2009/2010 Season

[Sparky]

Alright, I’ve done the math, it’s 1104 days until I retire. That’s sometime in July which means I will have sometime to prepare for the 2009/2010 season. Getting the equipment, and CRV and gear ready as well as saying goodbye to the wife and kids for the season should not take to long. However, getting in shape for a full season of skiing as well as planning an effective agenda might take a while. If you ignore the obvious influence of the northeastern weather, and just plan to get as much good skiing in as a 59 year old body can handle, how do I plan for that season? I live not far from Jiminy Peak, and I’ll be there often, but other then that what do you think would be the best “plan” ?

 

[Greg]

Wow. Talk about preparation! :beer:

 

[Sparky]

Wow. Talk about preparation! :beer:

This is the kind of thing I will be relying on to get me through those 1104 days.

 

[djspookman]

This is the kind of thing I will be relying on to get me through those 1104 days.

damn.. you're lucky. I've got roughly 14,235 days till retirement.... ugh...

as for getting in shape.. hike, run, and bike a lot! (think daily!) As for where to ski, personally, i'd like to have skiied every New England lift served ski area before I die, so whye don't you start with that? Then ski the areas you liked (keep a log!) again, and of course throw in some backcountry hike/skin/ski days in there to keep the body in shape!

dave

 

[thetrailboss]

Alright, I’ve done the math, it’s 1104 days until I retire. That’s sometime in July which means I will have sometime to prepare for the 2009/2010 season. Getting the equipment, and CRV and gear ready as well as saying goodbye to the wife and kids for the season should not take to long. However, getting in shape for a full season of skiing as well as planning an effective agenda might take a while. If you ignore the obvious influence of the northeastern weather, and just plan to get as much good skiing in as a 59 year old body can handle, how do I plan for that season? I live not far from Jiminy Peak, and I’ll be there often, but other then that what do you think would be the best “plan” ?

Not exactly what you want probably, but I think that the best plan is to ski every day that you can before then because nothing is guaranteed. Seriously, look ahead, but don't forget about the "present." And this will serve as a good way to build up your endurance. :wink:

 

[AdironRider]

Save for a ski condo at your favorite mtn. The rest is just details.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Retirement is the Beginning!

Alright, I’ve done the math, it’s 1104 days until I retire. That’s sometime in July which means I will have sometime to prepare for the 2009/2010 season. Getting the equipment, and CRV and gear ready as well as saying goodbye to the wife and kids for the season should not take to long. However, getting in shape for a full season of skiing as well as planning an effective agenda might take a while. If you ignore the obvious influence of the northeastern weather, and just plan to get as much good skiing in as a 59 year old body can handle, how do I plan for that season? I live not far from Jiminy Peak, and I’ll be there often, but other then that what do you think would be the best “plan” ?

You sound like I did five years ago when I retired at age 55. OK, aside from taking advantage of season pass deals (I did the ASC and ASC Bronze programs for a couple of years) and the discount cards like Jiminy's Value Card, and Hunter's Big Lift Card, you have to get serious about the most important piece of ski "equipment" that you need. Your BODY! I suggest you do what I did: Concentrate on healthy eating and life style. AND get yourself a "Skier's Edge Machine" (look here: http://www.skiersedge.com/ ) and USE it diligently. The basic (cheapest) model is fine, but you really MUST get the "SLOPE SIMULATOR" option. Not only do you get the ski specific muscle workout combined with aerobic conditioning, using the Slope Simulator will do incredible things for your balance. Once you master it, you will find yourself effortlessly staying "centered" on your bindings when you are on your skiis. As to conditioning; I usually ski with people that are anywhere from ten to forty years younger than I am. I can literally go from "First Chair" to "Last Chair" on any given day regardless of conditions. My house on Long Island is currently for sale and I am moving to Salt Lake so that I can ski for 10 months or more. I am even looking forward to hiking the Wasatch for early and late season turns. As all things in life, "there is no free lunch." Thinking about workouts, and looking at any exercize equipment doesn't get it. Even in the summer I try to get in four sessions a week. I do 100+ crunches, 100+ push-ups, 100+ various weight exercizes, and a minimum of 2000 "turns" (although I go to 3000 as the ski season approaches) on the Edge machine. I don't work for the company, but I think the system is so great, that I am going to look into working for them (they are located in Park City) after I move west. BTW, the best way to buy a machine is to find a used one that someone has given up on. People just don't stay with things that seem "hard." But, you will not believe what using it can do for you and most of all, your enjoyment of skiing all day! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[thebigo]

hey tirolerpeter, can you give me a ballpark price on a skiersedge machine, the price is conveniently absent from the webpage

 

[andyzee]

hey tirolerpeter, can you give me a ballpark price on a skiersedge machine, the price is conveniently absent from the webpage

If you consider buyin a new one, get on their mailing list. They're always sending me special sale prices.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Ballpark Price

hey tirolerpeter, can you give me a ballpark price on a skiersedge machine, the price is conveniently absent from the webpage

I own the "Classic Series" because I have height issues in my basement family room. Each of the others has a bit more "rise." What really matters is actual intensity and duration more than the rise. In any case, I bought mine as a "show special" (they sell the models after a show to save shipping them back to UT, or to the next show). Including the Slope Simulator, which runs about $200 or so, I think I paid just under $1,500 including NYS sales tax. About a month later I also added the "Gatekeeper" for another $150 or so. I think it has been worth every penny for me in terms of improvement in my physical condition and development of balance skills.

You can buy the fixed balance bar (I don't have one), or use the standard ski poles. Even with the Slope Simulator set for maximum "free float" of the foot pads, I am at the point where I can go as long as a full minute without even using the poles. Additionally, keeping your upper body centered on the machine, and only moving left and right with your lower body works all the muscle groups that create "angulation." In effect, you are setting your edges at the end of each swing of your lower body. Since you are using both legs, it enhances your ability to develop a "two edges" carving technique. The good thing about that, besides making you a more powerful carver, is that if you catch an edge on the "downhill ski" in real snow, you just unconsciously transition your weight to the other ski while "unhooking" the edge gone bad without any drama. My wife has used the machine to rehab a badly sprained ankle and she found that it eliminated the adhesions that were prolonging her healing time. She couldn't use the treadmill because of the "impact" on the ankle while running. When she uses the machine we set it up in front of the console of our treadmill so that she can hold on while she makes "turns."

BTW, a "turn" is from the center to one side and back to center. So, center to right back through center to left, and back to center is two "turns." My usual pace is right around 100 turns/minute. Sometimes I kick up the intensity to around 108 - 110 / minute, sometimes I "rest" by dropping down to around 95/minute. You can vary how far out toward each end of the machine you want to go, and by adjusting the belt tension you can change the resistance factor. Belt tension also needs to be adjusted depending up the weight of the user. I weigh 165lbs so I don't need the max tension available. I actually made my own modified tensioner pulley bolts, to facilitate quicker tension adjustments for when my wife wants to work out on the machine. Another way to increase the intensity of the workout is take take a lower stance. Normally you stand on the foot pads as you (should) stand on your skiis. That is, feet flat, knees bent, and back straight. For greater quad development, just lower your butt a bit, and feel "heat" build up. You should also calculate your "ideal" heart rate so that you are gaining in aerobic capacity, but not burning muscle. In my case, the formula is 220 -60 (my age) X %80 = 128. I try to not let my heart rate run higher than 135. And finally, buying, trying it, and then letting it gather dust just won't work. If you are on a budget, think about buying one "used" (gently no doubt) by a work-out drop-out.