Author: chetfehrmann

ITI 350 Update 2/9

chetfehrmann

Core stabilization at Uptown Athletic has been great.  A lot of kettlebell and TRX stuff. Low weight/resistance and a lot of different movements.  The key is keeping mobile as I ride that fine line between training enough and keeping myself from becoming immobilized for weeks. Every movement has to be conscious- from how I get out of bed and put my socks on, to how I ski and bike.

I’ve had a couple of long outings, practiced using all the gear, broke some skis, etc. Skiing 60 miles through the night at -20 something was a daunting thought at first, but I was amazed at how well my body adjusted back to it. I felt great the next day after a 1-hour nap in my car (except for the blisters from classic skiing 40 miles in skate-ski boots). So everything seems on track.

As the race draws near, I think it’s common for a lot of the participants to start questioning their readiness.  Do I have the right gear? Have I put enough hours in? Etc., etc…  I’ve gotten about half of the hours or miles in that I originally planned. I’m currently a little restless since I haven’t been out for four days as I let me feet heal.

Big Lessons (or reminders that we easily forget) so far:

  • A -40 sleeping bag is really, really cold at -20 if you’re sweaty
  • Question what you eat on the trail and at checkpoints- GI distress is debilitating. It’s the last thing anyone needs when pushing their limits in remote wilderness. (I’m even putting an in-line water filter on my Camelbak.)
  • A headlamp rated for 16 hours @ 0F with Lithium batteries will only last 4 hours @-20F
  • A headlamp rated for 200 hours with Alkaline batteries will only last 2 hours @-20F
  • Keep a set of handwarmers near the body to keep warm. Handwarmers at outside temperatures will only zap your fingers of any heat, not warm them.
  • Keep easy to eat food super handy. It’s hard to want to stop to eat if you know you have to dig through your pack.
  • The wind: making cold magnitudes colder. Block it from your face especially.
  • Back-up gear. If something can break, it probably will. Have a replacement or way to fix it. (It’s faster to change skis than to try to repair one. I’m bringing back-up skis and poles.)

16 DAYS TO THE START!!!!