Skiing

HTA

Hi guys, just wondered if anyone had any advice on this. Planning to going skiing on the 22nd March (3 weeks b4 FLM)
As long as I've done all my training before hand do you reckon it will damage my race.
I was planning on doing a couple of easy runs when I was out there, then a couple of easy long 18 miles or so when I got back then 10 days taking it easy?

Obviously if I break my leg I'm knackered, but just wondered if anyone else was skiing and how they would fit it all in.

Iron SwissBobby

It is great it destresses etc. I did all my long runs last year after a day skiing in the mountains.

Where are you going?

HTA

Hopefully Livigno in Italy !! Supposed to be great - friends went last year - Also thought the skiing and couple of runs would be done at altitude so making them even better ??????? (God I've read some great trash recently LOL)

Iron SwissBobby

havnt we all !!!

[Deleted User]

I've done a couple off FLMs after going skiing about 5 weeks before. I didn't run while on holiday, and found running really difficult when I got back. I was achy all over, couldn't get the running action right, had no endurance. After a week of persevering I was back to normal and found I had lost no fitness relative to the level before I went skiing.

Speaking to friends, they did do several, easy runs while on holiday and found it much easier to start again when they got back. So this year, I'll be doing short, easy runs most days (provided conditions are safe) to keep myself fresh, and will try and do a lot of stretching exercises to maintain flexibility.

I'll aim to get up to 20 miles before going away (4 weeks before the FLM), and like you do another slow long run on return. But it does mess up the tapering pattern! I hope this will work.

Good luck with your training and enjoy the skiing.

[Deleted User]

I'll be skiing a month before FLM (as I did last year). I'll do a couple of runs on the holiday but probably nothing over 6 miles as I'll be at altitude.

Didn't really have any bad effects last took less than a week to be back on target

fat buddha

Just come back from skiing over New Year and not run since Xmas Eve until Tuesday eve - went off like a rat up a s**tpipe as I felt good but really flagged in final 1/3rd of a 5 miler but still beat previous best by 5 mins!!! To make you lot jealous - I'm skiing for 5 days at end of Jan, 5 days in mid March (my 50th b'day pressie) and coming back from that one for the Worthing 20miler on the 23rd! Going to take the kit though for a couple of short rune. Am I making this hard for myself or what to fit all the training and skiing in?? And then after FLM I'm going ski touring for a week at Easter - I'll need a holiday after that I think!!

fat buddha

PS - I guess you can tell I like skiing. and mountain biking. and climbing. just glad I don't have to run up the buggers!

Iron SwissBobby

Sorry FBF,

Just to make you sicker the ski resorts are 30 mins drive from my flat!!!!

By the by where are you skiing on all these trips.

SB

fat buddha

Ah SB - should have spotted by the name that you'd be in "them thar hills". Where in the Land of Nod are you? Most of my skiing is Chamonix (Grands Montets mainly) but doing the mid March one in the Pyrenees (Bareges) where we have friends - skiing not so tough, but very relaxed, friendly place. Will ski tour around Cham area but haven't finalised plans where to go yet

Chaos

Is it worth taking cross-country spikes/fell running shoes to run on snowy paths/roads? (with a pair of woolly socks or Porelles obviously!)

fat buddha

Wouldn't bother if roads were that snowy - head down the bar instead! What you really need though are a pair of Icebugs - new shoe from Sweden which has tiny studs on the sole much like some snow tyres have. Saw them in Chamonix last week and look superb, but you need to be committed to snow/ice running to justify them I guess. Take a look on www.icebug.se.

SwissBobby - have you seen these??

[Deleted User]

I have always found skiing to quite disturb my training for London- it certainly would look strange in any training program!- But if you get your long run done the w/e before it should be OK- but not if you try to fit it in after your skiing trip. Take it easy when you get back and when you get your 'running legs' back (this takes me about a week) do most of your taining at marathon pace including 1 or 2 of over 10 miles- this has worked for me in the past. Good Luck.
John