Spring is really not my favorite season. When I lived in NH and before that in Vermont, I used to look forward to Maple Sugaring season. There was something magical about the sap running in those old grey trunks that signaled a renewal of the seasons. Now that I live in Oregon (no sugar maples here) spring means and end to great skiing, increasing pollen count, runny nose and sneezing. I paddled my kayak with friends last night and even though I was working hard, the wind on the hands turned my fingers numb and white. It is just an in-between time as it is not warm summer and not powder snow. Needless to say, I love winter.br / br /I have to admit that I have had a couple of good crust cruising adventures here in the Cascades. Skiing is fun and with no more races for me, it is just getting out and enjoying moving through the mountains on snow; cruising is a good word for it. br /While I am not ready to snap on the rollerskis, I am giving thought to the summer and preparation for next winter. I ended the winter with a nagging wrist injury that caused me to sit out the last race. So, I am looking at the next month as a time to get that healed. I am also evaluating the season and how I did. What weaknesses can I identify? What goals did I achieve? What goals should I establish for next year? As I just stated, spring is a time to heal. My plan is to stay active by continuing to ride my bike to work every day, do a little (maybe once a week) easy skiing with friends as long as there is snow, paddle flatwater a couple times a week at an aerobic level 1-2 focusing on good technique and set out on one or two easy 40-60 minute trail runs a week. Stretching is something that I know I need to include in my program since at age 61, I am not the rubber-band I was at 21. I will try to NOT develop any overuse injuries in May and when June arrives I hope to be ready to put in some miles on rollerskis.br / br /Like many of you, I am still trying to balance work and family and athletics. I actually enjoy training and since exercise is a way to balance out the energy needed in other parts of life, it is easy for me to over-do it on the training side. I have a memory of what it was like to run or paddle at age 27 and must tell myself that it just ain’t going to happen. So, the operative words for me at this time of year are BALANCE and MODERATION. I really like to mix it up. When I can get in the ideal week of spring activity I just mentioned, I am a happy masters skier. The running, paddling, biking, walking, skiing routine keeps the whole body moving. It keeps me in touch with all major muscle groups. It helps maintain some of the aerobic gains I made in the end of the ski season. I know that aside from the wrist injury, I was more fit this year than last. Barring injury, I can increase my level of fitness next year too. br /br /Once we roll into June it will be time to increase volume of aerobic level exercise. I hope then to add in more rollerskiing. It is pretty important to build into this too since the balance on rollers is slightly different and for many, more difficult that on snow skis. Some short (30—40 minute) sessions should start the season with longer, easy sessions to follow toward the end of the month. It is important to remind yourself that none of us are bullet-proof and that pavement is hard. Everything from the ski poles used to the type of wheels, to the helmet worn, all have an impact on how healthy we remain. I took a fall last year that could well be the cause of the wrist injury I am feeling now. Roller ski when you can devote complete focus and attention to the activity. Choose terrain carefully, no steep downhills that end at a stop sign. Flat terrain is a good idea for early season rolling. Watch for stones and gravel in the road. Larger, softish rubber wheels will handle these little, but potentially dangerous obstacles. I will again mix it up with paddling, biking and running. There will be a bit of increase in the intensity of paddling; I have a few slalom races on the summer schedule. Since my bike is kind of a tank, any long ride increases intensity in hilly terrain.br /br /I wish you all a smooth transition from skiing to whatever is next. If you find youself in Bend, Oregon, stop in the shop and lets set up a date for a social workout. br /br /Have a good one.br /br /Bertdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6589659500745667109-3063009287622575874?l=www.webskis.com%2Fwebskisblog.html’ alt=” //div
