Let the new season begin!

Let the new season begin!

Postby HighAngles » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:34 pm

Loveland will start blowing snow in about 3 weeks. I should be on snow in about 6 weeks. As I type this I'm sitting here in my ski boots - my tradition every year on Labor Day. Looks like I'm only going to make it about 15 minutes before needing to take off my right boot (my bad lower leg and ankle on that side). I do the ski boot thing nightly starting on Labor Day to get my feet and legs used to the confinement of a good tight fitting ski boot. By the time I start skiing I should be up to about 2 hours without pain or losing any feeling.

Hope everyone had a great Summer. I'm entering this season way too heavy and far too out of shape unfortunately. I have a lot of work to get done before camp in November! :shock:
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby Matt » Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:35 am

I built an incline board this year and I have bluegrass music ringing in my ears. I'm set up for a good season start. Now we only need some cold. Last fall was the warmest in many years with the season starting just before Christmas. Two years ago it started in October. Keeping my fingers crossed.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby jbotti » Tue Sep 04, 2012 10:10 pm

HighAngles wrote:Hope everyone had a great Summer. I'm entering this season way too heavy and far too out of shape unfortunately. I have a lot of work to get done before camp in November! :shock:


This is an interesting topic. My brother has been skiing with me a few times a year over the past ten years or so. He has been to some HSS camps and has skied with Max and Harald at my home mountain in Montana several times. Up until this season he has consitently been 30-50 lbs heavier than his "fighting weight". It was hard to tell if it was his skiing or his conditining but we knew that it was likely a good amount of both. But unfortunately he could only work so hard because his body just would not let him really go at it for any length of time due to his poor shape. Last ski season before it began he got serious about getting in shape. By the time he skied with all of us in March he had lost close 50 lbs and was down to 215 lbs for the first time in years. It was amazing to watch him ski and more importantly watch the speed at which he was able to progress when he worked on his skiing. As well he could ski powder pretty much all day when it showed up and he was always shot in the past after 2-3 powder runs. It was a huge eye opener for him and he has recommitted to staying at this weight or lighter (currently sub 210 and at 6 2" it s a good weight for him).

I think at times people don't always grasp the degree to which conditioning plays a role in skiing. It is huge and even if you are at your "fighting weight" if you are over 40 and don't do some ski specific strength/fast twitch work (think plyos) in the offseason you will not be able to ski your best (this is probably true even if you aren't over 40!). Most people also don't realize how hard Harald, Diana, Max, me and others work in the off-season to stay in shape and then to get in ski shape as the season nears.

HA you have a couple of months and if you hit it hard and cut your food intake you can make some good things happen. For those that aren't in Colorado you have more than 3 months before skis season is upon us. You can make some big advances in fitness in 3 months if you start tomorrow and hit it hard for the duration!!

If you are out of shape this will actually make more difference than anything else that you might do to help your skiing!!
Balance: Essential in skiing and in life!
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby HighAngles » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:13 pm

There is no doubt that skiing is a physical sport, but I would say that PMTS especially exposes a lack of fitness. I think I discussed this once with Geoffda on a chairlift. You're certainly not going to progress as quickly in PMTS if you do not possess the necessary strength and flexibility. It's not that PMTS is more stressful when skiing, it's that learning the correct movements requires going through some phases that can be more taxing until you get it right. Flexing, and getting the timing right for it, is definitely one of those phases. You can end up fighting yourself, your skis, and the mountain until you reach your "a-ha" moment.

In the season that I busted my leg and ankle (in multiple places) I had decided that I would "ski myself into shape". That was a very bad decision. I had my accident on the 5th day of that season and there's no doubt that my physical fitness played a contributing role. I also used to pound diet sodas all day long and I believe that the phosphoric acid also played a role in decreasing my bone strength.

My realization going into this season is that I've now hit an age where I can no longer "take a break" from my physical fitness routine and expect that I'll be able to quickly bounce back like I could when I was younger. I usually would take a few months off from the end of ski season until I started training for the next. This year I've found it exceptionally difficult to get back into the swing of things and dedicate time to working out and being good about my diet. I think part of my problem this year is that the ski season ended much earlier last season than the seasons previous. So I've been "off" for a much longer period. So in a way I can blame this all on Ullr! :lol:
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby jbotti » Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:36 pm

HighAngles wrote:My realization going into this season is that I've now hit an age where I can no longer "take a break" from my physical fitness routine and expect that I'll be able to quickly bounce back like I could when I was younger.

Great that you have realized this. I have been at that age for many years and it's part of the reason I just don't let myself get out of shape because as we get older it requires a lot more work to get it back!!

I am doing the Tech camp in November. Looking forward to skiing with you again.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby emakarios » Wed Sep 05, 2012 6:23 pm

What I have found as I get older is that I have to pay more attention to the recovery phase of the stress/ recovery cycle. I'm in the gym 2x/ week doing dry land training and every workout I ask myself after about ten minutes if this workout should be a "stress" workout or a "recovery" workout. I started Kelly Doyle's off season workouts mid-April and two weeks ago switched to HHS's fit to ski twelve week program, which will take me to tech camp in mid-nov. Plus biking and swimming for cardio with some speed work thrown in. My challenge is to keep getting more fit without getting injured. Looking forward to ski season!
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby Max_501 » Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:44 pm

I find Mtn Biking to be great off season training. I ride 100+ miles per week. Great work out and a ton of fun.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby Max_501 » Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:28 pm

How is everyone doing with their off season training? I skipped my ride today in favor of putting a dent in the ever expanding "honey do list".
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby Mac » Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:43 pm

Sometimes I find a way to combine the two. This morning, I took my wife for a 17 mile bike ride. This afternoon I was trimming trees around the yard and cutting firewood. I can find ways to make the mundane grunt work around the house into a make-shift workout. Other than that, it's riding two or three times a week, and hitting the weights on the nights I don't ride. My aim is to do something every day. But in reality, that's not practical, life is never that accommodating. But I try not to miss too many days. I'm off for a 66 mile ride tomorrow, gearing up for some upcoming centuries over the next two months. Then, as the weather gets colder, I'll start transitioning from the road to the mountain bike, just about the same time when snowmaking gets underway in late October.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:27 am

Guys,
Check out the book 'Primal Blueprint', by Mark Sissons...also: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2cxmjCSzg

It will change the way that you approach fitness and diet. It's simple and you will become stronger, leaner and healthier than you have ever been before. Perfect for skiing and your other athletic pursuits....less is definitely more - you just have to make the 'less' count...
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby emakarios » Sun Aug 25, 2013 9:27 am

Last summer I transitioned in early August from my normal off season training of biking, swimming and an alpine dryland program by a local trainer(Kelly Doyle) to the 12 week Fit to Ski program that Diana has on the PMTS.org website. That took me to Tech Camp in mid-Nov. This year I modified the Fit to Ski schedule to a 24 week program and started it in mid-April when my ski season ended. I realized that Fit to Ski had a much greater emphasis on flexion and other PMTS-movement exercises (squats, lunges, etc) that the other program I have been using for some years. Right now I am doing Circuit 1 1x/wk and Circuit 2 1xwk. In early Sept. I will shift to Circuit 2 and Circuit 3, which a goal of doing the Plyo workout for four weeks before Tech Camp. Plus biking 1x/wk 30-40 miles hard (with MN hills!), a speed interval bike workout 1x/wk and a swim workout 1x/wk(which includes speed intervals as well). This is what I am able to handle in terms of recovery and time constraints with work and family. Quite a bit of stretching and using a foam roller, plus seeing a very tough sports massage therapist 2x/month. For someone my age, recovery is half the formula. Of course there has to be something to recover from!
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby h.harb » Sun Aug 25, 2013 11:22 am

If you wear climbing shoes all summer it's the best training for ski boots, they feel wide, comfy and lots of toe room, after climbing shoes.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby Matt » Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:31 am

go_large_or_go_home wrote:Guys,
Check out the book 'Primal Blueprint', by Mark Sissons...also: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2cxmjCSzg

It will change the way that you approach fitness and diet. It's simple and you will become stronger, leaner and healthier than you have ever been before. Perfect for skiing and your other athletic pursuits....less is definitely more - you just have to make the 'less' count...

Thumbs up, Part of my inspiration in my paleo/low-carb/efficent training life-style.
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby go_large_or_go_home » Mon Aug 26, 2013 3:07 am

It's been a revelation...I am sure we have all been there with exercising to destruction because we thought it was good for us... I no longer train 3-5 hrs every other day - more like 20mins 3 x per week.. I don't Pre-train for any of my sports and yet I am stronger, leaner and more agile than at any point in my life - even 16 yrs in the military...

There is one caveat though..... Nothing can prepare your 'conditioning' to a sport like doing the actual sport.... But, you will be amazed at how easy you will find hopping between skis, bike saddle etc etc...it's ALL similar to PMTS....As harald points out, your 'core' goes from mid thigh to just below shoulder level.. Conventional exercise theories/practices just dont address this area...

My wife is a specialist Pilates teacher, and some of her 'weakest' clients are supposedly athletes.... long distance runners, rugby players, etc....Bruce Lee apitomises Pilates strength and movement....as does any gymnast or dancer...if you want something a little more 'manly', try TACFIT...

Have a look at, 'the 4hour body' by Timothy Ferriss. This book will blow your mind. Easy read and lots of photos - which is good for me.....
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Re: Let the new season begin!

Postby jbotti » Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:50 pm

There are two reasons to do longer endurance type exercise (like long 3-5 hour bike rides). First they are fun! Second your body doesn't release endorphins until at least 30 minutes of areobic exercise and they really don't kick until the 40-60 minute mark (faster in running because the brain bounces up against the skull which causes earlier release of endorphins). Now endorphins are incredibly good for our physical, mental and emotional state and endorphin production release is tied to seratonin production as well (essentially for a well balanced mental and emotional state). No matter how hard you slam it in a 20 minute workout it will not produce a release of endorphins.

What I am not saying is that endurance athletics is what is best for ones body. As someone that has done them for the past 30+ years I can tell you that less areobic exercise and more strength building/plyometric and core work is (at least IMO) better for the body especailly as we age as long as one can stay lean with less aerobic exercise.This does get back to diet and yes I agree that grains and complex carbs are the root of most of the problems (barry sears in his Zone book nailed it 20 years ago). Having said that, you can't eat a paleo diet and do 4 hour bike rides (you might finish one of them but it will take you forever to recover without some serious carbs). If you are going to do longer endurance training, you need to eat carbs to fuel the body otrherwise you will only be doing severe damage to the body (trust me I've tried it).

So to some degree everything is a little bit of trade off. Eat an exterme low carb diet, do 20 minute plyo type workouts and get no endorphin flow and lose the fun of longer endurance exercise or go for the endorphins and have to eat more carbs (and that doesn't mean that you have to eat huge amounts either, just enough to fuel the workouts).

I enjoy and need the endorphins too much to give them up but I have definitely moved to a hybrid between the two and in the winter I reduce my cycling a lot and focus much more on plyo type strength training with a hevay focus on core. In the summer, I just love being on the bike so I ramp the cyling and cut back on the strength training and eat some more carbs.
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