[DanM]

DanM on June 18, 2020 at 7:01 pm · in reply to: Training for Skimo in a flat place #42901

Thanks for the reply! Lots of really useful info in there!

A good starting combo is the Dynafit PDG boots and skis. Also, you probably don’t have to buy new gear. There’s lots of used stuff around. Check out the Facebook Skimo Gear Swap.

And weight… “Light” is unfortunately imprecise. A good entry-level target is 800g skis, 200g bindings, and 800g boots (for size 27).

I got a pair of Dynafit PDG skis back in spring on sale, actually, so I’m already set on skis. But I have been keeping an eye out for deals on everything else. I’m a bit reluctant about shopping for boots online, since my feet are so inconsistent even outside of ski boots (my LS Bushidos are a US9.5, my Brooks Adrenalines are 8.5, my LS Nepal EVOs are 8.5, etc.). For what it’s worth, I’ve only personally owned two pairs of downhill boots, both cheaped used pairs; 28.5 Technicas and 26.0 Nordicas and when I’ve rented I usually go with 26.5s. Is my best bet to look for good deals around 26-27 and then buy when there’s a decent return policy? I’ve been eyeing up a pair of LS Syborgs (is 870g too much for my PDGs?) that there’s a great deal on but was still iffy about used/online boots.

20-25% is ideal.

I took a closer look at what’s available to me. Basically it comes down to:

1. A small ski resort (80ish feet of vertical) with a 12% grade

2. A handful of forest preserve trails with 70-110 feet of vertical with grades ranging from 7-15%

3. A trail with 130 feet of vertical and a 25% grade but simply isn’t skiable because it’s a single track rut surrounded by prairie vegetation which stays long into the winter

Is it best to stick to ski simulations on a more ideal slope, or should I try to get on actual snow whenever possible?

[DanM]

DanM on October 16, 2019 at 7:19 pm · in reply to: Vertical training vs. flat #30436

Thank you for the replies!

I definitely plan on buying a copy of TFTUA in the near future. As for training, I can think of three good places where I can get both uphill and downhill. One is an old landfill with an elevation gain of 150 ft. with an average grade of 6.1% (a big downside is that this is only open in May through October, so I’d have to wait until next summer to take advantage of it). Another is a clearing off the side of the highway with a 50 foot gain and an average grade of roughly 20%. Finally, there’s also a staircase which has about 100 feet of gain and a grade of 30%.

Will I want to take advantage of the slightly longer elevation gain and steeper grade of the staircase, or will I want to use the clearing near the highway since it activates more general muscles than the stairs?

As for which race I plan to do, I plan on doing both. The Marathon will be in July and the 50k will likely be around August-October (which race it will be depend on where I go to grad school, I’m applying in a few months, most of the programs I’m looking at are around the western US, though, esp. WA and CO). I imagine I should mostly focus my uphill training around the 50k since it won’t hurt to be overtrained for the vertical in the Marathon?