Easy uphill skiing

I am well qualified to speak to this topic-- I am an old fat slow guy who likes to ski long distance ski races.  I don't race the uphills, I survive them.
We will start with the guaranteed uphill techniques that can get anyone over any hill and progress to the speed techniques used by those racers with hollow bones and negative gravity potential.

The basic technique is the herringbone, the no-glide V stroke.  When the hill gets steep your skis turn outward and you stop.  What you have done is create a stable platform where you are standing straight up and down on your skis.  It is very easy on soft snow.  On icy snow you will need to stomp down a bit to create that stable platform.  Next time you are out skiing and an uphill gets too hard just stop and stand there in your V-zero and think how nice it is to be outside on such a beautiful day.

To move up the hill, stand on one ski and step up the hill to the other ski.  Poles are behind you and provide a bit of a push.  A coach can maybe help you a bit with exact angle of the knee and ankle, and how to get more push from the poles, but it is really very simple if you just relax and take your time.  You will get to the top.

With skate skiing the next variation is the herringbone skate also known as the diagonal skate.  Take the skier above and add a bit of glide to each step.  That means you go uphill a bit more with each step, so you take fewer steps.  It is a very good technique for very steep hills, and for days you just don't have the oomph to keep a V1 going.  There are also times on the flats when conditions are very bumpy or there is soft deep snow that the herringbone skate is just easier than anything else. 
The following skier shows what is also known as the "flying herringbone"  He is about to set his right hand pole into the snow and shift his hips sideways toward his left ski (driving with the angled right ski and the right pole)  He will get quite a lot of glide as he transitions and rotates toward the other ski.  The right pole pushes in the direction you want the left ski to travel.

We will deal with other uphill skate techniques at other times.  Those aren't easy.



With classic skiing there are two other techniques.
The basic technique is the diagonal stride.  With good technique and good wax you can get up many hills.  Conditions are often better for kick out of the track, learn to test that out as you ski along.  If the track is glazed or your wax is slipping, try outside the track.
The next transition to learn is the half-herringbone.  When you have some kick, but start slipping, angle one ski in a herringbone and keep the other in the track.  You will get the stable uphill push from the herringbone, while still getting glide legally on one side.  In classic racing you can be disqualified for gliding both sides of the herringbone, but not for gliding one side in the track.  It is a very effective and restful technique for getting through hilly trails.
I was unable to find a picture of the half-herringbone, but will watch for them in race picture sets throughout the year.  I would encourage you all to start looking at the picture sets on skinnyski.com throughout the race season.  We are blessed in Minnesota to have skinnyski.com as a resource.  In the old days when I was a young fat slow skier we would drive around looking for random patches of snow, or call the ski shops hoping for some info on a skiable patch.  Now, we just go online and find out up to date info.

Goals- submitted by Mike Bash

What are your goals?

Goals are a good thing to have when it comes to fitness. 

Goals help me decide what to do: of all the myriad things that may help me stay fit, what should I be doing?  If my goal is to bench press 150% of my body weight, a lot of running probably isn’t going to help.  If my goal is to have a better time in a 50K ski race, hours and hours powerlifting in the weight room isn’t the best use of my fitness time either.  By articulating my goals, I can better decide what I need to be doing.

Goals also let me know whether what I’m doing is actually working: Are my race times improving?  Do I feel better when I’m skiing up hills?  Am I having fun?

Goals also help me stay motivated:  I need to keep in front of my mind “why” I’m doing these things.  If my goals is to have fun, telling myself that helps me keep my workouts in perspective; if I’m not as fast as some others, I don’t let myself get stressed about that.  If my goal is to race well, telling myself that helps me keep the mental focus and discipline to keep working hard, even when I’m not having much fun. 

Goals can be long-term: For example, I may want to hit my 60^th birthday in better shape than I was on my 50^th (or at least arrest the downhill slide a little).  That’s a good goal, but it might be a little amorphous for day-to-day planning.  I may need to break that down into a series of smaller goals.

Goals can also be short-term:  For example, I want to have at least five quality work-outs this week.  This is a good goal, too, but I will need to relate that to a bigger picture to stay motivated after this week.

Be realistic and honest about goals:  This is where I often have a hard time.  Goals that are too high set me up for failure and disappointment.  I always try to set my goals high, give myself something to strive for, but be realistic about my abilities, my time and my other priorities.  I need to maintain a proper attitude about what I am trying to accomplish by skiing (having fun, meeting new friends, finishing a marathon, bettering my time, placing in the top 10, winning a race  .  .  .  the list can go on and on).   Goals can give me reasons to work hard, plan ahead, and give a sense of accomplishment. 

Rewards:  This is the fun part.  I like to reward myself when I accomplish something.  Not so much as an incentive, but as recognition for myself of the accomplishment.  I need to be thoughtful, however, about my rewards.  If I choose my rewards unwisely, I can set myself up for failure in the future.  Hmmm . . .  For example, if I ‘reward’ myself by binging on my favorite food, I begin to program my mind that I’m denying myself that food and setting myself up to perhaps crave it even more.  Or, if I get the new TV or some new video game, I encourage myself to become a couch potato. That’s not good for me. 

Instead, I like to reward myself with something that will help me continue on the path of pursuing my goals.  I might, for example, reward myself by upgrading a the equipment I use in pursuing my skiing or fitness goals or going on a long weekend ski or bike trip.

What about your goals?

Is your primary goal to have fun, enjoy the companionship of others in the Ski Club, and learn a life-long sport?  Or are you a competitive maniac, not content until you are at the head of the pack in every race?  Do you realistically have a shot at a top-ten finish, are you trying to cut you time in a 10K race, or are you hoping to finish a long-distance race for the first time?  How much time every week can you realistically devote to quality training?  Answering these kinds of questions will help you evaluate what you need to do in order to meet your goals.

Take the time to state your goals; it can make the season more enjoyable and give you something to look back on with a sense of accomplishment.  Be thoughtful about your rewards, too.  What will help you to become a better skier, a more fit individual?

V1 Skate technique

For citizen racers and skiers the V1 technique is the absolute basic skate technique.  Unless you can execute the basics of V1 on command, you will always stall out on the hills.  It's like being caught in the wrong gear going uphill on a bicycle.
Basic terminology- V stands for the pattern left by angled skis as viewed from above.  1 stands for poling on one side.  In skating you are moving from one gliding ski to another gliding ski.  Because you don't push down and back  as in classic skiing, your push is to the side.  The ski angle increases as the slope increases. Beyond the basic terminology, V1 is properly done ONLY when both poles and the power side ski hit the ground at the same side.  (At an advanced level, there can be some advantage to syncopated poling, but only after you have learned it this way first.)
The first picture shows the end of poling on the power (poling) side.
 The skier is stepping onto the left, glide ski.  Her left hip will push out and forward, ankle flex, knee load and she will then drive across for another 3-point power stroke on the right.
The next picture show the 3-point landing.   This is obviously a steep hill and she is not getting much glide.  Notice 1- she is lined up nose knee toes over the left ski. 2- first illusion, she is not stepping up the hill as much as she is driving her hips across the hill, gliding ski to gliding ski (draw a perpendicular line from instep of right boot to heel of left boot) 3- illusion 2  it is not a bizarre hand/pole position.  It is a double pole.  Your body position will automatically put your hands in the correct position and poles at the correct angle.  You will screw it up if you try to look like this.
The following sequence with commentary comes from xcskiworld.com.  My commentary in italics.
"V1 (aka--Off Set Skate)
Once a skier learns to V2 Alternate they will quickly find any kind of significant grade is pretty grueling in terms of maintaining momentum. Hence, the V1. Here the skier uses a slightly off-set double poling motion starting out almost identical to the V2 Alternate. The skier starts to compress over their poles, as in the V2 Alternate, but instead of quickly completing a double pole motion the skier continues the poling motion until the torso and trunk has shifted the drive onto the other ski. (See photo sequence) Then comes a quick pole recovery and drive shift back to the original side of emphasis. The off-set poling motion and the continuation of the poling motion are the primary differences between the V2 Alternate and the V1 (at least in a beginners eyes).
Here is a great look at the three phases of the V1 technique. Watch the lead skier in each photo!
Note- this skier's position has moved just a fraction past where the roller skier is.  The "start" of the V1 stroke. 3rd skier is just alittle past that  and is in better position, the 1st skier is twisting a bit and his hips will fall behind.
1) Poling side with excellent upper body compression and weight shift.
Note: his hips have pushed well across, knee is about to unload and provide power to get up on the left ski, but notice that his upper body is not twisting (much).  His poling power is in the direction of travel- uphill.
2) Lateral weight transfer with continuation of the poling motion.
Note: front view 1st skier similar to first picture. He is lined up perfectly on the left ski.  Also, notice the 3rd skier.  He is also poling with right side power.  His right leg will not come over to click heels (do a Dorothy).  Instead it will just slide up the hill to perfect position.  This is the skier it would be great to see the full video sequence on.  Also, he is not hurrying, and he is maximizing glide on the left ski, the only way you will get any rest on an uphill.
3) Superior weight transfer onto the glide side."

Keep skiing, hopefully we will have some hills available soon to try this out.

Steve

More photos

Mike Bash sent a couple photos along, which I couldn't get transfered, so found these instead--
This shows Christian Hoffman (l) and Mikhail Botvinov (r) both in wonderful balanced V2 skate positions. Nose, knee, toes.
The next one shows Botvinov in a very aggressive diagonal stride postition.
 Next is a Canadian skier, Robb Martin in a V2, what is very interesting here is the kick leg (r) position.  He is balanced and in no rush to bring the skis together.  Many good things happen when you do this.

So Mike, thanks for the idea.  Different result, but there are so many good pictures.

Just like this- Torin Koos from TokoUSA website

Skate technique part 1- double pole

But, I have such a pretty face!!

The hardest thing to learn with any double pole technique, and skating is all double pole, is to launch our faces unprotected toward the snow.  The best visual image I know of is to look at a ski jumper launching off the end of the jump, driving their face forward toward the ground- several hundred feet below.

In fact, we have poles that will always catch us and protect our precious visage, but somewhere deep inside us is that protective instinct that must be overcome- don't fall on face!

Starting, muscle memory and trust--

Stand facing a wall with your feet about 24" from the wall.  In basic ski position BSP bring your hands to about shoulder height. 

Flexing only at the ankles, launch your face toward the wall, catching your weight with your hands.  Do this repeatedly until you begin to trust that the wall will really stop you.  The wall is actually standing in for your poles, and all you need to do when on skis is to bring your poles up to the proper position and lean into them.

What you don't want to do, but probably will, is drop anchor--that is flex backward at your knees so your butt and center of gravity stay behind your heels.  That way you can pretend you are commiting your face to the snow without actually doing it.  I know you will because I see it in myself the first time I see myself on video every year.

Double pole variations-

Dryland double pole drills using poles are mainly power drills.  It’s easier to learn DP on skis. 

Dryland double pole drills without poles are mainly timing drills.  It's tough to combine the two.

DP skating drills are useful for technique training for classic, but there are subtle differences caused by the difference between one-footed and two-footed double poles.

It's easy to cheat and drop anchor with skate double pole because you are on one foot.  The emphasis on getting hip forward/high is crucial.

More to follow

Dryland drills

Ski Technique 101

For The “Un”athletic Skier

Making Gravity and Geometry Your Friends

Note: this is an edited version of the handout provided last week during our Saturday session.  The next technique post will be more specific about skate drills. 

Competent skiers have the knowledge and ability to negotiate all terrain

Safely,

Effectively and

Efficiently

under all snow conditions.

Dryland drills are designed to develop body memory to do these things.

Basic Ski position BSP—athletic stance or ready position is similar for baseball fielder, hockey goalie, quarterback, ice skater—any sport.

At any time, during any technique drill, on snow drill, or when out skiing--if you feel fatigued, sore or clumsy, STOP, assume BSP, think, and start again.

Drills will address dryland alternatives for

Downhill basic position—Alternatives for Safety (perhaps taking the skis off and walking down the hill.)

Effectiveness and

Efficiency

Level terrain BSP—

Classic/diagonal variations

Double pole variations

Skate variations

Uphill terrain BSP—

Classic/diagonal variations

Double pole variations

Skate variations

Basic Drills

Nordic hops—focus is on balance and technique.  Fitness is not the prime objective.  Spend most of your time on these until your balance and technique are locked in.  Competence with the nordic hop is essential for every skier.  It establishes the foundation for all classic and skate techniques.

Nordic bounds—focus is on ski specific fitness.  There are compromises to technique if you have not locked in balance and technique with nordic hops..

Drills without poles—improve balance, lower body technique and fitness. Direct transfer to on-snow technique.

Drills with poles—dryland balance is easier than balance on skis.  You can learn the technique without glide and speed complications.  Poles are never used for balance.  Learning proper pole technique dryland when balance isn't an issue will give you an edge in either breaking or not developing this very bad habit.

It is very important to focus on proper pole technique, getting the core involved in poling, having an effective follow through, always staying in control and in balance.  Be a nordic skier, not a nordic walker!

Basics about basic drills

1- Whenever you feel like you’re off, confused or clumsy 

stop,

assume BSP,

think about the drill,

resume.

2- Flat foot to flat foot.  Skiers never push off with their toes.  Runners have trouble with this. 

3- At a steep hill angle (dryland) it is very difficult to  keep both feet flat.  When that happens you have switched from technique work to training.  If you are on skis only the fittest and best (technique) can keep feet flat and skis parallel on a steep hill in classic skiing--or keep a V1 or V2 technique going as a skater.

4- Ankle flexed forward.  Always.  The ankle will have different flex angles based on technique, terrain, etc.   On uphills the tendency to avoid is to straighten the flex and roll the ankle inward.  The net effect is to "drop anchor" or shift your center of gravity aka your butt behind your skis.  Bad.

5- Knee drive.  Down--in the direction of power application.   This is easier to see in diagonal skiing- press the wax to the snow.  With skating, it is also down but the ski angles as you apply power so it seems like it moves to the side.   The knee “loads", like coiling a spring.

6- Forward “high” hip.  Your hip presses forward at the same time your ankle flexes and knee drops and loads.  This sets up the crunch, which is the source of most of your upper body power.  A “folded” waist does not crunch. 

Let's try something new!

For all who wonder when this insane weather will end, check out trail reports on
skinnyski.com. It is possible to put your skis on and ski until you can't stand
up within an hour of Minneapolis- at Trollhaugen. Hours are very limited, but
the Troll is often our only early option.
Saturday- November 13. Meet at Wirth Beach at 8:30. (Last week it was 9:00,
but we are trying to be consistent with the info The Loppet org is putting out.)
The plan this week is to start hiking first and do 10-15 minutes of balance and
strength near the end of the workout. I will still offer a basic technique
group at the beginning of the session if we have anyone interested. We will
offer "the basics" again as an option on Saturday once we get on snow but this
will probably be it on Saturday for dryland- unless there is a clamor for it.
Please- let us know if there is something you need or expected and aren't
getting from the program.
Monday- November 15. Presentation will be on sports injuries by Marian Delaney.
Marian is a top level skier with podium placement in many races including the
Birkie. She is also a fabulous physical therapist who is able to integrate
exhaustive rehab exercise regimens into an existing fitness program. I know
that for sure because she did it for me. Marian has worked with many of our
group.
Recap- last Saturday we broke into two groups, one took off immediately for a
full session of pole hiking- this group was composed mostly of program veterans
and led by Curt.
The second group focused on basic technique drills for about 1/2 hour before
heading out for pole hiking. We used some basic drills I learned from Greg
Weier who is one of the best dryland coaches around.
Monday- Kate Ellis was unable to make it but sent two of her Mpls Southwest
skiers, one her son. We had big fun on the tenth tee doing a variety of situps,
planks, supermans and then throwing dark colored medicine balls at each others
faces in the dark. Strength work is something too many skiers do too little of.
With each year and with the improvement in ski equipment, strength becomes more
important. For example, we are now being taught how to transfer much more power
into the double pole (all skate techniques, and all fast classic techniques),
but that is putting demands on the shoulder that many of us are not trained for.
It also rewards the work put into developing core strength. This skiing stuff
is a lifetime adventure.