Dear SkiPost,
I have a pair of Atomic RS 11 racing skate skis I purchased 3 years ago. Since then I've gotten two different opinions from reputable ski shops on where the bindings should be placed. I use Solomon bindings. One shop says that with the binding mounted, the ski should balance at the point where the forward toe peg connects to the binding (which it does). The other shop says the balance point is not important but rather how the skier's weight is distributed over the length of the ski. With me standing on the ski they think the binding should be moved forward about ½-¾ of an inch. While I might be tempted to think that the second shop is trying to "sell me," it is true that the base burn occurs primarily at my heel when skiing on only flat terrain. The skis are fresh stone-ground so the wear pattern shows up relatively quickly due to not yet holding wax well. Assuming good technique (forward ankle), what wear pattern should one expect when using skis on flat terrain? Might this give a clue as to proper binding placement?
Hello,
In the course of reading this question it's hard to know if there is a problem with the way the ski feels under your feet, and if there is something going on with the ski's performance that has lead to this concern. So, for the sake of talking about this we'll just assume that what has raised a red flag for you is where the ski "Derry out" in a visible manner. For Salomon's high-end racing skis the recommendation for binding mounting is about .5cm behind the balance point of the ski. This, as the Factory Team and Salomon Race Service have determined, is simply when the ski feels the most free in climbing. The wear you are noticing might have something to do with where the binding is mounted, but it is probably related to how the ski is flexed and the camber height of the ski.
If a ski has a low camber, it is very possible that your primary glide areas are longer and closer to the boot than in a high-camber, stiff ski. The result of having a soft ski on hard snow can be a slightly less stable glide when your weight is fully shifted on your glide ski, and probably would be an un-resolved issue if you changed the position of the binding. If you are finding that control is the issue on flat areas you might consider a stiffer ski that is mounted according to the Factory recommendations of the binding/ski combination.
It does seem very unlikely that a different binding position would change how your ski functions - at least in terms of increased performance. This is not the rule, because it is difficult to make these type of assessments without seeing the ski. However, in a high-performance ski like this, it's hard to believe that there would be any serious weight distribution issues that would arise if the skis are mounted on their balance point. If the performance of the ski is not an issue, you will do far better by checking out an on-ski demo and trying a stiffer pair of skis. This might give you all the insight you need to make an assessment of your own equipment without attempting a face-lift on your current skis. Hope this helps answer your question.
Sincerely,
SkiPost
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| Understanding and Using Training Levels |
By Justin Freeman
Saab Salomon Factory Team
Levels One and Two
Skiers talk a lot about training levels, usually numbering them one through five, but, if my experience over the past decade and a half is any indication, truly understanding when and how to use the various levels is rare. This is the first in a three-part article about proper use of the various training levels. It is based on my background both as a skier and as a runner, and includes some of my thoughts based on the writings of the running coach Jack Daniels, whose books make interesting reading, particularly for skiers looking for a fresh point of view about training.
Level one is the place where most of us spend most of our training time. Despite this, it can be a little tricky to either stay in or to define. Basically, level one is an easy training pace where you can still talk as you run or ski (or bike or paddle, etc.). Level one is often defined as a heart rate between 60% and 70% of your maximum heart rate, or as some similar fraction of your heart rate reserve (the difference between your min and max heart rates). You might also define it as a pace where your blood lactate level is below your resting lactate level, because you are working hard enough to pump blood and clear lactate but not hard enough to build any lactic acid in your muscles.
For some people, heart rates (or even blood lactates) are an effective way to define levels. But for many people, levels are found more intuitively. For them especially, it is important to remember a few things that level one is not. It is not (and I have been as guilty of this as anyone) standing around on skis talking to your friends. It is not going for a ski with your family (as noble and good a thing as this is to do) or with your old high school buddy who has put on 50 pounds and can barely struggle up a slight incline. It isn’t even going for a run where you walk up the hills just because your heart rate starts to climb a bit.
Similarly, level one is not refusing to be passed by someone and so trying to appear nonchalant as you huff and puff a few strides ahead of her. It is not running at the pace that you could back when you were ten years younger and trained twice as much. And it is not flying down the other side of a mountain you just ran up because your heart rate monitor says your pulse is dropping.
While the above reminders are important, most people do have a good intuitive grasp of level one. Level two, though, is tricky. Level two is harder than level one, with higher rate and lactate, but still well below the pace or effort of even a marathon. Both level one and level two are basically for building aerobic capacity and capillary density and also for practicing technique. Because level two, being faster than level one, makes you more tired, many skiers oppose the idea of level two in general, describing it with the phrase “level two happens” (after the bumper sticker “#$*% happens”).
Interestingly, while skiers sometimes refer to level two as the “junk zone” runners have the opposite understanding, preferring level two and calling level one “junk miles.” I believe this is mostly because runners tend to train many fewer hours than skiers, so training a little faster all the time is not as detrimental. But there are many times skiers can use level two. First, when learning new technique, it is often hard to stay in level one; giving yourself permission to spend most of a workout in level two can help you master new motions more quickly. During phases of training where you do few or no intensity sessions, a day of level two can give you a little taste of speed. And master skiers who struggle with limited time can get extra training value out of an hour on snow by skiing a bit faster some days.
Certainly level two can be overdone. I know plenty of runners who insist on training (and even warming up) at paces just a minute per mile slower than their 10k PRs, and then wonder why they tire quickly on interval days. This is far more damaging to a training program than going a bit too slow on easy days, and that is why most coaches discourage level two. But for the reasons outlined above, level two is sometimes the way to go, and athletes who have the knowledge and courage to vary their easy training can use level two to their advantage. |
| SWIX Wax Reports - Weekend 12/19-20/2008 |
Swix Star CT1
The ski poles of choice amongst our nation’s best skiers.
Fact: More than 70% of the Nordic World Cup Skiers use Swix Star CT1 ski poles.
Fact: 72% of the US Cross Country Ski Team uses Swix Star CT1 ski poles.
Fact: 4 out of 5 US Cross Country A Team members use Swix Star CT1 ski poles.
Fact: 9 out of 13 US Cross Country B Team members use Swix Star CT1 ski poles.
Fact: 90% of the US Nordic Combined Ski Team uses Swix Star CT1 ski poles.
Fact: Top athletes of the USA Biathlon A Team use Swix Star CT1 poles.
Fact: Saab Salomon Factory Team uses exclusively Swix Star CT1 poles.
Swix Sport USA is proud to support these great athletes who recognize the importance of using the best ski poles available. This is what one of our country’s best has to say about his Swix poles:
Andy Newell, Olympian, 2 World Cup podiums, 38 World Cup Starts, the 4th best FIS World Cup sprinter in the world (period 1 2008), “When you're sprinting on the World Cup every second counts and you can win or lose by the smallest margin. Using Swix poles gives me the opportunity to be on the winning side by maximizing my efforts throughout each fast paced sprint. Their quick and fluid swing weight allows me to push the tempo in all types of terrain while their strength and stiffness insures that during each pole my power is transferred directly to the snow. The one of a kind cork grips and snugly fitting straps enable the pole to snap directly back into my hand after each poling cycle making for a relaxed arm swing in both classic and skate technique. With the best domestic and World Cup racing service on the tour it feels great to be part of the winning team.”
Swix Star CT1 Ski Poles
• Optimum combination of weight, stiffness and strength.
• 100% natural cork grip zone for insulation and comfort.
• ProFit 3D strap system for direct power transfer, personal adjustment and comfort.
• 25 years of innovation in the field of composite ski poles.
Why settle for anything less when it comes to performance, comfort, and service?
12/20/2008 Besh Cup #1Kincaid Park , Anchorage Alaska
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/BeshCup1.pdf
12/21/2008 - Besh Cup #2 Beach Lake Trails, Chugiak Alaska
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/BeshCup2.pdf
12/20/2008 Bogus Challenge 1Boise, Idaho
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/14SwixRacingService_BogusChallenge.pdf
12/23/2008 PACOS FUN RACE Auburn Ski Club Training Center, CA
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/78fw_pacos-12-23-08.pdf
12/20/2008 Wirth JOQ 1.5k Sprint Minneapolis, MN
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/Wirth%20JOQ%201.5k%20Sprint.pdf
12/20/2008 Holiday Relays Dresser, Wisconsin
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/Holiday%20Relays.pdf
12/21/2008 Elk River Race Elk River, MN
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/Elk%20River%20Race.pdf
12/21/2008 Snowflake Sprints Duluth, MN
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/Snowflake%20Sprint.pdf
12/21/2008 Wirth JOQ 800m Sprint Minneapolis, MN
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/Wirth%20JOQ%20800m%20Sprint.pdf
12/20/2008 Eastern Cup Season Opener Classic SprintTrapp Family Lodge,
Stowe, VT
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/EasternCupOpenerClassicSprint.pdf
12/21/2008 Eastern Cup Season Opener SkateTrapp Family Lodge, Stowe, VT
http://www.swixracing.us/uploads/wax/EasternCupOpenerSkate.pdf
|
Vehicles Perform Better in Wintry Conditions With Purpose-Built
Winter Tires
Winter can bring with it a variety of adverse weather conditions from snow and ice to rain and fog. All of these unpredictable elements can make driving in winter very challenging. Mark Cox, Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, offers some practical advice on selecting the right tires for winter driving.
“One of the most important factors in starting, steering or stopping on ice and snow is your tires,” Cox says. “It makes no difference if you have a front-wheel, four-wheel or rear-wheel drive, your vehicle will perform better in most winter driving conditions if it is equipped with purpose-built winter tires instead of all-season radials.”
Cox explains that all-season radials are designed to perform year-round and cannot have the softer rubber compounds and unique tread of winter tires. Cox continues, “Tire manufacturers have certainly come a long way in improving winter traction of their all-season tires, but a dedicated winter tire is designed specifically to handle winter driving needs. And with more states outlawing or limiting the use of studded snow tires, studless snow tires are becoming more popular.”
With more than 200 vehicle applications currently available in the United States, the Bridgestone Blizzak™ family of ice and snow tires will fit many of today’s popular vehicles, from sedans and CUVs to SUVs and light trucks. Many Bridgestone Blizzak ice and snow tires feature a revolutionary Multicell® rubber compound* which contains thousands of microscopic cells and pores.
In addition to the biting action, the pores absorb the film of water which often develops on top of icy roads, thereby allowing the biting edges to adhere to the surface with less interference. The result is greater driving and braking force on ice- and snow-covered surfaces. The Blizzak is a dual compound (cap and base) tire. The cap features the Multicell® compound and the base is comprised of a winter compound, allowing continued use as a basic winter tire after the Multicell® compound has been used. When the Blizzak is 50 percent worn, a snow platform in the tire tread lets the motorist know that only ten percent of the remaining tread is the Multicell® compound. www.brigestonetire.co
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| Events/Clinics/Announcements |
The National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation announces their 2009
fundraiser calendar. It is filled with high-quality images of the US Ski Team from recent World Cup action and features photos and bios of the next generation of US ski racers - before they become household names. The NCCSEF has granted over $175,000 to junior racers in the last 12 years. They've funded every World Junior Championship team since 1997 and every J1 Scando Cup team since it was initiated in 1999. The annual calendar is a major Component of the NCCSEF Future Fund and you can be a part of this great tradition with your purchase!
Calendars are arriving from the printer soon and will be available direct
through Boulder Nordic Sport as well as from the NCCSEF offices in St. Paul,
MN. Coaches and clubs are encouraged to purchase the calendars for 50% to
use as a fundraising tool. Half of the $20 price of the calendar will benefit the local club selling the calendar and half will go to the NCCSEF Future Fund.
The NCCSEF is a membership-based non-profit organization founded to promote
the development of cross-country ski racing through the funding of activities that broaden entry level participation, challenge youth to achieve higher goals, and support efforts that will eventually lead to success in international cross-country skiing competition by US athletes.
Contact Phil Bowen phil@andersonbowen.com or Reid Lutter reid@nccsef.org for
more information and to arrange delivery of calendars for your team or club fundraiser. Visit nccsef.org to learn about an exciting opportunity for the NCCSEF to earn $50,000 to help U25 skiers - with your help!
________________________________________________________
CXC is happy to work with SkiPost in offering the following products to help make this year faster than last! Your purchases and support will help shape the future of Nordic skiing in the US.
TRAINING LOG FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES. LOG IT! - NEW
Provides a template for recording daily training throughout the year, broken
into 13 four-week periods, interspersed with photos and stories to inspire
your training. Take advantage of the introduction to help build a plan for
your season, then record and adapt your training over the year as your
fitness progresses. The log is written by US Ski Team member and with
forward by US Ski Team head coach Pete Vordenberg.
CXC ACADEMY (WEB BASED) – NEW
Training plans for high school, Junior Olympics, college, elite, masters and
Birkie skiers with daily workout examples. Video of technique progressions,
ski specific workouts, interviews and other useful materials.
“CXCAcademy.com is one of the best things to happen to XC skiing in the
United States. Anyone who participates is truly rewarded with excellent
training programs and technique examples”.
CROSS COUNTRY TECHNQIUE FUNDAMENTALS (CD-ROM)
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.
WAKE UP! IT'S TIME TO TRAIN (DVD)
70 minutes of exclusive interviews with US National Team coaches, drills and
technique, fitness testing, sports physiology, core strength, training
volume, intensity levels, race footage, and much more.
X-COUNTRY (DVD)
The inside story on one of the toughest sports around by top World Cup
racers.
COMPETITIVE CORE TRAINING - REAL TRAINING FOR REAL ATHLETES (DVD)
Competitive Core Training provides the exercises and workouts that will help
athletes of all ages, abilities, and sports develop a strong, flexible core
that is essential to athletic performance and success.
Visit the CXC Store at:
www.cxcstore.com
and CXC Academy at
www.cxcacademy.com
_____________________________________
Ski and Tea
is a women's year-round ski-specific training group in the Birkie Trail area (Cable, Hayward, Seeley) founded by Linda Cook and Juli Lynch. Our group goal is to have every woman who comes "Be and Feel Successful and Proud To Be a Skier!" We are a mix of abilities and ages with a motto of "No Woman Left Behind!" Our first day of training together was January 4, 2008 with 8 women showing up. We now have over 104 women on the mailing list for our weekly newsletter.
Ski and Tea Women's Group is hosting Maria Stuber, Kristina Owen, JoJo
Winters, Heather Zimmerman and Caitlin Compton - Five U.S. Team/Olympic Hopefuls to conduct Five Women-Only Progressive Ski Technique Clinics. The clinics are Open Registration for Women of ALL levels - beginners to seasoned racers - ages 12 and Up! Each four hour clinic is $50.00 and 100% of the revenue goes to the Central Cross-Country Skiing (CXC) Elite Women Skiers to help them pursue their dreams and goals. The first clinic was Oct. 11 with Maria Stuber as
Clinician, and the second clinic was November 7 with Kristina Owen as Clinician. Both clinics were smashing successes!
The next clinics scheduled are:
Dec. 20--Ski and Tea Hosting Clinician JoJo Winters - Transition
from Dryland to On-Snow Skiing. Fundamentals of Ski Technique for Both Skate
and Classic.
January 18--Ski and Tea Hosting Clinician Heather Zimmerman - More advanced Ski Technique for both Skate and Classic
February 18--Wednesday before the Birkie - Ski and Tea Hosting Clinician Caitlin Compton - Race Strategies and Packed Snow Skiing Tactics.
Contact Linda Cook for registration information - lpcook@chibardun.net
NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails to weanswer@skipost.com
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Skis, Boots, Bindings, Technical Wear
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