Gear

Power Shield Pro Fabric Perfoming

Posted by sarianderson on January 13, 2010
Posted in: Gear, Training Throughout Pregnancy. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment

Another bluebird day made for another great trail run.  I even managed to drop 30 seconds on my ascent time of my favorite lunchtime trail run. At this stage in the game (6+ months preggo), I’m pretty psyched with that…

Although the weather on my homepage said it was 10° outside, as soon as  I stepped out the door I found it was much warmer – probably closer to 30°.  Normally that would be a big difference in the way I dress for a run.  Shedding my hat and gloves were an easy answer but I was still worried about my core overheating (a big no-no during pregnancy).  I have been testing the new Polartec Power Shield Pro softshell fabric for a few months now and I’ve really enjoyed it for ski touring, resort skiing and sledding with Juniper.  But, I never would have guessed that my go-to winter running piece would be a softshell jacket. In my experience, softshells are just too thermal and not breathable enough to wear during truly aerobic winter activities.  However, Power Shield Pro is really lightweight and it allows just enough air to move through the fabric to make it really breathable. Today I put my Pro jacket to the test in relatively warm temps and it continued to impress me with its breathability.  No excess body heat for the little man in the belly and half a minute shed from my time on a 4-mile jaunt!  Now we need some snow so I can better test the fabric’s waterproofness.

TransRockies Run with a legend

Posted by sarianderson on August 3, 2009
Posted in: Gear, Training. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 comments

GTRunLogo_4CThis weekend I did two big local runs (Basalt Mt. and Mt. Sopris) in an effort to cram in some high altitude mileage and test my legs a little bit.  On Friday I found out I’m going to be racing in the Trans Rockies Run with last year’s champ, Anita Ortiz. The TransRockies is a 6-day stage race covering 113 miles and climbing over 25,000 feet in elevation. Unfortunately, Anita’s race partner, Katie Mazzia, is injured and cannot defend the title this year. I’ve wanted to try this race for a couple of years so when I saw the news on Facebook I immediately jumped at the opportunity to join Anita. Anita is fresh off a win at the Western States in her first 100 miler and is always fast, no matter the distance. We’ll be racing against big names like Nikki Kimball and Kami Semick and alongside Dean Karnazes and Helen Cospolich.  Thankfully my legs felt pretty good this weekend.

As I have been running for hours on end the past three days, I’ve actually been daydreaming a lot about skiing and randonee racing. After all, skiing down Mt. Sopris is a helluva a lot faster than running down it. La Sportiva recently unveiled their new ski mountaineering race boot and I can’t stop thinking about it. The Stratos has a 100% carbon outer and weighs in at only 2 pounds!  Just think how fast I can go uphill with those on my feet – I won’t even know they’re there.  Now, how do I get my hands on a pair? They cost $2,200 and only 20 pairs will be available in the US.

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Until I figure out how to convince La Sportiva and Ian that I have to have a pair of the sexy carbon boots, I’ll continue to pound out as many miles as possible on the trails and roads in the Roaring Fork valley.  I need to be ready to race at Anita’s level in just three weeks!

Better than Gore-Tex

Posted by sarianderson on June 30, 2009
Posted in: Gear. Tagged: , , . Leave a Comment
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LaFuma Sky Race OT with OutDry and my trusty SOLE footbeds

We spent last weekend in Crested Butte so Ian could race in the inaugural Crested Butte Fat Tire 40 on Saturday. It was a beautiful day, the wildflowers were in full bloom and the trails were nice and tacky. Ian had a great race (finishing 10th overall) and it was also a nice role reversal for us – Juniper and I had fun supporting Ian in a race for a change.  Read more about his race here.

After Ian’s race, I went for a great 10-mile trail run on Snodgrass Mountain above Mt. Crested Butte. It was the first opportunity I’ve had to try out the new SkyRace OT trail shoes from Lafuma that Ian brought home for me a couple weeks back.  The SkyRace’s feature OutDry, a new waterproof/breathable membrane for shoes and gloves. (Full disclosure: OutDry is a client at Ian’s company Backbone Media). Unlike Gore-Tex, which is a free-floating membrane bootie or liner in gloves and shoes, OutDry is bonded directly to the external layer of the shoes. With Gore-Tex, there is a gap between the membrane and the outside of the shoe where water can collect, making the shoes heavy and cooling you down. OutDry eliminates those gaps.

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Admittedly, I was a little skeptical about the technology, especially since I’ve been racing in Gore-Tex shoes for so many years now. The trails on Snodgrass were pretty dry, but I went out of my way to run through a couple of small creeks during my run. Impressively, my feet stayed really dry, and they didn’t get hot and clammy despite temperatures in the 80′s. I finished the run on a couple of miles of pavement and when I was done, my shoes were almost completely dried out. Typically, after a wet, muddy run I am loath to put my soaking shoes back in the car because they stink. Not a problem with the Sky Races.

Although at 15 ounces these aren’t the lightest trail shoes on the market, I think they’ll  be an awesome adventure racing shoe. Last year we wore Gore-Tex shoes during our 60-mile trek through the desert in Abu Dhabi, hoping to keep the sand away from our feet, but they were really hot and sand still collected between the outer and inner layers of the shoe. I think these LaFuma’s with OutDry will effectively keep the sand out and be breathable enough to wear in 100-degree conditions.

It’s all about the transitions

Posted by sarianderson on January 16, 2009
Posted in: Gear, Training, Upcoming Races. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

I’ve been missing in action for awhile because of a nasty intestinal virus that has laid up the entire family, even one of the dogs.  Juniper and I are starting to feel better but unfortunately Ian is still pretty sick.

I have taken a forced week off from training which may or may not be a good thing.  I’ll have to see this weekend at the first ski mountaineering race of the season, the COSMIC Heathen Challenge at Sunlight Resort.  I haven’t been practicing my transitions on snow as much as I would like so I’ll be practicing in the comfort of my living room.  The COSMIC site has some great videos to help you through the transition process but for now I need to remember:  boot, heel piece, skin.  When I reach the top of a leg and am transitioning from skinning to skiing, I first put my boot into ski mode, then flip my Dynafit Vertical Ti Race binding into ski mode while I’m leaning down and then rip my skin as I stand up.  My boot locks into the binding as I step back down after ripping the skin off and then I move onto the next ski.  When it goes well, it happens in one fluid step but when it goes poorly, it can be very bad.

Folding skins at last year's Sunlight race

Folding skins at last year's Sunlight race

This process takes alot of practice.  Luckily, the transition at the bottom from skiing to skinning allows me to take my skis off in order to get my skins back on.  As I come into transition I try to get my boots out of ski mode so that as soon as I stop, I can pull my ski off, flip the binding back into climbing mode and get the first skin on.  Hopefully I have folded my skin well at the previous transition and kept it close to my body so that it will stick to my skis again.  As soon as I get my first boot stepped back into the binding, which I have made easier by making small lines on my boots to line up to the Dynafit holes, then I start on the next ski and get my butt moving back up hill.

The downhill skiing hurts more than the uphill in these races.

The downhill skiing hurts more than the uphill in these races.

I hope it all goes smoothly this weekend but I’m sure there will be at least a few mistakes and some time lost in the transitions.  Hopefully my stomach feels okay and my body can keep up with my mind after spending so much time on the couch.

From Sand Dunes to Snow Drifts

Posted by sarianderson on December 29, 2008
Posted in: Gear, Race Results, Training. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 comment

It seems every time I go to the desert, it dumps snow at home. There was hardly any snow on the ground when I left for Abu Dhabi and now there’s well over 3 feet in the backyard – deja vu to last December – and it just keeps coming down.

Our front yard on Dec. 25

Our front yard on Dec. 25

Not that I’m complaining. I was glad to trade the sand for snow and start my winter training regimen. After a few days off with a nasty chest and head cold left over from Abu Dhabi, Juniper and I enjoyed a nice skin up and ski down the road – something we had both been missing since last winter. Juniper is getting bigger (and therefore heavier), which means towing her in the Chariot is an even better workout.

It was snowing so hard Ian couldn't keep the snow off the camera lens.

It was snowing so hard Ian couldn't keep the snow off the camera lens.

By Christmas Eve, the plow truck finally made it up the road so I was able to get back out ‘hobnailing‘ through the neighborhood. I hadn’t run since Abu Dhabi so it felt great to get out and push the legs even if they were a bit sluggish. We definitely enjoyed a white Christmas with some family sledding and more ski touring through the neighborhood. Ripping my skins during the tour reminded me just how much I need to practice my transitions for the upcoming COSMIC races – I’m pretty rusty and slow.

Sledding down the driveway.

Sledding down the driveway.

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Ian and Juniper with Zulu's chasing in the foreground

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Happy mom, daughter and Hank the dog.

The snow kept hammering down throughout Christmas day and night and dumped 17″ on Aspen Highlands (more like 24″ in the Bowl) so Ian had a great day skiing with the boys on the 26th. However, by the time he got home, there was over a foot of new snow in the driveway and he couldn’t even drive the truck up to the house. So, I set out for some more ‘training’ with the snowblower – pushing the heavy machine through that much snow for 2 hours makes for a pretty decent work out.

I threw snow all over Ian seconds after this shot. He didn't think it was a funny as I did.

I threw snow all over Ian seconds after this shot. He didn't think it was as funny as I did.

Lastly, I got an email from my teammate Mike Kloser earlier this week regarding snowshoe racing this winter. Unbeknownst to me, Mike had been working with Adam Chase and he managed to get us both on the Atlas Snowshoe Team, which was a nice surprise! Yesterday, I tried out my new Atlas Race snowshoes in the Pedal Power Paddy’s 10K Holiday race in our old ‘hood, Eagle-Vail. I’ve always liked Bruce’s Pedal Power races because he always routes the course through deep snow and keeps us off the packed trail. My new shoes were great off trail and on the short, fast packed sections and helped me to place second behind my friend and La Sportiva pro, Keri Nelson. Travis Macy won the men’s race and Mike got second as well (not bad for a guy who turns 49 next week!).

Mike Kloser (with poles) and I starting the snowshoe race.

Mike Kloser (with poles) and I starting the snowshoe race.

Heading to the finish

Heading to the finish

Next up is the COSMIC race at Sunlight Mountain…basically our backyard. I’m hoping to get out on my skis lots more between now and then.

Hobnailing

Posted by sarianderson on December 7, 2008
Posted in: Gear, Racing News. Tagged: , , . 3 comments

My husband Ian works at Backbone Media, a public relations and media buying agency that represents a bunch of companies in the outdoor industry. Backbone recently signed with Italian shoe manufacturer La Sportiva, and Ian brought me home a present from them: the La Sportiva Hobnail Kit.pc060068

The kit is a simple, DIY way to add metal studs to the bottom of any shoes or boots. It comes with 20 tungsten studs and a small, specially designed screwdriver to add them to your outsoles. Apparently, the technology comes from Italian rally car tires.

The dirt road up to our house gets pretty icy in the winter and for a while I’ve wanted to add screws to my running shoes. Matt Carpenter has detailed instructions on how to make screwshoes on his website, but I’ve never taken the time to do it. The Sportiva Hobnail Kit seemed like a simple solution.

I was in a hurry to go for a run this afternoon and I grabbed the nearest pair of shoes so Ian could add the hobnails.

Unfortunately, we didn’t really pay attention to the label on the bottom of the shoes that said ‘Nike Air.’ Sure enough, on the fourth hobnail, the was a small hissing sound and that was the end of my midsole cushioning.

Psssssssssss

Psssssssssss

We chose the next shoes a little more carefully, and went with a pair that didn’t feature gel or air in the midsole. The hobnails went in easily and we created a pretty simple stud pattern that focused on the midfoot and the heel.pc060075

The hobnails worked great on my run and I could barely feel the extra weight of the metal screws. The best part is that the studs can be easily removed so I can switch them to any shoes. The hobnail kit is a very cool stocking stuffer idea for anyone who runs in the winter!

Dune Prep

Posted by sarianderson on November 21, 2008
Posted in: Gear, Training, Upcoming Races. Tagged: , , , , , , . 2 comments

The weeks leading up to an adventure race always involve lots and lots of preparation. We are leaving for Abu Dhabi in just over two weeks and already we are planning what to pack, what food to bring, bike tires, etc.

dune_ver3After racing in the enormous sand dunes of the Arabian desert last year, we found out one of our biggest challenges was keeping the sand out of our shoes (duh!) Even our Nike Aire Structure Tirax shoes with Gore-Tex couldn’t keep all the sand out. Mike, Mona, Chris and Gordon had similar issues at their race in Brazil a few weeks ago. My solution is to order some gaiters from the folks that produce the Marathon des Sables desert race in Morocco. I figure these guys must know how to keep the sand out of their shoes. It’s that, or I’m going to order one of those sweet suits they wore in the movie Dune.lank

Hard to image much sand getting through these.

Hard to image much sand getting through these.

Of course, ordering the gaiters has turned into an adventure of its own. After a few calls I’ve learned that France is 8 hours ahead of Colorado, the company is only open until 2pm local time and they don’t speak any English. So, I’ll be setting the alarm for the middle of night on Sunday evening in order to reach the sales department before they head out for the day. Oh joy…

The weather here in Colorado continues to be warm and dry and the mountain biking has been great. Juniper and I have been exploring some of the country roads in the area and have found some nice dirt roads with good climbing where I can tow the Chariot. The resistance training is great for me and the scenery and cows are good entertainment for Juniper. Hopefully this pattern will continue for a few more weeks and then the snow will come in full force while we are racing, just like last year!

I’m off for some more riding!

Packing for Worlds

Posted by sarianderson on October 22, 2008
Posted in: Gear, Training, Upcoming Races. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 3 comments

As the snow starts falling here in Colorado tonight, I can’t wait for the warm weather and beaches of Maui at the XTERRA World Championships this weekend.

Of course, packing for a race like this is NOT something I look forward to. This is my first XTERRA Worlds, but as they say in the West, it’s not my first rodeo. I’ve packed my bike and gear on airplanes for dozens of races over the years.

Here’s how I’ve found is the best way to pack my bike in a hard case for a flight:

  1. Remove both wheel and skewers
  2. Take off the pedals
  3. Remove the seatpost
  4. Reduce tire pressure
  5. Remove handlebars and stem
  6. Remove deraileur hanger (with derailuer attached)

Place your wheels in disc up and then add the foam padding. Weigh your box and check the weight limit on your airline’s website to see how heavy your box can be. Add as much other gear as you can (shoes, helmet, race food, etc). DON’T put you CO2 canisters in the box (best to buy them at your race destination if you can).

Here’s what I’m bringing to Maui: my Giant Anthem Advanced bike, my Giro Ionos helmet, lots of GU Energy Gel packets, a Hydrapak Gelbot that holds water and GU, Nike cycling shoes and Nike trail racing flats-both with SOLE Custom Footbeds inside, my SixSixOne gloves, extra tubes, Squirt chain lube, a Blackburn pump and a couple of tools.

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Pond Swimming

Posted by sarianderson on August 4, 2008
Posted in: Gear, Training. 1 comment

In the immortal words of Ty Webb from Caddyshack, “We got a pool and a pond. Pond would be good for you.”

Beaver Creek is hosting its inaugural Xterra race next weekend and well, I figure this is as good a time as any to try my first summer Xterra race.

So, Step One. Order a wetsuit for the swimming leg of the race. The good folks at Xterra Wetsuits hooked me up with a prodeal and my new Vector Pro X2 arrived in the mail yesterday.

Step Two. Find a place to practice an open water swim. This turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected. At first we considered Ruedi Reservoir, but it being a hot Saturday afternoon, we figured it would be a little sketchy to swim with all the power boat traffic on the lake.

So, instead we found a little local pond called Blue Lake where I could test out the new wetsuit. The water was a little murky, but the suit worked great. Now I just need to survive a swim with hundreds of other people in the water thrashing all around me…scary!

It would be easier to just train in Juniper's pool...

It would be easier to just train in Juniper's pool...