My Painless Ski Marathon

I skied my first ski marathon of this season this weekend, the 46K
Pepsi Challenge in Biwabik, MN. Great snow, great weather, great
course, great competition. I guess you could say I had a really great
time!

This race was, however, was a bit of a paradox. I skied a realtively
painless race, and although I wasn't quite ready to do it all again in
5 minutes, I could have gone a lot farther. I also had an unusually
easy recovery.

My first thought is that I can enjoy skiing marathons a lot more this
way. But my second thought is that I could have pushed harder, A LOT
HARDER, and done significantly better. The paradox is that I don't
think I could have gone much faster. During the race, every time I
tried to pick up the pace, my guts churned up in protest. As near as I
could tell, I was going about as fast as I could for any significant
distance. Possibly more relevant was my average heart rate. I
averaged 172bpm during the race, which is exactly in line with all of
my races of this length over the past several years.

I'm not sure what's going on here, or how I can drive myself harder.
Have I developed a high tollerance for pain? Are endorphins blocking
the pain? Am I having too much fun to notice it? Am I missing
something in my race preparation? Do I need to take in more or less
food and liquids during the race? What is that gut-churning feeling a
result of, and is there a way to avoid it?

Thanks,
Jon

wrote:
I skied my first ski marathon of this season this weekend, the 46K
Pepsi Challenge in Biwabik, MN. Great snow, great weather, great
course, great competition. I guess you could say I had a really great
time!

This race was, however, was a bit of a paradox. I skied a realtively
painless race, and although I wasn't quite ready to do it all again in
5 minutes, I could have gone a lot farther. I also had an unusually
easy recovery.

My first thought is that I can enjoy skiing marathons a lot more this
way. But my second thought is that I could have pushed harder, A LOT
HARDER, and done significantly better. The paradox is that I don't
think I could have gone much faster. During the race, every time I
tried to pick up the pace, my guts churned up in protest. As near as I
could tell, I was going about as fast as I could for any significant
distance. Possibly more relevant was my average heart rate. I
averaged 172bpm during the race, which is exactly in line with all of
my races of this length over the past several years.

I'm not sure what's going on here, or how I can drive myself harder.
Have I developed a high tollerance for pain? Are endorphins blocking
the pain? Am I having too much fun to notice it? Am I missing
something in my race preparation? Do I need to take in more or less
food and liquids during the race? What is that gut-churning feeling a
result of, and is there a way to avoid it?

Thanks,
Jon

HI Jon! What exactly did you take before the race? I like to say
"drop the powerade/gatorade and nobody gets hurt!"

I am not affiliated with hammer gel but I am going to plug it because
it is tops! Go to hammergel.com and go to resources, free downloads,
then download endurance atheletes guide to success. I read it, use
there guide and it is great! No more puking!!!!

Here is what I learned, that those simple sugars in powerade are brutal
to breakdown, all your blood and energy are working to break them down
and it rocks your guts. So in the morning before a race 1 1/2hrs to 2
hrs, just a simple breakfast of say yogurt and a banana and h2o, you
should be powered up from the previous days nutrition. Then 10 mins
before a race, have a hammer gel and then every 45 mins or so after
that with h2o, you might event want to add a protein element like
sustained energy.

Check out that guide to success and learn all about, it am sure you
will feel much better and less like puking!!

Good luck

Is Hammergel significantly different than stuff like Gu? I've used Gu
and a couple of other similar products and they work fine but are tough
to use when it's cold. I've tried a Gu flask and cut the product 1/2
with water so it isn't so thick and that seems to help.

On the other hand, I've not had a problem with Powerade - but I train
with it so maybe my stomach's used to it? The thing I have problems
with on a ski marathon is any solid food like the cookies and fig
newtons that seem so popular at food stations. Cold bananas? YUCH,
they're awful.

I'm a 3:30 to 3:50 finisher in the 5 or 6 "50 K's" I've done - I've
heard that we slow skiers have significantly differnet needs vis-a-vis
glycogen stores, need for calories enroute, etc. than the fast skiers.

That you felt good after the race suggests a well developed base. My
first reaction to your query is to look at your training and race week
preparation. Among the questions.. Have you been training different
gears (separately)? Have you been doing pickups? Is most speed
work being done on flat or relatively benign terrain, where your heart
rate is more controlled, or on steep hills? Are you skiing classical,
where HR fluctuations are more linear and better for endurance
training? Are you practicing keeping up and picking up tempo on the
easier parts of the course, where it's easier to gain time, or are they
being spent in recovery? Likewise, during training and racing are you
controlling exertion on the hills, saving big pushes for specific
tactical needs (if any)? The week of the race (marathon), are you
mostly limiting yourself to shorter workouts and easier terrain,
working on speed and pickups, or are you doing lots of hills, where
power is required, and thus coming into races not quite as fresh as
should be? Before the race, are you warming up, including some
intensity as well as level 1, or are you trying to warm up on course -
not necessarily a bad idea in a long race - but being forced out of it
too quickly by the terrain and thus sapping energy and the ability to
draw on extra gears too soon? Just some of the areas to consider.

Gene

wrote:

I skied my first ski marathon of this season this weekend, the 46K
Pepsi Challenge in Biwabik, MN. Great snow, great weather, great
course, great competition. I guess you could say I had a really great
time!

This race was, however, was a bit of a paradox. I skied a realtively
painless race, and although I wasn't quite ready to do it all again in
5 minutes, I could have gone a lot farther. I also had an unusually
easy recovery.

My first thought is that I can enjoy skiing marathons a lot more this
way. But my second thought is that I could have pushed harder, A LOT
HARDER, and done significantly better. The paradox is that I don't
think I could have gone much faster. During the race, every time I
tried to pick up the pace, my guts churned up in protest. As near as
I could tell, I was going about as fast as I could for any significant
distance. Possibly more relevant was my average heart rate. I
averaged 172bpm during the race, which is exactly in line with all of
my races of this length over the past several years.

I'm not sure what's going on here, or how I can drive myself harder.
Have I developed a high tollerance for pain? Are endorphins blocking
the pain? Am I having too much fun to notice it? Am I missing
something in my race preparation? Do I need to take in more or less
food and liquids during the race? What is that gut-churning feeling a
result of, and is there a way to avoid it?

Thanks,
Jon

Is Hammergel packaged like Gu with the little foil packets? I've
wondered what racers do to dispose of the foil packets. If they just
toss it on the snow in a classic race that would be a problem on
klister days for the skiers that follow. Or do they just tuck the foil
packets into their race suits?
Edgar

Hammer comes in foil pouches just like GU's and others, but I prefer
the flask which can be attached to a belt or I have even seen them on a
string around ones neck. If I use a pouch I try not to leave it on the
trail, I usually put it up my sleeve or something! The Hammer does
tend to get viscous when cold, some flavors more than other. You can
mix it in water. Just like your usual energy drink but without the
sugars!

Here is what is says about :

- Hammer Gel and HEED - have carbs (long-chain Maltodextrin) only as
their energy source. Both are maltodextrin-based and contain no added
simple sugars They are your best choices for events lasting up to two
hours, especially when the pace is fast and intense (75-85% MHR). The
next two on the list - Sustained Energy and Perpetuem - contain protein
also and other components for fueling longer exercise sessions.


This is what it doesn't have: artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners,
wheat gluten, dairy, FRUCTOSE OR OTHER SIMPLE SUGERS (IE SUCROSE),
stimulants or other fad ingrediants.

Hammer comes in foil pouches just like GU's and others, but I prefer
the flask which can be attached to a belt or I have even seen them on a
string around ones neck. If I use a pouch I try not to leave it on the
trail, I usually put it up my sleeve or something! The Hammer does
tend to get viscous when cold, some flavors more than other. You can
mix it in water. Just like your usual energy drink but without the
sugars!

Here is what is says about :

- Hammer Gel and HEED - have carbs (long-chain Maltodextrin) only as
their energy source. Both are maltodextrin-based and contain no added
simple sugars They are your best choices for events lasting up to two
hours, especially when the pace is fast and intense (75-85% MHR). The
next two on the list - Sustained Energy and Perpetuem - contain protein
also and other components for fueling longer exercise sessions.


This is what it doesn't have: artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners,
wheat gluten, dairy, FRUCTOSE OR OTHER SIMPLE SUGERS (IE SUCROSE),
stimulants or other fad ingrediants.

On 24 Jan 2006 10:48:48 -0800, "Edgar" wrote:

Is Hammergel packaged like Gu with the little foil packets? I've
wondered what racers do to dispose of the foil packets. If they just
toss it on the snow in a classic race that would be a problem on
klister days for the skiers that follow. Or do they just tuck the foil
packets into their race suits?

I always stuff the wrappers down my pants on the side (same in bike
races). Though frankly I often drop the little top tab that pulls off
with the teeth.

JT

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Thanks for the responses and great questions. I will try to answer
your questions without enumerating all the details of my training plan
and pre-race preparation...

Diet: I eat a breakfast of oatmeal 3 hours before the race, in this
case, that was all I had to eat before the race. I drink the energy
drinks and water they offer at aid stations during the racebut not the
food. I also bring along some PowerGel, in this case I consumed 3
during the race (and I stowed the wrappers on my waist until the next
aid station).

Training: I am in good shape (by my standards), perhaps the best I've
been in since college 18 years ago. My training includes 3-4 hours/wk
of long/slow distance, biking or skiing with or w/o poles, 1-2 hours a
week of level 3 interval workouts (running or skiing) or a race, some
strength (double-polling). I don't do much in level 4, maybe that's
where I'm lacking.

I've never used hammer gel, I assume it's going to be 95% the same as
Gu or PowerGel, Skier Girl, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'll
look at the hammergel site and see if they can sell me on it.

Thanks again,
Jon