Spring is Here!

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Springtime in Alaska is a beautiful thing! we've endured a long, cold, dark winter (think six-hours of daylight and daytime temps that hover around 10 degrees for three months and you'll start to get the idea) and have broken through to the reason most people enjoy living here!

Check this photo from earlier this week to get an idea of what I'm on about...

9:ZERO:7 in it's natural habitat

I've been logging between 5 and 8 hours each week on runs and snow bikes (primarily snowbiking) and look longingly towards the summer road and mountain bike season.  Our daylight is lasting into the early evening (sunset 8:19, civil twilight till 9:02) and daytime temps are a nice 38 degrees.  Wednesday's CRC Pint Ride featured one rider in his summer stretchy pants!

Rest is Good!

Yup,  I needed a day off.

After seven consecutive days of training, my body was done.  Not totally, but enough.  I really wanted to go off for a run, or a snow bike ride, but I just couldn't get myself motivated.  I felt guilty, but then I reminded myself of the need for rest.  Rest is just as, if not more important than the work.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I'd let myself forget this simple fact. I almost fell into the beginner trap of over-training.  So hit the couch like I did, get some rest and catch up on your latest guilty television pleasure.

Rest is essential to an effective training program.  The body needs time off to recover and make gains from the work that has been put in.

See the following article from Runner's World:  The Rest is Easy or this one from Bruce Holmes: Training and Tapering

You are not cheating yourself, you are preparing yourself.  Chances are you'll feel better and see larger gains when you begin to actively include / schedule rest days into your training plan.

Forecast 1-3, reality 18-22

Yup--that's a bunch of snow

Hmm... So much for snow-biking on the last day of Spring Break!  The wife and I, with great optimism, traveled to Abbott Loop Community Park after our morning coffee to check conditions.  I figured we'd take a short hike on one of the single-track trails to enjoy the gorgeous day and maybe pack the trail in a bit.  Our arrival was greeted with snow coming up over the hood of our car!  If it wasn't for the ten or so other cars in the lot, I'd of been worried about getting stuck.  As it was, the doors pushed back the snow as we opened them, and simple walking through the parking lot to the trailhead was a challenge.

Simon -- pushing dow the trail.  This didn't last...  We turned around.

Soo... I guess I'll wait till later.

The day was gorgeous!!  It was maddening to stay inside--the sun, the fresh snow, the reality that in two days we'd be back at work without the opportunity to grab hold of a day like this again.


By 4pm, I'd convinced my oldest son to give it a go on the bikes.  In the past, the trails at Abbott Loop have gotten packed in fairly quickly and although it'd be slow, it was better then sitting inside.  That and I don't own snow shoes.

I packed the bikes, donned the stretchy pants, filled the water bottles and headed out.  The parking lot was being plowed and many more cars were in the lot when we got there half and hour later.  I set the tire pressure to just above atmospheric :-)  and started off...  And... off.  Wait... and... off!  There we go! --uhh... wait, and go!




Ok, this is going to suck.  but hey, at least I'm outside--and I can make a snow-bike angel!

45NRTH Wolvhammer vs Fasterkatt

Fasterkatt

Wolvhammer

This fall I purchased two pairs of 45NRTH boots from Chain Reaction Cycles in Anchorage AK., my local bike shop: a pair of Wolvhammers for myself and a pair of Fasterkatts for my oldest son.  Our feet are similar enough in size and the fit of the boots, close enough that I’d be able to trade back and forth depending on events

My major consideration in purchasing the Wolvhammers as my primary boot was twofold.  Firstly I needed warmth.  From what I’d read on various forums and from the recommendations of said bike shop the Wolvhammers would be hands down the warmest clipless compatible boot I could buy.  The footbed is made from “NASA-approved aerogel” and I can easily confirm the effectiveness of the material.  I also needed a boot that could clip into my Crankbrother’s eggbeater pedals.  My skills on a bike are adequate at best, and I need all the extra power-transfer and foot-security I can get from a locked-in boot.

My foot is a wide 45, so I normally look for a 46 when shopping cycling shoes.  It was recommended that I go up a size or two to account for thicker wool socks.  When trying on the boots at the shop, I found that I couldn’t get my foot inside a 46. I barely got it into a 47, and I still have difficulty getting it into the 48 I eventually purchased.  Once inside there is room. LOTS of room. So much so that on my first ride with the boots there was so much play that I had a hard time controlling the bike.  I was frustrated.  I was having trouble transferring power through the pedals. Part of the issue I realized that evening was the extra-thick sole of the boots; necessitating raising the seat a centimeter.

That evening I took a pair of old footbeds from my Altra running shoes and fit them under the “NASA Aerogel” -- this effectively decreased the interior space in the booties making for a much snugger and more secure fit.  My subsequent rides have been much better.

Wolvhammer scuffs

While inserting the Altra footbeds, I saw a huge amount of wear on the crank-side of the boots: scuff marks caused by the boots rubbing against the cranks.  The upper rubber parts of the sole were also coming apart.  I added a spacer to the cranks, and adjusted the cleats to the extreme inside thus solving the issue.  

Overall these boots have been exceptional.  I’ve ridden in temps ranging from -5 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit with no discomfort.  My biggest concern (weight) has been a non-issue.  Yes, the boots are heavy, but your feet stay warm and I honestly do not notice it at all (as long as I’m on the bike)

45NRTH with Crankbrother's cleat

I tried to use the Fasterkatt on a warmer day, and although the 46 felt fine size-wise, the arch support was extremely uncomfortable on my foot.  Any performance advantage I’d hope to gain from the lighter boot would be quickly offset by the discomfort caused by the boot.  My son, an accomplished athlete and snow-bike racer has had no issues with the fit and has only one complaint about the boot: The outside zipper on the boot has become temperamental.  It will occasionally cross-thread.  We’ve been able to fix it each time and will lubricate it to keep it from happening again.

The marketing folks from 45NRTH claim this boot to be good down to 25 degrees, but my teenaged tester has taken the boots down to -5 degrees for an hour and a half with success, and typically rides our Alaskan trails in the 10-25 degree range without complaint.  This kid is admittedly is “super tough and rides like a boss” :-) so your results may vary...

Happy Rides!