CANADIAN MASTERS' CROSS COUNTRY SKI ASSOCIATION FALL 2002 NEWSLETTER |
|
|
Hello Masters It's still warm and summer is hanging on, but the
newsletter must get out to remind you that our ski season is just a few
months away. Just like we do every year,
we are hoping optimistically for lots of snow in our local areas.
Personally I hope the whole country gets tons of snow, so all skiers are
happy. Cross country ski enthusiasts do not ask for much, only enough snow
to ski on. Odd what joy a little frozen moisture can bring to so many! Other than events that will take place in your
respective Provinces this year, the
two major Masters competitions will be the Masters World Cup in Seefeld,
Austria, February 2-8 and the
Canadian Masters Nationals at Whitehorse, Yukon, March 2-8. I hope some of
you will add one or both of these to your schedule.
Details on these events are in this newsletter. It was decided at our AGM in Québec to continue
supporting our National Junior Team through the annual Ski Draw, so please
fill out the form you received and send it to me. All money raised will be
sent to CCC to assist these dedicated and hard working young people in
reaching their goals in cross country skiing. Now get out the skis and start waxing. I wish you all a healthy and fun season of skiing. Jack Québec Package to Seefeld
I have just been informed by Andrée Croteau that the AMSF in Québec, whose President is Léon Simard, is putting together a complete package deal to Seefeld. This is available for all Canadian Masters and will include Air travel, bus transportation and Hotel accommodation. All details of the package will soon be completed and made available on their website. This package will be departing from four Canadian cities. Toronto, Ottawa, Québec City and Montréal. Please check this out as it could be an excellent opportunity! Ski Draw
Once again we will continue with our annual ski draw showing Masters support for Canadas National Junior Ski Team. Please complete the form sent to you by your Provincial Director and send it to me. All money raised will be sent to Cross Country Canada Many thanks |
Masters
World Cup 2003
Seefeld Austria This years Masters world cup will be held in Seefeld Austria January 30th to February 8th. Actual race dates are Feb 2-8. One of the reasons the early date was chosen is to ensure maximum snowfall and ideal ski conditions. As I noted in the spring newsletter, the 1988 event in Seefeld was the best attended MWC to-date with 1,480 participants. Seefeld has for many years been recognized as one of the top locations in central Europe when it comes to hosting cross country ski events. No doubt this years competition will be equally successful! Note the registration deadline is January 6, 2003. Those of you attending please have your entry forms to me by this date! It is unusual that a small village with a population of approximately 3,000 could host a competition as large as a Masters World Cup, but they had no trouble doing so in 1988. This year the majority of the Organizing Committee will be comprised of a group from across the border in Hirschau, Germany, headed by Thomas Heckmann. They have a large experienced staff who are intent on making this years MWC another successful Masters event. If any of you require further information on MWC 2003
please contact me at any time. Seefeld 2003 Head Office Organizing Committee SC Monte Kaolino Hirschau Georg-schiffer str. 70 D-92242 Hirschau Germany Tel 0049 9622 18-201 Fax
0049 9622 18-425 e-mail <info@mwc2003.com> Website
www.mwc2003.com Information on Lodging. Tourismusverband Seefeld Klosterstr. 43 A-6100 Seefeld Austria Tel 0043 5212 2313 Fax 0043 5212 3355 e-mail <info@seefeld.tirol.at> |
2003 CANADIAN MASTERS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS WHITEHORSE, YUKON March 3-8, 2003 Hosted
by: Whitehorse Cross Country
Ski Club Race Schedule:*Monday, March 3rd: *** 20km freestyle ***Wednesday, March 5th:** 10km freestyle ***Thursday, March 6th:** 10km classic ***Saturday, March 8th:** 30km classic (under 70) , 20km classic (over 70)
*** (in conjunction with Loppet)* Contact Information: Chief of Race:**Mary Whitley*867-668-2903 (whitley@yukon.net) Accommodations &**Tourism Industry Assoc. of Yukon (www.tiayukon.com) General Yukon Info:**Whitehorse Visitor Reception Centre 1-800-661-0408* Airlines:***Air North 1-800-661-0407 (airnorth@yknet.yk.ca) ****Air Canada 1-888-247-2262 MORE DETAILS
TO FOLLOW - WATCH FOR RACE PKGS. AT YOUR LOCAL SKI CLUB. *************************************************************************************** SO WHY COME TO
THE CANADIAN MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE YUKON ????? * we have an excellent trail network and competitive courses * we have a wonderful facility which includes wax benches, change rooms, showers & saunas, social area and restaurant and lounge upstairs * it's not nearly as cold as you think: (March 1st - mean min. at 7:15am -15C mean max. 7:10pm -5C) (March 10th -mean min. at 6:50am - 14C mean max. 7:32pm -4C) * in early March there are long hours of afternoon sunlight - most races will be in afternoon * it's relatively easy waxing in the Yukon (dry snow) * it's easy to get to the trails - we are only 4km from downtown Whitehorse * we have highly competent officials & have hosted many high level events - you will be participating in a very well organized event * besides the awesome mountains, northern lights and northern hospitality, you can enjoy activities such as dog sledding, snowmobile excursions, back country skiing * so you can tell your friends you did! COME TO THE YUKON -YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID! Yukon Director Mary Whitley has informed me that she will be obtaining a list of suggested Hotels, rental vehicles, etc for the "Nats". This information will be in the winter newsletter. Entry forms will also be included with your copy of that newsletter. This is the "Off season" in the North so here's an opportunity to visit a completely different and beautiful part of our vast country. |
|
USA 2003 National Masters ChampionshipsAnchorage
Alaska Feb 22-Mar 2 (an article
from the US Masters newsletter) The Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage and the municipality of Anchorage invite skiers from the United States to come experience the 2003 National Masters......"Under the Northern Lights". The NM2003 will feature three days and one evening of exciting National Championship race action at Kincaid Park (plus the Tour of Anchorage 25, 40 or 50 K marathon as a bonus to end the week!) Anchorage features an incomparable trail system and race venue with terrific snow conditions at sea level, all surrounded by stunning mountain vistas including Mt. Mckinley. There will be social events and prize drawings throughout the week. Besides racing, you can also enjoy nearby back country or downhill skiing, watch the start of the Iditarod or just take in the attractions of Alaska's largest city. This is the perfect chance to take the trip of a lifetime up to the great white north! Complete information will be available on <xcskiworld.com> Ed. note: It is purely coincidental that the USA Masters and our own "Nats" are both happening this year in the "Great White North" However, as in the past, here is a close relationship between Master Cross Country Ski Associations in both our countries, Should any Canadian members have the strength and desire to also participate in the USA Nats, they are welcome. That invitation is also extended to USA Masters to join us at Whitehorse. Jack |
|
Masters in Québec 2002/03
The AMSF has a full schedule of training and skiing
planned for the upcoming season. The following is a list of events sent to
me by Jean-Yves Babin, Director for Québec. 1. Training camp: The 12th edition of training camp
will take place from 5th to 8th December at Forest Momorency. This year
the cost for the camp is $100 plus $60
per day for board. For
the first time if space permits, the camp will be open to non-members, but
they will have to pay $30 extra and will automatically become a member of
AMSF. 2. Circuit des couleurs: Like in past years AMSF are partnership in organizing 6 cross-country races with points accumulation system for Masters. 15 sept. x-country "La Balade" (St. Jean Chrisostome) 22 sept. 10K roller ski (Laval University) 28 sept. Climbing MSA (Mt. Ste. Anne) 12 Oct. x-country Plains of Abraham (Québec 19 Oct. x-country Castor Kanik (Valcartier) 27 Oct.
x-country club Nordique MSA (Mt. Ste Anne) 3. Circuit
des Maîtres AMSF-Taiga: This
event consists of 9 loppets with a system of points accumulation by 10
year categories for the Masters. 19 Jan Loppet Levis-Mirepoix (Plains of Abraham) 25 Jan Loppet Rimouski (Rimouski) 1-2 Feb Loppet Mt Ste. Anne 9 Feb Loppet Orford (Mt. Orford) 15-16 Feb Loppet Keskinada 8 Mar Loppet Camp-Mercier 15 Mar
Loppet Tour du momt Valin All these races except Levis-Mirepoix (15K) are
between 25 and 50K in distance. As you can see cross-country is alive and prospering in Québec. Many thanks go out to Léon Simard (President of AMSF) and all his executive for their hard work and dedication. Have a great season folks. |
|
Many thanks Québec for MWC 2002
Many of you will remember Dirk's great item in the spring newsletter on his very positive impression of the Masters World Cup 2002 in Québec. This has been echoed to me by many other Canadian Masters. Although a few problems occurred at this event (a few of these have also happened at other recent MWC's), the overall consensus of Canadian Masters who attended was overwhelmingly positive! For this we have to thank the countless volunteers, from the Organizing Committee people who started this happening several years ago, right down to the people I remember most, the one's who spent much of their time outside in the snow/rain, etc. It's difficult to forget pulling into a parking lot at Valcartier early on a cool morning and getting smiles and hello's from people who will spend many long hours of their valuable time directing traffic and cheerfully answering questions. My sincere thanks go out to all of you in the Québec region who in any way helped make Masters World Cup 2002 a success. All of these people volunteered for this work, not for money, but because they have a deep pride in their community and wanted to show this to all who visit! Volunteers are the backbone of successful events everywhere! A noted and wily veteran Heinz summed this up very
well within the second last paragraph of this letter to Lise Begin-Langlois.......... Jack White Lake, ON, Mar 26, 2002 Dear Lise I have just returned from the Canadian Biathlon Championships in Valcartier, where I was a spectator, to find your letter expressing sadness about our Canadian relay teams disqualifications at the recent Masters World Cup in Québec. At the Biathlon Championships, the races both male and female, senior and junior, skied on shared courses of different lengths concurrently marked in 5 different colours! Follow your colour and you are going the right way. It's the athletes responsibility! At the Masters there were two courses with a possible three places to take the wrong turn if you didn't pay attention. Three places to pay attention? personally I found it easier to find my course than to find my way to the YMCA for the Canadian medal presentation! So don't feel sorry for us, keep your head up high, you all did a fine job. Here is my free advise to my fellow Canadians to help them in the future to find their way around the relay course. If ever in doubt stop and check - am I wearing classic or skating equipment? If not sure, check your bib, if the small number says 1 or 2 you are doing classic, if it says 3 or 4 you are skating. If still in doubt cross reference the emblem on you bib with the emblem used to mark the course, if in doubt press star...... Some of my colleagues might not appreciate my humor and say I'm missing the point. The organizers should do this and do that blah, blah, blah...I say bullpatties! We should know the course and stop being a bunch of crybabies. Go shake some hands instead and say thank you, Merci Beaucoup to the organizers for hosting the event. Imagine if WE would have had to give up skiing and instead organize the event ourselves. Imagine being the lady marshall on land 6 & 8 greeting us every day with a big smile, in spite of many sour faces - what if she and all her fellow volunteers said "Screw this, I'm going skiing instead". Thank you Lise for a great week. Blanche and I will be back for sure provided we don't get lost. Yours in skiing Heinz Niederhauser Relay team
selection at MWC's. This has always been a nightmare for team Captain's when MWC's are held in Canada with large numbers of participants, and to a lesser extent in the USA, but that will stop, starting now! Earlier this spring I contacted Provincial Directors and a decision has been made in this regard. As the relays are a short distance event, it would be great if team selection could be made from Tuesdays 10K races. However this gives the Captain very little time to have team forms completed and turned in to the OC early that same evening, especially if some skiers are uncertain as to whether they will compete. (in most cases your best skiers are "your best skiers" whatever the distance!) In future, teams will be selected from the "first two races" 30K and 15K, classic and free techniques! The first and second place skiers in the classic and free technique races will form the teams in each age class, male and female! Should any of these prefer not to participate, then the third, fourth place, etc finishers will be asked, until a team is complete. No longer will the Captain be running helter skelter at the whims of some, asking skiers if they will relinquish their position in the hopes of perhaps forming a more competitive team! The only time any change will be considered is at the specific request of a confirmed team member! I would like to once again apologize to those Masters who were involved in incidents regarding relay teams at he MWC in Québec. Thanks for your understanding. Jack |
|
|
A
few training tips. These were scrounged from a few
locations and condensed. Training,
"No matter what"! Regardless of the circumstances, there will be something that interrupts your course of training. Coping, maintaining consistency and relaxing are the first steps. 1. Relaxation is huge. One cannot feel good if one is at odds with oneself. Accept the fact that you have to pause in your training. (You don't have to like it). When traveling, think about your breathing, how is it? Are you still doing it? Meditation is not merely an ancient eastern art, it is the key to being comfortable as an athlete. 2. Compromise before you economize. If you have something to do during your usual workout time, reschedule some short workouts around your required event. Don't try to compensate for missed time. (that's why it's called "missed" time). Rather, try to maintain your level of fitness, find something to do! 3. Maintain an athletic state. If you are consistent in taking your morning resting heartrate, don't allow an interruption in training to interrupt your log. 4. Don't let your diet take a vacation. Sometimes very difficult to do. Don't let any interruption go on too long. "I just need another day to get relaxed" syndrome is epidemic with training interruptions. Cross-country skiers are a little fanatical. Be diligent and jump back in quickly. Hydration
Hydration is a big priority for cross-country skiers. As endurance athletes, we are all conscious of our diet and fluid intake. Many of us from junior racers to World Cup champions to Masters experiment with different sports drinks and recovery bars, and we all have our top-secret pre-race food strategies. Most of us, though, are probably neglecting one of the most important keys to maximizing our training efforts: that being the amount of fluid we intake during workouts. Many of us are guilty of packing the handiest water bottle with H2o and heading out for the workout, and simply metering that fluid out, or running out and "re-hydrating" when I finish. There are two problems with that plan. The first most obviously is that 16-20 fl oz., the amount in a standard bottle, is not enough for an extended aerobic session. The second problem is that water will not replenish the glycogen stores we all rely on during aerobic exercise. During 2-3 hour skis, at least one litre of sports drink per hour greatly enhances energy levels throughout the session. The fluid replacement is key in maintaining performance, and water will suffice for the less intensive sessions like technique training. Many athletes tend to drink water, and it does fine replacing fluid loss. However, in order to delay fatigue and maximize your potential during these more energy intensive sessions, it can make a difference to utilize sport drinks to replenish carbohydrate stores. A key to staying hydrated is finding a drink that appeals to you and allows you to drink enough during exercise. Also another gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight ingested within the first 30 minutes post exercise will enhance recovery. Here are a few simple things to do: Drink up before you go out, try to drink as much as you can. Don't wait until you are thirsty, start right away and continue throughout the workout. Sport drinks help for several reasons, the calories help prolong energy levels, and a good flavor can encourage more fluid consumption. Fluid is an important part of training and recovery. Maybe that fatigue you are feeling after your workouts could be just mild dehydration. Take the proper steps and you can train more, harder, and get more out of your training with less pain. All the best.
|
|
WMA Meeting in Lillehammer
Here are a few items of note... MWC2003 Seefeld. Presentation was made by Thomas Heckmann President of the Organizing committee. All preparations are on schedule.A few trail modifications were completed to comply with WMA specifications. Thomas asked that participants send their entry forms as soon as possible to avoid a last minute work load on the OC. Anyone going to Seefeld requiring bus transportation from Munich, etc please let me know their time of arrival so this can be relayed to the OC. Women and older age classes will start early on the
final two days of competition, medal ceremonies for these days will also
follow this format. Lillehammer 2004
The race format will commence with classic discipline on sunday and alternate throughout the competition. All future MWC's will see a change from year to year so as one discipline will not continuously have to ski on successive days. Off-day training - National Directors were asked by the WMA to do an item in their newsletters regarding training days at MWC'S. A problem that has existed for many years is the use of the racing track for warming up on days off! This is especially bad when a classic competition is in progress and free technique people are checking out their course for the next day and skating over classic tracks! Anyone wanting to check out their course will have ample time to do so after the competition is completed. It has been noted by the WMA that persons caught damaging tracks or hindering competitors in any way could be disqualified for the remainder of the competition. So please respect fellow Masters of all ages and give them an open track. |
|
New Director
I would like to welcome Alan Stewart as the New Director for Manitoba. He comes highly recommended by Andy Dwillow as a person with a great deal of interest in cross country skiing. Thanks in advance Alan for volunteering your time to assist our association. Thanks Andy Thanks go out to Andy Dwillow who has served as Provincial Director of Manitoba for the past three years. During this time Andy has significantly increased membership in his Province and contributed a great deal to our association. It's always gratifying to work with those who volunteer their time and effort towards making our Canadian Masters association one of the most respected within the WMA. Andy can now get down to some serious training. Thanks again Andy, all the best in future years, see you on a trail somewhere. Ski Draw
Once again we will continue with our annual ski draw showing Masters support for Canadas National Junior Ski Team. Please complete the form sent to you by your Provincial Director and send it to me. All money raised will be sent to Cross Country Canada Many thanks Masters ski suits
John Roberts has informed me that there is still a
limited supply of ski suits and warm-ups in stock. You can order these
from... Wilson Mountain Sports P.O. Box 194 <wmsll@telusplanet.net> Lake Louise, AB Tel (403) 522-3636 T0L 1E0 Fax (403) 522-2178 Best wishesOnce again I wish you all a healthy and successful season of cross county skiing. If any of you have questions, advice or anything pertaining to the Masters, please feel free to contact me at any time. Jack |
|
| | HOME | | |
lll