The Training Plan Duel!
by Jeff Potter
Mike Muha is a local friend and ski racer. He runs a super XC ski racing website. We have agreed to take up the challenge of the Dueling Training Plans. He’s using a fancy-schmancy coach and eensy-weensy-details training plan to reach his goal of improving his ski race results. I’m using willynilly Backyard Methods of reach my goal of losing 10 pounds and improving my ski race results. Who will win? Keep checking out Mike’s website to find out! Or maybe here as well.
My latest update is that I have now determined my method: I will try to get outside and do activities for an hour a day! There ya have it!
My details so far are that I’m going to do exercises in my yard and neighborhood. In the yard, I’ll focus on traditional Yardwork, plus my version of the Highland Games, plus my new Backyard Decathlon (which has 15 events).
My first minigoal is that I think I’d like to do the Kensington Road Race on May 17: a 30-mile VERY hilly citizen’s bike race. This meshes nicely with my recently injured shoulder, thanks to too much spear throwing in my Highland training. Also due to Highland training my knee is sore, so I’m thinking I should stick to bike riding for the next couple weeks.
Our major goal, for me and Mike, is to do the US Masters XC Ski Nationals this year in Marquette. Our secondary ski goal is to do the Gran Travers Classic striding ski race, 16km. My main-main ski goal is to do an exploratory ski tour sometime.
I figure my method for losing the 10 pounds is to do two hard bike rides a week this summer, with a third family ride pulling a heavy trailer with kiddy aboard. I think I learned last year that this is my required minimum to get into fighting trim.
I figure my method for improving my ski race results will be a combo of losing the 10 pounds (or maybe even 15!) plus getting a boost in my *power* thanks to altering my backyard and neighborhood training: I’m going to add more hills and carry more loads when going out into the neighborhood. And the Highland Games and Backyard Decathlon should boost power in the backyard. I’ve had pretty good fitness in the past but my weak link is: weight and power. So that’s what I’ll focus on and that’s how I’ll focus on it!
Let the Games begin!
