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Training Tips From Valley View Hospital:
by: Ben Peery, MD
Emergency Medicine/Valley View Hospital
24 Hours participant
Training Tips
1. Pick a fun team and make sure everyone has the same goals beforehand.
If one member of the team expects to win the entire race, and the
remaining three members hope to just finish, your enjoyment of the
training and the event itself will suffer. This race is tough because
of the cold, dark conditions that you find yourself skiing in. Make
sure everyone on your team is prepared to cheer each other on and
be as equally supportive at 2 AM as they are at 11 AM.
2. Start early. Get running or hiking after Thanksgiving, targeting
a 50 minute effort so that your first "laps" up Sunlight
(when they have adequate snow) aren't miserable.
3. Go light. Remember that the route heads straight uphill for 40-50
minutes or so. Don't carry things that will weigh you down heavily,
like extra gloves, hats, two bottles of water etc. There is an open
warming hut at the top of Sunlight with a nice stove that allows
you to get warm, dry and prepared for the ski down.
4. Train in the dark. Obviously the race covers daylight and night
hours. It is a vastly different experience trudging uphill in the
dark and skiing downhill with a headlamp. Get up early or ski after
work and get accustomed to the significant drop in temperature when
the sun goes down.
5. Hydrate heavily before your training laps. I was amazed how much
I sweated during the 50 minute climbs to the top. Your performance,
recovery and suffering will be directly related to how well you pre-hydrated.
6. Gear is critical, and any of the local ski shops can set you up
with equipment for this race. It is possible to walk uphill with
alpine ski or snowboard boots, carrying your skis or snowboard in
a backpack. This is the cheapest and simplest way to participate
in this race. Most racers however, choose to “skin” up
the hill with hair skins glued to the base of their skis that grip
the snow and allow them to climb uphill without slipping. You don
not need to spend significant money to participate in and finish
this race. However, if you are hoping to win it, then a serious lightweight
package is important, and again, the local shops can outfit you appropriately.
7. Ski multiple laps on the same training run. During last year’s
race many team members completed back-to-back laps during the wee
hours of the night. It was too tough to drag yourself onto the course
in the cold for just one lap. Skiing two laps spread out the "discomfort" during
the race so that their was a longer break between racers. Prepare
for this by skiing more than one lap during your training sessions.
8. Have fun with the training. Mix it up. Do a trail run one day.
Skin up Sunlight with friends on another. Do a spin class. Never
let the training get stale. Bring a can of beer and relax at the
top in the warming hut on a pretty evening and watch the sunset.
Ski up in the moonlight. This is a fun race. Let the training be
enjoyable.
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