Video Taping: Meet downstairs in the Club House at 1pm Saturday. We'll take some videos and then come back in and look at them. If you want a copy bring a USB thumb drive along. Here's your chance to actually see what you are doing and understand what the coaches have been saying about your technique.

City of Lakes Loppet: Congratulations to all who participated in the City of Lakes. As is tradition the fastest male and female in classic and skate are crowned "Club Champions" A special award will be handed out at the Pizza Party. This year for skating the winners are Allan Shuros and Mara Larson. For classic the winners are John O'Connell and Marji Carr-Oxley. Good job!

Send in your race reports. How did your race go? Let your Muse loose and write an article. Pictures too. Get in the drawing for the gift cards at the party.

Mora Vasaloppet: Mora is on Sunday. We're trying to get carpools set up for the race. Reference the e-mails that have been floating around. We could use some spectators as well. Come up and watch and help us with shuttling cars to the start. You can follow Jyneen as she chases the race back to Mora. She knows all the best spots to watch. The Downtown finish at Mora is really neat. It's a fun event to watch or ski. RSVP

Birke: The big one is two weeks later. If you have any questions about this event feel free to ask. One of the biggest things about the Birke are the logistics of getting to the start and pre-race preparation. We've got a lot of experience with this race and we love to talk about it. You too can catch Birke Fever. Ask Away.

March Trip: With the massive amounts of snow this year it may be time for a Spring Trip. Mid-March or so. 2 or 3 day weekend. North Shore is always good or even back to ABR. Anyone interested? Let's talk it up. Not just for racers. This is Mellow Skiing Time. Great touring in Spring conditions.

Casual Clothing: The casual clothing order is in progress. I have extra LS and SS t-shirts if you've changed your minds

Club Clothing: I also have extra Club Clothing. Long and Short Sleeve Jerseys, Vests and Jackets. I currently have at least one each in every size. Women's too. Let me know if you're interested. Summer bike jerseys are nice.

Pizza Party: The Pizza Party will be Tuesday Feb 23. We'll have Pizza delivered from Davannis. We'll have veggie and plenty of chicken styles and the usual favorites. Start RSVP'ing anytime. I need to know how many pizzas to order. We also need salads, deserts, cookies, chips and salsa type stuff. If you'd like to bring something let me know. Beverages will be provided. Spouses and S.O's welcome and well behaved kids. Perspective new member friends welcome too.

Very good conditions at Como this week. All the new snow made for nice soft skiing and it was reasonably fast. One of those great nights that made you not want to go home.

Coach Dave and Steve T took 6 skaters for some intense instruction. Being that we had only two sessions left in the season we wanted to make sure that people who were still struggling got as much attention as possible. I took 3 that needed the most work on V1. Dave took 3 others that were a bit further along but still needed V1 work. I figured we needed to help these people so they could get up hills a little easier. So they could enjoy being on snow the rest of the Winter. Easier hill climbing really opens up your possibilities for enjoying skiing.

My group went right back to the basics for V1. Body Positions. Pole placements and Timing. I've developed drills for all of the basic parts of V1. We do them one at a time exaggerating the movements and then try to put them together.

The Drills:

• Proper Static Position, halfway up a hill. One skate cycle and stop. repeat
• Low Squat Skating: Teaches skate off and knee drive. get down and stay there
• Very Slow Skate up a hill: teaches weight shift and timing and relaxation
• Fall on the Strong Side, Skate to the Weak Side: Proper timing is easier this way without skate push on strong side
• Add skate on both sides: Teaches even skating on both sides (the ultimate goal for the advanced skater)
• Hop on each Skate Stroke: Trains the strong skate off (again for the more advanced skater)

Several others that we never got to and I can't remember right now.

The goal of the above is to get the skier moving with acceptable technique. Good enough to enjoy V1 and then fine tune those motions to get closer to perfection. These short-cuts have worked well this season.

We spent all evening on the Lexington hills. Great progress was made by all. You guys did well. If you need special attention be sure to be at class next week. It's your last chance. We'll try to do this sort of thing again next week.

We had about 10 Intermediate Skaters and took advantage of the good conditions. We started by free skating up the long hill next to Lexington Ave. Without poles, we could focus a bit on staying in a rhythm and getting some glide from each stride. We skied up and down twice without poles and everyone seemed pretty comfortable. Next we tried double-poling in the set track up the same slope, with a focus on bringing the hips forward on the up-stroke and getting our hands extended behind the body on the back-stroke. In a couple of spots, it got pretty tough due to the slope, but everybody got 'r done. Good for developing the triceps. We also tried double-poling down the hill, getting just a bit out of our comfort zone by leaning a bit down the hill. The next step would be putting both together, but we added a wrinkle by shifting to V-2 and staying in the flatter area. Everyone could V-2 just fine and Judy in particular showed a bit of pop, pushing off at the end of each stride with the toe of the ski. This was also a chance for me to watch people, and pull a couple of them aside for some individual feedback and reinforcement.

Miriah asked a good question at the end. She was planning to ski the Mora 35K and wanted suggestions on how to be efficient. In a nutshell, there are several ways: a) watch the trail -- sometimes one side is a little faster than the other; b) change up your technique if you get a bit tired (you can shift to double-poling in the track for a bit, or V-2 alternate for a bit, use the Birkie Shuffle aka diagonal skate to rest a bit going uphill); c) follow the person in front like drafting on a bicycle - try not to step on their poles (it makes people crabby); d) try to stay relaxed and breathe easy, don't try to pass people on the uphill, save some energy for cresting the hill.

Good luck to everyone who's doing an event this weekend!

Ben and Todd's Group have had a pretty good showing the last couple of weeks, hovering around fifteen skiers. Last week we skied around Como looking for interesting places to race against each other in groups of three to four people. It was Ben's hope that we would be able to practice our tactics under varying situations while getting a good workout. One of the more interesting scenarios was on the back side of the ski hill where we had three skiers stagger themselves at different distances along the down hill section before climbing the steep off camber climb. It was fun to watch skiers with varying degrees of speed take the 180 degree turn and try to maintain their momentum into the hill and catch the skiers with less momentum.

This week we skied over to the Lexington Hill and created a loop where skiers could do intervals of 60 to 120 seconds all out, followed by a rest period of two to three times the duration of the interval. Ben and Todd were available for any coaching advise that people wanted. As the night wore on and the skiers grew tired, more and more people congregated around Ben as he was coaching. I always enjoy listening to the four or five different ways he can present a subtle change in technique. We are truly lucky to have him coaching at R&G.

February 2010

We are nearing the end of the ski season now have just a few more races so let’s review what to eat and drink to get ready.

Naturally, you’ve had a great dinner the night before (sport drink instead of alcohol) and a good breakfast at least three hours before the race.

For shorter races lasting one hour:

• Drink at least 16 oz. water or sport drink two to three hours before your start. More if you tend to perspire alot.
• Drink at least 4 oz. during the race. (one mouthful is equal to one ounce). Never pass a food stop on the course.
• Eat one package of Gu or carb (28 g) source 15 minutes before your start.
• After the race, you have a 15 to 20 minute window to start replacing glycogen and protein and fluid, so eat and drink immediately!

Longer races lasting three to five hours:

• You’ve eaten plenty of carbs and protein the night before. Sport drink instead of alcohol and you’ve gotten plenty of sleep. Your urine should be colorless in the morning, if it isn’t….drink 8 to 16 oz. water.
• Drink at least 8 to 16 oz. sport drink two hours before the race.
• Eat a Gu or sport carb (28 gm) 15 minutes before the start and every 10 to 15 k of the race. Pin or staple the packets to your bib for easy access. Select the packs that contain a small amount of protein to help alleviate lactic acid buildup in your muscles.
• Try to drink up to 6 oz. water or sport drink (preferably) during the race each hour if possible (one mouthful is one ounce). Never, ever blow by the food stop.
• After the race, drink and eat as much carb, sport drink, and protein as you can tolerate. The longer you wait to consume, the longer it will take your glycogen levels to come back.
The protein will help repair any minute muscle damage that occurred during the race. Raisins, fruit, milk, soft drinks, and meat sandwiches are a great start.

Have fun celebrating after the race!

Pepsi Challenge, Giants Ridge Jan. 21st-24th

By: Michael MacMillan

Well I was able to sneak away on a nice 4 day trip to Giant’s Ridge on account of my wife getting lucky and getting her work schedule switched. This past weekend was the 1-year anniversary of my first “race”. Last year I was a newbie and completely unaware of what it takes to do a long ski race. In 2009 I was just happy to complete the 25k pepsi challenge. This year I was looking to try a bit harder and see how much I’ve improved. For those that haven’t skied the course it’s one of the toughest around. There is a lot of variety and A LOT of climbing. But it is a beautiful course, so that kind of makes up for it.

Thursday and Friday: My wife and I skied the course (about 15-17k of it per day) to plan our races (she did the 25k classic). We took it easy, enjoyed the scenery and the fact that we didn’t see another soul on the course for those two days was a plus. Over the past year I have been able to ski enough to learn when and where I should conserve energy and where I should try to go harder. I think getting up there early and reminding myself of some of the key parts of the course really worked to my advantage during the race.

Saturday: One of my biggest fears in these long skis is that I will go out too fast, “bonk” and struggle through the remainder of the race. One thing that helped me avoid bonking was that I was lucky enough to find a pack of skiers that were about my same level towards the beginning of the race. We were able to use each other for about 20 of the 25k. In the end I showed vast improvement over last year’s result. It makes a new skier feel good to know that I am getting out of skiing what I’m putting into it. I even had enough energy to do my first ever “cool-down” for another 5k of the silver course with some friends! There is nothing better than getting out in a snow covered forest and gliding across the snow with the finish line and cold beer in mind!

Pepsi Challenge

Pepsi Challenge Collapsed

Sunday: My wife and I went out for a nice “easy” morning ski before we hit the road. While the scenery was gorgeous, the skiing was slow going because of the 3 inches of fresh, wet, heavy snow. We went for another 17k and therefore I easily broke my 4 day record for skiing (somewhere in the 70k range). I can’t believe that this time last year I thought 20k in a weekend was crazy! I don’t feel that my form has gotten that much better in a year to justify the improvement that I have made, but my balance and endurance have. I believe the improvement is simply a function of time on my skis. You can have the best coaching in the world, but if you don’t get out and do it you will never learn to be efficient within your own technique. I’ve been given great advice by the R&G coaches and simply fell in love with skiing, so I spend a lot of time on my skis which leads to greater efficiency. Each race I do and each day I ski I gain a little bit more confidence and enjoy it a little bit more.

If anyone is looking for a great weekend get-away and a beautiful race course and community event, the Pepsi Challenge in Biwabik is, in my mind, world class. You get to ski on trails designed for world cup skiers and enjoy a community that loves visitors and bends over backwards to make you feel welcome. There are cheap rates to be found in the area and it is only about an hour from Duluth. I know Hayward is often the destination of choice… but don’t forget about NE Minnesota and the pasties that are to die for!

Get Off Your Skis and Get On…Your Other Skis

Andrea Potyondy-Smith

As a long time skier, I enjoy being on the boards, no matter what type. I admit, I am primarily a freestyler. However, I also enjoy jumping on the classic skis—both waxed and the fish scales. But, I know people who are adamantly about one style or the other. If you fall into that category, here’s a refresher on why swapping modalities can only help your skiing.

To the Die-Hard Freestyler: Chances are, if this is your favorite type of skiing, you like to go fast, and are looking for a hard aerobic workout (or a shorter Birkie). Those classic skis are just too stinkin’ slow. However, therein lies the issue: it is really hard to go slow and stay in the base-training zone. This is an important thing to do, as we all know, so that we do not over-train. The problem is that we have such limited snow time (at least, we do nowadays), we want every possible hour of ski time, so it is hard to get off the skis. You don’t have to. Stay on them…just on the classic skis.

Classic skis—especially waxless—make it easier (in my opinion) to go slower or choose your pace. When you want a low heart rate day, all you need to do is focus on form, or just simply slow your "cadence". And, the great thing about waxless skis is that you don’t even need to really focus on form (or waxing the darn skis!). They are very forgiving in that respect. All you have to do is slap the boots into the bindings and go. They work fairly well in most conditions.

Additionally, classic skiing works different muscles than freestyle. It approximates working the cycling muscles (hamstrings & quadriceps) a fair bit—which might be why many cyclists I know actually stay away from this modality; they are looking to work those other muscles (abductors & adductors) to create better overall stability and avoid overtraining. However, on the positive side, the upper body work is pretty profound. Go out and do 5K as hard as you can on skate skis. Then do the same on classic skis. I guarantee you your arms will be screaming after doing the latter. But this is great training for freestyle. That extra arm strength can really take you farther—literally—on the skate skis.

To the Die-Hard Classic Skier: Yes, we all know this is the "real" way to ski. It is the origin of cross country skiing. Its Nordic roots are centuries old. Freestyle is just that young upstart whipper-snapper in the skiing world. And, gosh darn it, you can still get a heckuva heavy-breathing workout. Who needs those ridiculous skate skis?

Freestyle is a great way to work on balance. As aforementioned, it works those outer & inner leg muscles. When you can feel comfortable going fast in such a relatively goofy and awkward motion, it only makes striding seem that much easier. And, even the fastest strider can never go as fast as a comparable freestyler. It is a fun way to see the trails in “fast forward,” as well as get the über cardio workout.

Going back to snow, one has to admit that, given the lesser amounts we now receive, we always see the skating lanes open up sooner than the classic tracks (taking man-made snow out of the equation, and especially in the Twin Cities area). We really only need enough snow to pack to get out there and freestyle. Additionally, freestyle skis are relatively less temperamental when it comes to wax. Firstly, all you need is glide wax—even paste can work. Secondly, it is less of a hassle when there is debris on the trail. I know there is nothing worse than getting off my waxed skis and having to scrape off leaves and the occasional spot of animal excrement. Yes, there is the option of waxless; but even those skis can be problematic when the tracks wear thin. And, as we all know, the tracks do invariably wear out before the skating lanes. Getting “perfect” conditions seems to be the exception rather than the rule. So long as the freestyle skis are generally waxed for the snow temperature, it is pretty easy to have a good day.

In the end, it is impossible to force a person to "the dark side"—and that side is all relative. My husband is definitely into classic. I can count on one hand the number of times he has gotten on the skate skis this year. I like my freestyle, but I know the value of striding—I just prefer working on my skate technique, probably because I did nothing but classic until I was in my teens. There is no "right" technique to choose, and both have their pros and cons. In all honesty, there are many more kilometers of classic-only trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and you don’t have to have tracks, so long as you have wider, waxless touring skis. It is easier for young kids and novice skiers to learn to stride. But my hubby-the-classic-skier almost never huffs and puffs as hard on his classic skis as he does when he takes out the skate skis, and I frequently hear more complaints about getting his skis set up perfectly with the kick wax. The "other" technique may not be your favorite, but, in the end, being proficient at both will make you a better skier, no matter your "style."

Words from the editor - Shad Holland

This has been the best winter I have seen in Minnesota in well over 5 years! I hope you got out and enjoyed it on skis as much as you could.

It was nice seeing some of you ski by while I was on bike patrol at the City of Lakes Loppet. It's awesome to see so many Ride and Glider's out there!

Looks like this is the last Newsletter. So until next year, have a great rest of the ski season and a great summer!