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ceptor9860 11:02 pm on March 14, 2010 Permalink | Reply

What is wrong with me?

When did Ironwood sprout a Mtn. range?

By Gus Kaeding
The other night I exchanged text messages with a friend of mine who’s in graduate school. We have a history of poking and prodding each other for being a little lame on the weekend nights. Obviously, weekends are typically important to a skier so it is normally early to bed, which is fine. But, it is somewhat different than the average Friday night of a 25 year old.
I told her “Well it’s 9 o’clock, my bet is you’re doing homework, then bed.” She replied at 11pm that I was close, it was a movie than bed and that she knew I hadn’t done anything better. Sadly, I got that text the next morning because I had already been asleep for 45 min by 11…..after watching a movie. Driving to my interval workout the next morning I got to thinking about our exchange. Combined with the fact that it was 35 degrees and pouring rain outside, I had a moment of self reflection and asked “what the hell is wrong with me?” It has long been my contention that there is a something a little “wrong” with everyone who cross country skis and to be the best, you’ve got to be one step shy of bat$#!& crazy.
Well, yesterday morning I got a pair of wax less skis, drove out a glorified logging road which possesses a puddle that comes over my tires. I layered up on clothes and skied out to what I like to call, a big a$$ hill. The grooming here lately has been more miss than hit. So after skiing in some tracks, I began some 6×4min level 4 intervals. At the end of my last interval, drenched to the bone, alone in the woods, I threw up my breakfast. I had a little chuckle to myself and thought “yup, there is definitely something wrong with me.” For some reason, I love every second of it.

As crappy as the weather was that morning, it was far from the norm as of late. The skiing has been, for lack of a better word, perfect. Every skier knows the unexplainable sensation of perfect skiing. The snow is fast, the sun is out, and it’s easy to forget the elapsed time on your watch. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Switzerland, Alaska, or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; training in these conditions is simply a pleasure and I know there ain’t nothing wrong with that!

Sunsplashed Marquette!

Next up is the Spring Tour in Craftsbury, VT. Then on to Maine for Supertour finals. Should be some good posts upcoming so keep checking in!

ceptor9860 8:53 pm on January 14, 2010 Permalink | Reply

How to avoid Compartment Syndrome

By Gus Kaeding
Compartment syndrome cases have been on the rise in North America. I am in a unique position to be able to help others avoid cs. I was diagnosed with cs last fall and have gone through a fast and complete recovery. Fast recovery is great but the real trick is avoiding cs completely. Admittedly, my hindsight is not perfect 20/20 but I do have a few thoughts on what I would have done differently to avoid cs.
To begin, why is cs in North America so increasingly common? I have given this issue lots of thought and I blame global warming. Seriously though, that is not my focus here. It is very much a related issue but an issue for another day nonetheless. I can only speak to why I think I got cs and what I would have done differently if I could go back in time.
My skate technique (or lack thereof) was a major contributor to the development of my cs. “Ankle flexion” or “shin angle” are common terms in technique these days. Although modern skate technique has become somewhat unnatural, there should be no danger if it is done right. My pitfall was my mental cue. I was trying to increase my ankle angle without worrying about how, so I though about pulling my toes up towards my knee. Doing this increased my ankle angle but I unknowingly was skiing with my shins tight. My shins were flexed without a contract and release period when I was skiing. Ankle flexion is important but, it should be just that, flexion. Muscles are not meant to be held static rather, they should contract and relax. If you are skiing and your muscles aren’t relaxed and loose at some point in your stride, something is wrong. Legs are meant to work in a specific fashion, correct mechanics bring not only strength but health. Try and envision a leg pushing off the ground with a correct power application, then incorporate that image into your skiing. Incorrect technique is definitely the largest contributor to cs but there are a few other factors that are worth noting.
Make sure your shoes are big enough. I used to wear my ski boots and running shoes tight. After some time I began to notice my toes were curled up, not stretched out like they should have been. This puts unnecessary stress on the shins and doesn’t allow proper relaxation. Since my surgery I have switched to bigger shoes and boots and eventually my toes flattened back out. Weird, I know.
Next, watch for large training increases in terms of volume and intensity. My problems started shortly after I left college and started training full time with CXC. It was considerable more training than I had done in the past and I may have simply stepped it up too fast.
The shins are very hard muscles to stretch. Sometimes I sit on my foot on a couch to lengthen the the shin as much as possible. But the best way I’ve found is investing in one of those roller sticks. You can roll it up and down and determine which parts are tight and which are loose.
Some ideas are obvious, like stretching. I asked Morgan Smyth for some input, as she had the same surgery this past summer and she emphasized stretching the calves. Are those legs or small cows? I can never remember. Either way, I agree and having loose calves allows the shins to in turn, reeellax.
My last ideas centers around leg strength. Skiing is mostly a straight forward and back sport. There is obviously lateral movement involved in skating but it is done to propel yourself forward. Lateral movement in other sports is meant to move horizontally strengthening the smaller perimeter muscles of the legs. Soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, etc are all sports that involved a lot of “cutting” and moving in somewhat unpredictable directions.
To sum this up, if your legs are tight or flexed for too long at a time, that is bad. Your muscles should have a relaxation period in whatever your activity. If there is further interest in this topic, I could certainly write more. Also, I would be happy to answer any questions as there was a time when I certainly had quite a few. Either post a comment or hit me up at akaeding9860@yahoo.com.

Skiing with the boyz pre surgery summer '08

Aaron Halberg, WremiReumsrix, and WremiReumsrix are discussing. Toggle Comments
- WremiReumsrix 6:57 am on January 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  
  А мне блог понравился
- WremiReumsrix 8:27 am on January 18, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  
  блин…писал-писал, а сообщение не отправилось и не сохранилось :) вообщем блог понравился. админу удачи в развитии.
- Aaron Halberg 6:19 pm on February 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  
  Gus,
  I know this post has been up awhile, but I just read it and was glad to learn that Compartment Syndrome is not the fear of small overhead bins on airplanes as I had previously thought. I’ll have to address that issue somewhere else. All seriousness aside, are you recommending some cross training in the other sports you mentioned for developing leg strength that is not so focused on the front and back muscles of the lower leg?
  
  The silver lining you didn’t mention: CS recovery can allow you to really focus on your double pole technique and strength, which can come in handy when outlasting the world’s most decorated skier (Bjorn who?) to the finish of a 54k Classical Race on Main Street in Hayward. ;-)
  
  Thanks for sharing about your experience!
ceptor9860 8:54 pm on December 8, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Surviving JFK

By Gus Kaeding
After a successful trip training and racing in Montana, it was time for me to head home to Vermont. I shoved off from my hotel and about 6:30am Monday where I’m told the temp was somewhere in the -20’s F. I had a full day of travel planned as my last flight didn’t get into Burlington until about 10pm. On my first flight I was lucky enough to hook up with the Green team (also headed home) and sat next to coach Pepa. We had a good chat but, unfortunately our travel plans diverged from there. I headed alone to JFK in New York. I remembered the airport as a bit confusing but this time was just ridiculous.
I stepped off the plane onto the B terminal and checked the monitors which did not include my flight and were zero help. I walked down the only hallway which abruptly ended. Confused, I turned around and found a sandwich stand (eating has been proven to cure many things including, but not exclusively, confusion.) I asked the cashier somewhat sheepishly, “uummm, are there other gates here?” She sighed and pointed at the large double doors which screamed “do not enter.” Well, enter I did and blindly stumbled to the main concourse and the A terminal. Surely my gate would be here right? Wrong. After another unsuccessful trip to the monitors and an hour of aimless wandering I decided I was in over my head. I swallowed my pride and approached two police officers and declared “I’m lost.” They said “what gate are you trying to find?” and I replied I didn’t know. They looked at me like I had “norom deifitrec” tattooed on my forehead and said very sarcastically, “well, do you want terminal A or B?” I answered I had no idea and handed over my boarding pass per their request. After conferring with each other for a second, they agreed my boarding pass made about as much sense AIG’s fiscal policy. They wondered aloud if Northwest even flew out of JFK. As they could be no more help they directed me to one of the red jacket ticket agents who are apparently the rough equivalent to the creator guy with all the tvs from The Matrix II. Feeling like Neo, minus the dorky powers but spouting off cool one liners, I followed their directions. I went backwards through security and found the man in the red jacket at the Northwest ticket counter. He punched up my ticket and told me to go back through security. Find Hank at B23, tell him Ted sent you. Get on the bus and travel to building 2. Walk 1 and 3/4s miles following the yellow arrows. Also, be careful to cover up any blue clothing as it is a sign of disrespect to the local gang. Then proceed to gate 23, “you can’t miss it.” Ok, I may have exaggerated slightly but you get the idea.
I arrived in Vermont without further incident. Mom came to pick me up but explained on the way out her car was in the shop and she had brought a rental. I gazed upon either the crappiest car or the sweetest golf cart ever. We loaded up and headed home. It had been snowing and the roads were very bad. Our “car” sucked. Unfortunately, we live on the top of a very large hill (akin to a big bump in the west or a large mountain in the midwest). After 3 unsuccessful runs at the hill (one in reverse) I was more determined than ever. I came around the corner at the bottom of the hill somewhere between fast and Dale Jr. coming off turn 2. Mom was less than thrilled. I got about halfway up until I got a little too cute using the shoulder to try kick up some dirt. I had been carefully riding the ditch, until of course I was not. In VT for less than an hour and had already ditched a car, good to be back! Not exactly being a stranger to the ditch I recognized we were gonna need help. Although it was nearing midnight I called up dad who was at home less than a mile away. I said to toss a chain in the truck and hurry down. Speed was important as I was hoping to avoid any ridicule from a neighbor out on a late drive. Dad navigated the ice from the top and slid down to where we waited. We chained up and he popped me out, no sweat. Just as I was de-chaining I noticed the familiar hum of a truck in the distance. I double timed it, jumped in the car, told mom to get off the road and took off down the hill just in time to see headlights coming down the phone lines from around the corner (a handy trick at night). I parked past the bottom of the hill and waved at the passing neighbor as I was obviously innocent of any vehicular indiscretions. Dad came down and picked me up (yes he had gotten mom too). We tossed my bags in the back and headed home just inside of midnight, welcome home Gus.

Fore!

Gettin 'r chained up

Good to be home!
ceptor9860 4:17 pm on September 21, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Marquette Nordic Walking

Maria dropping some Nordic Walking knowledge
Yesterday Bryan, Maria, and I completed our first of 3 nordic walking clinics scheduled for this week. We had a modest turnout (11 people) and enthusiam was high. We started working through the basics of walking with poles then pregressed to some uphill/downhill terrain. Everyone showed considerable improvement throught the clinic and most sounded as if they were hooked. Afterwards, the group took a stroll around the NMU soccer/football fields (no small feat) to hone our skills and chat a bit. If anyone in the area is interested, our next clinic is 9/22 at 6pm in the NMU Peif. Thanks to NMU for the organizational help and to everyone who attended!

Drill Sergeant Cook issuing comands
ceptor9860 11:44 pm on September 18, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Who’s ready for some…baseball?

By Gus Kaeding
I am a frequent reader of ski blogs and although I enjoy them, they can become a bit repetitive. Intervals this morning, feet up in the afternoon, etc… I am going to try and mix it up a bit.
I am a avid (ahem) baseball fan and enjoy following most every sport played on earth. As I’m sure everyone is gearing up for the baseball playoffs to start I thought I’d share part of a tonge in cheek article I submitted to a baseball writing competition earlier this summer (I deservingly lost). Enjoy!

The 10 Greatest Baseball Players….Who Have Never Played Baseball.
Much has been made in recent years of America’s best athletes shying away from baseball in favor of other sports. Why this has happened is not the focus here. Rather, what would a lineup look like if it included some of the very best athletes from America and beyond. Below are the 10 best baseball players who have never played baseball.

Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Olympic Sprinter, 2nd Base
At the 2008 Summer Olympic games Bolt wowed the world by winning the 100m, 200m, and the 100m relay. He broke the record in the world’s most prestigious distance (100m) and officially laid claim on the “world’s fastest man title.” Every team loves a little speed at the top of the order so who better to hit lead off and play 2nd base. In the field Bolt project to have plus, plus range but a weak arm. That’s ok as he can just use his speed to turn each play into a footrace to the bag. At the plate his skills are raw to say the least (he’s admitted to being “a little uncoordinated.”) As the old adage says, “you can’t steal first base.” If anyone could, it’s Bolt. Opposing pitchers had better hope not.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Driver, Right Field
Earnhardt is a baseball player trapped in a Nascar driver’s body. He has excellent bloodlines and a burning desire to win. Earnhardt projects to play a solid right field but his real value comes on the basepaths. With Earnhardt’s veteran experience turning left and his unquestioned speed, the sky is the limit. The more pressing question is whether Earnhardt would be #88 or challenge Yaz as the most famous #8 ever.

Tiger Woods, PGA Tour, Left Field
The prototypical #3 hitter with massive power. If Tiger has a weakness on the links, it tends to be the occasional wayward slice. No worries though because in baseball we call this “hitting to the opposite field.” Thus, Tiger projects to be a .300+ hitter who puts excellent backspin on the ball creating greater carry. Rumor has it he can bench press 350+lbs so his home run total each year may approach Augusta’s par. If he has a weakness, it is his diminished range in left considering his recent ACL reconstruction.

Michael Phelps, USA Swimming, Closing Pitcher
Can Michael Phelps throw a baseball? Probably not. Can Todd Jones? Barely but, he can close a game because he has the infamous closer’s mentality. Does Michael Phelps have that mentality? Did you see the 2008 summer Olympics? Enough said.

I am currently back in Marquette enjoying alot of solid training and some fall weather. Next week we head to camp in Lake Placid with some other teams which is always fun. I’ve included a few of the greatest pain faces ever recorded from our last camp.

Cook proving skinny dudes belong in the gym too!
[caption id="attachment_1226" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Karl lifting some ungodly amount of weight"][/caption]

audreyweber is discussing. Toggle Comments
- audreyweber 3:58 am on September 19, 2009 Permalink | Reply
  
  I’m not a baseball fan, and I didn’t get half of the references in your article, but I still laughed my head off. I hope you win your writing competition!
ceptor9860 9:34 pm on August 30, 2009 Permalink | Reply

The Dog Days of Summer

By Gus Kaeding
Hey everyone, I am back in Marquette after quite a bit of hopping around. For the past month I have been dealing with the fact that my body seems to be falling apart. Following our last training camp I developed a nasty case of shins splints. I was headed back to VT for a wedding so I set up an appointment with the doc who did my compartment surgery last year. I wanted to make sure this wasn’t a recurrence. We decided it was just shin splints (which is excellent news in the big scheme of things) and that my legs are actually made out of glass. Never the less, due to the shins splints I was doing a lot of double poling and managed to hurt my elbow. This left me with swimming. I hate swimming but was blessed with some unusually warm summer weather. I convinced my younger brother Sten to take a kayak around a local lake with me while I swam. I worked my way up to being able to swim (or as my brother called it “not drown”) for a solid hour. Not a bad way to spent a 90 degree afternoon! Yesterday, I arrived back in Marquette and went for my first short, pain free run which was encouraging. My elbow also seems to be healing which is good as we have a training camp starting in Hayward next Wednesday. I have to thank Donna Smyers, Pepa Mildfh, and Brian Huber for helping me out with my legs. I should also add that prior to my elbow mishap I had been doing some solid work on our new Concept 2 double pole machine. It works surprisingly well and is an excellent alternative in central Vermont to the somewhat suspect roller skiing. In fact, I have to drive nearly an hour for a paved road which can sustain skiing. If you have the same problem, I highly recommend checking out the Concept 2 machine. Hope everyone is having a solid summer as we are still waiting on ours to start here in Marquette.

Does this count as a two lane road?

Smooth sailing in central VT.

The new Concept 2 rocks!
ceptor9860 3:24 pm on July 26, 2009 Permalink | Reply

A Wolf vs. Garrot Kuzzy?

Getting my paint on
After an awesome camp in Hayward, I am back in Marquette for a week and a half. I was satisfyingly tired after our speed block so I was happy to see a recovery week upcoming. As much as I wanted to put my feet up on Monday and watch Lance dominate the tour, there was work to be done. For the past 9 summers I have painted houses to put a little coin in pocket. Painting is not the best recovery activity but I enjoy being working outside and there isn’t much better than the smell of fresh paint. So Monday at 8am I headed out to start my first house of the summer. Unfortunately, this included a good 18 hours of scraping and sanding. Talk about a core workout! Today, I went for a 2 hour skate this morning after some isometric strength. After lunch, I popped the primer lid and started painting. I knew I had to put in a solid day because there is a lot of rain in the forecast and I am headed out west for a wedding next Wednesday. Most would call painting boring but, I prefer to use it as time to clear my my head. I use the time think about anything and everything, from advanced math to who would win in a fight between Garrot Kuzzy and a wolf (my money’s on Kuzzy, the dude doesn’t like to lose at anything).
I brushed my last stroke just in time to catch 8pm tour and watch Lance destroy the time trial. I should also mention I know nothing about biking or any of the riders, I just like Lance.
Looking forward, I have a full month of travel in August. I start by heading out west for my friend, James Letson’s wedding. Then back to Ironwood for a CXC camp and immediately away to Vermont for another friend’s wedding. I am looking forward to attending my first wedding (then second) and seeing old friends. My plan is to pack my running shoes and do a little exploring out west in between wedding activities. Check back to hear about wedding season!