Notes from the Performance in Pressure Situations talk.
GO TIME!
Performance in Pressure Situations
With Kate Howe
• BEFORE THE RUN
• Rather than “I think I can” or “Oh Shit, Don’t Eat It”, perhaps a better regimen of solid performance tactics that let you feel “I know I can, this will be fun” would be helpful here!
• How do you want to feel? (calm, focused, happy, ready, excited, in charge…)
• How do you often feel? (nervous, in over my head, scared, worried, I left the iron on…)
• Things I can control (sleep, fitness, eating, training time, coaching, equipment…)
• Things I can’t control (weather, examiner, who I’m skiing against…)
• Worry Jar (write it down and drop it in, it will be there for you later)
• Pack your bag: Change of shirt: change of mood (can be change of hat, or whatever) Start Over clothes, food, overpack, ice, heat packs, tuning (diamond, gummy and know how to use!) etc. Care for yourself, honor yourself, create a home. Live out of your bag. Ipod mix: up and down, with or without friends.
• Start positive. Word of Power. Rituals. Learning your style: what am I? an amper or a sleeper? What feelings do you experience that aren’t nice? Log them. Induce the opposite. Michael: showtime. Kate, breathe.
• Words of Power: Remember, words of power are not magic words, or words that make you succeed! They are words that cue you into a place of calm command from which you will perform the best you can under the circumstances.
• IN THE RUN
• Stay positive! Don’t focus on CANTs. Ie: Don’t fall. Focus on short positives, that you can hang on to. Mental Worry Jar. Find places in the run to take a win. Be wary of things you’ve used in the past: “I can do this” can sometimes means the opposite.
• Gag Your Critic: Duct tape his mouth shut. This is hard enough without people throwing baseballs at us.
• Take Your Wins: Fight your critic (he probably came back to life) good jobs, out loud, words of power and focus. Examine the mistakes after the run. Look at failure as an opportunity to shine. Be proud of yourself for overcoming adversity. WARNING: wow, I’m doing really well at this, I should try it FASTER! No, no you probably shouldn’t, if you are an amper.
• Get it BACK if you LOSE it: Easier said than done! Wins along the run help. From skating: 7 jumps triple jumps in 2 1/2 minutes. No time for regrets. Worry jar concept: POWER RECOVERY WORD: Next, this turn, now, okay, got it, etc. Failure as an opportunity to showcase talent. Everyone knows you will fall apart if you fall. What if you win instead? What if a fall or mistake doesn’t affect you until after the run?
• BE HERE NOW: (before) meditation concept, grounding concepts, aikido, taichi, (in) deep breath, loving voice, recovery word or focus word
• What makes you MOST uncomfortable? Find out and make it your favorite thing. Camera, examiner, being stared at, hot skiing buddy. Going last, going first.
• FAILURE AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL: sus out your weakness and drill it into strength. Your strength is your desert.
• Use your Will O Meter! What do you have left? More than you think. Look again. Ask for more. Pay ATTENTION to safety and fatigue, please.
• Define your goal. Know why you are going there
• Identify and remove impediments along the way.
• The Will to Win is the ability to play smart.
• Focus = Performance. Learn to put yourself in a place where you are truly focused on the task at hand. Medative state. Aggasi. Tiger woods.
• Utilize your support group. Weed your friend garden. (make sure your support group is supportive!)
• Bring what you have, know when its time to polish.
• Bring YOU!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Go Time: Article #4 Welcome to training with Kate
From the book "Champions in Training" by Kate Howe, copyright 1992, 1999, 2008
Here is my welcome to my figure skating clients. The same principals apply for any client I work with on performance coaching in any sport.
Champions In Training: Welcome
Welcome to training with Kate. You are now a Champion in Training. You are not a kid who likes to skate, but a person who wants to be as good as they can at the sport that they love. Think like this, and who knows how far you can go! To that end, your job as my client is to ask yourself “How does this help my skating?” every time you do anything!
For instance, how does getting your homework done, done well, and in an efficient and timely manner help your skating? School is vital to your success, and you will never stop learning, even when you move in to an Olympic training center. You will have to do the SAME amount of work to higher standards with a tutor in small groups when you live in a place like this. Doing well in school prepares you for a time when you have fewer hours and more work as you move up in the world of skating!
Then again, how does sleeping in late, skipping breakfast, leaving your skates in the cold car and not knowing where your music are help your skating? I am sure you can answer this question for yourself: you are behind, rushed, concerned, forgetful, without energy, with cold feet, a lack of motivation and ability to concentrate, and without a vital tool your coach may want to work on with you!
Your first job as a Champion In Training (CIT) is to remember my golden rule, which I learned from the incredible tennis coach, Brad Gilbert (who’se clients include Andre Aggasi, just for starts).
“Your job is to pay attention to the things that you HAVE control over, and LET GO of the things you DON’T.”
This is the foundation that my entire program is based on. Everything begins with this principal.
Lets look at this idea for a quick minute:
Do you have control over how good your opponents are? Do you have control over how many hours they get on the ice, how much money their family has to spend on their training, what age they started skating and who their coach is? No. So once you arrive at competition, and even before, it does no good to dwell on these things. Skating is a solitary sport. One of the most solitary. It is about you doing what you love, and doing it to the celebration of YOUR spirit for YOU. You are not competing AGAINST anyone, just doing the best that you can do with the skills and training that you have. In this way, it is much like the discipline of Yoga, a solitary, non-competitive pursuit that is incredibly challenging.
Lets look at what you DO have control over, and think about how those things might help you blow your competition away:
What you ate for breakfast, when you ate breakfast. For that matter, what you have been eating for the last three weeks! How much sleep you get, how consistent your schedule is, how hard you try in your lessons, how much you listen to and pay attention to your coaches. How well packed your bag is! What if you are in a strange rink and its really cold and there’s no warming room?? Aren’t you glad you ALWAYS pack hand and toe warmers, have a knit cap or an extra sweatshirt and warm-ups in your bag that you can zip on over your skates?
Part of my job as your coach is to help you discover what is in your control, and maximize those things to your benefit, so that on reckoning day all you have to do is grab your well packed bag and head off to the ice, relaxed and happy, knowing that your only job today is to skate like you skate every day of your life.
Here is my welcome to my figure skating clients. The same principals apply for any client I work with on performance coaching in any sport.
Champions In Training: Welcome
Welcome to training with Kate. You are now a Champion in Training. You are not a kid who likes to skate, but a person who wants to be as good as they can at the sport that they love. Think like this, and who knows how far you can go! To that end, your job as my client is to ask yourself “How does this help my skating?” every time you do anything!
For instance, how does getting your homework done, done well, and in an efficient and timely manner help your skating? School is vital to your success, and you will never stop learning, even when you move in to an Olympic training center. You will have to do the SAME amount of work to higher standards with a tutor in small groups when you live in a place like this. Doing well in school prepares you for a time when you have fewer hours and more work as you move up in the world of skating!
Then again, how does sleeping in late, skipping breakfast, leaving your skates in the cold car and not knowing where your music are help your skating? I am sure you can answer this question for yourself: you are behind, rushed, concerned, forgetful, without energy, with cold feet, a lack of motivation and ability to concentrate, and without a vital tool your coach may want to work on with you!
Your first job as a Champion In Training (CIT) is to remember my golden rule, which I learned from the incredible tennis coach, Brad Gilbert (who’se clients include Andre Aggasi, just for starts).
“Your job is to pay attention to the things that you HAVE control over, and LET GO of the things you DON’T.”
This is the foundation that my entire program is based on. Everything begins with this principal.
Lets look at this idea for a quick minute:
Do you have control over how good your opponents are? Do you have control over how many hours they get on the ice, how much money their family has to spend on their training, what age they started skating and who their coach is? No. So once you arrive at competition, and even before, it does no good to dwell on these things. Skating is a solitary sport. One of the most solitary. It is about you doing what you love, and doing it to the celebration of YOUR spirit for YOU. You are not competing AGAINST anyone, just doing the best that you can do with the skills and training that you have. In this way, it is much like the discipline of Yoga, a solitary, non-competitive pursuit that is incredibly challenging.
Lets look at what you DO have control over, and think about how those things might help you blow your competition away:
What you ate for breakfast, when you ate breakfast. For that matter, what you have been eating for the last three weeks! How much sleep you get, how consistent your schedule is, how hard you try in your lessons, how much you listen to and pay attention to your coaches. How well packed your bag is! What if you are in a strange rink and its really cold and there’s no warming room?? Aren’t you glad you ALWAYS pack hand and toe warmers, have a knit cap or an extra sweatshirt and warm-ups in your bag that you can zip on over your skates?
Part of my job as your coach is to help you discover what is in your control, and maximize those things to your benefit, so that on reckoning day all you have to do is grab your well packed bag and head off to the ice, relaxed and happy, knowing that your only job today is to skate like you skate every day of your life.
Go Time: Article #3 Whats In Your Bag?
from the book "Champions in Training" by Kate Howe copyright 1992, 1999, 2008
This article will be shortly updated for skiing, but for now, here is how we pack our skating bags to give you an idea. Live out of your bag for a few weeks before a major competition so that your bag feels like your home locker room.
What’s In My Bag?
Can you control what you have in your bag? Yes, you can!
Your bag should always be packed by you with the following items, and checked before you leave for the rink. This way, you always have peace of mind that everything you need is in your bag.
Some people may think that this is a big list, full of too much stuff. Let them say that. They can control what's in their bag. Your bag is well packed for any emergency.
Tip:
For items you buy at the store and will need to replenish, like athletic tape, pre wrap, instant ice, and protein bars (etc.) buy several, and keep them in a consistent place. When you use one, restock your bag. When you put the last one from the pantry into your bag, put it on the shopping list. This way you will never run out of your re-stockable items.
Skates (preferably 2 pair, one old comfortable pair, one that is in the process of being broken in.)
Skate blades should be sharp! (See A Note About Sharpening, p.xx)
Blister Kit (yes, even though you’ve had your skates for years and they don’t give you blisters. Wouldn’t you be sad if you suddenly got one after your warm up and before your program and you couldn’t just sit down and FIX it?)
Athletic Tape
Moleskin
Scissors
Small Dr. Scholl’s Foam Pad
Foam Cookies
Towel or shammy for drying skates thoroughly
Hard guards (for each pair)
Soft guards (for each pair)
Extra athletic tape and pre-wrap
Instant Ice
Heat Patches (therapy patches for old injuries)(small box)
Hot Hands and Hot Toes x4
Your program music (all of it)
Coaching binder
Pen
Ipod or disc player, headphones
CIT Relaxation CD
Your favorite music – an energizing mix and a relaxing, calming mix
Something recreational to read if you have to wait somewhere (something fun and non-stressful)
Warm Ups (jacket and pants that can zip over your skates)
2 pr. extra tights, or socks, which ever you wear under your skates
thermal or warm long sleeved shirt in case its really cold
mittens and a hat
water bottle full of water
a good snack (or more than one, if you will be out for more than four hours)
luna bars
cliff bars
kind bars
bananas
edamame (cold cooked, or dried)
beef jerky
cut fruit, grapes, etc.
Optional:
Your favorite tea! (Always nice to have in case you need to feel cared for or warmed up. Lots of places will have hot water for you)
This article will be shortly updated for skiing, but for now, here is how we pack our skating bags to give you an idea. Live out of your bag for a few weeks before a major competition so that your bag feels like your home locker room.
What’s In My Bag?
Can you control what you have in your bag? Yes, you can!
Your bag should always be packed by you with the following items, and checked before you leave for the rink. This way, you always have peace of mind that everything you need is in your bag.
Some people may think that this is a big list, full of too much stuff. Let them say that. They can control what's in their bag. Your bag is well packed for any emergency.
Tip:
For items you buy at the store and will need to replenish, like athletic tape, pre wrap, instant ice, and protein bars (etc.) buy several, and keep them in a consistent place. When you use one, restock your bag. When you put the last one from the pantry into your bag, put it on the shopping list. This way you will never run out of your re-stockable items.
Skates (preferably 2 pair, one old comfortable pair, one that is in the process of being broken in.)
Skate blades should be sharp! (See A Note About Sharpening, p.xx)
Blister Kit (yes, even though you’ve had your skates for years and they don’t give you blisters. Wouldn’t you be sad if you suddenly got one after your warm up and before your program and you couldn’t just sit down and FIX it?)
Athletic Tape
Moleskin
Scissors
Small Dr. Scholl’s Foam Pad
Foam Cookies
Towel or shammy for drying skates thoroughly
Hard guards (for each pair)
Soft guards (for each pair)
Extra athletic tape and pre-wrap
Instant Ice
Heat Patches (therapy patches for old injuries)(small box)
Hot Hands and Hot Toes x4
Your program music (all of it)
Coaching binder
Pen
Ipod or disc player, headphones
CIT Relaxation CD
Your favorite music – an energizing mix and a relaxing, calming mix
Something recreational to read if you have to wait somewhere (something fun and non-stressful)
Warm Ups (jacket and pants that can zip over your skates)
2 pr. extra tights, or socks, which ever you wear under your skates
thermal or warm long sleeved shirt in case its really cold
mittens and a hat
water bottle full of water
a good snack (or more than one, if you will be out for more than four hours)
luna bars
cliff bars
kind bars
bananas
edamame (cold cooked, or dried)
beef jerky
cut fruit, grapes, etc.
Optional:
Your favorite tea! (Always nice to have in case you need to feel cared for or warmed up. Lots of places will have hot water for you)
Monday, March 19, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Saturday, March 17, 2007
For Women Only : Session 2 at Bridger Bowl
Whoops, sorry its sideways. I'm gonna leave it up like this for now while I upload the rest of the videos and then go back and fix everything that ends up sideways. Sigh. Lay down on your table to watch it!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Divisional Peition
January 23, 2008
Kate Howe
628 Starling Dr.
Bozeman, MT
59718
Jim Anderson
PSIA/NRM
Dear Jim,
I am writing to you to request permission to attempt both my Level 2 and Level 3 certification in the Alpine discipline in the current season. I am aware that to ensure a maximum exposure to a variety of teaching scenarios, students, and technical requirements, taking the exams in one season is generally not permitted.
In order to explain why I would like to attempt both certifications in one year, I would like to brief you on my history, present situation and goals in skiing.
Until 1993, I was a competitive figure skater at the national level. I have coached figure skating since 1990, but recently left the skating world to ski and teach skiing full time. From 1999 to 2005, I owned and operated Jungle Gym Rock Climbing Center, where I coached elite level competitive climbers, including top national junior climbers.
While I was at Jungle Gym, I wrote a series of coaching articles, which have become the outline for a book I am writing called Hard Head: Mental Discipline in Solitary Sports. One of my passions in life is coaching. I believe in an emotional commitment to your student, and that it takes a combination of an excellent and honed eye in movement analysis, the ability to coach a client into trusting you implicitly so that they can lay aside reservations and truly perform, and a never ending well of ideas and methods to lead your client to success.
Both figure skating and rock climbing demand a quick and accurate eye to find movement initiation, follow-throughs, finishing and stalling movements, and above all, efficient use of energy. Previous to owning Jungle Gym, I developed the first progressive children’s program in the climbing industry. In working on that program I translated all the work I was doing in movement and technique into methods that were effective, yet fun, for kids.
When I opened Jungle Gym, I took that program a step further and developed an academy for young climbers. We all worked hard to further develop the language of movement in climbing.
Unfortunately, 2005 was an extremely difficult year. I had a fire in my home and lost the climbing gym. My husband and I retreated to Montana where we started over, but I was resigned to a life away from elite competitive athletics – either as a competitor or coach.
Then, in the fall of 2006, while I was standing at the bottom of Powder Park at Bridger Bowl last year, waiting for my then-5-year-old, Ethan, to come down the hill, I began chatting with Bridger Bowl Snow Sports Supervisor Dave Evans. I mentioned that I had taught skiing in Northstar, in Truckee, CA (Lake Tahoe) years ago. Dave was excited and said, “Oh, we need instructors!” I was shocked, and immediately explained that my life could NOT allow me to teach skiing (“I have two kids, am overweight, out of shape and a stay at home mom.”).
Dave convinced me to apply anyway, and by the end of the week, I was a part timer. By the end of two weeks, I was full time, and by the end of the season, I had lost 35 pounds, and finally felt like myself again. I found out about the Alpine Demo Team in March of 2007, and began considering the idea of training for the team. I asked Bridger Bowl’s Michael Hickey if he would coach me, and he agreed.
Over the next several weeks, I met with my husband, and together, we devised a strategy that would remove the many significant hurdles to my goal of making the Alpine Demo Team in 2012. Two difficulties remain: the fact that at my tryout I will be forty years old, and will only have been in training for skiing for five years.
I am assisted by a team that is generous with time, energy and enthusiasm. I lived at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, CA while I was training for figure skating. I am used to hard, serious commitment, and understand that training takes balancing family and fun as well as hard physical and emotional sacrifice.
I am working diligently toward my goal by taking every training opportunity that I can. Last summer, I attended the NW Symposium at Big Sky, the National Academy, and the PSIA progression session at Mt. Hood, and hiked for snow all summer. This season, I am teaching full time at Bridger Bowl and taking training opportunities wherever possible, including trips to train with some Demo Team members who are generously donating their time to me. To increase training and studying opportunities, I have started a Movement Analysis Club, with fellow instructor and friend Shannon Griffin, where we and other instructors from Bridger (and hopefully Big Sky soon) get together and review video. These exercises give me another opportunity to fill in my vocabulary and continually build a visual dictionary of movement in skiing.
I recognize the value of a season (at least) between exams, and have an appreciation for the depth of knowledge that experience brings. I believe I can be ready to meet the level 3 standard. I am hoping that my fifteen plus years of movement analysis in climbing and skating will serve as an excellent base for continuing my study of movement in skiing.
My goal here is not to take shortcuts, but to maximize the time that I have available and train as effectively as possible. Because of my experience as a coach in other disciplines, I am familiar with fundamental movement, and I’m comfortable in teaching scenarios.
I have no illusions about where my skiing currently is, and realize that it is not likely that it will be up to the Level 3 Standard by the prep clinic. My hope is that with consistent work, it will continue to come up and be ready to meet the standard two to three weeks before the exam. I do realize that it is quite possible my skiing will not be at the Level 3 standard by the time of the exam, and if that is the case, I gladly take my notes and recommendations and return next year eager to carry on. I like to view failure as a diagnostic tool.
If you would like to contact Michael Hickey, Megan Harvey, or Josh Spuhler directly to discuss this proposal, please feel free, they are ready to talk with you about my goals for the season, and their feasability.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration in this, and please feel free to call or email me with any comments or questions you may have.
Kate Howe
PS. Please visit my blog which chronicles my adventures on my way to the D Team tryout at www.skiingintheshower.blogspot.com.
Kate Howe
628 Starling Dr.
Bozeman, MT
59718
Jim Anderson
PSIA/NRM
Dear Jim,
I am writing to you to request permission to attempt both my Level 2 and Level 3 certification in the Alpine discipline in the current season. I am aware that to ensure a maximum exposure to a variety of teaching scenarios, students, and technical requirements, taking the exams in one season is generally not permitted.
In order to explain why I would like to attempt both certifications in one year, I would like to brief you on my history, present situation and goals in skiing.
Until 1993, I was a competitive figure skater at the national level. I have coached figure skating since 1990, but recently left the skating world to ski and teach skiing full time. From 1999 to 2005, I owned and operated Jungle Gym Rock Climbing Center, where I coached elite level competitive climbers, including top national junior climbers.
While I was at Jungle Gym, I wrote a series of coaching articles, which have become the outline for a book I am writing called Hard Head: Mental Discipline in Solitary Sports. One of my passions in life is coaching. I believe in an emotional commitment to your student, and that it takes a combination of an excellent and honed eye in movement analysis, the ability to coach a client into trusting you implicitly so that they can lay aside reservations and truly perform, and a never ending well of ideas and methods to lead your client to success.
Both figure skating and rock climbing demand a quick and accurate eye to find movement initiation, follow-throughs, finishing and stalling movements, and above all, efficient use of energy. Previous to owning Jungle Gym, I developed the first progressive children’s program in the climbing industry. In working on that program I translated all the work I was doing in movement and technique into methods that were effective, yet fun, for kids.
When I opened Jungle Gym, I took that program a step further and developed an academy for young climbers. We all worked hard to further develop the language of movement in climbing.
Unfortunately, 2005 was an extremely difficult year. I had a fire in my home and lost the climbing gym. My husband and I retreated to Montana where we started over, but I was resigned to a life away from elite competitive athletics – either as a competitor or coach.
Then, in the fall of 2006, while I was standing at the bottom of Powder Park at Bridger Bowl last year, waiting for my then-5-year-old, Ethan, to come down the hill, I began chatting with Bridger Bowl Snow Sports Supervisor Dave Evans. I mentioned that I had taught skiing in Northstar, in Truckee, CA (Lake Tahoe) years ago. Dave was excited and said, “Oh, we need instructors!” I was shocked, and immediately explained that my life could NOT allow me to teach skiing (“I have two kids, am overweight, out of shape and a stay at home mom.”).
Dave convinced me to apply anyway, and by the end of the week, I was a part timer. By the end of two weeks, I was full time, and by the end of the season, I had lost 35 pounds, and finally felt like myself again. I found out about the Alpine Demo Team in March of 2007, and began considering the idea of training for the team. I asked Bridger Bowl’s Michael Hickey if he would coach me, and he agreed.
Over the next several weeks, I met with my husband, and together, we devised a strategy that would remove the many significant hurdles to my goal of making the Alpine Demo Team in 2012. Two difficulties remain: the fact that at my tryout I will be forty years old, and will only have been in training for skiing for five years.
I am assisted by a team that is generous with time, energy and enthusiasm. I lived at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, CA while I was training for figure skating. I am used to hard, serious commitment, and understand that training takes balancing family and fun as well as hard physical and emotional sacrifice.
I am working diligently toward my goal by taking every training opportunity that I can. Last summer, I attended the NW Symposium at Big Sky, the National Academy, and the PSIA progression session at Mt. Hood, and hiked for snow all summer. This season, I am teaching full time at Bridger Bowl and taking training opportunities wherever possible, including trips to train with some Demo Team members who are generously donating their time to me. To increase training and studying opportunities, I have started a Movement Analysis Club, with fellow instructor and friend Shannon Griffin, where we and other instructors from Bridger (and hopefully Big Sky soon) get together and review video. These exercises give me another opportunity to fill in my vocabulary and continually build a visual dictionary of movement in skiing.
I recognize the value of a season (at least) between exams, and have an appreciation for the depth of knowledge that experience brings. I believe I can be ready to meet the level 3 standard. I am hoping that my fifteen plus years of movement analysis in climbing and skating will serve as an excellent base for continuing my study of movement in skiing.
My goal here is not to take shortcuts, but to maximize the time that I have available and train as effectively as possible. Because of my experience as a coach in other disciplines, I am familiar with fundamental movement, and I’m comfortable in teaching scenarios.
I have no illusions about where my skiing currently is, and realize that it is not likely that it will be up to the Level 3 Standard by the prep clinic. My hope is that with consistent work, it will continue to come up and be ready to meet the standard two to three weeks before the exam. I do realize that it is quite possible my skiing will not be at the Level 3 standard by the time of the exam, and if that is the case, I gladly take my notes and recommendations and return next year eager to carry on. I like to view failure as a diagnostic tool.
If you would like to contact Michael Hickey, Megan Harvey, or Josh Spuhler directly to discuss this proposal, please feel free, they are ready to talk with you about my goals for the season, and their feasability.
Thank you so much for your time and consideration in this, and please feel free to call or email me with any comments or questions you may have.
Kate Howe
PS. Please visit my blog which chronicles my adventures on my way to the D Team tryout at www.skiingintheshower.blogspot.com.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Gear I use and Love
Sometimes I get some emails about what gear I am using and how I am liking it, so I've updated the "Gear I Use" section. There's more to come, I have some Avy gear to write reveiws about and some clothing, but for now, Enjoy!
All Mountain
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I'm on the Elan Magfire 12 with WaveFlex technology from 07/08, and I LOVE THIS SKI! It's heavy. It's hella heavy, actually, but I like that its a crud buster that way. Wide enough that its not a total torpedo, I hike in the back country with these in places like the Beartooths where you are just shouldering and lapping. Rob Sogard told me, train heavy, don't be a pussy and carry your back country skis if you are out for less than a day. Yes, sir. If I'm bootpacking, it's with my nimble little freight trains.
These skis are incredibly springy, responsive, I have sensation right from the tip, the transmission through the binding is outstanding, the binding is flat, not ramped, so it doesn't screw with my angles at all... I'm in a 164, and when I put them on, it seriously changed my skiing.
People have asked me if its the gear that did it, and my answer is, this is the first time that I'd put on a ski and didn't feel like I had to have a discussion with it. Or an argument. I moved my foot, I felt the tip and tail, the ski did what I was hoping it would do. Because of this, I didn't have to worry so much about my feet and could start focusing more on my other body mechanics, and made some serious movement pattern changes in a relatively short amount of time, which was awesome.
This is the ski that made me want to ride for Elan forever.
Race
I'm really really new to racing, and these are the WC stock skis, so... hang on to your hats. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bend or drive them, but they feel just as amazingly integrated to my body as the Magfires do. I demo'd a LOT of skis before going with Elan, and I have to say, I am a fan of the wave flex, I believe that it absorbs some of the leg numbing, muscle tiring vibration without reducing, and maybe even enhancing, your extended sensory perception of the snow you are coming up on.
Quick, nimble, strong, and easy to talk to. These skis tell you what you want. But its easy to give it to them, and the reward you well when you do it.
Alpine Boots
I was worried that this might be too stiff of a boot for me, and Brent, when he worked on them, did some magic to increase the flex a bit, but I have to say, I LIKE being in a higher performance boot. I have messed up feet so boot fitting was essential to me, but the sensitivity that I get not JUST in the bottom of my foot, but all around, combined with a stiffer flex was just amazing. I was comfortable and happy, but really felt able to put myself in a gas pedal position on the groomer and move through it, as well as lighten up in the skied out crud. I love this boot. And, you know, it's orange. I'd ski em if they were ugly as sin, but these are hot.
Protective Gear
I love this helmet because it is so light weight, I forget I am wearing it. I can fit a skull cap under it for those -22 days, it has a visor for sun and snow, which really helps, (although I have to perch my goggles on the visor when I'm not wearing them, which I'm not crazy about), but best of all, I CAN HEAR OUT OF IT!
POC does an incredible job with their R&D, really exploring impact and crumple, focusing their energy on having their gear absorb the impact so your body doesn't have to. I wouldn't ride in anything else.
Yeah, its a bit unorthodox, but this is the helmet that keeps the downhillers alive when they wreck, and although full face is controversial due to neck snap issues, I knocked myself out with a "glass chin" fall last year. This helmet is warm, breathes and will keep my brain in one piece. Which I'm grateful for since I just suffered a traumatic brain injury in my car. This is my helmet for off the ridge, this is the helmet I will take to Alison Gannet's Rippin' Chix camp.
Why the heck does lil ole Kate Howe need Body Armor? Because I want to make it to my tryout, and I wreck a lot! I'm trying to compress about 20 years of skiing experience in to 5. I end up on my face. I've seperated both shoulders, and messed up my spine in a car wreck this fall, not to mention old figure skating injuruies that make me feel like I'm 90. The armadillo like plating on the back protector is awesome, it bends both ways, the construction "heavy lifting" type belt reminds me to pull my navel towards my spine, promoting good skiing posture, and I feel better about my next big wreck.
I usually just take the spine protector off and wear that, but in my first two days in camp, I had the whole thing on under my speed suit, and I was happy about that when I wrecked on aforementioned shoulder! Didn't hurt at all. Also def. wearing this on days when I'm learning to do drops or other. Plan to spend a LOT more time in the air and on steeper terrain and in gnarly bumps this year, must bring my skiing up, so I am happy to be well padded! I just found out that there is now a cervical spine protector that snaps on to this, so I am excited to protect my bulging cervical discs with this new feature!
Gloves
This is a great glove, I've tried a bunch, my fingers just weren't warm enough in Hestras, and I've always had to ski in mittens. Not only are these gloves VERY warm, I was able to ski gates in them without any pole guards! Well padded, well designed for easy on/off but still a nice, snug fit.
EXCELLENT Spring Skiing glove, this has also become my glove of choice for shoveling out my car when it dumps. Just warm enough, sensitive enough to drive with, snug at the cuff... I'm a person who hates wearing gloves to do things like buckle boots, or any other tactile job. I like to feel what I'm doing. These gloves get it done for me.
I haven't tried the POC version of the Comp Mitten yet, but on really cold days, this is what I'm in. Very warm high cuffed, easy on and of, great suede thumb for snot soaker, these are pretty terrific mits, thin enough that I can feel my poles when its -25 here in Montana, thick enough that with hand warmers, I don't need undergloves.
Goggles
I've gone through a ton of goggles in the last three years with several complaints: face fit, field of vision, icing, helmet compatibility, range of lens use... Here are my all time favorite goggles ever! Huge field of vision, great fit (for LOTS of people who have tried them on), no icing issue... plus, you look like you are ready to be shot into space when you wear them!
And here is the high performance Goggle of doom: All-weather goggles with double lenses for those who demand good vision and durability in all situations. In principle, Iris X will never steam up, even with major changes in air humidity and temperature. Available in white, black, brown or orange. There is also a smaller size for smaller faces. Identical to the standard Iris X. Its true. I had a major icing/steaming issue with my balaclava and neck gator today, because of the frostbite concern, switched to these goggles and saw clearly all day.
Here is the beauty of this suit. It fits perfectly. Its padded. Its thick and warm. It comes in bright blue, which I was too chicken to get. And I regret it. I love this thing, it feels great, doesn't bind or ride, stays right where you put it, supports you protects you... And, in Ethan's words... it makes me look like the white Power Ranger! Which ROCKS!
My back country set up is amazing. I have K2 Shuksans (2006) at a length of 170. They are incredibly light and nimble, a very forgiving ski. The only conditions they don’t love are frozen crud, as they tend to skidder rather than want to bite. This also may have something to do with the fact that the conditions I don’t love are frozen crud, but it can’t be me… let’s blame it on the gear. These skis can float in powder, skim through crud, and even carve. I love 'em, and they let me cheat, which ain't bad, either.
My boots are Garmont MegaRide (26.5 mondo, but I think I will get my next boot in a 25.5) These things are awesome, high, light, soft to walk in, rubber soles … amazing. They packed out pretty severely, and I’ll have Jay re-fit them soon, as they have 4 or 5 remolds. The flex is pretty severe, buckled as tight as I can get ‘em, and not on walk mode, I can flex them almost to the furthest extent I can flex my ankle! This is one of the reasons I am going to move my buckles back a bit and refit my liners to see if we can stiffen them up a bit.
My bindings are the Dynafit bindings, which are super light weight. The DIN goes to 10, and I had them at 6.5 all season. I recently started stepping out of them while pushing hard on my skis, so Jay at Barrel cleaned them and upped the DIN. The bindings are great, I am riding them a bit hard for what they are meant for. They need to be hosed out after every spring ski trip!!
Everyone asks me about these bindings because they are so odd looking, and I have begun to think about what Josh said when he saw them: "Cool, but if I am 3 days out... can I fix them if they break?" Hmmm... The answer, after asking people who have had them for a few years is... take good care of them so you don't HAVE to fix them in the back country. The little plastic piece where you insert your pole to change the riser position is GOING to break. No matter how careful you are. I wish they were an ounce heavier and made of metal.
The package overall is unbelievable for the back country, it weighs nearly NOTHING, but I taught in this set up all season, and the loss of energy transfer due to the hyper flex, and the light tiny bindings on the noodle skis is starting to show in my ski performance in the resort.
Still To Come;
Ortovox Avi Beacon
Avi Probe
Black Diamond Quick Shovel
Black Diamond Covert Avalung
Osprey Spring pack
Black Diamond Guide Skins
So, I love this bottle. And its not just because it has the world's greatest motto on it, "Hydrate or Die!", but it is easy for me to drink a gallon of water a day.
A couple of years ago, Tom and I took the WFR, which was an amazing experience in and of itself, but one of the biggest things i took away from it is how many maladies are just directly related to poor hydration.
Unless your pee is CLEAR, ODORLESS and COPIOUS, you are dehydrated! Holy CRAP! Thats 90% of us. Headaches, clumsiness, heat stroke, malaise, poor performance, depression (yes, really, actual clinical DEPRESSION is affected by how much water you drink!) and on and on... My beautiful little nurse friend, Virginia, put it this way:
Imagine your vascular system is a set of pipes that can constrict. Now, dehydrate your blood a bit, so it is like sludge. To keep pressure in the system to push the sludge, the pipes have to constrict, because sludge doesn't flow as well. Now, you have a headache. So you drink some caffeine, which is a vaso dilator. Now you feel better, but in about a half an hour, you feel jittery and woozy. That's because there isn't enough pressure in the system. So your pipes constrict, or you go lay down. And then drink more caffeine. Are you sensing a pattern here?
One of the BIGGEST issues is with winter athletes, because we don't recognize that we are loosing and using fluids when we are cold. But you have to drink just as much!! This year, I am going to buy a Camelbak Sno Angel
to go under my instructor jacket. I wish I had a picture, but I wore my Isis pack on the outside of my jacket for the first month or so before Kurt had to pull me aside and tell me "you know, Kate, this isn't really... uniform." I argued it with him. It matches. It is Bridger Bowls' Colors! No dice.
So anyway, I use this great bottle, I actually have five of them, (so my kids each have their own, and I have two with me, one always has SOMETHING in it.) I fill it with ice, it has a straw, so I can sip without opening it or spilling it. I am sad to find out that the plastic has been discovered to leach into the water, which can be very dangerous! I hope that CamelBak comes up with a stainless Steel bottle, because there are few brands I am super loyal to, but CamelBak is one of them.
My Isis is an amazing thing, it is a women's fit backpack that has a 100ml capacity, and straps down tight, so I can carry enough stuff for a 26 mile hike, (rain jacket, emergency blanket, first aid kit, water filter, map, food for two days, sun screen, bug spray... hat, sunglasses, athletic tape, my wildflower book... yeah, its a lot!) and then I can strap it down tight and actually RUN with it. It's the best CamelBak I've ever had, and I've had several.
Ahhhhh... okay, so when I get home, I put on my very favorite slippers ever. Trust me, I have tried EVERY freakin' slipper out there. I am all about warm, soft, and barefoot.
Huzzah to Haflinger! At $60/pop they are definitely the MOST expensive slippers I've ever owned. But BUT BUT!! They are super soft, warm, dry, and DON'T STINK when you wear them barefoot all day!
Made of thick, non-itchy boiled wool, it's like walking around with someone hugging your feet all day. As you can tell, I've had mine for a year (I told you I was hard on shoes) and they've very accommodatingly worn holes in the toes where my poor big toes need to breathe.
FYI: my sister has the same slippers, and hers don't have holes, that's just me and my gnarly feet.
These are my Solomon XA Pro 3D XCRs from last season.
About $90, things I love: super light weight, fast drying, quick on and off, nice closure, cushy footbed.
Not so psyched: The sole lasted longer than the shoe for me! The shoe offered great support for the first month, and then began stretching out quite quickly. Now, when I close it up, I have to tuck the laces in because I have to crank down the shoe so much!
A fun shoe, great to run in, but if you are a serious hiker logging lots and lots of miles, buy two pair, or three, they won't last a whole season. (Well, the sole and footbed will, but the support just won't.) I'll probably give these one more try and see how this season's stacks up.
Okay, it's that season of the year when shoes become really really important. These are my North Face Gore Tex XCR's from last season. At about $110, they are a bit pricey, but well worth the dough!
Now, a caveat here: I am really freakin' hard on shoes. They have that new shoe feeling for me for about a month, and then most shoes are all compacted, broken down and just useless to me. I am also really REALLY picky about fit and comfort because I have chronic frost bite on both my big toes, whose toenails are always on the verge of coming off... so I'm hard to please.
And I have to say that TNF did it. They made my feet happy for almost 6 months before they started breaking down. These suckers are almost still goin' strong a full year and a half later! I think they have about 600 miles on them at this point, and the sole is finally coming off the last. I can also feel rocks through the compacted foot bed. BUT! They are STILL stable! Yes, indeed, they have softened quite a bit, but out of the hundreds of pairs of shoes I have run into an early grave, this sucker could take a re-soleing and probably last the summer.
They are a bit heavier than most would think they want (just over 1 lb), but again, I've worn lots of them, and heavier seems to equal bomber in this case. When they are dead, I am going to replace them with another pair by TNF, you can count on that!!
Now, let's test their customer service: I'm sending them in to see if they will fix the sole. Stay tuned!
Crap. Crap and double crap. I have had this $275 heart rate monitor for a year. The SDM (speed and distance monitor) only works accurately on a 100m track. So, not so much with the hiking.
The watch has a little guy on a bike on it, but there is no way to use the watch on your bike. I called Nike, they said, Yeah, we wanted it to work on a bike, but we couldn't make it happen. The newer watches don't have that little bike icon. Fabulous. So much for the TRIAX (triathlon?) training tool.
It works in the pool but I have to strap my watch to my bathing suit on the shoulder or it won't read.
The data is amazing and interesting, but only when it works, isn't corrupted or lost.
I have emailed and called Nike numerous times, and have never heard back from them.
Long story short. Don't buy a Nike heart rate monitor. It breaks my heart to say it, I want the new Nike Ipod+, but with the customer service (or total dearth thereov), I wouldn't dare spend a dime, because I know if something goes wrong, Nike's response is gonna be... Tough sh*t.
So, I'm in the market! Anyone have a HR monitor that does SDM, Pool, Vertical Feet, Total Calories, Tracks HR in and out of zone, and downloads info to your computer so you can analyze your data? Post a comment here and let me know!!
****
Update: Nike answered, and asked what they could do. I asked for my money back. I haven't heard back yet. On the plus side, I decided to buy a Suunto T6 with a GPS SDM! Josh Foster's recommendation. Thanks, Josh, good idea! If Nike ever sends me my money back, that's where its goin'!
Clothing:
Performance or Race Base Layer:
Skinz
Patagonia
Wool Base Layer
Pant
Shell
Down Sweater (!!)
Mid Layers:
Mountain hardware
Sugoi
Smart Wool
Boot Heaters:
Thermic Systems
Skiing Gear:
All Mountain
Elan Magfire 12 07/08 164
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I'm on the Elan Magfire 12 with WaveFlex technology from 07/08, and I LOVE THIS SKI! It's heavy. It's hella heavy, actually, but I like that its a crud buster that way. Wide enough that its not a total torpedo, I hike in the back country with these in places like the Beartooths where you are just shouldering and lapping. Rob Sogard told me, train heavy, don't be a pussy and carry your back country skis if you are out for less than a day. Yes, sir. If I'm bootpacking, it's with my nimble little freight trains.These skis are incredibly springy, responsive, I have sensation right from the tip, the transmission through the binding is outstanding, the binding is flat, not ramped, so it doesn't screw with my angles at all... I'm in a 164, and when I put them on, it seriously changed my skiing.
People have asked me if its the gear that did it, and my answer is, this is the first time that I'd put on a ski and didn't feel like I had to have a discussion with it. Or an argument. I moved my foot, I felt the tip and tail, the ski did what I was hoping it would do. Because of this, I didn't have to worry so much about my feet and could start focusing more on my other body mechanics, and made some serious movement pattern changes in a relatively short amount of time, which was awesome.
This is the ski that made me want to ride for Elan forever.
Race
Elan SLX 164
Elan GSX 175
I'm really really new to racing, and these are the WC stock skis, so... hang on to your hats. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bend or drive them, but they feel just as amazingly integrated to my body as the Magfires do. I demo'd a LOT of skis before going with Elan, and I have to say, I am a fan of the wave flex, I believe that it absorbs some of the leg numbing, muscle tiring vibration without reducing, and maybe even enhancing, your extended sensory perception of the snow you are coming up on. Quick, nimble, strong, and easy to talk to. These skis tell you what you want. But its easy to give it to them, and the reward you well when you do it.
Alpine Boots
Dalbello Proton 12 Carbon
I was worried that this might be too stiff of a boot for me, and Brent, when he worked on them, did some magic to increase the flex a bit, but I have to say, I LIKE being in a higher performance boot. I have messed up feet so boot fitting was essential to me, but the sensitivity that I get not JUST in the bottom of my foot, but all around, combined with a stiffer flex was just amazing. I was comfortable and happy, but really felt able to put myself in a gas pedal position on the groomer and move through it, as well as lighten up in the skied out crud. I love this boot. And, you know, it's orange. I'd ski em if they were ugly as sin, but these are hot.Protective Gear
Teaching Helmet: POC Synapsis x2
I love this helmet because it is so light weight, I forget I am wearing it. I can fit a skull cap under it for those -22 days, it has a visor for sun and snow, which really helps, (although I have to perch my goggles on the visor when I'm not wearing them, which I'm not crazy about), but best of all, I CAN HEAR OUT OF IT!POC does an incredible job with their R&D, really exploring impact and crumple, focusing their energy on having their gear absorb the impact so your body doesn't have to. I wouldn't ride in anything else.
Freeride Helmet: Skull X with Downhill Faceguard
Yeah, its a bit unorthodox, but this is the helmet that keeps the downhillers alive when they wreck, and although full face is controversial due to neck snap issues, I knocked myself out with a "glass chin" fall last year. This helmet is warm, breathes and will keep my brain in one piece. Which I'm grateful for since I just suffered a traumatic brain injury in my car. This is my helmet for off the ridge, this is the helmet I will take to Alison Gannet's Rippin' Chix camp.Body Armor Jacket
Why the heck does lil ole Kate Howe need Body Armor? Because I want to make it to my tryout, and I wreck a lot! I'm trying to compress about 20 years of skiing experience in to 5. I end up on my face. I've seperated both shoulders, and messed up my spine in a car wreck this fall, not to mention old figure skating injuruies that make me feel like I'm 90. The armadillo like plating on the back protector is awesome, it bends both ways, the construction "heavy lifting" type belt reminds me to pull my navel towards my spine, promoting good skiing posture, and I feel better about my next big wreck. 
I usually just take the spine protector off and wear that, but in my first two days in camp, I had the whole thing on under my speed suit, and I was happy about that when I wrecked on aforementioned shoulder! Didn't hurt at all. Also def. wearing this on days when I'm learning to do drops or other. Plan to spend a LOT more time in the air and on steeper terrain and in gnarly bumps this year, must bring my skiing up, so I am happy to be well padded! I just found out that there is now a cervical spine protector that snaps on to this, so I am excited to protect my bulging cervical discs with this new feature!Gloves
POC Palm Comp
This is a great glove, I've tried a bunch, my fingers just weren't warm enough in Hestras, and I've always had to ski in mittens. Not only are these gloves VERY warm, I was able to ski gates in them without any pole guards! Well padded, well designed for easy on/off but still a nice, snug fit. POC Print
EXCELLENT Spring Skiing glove, this has also become my glove of choice for shoveling out my car when it dumps. Just warm enough, sensitive enough to drive with, snug at the cuff... I'm a person who hates wearing gloves to do things like buckle boots, or any other tactile job. I like to feel what I'm doing. These gloves get it done for me.Black Diamond Mercury Mit
I haven't tried the POC version of the Comp Mitten yet, but on really cold days, this is what I'm in. Very warm high cuffed, easy on and of, great suede thumb for snot soaker, these are pretty terrific mits, thin enough that I can feel my poles when its -25 here in Montana, thick enough that with hand warmers, I don't need undergloves.Goggles
POC Lobes
I've gone through a ton of goggles in the last three years with several complaints: face fit, field of vision, icing, helmet compatibility, range of lens use... Here are my all time favorite goggles ever! Huge field of vision, great fit (for LOTS of people who have tried them on), no icing issue... plus, you look like you are ready to be shot into space when you wear them!Iris Comp
And here is the high performance Goggle of doom: All-weather goggles with double lenses for those who demand good vision and durability in all situations. In principle, Iris X will never steam up, even with major changes in air humidity and temperature. Available in white, black, brown or orange. There is also a smaller size for smaller faces. Identical to the standard Iris X. Its true. I had a major icing/steaming issue with my balaclava and neck gator today, because of the frostbite concern, switched to these goggles and saw clearly all day.Speed Suit
Here is the beauty of this suit. It fits perfectly. Its padded. Its thick and warm. It comes in bright blue, which I was too chicken to get. And I regret it. I love this thing, it feels great, doesn't bind or ride, stays right where you put it, supports you protects you... And, in Ethan's words... it makes me look like the white Power Ranger! Which ROCKS!
Back Country
K2 Shucksan
Garmont Mega Ride
Dynafit Binding
Everyone asks me about these bindings because they are so odd looking, and I have begun to think about what Josh said when he saw them: "Cool, but if I am 3 days out... can I fix them if they break?" Hmmm... The answer, after asking people who have had them for a few years is... take good care of them so you don't HAVE to fix them in the back country. The little plastic piece where you insert your pole to change the riser position is GOING to break. No matter how careful you are. I wish they were an ounce heavier and made of metal.
The package overall is unbelievable for the back country, it weighs nearly NOTHING, but I taught in this set up all season, and the loss of energy transfer due to the hyper flex, and the light tiny bindings on the noodle skis is starting to show in my ski performance in the resort.
Still To Come;
Ortovox Avi Beacon
Avi Probe
Black Diamond Quick Shovel
Black Diamond Covert Avalung
Osprey Spring pack
Black Diamond Guide Skins
Training Gear
Hydration Systems: CamelBak Bottle, CamelBak Isis
A couple of years ago, Tom and I took the WFR, which was an amazing experience in and of itself, but one of the biggest things i took away from it is how many maladies are just directly related to poor hydration.
Unless your pee is CLEAR, ODORLESS and COPIOUS, you are dehydrated! Holy CRAP! Thats 90% of us. Headaches, clumsiness, heat stroke, malaise, poor performance, depression (yes, really, actual clinical DEPRESSION is affected by how much water you drink!) and on and on... My beautiful little nurse friend, Virginia, put it this way:
One of the BIGGEST issues is with winter athletes, because we don't recognize that we are loosing and using fluids when we are cold. But you have to drink just as much!! This year, I am going to buy a Camelbak Sno Angel
So anyway, I use this great bottle, I actually have five of them, (so my kids each have their own, and I have two with me, one always has SOMETHING in it.) I fill it with ice, it has a straw, so I can sip without opening it or spilling it. I am sad to find out that the plastic has been discovered to leach into the water, which can be very dangerous! I hope that CamelBak comes up with a stainless Steel bottle, because there are few brands I am super loyal to, but CamelBak is one of them.
My Isis is an amazing thing, it is a women's fit backpack that has a 100ml capacity, and straps down tight, so I can carry enough stuff for a 26 mile hike, (rain jacket, emergency blanket, first aid kit, water filter, map, food for two days, sun screen, bug spray... hat, sunglasses, athletic tape, my wildflower book... yeah, its a lot!) and then I can strap it down tight and actually RUN with it. It's the best CamelBak I've ever had, and I've had several.
Haflinger Wool Slippers
Huzzah to Haflinger! At $60/pop they are definitely the MOST expensive slippers I've ever owned. But BUT BUT!! They are super soft, warm, dry, and DON'T STINK when you wear them barefoot all day!
FYI: my sister has the same slippers, and hers don't have holes, that's just me and my gnarly feet.
Training Gear:
Solomon XA Pro 3D XCR trail running shoe
About $90, things I love: super light weight, fast drying, quick on and off, nice closure, cushy footbed.
Not so psyched: The sole lasted longer than the shoe for me! The shoe offered great support for the first month, and then began stretching out quite quickly. Now, when I close it up, I have to tuck the laces in because I have to crank down the shoe so much!
A fun shoe, great to run in, but if you are a serious hiker logging lots and lots of miles, buy two pair, or three, they won't last a whole season. (Well, the sole and footbed will, but the support just won't.) I'll probably give these one more try and see how this season's stacks up.
The North Face Gore Tex XCR Trail Running Shoe
Now, a caveat here: I am really freakin' hard on shoes. They have that new shoe feeling for me for about a month, and then most shoes are all compacted, broken down and just useless to me. I am also really REALLY picky about fit and comfort because I have chronic frost bite on both my big toes, whose toenails are always on the verge of coming off... so I'm hard to please.
And I have to say that TNF did it. They made my feet happy for almost 6 months before they started breaking down. These suckers are almost still goin' strong a full year and a half later! I think they have about 600 miles on them at this point, and the sole is finally coming off the last. I can also feel rocks through the compacted foot bed. BUT! They are STILL stable! Yes, indeed, they have softened quite a bit, but out of the hundreds of pairs of shoes I have run into an early grave, this sucker could take a re-soleing and probably last the summer.
They are a bit heavier than most would think they want (just over 1 lb), but again, I've worn lots of them, and heavier seems to equal bomber in this case. When they are dead, I am going to replace them with another pair by TNF, you can count on that!!
Now, let's test their customer service: I'm sending them in to see if they will fix the sole. Stay tuned!
Nike Triax Elite HRM/SDM
The watch has a little guy on a bike on it, but there is no way to use the watch on your bike. I called Nike, they said, Yeah, we wanted it to work on a bike, but we couldn't make it happen. The newer watches don't have that little bike icon. Fabulous. So much for the TRIAX (triathlon?) training tool.
It works in the pool but I have to strap my watch to my bathing suit on the shoulder or it won't read.
The data is amazing and interesting, but only when it works, isn't corrupted or lost.
I have emailed and called Nike numerous times, and have never heard back from them.
Long story short. Don't buy a Nike heart rate monitor. It breaks my heart to say it, I want the new Nike Ipod+, but with the customer service (or total dearth thereov), I wouldn't dare spend a dime, because I know if something goes wrong, Nike's response is gonna be... Tough sh*t.
So, I'm in the market! Anyone have a HR monitor that does SDM, Pool, Vertical Feet, Total Calories, Tracks HR in and out of zone, and downloads info to your computer so you can analyze your data? Post a comment here and let me know!!
****
Update: Nike answered, and asked what they could do. I asked for my money back. I haven't heard back yet. On the plus side, I decided to buy a Suunto T6 with a GPS SDM! Josh Foster's recommendation. Thanks, Josh, good idea! If Nike ever sends me my money back, that's where its goin'!
Clothing:
Performance or Race Base Layer:
Skinz
Patagonia
Wool Base Layer
Pant
Shell
Down Sweater (!!)
Mid Layers:
Mountain hardware
Sugoi
Smart Wool
Boot Heaters:
Thermic Systems
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Bio Mechanics Blog
Tuesday Dec 16, 2008
Doing a better job with my left QL, but hate being sedentary. Feel like I'm eating a lot today, but I'm hungry. Haven't been outside in three days and feel like I'm climbing the walls. Back feels better sitting in my yellow chair in front of the fire, but probably due to elaborate pillow system and giant ice pack I sit on. Am certainly sitting in a big, relaxed C, with my sits bones close to the front of the chair, and my spine curled. Been tired tired tired for the last three days, think I've got Bodhi's cold. Just want to get out and climb up something steep.
Monday, Dec 15, 2008
Wrecked tired today, can't seem to get my posture back. Spent some time on the balance ball today, notice that my tendency is to pooch my butt out and be long legged, I need to lower my center of gravity, relax my shoulders, and let the ball roll, just like slack lining, the item I'm standing on is going to move. I need to let it do so in order to reduce the movement. I love that acceptance and mindfulness of the object behaving as the object will allows the movement to calm down and my mind to step out of the way of my body, so i am just observing myself on the ball or board or line.
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008
-22 degrees and the snow was KILLER. Only five runs on some screamin groomers, trying to be mindful of a strong inside half, moving my inside hip forward while keeping my head from rising as I shift weight from turn to turn, feels good. Alex mentioned that I'm not moving across my platform as aggressively as I could, and I'm not surprised, after booting out so many times the other day, I do feel myself holding back. Changed feet into GS skis to see if a change of sidecut would be distracting enough to force me to focus on the subtle core movement, and it worked, femurs rotated into the turn, met the critical edge angle, but I'm still static at the bottom of the turn. Got em up on edge much further than before, but these were BIG turns, so had to be super mindful of my center of mass traveling through the arc described by my feet, while keeping pressure on the outside ski. Managed not to lighten and diverge, was very mindful of the chair exercise I'd done with Megan. I'm happy with my carving skills, need to get them in front of an examiner and see what they say.
Keeping my belly button pulled up to my spine and my shoulders slightly rounded is so hard for me, but I notice that when I have the core functioning like that, I can hit any compression and I feel stable. It also keeps my tail bone tucked, which limits lateral range of motion in a way that I like a lot, I feel much more stable on my outside edge of my inside ski in the bottom third of the turn, where forces are accelerating. Must school left hand not to drop down and back, it unwinds all that functional core tension!
Saturday, Dec 13, 2008
Drove from home to Bridger to Big Sky today, and noticed several times in the car that I'm going that thing with my chin and my left QL again, not good. When I'm in the car, my pelvis tips to the right and my left QL is tight almost the whole time. My chin juts up and forward, I have foreword head posture, but in a slumpy, weird, pointed up way. Put a pillow in my chair, and try to pull my head back and down and actively relax that QL. No skiing today, pulled people out of the ditch (using legs, not back), and did a 360 and ended up in one myself. Ran around in the snow in my high heels that night, then had a MONSTER boot-fitting session from 8:30 to 1:45 am! Awesome to find out that my posture in my boots is MUCH better, I'm not reefing off my skeleton any more, not too much forward lean, so that's a big improvement. Discovered I needed canting on my right boot, to the outside, which I thought I needed last year, but there were so many other issues, we weren't sure. Got em' dialed this year, standing solid, pelvis is moving forward with body mass on rocker board rather than dropping down when I move forward, core is automatically pulling into proper position when standing in boots, YEAH! Belly Button UP!
Friday, Dec 12, 2008
School today, have a really hard time sitting in these chairs because my neck hurts so much all the time. Trying to stay off the pain killers so that I can feel my body and make sure that it is safe for me to ski. Focus consistently on health and training so I can be a massage therapist and a pro skier. Every day, all day, what does it take to stay connected to my kids, love and nurture them, play with them, make my body strong, fit, balanced, and ready for both massage and skiing. Every day, all day. Focus focus focus. My back hurts a lot today. Was going to go up to Bridger and get runs in the afternoon, but need to go to Dr.s Appts that I missed while I was at the world cup. Haven't done any PT at all in three weeks, resorted to meds, stretching, ice. Not good.
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008
OPENING DAY AT BRIDGER BOWL! Yeah, yeah yeah HECK YA! The snow was manky and thick, like setting up cream cheese, and I was on my Magfires, which I'd tuned the HECK out of, so we were sharp as all get out, which is good because it was fairly chilly and had frozen the night before. It's amazing, the snow was so different than Big Sky the day or two before, so different than the wet, low angle pow that we skied on Ajax in Co, and SO different than the iced up steep WC course I'd been on, and SO different than the glacier in Hood in August, I guess I've been pushing really really hard on my skis, which is fun, I like bending them, I love the rebound and the power and how much you have to focus on flexing and extending so you don't park and ride around the turn as your core travels down hill, just ahead of your tiba, but not too much... So I'm out there in the mank and I just got SPANKED.
I booted out right under the chairlift on Deer Park about four turns into it, they felt good, and I was super surprised. What is going on? I haven't had a massive wreck like that since JUNE! I was fine on the groomers, proud of the carving, skis were bending, there was one pitch on Deer Park where I let my mind dictate where my core went rather than crossing my platform with patient authority, thus tails broke loose and the turn was big, and of course, i gained speed... reducing turn radius at high speed is scary, and i need to work on it, its an essential task for tryouts.
landed on my face several times today, super contra indicated for the condition my neck is in right now. Finally FINALLY figured it out, after changing ski partners and skiing several different aspects, I booted out Three times on the same side... checked the forward pressure on my skis, of course, it was NOT that, it was operator error. So. On my turn to the right, when I am Left foot dominant, I am clicking out and am skiing away on my inside ski. What does this tell us, Kate? I am crossing the platform too fast, I am not pressuring the outside ski, and the move is too big and i'm pushing too hard. I wasn't listening to the snow. My forces alignment aspect of critical edge angle were off because I was juiced and psyched and trying to work the ski too hard rather than listening to the snow. What does it need?
Soften. More two footedness. The move was right, but too fast, I am playing too hard, not listening, the vibration comes up from the ski tip and warns you, even when you are shin deep in mank and having to twist hard to steer, you must cross over at the right time, not just jump and whack to the inside like you own it. Got afraid to get ahead on the ski, and started letting my left hand go back and unwind me, lost my strong inside half.
SO. Light. Patient. Strong steering, but slow across the platform. Listen. tight core! ESSENTIALLY tight core, functional tension, allowing flexibility and adaptive balance. School the arms, so you can move forward, the pole swing draws you into the next turn. All the moves are right, but you have to LISTEN to the snow. Had much better rest of the day, skied well, felt solid and happy, and light and free!
Wiped out, but had massage and energy work to do tonight. The massage went well, had to really focus on moving from my core, the energy work was better, but I tend to bend forward in my upper spine.
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008
Body Awareness in school today! Funny that I can ski all day and my neck and back don't hurt at all, but veil dance for a half an hour and i feel like someone hit me in the back of the neck with a tire iron. Must go after class and refill painkillers. Someone took my ice out of the school freezer, that sucks. I love the challenge of choreography, that's something I really miss from skating, I really love to see just how fast I can get my body to effectively learn a new movement pattern, and how long it takes for mastery. The problem is, sometimes I don't listen to my injuries while I am doing that, so i suffered today. Sitting in the chair, I was definitely aware of my spine's proclivity to collapse and slump forward. My erectors get so tight when I sit straight, but I feel comfortable with my feet straight and my knees at 90, that's ski training. I did manage to spend two years schooling my feet into the right position, and its pretty anatomically friendly for massage, luckily!!
Tuesday, Dec 9, 2008
Skied Big Sky today with Chris Jones, an examiner in our division. The snow was firm but not death cookie firm, the turkey traverse in the bowl was GNARLY and I haven't been on anything like that since last winter! One of the things I love about being in Montana and skiing with people who have skied forever is that the warm up run is, you know, in the steep bowl off the double black diamond traverse. Oh, well, I've skied it before, I know I can do it, but CRIPES, there were big drops in the traverse, and rocks, have to ski part of it on one ski, have to get some speed on it, because it goes up hill a bit... wow. Well, it was a good balance check, that's for sure. Thought a lot about getting tips to point back down, plantar flexion as my tips went off the snow, dorsi as it met resistance, through the knees, but functionally tight core to absorb impact without folding at the waist. I've never wrecked on the traverse (knock wood) but it would HURT and SUCK, so I feel like my mind is as wide open as it can be, I am trying to take in every single bit of sensory I can to make decisions a split moment ahead... the light was flat, the pitch was steep as all get out (okay, its not the steepest thing either Bridger or Big Sky has to offer, but its steeper than anything I've been on since June).
I forgot how much I LOVE steep skiing, and the snow was friendly, I could really push in small turns, there were some small bumps, no huge moguls, and I was thinking as i watched Jones just dance down them, okay, reach into the trough, extend into the trough, open into the trough, belly button, hands, reach into the trough... my body was crossing over well, I was moving into the next turn just fine... but I was moving slow, and that's okay. I had to actively let go of my desire to rip it fast on Jones's tail, because I'm hurt right now, and its okay to ease into it. I listened to the snow and felt good, prepared... we did three runs, and they were all excellent, the last one we crossed under the chair and got a beauty little stiff pow shot, which was fun, I opened them up a bit, felt the bounce, but worked the ski more than I had to, ah well.
Ran down Mr. K after, and really wanted to work the carving drill that Megan had given me now that I have a better understanding of critical edge angle thanks to Kurt and Mr. LeMaster himself (and his book!), and the angle was such that I was able to play with it at all different pitches, listening for over angulation and milking the turn. I showed Jones the chair exercise from the US ski team, which is essentially keys for a strong inside half, but which makes the transition portion of the turn much more seamless, and we worked it on a folding chair for a while.
Doing a better job with my left QL, but hate being sedentary. Feel like I'm eating a lot today, but I'm hungry. Haven't been outside in three days and feel like I'm climbing the walls. Back feels better sitting in my yellow chair in front of the fire, but probably due to elaborate pillow system and giant ice pack I sit on. Am certainly sitting in a big, relaxed C, with my sits bones close to the front of the chair, and my spine curled. Been tired tired tired for the last three days, think I've got Bodhi's cold. Just want to get out and climb up something steep.
Monday, Dec 15, 2008
Wrecked tired today, can't seem to get my posture back. Spent some time on the balance ball today, notice that my tendency is to pooch my butt out and be long legged, I need to lower my center of gravity, relax my shoulders, and let the ball roll, just like slack lining, the item I'm standing on is going to move. I need to let it do so in order to reduce the movement. I love that acceptance and mindfulness of the object behaving as the object will allows the movement to calm down and my mind to step out of the way of my body, so i am just observing myself on the ball or board or line.
Sunday, Dec 14, 2008
-22 degrees and the snow was KILLER. Only five runs on some screamin groomers, trying to be mindful of a strong inside half, moving my inside hip forward while keeping my head from rising as I shift weight from turn to turn, feels good. Alex mentioned that I'm not moving across my platform as aggressively as I could, and I'm not surprised, after booting out so many times the other day, I do feel myself holding back. Changed feet into GS skis to see if a change of sidecut would be distracting enough to force me to focus on the subtle core movement, and it worked, femurs rotated into the turn, met the critical edge angle, but I'm still static at the bottom of the turn. Got em up on edge much further than before, but these were BIG turns, so had to be super mindful of my center of mass traveling through the arc described by my feet, while keeping pressure on the outside ski. Managed not to lighten and diverge, was very mindful of the chair exercise I'd done with Megan. I'm happy with my carving skills, need to get them in front of an examiner and see what they say.
Keeping my belly button pulled up to my spine and my shoulders slightly rounded is so hard for me, but I notice that when I have the core functioning like that, I can hit any compression and I feel stable. It also keeps my tail bone tucked, which limits lateral range of motion in a way that I like a lot, I feel much more stable on my outside edge of my inside ski in the bottom third of the turn, where forces are accelerating. Must school left hand not to drop down and back, it unwinds all that functional core tension!
Saturday, Dec 13, 2008
Drove from home to Bridger to Big Sky today, and noticed several times in the car that I'm going that thing with my chin and my left QL again, not good. When I'm in the car, my pelvis tips to the right and my left QL is tight almost the whole time. My chin juts up and forward, I have foreword head posture, but in a slumpy, weird, pointed up way. Put a pillow in my chair, and try to pull my head back and down and actively relax that QL. No skiing today, pulled people out of the ditch (using legs, not back), and did a 360 and ended up in one myself. Ran around in the snow in my high heels that night, then had a MONSTER boot-fitting session from 8:30 to 1:45 am! Awesome to find out that my posture in my boots is MUCH better, I'm not reefing off my skeleton any more, not too much forward lean, so that's a big improvement. Discovered I needed canting on my right boot, to the outside, which I thought I needed last year, but there were so many other issues, we weren't sure. Got em' dialed this year, standing solid, pelvis is moving forward with body mass on rocker board rather than dropping down when I move forward, core is automatically pulling into proper position when standing in boots, YEAH! Belly Button UP!
Friday, Dec 12, 2008
School today, have a really hard time sitting in these chairs because my neck hurts so much all the time. Trying to stay off the pain killers so that I can feel my body and make sure that it is safe for me to ski. Focus consistently on health and training so I can be a massage therapist and a pro skier. Every day, all day, what does it take to stay connected to my kids, love and nurture them, play with them, make my body strong, fit, balanced, and ready for both massage and skiing. Every day, all day. Focus focus focus. My back hurts a lot today. Was going to go up to Bridger and get runs in the afternoon, but need to go to Dr.s Appts that I missed while I was at the world cup. Haven't done any PT at all in three weeks, resorted to meds, stretching, ice. Not good.
Thursday, Dec 11, 2008
OPENING DAY AT BRIDGER BOWL! Yeah, yeah yeah HECK YA! The snow was manky and thick, like setting up cream cheese, and I was on my Magfires, which I'd tuned the HECK out of, so we were sharp as all get out, which is good because it was fairly chilly and had frozen the night before. It's amazing, the snow was so different than Big Sky the day or two before, so different than the wet, low angle pow that we skied on Ajax in Co, and SO different than the iced up steep WC course I'd been on, and SO different than the glacier in Hood in August, I guess I've been pushing really really hard on my skis, which is fun, I like bending them, I love the rebound and the power and how much you have to focus on flexing and extending so you don't park and ride around the turn as your core travels down hill, just ahead of your tiba, but not too much... So I'm out there in the mank and I just got SPANKED.
I booted out right under the chairlift on Deer Park about four turns into it, they felt good, and I was super surprised. What is going on? I haven't had a massive wreck like that since JUNE! I was fine on the groomers, proud of the carving, skis were bending, there was one pitch on Deer Park where I let my mind dictate where my core went rather than crossing my platform with patient authority, thus tails broke loose and the turn was big, and of course, i gained speed... reducing turn radius at high speed is scary, and i need to work on it, its an essential task for tryouts.
landed on my face several times today, super contra indicated for the condition my neck is in right now. Finally FINALLY figured it out, after changing ski partners and skiing several different aspects, I booted out Three times on the same side... checked the forward pressure on my skis, of course, it was NOT that, it was operator error. So. On my turn to the right, when I am Left foot dominant, I am clicking out and am skiing away on my inside ski. What does this tell us, Kate? I am crossing the platform too fast, I am not pressuring the outside ski, and the move is too big and i'm pushing too hard. I wasn't listening to the snow. My forces alignment aspect of critical edge angle were off because I was juiced and psyched and trying to work the ski too hard rather than listening to the snow. What does it need?
Soften. More two footedness. The move was right, but too fast, I am playing too hard, not listening, the vibration comes up from the ski tip and warns you, even when you are shin deep in mank and having to twist hard to steer, you must cross over at the right time, not just jump and whack to the inside like you own it. Got afraid to get ahead on the ski, and started letting my left hand go back and unwind me, lost my strong inside half.
SO. Light. Patient. Strong steering, but slow across the platform. Listen. tight core! ESSENTIALLY tight core, functional tension, allowing flexibility and adaptive balance. School the arms, so you can move forward, the pole swing draws you into the next turn. All the moves are right, but you have to LISTEN to the snow. Had much better rest of the day, skied well, felt solid and happy, and light and free!
Wiped out, but had massage and energy work to do tonight. The massage went well, had to really focus on moving from my core, the energy work was better, but I tend to bend forward in my upper spine.
Wednesday, Dec 10, 2008
Body Awareness in school today! Funny that I can ski all day and my neck and back don't hurt at all, but veil dance for a half an hour and i feel like someone hit me in the back of the neck with a tire iron. Must go after class and refill painkillers. Someone took my ice out of the school freezer, that sucks. I love the challenge of choreography, that's something I really miss from skating, I really love to see just how fast I can get my body to effectively learn a new movement pattern, and how long it takes for mastery. The problem is, sometimes I don't listen to my injuries while I am doing that, so i suffered today. Sitting in the chair, I was definitely aware of my spine's proclivity to collapse and slump forward. My erectors get so tight when I sit straight, but I feel comfortable with my feet straight and my knees at 90, that's ski training. I did manage to spend two years schooling my feet into the right position, and its pretty anatomically friendly for massage, luckily!!
Tuesday, Dec 9, 2008
Skied Big Sky today with Chris Jones, an examiner in our division. The snow was firm but not death cookie firm, the turkey traverse in the bowl was GNARLY and I haven't been on anything like that since last winter! One of the things I love about being in Montana and skiing with people who have skied forever is that the warm up run is, you know, in the steep bowl off the double black diamond traverse. Oh, well, I've skied it before, I know I can do it, but CRIPES, there were big drops in the traverse, and rocks, have to ski part of it on one ski, have to get some speed on it, because it goes up hill a bit... wow. Well, it was a good balance check, that's for sure. Thought a lot about getting tips to point back down, plantar flexion as my tips went off the snow, dorsi as it met resistance, through the knees, but functionally tight core to absorb impact without folding at the waist. I've never wrecked on the traverse (knock wood) but it would HURT and SUCK, so I feel like my mind is as wide open as it can be, I am trying to take in every single bit of sensory I can to make decisions a split moment ahead... the light was flat, the pitch was steep as all get out (okay, its not the steepest thing either Bridger or Big Sky has to offer, but its steeper than anything I've been on since June).
I forgot how much I LOVE steep skiing, and the snow was friendly, I could really push in small turns, there were some small bumps, no huge moguls, and I was thinking as i watched Jones just dance down them, okay, reach into the trough, extend into the trough, open into the trough, belly button, hands, reach into the trough... my body was crossing over well, I was moving into the next turn just fine... but I was moving slow, and that's okay. I had to actively let go of my desire to rip it fast on Jones's tail, because I'm hurt right now, and its okay to ease into it. I listened to the snow and felt good, prepared... we did three runs, and they were all excellent, the last one we crossed under the chair and got a beauty little stiff pow shot, which was fun, I opened them up a bit, felt the bounce, but worked the ski more than I had to, ah well.
Ran down Mr. K after, and really wanted to work the carving drill that Megan had given me now that I have a better understanding of critical edge angle thanks to Kurt and Mr. LeMaster himself (and his book!), and the angle was such that I was able to play with it at all different pitches, listening for over angulation and milking the turn. I showed Jones the chair exercise from the US ski team, which is essentially keys for a strong inside half, but which makes the transition portion of the turn much more seamless, and we worked it on a folding chair for a while.
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