Training Day .... Dedicated to CMG

[QikTrnz]

This is dedicated to Chilly Mountain Girl ....

They were Great runs on a Great day ....

To be honest, every day I ski has a training segment.

I do this on a basic run and the higher the number of laps in any given unit of time, the better.

That does not mean that you should compromise good form just for the sake of speed, and equally, it does not mean that you should be so rigid in your technique that you are not experimenting with different elements that might improve your efficiency or fun.

Getting back to performing your own personal training session, I prefer to do this on a basic run so that terrain is essentially eliminated as a variable during the session. In that way, you can concentrate completely on your own form and style.

A casual observer might say ... "Look at that moron, doing the same thing over and over... !!!!" ... but you will already know that nothing could be farther from the truth. Even though it is the same run repeated over and over, you will attempt subtle refinements in your training laps that will allow you to explore the limits of your own performance.

Taking the run faster, slower, wider, narrower, more angulation, better hand position, etc., etc. are all ways that you can make modifications that will improve your abilities, but these small, incremental changes can really be best utilized when you are in the "Training Zone" and that means a minimum of 6 to 8 runs.

Frequently, I will use training laps to work on a single element, just so I can help put that technique into the "Instinctive Reaction Group".

The "Instinctive Reaction Group" is the number of technique elements that you have that you don't really think of much. Your body tends to automatically perform them on a safe and secure basis instinctively and they have a basis in sound fundamental technique, or in the development of improving same.

Sometimes, I do training laps to not think at all, but rather just to "feel" the experience .... think of it like high speed meditation ... as you're zipping through time and space, the world fades into a slow blur and the rhythm of your motion takes over without even a thought.

In that way, this type of training has therapeutic benefit ... it clears the mind, forces you to focus, disengages you from the troubles of your day, and allows you to live the moment over and over.

You may see the world in a whole new light, and you'll be better on the hill if you put time into this basic type of training.

Thanks for your patience CMG ....

[QikTrnz]

I just want to add this thought to this thread because people tend to think only one way about their involvement with a sport like skiing when they should be open to different modes of thinking.

Very few people, other than say race teams that practice, will take the time to do training runs. I have even had some tell me that it's a waste of good ski time ...

but ...

certainly no one would raise so much as an eyebrow if you said you were going to the gym to do exercise repetition after repetition .... so, ...

.... Think of your training runs like you think about going to the gym ... practice not only makes you perfect as the saying goes, but it helps make you stronger too.

Making time for training runs as described in this thread will absolutely make you better and there are not many faster ways to experience improvements than back to back training runs that really allow you to focus on technique.

[QikTrnz]

This is an excerpt from the January 5th, 2010 daily conditions report that I am including here because as an instructional "How To" it seems to fit in with this thread.


"A very pleasant, easy to handle winter temp of -7C, rising up to -5C this afternoon under overcast skies with the possibility of sunny breaks this afternoon. The winds are forecast to be moderate at around 10 Km from the North, or flowing over the Mountain from the Nansen sector.

A great day to be at Tremblant!

75 Runs Open for your Skiing/Boarding enjoyment... trail count down a couple this A.M. as there is quite a bit of race activity going on.

Beauchemin on the North as well as Nansen Pitch and Grand Prix on the South side are set up for racers. If you have the chance, stop by any of these locations when the racers are running and take a close look at how they ski and/or board.

This is a great opportunity to see technique that you can incorporate into your own style. Think of it this way... if you could copy the technique of a racer, you would be performing pretty well. You can actually do this by using a simple method that works very well... Copy one element at a time. In the case of Skiing, Example: Hand position. This is probably the most common element that separates the racers(experts) from most others. You will notice that the racers carry their hands in a very much up and forward position which has the net effect of maintaining an upper body position very well centered over the skis. In this case, you may not need to have quite the aggressive forward hand position of the racer for the speeds you travel at, however, the bulk of recreational skiers will benefit from a more racer like posture that will keep them more consistently in the "Sweet Spot" of balance over their skis.

Many of the problems with adults learning or improving a sport skill can be associated with "intellectual overload" ... too many instructional elements to implement at one time. Focusing on one element at a time, practicing that element until it becomes sub-conscious and/or reflexive, is one very effective way to make improvements.

Another advantage of this approach is that you can do it on your own, both in terms of identifying the things you want to work on, and then practicing at your own pace. Think: If you could "copy" all the individual motions/positions of an expert skier, you would become an expert skier.

It should be noted here that you may find yourself better able to perform any given movement or technique to one side or the other, ie: most humans naturally have a "strong" side. In Skiing, for example, you may find that you are better able to execute either a good left or right turn, one side will be "stronger" than the other. The way to overcome this lack of symmetrical balance is to "Think with your weak side". Focus all your improvement efforts to the "Weak Side" as the "Strong Side" will always take care of itself."




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