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#1
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Canadian Ski Marathon
Although we won't be able to ski here in the Midwest for a few months,
my mind is on snow today. I've skied the Keskinada (skate and classic) a few times. Next February, I may have the opportunity to be in Ottawa long enough to also do the Canadian Ski Marathon the week before. I'm only a mid-pack skier when it comes to pace. But I've done a lot of 50K+ ski races, such as the American Birkebeiner, Keski, Noque, Mora, etc. I generally have good endurance (I do ultra runs and other long-distance activities). When I looked at the website regarding the Canadian Ski Marathon, I figured that if I were to sign up for it, I'd do the Courer des Bois -- ski all sections both days. But then I surfed the web for comments on the event and it sounded like this might be a tougher endeavor than I realized. Is meeting the cut-offs for the Courer des Bois impractical for someone who skis a four-hour 50K? Also, I'm curious about logistics. I have a place that I stay in Ottawa through work. Would that be logistically impractical on Friday and Saturday nights? Do most just stay in the dorms? Anyhow, just looking for someone familiar with the event to exchange a few e-mails with. Thanks, Mary |
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#3
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Canadian Ski Marathon
I'd say, from a physical endurance point of view you should be fine if
you can do the classic Keski 50+ at above 10 km/hour avg. I've done the CSM as a Coureur des Bois a number of times. My training runs are around 15-25 km with one training run that's around 60 km. I try to train around 500 km on skis before the CSM. Decisions in terms of skis, waxing and clothing make a big difference over the 160 km that you ski over the two days. A pair of skis that are slightly too stiff or soft may be OK for a Keski finish but will really wear you down as you get increasingly fatigued in the latter stages of the CSM. So, get really familiar with your gear and know that you can ski 60+ kms on them on a training run and still have some reserve in your energy tank, and be happy with how your gear performs. While there are food and wax stations at the check points, don't delay waxing if you need to wax, it's not a race and you'll tire yourself unnecessarily, so having/developing experience for wax decisions with quick and efficient wax stops is helpful. You should try doing your longest training run on the coldest possible day you can manage, so that you try out your layering, heat management, and waxing under CSM conditions. Preferably start it at 6 am with a headlamp, to simulate CSM conditions. However, I would suggest doing your longest training run in shorter loops so that if you need to you can stop. Also leave 3-4 weeks between your longest training run and the CSM. Often I do my long run around the New Year. In terms of nutrition I need to eat and drink small amounts continuously, I eat and drink something at least every 40 minutes, and not just gu gel. In terms of psychological approach, I treat the CSM as an expedition rather than a race: know your own pace range, go at your own pace, think about finishing sections, not the end, and most of all enjoy the moments in what you're doing despite the aches and pains: it's actually possible and is a major part of what I get out of it. In terms of logistics, this year runs from East to West (Lachute to Buckingham/Gatineau.) Lachute is about 2.5 hour drive from Ottawa at legal speed and under good road conditions. You need to be at the start by about 5:30. So you'd need to leave Ottawa around 3 am. I would stay in Montebello or Papineuville, about 1 hour from the start, for Friday night, at least, since there are CSM buses from there to the start and you can rest on the way rather than drive. If you stay at the school in Papineuville, be aware that you need to take ear plugs and eye cover since you'll be sleeping in classrooms with a lot of other people, many of them arriving late. If you choose to drive from Ottawa to Montebello for the second day's start, it's about a 1.5 hour drive from Ottawa. Personally I would minimize driving and maximize resting. If at all possible, I try to get a really good sleep on Thursday night and have a rest day on the Friday before the CSM. Feel free to email me if you need more info. Best, Parham (CSM#166). |
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