Monday, June 14, 2010
Getting back into the saddle
This is really not more than a test to see if I remember how to post! Sorry for abandoning my site. There is a lot of exciting things happening with my participation in biathlon and I'll make a concerted effort to fill you all in on what's been happening. Thanks, Kevin
Monday, January 5, 2009
The start of another season
Not sure how often people read this and to those who do I apologize for not updating anytime in the past six months.
The summer training went really well. I was able to boost my overall fitness and shoot about 10,000 live rounds. I competed in several local and national level summer events. As always, the Pemi-Harvard series was a blast and there was more participation this year than last.
I attended the US Summer Nationals in PA which was a good time. The racing was difficult with temps in the mid to upper 90s.
I also participated in quite a few silo shooting events which were a fantastic diversion from shooting at 11.5 cm. circles all summer. Silo is a fun event and anyone should try it at least once. The shooting is really difficult but you will learn to hold steady shooting offhand.
For aerobic training I ran almost everyday and rollerskied at least once each week. The rollerskiing was primarily to keep my upper body in shape and to work on skiing with greater efficiency. I entered one rollerski race which was the climb up Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, NY. Many national nordic team members were there and I have the distinction of being the slowest finisher in any catragory in the to year history of the event. It was very hard and humbling. I can't say it was fun but I do plan on attending next year.
Getting onto the snow was good. The first day out I felt like a rank beginner. The rollerskis are stable and don't wiggle around too much. The snow skis moved around a ton and it was rather disconcerting at first. The idea of early season skiing was to practice efficiency.
The first race of '09 attended by me was a biathlon NorAm Cup event in LaPatrie, Quebec. The race went well and I finished second both days racing in the Masters class. This age group is for guys older than 40. Temps were in the single digit F range with wind blowing from 15-25 mph so it was really cold and tough shooting. Next weekend (1/10-11) is the NorAm in Jericho, VT where there is no Masters catagory so I must pit my skills (as they are) against the Senior Men who are racing for a spot on the US World Cup team. Should be fun but I expect a thourough ass kicking in the results sheet. I'll post a report when the Jericho race is over.
The summer training went really well. I was able to boost my overall fitness and shoot about 10,000 live rounds. I competed in several local and national level summer events. As always, the Pemi-Harvard series was a blast and there was more participation this year than last.
I attended the US Summer Nationals in PA which was a good time. The racing was difficult with temps in the mid to upper 90s.
I also participated in quite a few silo shooting events which were a fantastic diversion from shooting at 11.5 cm. circles all summer. Silo is a fun event and anyone should try it at least once. The shooting is really difficult but you will learn to hold steady shooting offhand.
For aerobic training I ran almost everyday and rollerskied at least once each week. The rollerskiing was primarily to keep my upper body in shape and to work on skiing with greater efficiency. I entered one rollerski race which was the climb up Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, NY. Many national nordic team members were there and I have the distinction of being the slowest finisher in any catragory in the to year history of the event. It was very hard and humbling. I can't say it was fun but I do plan on attending next year.
Getting onto the snow was good. The first day out I felt like a rank beginner. The rollerskis are stable and don't wiggle around too much. The snow skis moved around a ton and it was rather disconcerting at first. The idea of early season skiing was to practice efficiency.
The first race of '09 attended by me was a biathlon NorAm Cup event in LaPatrie, Quebec. The race went well and I finished second both days racing in the Masters class. This age group is for guys older than 40. Temps were in the single digit F range with wind blowing from 15-25 mph so it was really cold and tough shooting. Next weekend (1/10-11) is the NorAm in Jericho, VT where there is no Masters catagory so I must pit my skills (as they are) against the Senior Men who are racing for a spot on the US World Cup team. Should be fun but I expect a thourough ass kicking in the results sheet. I'll post a report when the Jericho race is over.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Back in Training Mode
Wow; It's June 1, already. Winter is over six months away which feels right around the corner and an eternity all at the same time. This time of the year training is beginning to find its groove. The balance between family, physical training and time on the range shooting is starting to feel normal. Running has been a blessing since the total time commitment is so much less then having to drive to snow. The backyard range is all setup too making the marksmanship training time wise very easy.
With the intent of becoming a better shot the decision has been made to enter several shooting matches in addition to biathlons this summer. The competitive setting of shooting isolates the discipline so the focus is singular and hopefully more intense.
On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend the family attended a silhouette shooting match at the Pemigiwasette F&G Club located in Holderness, NH (www.pemi.org). In a silo match there are four stations or flights of targets each with a different shape and set at various distances.
The targets are steel silhouettes of chickens set at 40 meters, pig at 50 meters, turkeys at 70 meters and rams set at 100 meters. I forget the scale but a chicken target is about the size of your hand. Essentially the targets have the same sight picture look as the offhand biathlon targets only having a non-circular shape. The biggest hassle for me was having to reset the elevation on the rifle for each distance. I knew the adjustment for 100 yards (91 meters) so a bit of proportion math gave me the approximate adjustments for each distance.
A hit is scored if the silo falls off the rail. Just like biathlon the shot either hits or misses and there is one bullet for each target. Unlike biathlon the targets must be taken in order left to right starting on the lower bank of five before moving to the top rail of five targets. All shooting is offhand.
Normally before a race there is time to zero the rifle and shoot a bit to warm up. Arriving late we missed this period and the first shot I took was at 40 meters with an unproven sight adjustment. It must have worked as I dropped 7 of 10. Biathletes count misses; silo shooters hits. At the 50 meter pigs the first 9 went down before I became excited about a perfect run and oversqueezed the trigger shanking the bullet high and left. I was mad to say the least. The turkeys are the most difficult to hit. The small size and odd shape are tough but I managed 5. For the rams I screwed up and shot the top row first and received no credit for the hits. By rule calling the bottom row allows the score to count and 3 of the 5 dropped giving me a total score for the match of 24/40. It was a real blast and I am looking forward to the next silo match.
The kids shot too sharing a rifle while shooting off a rest with Nate having a go at the bottom 5 and Liv the top. Liv went 7/20 and Nate was perfectly consistent with a big donut. The Pemi club was super helpful and the kids did great for 4 and 7 years old. They are all geeked up for the next match. Lucky for them its a biathlon also hosted by the Pemi guys.
June 7, is the first race I'll run since skiing the Nats in MN. 3 months between races seems like another eternity and I'm curious how I'll do. Training has included a weekly combo series which has helped me get a feel for entering the range with an elevated heart rate and also to set the timing of slowdown while running. Expect a post after race 1 of the 08-09 season.
With the intent of becoming a better shot the decision has been made to enter several shooting matches in addition to biathlons this summer. The competitive setting of shooting isolates the discipline so the focus is singular and hopefully more intense.
On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend the family attended a silhouette shooting match at the Pemigiwasette F&G Club located in Holderness, NH (www.pemi.org). In a silo match there are four stations or flights of targets each with a different shape and set at various distances.
The targets are steel silhouettes of chickens set at 40 meters, pig at 50 meters, turkeys at 70 meters and rams set at 100 meters. I forget the scale but a chicken target is about the size of your hand. Essentially the targets have the same sight picture look as the offhand biathlon targets only having a non-circular shape. The biggest hassle for me was having to reset the elevation on the rifle for each distance. I knew the adjustment for 100 yards (91 meters) so a bit of proportion math gave me the approximate adjustments for each distance.
A hit is scored if the silo falls off the rail. Just like biathlon the shot either hits or misses and there is one bullet for each target. Unlike biathlon the targets must be taken in order left to right starting on the lower bank of five before moving to the top rail of five targets. All shooting is offhand.
Normally before a race there is time to zero the rifle and shoot a bit to warm up. Arriving late we missed this period and the first shot I took was at 40 meters with an unproven sight adjustment. It must have worked as I dropped 7 of 10. Biathletes count misses; silo shooters hits. At the 50 meter pigs the first 9 went down before I became excited about a perfect run and oversqueezed the trigger shanking the bullet high and left. I was mad to say the least. The turkeys are the most difficult to hit. The small size and odd shape are tough but I managed 5. For the rams I screwed up and shot the top row first and received no credit for the hits. By rule calling the bottom row allows the score to count and 3 of the 5 dropped giving me a total score for the match of 24/40. It was a real blast and I am looking forward to the next silo match.
The kids shot too sharing a rifle while shooting off a rest with Nate having a go at the bottom 5 and Liv the top. Liv went 7/20 and Nate was perfectly consistent with a big donut. The Pemi club was super helpful and the kids did great for 4 and 7 years old. They are all geeked up for the next match. Lucky for them its a biathlon also hosted by the Pemi guys.
June 7, is the first race I'll run since skiing the Nats in MN. 3 months between races seems like another eternity and I'm curious how I'll do. Training has included a weekly combo series which has helped me get a feel for entering the range with an elevated heart rate and also to set the timing of slowdown while running. Expect a post after race 1 of the 08-09 season.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Setting a benchmark
Seeing improvement is always motivating. Before any improvements can be recognized there must be a benchmark for reference. The shooting standard of biathlon is the sixty shot test. Six targets are hung at 50 meters and ten shots are fired at each target; thirty prone and thirty offhand. The scores are added up and you have a benchmark. I shot a 372 -1X. The X ring is a bullet diameter circle in the exact center of the target. It is worth 10 points and its value is a tie breaker. 372-2X would beat my score. The target used is the ISSF A-50 and for each string of shots, a full range procedure is used but the time is not a factor in scoring. As a comparison the US National team guys shoot in the high 400 to low 500 range.
I've also worked my way up to running 5k and decided to run a time trial on the standard run I use for training. The road is filled with rolling hills with very little flats. Time on May 1 was 24:15. Not great but another benchmark.
Just for grins I decided to enter a pure shooting match hosted by the Pemigiwassette Filed and Game club. This club also holds 4 run and shoot biathlons during the summer and is a great group of shooters. The facility is also very nice.
The event was a Mini Palma and simulated 1000yd. smallbore
match with all shooting from the prone position.
Interesting day. Temps were in the high 30 to low 40 range with
little wind and light rain. Targets were hung at 100 yards and the
bull was scaled to look like the bull at 800, 900 and 1000 yds. 15
shots for record at each "distance" for the Palma and 20 shots for
record on the 1000 yd. sim. My rifle is zeroed for 50 meters and it
took 40 clicks up to be on target at 100 yds. During the match we were
allowed to use the scope to make correction to the sights and it was
giving me fits. I had only shot maybe 50 rounds with my 7-4 at 100yds
prior to this match. My groups were pretty good and let's say 1" right
of the X-ring so I dialed in 4 clicks left, shot the next string and
the group was 1" top the left of the X-ring. What? It should be right
there as 1 click moves the POI 1/4" at 50 meters. Maybe 30 shots in I
realized what was happening. 1/4" at 50 is 1/2" at 100 and I was still
thinking 50 meters. The last 10 rounds at 1000 yds were much improved.
I finished 5th out of 8 shooters and my score was right up there. I
didn't get smoked; I actually held my own in a pure shooting match! I
was the only shooter w/o special shooting jackets, blinders and
purpose built "target" rifle. I dressed in a long sleeved thermal top,
T-shirt and fleece vest to shoot with and wore
the same gloves I ski in. I was the only shooter not single loading
and my pace was much closer to biathlon then that of the target
shooters. The goal was to learn and not deviate too far from biathlon
methodology.
For the 1000yd match I had the correction bit dialed in and had the
high X count (6 out of 20 rounds) and finished 3rd overall and I think
22 points off the win. The guy with the scores had to leave earlier
than I did and missed copying them. I spent a bit of time talking
biathlon, Fiocchi ammo and Izhmash rifles. With this crowd the action was super new.
The LH crossover makes these guys say "Wow" and I gave a demo of
how it worked shooting at the sighter targets used for the
"1000 yd." match. Even racing along I hit the bull and scored in the
black on each shot. A bit of luck for sure but not bad for 5 rounds in
15 seconds. I didn't fire live offhand as I didn't want to shank any rounds
into a scoring target potentially screwing up the results. Almost everyone
handled the rifle and was really impressed with it and how it held its own
against purpose built target guns with no other purpose or to handle the
requirements of biathlon.
What did I learn bout shooting at the match? I was hoping to find a bit of coaching but it didn't materialize. What I did learn was how important set-up is prior to pulling the trigger. Without any time pressures at the match and during the sixty shot test I made sure my position was the best it could be. I touched on this about my experience at the nationals. During the match and test I set up my position and closed my eyes which allowed the rifle to drift into the natural point-of-aim. The NPA is where the shooter and rifle combo points the rifle without any input. I took the time to reset the NPA so when I opened my eyes the sight alignment, sight picture and target were pretty well lined up. Now I wasn't using muscles to push the rifle where I want it and thus removed a lot of tension from my structure which results in much less imparted movement. It only takes a very small movement of the muzzle to miss the target.
Now that I have a referance point its time to work hard and keep raising the bar.
I've also worked my way up to running 5k and decided to run a time trial on the standard run I use for training. The road is filled with rolling hills with very little flats. Time on May 1 was 24:15. Not great but another benchmark.
Just for grins I decided to enter a pure shooting match hosted by the Pemigiwassette Filed and Game club. This club also holds 4 run and shoot biathlons during the summer and is a great group of shooters. The facility is also very nice.
The event was a Mini Palma and simulated 1000yd. smallbore
match with all shooting from the prone position.
Interesting day. Temps were in the high 30 to low 40 range with
little wind and light rain. Targets were hung at 100 yards and the
bull was scaled to look like the bull at 800, 900 and 1000 yds. 15
shots for record at each "distance" for the Palma and 20 shots for
record on the 1000 yd. sim. My rifle is zeroed for 50 meters and it
took 40 clicks up to be on target at 100 yds. During the match we were
allowed to use the scope to make correction to the sights and it was
giving me fits. I had only shot maybe 50 rounds with my 7-4 at 100yds
prior to this match. My groups were pretty good and let's say 1" right
of the X-ring so I dialed in 4 clicks left, shot the next string and
the group was 1" top the left of the X-ring. What? It should be right
there as 1 click moves the POI 1/4" at 50 meters. Maybe 30 shots in I
realized what was happening. 1/4" at 50 is 1/2" at 100 and I was still
thinking 50 meters. The last 10 rounds at 1000 yds were much improved.
I finished 5th out of 8 shooters and my score was right up there. I
didn't get smoked; I actually held my own in a pure shooting match! I
was the only shooter w/o special shooting jackets, blinders and
purpose built "target" rifle. I dressed in a long sleeved thermal top,
T-shirt and fleece vest to shoot with and wore
the same gloves I ski in. I was the only shooter not single loading
and my pace was much closer to biathlon then that of the target
shooters. The goal was to learn and not deviate too far from biathlon
methodology.
For the 1000yd match I had the correction bit dialed in and had the
high X count (6 out of 20 rounds) and finished 3rd overall and I think
22 points off the win. The guy with the scores had to leave earlier
than I did and missed copying them. I spent a bit of time talking
biathlon, Fiocchi ammo and Izhmash rifles. With this crowd the action was super new.
The LH crossover makes these guys say "Wow" and I gave a demo of
how it worked shooting at the sighter targets used for the
"1000 yd." match. Even racing along I hit the bull and scored in the
black on each shot. A bit of luck for sure but not bad for 5 rounds in
15 seconds. I didn't fire live offhand as I didn't want to shank any rounds
into a scoring target potentially screwing up the results. Almost everyone
handled the rifle and was really impressed with it and how it held its own
against purpose built target guns with no other purpose or to handle the
requirements of biathlon.
What did I learn bout shooting at the match? I was hoping to find a bit of coaching but it didn't materialize. What I did learn was how important set-up is prior to pulling the trigger. Without any time pressures at the match and during the sixty shot test I made sure my position was the best it could be. I touched on this about my experience at the nationals. During the match and test I set up my position and closed my eyes which allowed the rifle to drift into the natural point-of-aim. The NPA is where the shooter and rifle combo points the rifle without any input. I took the time to reset the NPA so when I opened my eyes the sight alignment, sight picture and target were pretty well lined up. Now I wasn't using muscles to push the rifle where I want it and thus removed a lot of tension from my structure which results in much less imparted movement. It only takes a very small movement of the muzzle to miss the target.
Now that I have a referance point its time to work hard and keep raising the bar.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Keeping Ffit
It's been a while since I updated this blog. Sorry of you've been here and with nothing to show for it.
Winter is over and I'd be lying if I said I missed the snow. The last holdout in the lawn melted today. I did manage to have one last snowball fight with my son before the snow just disappeared. It was fun chasing each other around tossing very wet snowballs at one another while wearing shorts, a t-shirt and bare feet. It was a great ski season and spring here in Vermont has actually been fantastic. Warm days in the mid 60s, bright sun and best of all; no bugs! If global warming means snowy winters and springtime like we've had for the past three weeks I'm letting the engine run and leaving the lights on.
At the beginning of April I began running with the hopes of slowing the rate I lose fitness. My cardio was pretty good after skiing and the plan was/is to run to remain fit and get the muscles in shape for the summer season. I really enjoy summer biathlon races and hope to do well this season.
I've been shooting live rounds on a regular basis. I built a snail type bullet trap on the property which has been great. I'm shooting five minutes after leaving the door. Instead of just shooting paper targets the size of biathlon plates I've been shooting for scores and drills.
One on my favorite drills is just shooting at a blank piece of paper. With nothing to aim at the natural position arrives and the group shows where your position points the rifle. It's pretty cool to see a group appear and they do. What the group tells me is how consistently I re-mount the rifle after rebolting.
Shooting at a 1" wide line both vertical and horizontal is also very helpful. The goal is to hold in one direction only which allows me to focus. After running a few drills I'll shoot for score and see how I'm doing. Scores are creeping up so I'm improving but there is a long way to go.
During shooting I try to replicate the same range procedure used during races. I also try to shoot with a steady pace of of breathing. I also try to make each shot perfect and call where the impact the target. I'm getting better at seeing what's happening as I shoot. Maybe you've heard the saying "perfect practice makes perfect."
I've also decided to enter a few pure shooting matches this summer. The goal is to meet some really good shooters and pick up a few tips on my own form and technique. Just for grins I went and shot at 100 yards instead of 50 meters. The Izhmash sights required 40 clicks of UP to get onto the bull at the longer distance. Makes sens as the sight is 1/8 minute of angle (MOA). One MOA is equal to 1" at 100 meters. The 40 clicks makes sense. To see where the bullets impacted I shot a 5 round group onto the 100 yard target with the sights set at 50 meters. The impacts were 5 inches low. I needed 5 MOA and with the sight being 1/8 per click the math worked. After shooting at 100 I dialed out the UP and re-zeroed at 50 meters. All was fine.
After I work my way to 5 km. runs I hope to start training with combos on the home range. There is an 800 meter trail which passes the range point before winding around the property.
Enjoy the rest of spring.
Winter is over and I'd be lying if I said I missed the snow. The last holdout in the lawn melted today. I did manage to have one last snowball fight with my son before the snow just disappeared. It was fun chasing each other around tossing very wet snowballs at one another while wearing shorts, a t-shirt and bare feet. It was a great ski season and spring here in Vermont has actually been fantastic. Warm days in the mid 60s, bright sun and best of all; no bugs! If global warming means snowy winters and springtime like we've had for the past three weeks I'm letting the engine run and leaving the lights on.
At the beginning of April I began running with the hopes of slowing the rate I lose fitness. My cardio was pretty good after skiing and the plan was/is to run to remain fit and get the muscles in shape for the summer season. I really enjoy summer biathlon races and hope to do well this season.
I've been shooting live rounds on a regular basis. I built a snail type bullet trap on the property which has been great. I'm shooting five minutes after leaving the door. Instead of just shooting paper targets the size of biathlon plates I've been shooting for scores and drills.
One on my favorite drills is just shooting at a blank piece of paper. With nothing to aim at the natural position arrives and the group shows where your position points the rifle. It's pretty cool to see a group appear and they do. What the group tells me is how consistently I re-mount the rifle after rebolting.
Shooting at a 1" wide line both vertical and horizontal is also very helpful. The goal is to hold in one direction only which allows me to focus. After running a few drills I'll shoot for score and see how I'm doing. Scores are creeping up so I'm improving but there is a long way to go.
During shooting I try to replicate the same range procedure used during races. I also try to shoot with a steady pace of of breathing. I also try to make each shot perfect and call where the impact the target. I'm getting better at seeing what's happening as I shoot. Maybe you've heard the saying "perfect practice makes perfect."
I've also decided to enter a few pure shooting matches this summer. The goal is to meet some really good shooters and pick up a few tips on my own form and technique. Just for grins I went and shot at 100 yards instead of 50 meters. The Izhmash sights required 40 clicks of UP to get onto the bull at the longer distance. Makes sens as the sight is 1/8 minute of angle (MOA). One MOA is equal to 1" at 100 meters. The 40 clicks makes sense. To see where the bullets impacted I shot a 5 round group onto the 100 yard target with the sights set at 50 meters. The impacts were 5 inches low. I needed 5 MOA and with the sight being 1/8 per click the math worked. After shooting at 100 I dialed out the UP and re-zeroed at 50 meters. All was fine.
After I work my way to 5 km. runs I hope to start training with combos on the home range. There is an 800 meter trail which passes the range point before winding around the property.
Enjoy the rest of spring.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Nationals
The pursuit was a breakout performance for me. No, I didn't medal or
even move up in the standings. Still 5th place. What was breakout is I
managed the race well. I shot 1,1,4,2. Not great but I figured out a
ton of stuff. My skis were fast and I drove them well uphill and on
the flats. Downhill is where I need the most improvement. Mt. Itasca is
technical and with fast snow has demanding downhills. Uphill I was
fast and also along the flats. What really made me feel great is I
managed the range really well. Misses aside I give myself an A. The
first offhand I let the wind bug me even though it wasn't blowing too
hard. After the 4th miss in a row I stopped thinking.
What was annoying but turned out to be a hidden gem was having such
late starts. I had time to watch races and I learned a bunch. I was
amazed at how slow the elite men entered the range compared to the on
course speed. It was also interesting to watch how long they spent
getting setup prior to squeezing the trigger. They futzed with the
rifle and made sure everything was just right. I do this in practice
shoots but forget to do it during races. During prone I started
slowing down 150 meters earlier than during the sprint. I was right
behind another racer and counted seconds (nice thing about releasing
the pressure for results is I could spend time learning) from the time
I slowed to when we hit the mats. I lost 7 seconds. Multiply that by 4
and its the equivalent of one P-loop. Drop one more target and its a
wash; 2+ and it is a fantastic investment in race time.
I spent the early part of the mat time getting the rifle perfect, the
position the same as when I practice, breathing, and shot with a 2
breath rhythm I use at home. I shot well and while it felt I was on
the mat forever my actual range time (poles down to poles up) was
withing seconds of one minute which is pretty normal for me.
I also went out on course to be the relay of info person to the
athletes from the coach. Standing on the last real hill prior to the
range (maybe 1 k out) were a bunch of other coaches giving
info/encouragement/corrections. What I saw was amazing and put a few
even move up in the standings. Still 5th place. What was breakout is I
managed the race well. I shot 1,1,4,2. Not great but I figured out a
ton of stuff. My skis were fast and I drove them well uphill and on
the flats. Downhill is where I need the most improvement. Mt. Itasca is
technical and with fast snow has demanding downhills. Uphill I was
fast and also along the flats. What really made me feel great is I
managed the range really well. Misses aside I give myself an A. The
first offhand I let the wind bug me even though it wasn't blowing too
hard. After the 4th miss in a row I stopped thinking.
What was annoying but turned out to be a hidden gem was having such
late starts. I had time to watch races and I learned a bunch. I was
amazed at how slow the elite men entered the range compared to the on
course speed. It was also interesting to watch how long they spent
getting setup prior to squeezing the trigger. They futzed with the
rifle and made sure everything was just right. I do this in practice
shoots but forget to do it during races. During prone I started
slowing down 150 meters earlier than during the sprint. I was right
behind another racer and counted seconds (nice thing about releasing
the pressure for results is I could spend time learning) from the time
I slowed to when we hit the mats. I lost 7 seconds. Multiply that by 4
and its the equivalent of one P-loop. Drop one more target and its a
wash; 2+ and it is a fantastic investment in race time.
I spent the early part of the mat time getting the rifle perfect, the
position the same as when I practice, breathing, and shot with a 2
breath rhythm I use at home. I shot well and while it felt I was on
the mat forever my actual range time (poles down to poles up) was
withing seconds of one minute which is pretty normal for me.
I also went out on course to be the relay of info person to the
athletes from the coach. Standing on the last real hill prior to the
range (maybe 1 k out) were a bunch of other coaches giving
info/encouragement/corrections. What I saw was amazing and put a few
ski pieces into place. One coach was giving out technique info. Basic
stuff. "Keep you head up. Look at the top of the hill. Hips forward.
Get those hands up. Tempo." Basic stuff I know. What was fascinating
was when the athlete listened and did these things they noticeably
sped up. During my race I told myself the same things and just flew up
the hills and also didn't feel as hammered as usual. A few of the
pieces fell into place during a race when I was tired and made a huge
difference. Not enough to catch the fast guys from Washington but it
gave me hope and demonstrated I have the potential to find speed by
not working against myself.
Had I not had the late starts I would not have had the opportunity to
observe so much. It also was nice that the athletes from the club I
was relaying info to during their races went out on course and cheered
for me. It felt a lot less lonely and I felt somewhat obligated to
perform well as I went past.
I received an email from my wife asking when I was coming back to
Minneapolis the morning of the Pursuit. She is staying with the kids
at a friends house (the friends are 20+ years of being so) but the
kids are wearing her out. Its her vacation too. I've done 51 races
this year between summer and winter and the family has been super
supportive so I headed to Minni after the race was over. I figured I
could sacrifice 45 minuted of racing for strengthening domestic
harmony and appreciation for the support Jill has given me. I also had
such a great race experience I wanted to end the season on a real
positive note. Admittedly, I am bummed about missing the race but
there is always next year.
stuff. "Keep you head up. Look at the top of the hill. Hips forward.
Get those hands up. Tempo." Basic stuff I know. What was fascinating
was when the athlete listened and did these things they noticeably
sped up. During my race I told myself the same things and just flew up
the hills and also didn't feel as hammered as usual. A few of the
pieces fell into place during a race when I was tired and made a huge
difference. Not enough to catch the fast guys from Washington but it
gave me hope and demonstrated I have the potential to find speed by
not working against myself.
Had I not had the late starts I would not have had the opportunity to
observe so much. It also was nice that the athletes from the club I
was relaying info to during their races went out on course and cheered
for me. It felt a lot less lonely and I felt somewhat obligated to
perform well as I went past.
I received an email from my wife asking when I was coming back to
Minneapolis the morning of the Pursuit. She is staying with the kids
at a friends house (the friends are 20+ years of being so) but the
kids are wearing her out. Its her vacation too. I've done 51 races
this year between summer and winter and the family has been super
supportive so I headed to Minni after the race was over. I figured I
could sacrifice 45 minuted of racing for strengthening domestic
harmony and appreciation for the support Jill has given me. I also had
such a great race experience I wanted to end the season on a real
positive note. Admittedly, I am bummed about missing the race but
there is always next year.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Gearing up for the Nationals
On site training for the US Nationals starts one week from today. Trying to get ready for my first Nationals has me shooting a bit more and trying to become a bit more efficient on my skis. The fitness goal is to not lose anything. The snow is melting and I can make more gains by skiing efficiently than I can though fitness.
The Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire is a fantastic place for a ski racer. The area is filled with former Olympians and National team members with whom I occasionally ski with. Saying I ski with them is grandiose but I do spend time in their midst. Many times these talented athletes has given me pointers and helped make me a faster skier. What I provide them is a marker and pace for their easy day. That's right folks, they ski with me as I force them to slow down and take an easy day. Climbing hills I'm ready to puke and these athletes are chatting away!
Last week it was warm and I was removing a jacket to hang at a returning trail intersection for retrieval at the end of the workout. A woman passed and she skated with an amazing sense of grace and efficiency so I chased after trying to watch and learn. Turns out she is another former Olympian and contemporary speedster. She was also gracious to ski with me and offer a few pointers and demonstrate a few drills to help me overcome a few of the many flaws that plague my technique. What was interesting is she didn't find anything new to add to the "must fix it" list. Either that or she was kind enough not to verbalize it as not to be overwhelming or give me a feeling of hopelessness. What she did tell me were ways to fix or begin to fix a few of the stumbling blocks I have in my form.
My training leading up to the Nats. consists of remaining fit and working on efficiency while skiing and picking up a few more targets on the range. Five seconds per kilometer and one target both prone and offhand will be great. There is one more club race before MN and four days to polish up whatever I can.
The list of "needs improvement" is long but getting shorter every day. Maybe the needs are still there but just like the snow, they are melting away and becoming less and less each day. It is the learning curve I enjoy and I have a lot of knowledge to gain.
I'll post again before I leave and again after the Nationals with a race report.
The Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire is a fantastic place for a ski racer. The area is filled with former Olympians and National team members with whom I occasionally ski with. Saying I ski with them is grandiose but I do spend time in their midst. Many times these talented athletes has given me pointers and helped make me a faster skier. What I provide them is a marker and pace for their easy day. That's right folks, they ski with me as I force them to slow down and take an easy day. Climbing hills I'm ready to puke and these athletes are chatting away!
Last week it was warm and I was removing a jacket to hang at a returning trail intersection for retrieval at the end of the workout. A woman passed and she skated with an amazing sense of grace and efficiency so I chased after trying to watch and learn. Turns out she is another former Olympian and contemporary speedster. She was also gracious to ski with me and offer a few pointers and demonstrate a few drills to help me overcome a few of the many flaws that plague my technique. What was interesting is she didn't find anything new to add to the "must fix it" list. Either that or she was kind enough not to verbalize it as not to be overwhelming or give me a feeling of hopelessness. What she did tell me were ways to fix or begin to fix a few of the stumbling blocks I have in my form.
My training leading up to the Nats. consists of remaining fit and working on efficiency while skiing and picking up a few more targets on the range. Five seconds per kilometer and one target both prone and offhand will be great. There is one more club race before MN and four days to polish up whatever I can.
The list of "needs improvement" is long but getting shorter every day. Maybe the needs are still there but just like the snow, they are melting away and becoming less and less each day. It is the learning curve I enjoy and I have a lot of knowledge to gain.
I'll post again before I leave and again after the Nationals with a race report.
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