Nordic Skiing - Cyclist Other Sport

Welcome to Episode #327 of the 303 Endurance Podcast. You are listening to your weekly connection to coaches, experts, and pro athletes to help you reach your endurance goals. We're your hosts coach Rich Soares and 303 Chief Bill Plock. Thanks for joining us for another week of endurance interviews and discussion.   Show Sponsor: UCAN Nutrition is a critical part of triathlon success. Join former U.S. Olympic Dietitian Bob Seebohar and pro triathletes Lauren Brandon and Dede Griesbauer for an in-depth discussion about how to most effectively fuel for triathlon. Presented by UCAN. When: 8 PM EST on Tuesday, March 15 How to Watch: Register with this link to the LIVE event. You'll also receive a recording if you can't join live.   Featured Guests:   Bob Seebohar, Former U.S. Olympic Sports Dietitian Lauren Brandon, Pro Triathlete Dede Griesbauer, Pro Triathlete, Ultraman Record Holder What to Expect:   Get a framework for how to approach your nutrition in training and racing Learn how different fuel sources impact your energy levels Hear real-world experiences from athletes who have put UCAN to the test in all types of situations   Use UCAN in your training and racing to fuel the healthy way, finish stronger and recover more quickly!  Use the code 303UCAN for 20% off at ucan.co/discount/303UCAN/ or ucan.co     In Today's Show Endurance News Couples Championship Challenge Family Partner with RemoteRacing What's new in the 303 Nordic Skiing: The "Other" Sport That Cyclists Love     Our News is sponsored by Buddy Insurance. Buddy Insurance gives you peace of mind to enjoy your training and racing to their fullest.  Buddy's mission is simple, to help people fearlessly enjoy an active and outdoor lifestyle.    Get on-demand accident insurance just in case the unexpected happens. Buddy ensures you have cash for bills fast.  This is accident insurance not health and life insurance.  Go to buddyinsurance.com and create an account.  There's no commitment or charge to create one.  Once you have an account created, it's a snap to open your phone and in a couple clicks have coverage for the day.  Check it out!   Endurance News:   Challenge Family Partner with RemoteRacing If you can't get to the race, let the race come to you – that's the philosophy behind the new multi-year partnership between Challenge Family and RemoteRacing announced today, extending racing and training opportunities for athletes around the world. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The partnership will allow athletes anywhere in the world to compete against those racing at Challenge Taiwan, The Championship, DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep, and Challenge Almere-Amsterdam as though they were there with them.   RemoteRacing creates a fair and level playing field for remote athletes with its advanced RaceX simulation technology that localises results to each onsite race. Finish times for all athletes are as if everyone was competing on the same course, in the same conditions, on the same day. Also provided are "equalized" results accounting for both age and gender.   During a Race Window that coincides with the physical event, remote athletes can swim, bike and run from their own locations, either inside or outside, before their results are normalised based on their remote environment and terrain to simulate onsite race outcomes. All bike courses are available on ROUVY to further enhance the athlete experience.   "RemoteRacing adds a new dimension to triathlon, allowing athletes to take part in our largest events, regardless of where they live and train," said Jort Vlam, CEO of Challenge Family. "Their race can either be competitive, allowing them to benchmark their performance in a race scenario or a solid training session or even just a hit out with a group of friends. RemoteRacing's technology allows us to once again further enhance our athlete experience, providing innovative options in a world that currently is not making international travel to bucket list races easy!"   "We're very excited to partner with Challenge Family to bring competitive racing to athletes' hometowns," says Jeff Booher, CEO of Predictive Fitness. "It's not always possible to travel to events like Challenge's iconic races due to work, finances, and family commitments. RemoteRacing is here to complement athletes' onsite racing schedules with engaging remote experiences on a fair and level playing field with meaningful results."   The dates for Challenge Family RemoteRaces are as follows:   Challenge Taiwan Remote: 21-24 April 2022 The Remote Championship: 19-22 May DATEV Challenge Roth Remote: 30 June – 3 July Challenge Almere-Amsterdam Remote: 8-11 September   Athletes must complete all three legs within the Race Window and activities must be done in swim-bike-run order.     Couples Championship Coverage and Results 13 Couple Teams and 1 Relay Team   The format is a relay of partner 1 doing a complete sprint distance of swim, bike run and then returning to the swim start to tag their partner to race the second sprit distance race. Couples decide which of the pair races first and which second. It creates an interesting dynamic with 2nd swimmers not having a draft benefit and swam alone.   Relay team did two rounds of with each racing their leg twice: Swim - Brook Bennet 3x Olympic Gold medalist Bike - Phil Gaimon USA Cycling Hillclimb National Championship (2017) Run - Gwen Jorgenson Olympic Gold medalist     What's New in the 303:   Nordic Skiing: The "Other" Sport That Cyclists Love By Kate Agathon, Campus Cycles   For many cyclists, nordic skiing is their "other" sport; the off-season sport that helps them to prepare for cycling season.   This week, we take a closer look at cyclists who change it up in the winter months and exchange the two wheels for a pair of skinny skis.   In addition to similar physical and mental health benefits, nordic skiing and cycling share several parallels. For example, like cycling, nordic skiing appeals to a diverse audience for a variety of reasons. While some have done it for several years, for others it is a recent discovery.   From multi-sport athletes such as Rebecca Furuta and 303 Ambassador Sasha Underwood who enjoy the challenge and thrill of competition, to recreational nordic skiers Paul Gallaher and Sylvia Bailey, nordic skiing offers something for cyclists of all ages and abilities.   You don't have to ride your indoor trainer to stay in cycling shape during the winter months. Instead, consider cross training and doing an entirely different sport altogether.   Cross training builds core stability, power, improves cardio, and strength. One of the best winter sports for cyclists to do is nordic skiing; just ask pro cyclists- past and present.   An avid nordic skier, cycling legend Greg LeMond once claimed,"If you ski hard and then get on the trainer two to three times per week for an hour each time, you'll retain much of your cycling fitness in the winter."   Both LeMond and Jumbo-Visma's Sepp Kuss (who recently placed second in a 10 km nordic skiing race in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra) were both recreational skiers prior to becoming pro cyclist   The Solar-Powered Human Rebecca Furuta, a cyclist with Team Novo Nordisk, attributes a large part of her long cycling career to being a multi-sport athlete.   "I'm lucky that my team is just as eager to promote my running, nordic skiing, and other outdoor activities as they are to raise my profile on the bike," she said.   While most of her athletic career has been spent cycling, she is quick to point out that, "…in truth, I'm really just a solar-powered human."   Nature makes the best gym. Said Furuta, "We live in a beautiful state with a great climate and endless access to outdoor recreation. I can't be happy sitting on a trainer, spinning circles to nowhere. I need to be outside, in the world, with all the experiences it brings," she explained.   Earlier this winter, she and two other cyclist friends decided to compete in a nordic ski race. It turned out to be a brand new, fun-packed adventure. She's been signing up for races ever since.   "Competition always appeals to me and keeps me motivated to train hard and measure improvements over time. It's always good to find new opportunities to challenge myself, and I'm glad I am surrounded by people who push me in that direction," she finished   For Paul Gallaher, one of the main reasons he is a recreational nordic skier is for the sport's well documented physical benefits; particularly for improving his cardiovascular fitness. "Nordic skiing helps my overall cardiovascular training by increasing my cardiac output and oxygen carrying capacity," he explained.   "Although climbs are much slower than cycling, I am still able to get my heart rate into the same zone as I would if were I doing a hill climb on my bike," Gallaher added. A nurse by trade (it's his second career) in Colorado's ski country, Gallaher extols the benefits of nordic skiing; especially for cyclists.   He said that he appreciates nordic skiing for helping to improve balance, muscle strength, and endurance. "Nordic skiing is incredibly effective because it uses a large percentage of muscle mass. Additionally, its low-impact nature reduces impact loading on joints," he stated.   Gallaher was first introduced to nordic skiing during the late 1980s when he was in college, but he had only recently picked it up again last year while enjoying semi-retirement. During his time as an Air Force navigator, Gallaher didn't always live in places where conditions were ideal to ski (think Florida). Even in Alaska, he could only ski during his lunch break if he wanted to ski in daylight.   Said Gallaher, "Thankfully, nordic skiing came back to me last year pretty quickly. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to do this on a regular basis."   Sylvia Bailey discovered skate skiing in 2019 and has loved it ever since. "Nordic skiing is a fantastic way to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the mountains while getting a great workout," she maintained.   For an active person who finds solace and spiritual renewal in the mountains, nordic skiing offers the escape she needs. Additionally, nordic skiing gives her a mental and physical break from the bike. Interestingly, there was a time when she hated winter, she explained, due to its weather making it very difficult to ride her bike outdoors on a regular basis.   She later realized that nordic skiing was one of the few outdoor recreational activities that she'd be able to enjoy during winter. "In 2019 I tried skate skiing for the first time and fell in love with it. Even though I was only able to skate ski a few times that year, I was hooked and the following season I bought my own equipment and went at least once a week," Bailey said.   During Winter 2019/20, she was on a roll with skate skiing (she had gone a dozen or more times), when it came to an abrupt halt on March 15, 2020, when the global pandemic caused ski areas to cease operations.   Fast forward to 2022, and unfortunately, due to recent surgery, she's only been able to skate ski a few times this season. However, she remains hopeful that the snow will last into April when she can participate again and find quiet moments of renewal and appreciation for her natural surroundings.   An avid mountain biker, 303 Ambassador Sasha Underwood lives for mountain time (the recreational activities, not the time zone).   "I primarily mountain bike and I love being outside in the mountains! So when there isn't dry dirt to ride on, nordic skiing allows me to still get my mountain play time in," she enthused.   In addition to nourishing her wanderlust, there are practical reasons too.   For a mountain bikers where balance is a key skill, there are other direct benefits of nordic skiing. Specifically, increasing a kinesthetic sense (body's ability to perceive location in space), and improving visual acuity (ability to distinguish shapes and details at a given distance).   Underwood added, "The benefit of keeping up my cardio endurance and core/ leg strength is a great bonus." A cyclist for 13 years, she began skate skiing about six years ago when a friend introduced her to the sport of summer biathlon (mountain biking and shooting rifles).   Hooked on biathlon, Underwood decided to enter winter biathlons (skiing and shooting) and quickly picked up skate skiing.   Whether nordic skiing or mountain biking, be assured that this mountain maiden always picks up when the mountains call.   Where can I nordic ski?   While there are some non-resort places to nordic ski, most nordic skiers recreate or train at designated nordic centers; many of which are found in Summit County, Grand County (Snow Mountain Ranch, Devils Thumb, Grand Lake)  or at Eldora near Boulder.   The Facebook group, Summit Society of Cross Country Skiers (SSXCS) is a resource that provides an engaging community and intel about places to ski.   Upcoming Guests   3/25: A'nna Sewall of Athlete Blood Test and Jordan Jones of Powder7   Closing: Thanks again for listening in this week.  Please be sure to follow us @303endurance and of course go to iTunes and give us a rating and a comment.  We'd really appreciate it! Stay tuned, train informed, and enjoy the endurance journey!