My Evil Twin

Everyone has an evil twin - that little one that shows up the night before/morning of a big event and says "let's try this" - even if you've never done "this" before.  Most of the time, the results are fairly benign, maybe a little funny, but can be chalked up to a 'learning experience'.  And they make great war stories. "There I was..." - Nah.  More like "...and then I realized..."

Many of the examples are reminders of a cardinal rule of racing - never experiment on race day.  You train hundreds of hours to prepare for races, and then the morning of the race, your evil twin decides to try some 'superfood' one of your buddies picked up at the expo last night.  And you try to ride a 4 hour event on the stuff, even though you've never used it before, and didn't read the label to find out it has zero carbs and lots of caffeine.  And 3 hours in, "well hello, Mr. Bonk".

Some of my classics:

• My evil twin set my mountain bike wheel on the opposite side of my wife's car (where I rarely pass) and then driving 5 hours to a race.  Realizing at 9:30 at night that I have no wheel, calling home and asking my sainted wife to meet me halfway with the wheel - and not picking the right meeting place.  (I made it. I took 2nd. I had a lot of dinners to cook over that one).

• My evil twin decided to completely pull the saddle off the bike the night before the State Time Trial (I guess to clean it).  22 kilometers into the TT, I realized it was loose.  I kept it on the bike by periodically reaching under the seat and hand tightening it for the next 18km.  

• The day of an 18 hour canoe race, my buddy's evil twin decided it was too hot, and he should wear a pair of shorts with mesh lining instead of his normal gear.  Did you know that mesh turns into a cheeze grater after it gets warm and sweaty?

• My evil twin has, on several occasions, placed new tires on my wheels the night before a race.  *Usually* this is an OK thing, but on one occasion the tube got caught under the edge with very predictable results - about 10 miles in.  And with no support wagon.  And no spare.  And... And...

• Food is often a favorite of the evil twin.  Mine has, on more than one occasion, taken a free bar or gel from someone (usually a race sponsor) flacking their product.  Mostly there are no bad consequences, but once in a while, I've either come up short on energy or long on gas.  Either way, it makes for a miserable day in the saddle.  

• Holds true for ski races too.  My evil twin put my wax belt in my finish line bag so it would be easier to carry.  And it went to the finish line.  Which meant I was reliant on sponsor supplied food (see above) for 3.5 hours. 

• And unfortunately, evil twins don't just affect you.  Mine decided to use a binder I *never* use the night before the high school section ski meet.  Well, the athletes thought their skis were great - until the track softened up and their legs got tired.  And then, no more grip and no winning team.  

The point of these little episodes is to drive home the cardinal rules -

• Never experiment on event day - be it a race, a century ride, a canoe trip, or whatever.
• Always check your gear a couple of days before your event and then ride it before the actual event day.
• Have, and stick to a plan.  What you'll eat, what gear you need, where you'll stage gear, etc.  
• Last minute changes are almost never a good idea.  And if it seems like a good idea, it probably isn't.

Simple/stupid for riding/skiing in cold weather

After just passing out one of these to a friend, I thought "why not share a bunch of them?"  These are the collected wisdom of friends, observations and just plain common sense.  Your mileage may vary, but I find them fairly useful in the cold (and sometimes not so cold).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When gel packs are like taffy and bars resemble bricks, the only hope is to put a chemical heater pack (Hot Hands, Heatmax, etc) in a koozie (neoprene beer can holder in the US, and put your gels/bars in that.

Cat Crap works.

"Cotton is death" - old saying from 'the Mountaineers'.  There may not be a faster way to die in the mountains than blue jeans and a cotton t-shirt when it gets cold and rainy.  The modern synthetics or wool are so much better at wicking and shedding water.  Wool retains some heat even when soaking wet.

To keep your bottom bracket area cleaner on rainy day rides, spray it with PAM cooking spray.  Mud may still stick, but it'll fall off more easily.

A green scrubbie pad is a pretty simple way to clean the braking surface and brake pads.

An empty motor oil container always has enough oil to fix a sticky chain link.  (Trash can or dumpster dive at the convenience store).

Food prep gloves can save your hands if caught out on a cold, wet ride.

On a long ski race/tour (like the Birkie), a spare pair of gloves can do as much for morale as the finish line.

Buffs are amazingly customizable helmet liners.  You can cover your head and neck, ears, or just your head with this simple bit of fabric.

Riders have been stuffing newspapers under jerseys forever.  It still works.  I prefer the editorial section since it's already full of hot air.

An old pair of wool socks that have worn out bottoms are perfect emergency boot covers (you know, for that day when you discover you left your booties at Jim/Julie's last time you rode.)

Shivering cold, wet and miserable on a ride means you are one step away from hypothermia. Time to stop and beg a trash bag from that convenience store. Now.

And when in doubt -
     Always trust your cape.

~marsh

And suddenly we're skiing

Wow.  That was unexpected.
On Monday of this week, we got hit with anywhere from an inch to about 15 inches in the Twin Cities metro area.  It is November, and it certainly has been known to snow early and heavy (the infamous Halloween Blizzard of 1991, Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940), but we really weren't expecting it until late last week. Novak Weather started predicting a change in the storm track, and it kept adjusting from 100 miles south of the metro to about 50mi north.
Anyway, we now have enough snow in the Minneapolis area to make riding very difficult without a fat bike (next year's project), running less fun than it normally is, and paddling out of the question.  So even on fairly thin snow cover, ski season starts on Saturday.  It should be a great day to get out, use some muscle groups that have been completely ignored, try out some wax and get a few kilometers in.  With luck, a few pictures after.

Bike riding as cross training (for seasoned Nordic skiers)

(Note:  While most of my how-to type articles are pretty much geography generic, this is directed toward a specific group in the Twin Cities.  But if the shoe fits - come ride with us!)

Cycling as summer cross training for skiers (or how to BARF better)

What to do in the summertime if you aren't totally addicted to rollerskiing (and you shouldn't be).   Many of us are riding more in the summertime, and a number of people have made a pretty sizable investment in upgrading bikes in the past year or so.  This is good. This is fun.  HOWEVER – I have seen several faces that look like the fun button stays pushed down just a little too hard, and that’s no fun, and definitely not a good thing.

So you got a new bike, a snazzy helmet, new shorts, and hopefully new shoes.  You've heard the hard core riders wax philosophically about chamois butter, electrolyte supplements and whether Cliff bars are better than bananas, until you really just don’t want to know more.  So now go ride your bike. 

But first! Make sure your helmet fits, is comfortable, and that your cleats are set correctly.  If your knees hurt, they most likely aren't!  Spend a little time at your LBS (local bike store) and get them set correctly.  In fact,  have them check saddle height, seat width (ladies, especially), and seat position – especially in relationship to your handlebars.  And DO NOT get a stem that’s shorter than 90cm unless it's just morphologically impossible to fit you otherwise.  OK, maybe if you are on an XS frame size, but it still should be 70-80, no shorter.  Short stems make the bike twitchy, and very high stems affect your balance.  Whether road or mountain your stem needs to be around the same height as your seat, and far enough out that flat part of your handlebars  hides the front axle when you are in normal riding position.  This may need to be modified if you have serious neck or back problems, but I’m not prepared to address those in a general discussion.  Note that I’m talking about serious problems, not discomfort caused by insufficient exercise of the right muscles.

Once your bike is set up, you've got it down to a manageable weight, and ditched the ulock, extra change of clothes, 5lb of tools, and gourmet selection of food (none of which you’ll eat or use in 50 miles of summer riding), here’s what you need:

ID

Cell phone

Navigation device or maps/turn lists

$20 bill

Flashy tail light (if you want)

Spare tube

Inflation system (pump or CO2)

Patch kit

Tire irons

Multi-tool

Quick link for your chain

Rain jacket (IF it’s likely to rain)

Arm/leg warmers (IF you need them starting out)

You can fit everything on this list in a Banjo Brothers small bag

In your jersey or cages

2 water bottles with some additive like Gatorade, xceed, or similar.

500 calories worth of food

Gel pack or shot blocks

                                                                        

Food should not be an major issue up to 50 miles.  A bar or two, a banana and drink will be enough for most people.

Eat before you are hungry, drink before you are thirsty.  Don’t eat too much, or sip.  Take a good couple of pulls on the bottle, but eat in smaller chunks (like half a bar at a time).

And let’s ride. 

One of the keys to riding well is to ride loose.  Elbows bent and ‘soft’, hands on the bars but not in a death grip. And probably the hardest – sit light on your saddle.  This allows the bike to soak up road shock instead of sending it straight to your hands, elbows, neck and back. 

Pedal circles.  Think about scraping gum off your shoe at the bottom of each stroke, and pulling up on the back side of the stroke.  If you push and pull at the same time, you’ll be amazed how much more power you deliver.  And the bike won’t rock back and forth as much.  Pedaling by pushing down only is like classic skiing without using your arms.

Faster cadence, less power per stroke.  Racing cyclists typically train at around 100rpm – and race at 90-95.  Once you learn to ‘float’ the gears, pedaling becomes much more effortless, and the extra rpm helps smooth out the little dips and rises without you really thinking about it. 

Get comfortable drafting.  Drafting saves between 15 and 30% of the energy required to be at the front of the line.  You don’t have to be 6” off the back wheel of the person in front – 2 feet will do fine.  Watch their butt, other bikes around them, and the road out in front of them, NOT their back wheel. If you need to slow down, keep pedaling and apply slight pressure on the rear brake to adjust your distance.  Again, soft elbows and hands are a big help.

When climbing, anticipate changes.  Don’t wait until you are redlined to downshift.  Drop your pace to that sustainable level and work it on through.  You don’t jam the uphills at full speed until you have to stop on the ski trail (unless there’s a conga line), so why do it on your bike?  Alternate between sitting and standing when it gets really steep, and keep pedaling circles!  And if the grade gets easier, think about shifting back up a gear – even if you are going slow.

And the real key for riding something like Cty N on BARF – use the rollers.  Just like on the Birkie, Silver trail at Giants Ride, or any other roller, go down as fast as you are able, be a little aggressive on the climb, and you’ll be at the top of the next climb before you know it.  Use your brakes on the descent, start the roller climb slowly, and you’ll climb slowly and painfully!  When you start the descent – before you even start to pick up speed, shift up 3 clicks in back, then go to the big chainring, and continue to shift up until you run out of gears or are going as fast as you feel safe.  As you start up the other side, pedal fairly hard, and start to downshift (maybe 4 or 5 gears) to maintain the same feeling. Then shift to the small ring, shift back up one gear, and then continue to shift down until you get to the top.  Sounds like a lot of work, but with a bit of practice this can be automatic –and very efficient.  On a 5 mile stretch of N, this may save you 5-10 minutes, not to mention lots of energy!

Other areas to think about are corners and pavement surface.  I'll talk about corners in another article, but pavement is easy - find the smoothest bit of pavement you can.  Listen to it. Feel it.  Sometimes the fastest bit may actually be a frost cracked section instead of the smooth looking center of the lane.  Ride light and keep your hands soft - let your body tell you where to ride.  

Bottom line - there's no reason for a reasonably competent skier not to be a reasonably competent rider as well.  Doing one well will improve the other and vice versa.  It's mostly a matter of mind.

Enjoy the ride!

Coaching Philosophy

This was a requirement for USA Canoe/Kayak HP2 certification.  I got asked the other day what my coaching philosophy is, and going back to review this a year or so after I wrote it, I still stand by what I put down.  It's written for coaching paddlesports, but I think I apply it pretty well for all the sports I coach.

Personal Coaching Philosophy

Mission Statement

As a member of the USA Canoe/Kayak high performance coaching team and coach for the Rice Creek Boat Club, it is my personal mission to always strive for excellence in my personal conduct, my relationships with athetes, officials, coaches and parents; to provide the best possible technical coaching  to all USA Canoe/Kayak athletes regardless of club affiliation;  and to encourage the athlete’s development as a “whole person”.

Athlete Safety and Fair Play

Athlete safety is absolutely paramount, and trumps all other concerns.  I will never knowingly place an athlete in a situation where they are at risk of abuse, or in physical danger beyond the normal exposures of our sport. 

As a coach, I will always strive to know both the letter and application of all rules governing our sport, to ensure that the rules are understood and adhered to by my athletes, and to pursue appropriate remedies when these rules are breached by anyone.  Rules level the playing field for all, and ensure the integrity of the sport.

As part of my personal fair play code, I will use objective criteria (time controls, performance standards) to determine participation and support levels, attempting to provide appropriate support to all athletes I am coaching, not just the ‘favored few’. 

Drug Free

Under no circumstances will I recommend or condone the use of performance enhancing or recreational drugs by my athletes or coaches.  The long term effects of many performance enhancing drugs are unknown, particularly on young athletes, and are not in keeping with my belief for sport.  If an athlete violates this code, I will not continue to coach them, although I will attempt to support them if they are returning to a drug free life.

Respect for Participants

I will always endeavor to treat all athletes, officials, coaches and spectators with respect, and ensuring that my behavior does not reflect negatively on my athletes, club, federation or sport.    I will support and encourage athletes from all clubs, congratulating winners and losers with equal sincerity, and assisting any who need it if their coach is not available.

I recognize that mistakes and conflicts occur, and will always attempt to resolve these quickly and unemotionally.  I firmly believe in the concept of ‘praise in public, criticize in private’ and will use ‘teachable moments’ whenever possible.

Responsible Coaching

I will always strive to use the best available techniques, models and tools available to me in coaching athletes.  I recognize that athletes are individuals, have a variety of personal goals, and that not all athletes respond to the same techniques. 

I structure group and individual training plans using several tools and criteria:
-Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model
-Ability of participants
-Goals of individual participants
-Yearly Training Plan  objectives
-Yearly competitive plan objectives
-Available resources

My personal expectation is that each athlete strive to attain, and deliver their full potential as athletes.  I also recognize that other factors including educational goals, other sports interests and financial constraints may dictate a different “whole athlete” outcome.

I utilize a series of measurement tools, controls and benchmarks to assist the athletes with tracking their performance and realizing improvement.

Education

My goal is always to provide the best possible coaching to my athletes.  To do this, I will continue to take advantage of available education presented by USA Canoe/Kayak and others, and to share in developing and refining the models that drive improvement in our sport. 

I actively participate in discussions with coaches and trainers from other sports to further refine my approach and knowledge. Whenever possible, I will participate in coaching opportunities for elite team camps and regattas, both to coach athletes and to learn from peers around the world.  I will strive to share any knowledge or tools I may develop with my peers, and to solicit feedback and ideas from them at all levels. 

Pride in Canoe/Kayak – Paddlesport

I will always strive to improve the image, and promote the brand of USA Canoe/Kayak, and to encourage all participants, coaches and parents to do the same.  I am proud of what we have accomplished in the past, and what we can achieve in the future.  I encourage all participants to know the history of the sport, the champions, and significant events. 

I expect my athletes to represent the sport with pride and dignity, wearing branded apparel when appropriate, and ensuring that their personal appearance and demeanor is in keeping with what they would want to be seen.

*********************************************************************************

I coach from a sense of personal satisfaction in seeing the athletes I coach succeed.  Coaching is a process, not a moment, and I will always strive to remember that the result of that process is about the athletes.  

A few thoughts on coaching

I don't know of any coach of any sport who doesn't live something of a manic-depressive existence during the racing season.  The highs of winning, the lows of 'missing the wax', the highs of athletes achieving PRs, the lows of watching your athletes struggle with health issues or just having a bad race.
I've experienced the ups of seeing athletes make it to State (which for Nordic skiing in Minnesota is a big deal), representing their team at Nationals, be named to represent their country in Jr World Championships and on international trips.  I've seen them crushed by just missing out on State, or being hit by an asthma attack or a fall that removed any chance of a successful race.  And I've also watched them bouncing off the walls because their teammate won, giddy with the joy of their friend's success.  It's all part of the equation, and on the whole there are a lot more 'good days' than 'bad days'.

One of the things I've always believed about coaching is that there ain't no "I" in "Coach". At most there's a "we".  "I" didn't win a race, perfect an athlete's technique, or train a single minute for their race.  The athletes did that, and *I* am always careful when I talk about their accomplishments to leave "I" out of it.  "They" did the work, "they" left their hearts out on the course, "they" did repeats until "they" grooved the desired motion and committed it to muscle memory.  "They" spent the hours in the gym lifting. "I" didn't.  "I" will tell them how proud I am of what they accomplished, and *I* will fall on my sword if I made a bad call on wax and no amount of extra effort on the part of an athlete was going to allow them to have a great race, but I won't take credit for their success.  Coaches encourage, coaches present information, and I think good coaches care. At times, coaches may even need to be a bit Machiavellian to make opportunities present themselves for athletes.  But in the end, "I" didn't do anything out there on the course - the athletes did it all, and "I" get to stand back and take in the moment.  What I hope "I" can do is to give them some guidance, inspiration or thoughts on how to think about racing, technique or life.

I got involved with coaching young athletes to give something back.  I have always classified myself as a "sub-elite" athlete.  I did well enough in cycling, multisport racing, and skiing, but never making it to 'the big time'. And that's been fine.  I never tried to make the leap into the top ranks of sport,  but I've been lucky over the years to have incredible mentors, coaches and sponsors who have made it possible for me to compete at a pretty high level. I am fortunate to count as friends a number of Olympians and professional athletes in several sports, and to have been mentored by some of the best coaches and officials in my sports. It's been impressed upon me the importance of "giving back", and that's led me to coaching.  As I look back from this point in my coaching career, the moments I savor the most are not the victories (which are really fun), but the breakthroughs.  Like the 9th grader (slowest on the team) who came up to me after practice and said "this is the coolest sport ever. I'm going to do this the rest of my life" - went on to ski at university and is still skiing.  Or the athlete who suddenly drops 2 minutes off a 5K time because they figured out the technique. And it's the athletes that you watch grow, from giggly 7th graders to seniors who still like to sing silly songs at the top of their lungs, and then switch gears to go win a big relay race.  The athletes that become students of the sport, and are now coaching teams of their own.

One of the things that has always amazed me about the athletes who are drawn to Nordic skiing is the level of commitment they have in common on school and grades.  Many engage in something other than athletics (like music, drama, debate) in addition to sports.  I have observed that most skiers are AP/IB track, have very good GPAs, and expect to head on for more education after leaving high school.  Nordic in particular is a very hard sport, but one I think appeals to these smart, inner-directed kids.  It's intensely technical, and requires the highest possible physical output for 10-20 minutes while maintaining perfect technique.  On top of that, you have to master two different very styles of skiing, different waxing techniques, different terrain, snow conditions, and weather.  One race can be at 35-40 degrees, and the next at -3F.  Training hours are long and hard, and outside of your teammates, there's not much peer comprehension of what it takes to be out there.  Bottom line is that the kids who are drawn to become athletes in Nordic skiing aren't there due to peer pressure to participate. They are there because they want to be.

Next Thursday will be a particularly bittersweet moment on this path for me.  I have been coaching high school Nordic skiing for 12 seasons now, and I have decided that it's time to step away after next week.  There are a couple of reasons for this, mostly having to do with time commitments to my bill paying job (which I really like), but also to devote more time and energy into coaching kayak racing, and a desire to do more bike riding with my wife, including exploring some other places to ride around the country. I've gotten to make friends with a number of really good coaches, friends for life with the guys I coached with for all the years, and with many of the parents of the kids I've coached. I have learned _so_ much, only some of which has anything to do with skiing.  About the only regret I have about it is that there is another bunch of young athletes on their way up who are fun to work with, and who I would enjoy coaching over the next years.  I will still follow their progress, and may even be able to show up from time to time and help out - but without the responsibility and commitment that I feel being a 'regular' coach.

It's been quite a ride.  I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Mahalo

Coaching in 144 Characters or Less

This started out life as a twitter series, mostly for the amusement of some skiing friends.  I decided to pull them all together and post them here, mostly for the amusement of a different group of friends.  Some of these will turn into posts of their own, probably with some war story or anecdote to go along with them.  They are all up for debate, and some are very definitely ski specific (klister???). Your mileage may vary. Aloha.

• Reminded that physical, emotional and intellectual health of elite athletes are balanced on a razor's edge.
• Never burn a bridge. You may need to come back later and harvest timbers.
• race prep tip: clean kick zone and sidewalls first and then tape it off.  Else you'll have glide wax in your kick zone and klister in the glide.
• Always have a goal for sport - as simple as "stay fit" or lofty as "win Nationals".  Having goals gives you reason for being out there.
• Pursuit tactics. Close the gap as quickly as possible, recover behind the one you caught and when you pass - make it devastating.
• Before you do something remotely questionable, ask yourself "what will grandma think if she sees this in the paper or facebook tomorrow?"
• Race Prep@30 min.- first warmup done. Time for the bathroom and check out the finish stretch.  Make sure you know where to go.
• @15min-build back up to race pace. Quick jump to sprint then ease back to cruise. Should be ready to race now.
• Race prep@10min: in the start area, skis off and to coach, or in tracks. One last drink, keep moving.  Review race plan.
• Race prep - @5 min - warmups off, poles on, blanket on. Jog in place or run with poles. Stay loose, stay warm.  Think about 1st K
• Race prep count-down - @3 min - blanket on, skis on. Make sure boot and binding are clear of snow! Pull up on toe. Focus on breathing.
• Race prep - proper warmup begins an hour or more before your race.  Write down your plan and stick to it.
• Quoting Norm Bellingham, Olympic Gold medalist "Join a guild" - find a group of like-minded peers who will push/pull you to excel in sport.
• I prefer to hear about the athletes that didn't cheat or lie in order to compete. They are the ones I will focus my time and efforts on.
• Before engaging in esoteric arguments about body position make sure you have the athlete's point of view and know their rationale.
• One of the keys to recovery is morning heart rate and weight. Record it daily. Spikes and sustained rises may be need for additional rest.
• The trick with ergo meters is to understand that they can cause bad habits, and do it right anyway.
• Technique is often in the eye of the beholder. Take input from all but you have to learn what works best for you.
• Music can make a long boring workout much more palatable. Safety first, and keep it up tempo and positive.
• The fastest bike, boat or skis are just decorations without the training and effort you put forth to make them go.
• And it seems obvious that when you have a good race, lock that feeling so you can recall it later. It's useful to hold that positive vibe.
• Everyone has bad races. Turning then into learning opportunities for "next time" is the trick.
• Training for multisport events, practice transitions. Putting on shoes is a lot harder when sweat is pouring down and your heart pounding.
• Every athlete should be an amateur meteorologist. Know what the weather is, and what changes are coming and how they will affect your race.
• Have a pre-race sequence and follow it.  This sets it all - when to warm up, to when to take your warm-ups off.  And always watch the clock!
• Visiualize what's likely to happen in your race. Imagine traffic jams and hard corners, how you'll handle them. Never ski into in a box.
• At least occasionally, train with someone a little better than you on your 'hard' days.
• There is nothing much more comfortable - or worse for you - than an old pair of running shoes.
• Serious athletes keep a daily journal. At minimum, what you did, how far/long you went, how you felt.
• Warmup intensity and duration is inversely related to length of race- the shorter your race, the longer/harder your warmup.
• Do not underestimate the importance of speed work. All the level 3 intervals in the world won't make you faster. Only speed can.
• Everyone has an "evil twin" who tells you to try new tires, wax, food the night before a big race. The trick is to ignore them...
• The secret program:Do loop ()  Find a sport you can do for life.  Learn to do it well.  Help put on events.  Teach someone else.Repeat
• Being an elite athlete means choices, sacrifice and hopefully finding a little balance with real life.
• In any sort of time trial, the single most important muscle to train is the one located between the ears.
• The fastest line around a corner or buoy is rarely the shortest line. Learn the difference.
• The view from atop the podium is mighty sweet...
• When learning new technique, practice it in slow motion until you perfect it, then try full speed.
• Learn the history of your sport. Who are/were the champions? What did they do that you should emulate? What were the epic battles?
• Proudly wear your team kit - whatever it is.  Your team/club is the base of your support system for sport and competition.
• Klister is nasty, messy, evil stuff - my competitors should fear it. On the other hand, I live for wet, icy tracks at 32 degrees.
• There is no magical 'extra gear' to be called upon. You only have the ones you built thru the hard, ugly hours of training.
• Know what you do well-and what you don't. Spend a portion of every workout on the things that need improvement.
• Learn to use your mental video recorder. Memorize every race course before you race - even if just a map. Serendipity is not a strategy.
• I banned the phrase "I can't..." from my girls' team. "I haven't learned that yet" or " I'm not able to yet" are OK. Positive words only.
• The hardest step in any race is the first one out the door on a cold rainy morning in March.
• Always have a plan for your workout and follow it.  But don't be afraid to change it to meet conditions of the day. No junk days.
• Next time you finish a race, ask yourself "Where could I have saved five seconds?" Then act on it.