What is Wrong With Me?

Posted by on Mar 8, 2011 in Ski | 17 Comments

24 inches of new snow fell overnight.

I slept in.

But it’s worse than that. I chose to workout at the gym—the gym!—instead of touring. And what’s worse, I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent gasping and wheezing on the stair-climber. And it begs an important question:

What is wrong with me?

It’s true. I chose fluorescent lights and the company of narcissistic meat-sacks instead of this:

Little Cottonwood Canyon

But before you answer the question, let me offer my own explanation: I don’t race skis. I race bikes. And I was wholly and fantastically owned at the 2011 season opener. The entire episode served as a rather alarming wake-up call. And now, the urgency and nagging terror (I don’t like getting owned!) has caused me to choose climbing stairs, rather than climbing mountains. I know. It makes no sense. After all, it’s not as if hiking in the snow is exactly easy. It’s not. At all. Ski touring is solid mountain bike cross training.

But here is the real rub: tomorrow promises to be one of those classic backcountry days. Fresh, settled snow. Sunshine. And cold smoke. And yet… and yet I am still waffling and noodling about getting up to ski.

And so I am forced to ask—plea—what is wrong with me?

Help! Me!

 

17 Comments

  1. Bob
    March 8, 2011

    The ‘season opener’ means not a thing, as it is in March for gods sake, it is an excuse to go ride in the sun, the shake out of placings Saturday will look absolutely nothing like the results in the meat of the season, never do, with very few exceptions (alex g) If you fret over it, you may well take your eye off of the ball.

    • Grizzly Adam
      March 8, 2011

      I’m not so concerned about my placing, as I am about my time. I was 2+ minutes slower than I was in 2010. Panic? Nah. Just getting re-focused.

      • Bob
        March 8, 2011

        I was 5 minutes faster, but what does that really mean????

  2. Laidlaw
    March 8, 2011

    I don’t know, I would go see a doctor if I were you, there’s definitely something wrong!

    –Mark

  3. RB
    March 8, 2011

    Gotta disagree with Bob that “the season opener means not a thing”… why drive all that way for something superfluous? It’s a race, I’d want to race, but then I don’t understand dirt bikes and dirt bikers.
    All that said, I’m even more confused on how the stair stepper came into the equation. I would think skiing uphill (even more confusing than dirt biking) would be a more equivalent workout to cycling. Which brings me to my final point… lunch ride time.

    • Grizzly Adam
      March 8, 2011

      I would love to ride at lunch, but I don’t fully understand the concept of street biking. 😉
      And you are right. Uphill skiing is a great workout for biking. The stair-climber is the indoor version.

    • Bob
      March 8, 2011

      I meant in terms of a full seasons plan. For me, being fit for racing at the front in March is never going to happen. Part of that is my genetics and part of that is my philosophy of the fact that this is a hobby and as a 40+ expert, why the hell would I put 15 hours a week in over the winter? Many of my competitors do just that.

      So, yes, I drive 4 hours for 3 days a sweet dirt biking in southern Utah, with a number plate strapped on one of the days (ok, I forgot to take it off and rode with it Sunday as well)

  4. UtRider
    March 8, 2011

    Today was amazing at the resort, I can only imagine what the backcountry will offer tomorrow. You can ride for the next 8 months, but the skiing will only be this good for another few weeks. Do now what you won’t be able to do next month. Which is ski. I’m pretty sure you won’t regret it.

  5. Forrest Gladding
    March 8, 2011

    Why fight the seasons? If its winter outside do winter things, if its summer outside do summer things. I never understood why the majority of ICUP racers were during prime time snowboard/ski season. Hence why I never did them. At least when I lived in Colorado the first real race of the season was the Iron horse at the end of May. By the end of May in Utah the race series is over half done. It all depends when you want to peak. If you want to peak for the next few races yeah you are way behind, but if you want to peak for all that wonderful fall riding you are on track. I kinda agree with Bob, it doesnt matter yet. But I use to lay my season out in the spring time and try to peak for those races I felt were important, usually late summer. Is the next ICUP your real focus or is it the latter races??

  6. Kendra
    March 8, 2011

    I don’t know if any of these guys are your friends…You need to go to the gym. Skiing is not going to make you faster, and by the time the snow melts you will have at least 3 if not more races that will have passed. Do you really want to be pucking at Sundance again???? Pick one day to ski and the others for the gym, or whatever else you need to get faster–or do both (ski and gym). By the way I think a spin bike might work better than the stairmaster. I would be happy to save you one at the gym if you want. 😉 Good luck.

    • Grizzly Adam
      March 9, 2011

      “Skiing is not going to make you faster”

      Maybe. Maybe not. But Bart Gillespie, Dave Wiens, Matt Shriver, and a host of others might disagree. But as I said, skinning up a snowy mountain for 90-120 minutes isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

      • Kendra
        March 9, 2011

        Oh Adam, that was your poorest excuse yet. I hate to be harsh, but you are not Bart Gillespie, Dave Wiens, or Matt Shriver. So this means you must work hard to get to where you want to be. And no skiing is not easy, but it will not make you faster.

        • Grizzly Adam
          March 9, 2011

          No, I’m not them. But I am part of the “host of others.”

  7. rabidrunner
    March 8, 2011

    Um. This was not good for me to ready today. I woke up and closed the blinds, then proceeded to fill myself with sorry, because the life I have. (I’m a stay-at-home mom with a part-time job, who has an ailing mother who needs assistance twice-weekly. I must also walk up-hill both ways to do the laundry, and grow my own food because my Spouse is so mean.) A powder day for me is nothing short of a miracle, and I’ve yet to have one this year. Then I read about people like you, who toss it aside, knowing full well that they can do it again in a few days. Shame, shame, shame.

    We should trade places one day. Then you can close the blinds and cry. After which you’ll force yourself to that gymnasium to do stairs because they have babysitting.

    Speaking of babysitting, my little ski buddy has this saying: “Utah. The greatest snow on earth — as long as you have a sitter.”

    • Grizzly Adam
      March 9, 2011

      We are not so unlike each other. I have kids (5!), a wife (God bless her) and a full-time job. I ski a lot (not as much as others in my shoes however). But most of those days start at 4:30AM, and are over with by 9. And even in the backcountry, a powder day is nothing to toss aside. I’d be happy to trade places with you… although your husband might object.

  8. Daren
    March 9, 2011

    Adam,

    For what it’s worth, I dilligently trained on the bike through the winter for many years like you’re supposed to but XC and BC skiied exclusively the last two winters. I haven’t raced yet this year, but last year my results were as good or better than ever. You’ll obviously need some cycling specific work, but I won’t pass up powder days just yet.

    Forrest is correct on the Utah schedule. All local MTB races should be pushed back a month. Starting the season in earnst in early May and wrapping up by mid summer makes no sense to me. Winter should be for winter sports.

    • Grizzly Adam
      March 9, 2011

      It’s quite worthwhile Daren. My own experience reflects the same result. Last year I had a great bike race season. My best in years. I never stepped foot into a gym, and I rode my bike maybe 5 times between December and March. I skied. And then skied some more.

      And oh, I skied today. Deep, soft, creamy powder.

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