Nutrition and Conditions Report: Saddleback, Butternut, and Shawnee Peak

First off, a Happy New Year to all! Now that we've shaken off our New Year's imbibing, it's time to get down to business.

If you've been following along, you'll know that I'm a pretty big skier. I've been a passholder at Sugarloaf for the past few years. This year, I'm holding over at Saddleback instead, just a short trip across the valley. It's a fantastic time, no matter where you are.

However, how many times have you had to bag your day early because you simply had nothing left in the tank? Couldn't make it till last chair, despite arriving on the hill late? More often than not, the answer isn't technique or lack of conditioning. Instead, it's because your nutrition strategy failed you.

We attempt to get by when skiing on a steady diet of...well...nothing besides breakfast and lunch. Would you try that for your next race, whether running, biking, triathlon, etc.? Didn't think so. Why would you try that here? Your body can only store enough glycogen for ninety minutes of exertion, at which point you switch over to burning fat as primary fuel. The problem, of course, is that you have to slow down when that happens so your body can process fat as fuel. Ever wonder why you start to struggle midway through the day?

I've had three ski days so far, all at different mountains, with all different types of terrain and surface conditions. We'll go through each, talking about the quality of the skiing as well as the nutrition presented for both.

Saddleback Mountain, Dec. 20: Amazing what a little bit of snow can do in a short period of time. Saddleback had only been open for three days prior to my 2+ hour venture to the northwest. I wasn't expecting much. After all, not a lot of natural snow had fallen, and a big rain event delayed the opening by a week.

Boy, was I wrong.

Conditions were superb, especially for early season. Glade skiing before Christmas is like finding $100 bill in your jacket that you didn't know was there from last ski season. (Nope, no cash in the jacket this year. Sigh.) It's just something that doesn't happen around these parts.

Considering it was the first day out, and skiing pretty aggressively, it was time to get aggressive with the nutrition. I utilized three products on this day:

• Powerbar Ironman Perform: Think of Gatorade, except by somebody else and in powder form. A solid mix of electrolytes and calories to put fuel back in your system. This is also the official drink of all Ironman races this year, so it's good to be fueling with something that I'll have to use on race day. Overall, it works quite well. The taste isn't fantastic, but it gets the job done in lemon-lime form. Started nursing a bottle of it from the start of the day, all the way till the finish.
• Hammer Gel Apple Cinnamon: I use Hammer instead of other gel products simply because it doesn't upset my stomach. As an added benefit, Hammer's gels use both a short and long chain carbohydrate to keep your fueling consistent across the board. Apple Cinnamon tastes a lot like a store-bought apple pie: not great, but good. Any gel would probably be of decent benefit to people, but this is my particular brand and flavor. Used mid-morning, it helped me push across those last couple of runs.
• Clif Shot Blocks, Tropical Punch: I love these chews. They stay nice and solid the entire time, and you can pop a single one in the mouth and suck on it for a little while. Absolutely delicious. Each little block is 33 calories, so you can dispense them as needed throughout the day. I get them with caffeine for a little extra kick in the rear end when necessary.

In all, a super solid way to kick off the season.

Butternut Ski Area, Dec. 31: Gotta burn those calories before taking part in the evening's festivities, right? Going from Saddleback to Butternut was a big change, as it's apples to oranges. Saddleback is a big mountain, with a lot of difficult terrain. Butternut is more of a family-style approach, with a decent amount of pitch. Consistency of their snow was what they make their bread-and-butter on. Really soft, buttery turns all day long that results in some pretty serious GS-style turns. A good cruiser mountain, rather than super challenging.

As such, the nutrition strategy here wasn't so much to keep me on the mountain as long as possible; instead, it was just to keep the tank chugging along. Only one product, along with some good old-fashioned water.

• Honey Stinger Waffle: A word of warning to the addictive personalities in the room: these darn things are awesome. Modeled after the strupwafels of northern Europe, this little gem in the Honey Stinger line has 160 calories and a fair amount of sugar. For those who would normally snack on candy, this would be an excellent organic alternative. Caution: will make you thirsty. Not that this is a bad thing, as it forces you to continue to focus on hydration. I'm using these straight out of T1 this year to force me into my liquid nutrition. Plus, they're delicious.

Another solid day, although spring skiing in December is a bit odd.

Shawnee Peak, Jan. 3: Stout little mountain only about an hour from Portland, this is a place that can really sneak up on you. It doesn't look all that imposing, and then you roll off the top and go "whoa! Where'd that come from!"

Conditions didn't help matters much, as the skiing was a bit *cough* firm. The mini-thaw had come and gone, and things had firmed back up. Those not from the northeast may have called it icy. However, because you couldn't see fish beneath it, it could not be ice. Therefore, the following terms are acceptable to describe the conditions: firm, edgeable, carveable, slick, hardpack, boilerplate, or my personal favorite, classic New England skiing. You know it's firm when a snowboarder, sliding with his board perpendicular to the fall line, is not bringing any snow with him.

However, this was also my first day with my new toy: a Garmin Forerunner 305. And seeing as it has a Max Speed function....well, you can imagine what we were trying to do. 35.4 MPH was all we could manage in flat light and conditions. I'm thinking a test at Sugarloaf on Widowmaker-Flume will be in order...

Experimented with the nutrition strategy, as the legs were still a little sore from the 31st.

• Clif Shot Bloks: See above review.
• Hammer Endurolytes Fizz Mango: A new product from the friends at Hammer, this is a low-calorie effervescent drink (read: it makes the bottle fizzy!) It's a solid option for those who already are eating their calories, and just need to get the electrolytes back into the system. The mango flavor wasn't bad, although I could see it needing some water as a backup. However, I did enjoy it, and think it would be a strong addition to a skiing strategy for those who sweat salt, like I do.

In all, another good day, even with some teeth-rattling conditions.

Got two more days upcoming in the next week, at which point I'll have some other products reviewed. If you have a particular product you would like to see reviewed, mention it in the comments or shoot me an e-mail, and I'll try to work it in.

Have fun out there!

--Ryan

Building the Base...

So, what is base training?

This is something I hear quite a bit through my days at Maine Running Company. People are either looking to start seriously stepping up their training, or they are coming down off the season and want to start getting back into things. I, too, am in the middle of base training.

But what is it, really?

It can mean a lot of different things to different people. As I am entering the world of triathlon, my base training is going to be a little bit different than, say, my training buddy Adam, who has competed at Ironman Lake Placid for the past three years. But that being said, I feel that base training should be comprised of a couple of different things:

Technique/Form Work: This is the time to focus on exactly what it is your body is telling you in your sports. When you are in midseason, it's extremely tough to try and get technique correction into your system. You are too focused on working on speed, or adding distance, or ensuring you grind it through that next workout. Instead, in the off-season, where you don't have a specific end-goal in mind (until you get to the official start of training for the following season), this is where you can focus on the task at hand.

Let me give an example: running form. I won't get into the debating of the merits of running in Five Fingers (that's another blog post for another time), but let's say that you are working on not pointing your toe quite so much through the gait cycle, because by pointing your toe skyward more, you put more stress on the front side of the shin than is necessary. Considering the number of steps in a half-marathon, e.g., that's a hell of a lot of toe raising.

Well, now's the time to get that sorted out. Because you're not focused on running for speed, or running to add significant distance, you can instead be more focused on how to make that happen. Put the same level of concentration into it as you would hitting your splits during speedwork.

This also applies to your swim stroke, your biking cadence, bike fit (more on that in a minute), or whatever off-season applies to you.

Get Your Equipment Sorted Out: This is along the same lines as the technique and form description above. Think about it: if your equipment does not fit you properly, you will not be able to take those form and technique enhancers to your racing equipment. And if there's anything worse than getting to something you've prepared months for, and realize that you won't be able to do that thing the same way you've trained for...well, tell me what it is.

So, check it off: does your wetsuit fit you properly? Does your bike fit you properly? Did you change anything on the bike, etc.? You sure you're in the right type of shoe? Let's get that out of the way now, rather than attempting to experiment with it midseason.

On my own list, my wetsuit fits perfectly (hooray for Slowtwitch Classifieds), I'm switching my running shoe to the Saucony Kinvara, and I'm getting a bike fit from fellow MRCer, F.I.S.T (Fit Institute Slowtwitch) certified bike fitter, and USAT certified coach Doug Welling.

What's that you say? I just got my bike? Yeah, your point? Now is the time to find the position that I can train with, and race with, for next season. And then if I want to tweak it a bit more? Well, that's why God invented the off-season!

Challenge Yourself (a little): OK, remember that whole "not focused on speedwork or endurance?"

I lied. A little.

Here's the thing: this applies to you if you're looking to go faster next year, or if you are going to be trying your hand at a longer distance. Or, if you're like myself, trying to do both in one year. Because you're theoretically insane.

You need to at least put a small challenge into your base training to help break up the monotony of it. For me, I am doing a little bit of speed work in the pool. I know I can swim 1.2 miles continuously, and I know that my current time (40 flat) would put me right in the middle of the pack at Timberman. But I want to go a little faster. So I've been using my technique work, along with some speed drills from Training Peaks to get things together.

However, there's a limit to this: I'm trying to keep all my workouts to heart-rates below 165. Why? Just to make sure I'm not working too hard this off-season. Need to start a training plan fresh, you know?

Of course, with ski season coming up, that's going right out the window. I mean, come on...when you get a view like this:

Well, all bets are off. Nothing like skiing over tree tops.

Oh, and that reminds me...

Do Something Else! I happen to ski. A lot. Like, driving to Rangeley every weekend from next weekend through April. And then some.

As for you? I can't tell you. But branch out and get something else to do for a little bit. It helps break up some of the muscular imbalances that come with the territory of tri, and also just gives your mind a break from the monotony of doing the same thing all year long.

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And now, for your regularly scheduled training update:

Just been hitting the pool quite a bit. Haven't really been spinning or running all that much, as I'm trying to remain flexible enough for ski season. Season starts on Dec. 20th. I'll be there rocking along with some Clif Shot Bloks and probably some Hammer HEED to keep me moving right along.

As always, questions are welcomed, whether about my training, nutrition strategies for yourself, or anything else, at this link.

Have fun out there!

--Ryan

Question and Answer Session

As I continue to get some early work in for tri season, which happens to be the last bit of my ski season training, I figured that some people are going to have some questions about me, and why I've decided to venture into the Suffer-fest.

Unlike Bill Simmons, these are not actual questions from actual readers. However, if you have some, feel free to shoot one along to ryanheisler at gmail dot com. (Spelling it out to avoid the dreaded robo-emails.)

1. What is your athletic background?

In a word, non-existent. Although in the previous blog entry, I mentioned how I got my own life going. I've always been kind of a recreational athlete, but nothing more than that.

2. So, then, what are your sports?

Well, I've been skiing for the better part of the last decade. I've been a season passholder the past three years at Sugarloaf. This year, my good friend Josh and I will be passholders over at Saddleback. I've also been running a bit, but with only one true race under my belt: Boston's Run to Remember, in 2008.

3. OK, so what makes you want to enter triathlons?

I can remember, quite vividly, getting excited for the Christmas season when I was younger. And my father and I would always sit down and watch a bunch of the NFL games. (This was back when NBC actually *cough* had honest-to-God football during the afternoon. And no Faith Hill singing some craptastic song to kick it off, either. But I digress.)

Well, one of those afternoons there was no 4 PM football. Instead, coverage of some crazy event in Hawaii had me transfixed to the TV for the next two hours. They swam how far? In the ocean? And then...biked over a hundred miles? In 100 degree heat? And then RUN A MARATHON?!?!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?

I was hooked. Talk about in awe of people. How could they do this? Well, that memory has stuck in the back of my head. And now it's time to go ahead and open up that can of worms. I'm fond of a quote, that's become part of my motto:

Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.

4. Why now?

Why not?

Outside of the snark, there really is no better time for me to get into the sport. Triathlon, as you may have heard, is not a cheap sport. You have equipment to buy for three sports, really: swimming, biking, and running. None of the equipment carries over between them. Nor does that equipment really translate over onto snow. So...part of it came down to affordability.

5. Only part of it? What's the rest of it?

This will probably be the hardest section of the blog I'll write.

I learned one hell of a hard lesson this summer: do not take a single day you have on this Earth for granted, for it may be your last. I know it's a well played out phrase, but there really isn't a better way to put it. My father-in-law had a brief, intense battle with a rare kind of sarcoma, which itself is a rare type of cancer. He fought like hell. Yet this was one beast his body could not take.

(Brief aside: He, too, embodied one of the key components of Jimmy V's 1993 ESPY speech: It could not take his mind, his soul, or his heart. It ravaged the vessel that those things were harbored in, but it never, EVER touched that.)

Every single day was a gift. And you never truly appreciate those gifts till they're gone. Or, maybe you do appreciate them, but you never realize how much.

At any rate, it was this kind of appreciation for life that got me going. It's the appreciation of the things around you...like, is there anything better than a ride in late fall, when the trees are ablaze in color as you continue to grind out the miles? Or a run where you get to see the sunset over the ocean? It's those kinds of moments in training, too, that fuel me.

6. Wow. So where are you racing next year?

I haven't decided on yet my tune-up races are looking like in full. My race schedule so far:

May 14, 2011: Waldoboro County YMCA Family Triathlon (sprint race)

June 5, 2011: Revolution 3 Quassy, Middlebury, CT (70.3)

August 21, 2011: Ironman 70.3 Timberman, Gilford, NH (70.3)

7. So how will we know who you are if we're watching you race?

I'll be the really tall skinny dude.

Oh, you mean that describes more than just me? OK, fine: I will be rocking the colors of Team Sports Bistro for 2011. Sports Bistro is an online sports nutrition retailer and educator, helping figure out what will help fuel you to a better performance. Considering my own nutrition story, it seemed like a perfect fit. (Shameless mid-thought thank you to Ton, Mike, and the rest of the team for agreeing to sponsor somebody with essentially no experience in one of the two sports I'll performing in this year...)

I'll also be the guy on the bike course rocking a 2011 Felt B16 named Kermit.

8. The bike has a name? Say what?

Yep, the bike is named Kermit. It's not quite Trogdor the Burninator (Jordan Rapp's name for his bike), but it has a ring to it.

9. Erm...why?

Well, there's the patently obvious: the bike has a flat black carbon weave finish to it, except for splashes of frog green on it.

It's also another tribute to my father-in-law. Muppets Christmas Carol AND Muppets Family Christmas remain staples in this household.

And, of course: it's not easy being green.

10. So when does your training begin?

Well, right now I'm in base training mode (follow me on Twitter for the latest updates). I've done all 3 sports to the distance I am racing at for 2011. I've also done a 1.2 mile swim, backed up by a sprint-distance bike and run.

Training officially begins on January 17th for Rev3. I'll be mixing up my plan with some ski days as well. I'll post more details on the training plan as it becomes finalized.

Whew! Hope that helps out quite a bit in terms of where I am headed with this whole venture. And I hope you stick around for the entire ride.

--Ryan