Fighting Cold Weather

I am not a huge fan of cold weather- I love spring skiing and dress overly warm for cold weather- yes, I'm usually the one skiing around with full icebreaker in -5...my body really doesn't like the cold.

BUT I LOVE winter and I LOVE snow. So I have worked on ways to keep warm...especially when you get down to fight weight in racing- it doesn't leave a lot of insulation! I also have tried to get rid of any post race coughing quickly as in the past it has developed into bronchitis, lung infections, exhaustion from not sleeping, and basically everyone thinking you have the plague so they don't come near you!

1) get in a good warm up. I have finally got a pretty good warmup routine down and along with running back and forth testing race skiis, I seem to stay warm for the start.
2) change your top, toque and gloves before the start of the race! in the past I would get in a good warm up and sweat so much that it would freeze on the start line.
3) ski with warm sport drink or tea in your waterbelt. I know its not super good with the plastic and all, but it does keep your lungs warm on those frigid days.
4) for long skiis carry some extra neck warmers. I like fleece neck warmers because I find they don't freeze as fast as some of the other ones out there , they are also a lot bigger and allow the air to get warmer. I usually change my nexk warmer once or twice in a long ski on a really cold day and if you have to do intensity- keep your mouth and nose covered. It might be terribly uncomfortable, but I would rather fry my lungs in a race then in a workout!
5) always wear long underwear under your tights- keeping your muscles warm keeps them moving efficiently.
6) saline nasal spray: use it before and after workouts to cut down on coughing. I forgot this on our trip to West Yellowstone and coughed for about 4 days after.
7) change right after your workout and drink something hot! Always bring a warm toque and gloves. Your body wastes energy when its cold!
8) socks are so so so important: invest in atleast one very good pair of socks with sweat wicking properties. I recommend Icebreaker hiker mid-weight, they dry fast and are not super thick.
9) re-fuel right after your training or race...you burn more calories in very cold weather!
10) if you are suceptible to bronchitis and lung infections, bad coughing etc. it might be a good idea to hold off on racing when it is at the cut off for races!

I hope that helps!
Brooke

Tweet Headwear...yes, I crochet too much!

My friend Siri and I started a toque (and other fun things) company (I use that term loosely). What started out as an arts and crafts/wine drinking night has slowly evolved into selling some of our hats and then from there turned into a website and then a Artisans Festival.

The company is called Tweet Headwear. The name evolved from the "tweeting" sounds my boyfriend and Siri's boyfriend made when they spotted a "hot chick"...so "Tweet" was born.

The site is evolving every day and as it stands, no two toques are the same. We also do headbands, hair bands, earrings, and then some other things are in the works...especially if you like feathers!

go to: www.tweetheadwear.weebly.com if you would like to check out the photos, you can purchase items online or just send me an email or call!

...I Thought I would use my blog for a small marketing tool!

Have a great day,
Brooke

West Yellowstone Super Tour

Well the first race weekend has come and gone. I love the Supertour! There is always great music pumping, tons of athletes and the energy is always high. You can't be far off your 'A' game at these races as the time gaps are small and there is always another racer there to sneak past you if you didn't ski a flat powerful enough or a downhill aggressive enough...I love the supertour!

The first races of the year went really well, I was pleasently surprised by the new found strength I have worked hard to develop over the last few years, and getting my butt handed to me by the ankle biters on the Academy time after time in anything double pole related has definetly started to pay off!...although extremely humbling (my ego has taken quite a few hits...those girls are fast and strong! Look out!)

All in all I feel like my fitness is there and now we just have to do some sharpening and get to a place mentally where I can push past my limits!- basically the fun part about racing and all the hard work we put in through the summer! (its the reason I race!)

Next up is the Alberta Cups here in Canmore this weekend. It looks like its a pretty deep field with a ton of racers of all ages! The sprints are on Saturday followed by an individual start on Sunday.

This will be the Academy's debute as a full 20 athlete team! We have some awesome new suits too!

On Tuesday we leave for Silverstar to start the Olympic Trials races! YeeeHaww!

See you on the trails!

and thank you to everyone who has supported me on this quest! I am super excited to see what I have in my engine!

cheers,

Brooke

Winter is here!

The last few weeks have been awesome! Training is moving along nicely and although I am starting to feel the last three weeks of a tougher block I feel like I have made a ton of positive gains! To top it off most of the skiers in the valley have been taking advantage of the ski loop at the Nordic Centre and although its small, its a much needed break from slamming my poles into cold pavement!

Canmore of course was beautiful today, we finally had a sunny day! today we did a combination run/ski workout. We skied around for 2 hrs and then ran up the highline trail to finish off a volume day. There is a ton of snow on the highline which made navigating some of the rocky sections a little challenging.

We leave for our first races on November 21st to West Yellowstone. I am pretty excited to start racing as I have worked really hard on my weaknesses this summer and I am hoping it will translate to faster skiing.

I hope you have great day!
Brooke

Its Been a While

Wow, its been a while!
Honestly I just didn't have anything to write about other then how training is going and well, for me training is always going well- I love it! I have always maintained that even when I stop racing I'm pretty sure my training will increase because then I wouldn't have to worry about optimum recovery or trying to peak. BUT for now I am pretty happy to just keep following the program and trying to find a way to get fitter and faster everyday.

Canmore has been pretty cold and snowy, so our rollerskiing has been thrown off a bit, and I will admit I didn't dress well enough or warm up well enough for our first intensity in the cold, but I am adjusted pretty well now. I love running in the snow! Everything looks so clean and in the forest it muffles the sound of your footsteps its just beautiful.

Obviously I would have liked an extra few weeks for rollerskiing, but this weather isn't so bad for training, in fact I rather like it a lot- it means the season is coming up and that means an opportunity to chase my dreams!

have a great day!
Brooke

Kind of funny

This is a photo from the Calgary race (Ambulance Chasers Charity Run) we did last weekend...

Canmore Challenge Update

The Canmore Challenge chewed me up and spit me out. The course trashed my legs and my ego! There is nothing more humbling then getting you but kicked by nature and happily paying $40.00 to get it kicked!

The race went well I did what I could with what I had on that day. The women took the race out hard and from less then five seconds in I was racing for survival. At one point I forgot I was racing and just had "up and over" running through my head. I didn't have anything in the tank for a speedy finish as I had hoped, but I was happy with the almost puking, just want to lie down and sleep feeling after- that was the point afterall! I am still recovering...apparently I'm getting old!

This race was also the qualifier for the World mountain running championships and although it is tempting to hop on that plane for an Italian holiday I think staying here and staying focused on skiing is the best thing. Mountain running will be there next year and the year after!

We have a mellow week this week! and then testing week next week. The race I did on Saturday served as a "prep" for our V02 Max test which is running and although I gave it my all on Saturday I will have to get myself in a whole different zone for the V02 test.

off to work!
Brooke