Skiing on the web - NordicSkiRacer.com
Date first posted on eCommunity - 12
November 2006
For skiers of all levels there is a lot of really excellent stuff on the
web, and on an occasional basis I'll feature the most useful sites.
NORDICSKIRACER.COM
We start here simply because this
US
website is a personal favourite. There is a lot of well written content,
and it's all accessible without having to subscribe. (The site is
financed by advertising revenue, and there is no requirement for
visitors to provide email or other contact details.) The intended
readership is primarily racers, but they are "real-life" racers rather
than elite competitors. So if you are training for a one-off Worldloppet
event – or even if you just want to prepare in a structured sort of way
for your recreational winter week on snow - you'll find something
appropriate to your own level.
The overall feel is of a large club website (with a local focus on
Michigan).
But the content is not at all amateurish – most of it is very good and
some of it is quite technical. There is also some delightfully down-home
DIY stuff: for example on how to build your own waxing bench.
The site has been online since November 2001. It is the creation of Mike
Muha, who describes its inception like this:
"Although I had created a little
Palm Pilot database to record training sessions, I wanted to create a
web-based version of my training log. It would reside on my home PC, and
I could access it from anywhere on the Internet because I had "always
on" DSL into my home. I started adding training information so I could
keep track of it. Then I started writing about my training because it
kept me focused on my goals.
At the same time, I was
increasingly frustrated with the lack of information available for the
typical
Michigan
nordic ski racer. Where do we rollerski when we go on vacation? What are
trail and weather conditions? Why does the
Michigan
Cup site have so many pop-up ads? Why does someone have to go to a
zillion different sites to find Michigan-related race information?
The result? This web site.
NordicSkiRacer.com is an attempt to share training and racing
information with other "real-life" nordic ski racers, and to consolidate
information interesting to
Michigan
racers."
As you would expect from this, some of the content is only of interest
to skiers based in
Michigan
and the
Great Lakes
area. This applies to sections on local trails; local races; local
weather; a forum featuring items wanted or for sale; a forum about the
Michigan
cup race series
But there are also big sections with general relevance:
TRAINING:
This section is wide-ranging, and
covers nutrition as well as physical and technical preparation.
RACER DIARY:
The day-to-day training log and diary
of Mike Muha describes "the juggling of work, family, training and
racing of a typical master skier". I like this section. Muha is a "good
club runner" rather than a top athlete, and his personal accounts are
accessible and motivating. He has posted his own detailed training logs
as well as general articles on:
-
Getting Started:
Goal Setting
-
Evaluation: How
Fit Am I Anyways?
-
The High Level
Plan: Training Phases
-
Different Ways to
Determine Training Zones
-
How am I
Doing? Goals vs. Reality
ROLLER
SKIING: the
site claims to have the most comprehensive set of roller ski reviews in
the
US.
These have covered classic, skate and combi rollers; rollers with
pneumatic tyres; braking systems for rollers.
There is also a maintenance section about roller skiing equipment. Here
you can learn how to sharpen your pole ferrules, change your wheels, and
re-use old bearings.
EQUIPMENT:
In this useful section, ski kit and books are reviewed. Waxing is
covered in detail and new waxes are discussed. Heart rate monitors and
other training accessories are also sometimes reviewed.
There is an excellent section on building your own stuff, including
detailed instructions for DIY waxing benches, roller boards, pulks and
mudguards for roller skis.
Overall it is a good, honest site. Well worth adding to your
"favourites".
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