Making the Most of your Preseason Training

So, how's that off-season training going? Are you doing everything you vowed you would at the end of last season? Don't worry. For the majority of skiers who did less physical activity than they hoped this summer, there is still time to gear up for ski season. The key is to focus on the four areas of fitness most integral for skiing performance – stamina, the core, balance, and fast feet.

Increasing your stamina allows you to get the most out of your day on the slopes. To boost your cardiovascular endurance, introduce or increase cardio activity. Choose what you enjoy – running, cycling, in-line skating, rowing, or rope jumping are all good bets. Mix it up to stave off boredom. Increase the quantity (time or mileage) by no more than 10% per week to allow your body to adapt to the new stresses and ward off injury.

Because skiing requires the body to move and rotate around three different axes, in three planes of motion, training your core is essential for optimal performance. A strong core will allow you to recruit the right muscles, improving balance, timing, and deceleration control, not to mention preventing injuries. Using tools such as a stability ball, BOSU ball, wobble boards, and stretch bands while doing such basic exercises as squats and lunges will strengthen the lower core and legs in all planes of motion.

From beginner to expert, balance is the most fundamental skiing skill. Skiing is an open-skilled sport. The terrain changes continuously so in order to stay upright we must continuously adapt. Training balance is as simple as introducing unstable surfaces to your routine. The tools mentioned above all work great as do a full foam or half foam roller or even a rolled up towel. For fun, look for safe ways to challenge your balance in your environment – trail running, balancing on a log, or on a “tightrope walking” a curb.

Finally, how many of us would like to do shorter, tighter turns and really ace the moguls? Fast feet training improves foot speed and lateral movement making it easier to adapt to terrain changes, increasing stability. Before starting fast feet drills make sure you are warmed up. Then have fun! I like to do intervals of running up and down staircases as fast as I can. Just be sure to hold the handrail! Hopping and jumping drills also work well – especially those that have you jumping in all directions. Just be sure to do them on a soft surface that is forgiving to the joints.

Just remember, you still have time. Work on your cardio, core, balance, and fast feet now and by the time the snow arrives a fitter you will be ready for your best season yet!

Skiing in heaven - Sunday, Aug 17

[Photos above: me pausing enroute for photo, group shot minus Sandy and Shelley who were filming, view for final run of the "summer season"]

What an amazing way to end our trip! After over 24 hours of continuous snow, the day dawned bright and clear. All the better to view the winter wonderland the mountain had become. The staff at El Colorado groomed many swaths down the mountain as they could really use the coverage the heavy snowfall provided. The grooming was a little rough. Casey explained it usually is after a big dump as there are many air pockets in the snow. Watching the cats yesterday evening attempt the task was something as the snow was higher than their tracks. There was plenty of snow off-piste that wasn't groomed but it was super heavy. Most of us did not have the strength left in our legs after yesterday to give it a go. Casey, however, made it look easy as he floated through it.

A lot of photos were taken as we wanted to capture the beauty of the place with the fresh layer of snow. We started skiing at 9:00 today rather than 9:30 and carried through to lunch without taking a break. After one last fondue it was time to head back to the hotel to shower and finish packing to head to Santiago. Our one autobus gave us a little scare as it didn't show up until an hour after it was due. It then got stuck turning around through the snow as soon as we got in. It took us only the first few switchbacks before we had to transfer into an older mini-bus for the rest of the journey. I noted that there are 38 marked switchbacks on the mountain yet there are easily a half dozen before the marked switchbacks and that many again at the bottom. The top switchbacks were slushy for our return trip and the mini-bus had chains on its tires that he had to stop and remove once we got below the snow. Luckily he took the turns at a much more moderate speed than the small cars whizzing past us.

The mountain looked quite different on the way down than it had a week previously. The snow line extended much further down. In fact, we even saw cacti covered in snow. We also noted more horses grazing on the side of the mountain. They did not look comfortable. Even with the late bus, we made it to the airport in plenty of time and were able to get to duty-free before boarding.

I am now an adamant proponent of melatonin as I again took a couple before the flight. I stayed awake for dinner on the plane and then fell asleep until breakfast. Even with an uneasy, fitfull sleep, being asleep during most of it certainly makes an 11 hour flight shorter! It was a weird coincidence that Casey and I were seated together given that I didn't book as part of the group and it was a huge plane. It worked out well though as I could get up when he did and stretch occasionally through the flight.

When I got off the plane in Toronto it felt like I had traveled somewhere tropical. The hot cloying weather made me yearn for the crisp cool air we had left behind. There was a lot of hugging at the airport as the group said their good-byes with most of us driving to our homes in southern Ontario and Ginny and Casey flying on to Edmonton and Calgary respectively.

All in all, the trip to Chile was a great experience. I am glad I got to see another part of the world. Though further than Europe, the travel was actually easier than getting to most ski destinations in Europe. The people on the trip were completely first rate. Sandy and Casey did a fantastic job helping us improve our skiing and showing us a good time. What a fantastic trip!

POW POW!!! - Saturday, Aug 15

[Photos above: our overnight snowfall, making snow angels]

Wow! What a day! Woke up to at least a couple feet of fresh powder with a bucket load still coming down. The mountain looked completely different today - a veritable winter wonderland. I was really glad the last two days weren't too intense so I had some energy for the deep, deep snow.

Sandy started us off with some slower skiing, leading into turns with a wedge, the Jeep of the Alps. We then went on an extended adventure as we couldn't see where we were on the mountain due to the snow that was puking down. (Sorry, couldn't think of a more descriptive word than puking.) At one point Sandy went the wrong way and started down a gulley where we had noticed big rocks the day before. He realized his error in time to redirect the rest of us the right way. For him to get out he had to take off his skis and climb up a cliff. At the top part of it there was no rock, only snow, and Sandy was concerned it may give way. To help Greg got on his stomach and helped pull him up. Excitement!

As the morning progressed we all got more comfortable and competent with skiing the powder. As if to challenge us, it kept snowing hard through the day making each run fresh tracks and each run deeper than the last. I learned the hard way never to take your goggles off on a humid day like today. They fogged up so badly I felt like I was skiing underwater. I had one wipeout where I landed on my face. I spit out a mouthful of snow before clearing my snowfilled goggles. Luckily any falls felt like landing on a pile of pillows. By afternoon we did a run where the snow was mid-thigh. We had to pretty much straight run it. I felt like a human snowplow! What an unbelievable day!!!

We are now doing apres at the one bar at the base of the mountain so I best get back to my group. We still ski tomorrow morning before heading back. It is going to be incredible as they are calling for sun with all this wicked, wicked snow. What a fantastic way to end the trip!

P.S., Josh, eat your heart out!

Skiing Day 5 - Friday, Aug 14

[Photo above: clockwise from bottom left - Rory, Steve, Shelley, Casey, and Sandy playing euchre]

Trying to get wireless access in this hotel sucks. I guess I'll have to go back to the bar with my computer tomorrow to update my blog and add photos.It is incredibly stormy here tonight. The wind is howling so hard that anything not solidly secured is flying across the mountain. We are lucky that our room is on the opposite side of the direction of the wind as the other condos have windows shaking and breezes coming through them.It was the windiest day I've ever skiied. Because of the intense wind no chairlifts were running. Even the t-bars were running really slowly. One time I came over a ridge and the wind I hit was so strong it almost stopped me dead in my tracks.

We had a mid-morning break where I tried milo for the first time. It is a type of hot chocolate that is popular in the southern hemisphere including Australia. It was very good. At lunch six of us shared a delicious cheese fondue. By that point the lifts were all closed so we had no choice but to call it a day. Pam, Ginny, and I checked out the two small hillside shops and then walked back to the hotel.The afternoon and evening's entertainment once again centred around the one deck of cards I had thought to bring. I finally learned how to play euchre. I wish I had brought my dominos! Hopefully the weather improves for tomorrow. Good night.

Skiing Day 4 - Thursday, Aug 13

[Photo above: our hotel, the Monte Blanco]

Yay! Internet access! Posting all my blogs today. I think the week is catching up on me as I am feeling quite fatigued, not to mention a little sore. The sad thing is that I'm convinced that it is more from the t-bars than skiing! The winds were howling this morning. The chairlifts were not open so we rode the t-bars to the top and did a few runs before even the t-bars were closed due to the high winds. We had quite an adventure making our way through the 100 km/hr winds with 160 km/hr with gusts back to the main chalet. After an extended coffee break we made the call to call it a day and headed back to the hotel. Of course once we had changed into regular clothes, the winds died down and the lifts re-opened. Pam and I decided to still call it a day. I thought I'd have a better rest of the week if I rested my sore muscles today. TTYS.

Skiing Day 3 - Wednesday, Aug 12

[Photos above: mountain view during coffee break. Lunch time. Mmmm....crepes....]

Very different weather today. Overcast and chilly. Still warm by Canadian winter standards but not like the summer weather we've been having. The frozen over slushy snow from yesterday made for some challenging runs. Conditions were better on the far side of the mountain which is serviced by, you guessed it, t-bars. The wind is howling now so it will be interesting to see what it will be like tomorrow.

We skiied with Casey again today. There were only three of us with him today so we each got tons of individual attention. My short radius turns were back to being as good as they were last year. :) My knee has not been an issue. :) :) :)

The gang is now playing euchre with a deck of cards I brought. I am actually going to hit the sack soon as I'm wiped after another full day. Buenos noches.

Skiing Day 2 - Tuesday, Aug 11

[Photos above: 1) The view from my room. Note Santiago down in the valley. 2) Apres ski

Another beautiful sunny day! I'm already sporting a better tan from these two days than the rest of summer. Wore just shell layers today as it was really warm.

We broke up into 2 groups for the morning to do some ski improvement. Casey led our group of four. The theme of the lesson was using only the movement necessary to accomplish the task - a great theme for day 2. It was very effective. My short radius turns were fun and snappy under this guidance. It felt awesome particularly under the beating sun on hero snow.
I shared lunch with Pam today. Lunch was again on a deck in as little layers as we could manage. In the afternoon the entire group reunited and did some fast carving runs. My legs (EVEN MY KNEE!!!) are holding up beautifully! I am taking a couple Advil every morning to manage the swelling in my knee and it's working well.

My skis are not faring as well. I hit a rock while following Casey down a run. I managed to keep my balance but tore a strip out of one of my bases. We'll have to fix it before we can before I head out tomorrow.

Everyone has gone to sleep already. I think a few were partying too hard earlier in the week and are using today to catch up. It seems there may be wireless in a common room downstairs. I'll have to check it out tomorrow after skiing. Good night.