Filed on 1/27/2008:
While I'm sure the skiers and other snow-loving folk were disappointed
by the warm spell last week, I was excited by the chance it gave to me
to get out for a run without snowshoes on my feet. Granted, the trails
weren't dry, but even some pavement was a welcome change at this point
in the winter. I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of this sport
is how varied your training can be; even a walk in the woods with my
young son can be a good workout if I have enough weight in the pack when
I do so.
I'm sure many of us are starting to ramp up our training schedules at
this point. If you're on a team that is new to the sport, make sure your
training events simulate race day as often as you can. If you're going
for a snowshoe, wear the same pack you will on race day and pack it with
your race gear. Wear the clothing you'll be wearing for the race. Eat
the food you'll be eating. The more comfortable you get with your gear,
the easier the race will be for you.
It reminds of a great story of a friend who shall remain nameless. He
headed to a 24 hour race and decided to wear a fairly new pair of shorts
for the race. The trek section of the race was at the end, and about
halfway through he began having significant chafing issues. Evidently
many remedies were tried, including a bit of 'au natural' bushwhacking.
They went on to win their division in spite of this, but seeing the way
he walked even a few days after made we want to make sure I never had
that issue - and to also make sure I pack some vaseline in the first aid
kit!
Race hard. Navigate well. Have fun.
- Chris Yager, Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association,
http://www.GMARA.org, chris@gmara.org