Andrew Hooge, CSCS

For some reason whenever I finish a tough day on the slopes I crave a big bowl of steaming hot chili and an ice-cold beer. I’m not alone. Whenever I stir up my favorite chili recipe everyone comes running, spoon in one hand, and a beer in the other. Recently a couple of my ski buddies recommended that I post my secret recipe for improving skiing performance…okay maybe it just makes me feel like I ski better. Without further ado, here it is (beer optional). Enjoy!

Makes 8 portions

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large yellow onions chopped
2 large green bell peppers chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2-pound top round or bottom round steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or smaller.
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano
2 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp Chipotle pepper paste (comes in cans packed in adobo sauce, just puree to a fine paste)
1 cup water or stock
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

1. Salt and pepper meat and brown in a hot cast iron or heavy bottom pan with olive oil a little at a time, add to crock pot when done. (It does not need to be fully cooked at this point, just browned.)

2. Sautee onions in the same pan (without cleaning) 5 minutes. Add to crock-pot.

3. Sautee peppers (both colors) and add to crock-pot. Add garlic and spices to the pan and sauté about 30 seconds to 1 minute till fragrant

4. Add Chipotle paste and tomato paste and sauté a minute more, and then add some of the water or stock to the pan and stir off any brown bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the crock-pot with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Add celery and can of tomatoes to crock pot with the rest of the water or stock and then turn on high until it comes to a light simmer. Turn down and cook for another 25-30 minutes if using top round. For bottom round cook for 1 1/2 hours total.

6. Add chopped fresh cilantro and garnish with sour cream and chopped red onions if desired.

Per portion without rice made with beef top round:

Calories 297
Fat 15g
Protein 27g
Carbohydrates 14g
Dietary Fiber 4g

Guest Blog
Paul Hooge

Crested Butte February 9, 208

Finally sunny days and 20º as February lives up to expectation. The slopes were relatively crowded for this particular weekend with mostly locals riding the Paradise Lift up to the North Face T-bar to access the extreme terrain. The skiing is perfect with a base at the top now measuring over 100”. The high lift terrain is as close to rock free as I have ever seen it. Coring your base out takes a deliberate act of negligence given that you have to look for even a small rock (which in fact is really a three-ton
boulder).
To date, the 2008 season is barely half over and has proven, as every season generally is – unpredictable.

November was dreadful; doubly dreadful given that by Thanksgiving there was only a white man-made “snow snake” winding down our brown mountain under the Red Lady Lift. Looking out our back window at the mountain there was only a little white stuff in the weeds, a grand total of 3.5” for November. To make matters worse, the US weather service had just delivered the most devastating forecast for the winter for the West- “drier and warmer than normal” thanks to the La Niña effect in the tropical eastern Pacific.
Bummer- dismal etc!
Late in November a local in his 80’s was riding my bus and described some well-remembered past season in the 70’s when he said it didn’t snow. “What, no snow?” I asked. “Yea”, he replied, “A whole winter in the donut hole with no snow”. He admitted that it snowed a little, but back then there was no snow making in Crested Butte. My spirits sank, in fact the whole valley was in a state of depression by the end of November. My passenger then continued to describe the 1979 /1980 season (before my time in CB).
“When it started snowing in November, it didn’t quit until May depositing over 440” of snow”. Perhaps there was still hope then, but what if?

There was, by this time great concern for all important holiday season and a vision that the high terrain might not open and for Crested Butte that would be depressing. The last night of November brought snow. It was only a few inches, but it made everyone feel good, then over that first weekend of December, two more feet and it didn’t stop and by December 10th there was over 90” of snow. Snow is magic; it changes the landscape and the mood of everyone living on it. Snow is nature’s most poetic form, its most aesthetic. Then in order to completely torment the Us Weather Service, winter became very, very cold, all the way into the first week of February. On our deck, to date, we have shoveled about 200” of snow over the railing; now some people are complaining about too much snow. More snow will come as most of our snow usually falls between February and April. I say “Don’t complain about a good thing”. After all, this is snow country and that is why we live here!

Paul

I’ll admit it….I’m a bit of a “gear head”…especially when it comes to skiing. So when I received my Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS “enabled watch (more like a computer on your wrist) I couldn’t wait to take it out for a day on the slopes. I decided that the most opportune time to test the product was my day on the mountain with Dave “Mac” McGuire. “Mac” took me out for a lesson on how to improve my turns (more on this later in the week) and in the process I scored some pretty cool data from this mini computer. The watch tracked the following:
1. Average Speed
2. Maximal Speed
3. Average Heart Rate
4. Maximal Heart Rate
5. Vertical Feet Climbed
6. Vertical Feet Skied
7. Calories Burned
8. Pace
9. Distance Traveled

How is any of this relevant to your day on the slopes? To some extent the data is simply interesting to track over time to see exactly how many hours you’ve skied, vertical you’ve ridden and calories burned over the course of a day, week or season. Below are a number of other reasons data like this can be useful:

1. If you want to know how many calories you need consume to replenish your body to prepare for the next day on the mountain. For example if you look at the data in the screen shot at the bottom of this blog, it shows I burned approximately 2100 calories (note: by my own calculations I should have only burned about 1400 calories). If I wanted to make sure I was properly fueled for the next day I would want to consume at least half of that to make up for the deficit.

2. Runners and cyclists tend to look at milage as a gauge for progress. Your goal as a runner might be to work your way up to running a marathon. For skiers, we are more concerned about vertical skied. The Garmin 305” does a great job of using it’s GPS to track this data. This also comes in handy if you are skiing the backcountry and want to make sure you don’t get lost (the device helps you return to your starting point)!

3. Athletes use average and maximal heart rates as gauges of fitness. Over time, assuming you are skiing similar terrain, your average heart rate should go down if you’re fitness level is improving. The Garmin 305 helps you track this.

Overall the “305” is a good piece of equipment to help you track different pieces of data that may help you improve your skiing fitness. If you have a personal experience with this wrist-top computer or similar products let us know your experiences. Next time I will be reviewing watches from both Suunto and Polar so keep an eye out.

Andrew Hooge, CSCS

Symptoms of Altitude Sickness
High altitude is defined by elevations above 5280 feet (approximately 1 mile high). A sudden change in environment from sea level to high altitude can produce symptoms of dizziness, nausea, insomnia, diarrhea, restlessness, and shortness of breath. Palpitations or fast heartbeat, headache, nasal congestion, coughing, increased flatulence or gas, easy fatigue and intolerance to exertion may also be experienced. If the high altitude experience progresses, more shortness of breath and increased coughing and edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs) may occur, requiring medical attention and possible hospitalization.

How Long Does it take to acclimate and what can I do to help curb the symptoms?
The initial complaints should disappear as your body adjusts to the lowered oxygen content and dryness. This may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Upon arrival to high altitude, drink plenty of water, eat lightly and limit alcohol for the first 48 to 72 hours (alcohol aggravates the high altitude syndrome). Most of all keep physical exertion to a minimum for the first day. Over-exertion before your body can adapt to the lower oxygen and dryness can result in more severe and persistent symptoms.

Final Notes
Remember to hydrate! Rest appropriately and do not over-ski during the first two days. Take a nap when sleepy and get a good night’s sleep after a day of skiing. Eat lightly and drink plenty of liquids, but limit alcohol for the first 48 hours.

Ahhh…there’s nothing like the feeling of fresh snow underneath your skis during the first few days of the season (until a champaign powder day comes along of course). After a long day in the air I finally landed in Crested Butte, Colorado last night. I was like a kid in a candy store this morning as I clicked on my new Volkl Tigershark’s and hit the North Face (about 12,000 feet). This is the best early season snow I have skied in years. Over 100 inches have fallen towards the top of the mountain in the last few weeks. As you can imagine I was itching to grab first chair.

That being said, I wanted to make sure my day on the slopes wasn’t prematurely shortened by a body that wasn’t properly prepared. Check out today’s pre-ski warm-up routine to help prepare your muscles to fire on all cylinders instead of stalling half way down the mountain.

10 Minutes to Get Your Legs Under You Workout:

Stationary Bike or Brisk Fast Walk: 5 minutes ( your breathing should be elevated and your muscles should feel “warm” by the time your finished).

Foam Roll Quad-Medial: 1 set x 20 repetitions each side

Hit the slopes!

Stay Fit Skiing!

Have you ever endured an all day ski outing that left you stiff as a board the following morning? Speaking from experience, it’s no picnic. Over the years I have discovered a specific series of exercises and therapeutic modalities to be very helpful in alleviating these “morning after” aches and pains. Try this “30-minute fix” routine and let us know how it works for you.

1. Ice, ice and more ice. Anyone who’s been involved in competitive sports has been plastered with ice at one time or another. The reason: It decreases inflammation helping to reduce pain and soreness. Place the ice in a protective bag or sheath (do not place directly on the skin) and compress it on to the areas of your body that are typically sore (knee, joints, thighs and lower back for most people). Check out our interview with Physcial Therapist, Mike McMorris for more on icing.
Time: 20 minutes

2. Post Ski Meal: After a long day of hard skiing the body has depleted its glycogen stores (stored energy inside the muscle) and “broken down” the muscle tissue. To help repair your body, Dr. Martin Gibala a physiology professor at McMaster University, recommends consuming at least .5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight and approximately 10 grams of protein (more or less depending on your bodyweight) for every hour of “intense” exercise. Try a Gatorade Nutrition Shake after a long day of skiing to help repair your body.
Time: 1-2 minutes to gulp it down

3. Myofacial Release with Foam Roller: Injuries, stress, inflammation, trauma, and poor posture can cause restriction to fascia. Since fascia is an interconnected web, the restriction or tightness to fascia at a place, with time can spread to other places in the body like a pull in a sweater. The goal of myofascial release is to release fascia restriction and restore its tissue health. In other words, tight fascia equals a tight and restricted body. Try the foam roller exercises at FitSkiing.com to help “break-up” the tissue and restore the body’s proper movement patterns.
Time: 8-10 minutes

Stay Fit Skiing!

Eight inches of snow fell on the deck, followed by twenty-two days of Indian Summer with blue bird skies, cold starry nights, and the sound of snow buns hissing in the distance. A late autumn high-pressure bubble sits on us again, but this is not unusual for the Colorado Rockies.

I remember making snow on a 250’ bump in the Ohio landscape back in 1964, about a decade into the history of man-made snow. The place was called Snow Trails, and a friend and I were responsible for putting the snow on those trails. Joe Malina, a Czech immigrant and cross-country Olympian, who later became known as “Snow Joe” at Park City, Utah, was a master at making snow; however, barely 20, we were amateurs who blew as much ice as snow while Joe slept. In the morning, Joe would critique our work; giant ice stalactites hanging from lift cables glittering in the morning sun.

“Glaciers, you’ve made me glaciers.” was all he often said; then he would bulldoze everything with an ancient John-Deer creating good base material!

In early December, I remember blowing snow onto brown grass and curling autumn leaves, trying to turn a cow pasture into a respectable ski hill. Now, I listened to the sound of the snow guns of a new generation on a big mountain. As the sun rises on another perfect day I ask myself “Where the heck is winter?” Sure, many of our friends over 50 love this little interlude of sun, lunching on the deck, and so do I, but I’m really here for the winter.

Sunrise over our mountain is around 7:30 A.M. now, and I watched it this morning just as the light caught the distant peaks across the valley and slowly flowed like a river of dawn back toward its own source. The bears are usually hibernating by now, but in the garden below our deck, there were fresh prints heading for the neighbor’s dumpster. A mountain lion has taken up residence at this end of the valley, and I have arranged my morning bike ride to avoid its territory. Soon, snow will drive the deer and elk down valley and the lion will follow. The bear will find a den and skis will replace my bicycle. Snow will eventually cover the split-rail fence behind the house.

We live at the edge of wilderness where the mountains rise above 12,000 feet and the house sits at 9,275 feet. The mountain lion is a new resident, the moose returned only a few years ago to join the elk, deer and bear. In summer, we all share this space, but in winter, they leave it to us along with the fox, a few coyotes, and the winter birds. Winter can last for six months and in some years, such as this one, it moves in slowly, but can continue through May. Winter makes you stronger, physically and emotionally while forcing you to be creative. Some researches assert that over a period of thousands of years, winter helped us to evolve. Perhaps winter is in our genes, even though some individuals resist while others embrace it. When we are compelled to make our own snow, it must be that our genes are acting out.

When I work with a new athlete, I ask them a battery of questions ranging from if they have a family history of heart disease to what their current workout routine looks like. Yesterday I began working with a skier whose workout was fairly thorough but lacked virtually no exercises for the posterior chain. The posterior chain refers to a group of muscles in the lower body that are key for developing explosive movements like those in skiing. Strengthening these muscles also gives more structural support to the knees and lower back. Are you working your posterior chain? Add these three exercises to your routine and you may decrease your risk for injury and improve your ability to power through new terrain this season!

Opposing Arm/Let Extension
Fit Ball Hip Extension
Single Leg Fit Ball Leg Curl

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge

Do you plan on skiing the backcountry this year? If so you might want to check out Bladerunner’s new $700 snowsports jacket with integrated GPS. I just got my hands on one and it is pretty darn sweet.

The jacket, released last week by the British clothing company, has a GPS tracking device in the lining. It can track the jacket anywhere in the world within 50 square feet. It uses Google Earth maps and updates every 10 seconds. But what if you’re on the slopes with no Internet? The jacket can also be set up to send messages to your mobile device…very cool.

According to Adrian Davis, a partner at Bladerunner, “It was originally made for mountain climbers, skiers and snowboarders.” He says the company recently decided to make a children’s version of the jacket for parents worried about their kid’s safety.

If you’re going to be skiing the backcountry this year or if you have kids that you want to keep an eye on you might give it a look.

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge

Twenty-five lucky students took part in the experiment at Granada University. After running on a treadmill in a 104-degree room to exhaustion, their hydration levels were measured and then were given either two and half pints of beer or water. Both groups were allowed to drink as much water as they wanted.

What were the results? Students who were given the beer had “slightly better” rehydration than those only given water. Sounds good to me!

The scientists concluded that athletes should include some good old-fashioned lager as part of their diet. On average a person will lose a quart of sweat for every hour of moderate to intense exercise. Now I certainly don’t endorse drinking while skiing or using beer as a staple to improve your skiing performance, but it looks as though there might be some credence to what seems to be a staple in many skiers post ski-day meals. Who knew!

Stay Fit Skiing!

My guess is he probably endured a 1st or 2nd degree strain of the lower trapezius and/or rhomboids. These muscles are important in adducting and depressing the shoulder girdle as well as the rotating the scapula. This means that holding a tight position on his skis and keeping his center of gravity low during turns will be difficult. In short, racing with a severely strained mid-back will not make the race easy.

They will probably tape his torso to reduce the amount of movement in the spine and surrounding muscles. Although this may help prevent further injury it will also limit his mobility. In other words if he gets in trouble you probably won’t see the miraculous recoveries of old. Not to worry though he has a great team of doctors, physical therapists and strength coaches to get him ready for Finland in November!

I don’t mind short road trips; perhaps 500 miles each way is a sane distance. I don’t often fly because you cannot haul a bunch of old or antique skis on planes easily (packaged they may resemble some sort of missile). This September my trip began in crested Butte, Colorado (9250 ft elevation at the house) to Ohio (900 ft) and on to New Hampshire (around 1200 ft) and back in twenty days. I had meetings in Kansas City, Columbus, Ohio and finally at the New England Ski Museum in Franconia, NH where we discussed a conference for Ski Historians in 2009 in Crested Butte.

I planned to keep up my workouts, packed my road bike, forgot the dumb bells and was too busy to locate gyms along the way. So I arrived back in CB feeling a bit bloated and stale, knowing that it would take a week to get my training program back on schedule. While in NH I purchased a copy of Skiing: The International Sport, published 1937.This text rates among the top ten books ever published about our sport.

The first chapter I read was Training for Ski Racing” by Peter Lunn. I started here because while scanning the chapter I saw the word “stale” and at this moment I was feeling very stale.

Lunn lists three critical elements in training for skiing (from his perspective exactly seventy years ago): exercise, food and sleep. Then he states that “… the mind is trained to avoid staleness and to develop sufficient power to conquer the nervous reactions of one’s body to high speed skiing.” Regarding training he has three primary recommendations:
1. Plenty of up hill climbing,which, he says will condition muscles that skiing cannot target specifically.
2. Plenty of distance running, interspersed with high speed sprints
(Lunn believes that this will help prepare the skier to deal with “risk taking” during high speed runs.
3. He recommends that skiers quit smoking prior to the ski season because “the resultant effect on the nerves is bad for form”, race form specifically.

Regarding alcohol, Lunn states that “Wine and beer taken in moderations after a day of skiing are good for training, but cocktails should be eliminated. Red wine is better for training than white.”

Lunn covers a lot of territory including sleep and diet. Sleep, according to Lunn, should adhere to Ben Franklin’s advice “early to bed and early to rise” and sleep should be on a regular schedule. Concerning diet, he advises, “Personally I eat normal meals though I try to avoid eating bread with my lunch or dinner… I think it is advisable to eat in between meals; recent research among factory workers has shown increased work productivity among those who have taken additional meals in the middle of the morning and afternoon. When skiing I generally carry chocolate in my pocket!” Finally he states that the skier with a fit body and mind has an edge over all others.

All of this advice from seventy years ago and much of it seems timely; however I’ll defer to Andrew to compare and contrast elements of training then and now.

When I hit the slopes, I normally mix water and my favorite sports drink together, grab my camelback and head for the mountain. Last April I was offered a small container of tiny electrolyte-laden strips instead. I put 6 of them (loading dose) on the inside of my cheek, let them dissolve, and motored my way on to first chair. They tasted a little like an orange cream soda and had a rather chalky texture. I wasn’t expecting anything magical to happen but after a few hours on the slopes, I noticed I really didn’t need a break. I gulped down some water and put a couple more strips on the inside of my cheek. Three hours later I was feeling the normal wear and tear from skiing the bumps, but I was definitely up for some more. About this time I am normally ready to pack it in and grab a beer (yes, even trainers like to kick back a few now and again).

After I made a few more turns I called it a day and concluded that I took in less calories, no high fructose corn syrup (unfortunately, many of the top sports drinks now use that as an ingredient) and felt better all the way around. What happened the next morning was the most interesting detail to note. I woke up expecting to be a little leg whipped, and although my legs were tired ,they were definitely less fatigued than normal. One caveat to Enlyten Strips is that they are a bit of a bear to get out of the container when wearing ski gloves.

In the end, Enlyten Strips did their job. Hopefully, Healthsport (parent company of Enlyten Strips) will make them “glove friendly” for snow sports enthusiasts soon!

Enlyten SportsStrips-Athletic Pack
3 Cassettes
Each Cassette has 18 strips
Price: 9.99
www.shopenlyten.com

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge, CSCS

My idea of a good time is not hitting the human gerbil wheel, (also known as the treadmill) or sitting on a stationary bike for an hour until my butt goes numb. I tend to enjoy alternative means of base training such as mountain biking on a rocky trail, or hiking a good mountain at a fast clip. Unfortunately, like you, I only have so much time so I have to come up with some creative training solutions so I don’t get bored and can safely hit the slopes and have fun! Below is my favorite training routine to build my aerobic base before I hit the snow in December. I also perform 3 days of total body strength and anaerobic threshold training every week. If you have some other ideas, drop us a line and let us know what you do for your pre-season training.

Andrew’s Pre-Season Aerobic Base Routine (this does not include strength or anaerobic threshold training)

October
Week 1
Running: 2 days x 30 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate
Indoor Cycling: 1 day x 60 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 2
Rowing: 2 days x 35 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate
Elliptical: 1 day x 60 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 3
Running Fartlek: 2 days x 2 minutes fast followed by 1 minute slower (repeat 12 times)
Indoor Cycling: 1 day x 65 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 4
Stairclimber: 2 days x 2 minutes fast followed by 1 minute slower (repeat 12 times)
Hilly Run: 1 day x 65 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

November
Week 1
Running: 2 days x 30 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate
Indoor Cycling: 2 days x 60 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 2
Rowing: 2 days x 35 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate
Elliptical: 2 days x 60 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 3
Running Fartlek: 2 days x 2 minutes fast followed by 1 minute slower (repeat 12 times)
Indoor Cycling: 2 days x 65 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

Week 4
Stairclimber: 2 days x 2 minutes fast followed by 1 minute slower (repeat 12 times)
Hilly Run: 2 days x 65 minutes x 80-85% of max heart rate

If you’re time is limited, check out our 30-minute workouts for a quick and effective way to get in shape this season!

Objectives of Fit SKiing

* Promote skier longevity within the sport by improving fitness and healthy lifestyles.
* Advance skier skill levels through fitness, a healthy lifestyle,and proper instruction.
* Inform the public about the advantages of using equipment best suited for them and the relationship ski equipment has in achieving ski goals.
* Quantify the skiing experience by helping skiers set and achieve specific goals.
* Encourage skier safety through fitness, a healthy lifestyle, and cooperative programs with safety related organizations like National and area Ski Patrols and avalanche safety groups.
* Act as a motivational instrument for all skiers at all levels.
* Encourage interaction among skiers and groups of skiers nationally and worldwide to achieve the objective of a FIT ski world.
* Provide opportunities for skiers to communicate with the FitSkiing Team. (The FitSkiing team is a team of experts and specialists who will provide information, answer questions, and motivate skiers to hit the slopes and be involved in their sport.)

Skiing competes with so many other activities – some require activity while others encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Since the 1980’s, our lifestyle in America has become faster paced – dollar based- and fast-food fed. We think less and less about quality of life and more about quantity in life- work more – spend more and enjoy less. We are not, in the business world at least, referred to as people or humans; we are CONSUMERS or simply the consuming public. We are counted and calculated as numbers within some segment of the world’s global market place.

Some of this we have to adapt to or deal with, but much of it we must learn to reject because it devalues our humanity. Skiers, however are a more independent group, generally speaking. A fit-healthy lifestyle allows one to escape the potential for obesity and become less prone to disease. At FitSkiing.com we take the “get up off your butt and live a life that’s real” approach. Our goal is simple: We want to get you fit and healthy for the slopes so you can ski longer, play harder and stay motivated all year long!

Recently, my dad was skiing through some extreme terrain in Crested Butte, Colorado. He is one of the best and safest skiers I know. So when my father told me he smacked his head on some hard pack and was diagnosed with a mild concussion; my breath, as you can imagine, was sucked right out of me.

While skiing, my dad caught a rough patch, lost his “footing” and landed on his ribs and head, in that order. Of course, my father was wearing a helmet but he still had many symptoms of a concussion. My dad managed to make it back to his home and eventually to see the doctor. My father is doing great now and, of course, cannot wait to get back to making tracks ASAP!

According to Revolution Health (www.revolutionhealth.com), “your brain floats within your skull surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid.” The fluid cushions the brain against light jarring and everyday use; however, it may not be able to accommodate a heavy blow. Wearing a helmet during recreational activities to help prevent or decrease the risk of head injury is recommended.

So, how do you know if you have a concussion? Here are some common signs and symptoms observed or reported following a concussion:

∑ Appears to be dazed or stunned
∑ Is confused about whereabouts
∑ Forgetfulness
∑ Moving clumsily
∑ Answers questions slowly
∑ Loses consciousness
∑ Shows behavior or personality changes
∑ Forgets events prior to fall
∑ Forgets events after fall

Common Symptoms reported by skier:

∑ Headache
∑ Nausea
∑ Balance problems or dizziness
∑ Double or fuzzy/blurry vision
∑ Sensitivity to light or noise
∑ Feeling sluggish or slowed down
∑ Concentration or memory problems
∑ Change in sleep pattern
∑ Feeling fatigued

If you or someone you know experiences the above signs and symptoms take them to the doctor immediately.

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge, CSCS
www,fitskiing.com

I receive many questions regarding what types of foods to consume while on the slopes. There’s no one answer to this question. Below are a few suggestions to keep you motoring on the mountain.

-Powerbar Gu: According to Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, the performance of “well-trained” individuals increased when carbohydrates were consumed throughout exercise. Before your legs give way try a quick source of carbohydrates.

-Handful of almonds: According to almondsarein.com, just 10 almonds can significantly increase energy levels and decrease hunger. Try consuming 10 or so almonds while in the lift line. By the time you hit the next run you’ll have a little extra fuel.

-PB&J: Yep, you heard right. Peanut Butter and Jelly can be a great source of fuel. Suzanne Nelson Steen, D.Sc., R.D. writes in Gatorade Sports Performance News that PB&J is a great source of fuel while on the go. Try one for a quick lunch before you hit the slopes again. Be sure to give yourself a good 10 or 15 minutes to digest it though.

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge
www.fitskiing.com

Do you feel exhausted even after a good nights’ sleep? Are your muscles more fatigued than normal after a day on the slopes? If so you might be overtraining.

According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), overtraining can be described as “excessive frequency, volume, or intensity of training, resulting in fatigue.” They explain that overtraining is progressive and occurs in four stages:

1. Overload: Directly relates to the workload an athlete first experiences in a workout
2. Acute Fatigue: Glucose storage (immediate energy source) in the cells is drained in order to accommodate the workload thus limiting performance.
3. Overreaching: Decreased motor control, mood disturbances, altered immune function and altered hormonal concentrations, become evident.
4. Overtraining: Physical ailments such as sickness and infection along with psychological factors that include emotional and sleep disturbances.

The final stage is the one we, as coaches, are most concerned about; however, we as coaches like to prevent this from happening before he or she gets to that point? Below are a couple of insights into what might help you mitigate overtraining:

1. Recovery: Once the muscles have experienced intense levels of exertion (this varies from person to person depending upon conditioning level) and damage, they must have time to recover. For the beginner, a two to three day workout routine with at least one day of rest is a good guide to follow. For an advanced athlete a five to six day plan with at least one day and probably two days of recovery is recommended.

2. Periodization must be included in a proper training routine. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) developed by Hans Selye is a good place to start for basic information. Here are the basic concepts:
-The alarm phase is the first of three phases that make up the GAS model. It is the first response of the body when subjected to intense resistance training or exercise conditioning.
-The second phase (resistance phase) involves the body’s ability to adapt to training loads.
-The third and final phase is the exhaustion phase, when the body loses the ability to compensate for the amount of stress that it is under. This phase can directly be associated with the overtraining syndrome. Thus, your strength and conditioning routine must be carefully assessed in order to prevent overtraining.

Overtraining Questionairre
Use the guide below to help prevent overtraining. It is not the “cure all”, but it may help improve your performance both on and off the slopes.
Record the following on a daily basis:

Weight : Waking Pulse:

Appetite:
(5=very good, 4=good, 3=poor, 2=eat because I should, 1=did not eat)

Sleep Quality:
(5=very deep, 4=normal, 3=restless, 2=bad with breaks, 1=not at all

Tiredness Sensations:
(5=very rested, 4=normal, 3=tired, 2=very tired, 1=painfully tired)

Training Willingness:
(5=very good, 4=good, 3=poor, 2=train because I should, 1=did not train)

Bodyweight Shift:
(3= within two pounds of average, 2=three or more pounds higher than normal, 1=three or more pounds less than average)

Waking Pulse Shift:
(3=within two beats of average, 2=three or more beats less than average, 1=three or more beats higher than average)

Recovery Index Score:

What this means:
5=Training is going extremely well!
4=Training is going well
3=Moderate overtrained state-do not work out until you reach an index of 3.1 or higher
2=Serve overtrained state-do not work out until you reach an index of 3.1 or higher

Resources
1. http://www.nsca-lift.org
2. http://sportsmedicine.about.com

In 2002 more than 23,000 snow sports enthusiasts suffered head injuries on the slopes. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) there is a 40 percent reduction in the risk for head and neck injuries among skiers and snowboarders when a helmet is worn. In 1998, two celebrity ski related deaths brought helmet use and snow sports safety to the forefront of the media. The Bono and Kennedy deaths are common of skier related accidents: the skier or snowboarder slams into a tree, or sometimes another skier, dying of head related injuries.

In 2003, Consumer Reports performed a comprehensive test on all ski and snowboard helmets. They found that the Boeri Range was “Not Acceptable” due to the chinstrap breaking. The one most recommended was the Giro Nine Point Nine at 110 dollars. Another thing to keep in mind when purchasing a helmet is its fit. The Giro is what is known as a short shell, which has soft removable earflaps. If you prefer a full-shell helmet that also covers the ears, Consumer Reports recommended the Leedom Scream for about 130 dollars. This might sound like a lot but it could save your life. The National Ski Areas Association has a website called Lids on Kids and is a cornucopia of information on ski helmets.

Although there is little data on the effectiveness of ski helmets in preventing deaths a group of researches at the Rochester Institute of Technology has estimated that helmets could prevent up to 80 percent of skiing head injuries. Some critics have said that a helmet would not help in the case of a neck injury.

A good rule to follow to help prevent injuries is to not ski near trees or rocks (although I am guilty of this myself but I do where a helmet!) watch out for other skiers or snowboarders and look for a highly rated helmet like the Giro Nine Point Nine or Leedom Scream.

Sites of Interest
Consumer Reports
Lids on Kids
Snell Website (Sets Standards for Helmets)

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge
www.fitskiing.com

Most of us have a hard time fitting in all the chores of our daily grind let alone mustering up our muscles to push some iron. Don’t let the only six pack on the slopes be the one your curling at the end of the day. In just 20 minutes 3 times per week, you can fine tune your body into a skiing machine before you hit the snow.

As snow sports enthusiasts, we use every last inch of muscle on our frame so it only makes sense to train our entire body. We also use both our aerobic and anaerobic systems when making tracks so it is important to incorporate some energy system development into your program as well.

Try performing 2-3 sets of 4 or 5 “big muscle” exercises and 2 or 3 balance/core exercises each workout. Make sure to switch the exercises for each day of training during the week. For a good example check out our January Jump Start Weekly Workout to get you started. As I explained earlier it is important to improve your energy system development too. Warm-up at a low level for about 2-3 minutes-enough to get your muscles and joints warm-then add 5 x 1 minute hard runs or cycle sprints after your weights. For example you might try biking at about a level where your legs and lungs start to burn at about 30 seconds in. Continue for 30 more seconds and then back off the tension and speed to recover for 1 minute. Repeat four more times. This will help your body improve its lactate buffering capabilities and is very similar to the type of work you will be doing while skiing.

Try the January Jump Start Program Now!

Try the January Jump Start Program

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge
www.fitskiing.com

When I was 14, some 48 years ago, I stood in the basement of my parent’s house in Columbus, Ohio gazing alternately at the window well to freedom and the backpack on the floor in front of me. My plan was simple: exit the window, ride my bike to the rail-yard some 10 miles away and then hob it all the way to Colorado where I would ski endlessly into waste-deep powder and brilliant sunsets. Supporting this “dream” lifestyle was no problem since I had saved everything from my paper route and lawn mowing for a year. Keep in mind the cost of living in Aspen was considerably less in 1958. My obligations were all taken care of; I had released my two pet snakes and a box turtle to the wild. My paper route was given to a friend down the block and at that moment I didn’t care if all the grass in the world simply went un-mowed.

Above me, my parent’s dusty old ski boots from the mid 1940’s stared down from a shelf. Dad’s boots ordered me back to my homework and adult-like responsibilities; however, mom’s boots wished to go along to be a part of my great adventure.

This story is true, although the conversations with my parent’s boots occurred only in my mind and it was thirty-two years later that Kathy (my wife) and I purchased a condo in Silverthorne, Colorado. Later we built a small lodge in Crested Butte, Colorado. Prior to moving, my wife owned a business and I was the Director of a small Archaeological Institute in Licking County, Ohio. Our Ohio friends were aghast that we would just liquidate everything and move to the great American “middle of no-where in the Rocky Mountains”. They obviously did not understand, as they were more concerned about the locations of the nearest hospital or the future need of quality care facilities for those golden years.

Kathy and I shared a different dream for the future and one day after the kids had both graduated from high school, we looked at each other and said “why not?”
So here we are, with absolutely no regrets, well over 50, and skiing the extremes with lots of other over –the-hill like-minded crazy people. This blog is about our life here in the mountains, it is about skiing as lifestyle, it’s about the dreams of a now older kid who finally escaped to the mountains.

Paul Hooge

In a recent tip of the day I mentioned the importance and effectiveness of wearing a heart rate monitor. Since I received so many emails regarding how to properly use a monitor I decided to discuss it here.

Think of a heart rate monitor as a gauge, a tachometer for your body so to speak. The speedometer in your vehicle tells you how fast you are moving but does not explain how hard the engine is running. On the flip side, a tachometer tells you exactly how fast the engine is turning at any given RPM (Revolutions Per Minute). Similarly, a heart rate monitor may not tell you how fast you are walking or running but it does indicate how hard or fast your heart is beating (BPM-Beats Per Minute).

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
In order for you to gain the most out of your training you should define your goals. Do you want to lose fat, increase aerobic capacity or improve your body’s ability to buffer lactic acid? For most snow sports enthusiasts it is a combination of all three. In order for fat to burn efficiently once it enters your muscles a constant and steady supply of oxygen must be present at all times. If your heart rate or level of exercise intensity is too high, your muscles will tend to rely more heavily on sugar instead of fat due to alack of oxygen. On the other hand, If your heart rate and corresponding level of exercise intensity is too low you will most likely make poor use of your time, slow your rate of fat loss and decrease the development of intra-muscular changes needed to reprogram your body to be fit and lean for the slopes.

HOW DO I FIGURE OUT HOW HARD MY HEART SHOULD BE WORKING TO REACH MY GOALS?
The easiest way (although not always the most accurate) to determine your recommended Target Heart Rate is to use the AGE Predicted Maximum Heart Rate Formula. Simply subtract your age from 220, and then multiply that number by a percentage depending on what your goals are. If you are just starting out, caution should be taken when going above 70% of your maximum heart rate. Below are some general guidelines for training sensitive zones:

“Fat Burning Zone”: 60%-75% of maximum heart rate
Building Aerobic Fitness: 75%-85% of maximum heart rate
Anaerobic Threshold Training: 85%-100% of maximum heart rate

Try incoporating a month of working in the “fat burning zone” (60-75% of max HR) a month of improving your aerobic capacity (75-85% of of max HR) and a month of increasing your body’s ability to buffer lactate acid (85-100% of max HR) before you hit the slopes.

Always remember to consult your physician before beginning any new workout or nutrition program.

To many, maximizing overtraining may sound a bit like an oxymoron. In the late 1960’s Russian exercise scientists discovered that after 3 weeks of “very hard” strength and conditioning work the athletes needed to back off a little on their training. They found that applying 60 percent of the workload in the fourth week allowed the body to recover and perform better the following 3 weeks.

For example, if Herman Maier were to perform 20 sets of different exercises in his 60 minute routine at 100 percent of his 5 rep max in the first 3 weeks of the month, he would need to back off to 12 sets @ 60% of his 5 rep max in the final week? Make sense?

Here’s a more detailed example of a common strength building routine:
Week 1:
Frequency: 5 days/week
Duration: 60-70 minutes
Intensity: 100% of 5 Rep Max (or 85% of 1 Rep Max for 5 reps)
Number of Exercises: 5
Number of Sets: 20
Rest Interval: 60-120 seconds

Week 2:
Frequency: 5 days/week
Duration: 60-70 minutes
Intensity: 100% of 5 Rep Max (or 85% of 1 Rep Max for 5 reps)
Number of Exercises: 6
Number of Sets: 24
Rest Interval: 60-120 seconds

Week 3:
Frequency: 5 days/week
Duration: 60-70 minutes
Intensity: 100% of 5 Rep Max (or 85% of 1 Rep Max for 5 reps)
Number of Exercises: 6
Number of Sets: 24
Rest Interval: 60-120 seconds

Week 4
Frequency: 3 days/week (60% of 5 days)
Duration: 35-40 minutes (60% of 60-70 minutes)
Intensity: 60% of 5 Rep Max
Number of Exercises: 3-4
Number of Sets: 12-14
Rest Interval: 60-120 seconds

As you can see I have decreased the workload by 40 percent for week 4. The Soviets found that this gave the nervous and endocrine systems a “break” from the stress of the previous 3 weeks workouts. I have implemented this with many of my athletes over the years with good success. As people differ so will their results. Some find that 5 weeks of very intense training followed by a week of implementing the 60 percent rule works better.

Anecdotally I have found that those who might be a little “under the weather” also benefit from using the 60% rule. When many of my clients have had a late night or have come down with the common cold I drop the workout duration and intensity to approximately 60% of what they would normally do. This way they still get a workout without overly stressing their immune system.

Give it a shot and let us know what kind of results you experience.

Always remember to consult your physician before beginning any new workout or nutrition program.

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge, CSCS
www.fitskiing.com

The The Core Performance program focuses on strengthening the dozens of core muscles (including the hips, pelvis, lower back, abdominals, ribs and shoulder blades) that line one’s frame. By building what Verstegen calls the body’s “suspension system,” the whole body grows not only stronger but more functional.

The book is a quick and easy read. Be forewarned, however, some of these movements will make you feel incredibly awkward and off-balance (which will help improve coordination on the slopes). The author outlines a “Movement Prep” section that gets your body “primed” for exercise. From my own perspective, as a fairly accomplished athlete, I’ve found these exercises to be pretty challenging from a balance and coordination standpoint.

In addition to Movement Prep, there are seven other “stages” of strengthening one’s body. I found the exercises to be very well laid out with good explanations. If you do have questions regarding any of the exercises or information, go to www.coreperformance.com for more detailed explanations.

Stay Fit Skiing!
Andrew Hooge, CSCS
www.fitskiing.com