastic. Its freshness allowed for some strong skating. My strides were long and confident, and I actually felt like my skis were working with me. I was able to hold my striding techniques for long periods of time. The uphills held plenty of snow, and the new found base allowed from some good climbing, and then the downhill stretches were an absolute riot-fast and smooth. And most importantly, I felt like I could ski again. In fact I felt as though the two and half weeks of skiing on lousy snow actually helped me as a skier.

Over the next couple of days we are expecting some very cold weather, temperatures going below zero at night and only reaching single digits during the days. But what I am learning is that cold weather after a good snow makes for some fast trails. Just in time for some serious training. And so with 38 days to go before the Birkie we will likely have some strong snow for the duration.

Will it Go Round in Circles

Reading the ski reports yesterday, I came across this interesting description on skinnyskis.com: "This is a good time to download some Billy Preston on your iPod. The only skiing in the Milwaukee area is the 1.2K loop of manmade snow at Lapham Peak. Will you go round in circles?"

Although I don't ski with an iPod I did find the time and energy to drive to Lapham Peak, about an hour east of Madison, located in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The skating was a bit challenging at first. I had trouble holding an edge and it took me a long while before I felt comfortable on my skies. Might have been the man-made snow, or it might have been the lack of wax, but my heavy legs, sore shins, achy ankle, and a week and a day off made for a difficult ski. But I kept going, kept humming a little Billy Preston, kept counting my trips up and down the only small hill on the track, and eventually worked my way around the 1.2 km loop 20 times...for a total of 24 km.

Even with the struggles however, it felt great to be back on the skis. And besides finding snow I also discovered a new area and witnessed a beautiful sunset. Still though, what we need the most around here is a snowstorm or two.

A December Disaster: Warmth and Rain!

December dropped almost 21" of snow on the ground...about eight more than normal. The trails all over the state were in excellent shape. The trails locally had about a five inch base...a strong base so early in the ski season. Obviously, things were in great shape. I was feeling strong and enjoying my daily trips onto the ski trails. And I was beginning to gain tremendous confidence in my ability to ski 50 km. I knew that if I continued to ski about three to four times a week, saving the weekends for long exhausting tours, that I would indeed be able to fight my way to Hayward's main street.

And then it came: A late December melt has destroyed our snow. Two and half straight days of temperatures above 32 degrees. In fact, Thursday topped out at 40, while New Year's Eve day topped out at 46 degrees. Yesterday, along with the warmer temperatures came a long miserable rain. The chronic winter complainers are happy--a respite from their miserable indoor existence.  The skiers are now the complainers,  searching the long-term forecast for any evidence of snow. Only flurries are in sight, and the Birkie is only 57 days away.

So now once I again I must readjust my psyche. I must again lace up the running shoes and head back to the pavement. I must fight off the bad weather and learn to love running the streets of a dirty and yucky Madison.

A tough start to the New Year!

Mirror Lake Mirage

Yesterday I spent the day romping around the woods and hills of Mirror Lake State Park. Great fun! Silence sports rules the way around here. Mirror Lake is near Wisconsin Dells, and is a little known year round gem about an hour north and west of Madison. Because it sits so closely to Devils Lake State Park, Wisconsin's signature park, not a lot of people are aware of what Mirror Lake offers. The Madison skiing community however raves about it, and drives right by Devils Lake to go skiing. And yesterday I learned why.

The trails are wide, well-groomed, and cut right smack in the middle of a southern Wisconsin forest. Other than a couple of small open fields, the rest is all wooded. There are challenging climbs, fast and long downhills, and plenty of flats to hold a stride. Two interconnected loops, The Turtleville and the Fern Dell Trails, total about 5.4 miles. And after paying the price of a 2011 State Park sticker ($25 yearly) all the trails are free.

I parked away from the crowds at the far western end of the park. This meant that my ski began with a climb up and over the back side of the park. However after this short intense climb I cruised quickly amongst the trees, eventually hitting a screamer of the hill at the end of the Turtleville loop. After connecting with the Fern Dell loop I began to really work my stride for the entire 3.4 mile loop. Nice rolling hills, with an occasional steep climb added to the tour. I then finished the 5.4 mile loop by bringing the other side of the Turtleville Trail back uphill to where I started. This last mile and half tested the legs and the lungs. I skied the loop three times in 2 hours and13 minutes for a total of 16.2 miles.

Quite the enjoyable ski. Lots of mixed terrain; lots of beautiful snow, and lots of trees to silence the chaos. After my ski I sat in the car, surrounded by Wilco, and enjoyed a well deserved lunch: some yogurt, a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich, a couple of clementines, and a jug of chocolate milk. Good nourishment for a tired body. Then, deciding to continue on with the mid-week winter getaway, I threw on my snowshoes and headed out towards the shores of Mirror Lake.


The path began just across from the where I was parked and headed northwest along the edge of Dell Creek. The hike brought back some youthful memories. The place where as a ten year old youth I caught a huge brown trout in the opening minutes of Trout season. Our neighbor Charlie Phillips got my brother and I up way before sunup and drove us over to Dell Creek. After a short hike in, he put a night crawler on my hook, and told me that when the sun comes up I should float the worm down into the hole just below me. When I saw the sun arise through the trees I carefully dropped the worm into the creek. Within seconds the stillness of the dark hole exploded with the thrashing of the hungry trout. A few minutes later Charlie was standing by my side, holding the big fat trout beside my grin. Too dark for photos, but never too dark for my memory.

Today was a bit colder, and a bit whiter than that May morning many years ago, yet still I am happy to be wandering around this late December day. The hike is a short out and back. Along the way I make a path through the woods to try and get close to water. I don't really have the time or the energy to bushwhack my way to the lake, but I can easily manage a trip to the edge of Dell Creek.

After a short saunter along its banks, I turn to head back to the car and then to Madison. To my delight the winter sun sparkles on my face. A simple finish to a wondrous day in the Wisconsin winter.

Great Snow, Significant Progress, and the Joy of Elver Park

Had a fantastic morning. In fact, the last few days have been splendid: great weather, and even better conditions. Fast and shiny tracks on Thursday. Three inches of fresh snow throughout the day on Christmas Eve.  Skiing on top of Elver, through a snow shower, on the day before Christmas, makes for a good moment.

December 24, 10:00 am. Looking west high above Madison.

Elver Park was groomed this morning, and once again the trail was hard and quick. After taking yesterday off I decided to skate the 10 km course, to track my mileage, and hopefully to push the envelope a bit. Today I skied the course twice...about 22 km total...my longest ski of the year. I'm still not where I want to be physically; yet I also know its all about gradual progress. Today I was strong. Strong enough to ski about 13 miles...over 40% of the Birkie. And the best part is that I know I got more in me.

December 24: Standing above the Elver Park sledding hill.

I am so very fortunate to have Elver Park right out my back door. It is a place I have grown to love. A park that is an important part of my life. Expanding it to the winter season is long overdue. The park is over 225 acres and has about 17 km of skiing and hiking trails...most of them cut through a mature woodland forest. The hills of Elver are appropriate training ground for the hills of the Birkie Trail.  And not just during the winter months, but the dry-land training I did in Elver before the ski season provides me with the confidence that I can fight to the top of these hills. In both places the hilly terrain is long and persistent, and always challenging.

Fast Track!

Finally got back over to Elver Park this afternoon. The trails are in great shape. Monday night we got about 3" of snow, then a small sheen of ice, and then a warm front...temperatures at or above freezing. The trails warmed up, softened a bit, and were hard to ski on. Then last night the temperatures dropped into the high teens and today the high was about 27 degrees. The skiing was fantastic.

I hopped on the trails at about 4:00 and was delighted with the track. The trails had an icy sheen on them and they were fast. My wax was good and my technique held up. All told I spent about an hour out there. I felt good. Even felt I could have gone longer, but consciously held back as tomorrow I am looking to ski a bit further than the seven miles I skied today.

Today is my last day of work until January 3rd. Although the papers and lessons will need attending, I aim to hit the trails several times over the next ten days. Hope to chase the good snow a bit---maybe a day in Wausau, or a day near Plymouth---both areas have good trails and excellent snow cover. Take a lunch and some drink and make a day of it. Hopefully some pictures will make their way to the blog.

Random facts to observe:

Today my heart rate averaged 146 bpm and my maximum heart rate reached 166 bpm.

Last Sunday my average was 149 and my maximum was 169.

Don't know what it means but I am going to start paying closer attention.

The Motivation of Doubt (Part II)

The Birkie just got a lot scarier. I entered the ski season confident and excited. Now after two weekends of skiing, I am filled with trepidation and looking for a jolt of confidence. During the past several months I have worked hard to establish a level of fitness that will help me grind my way through the Birkie.  I don't expect or yearn for a good time...my only goal is to finish (in under five hours). Today I am feeling like I bit off too much...like this year I should have skied the Kortelopet and saved the Birkie for next year. Skiing is a completely different game. I know I am fit, I know that I can run for a long time without stopping. And yet with skiing I must stop and regather some energy. Skiing is hard. Harder than I thought. Although today I made progress.

Yesterday afternoon, in an attempt to work on my technique, I drove down to Blue Mound State Park, where The Mad Nordic Ski Club was offering free lessons to its members. It was a terrific experience. I was able to work in a group of four--one instructor and three students. Our instructor Jim spent about two hours with us and worked us through the two most fundamental strides--the V1 and the V2. He also showed us several drills that will help strengthen our stride and our muscle memory. I am basically a one legged skier. What I mean by this is that about 75% of my energy is expounded by striding and poling off my right ski.  Yesterday I learned how to strengthen my left side, and I learned how to V2. Both key strokes.

At Blue Mounds I learned I have no technique. That it isn't my fitness level holding me back, it's my extremely inefficient skating style. At this point my fitness is saving me. It's allowing me to muscle my way up the hills and through the trees. Yet today, at Odana Hills, I skied differently. I spent my entire hour and twelve minutes focusing on my hip transfer, my posture, my knee bend, and especially on holding together my V2 stroke. Each lap is 2.6 miles, and during each of my three laps I gained strength and confidence. I worked hard at staying committed to my ski. At times fatigue brought back my old habits. But today, I was able to think about hip placement...and ski placement...and good technique. When fatigue came, I fought it with better form and deeper breaths. 

By the end of the ski I felt tired, optimistic, and motivated. I learned that I need to ski often. And correctly. I got a reality check about how incredibly difficult this race is going to be. Yet I can also recognize that I have two months of good skiing in front of me. Once again, as I have told myself so many times, I need to trust my fitness.