Team NSR rocks! Kensington rules! and Tech Report

5 of the new Team NordicSkiRacer.com went RSing in our wonderful local
Kensington Metropark for a couple hours last Saturday.

Mike Muha thoughtfully used his classic skis to keep a moderate pace and
avoid an escalated provocation hammerfest.

I hadn't skied there in decades. Mike says you can easily do 50km
without repeating much trail. It's very pretty and safe, with plenty of
rolling terrain and lots of mixed use. (Neat to see the bowhunters and
squirrelhunters stepping out of the woods.)

After 2 hours of relaxed skiing (my HR only rarely topped 190), we did
videotaping, then repaired to a local Mexi bistro for tequila shots.
Amazingly enough, there was an unused TV above our table that the staff
let Mike plug is cam into so we got an instant, fine video display. Also
fortuitously, Mike had footage of John Ahlberg's clinic on his tape, so
we watched that, too.

The main thing we came up with was that all of us are bringing our boots
almost together in V2, "gathering" ourselves, a la inline/speed skaters,
while Ahlberg only brought his feet straight down below him, then set
the ski down. Even as I practiced in the parking lot in trying not to
bring my feet together, I couldn't really see how to do it or really
what the point is, but it was a big difference in how we were skiing
compared to how he was.

I've also been watching XCZONE's hot new DVD "Unlimited" and notice
those hot skiers use Ahlberg's method, too---and not ours! (Are you
watching yours?)

Mike reports that quite a few new or beginner skiers are joining the
club. Great news! One bike racer gal, new skater, showed up with some
Mawre's and skied really nicely with lots of fitness and smoothness: but
she didn't know how to V1! She had a nice V1A and V2, tho. So we all set
to work helping her out with V1. I think we did! That was good fun,
being helpful. See, we aren't just hammerheads here. She's going to be a
tough racer on the circuit this winter! New skiers, that's where it's
at, baby!

Next Saturday we're having an inaugural Duathlon with a 5k trail run
followed by 5k RSing! Same place, same time: 9am. (Start is on Island
Lake Park side of system, I gather.) Yeehaw!

I'm going, unless my wretched cold gets worse.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...
...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller
about smalltown smuggling ... more radical novels coming up!
...original downloadable music ... and articles galore!
plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!

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John (Aalberg) is a big fan of efficiency, and in clinics I've taken with him (one of the benefits of living in Utah), he emphasizes that bringing your feet back into center is movement that is not in the direction of travel, so is therefore wasted motion. This is especially the case going up hills, where you definitely don't want to lose any momentum by bringing your feet IN when you're struggling to get your body to go UP the hill. On flats, you can get away with extraneous motion, but you will (theoretically, anyway) pay for it with some lost speed, even if it doesn't seem like much.

Chris Cline
SLC UT

Jeff Potter wrote:
5 of the new Team NordicSkiRacer.com went RSing in our wonderful local
Kensington Metropark for a couple hours last Saturday.

Mike Muha thoughtfully used his classic skis to keep a moderate pace and
avoid an escalated provocation hammerfest.

I hadn't skied there in decades. Mike says you can easily do 50km
without repeating much trail. It's very pretty and safe, with plenty of
rolling terrain and lots of mixed use. (Neat to see the bowhunters and
squirrelhunters stepping out of the woods.)

After 2 hours of relaxed skiing (my HR only rarely topped 190), we did
videotaping, then repaired to a local Mexi bistro for tequila shots.
Amazingly enough, there was an unused TV above our table that the staff
let Mike plug is cam into so we got an instant, fine video display. Also
fortuitously, Mike had footage of John Ahlberg's clinic on his tape, so
we watched that, too.

The main thing we came up with was that all of us are bringing our boots
almost together in V2, "gathering" ourselves, a la inline/speed skaters,
while Ahlberg only brought his feet straight down below him, then set
the ski down. Even as I practiced in the parking lot in trying not to
bring my feet together, I couldn't really see how to do it or really
what the point is, but it was a big difference in how we were skiing
compared to how he was.

I've also been watching XCZONE's hot new DVD "Unlimited" and notice
those hot skiers use Ahlberg's method, too---and not ours! (Are you
watching yours?)

Mike reports that quite a few new or beginner skiers are joining the
club. Great news! One bike racer gal, new skater, showed up with some
Mawre's and skied really nicely with lots of fitness and smoothness: but
she didn't know how to V1! She had a nice V1A and V2, tho. So we all set
to work helping her out with V1. I think we did! That was good fun,
being helpful. See, we aren't just hammerheads here. She's going to be a
tough racer on the circuit this winter! New skiers, that's where it's
at, baby!

Next Saturday we're having an inaugural Duathlon with a 5k trail run
followed by 5k RSing! Same place, same time: 9am. (Start is on Island
Lake Park side of system, I gather.) Yeehaw!

I'm going, unless my wretched cold gets worse.

--

Jeff Potter
****
*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.com
publisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...
...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...
...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thriller
about smalltown smuggling ... more radical novels coming up!
...original downloadable music ... and articles galore!
plus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!







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DIVJohn (Aalberg) is a big fan of efficiency, and in clinics I've taken with him (one of the benefits of living in Utah), he emphasizes that bringing your feet back into center is movement that is not in the direction of travel, so is therefore wasted motion.  This is especially the case going up hills, where you definitely don't want to lose any momentum by bringing your feet IN when you're struggling to get your body to go UP the hill.  On flats, you can get away with extraneous motion, but you will (theoretically, anyway) pay for it with some lost speed, even if it doesn't seem like much./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVChris Cline/DIV
DIVSLC UT/DIV
DIVBRBIJeff Potter >/I/B wrote:/DIV
BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"5 of the new Team NordicSkiRacer.com went RSing in our wonderful localBRKensington Metropark for a couple hours last Saturday.BRBRMike Muha thoughtfully used his classic skis to keep a moderate pace andBRavoid an escalated provocation hammerfest.BRBRI hadn't skied there in decades. Mike says you can easily do 50kmBRwithout repeating much trail. It's very pretty and safe, with plenty ofBRrolling terrain and lots of mixed use. (Neat to see the bowhunters andBRsquirrelhunters stepping out of the woods.)BRBRAfter 2 hours of relaxed skiing (my HR only rarely topped 190), we didBRvideotaping, then repaired to a local Mexi bistro for tequila shots.BRAmazingly enough, there was an unused TV above our table that the staffBRlet Mike plug is cam into so we got an instant, fine video display. AlsoBRfortuitously, Mike had footage of John Ahlberg's clinic on h!
is tape,
soBRwe watched that, too.BRBRThe main thing we came up with was that all of us are bringing our bootsBRalmost together in V2, "gathering" ourselves, a la inline/speed skaters,BRwhile Ahlberg only brought his feet straight down below him, then setBRthe ski down. Even as I practiced in the parking lot in trying not toBRbring my feet together, I couldn't really see how to do it or reallyBRwhat the point is, but it was a big difference in how we were skiingBRcompared to how he was.BRBRI've also been watching XCZONE's hot new DVD "Unlimited" and noticeBRthose hot skiers use Ahlberg's method, too---and not ours! (Are youBRwatching yours?)BRBRMike reports that quite a few new or beginner skiers are joining theBRclub. Great news! One bike racer gal, new skater, showed up with someBRMawre's and skied really nicely with lots of fitness and smoothness: butBRshe didn't know how to V1! She had a nice V1A and V2, tho. So we all setBRto work helping h!
er out
with V1. I think we did! That was good fun,BRbeing helpful. See, we aren't just hammerheads here. She's going to be aBRtough racer on the circuit this winter! New skiers, that's where it'sBRat, baby!BRBRNext Saturday we're having an inaugural Duathlon with a 5k trail runBRfollowed by 5k RSing! Same place, same time: 9am. (Start is on IslandBRLake Park side of system, I gather.) Yeehaw!BRBRI'm going, unless my wretched cold gets worse.BRBR--BRBRJeff PotterBR****BR*Out Your Backdoor * http://www.outyourbackdoor.comBRpublisher of outdoor/indoor do-it-yourself culture...BR...offering "small world" views on bikes, bows, books, movies...BR...rare books on ski, bike, boat culture, plus a Gulf Coast thrillerBRabout smalltown smuggling ... more radical novels coming up!BR...original downloadable music ... and articles galore!BRplus national "Off the Beaten Path" travel forums! HOLY SMOKES!BRBRBRBRBRBR/BLOCKQUOTEphr SIZE=1
Do you Yahoo!?br
a href="http://shopping.yahoo.com/?__yltc=s%3A150000443%2Cd%3A22708228%2Cslk%3Atext% 2Csec%3Amail"The New Yahoo! Shopping/a - with improved product search
--0-1957712760-1065535695=:2555--

On the question of bringing your heels together or not, I don't see
that there's any energy used or loss of forward momentum if the leg
simply swings inwards due to its own weight. But I doubt that the
advice is to deliberately somehow hold the leg out so that the foot
has no sideways motion at all. That seems awfully awkward for weight
shift anyway. It seems to me (and looks like the pros do it) that
in V2 and V2a with good weight shift, there's lots of time for that
unweighted foot to swing almost all the way over, except maybe for
a very fast cadence V2. On the other hand (and this is a mistake I
used to make a lot), in V1 there's not enough time (unless it's
being used where it's the wrong technique), so you see those guys
and especially women in the tape from the Trondheim WC doing a
good weight shift up very steep hills at high cadence with the free
foot not swinging over very far.

I'd certainly be interested in other opinions on this!

Best, Peter

wrote:


I'd certainly be interested in other opinions on this!

Best, Peter


I'm with you. The recovering leg uses gravity to accellerate towards
the other foot. If you simply redirect the leg in an arc and drive the
knee forward on your next push, it seems efficiency in maximized. Of
course, you don't have enough time for this in the steeps . . .

Peter,

Perhaps this will clarify: Aalberg talked about how bad it is to land
on your outside edge. The reason? It takes time to roll from the
outside edge to the inside edge, time you could have used to push off
the ski sooner. Instead, he said to land on the flat of the ski (on
flats) and in the inside edge on uphills. In the uphills, landing on
the inside edge allows you to immediately begin your skate push.

This does not mean you should have your weight between your feet!
You're still trying to balance on one ski, but this is less crtical on
uphills.

The Aalberg video I made that Jeff talks about above is at
http://www.nordicskiracer.com/Traini...STJuneCamp.asp in the
"Related Links" box. Highly recommended! (If only I could ski like
that...)

Mike

() wrote in message ...
On the question of bringing your heels together or not, I don't see
that there's any energy used or loss of forward momentum if the leg
simply swings inwards due to its own weight. But I doubt that the
advice is to deliberately somehow hold the leg out so that the foot
has no sideways motion at all. That seems awfully awkward for weight
shift anyway. It seems to me (and looks like the pros do it) that
in V2 and V2a with good weight shift, there's lots of time for that
unweighted foot to swing almost all the way over, except maybe for
a very fast cadence V2. On the other hand (and this is a mistake I
used to make a lot), in V1 there's not enough time (unless it's
being used where it's the wrong technique), so you see those guys
and especially women in the tape from the Trondheim WC doing a
good weight shift up very steep hills at high cadence with the free
foot not swinging over very far.

I'd certainly be interested in other opinions on this!

Best, Peter

Jeff Potter wrote in message ...

Next Saturday we're having an inaugural Duathlon with a 5k trail run
followed by 5k RSing! Same place, same time: 9am. (Start is on Island
Lake Park side of system, I gather.) Yeehaw!


Jeff, the Duathlon is on SUNDAY at 9:00!! I mispoke during our video
taping! (The calendar on the website shows the right day however)...

Mike