SkiPost Newsletter

Note: This was a nice email that does a very good job of answering some questions regarding youth nutrition.

Thanks for continuing to send me SkiPost. I enjoy all topics covered. As a physician who has studied nutrition rather extensively ( for sports and for general healthy living), I would like to "counter-point" Abby Larson's answer to the problem of healthy teenage males "bonking" 2 hrs after lunch at school. Being an amateur athlete myself, I had the same problem at work. I'd almost fall asleep 2 hrs after lunch (a little embarrassing while talking with patients). At that time, I was on a low fat, hi carb diet, so I tried solving the problem by eating the second half of the bagel at lunch - it got worse.

The body needs balance in the diet. Ideally, we should eat a constant mix of protein, carbs, and fat at every meal. It's probably impossible to do, but at least it is good to know what is right and wrong. We've all been at a conference, had lunch, and fallen asleep during the afternoon lecture. Why? Too heavy on the carbs at lunch which leads to a large blood glycemic load a short time later. This leads to large insulin response, and that results in low blood sugar which causes sleepiness. A large meal of almost any kind will probably work as well. Some people are more sensitive to this than others.

My advice is to eat a slightly smaller meal, but PLEASE include a proper amount of fat. The fat modulates the absorption of carbs, blunting the blood glucose rise, resulting in a lower insulin response. Result is a more normal blood sugar, and no sleepiness. This works almost every time. If I do get sleepy at work now, I can always look back at the poor choice I made at lunch 90 minutes ago.
Look up "glycemic index" for much more detail.

Another beef of mine is that soda, cool-aid, 100% fruit juice are all the same glycemic index. Our bodies are chemical factories. Our stomach and intestines don't care if the sugar came for soda or 100% fruit juice. It's all broken down to the same glucose and fructose molecules, and then absorbed. There may be good vitamins in the juice, and bad chemicals in the soda, but in the above problem, they are all the same.

And careful with the breads. The glycemic index of white bread is almost exactly the same as "whole wheat". For the healthy young males, or anybody, increase the peanut butter, and cut down on the bread. Not the Atkins diet though.

Dealing With Those Bad Races

By: Kristina Strandberg
Subaru Factory Team

From experience I know it is hard to ski a whole season without bad races. Sometimes you’re just out of shape, other times you picked the wrong skis or simply missed the wax. For an athlete, it is necessary to be able to find the reason for bad results and turn the trend around. We need to do this without loosing inspiration or the will to work hard.

First of all, it is important to realize that bad races happen. It is virtually impossible to go through the whole race season without set backs. It happens to athletes of all abilities, from citizen racers to world cup skiers. One bad race does not make a bad season. Don’t spend too much time agonizing over a bad result, but look forward to the next race and focus on doing better.

After a bad race I try to constructively analyze what went wrong. If the skis were not fast enough was it the wax or was it a matter of ski selection? I talk to my friends and team mates, if their skis were better what did they do differently? If the skis were ok but my body did not feel 100% I try to find the reason for this. I pay attention to the training I did the weeks leading up to the race, and the amount of rest I was able to get. It is necessary to learn from mistakes made to avoid making them again. For example, I know that traveling takes a lot of energy out of me and makes it harder for me to eat well. Therefore I try to be extra careful with sleep and food when I am traveling and racing every weekend.

I find that dealing with one or two bad races is doable. It is harder when the season is almost over and the results I hoped for did not come, because for cross country skiers the off-season is relatively long. To prepare properly for racing, we have to spend endless hours roller-skiing, running and strength training. The bigger the effort we put in during the summer and fall, the more we expect when the season starts. When the results do not match our expectations it is hard not to loose focus.

If you feel your focus is being compromised, the important thing is not to panic. Don’t change your method or approach just to change something. If you made big changes in hours or intensity leading up to the season, it might take some time for your body to adapt to this new work load. Skiing is a sport that requires consistent and hard work. Think of the training as money in the bank, chances are it will pay dividends the following season. With that said, you might have to make adjustments, but mid-season is never the time to do that. Look over past years’ training, especially those periods where you felt really good, to find what works for you. Finding the positives and using those positives as your building block is a very agreeable start.

To summarize, don’t panic when bad races happen – they happen to all of us. Try to learn from what happened and take this knowledge when preparing for the next race, and the next season.

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Events/Clinics/Announcements

Abby Larson, Subaru Factory Team-Olympian, will host a "Bring your dog
clinic, skate or classic."
March 9th (Friday)
5:00 pm - Millcreek
Outside of Salt Lake City, Utah.

It will be fun ski with your dog evening mixed up with some general
technique and training tips. There will be treats for dogs and people!
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The Great Bear Chase
March 11, 2007
8:40 AM Start Time
Calumet, Michigan

There is a 26K classic, a 26K Freestyle and a 50K freestyle, all on Sunday. And this year the races finish in downtown Calumet! The Junior Bear Chase is Saturday March 10th with distances for all youth skiers.

So, if you missed racing the Birkie and are still looking for that fantastic race to end your season, come on up and race the Great Bear Chase! All racers get a free T-shirt and a delicious pasty dinner after the event!

For more information go to www.bearchase.org
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"Wake up! It's time to train!"
New CXC training DVD released for sale!

Central Cross Country Ski Association is pleased to announce the release of a brand new training DVD "Wake up! It's time to train!"

70 minutes of exclusive interviews with US Ski Team coaches, XC drills and
technique, fitness testing, sports physiology, core strength, training volume,
intensity levels, race footage, and much more. Featuring CXC Ski Team and US Ski Team athletes.

"This video contains invaluable first hand information from the top coaches in the
US and can be helpful to all, coaches, athletes, parents and master skiers. This is
also a first step study guide for the CXC Coach's Education and Certification
Program which will be launched in the spring of 2007" commented Yuriy Gusev, Central Cross Country Ski Association's CEO

This exciting DVD can be purchased on line at www.cxcskiing.org or at the CXC booth during American Birkebeiner Expo. All proceeds from the DVD sales will directly support youth, junior, senior and master's programs in the Central Region.

also

Central Cross Country Ski Association is pleased to announce the new USST
technique CD-ROM "Cross-Country Technique Fundamentals" is available for
sale at www.cxcskiing.org http://www.cxcskiing.org/

Developed by US Ski Team coaches, this revolutionary teaching tool features
Olympic and National Team members Andy Newell, Kikkan Randall, Chris Cook, Andrew Johnson, Kris Freeman and more. This CD lays the foundation for both Classic and Freestyle techniques on which we can build a consistent
technique program that will continue to develop great cross-country skiers
for years to come. For use by coaches and skiers of all ages and abilities,
this highly interactive CD-ROM features:

- How mastering these skills will improve your athletes skiing
- Detailed explanations and videos of 20 new cutting-edge drills
demonstrated by members of the USST and top junior racers
- World Cup footage of these skills used in races.
- Templates for designing customized lesson plans
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CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH
Sunday March 18, 2007
Royal Gorge Cross Country
Soda Springs, CA

With 4 different events, there is a distance suitable for any cross country ski racer, and Royal Gorge donates all proceeds to the Far West Nordic Ski Association Junior Program. Whether you’re a serious cross country ski competitor, citizen racer, junior skier, or spectator, this fun-filled weekend has something for everyone. If you’ve never skied the trails at Royal Gorge (the largest cross country ski resort in North America), this is the perfect opportunity to come out and experience some of the most beautiful, fun, and best-groomed trails in the world.

For more information on Royal Gorge go to: www.royalgorge.com
For more information on Far West Nordic go to: www.farwestnordic.org
___________________________________________________
Beginners Wax Clinic
Thursday March 15th 6:00 pm
Lake Creek Hut in Ketchum, Idaho
Subaru Factory Team's Kate Underwood will be hosting a beginner wax clinic. This will include basic waxing techniques from base preparation to finish waxing.
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2007 National Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships
American Cross Country Skiers (AXCS) and The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) will host Master's Nationals at Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic trail system, March 21-25.

The event will offer classic, skate, skiathlon and relay races and serve as the U.S. National Championship for citizen skiers age 25 and older. Complete event information for the 2007 National Masters Championships is available at www.xcskiworld.com. Click on Performance and follow the 2007 National Master Link. Online registration is set up at www.mbsef.org Click on the Nordic Races link. Entries can also be printed and mailed. All profits will benefit the junior racing programs of MBSEF.
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FINDING RAINBOW II
25K SKATE RACE
Saturday, March 10, 2007
36571 County Highway 35
Waubun, MN

Registration: race day, registration starts at 10am and closes at 10:45am.

Fees: $15 (or $10 if you also register for the 3rd annual Pole Pedal Pant Winter Triathlon Race held on March 11, 2007 at Rainbow Resort). Cash or make check payable to Rainbow Resort.

For more info. about the race, please call race director, Amy Xu at 612-991-4912.
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The Equinox Ski Challenge
24-Hour Nordic ski race
Rendezvous Ski Trails in West Yellowstone, MT
Check-in time 8-9 AM March 24, 2007

There will be 6, 12, and 24 hour races
For more information visit www.equinoxskichallenge.com

NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails to weanswer@skipost.com

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"It's What Makes A Subaru, A Subaru."

SkiPost is a cross-country skiing informational, educational and motivational service, brought to you through a partnership with the Subaru Factory Team and the Salomon Athlete & Event Force.

The goal of SkiPost is to make the sport of cross-country skiing easier and more enjoyable for all who choose to participate. If you have questions on Cross-country Skiing see www.SkiPost.com or email us at mailto:weanswer@skipost.com

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Enjoy Winter,
Justin Easter

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