Cross Training, Cross Country Skiing

Our new cross country skis were put to use!

I’ve been trying to find the optimal cross training exercise that will best mimic running while I do my strength training to prepare me to run again.  It’s unclear to me how much benefit I can get out of the elliptical.  Most guidance says you can’t train for running without actually running, although I did find one coach who claims he helped an athlete through an injury to a successful half marathon with elliptical training.  For me, one of the biggest challenges is that I can’t get my heart rate up for any level of meaningful cardio on the elliptical.  Perhaps the best cross training exercise I’ve found is cross country skiing.

Thankfully, we had some snow in the northeast this year and so storms named Nemo and Saturn became my friends!  Mike and I found a new love in this sport over the Christmas and New Years holiday break when we got our first real snow.  We headed to Winding Trails which as far as I can determine is the only cross country ski location in CT with ski rentals.  As it turned out, they had a sale of new equipment at 70% percent off, so we bought each other our Christmas presents on the spot.  Now that we’ve had the chance to ski seven times this season, it was the best purchase ever!  Here’s the venues we explored:

Winding Trails ( http://www.windingtrails.org/ ) in Farmington, CT has 20K of trails, all groomed and tracked for different levels of ability.  The small, cozy, and casual ski center has rentals, a small equipment store, and serves lunch.  There are also a sledding hill, skating, and trails for hiking and snow shoeing. We discovered this spot a couple years ago when we got the urge to cross country ski after a winter storm.  Surprisingly, I couldn’t find any local ski shops that rent skis so this became our only option then when we didn’t have skis.  After discovering this great park and organization, I also learned they have many casual triathlon events in the summer although I haven’t participated in any.  They also sponsor an annual 5K cross country ski race – an event I may just have to put on the list.  Trail passes are $14 ($2 off after 2pm) and rentals are $17 / day.

Mianus River Park in Stamford and Greenwich CT is a 220 acre park that is loved by dog walkers, hikers, mountain bikers and runners but can be a great free and very local spot to cross country ski.  The biggest challenge is finding the parking areas (here is a link to the map http://www.mianusriver.org/images/mrptrailmap.pdf ) and insuring you don’t get lost!  We tried the park for cross country skiing at the tail end of reasonable snow conditions.  It was passable and we were just excited to get out and enjoy our new skis.

Fahnestock Winter Park ( http://www.roberts-1.com/fwp/ ) is a newly discovered in-my-backyard cross country ski venue in Carmel, NY that also has a small ski center with rentals and food.  They groom and track their trails.  It’s even accessible by Metro NY / Taxi for NYC dwellers.  Part of the 16,000 acre Clarence Fahnestock Memorial Park, they have 15K of trails for all levels, which become more expansive when the lake is frozen over.  Being at an elevation of 1,100 feet, they sometimes get more snow than other areas.  There are also a sledding hill and trails for hiking and snow shoeing.  Trail fees are $9 per person and rentals are $16 / day.

If you are headed to Vermont, Ole’s Cross Country Center in Warren, VT ( http://olesxc.com/ ) has snowshoe and 45K of cross country trails, half in open fields and half in the forest.  It’s actually located at the Warren-Sugarbush airport that is closed in the winter and so the runways provide a winter wonderland!  Trail pass is $16 ($3 off after 1:00pm) and rentals are $18 ($3 off after 1:00pm).



Ward Pound Ridge is awesome, close and inexpensive!

 We drive by Ward Pound Ridge Reservation ( http://parks.westchestergov.com/ward-pound-ridge-reservation ) – just 20 minutes over the border from us in Connecticut – all the time so it’s about time we truly discovered this truly wonderful 4,000 plus acre gem.Cross country skiers come out and make tracks for one another on their trail system – there are close to 42 miles of hiking trails, many of them designated for cross country skiing.  The entry fee is only $10 per car (or $5 if you have a Westchester County Parks Pass).

And, finally, we had to top off the season at the #1 Nordic Ski Resort in North Amerca (chosen by voters in Cross Country Skier magazine) at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Montana (http://www.lonemountainranch.com/winter-things-to-do/nordic-skiing/ ).  We were truly spoiled by the very professionally groomed and tracked trail system, which encompasses 2200 vertical feet from the top of the Summit to the Meadow trails (we didn't make it to top of the summit). You can rente skis by the day or the week and take lessons from their staff.  It is a working ranch with year round accommodations if you choose to stay there.  Or, if you stay in one of the condos in the heart of Big Sky Village, you can just ski right out your door onto their trails.  And don't worry, their website says, "Bears Hibernate.  People Ski."

Lone Mountain in Big Sky, MT:  The #1 Nordic Ski Resort in North America

Satisfaction and Gratification

“Satisfaction is short-term.  Gratification is long-term.”

Dave Scott NYC Tri-Mania Keynote

I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday’s Tri-Mania NYC key note speaker, Dave Scott, a six time Ironman World Champion, who explained that you should take stock of your performance in each race and identify what aspects satisfied you (in addition to what we all do in looking at what we could have done better).  But, for the long-term and to fully enjoy your triathlon career, you should look at the bigger picture of what the sport is doing for you and its meaning in your life to find gratification, which sustains you for the long-term.

This is the third year I attended this annual multi-sport conference held at Columbia University, which was a production of Sun Multisport Events and developed in collaboration with Jordan Metzl, MD (my sports medicine physician) and the Northeast region of USA Triathlon.  With a day of free seminars full of tech, physiology and medical talk, you feel like you are back in school – but for your passion!  This year my husband Mike joined me, having come off of his first year of triathlons.  Expecting the typical kind of sports expo, the event fully exceeded his expectations.

One of the pretty cool things about the event is the range of athletes in attendance – from first year newbies to elites and long-time veterans.  Three years ago as a “freshman”, I was inundated with a whole new language.  Now, as a “junior”, I found myself further comprehending the topics and taking away different aspects how to apply them, such as:

·         SWIM – Check out http://www.swimsmooth.com/ for good tips on improving your swimming technique.

·         BIKE – There are acceptable ranges for the slight bend in your knee when getting the proper bike fit.  Last year after my bike fitting, I resisted putting the seat down for awhile because I figured the bike fitter knew what he was doing, but the bike fitting presenter admitted it usually takes a second look after some riding to get the fit right.

·         RUN – It’s time for new running shoes after 300 miles or 6 months.  One of the biggest ah ha moments for me were the videos played of improper running form – perhaps one of the causes of my injury last year is my sometimes over-stride.  If you look back at a photo of my Stamford tri run, it’s so obvious now!  I will now be striving for the optimal 85-90 (1 foot, 1 min) running cadence, light on my feet, with no bobbing (or pony tail swinging).  Jeff Dengate, a senior editor of Runners World, also showed a great infographic on choosing the right shoes which he said could be found here: http://www.runnersworld.com/shoefinder (but the url takes you to their shoe advisor function which is also helpful)

·         SURVIVE – In other years I was just learning about VO2 max and lactate threshold, and so now I better understood the concepts in Polly de Mille’s (from the Hospital of Special Surgery) presentation.  Your VO2 Max is somewhat genetic, but your lactate threshold is more controllable.  You can become a much better endurance athlete if you can tap into the fat stores, which are a better source of energy than consuming carbohydrates. 

With the sport of triathlon, I’m constantly learning new things about how to improve my performance and overall health and well-being.

This learning process gives me great satisfaction.

After the event, Mike and I went to see a NYC tri friend, Ursula, whose husband, Antoine, had just placed 2^nd overall in the Brooklyn Duathlon early Saturday morning.  Ursula was telling us that our friend Allison had joined her that morning to cheer on Antoine.  I introduced Allison to the sport in 2011, and then Allison met Ursula and Antoine in 2012 when we all did the Stamford tri.

These connections give me great gratification.

It's Official!

Well, it's official... Potena PT has registered a team for the Mt. Gretna Tri!  In my last post, you will recall I hinted at using my feminine wiles to persuade David to take on the biking leg of the Tri.  Thanks to Valentines Day, lots of champagne, super high heels, and something leopard from Victoria's Secret - we're doing our first Tri together!  Remember what I said, "you get more bees with honey".  I am doing the swim, my husband Dave is doing the bike, and a friend of ours is doing the run.  We drove the bike course, which I would recommend because the hills are a little different in person than on paper.  In the spirit of being healthy, we gave up alcohol and potato chips for lent, which hasn't been going well.  I thought I'd feel great, but instead I've had migraines and sleeping difficulty.  It's probably the toxins trying to escape my body, but I have since concluded that Jesus would not have turned water to wine if he didn't want us to have some.

     A second opinion on my knee has verified that I've stretched out my posterior lateral corner, but it's fairly mild so surgery isn't needed at this time.  Unfortunately it has also verified that I should not be running, which was a small but realistic disappointment.  I've been swimming, doing the elliptical, riding the recumbent bike, and continue with my strength training at the PT office.  Yesterday for fun I tried a yoga class at the YMCA, which was energizing and relaxing at the same time.  Not having taken a yoga class before, (and being a slight germaphobe) I showed up with my own mat.  Once I figured out how to get the straps off of my mat, it was easy to follow along with he instructor and I had success with most of the poses.  Work is very busy, t's been difficult to devote a lot of time to training.  However I have a renewed sense of purpose and motivation since signing up for the Tri.  Hopefully I can survive the rest of Lent while my liver regenerates, and continue to build on my workouts in order to have a decent swim for my team.