This winter is proving to be the particularly challenging to get quality riding in outdoors. By quality, I mean riding without constant fear of vehicles taking you out on roads barely wide enough for two cars to pass. Or riding off-road without constantly battling for control in powder. Or fighting weekly snowstorms.
I've learned several years ago to not fight ma nature when she thwarts your attempts to ride. Let ma nature be your ally. There are many snow sports that can be enjoyed for similar durations and intensity levels as riding bikes. One I've become particularly fond of is skate skiing. The cool thing about skate skiing is how similar it is to mountain biking. The aerobic intensities, the average and max speeds, the adrenaline rushes going downhill, lung searing climbs, in the woods away from cars - all very similar between the two activities.
Even though I have a mountain biking trip to Arizona coming up in less than four weeks, I've pretty much given in to the fact that skiing is going to carry my fitness over until then. Just as well. I have a 50k ski race the week before my trip.
I ordered some snowshoes, so before this winter closes out, there will be an additional colored slice to my pie chart. Maybe next winter will be a dud and mostly riding will be had. Either way, I'm covered.
12 comments:
You should consider backcountry skiing. There are many varieties but 70-90+mm width skis with fishscales means you can just head out your back door into any woods with trails and snow. No driving to groomed skate terrain and a much better cardio workout than slow shoeing.
Think about it as the mtn biking of skiing, whereas skate skiing is like road biking.
More fun too.
Doug - i second the BC skiing...skate skiing is one of my favorite cardio activities -- but BC skiing is a close second (and gets even better if good downhills are involved - tele turns). Metal edges, and some width, like the old Karhu 10th mountain or Karhu guide or newer Madshus Annum would be good choices that cruise the powder (deep powder is a great workout, btw) with classic 3-pin 75mm bindings....
I had some cheap BC skis with metal edges for a while. They delaminated and I had to toss them out. I tried to break trail on my more traditional classic skis after the first big snowstorm two weeks ago and I promptly found myself hip deep in snow unable to move.
I would love to get into AT, but I'm not sure where I would feel comfortable doing that around here. I DH skied for several years before discovering skate skiing. I could never get the knack of glade skiing. I suspect tele turns in trees are even more challenging. I plan to move to Colorado in not too many years. There are big wide open spaces out there.
Rando racing is a new sport that is huge in Europe and Colorado and getting big in NE.
Their are many great tours that take you to beautiful places and are huge cardio workouts, plus you can race if you want to. You clamp your heel once you start down so no need to learn how to tele if you don't want. It has hill junkie written all over it!
Start with David Goodman's "Best Backcountry skiing in the Northeast" to know where to go. Log on to here to join the community of AT adventurers/racers:
http://timefortuckerman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16057
racing info:
http://nerandorace.blogspot.com/2013/09/overview-welcome.html
Yes, the wider BC skis keep you hovering even in the deep stuff...Yep, I suspect you'd really enjoy AT -- there's a small but growing group of folks in NE now, with races at 6-7 venues (mostly VT + Berkshire East & a backcountry race at Mt Greylock)...usually 4-5k vertical...
I just broke trail in my back yard and neighbors - I have 15 acres and my neighbors have over 100, probably. Did it on my telemark skis with skins, brought my 2 dogs along. No people, just me and the snow. Decent workout, legs are bit sore today. I have Rottefella Freeride bindings that let me change to touring mode. On weekends, I can go to Crotched mountain and skin up some of the steep hills with others whom have their kids their for racing. It's fun.
I think you'd be disappointed in BC & snowshoeing as a cardio replacement. With all due respect compared with Skate Skiing I put them in the L1-L2 phase unless you are really pushing it mentally and getting blisters even with customer Garmont Boots. Even then their aren't the BC ascents in New England or the DACKS to get a sustained 3hr session. I've skied a lot in the DACKS, classic locations in VTAH, White Mtns, Washington "there's more than Tucks". BC skiing is awesome just go into it knowing that mental effort to get a workout is huge and changing skins a pain in the butt. You won't be able to replicate a 3hr skate ski with 3-4k ft vertical. It's more of a super fun social activity with a bunch of friends. The bliss of descending the glads in VTAH or dropping off Mt Washington and down Ammonousoc Ravine is pretty solid though...
You can get to the top of MW on skis in under 3 hours? Props.
But seriously, your larger point is maybe true that it is not a replacement for structured training. I view it rather as something to train for. When I hit the Gulf of Slides it is an 5-7 hour event of skinning, skiing, multiple laps and few breaks. An epic adventure, I ride a bike to be fit for.
Great discussion all. Some great links to peruse and info to ponder. One series I've been eyeing is the Winter Wild series. Not BC, but it certainly combines endorphin and adrenaline components. Small series this year though, and 6am starts make me groggy thinking about it.
I do value the intensity aspects of skating groomed trails a great deal. This week at Weston "Tuesday Night Worlds" was perfect packed power. It was not fast by any means, but you could really throw down the power into that surface. Endorphins and different kind of adrenaline factor on a golf course!
Doug,
You do any snowshoe running. Great for the quads.
Judson
My snowshoes arrived today. I ordered Atlas 11's, 25". Not running specific, but I'm told you can run in them. Maybe Sunday will provide an opportunity.
Enjoy
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