Achievement Unlocked: Ski-Commute

The Greater Toronto Area was hit with a snowstorm the night of December 26th.  Now, I’ve biked to work, and I’ve run to work, and I’ve even in-line skated to work.  The white whale of active living commutes for me though, has been the idea of cross-country skiing to work.  It would take a lot of special circumstances, most importantly a fresh snowfall.  I figured it was still holiday time and the office would be less than bustling so those circumstances were going to line up perfectly today…

Well, not quite perfectly.  I had brought my laptop home for the holidays.  Luckily, I brought it in a backpack rather than the typical shoulder bag laptops come in, so I could carry it, if I was willing to haul the extra 10lbs or so.  I also had to shovel the driveway before leaving (I got some help from Shark Boy).  Life (especially as a family man) has taught me that things are never perfect, and unless there’s a serious, serious obstacle –

if you want to do something, the time is now.



Going to cross at item off my #BucketList today… Can you guess? #fitfluential lockerz.com/s/272363894
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

I couldn’t resist the tease…

So, though I got a late start after my wife took Shark Boy to daycare (with the Lightning Kid along for the ride), I got suited up to go.  I couldn’t find my Garmin heart rate monitor, so I just used Endomondo to track the trip.  I also decided to live tweet the whole thing.

OK… Ladies & Gentlemen, boys & girls of all ages, coming to you live via Twitter… The #SkiCommute!
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

Backpack (with laptop) #SkiCommute lockerz.com/s/272384514
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

#SkiCommute Facemask lockerz.com/s/272385146
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

Hoorag on display

#SkiCommute skis lockerz.com/s/272385671
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

And off I went.  I actually skied on my own street to avoid the side-walks that my more industrious neighbours had already cleared.  I also skied across a few lawns, just to be able to spare my skis from cement, salt, or whatever.  Still I had to take them off and walk for a bit (though it gave me a chance to joke with an elderly lady shovelling her driveway.  Once I hit the park, I was good for a long ride on my skis.

Of course, I hadn’t thought the whole route through…

#SkiCommute have to take ’em off for this part lockerz.com/s/272388704
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

This would be the first of two bridges I had to go under…

I became aware of just how little snow I was skiing on by the fact that instead of the usual satisfying ‘crunch’ the poles make as they crush snow beneath their tips, there was a startling ‘knock’ as they hit the gravel or pavement just under the snow.  I got used to it after a while, but it rattled my nerves a little.

#SkiCommute kept the skis on for this part; didn’t think it would work.
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

 This part was real ‘bush-whacking’… I enjoy it when I’m running, but even I’m less agile with planks stuck to my feet.  Still, I managed not to fall (especially not into the neighbouring river), and I was really enjoying myself.  I was just about done…

Last effort…uphill #SkiCommute lockerz.com/s/272395782
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

After I took that picture, I think I put my Blackberry back in my pocket.  I took my skis off at the top of the hill, because it was all side-walk from there on in.  I wanted to terminate the Endomondo session and tweet victory, but I noticed the Blackberry was not in my pocket, and the pocket was unzipped.

I figured it fell out as I bent over to take off the skis, but I couldn’t find it at the top of the hill.  I retraced my steps to where I took the picture and couldn’t see a sign of it.  I dug through the snow, I looked at every suspicious hole in the snow.  I eventually ran inside, asked to look at Endomondo on someone’s computer.

You can see almost exactly where it must have been.  I ran back outside, and searched a 25 square foot area for a good 20 minutes, digging with my hands, kicking snow with my boots… nothing.  The mishap put a  damper on my mood… I can’t say it ruined the day since I’d accomplished something I’d been fantasizing about since we moved into our house.

And so the great #SkiCommute comes to an ignoble end… with a lost cell-phone.#Fitfluential. goo.gl/8j2OR
— Axel Kussmann (@apkussma) December 27, 2012

I got out of my ski clothes in the change rooms, and treated myself to a hot shower.  I think everyone is still in holiday half-sleep, since the sight of me walking around the office carrying skis didn’t raise any questions at all.

PROOF

The Blackberry was gone, and I had to report it as such, but the good news is I had my new Samsung Galaxy S3 waiting in the wings (as described here).   This gave me the excuse to embrace change and get it activated; I’m still getting used to it, but Endomondo was the first app I installed so that I could make the trip back home.

On the way home, I didn’t live tweet, I didn’t take pictures.  I figure all that goofing around was what led to me losing track of the old phone.  I just concentrated on skiing.  Due to that focus, and the fact that the snow had been tramped down by hikers, toboggans, bikes, and I don’t know what else, it was much faster going; almost like skiing on a track-set trail.  The stats from Endomondo seem to back that up:


I got home and squared away most of the gear, then started preparing dinner – Chili! What every good ski commuter eats for hisher reward meal when he/she gets in from the cold.  I guess I should invest in snow-shoes so I can do another wacky commute… after all, a snow-storm is no excuse to miss work!

Can you turn a ‘bad’ weather day into an opportunity?  Let me know!

Bunch of Links

Some Good Reads for Your Web-surfing (do we still call it that?) pleasure:

Over at Healthy Tipping Point, Caitlin witnessed a (Modern) Pentathlon and did a nice little write-up of this multi-sport anomaly.

This season has been lousy for snow and skiing, but still I enjoy reading about it from time to time.  Here’s an article about the Birkebeiner cross-country ski race in Wisconsin from Outside Magazine.  They even go over how you can prepare for the race (training, nutrition and general skiing guidelines).

I now realize I’m sourcing two articles from Outside (from the same author even!).  Here they talk about the benefits of triathlon to health and fitness in general, and why this is a great time for the sport.

More Family Exercise

My main ‘go-to’ circuit/strength workout is the the Spartacus Workout from Men’s Health.  It doesn’t require much other than dumbbells, and I can get it done in around 40 minutes, though it gets me sweating and breathing heavily like anybody’s business.  Last time I did the workout at home, Shark Boy was having a nap, but the Lightning Kid (4 months) was ready to rock.  My wife went out for a run, so I was watching him. I managed to keep him somewhat entertained with the following modifications to the Spartacus Workout:

Mountain Climbers:

Push-up Position Row:

Lunge and Rotation:

He weighs 12 lbs… perfect!

And when I’m on the bike trainer, I let him watch me.  He seems to find the noise and motion of the spinning wheels fascinating.  The trouble is, if I find myself tiring, and the cadence backs off, he starts to squawk of boredom.  He’s like a little coach not letting me slack off!

The Lightning Kid is lying on the mat on the far side of the bike.

There hasn’t been much snow in Southern Ontario this year, but when we got some, we managed to take advantage with a visit to the Mansfield Outdoor Centre.  It was our first time out cross-country skiing since we grew to a family of four.  We didn’t get too much mileage in, as getting the gear and kids into the car, driving there, and still meeting somewhat of a sane nap schedule limits time a fair bit, but I’m proud that we’re still getting out to do one of my favourite activities as a family.

Shark Boy in the Chariot, the Lightning Kid in the backpack carrier.

Race Bucket List

Bucket lists seem to be all the rage these days, but I’ve always found the idea daunting – how could I list everything I ever wanted to do?  My list would be something like: 1.) Live Forever and do everything.  Yet, if I focus on the idea that there are endurance/athletic events I would like to participate in, then maybe I can come up with something.

These races will be in the ‘Bucket List’/Pipe Dream category for one or more of the following reasons (in increasing order of likelihood):

  1. Conditioning.  I’m too far out of the shape I’d need to be in to complete
  2. Skill/Equipment.  One or more of the disciplines involves a skill I don’t know how to do
  3. Geography/Logistics:  Getting there with equipment won’t work while taking care of my family at the same time

All of these are fixable or will change with time, and so will the list as I find out new possibilities and opportunities… so let’s get started!

    • Pentathlon Des Neiges.  I was going to put the Ottawa Winterlude Triathlon here but I just happened to stumble across this event in IMPACT magazine. Both events include skating, cross-country skiing, and running, but the Pentathlon des Neiges adds snow-shoeing and cycling.  The latter discipline can be done with mountain or cyclo-cross bikes and actually takes place first (followed by a run, then ski, then skate, then snow-shoe).  There are short (9+4+6+6+4=29km) and long (15+6+9+9+6=45) distance races and it all takes place on the historic Plains of Abraham in Quebec City.

    • Men’s Health Urbanathlon What I like about this obstacle course is it seems focused on the fitness aspects needed to complete while leaving out the fear factor/bravado and quite frankly, mud involved in mud runs, Warrior Dashes and Spartan Races and the like.  If they bring one to the Toronto area, I’m as good as signed up, but I wouldn’t mind travelling to one of the fine cities that are currently offered when my schedule would allow it.
      • Ski 2 Sea what if a race included even more of the Canadian Multi-sport experience, enough to span all seasons?  And what if it was a journey with an end destination that was far away from the start?  What if you started on top of a mountain, downhill skied 2km, switched to cross-county skis for another 8km, jumped on a mountain bike and rode 28km out of the mountains only to hit the road with your road bike for 36km.  Now jump off the bike and run for nearly 15km and get in your canoe/kayak so you don’t get wet because there’s another 8km before the finish line.  It’s a lot of distance to cover, and the logistics are quite intimidating so people often do this as a team relay, but it seems like such a dream journey (and it is a net downhill, after all) that I can’t help but be tempted by this one.

        • Ironman 70.3 Laguna Phuket Thailand  I’m a little wary of iron or half-iron distance racing and it’s not only the daunting training schedule and training volume.  Races with the Ironman brand don’t exist in everybody’s back yard, and most people who have done one turn it into a trip with overnight accomodation, meals and maybe a little vacation time… if you’re going to drop that kind of cash and time, why not make it a more once-in-a-lifetime experience?  I love Thailand (from having honeymooned there) and I can’t picture a better destination for a ‘destination race’ than the land of smiles.  So far, you don’t even have to qualify!  This race took place this past Sunday, in fact.

        • Berlin Marathon   My wife and I both have a lot of friends and family in Germany, and Berlin has become a bit of a home away from home for us.  The Berlin marathon is also considered the fastest course there is so there’s my motivation to beat my previous, pitiful marathon time.  What really put this marathon into my dream file was a conversation I had with a gentleman who had done more than 50 marathons all over the world, but when I asked him his favourite, he said it was the Berlin Marathon, during the year of German re-unification.  He had run through part of the city that were inaccessible to him growing up, and attempting to leave those parts in the East had gotten people shot and killed over the course of the Cold War.  By the time he ran through the Brandenburg Gate (below), he was blind with tears in his eyes and needed the guidance of a friend simply to find his way through the pillars.  So many Big City Marathons have a lot of historical draw, but none like this, at least not to me.
        Runners going through the Brandenburg Gate
        • XTERRA Canada (Canadian Open Championship) I already like taking my running “off-road”,  and it’s my honest intention to get a mountain-bike for cross-training purposes and to participate in some non-navigational adventure races (like Logs, Rocks and Steel) and off-road triathlons.  From the latter category, XTERRA is pretty much the biggest and baddest.  This race takes place in beautiful Whistler, BC which only adds to the draw.  Until that time, maybe I’ll get to do the Mine Over Matter as my introduction to off-road tris…

        This list is long enough for now, but I’m always up for recommendations… dream big!

          Winter Cross-training through Cross Country Skiing

          If you’re a triathlete living in a more northern climate, the odds of keeping in shape to the degree you’d like are somewhat daunting. Each of the separate disciplines are impacted; and the warm outdoors affords you the best opportunities to have longer workouts that will increase endurance and distance. There are indoor possibilities that can be limiting. Indoor pools are crowded and not often the size you’d like; it’s not uncommon for gyms to have a mere 10-12m pool. Spinning classes have helped me up my biking endurance, but the technical aspects such as aero-position and gear shifting are lacking. Running on a treadmill is an option; but my main objection to using indoor solutions is boredom. Without a change of scenery, most cardiovascular activity descends into repetitive tedium, and you wind up wondering if the couch potatoes are right.

          You do see people braving the elements to run outside, and I applaud these individuals (those that bike in the snow, earn nothing but scathing contempt – it’s just not safe). Braving the cold is about having the right number of layers and the right equipment at each layer. Cold temperatures are only part of the problem of running in snowy weather; park trails are closed and poorly maintained, sidewalks can be inconsistently shoveled, and the roads are narrower and more crowded thanks to snowbanks, shorter days mean a lack of sunlight. If you’re like me, and find these obstacles ruin the fun of endurance training, allow me to present a solution. The benefits of cross-training are well documented. Using our muscles in different ways makes them more resilient and more efficient, making us faster in races and less prone to injury. A triathlete’s free time for training, however, is already split between 3 disciplines, so extra time for sports that don’t benefit us directly is thin on the ground. Cross-country skiing (sometimes known as Nordic skiing) is one of the most difficult endurance sports, burning the most calories per hour. Cross-country skiing gives triathletes several benefits that vary depending on the technique used.

          Basic Technique for Beginners

          The first few times someone straps on a pair of cross-country skis, their motion tends to approximate an exaggerated walk. The skier strides their legs back and forth with opposing motions in the arms (left foot and right pole/arm forward while the right foot and left pole/arm are backwards). The strides use the hip flexors and glutes, while the arm motion creates a nice approximation of the front crawl swimming stroke, exercising the same shoulder muscles needed for a powerful drive forward in the water. With both upper and lower body in use, it’s easy to see why cross-country skiing is such a great whole body exercise.

          Advanced Classic Technique: Diagonal Stride

          Whether through lessons or the comfort that comes with practice, skiers who want to get a little more speed involved in their technique will find themselves leaning further forward, shifting their weight onto the forward ski, and enforcing a glide time with each stride. The forward lean and weight shift result in increased power and friction on the kick, driving the skier forward with more power. This also engages other leg muscles especially the calves and quadriceps. Maintaining balance with the forward lean works the core muscles, especially the lower back. As the skier discovers how to use generated momentum to increase average speed and conserve energy, the fun of the sport really shows itself. You coast after building up a head of steam (or coming off a downhill stretch) and there are techniques that can extend that coast time or increase speed, such as the marathon stride, marathon skate, or simply double-poling. While the former 2 techniques are a little complex to explain here, the double-pole technique involves using the poles to get an extra burst of power by bending at the waist rather than pushing solely with the arms and shoulders. It will use the abdominal muscles, but it’s also a good opportunity to fight a cramp building by forcefully exhaling on the bend.

          Ultimate Workout: Skating Technique

          I think of skating and classic techniques as analogous to front crawl and breast stroke. The former is simply faster and better if you have the strength and fitness to pull it off for the required distance, though it can cause you to run out of gas early and be forced to stop if you don’t. The latter is slower and more conservative and well suited to a pace that doesn’t up the heart rate toward those aerobic threshold maximums. There are many different sub-techniques for skating, but I’ll concentrate on illustrating the benefits of the Gear 4 (V2 alternate, Open Field Skate, 2-Skate) technique where you double pole on every other leg stride. For example, I double pole while my weight is on my left ski, and bring my arms forward again while my weight is back on the right. The skating motion uses the glutes even more and the abductor and adductor hip flexors work through the action of pushing off the skate leg and bringing it back (closing the space between the legs) again. Double poling works the core and shoulders as in the classic technique.

          Getting out there
          I have long held the view that the only way to really love living in Canada is to embrace the opportunities winter affords us, otherwise it’s just 4-5 months of misery. Downhill skiing is fun, but endurance athletes need a bigger, better, badder workout to get the most out of the so-called ‘off-season’. Cross-country skiing is cheaper, better exercise, and has a reduced environmental impact by comparison. There is a small (and in my opinion, too well hidden) community of serious cross-country skiers in South and Central Ontario, and they could use some company from the multi-sport community. Find a resort with rentals and take a lesson, or buy an old pair used and go to your nearest provincial or national park one weekend. It’s the ultimate cardiovascular exercise, how can you pass it up?

          Links

          Diagonal Stride illustrated in Video