Archive | Masters Blog

NENSA has started their #JuneTerm programming with weekly challenges for masters, competitive regional athletes, and youth skiers…but we’d also like to share some ideas every week that our MNC masters can tackle as part of a well-rounded training program!

We have great options every week, including Monday rollerskiing sessions, Thursday running opportunities, and Sunday bike rides (for an update on all these activities, click here).

But our weekly Masters Challenge is going to be focused on an intensity session that can be done in any mode: running, skiing, biking, paddling, hiking, you name it. We will be taking some “traditional” training workouts and styles and sharing them here.

This week’s challenge is a continuous uphill effort (CUE for short!). This is similar to our Uphill Challenge in May, but you’re not limited to running in this endeavor. The goal is to find a hill about 15-25 minutes long and try to go up at a steady pace. For some this will be an all-out effort to maximize the pain, but it doesn’t need to be brutal to be effective. At the end of the summer, you can re-visit your CUE site for a progress-check.

• Some might choose to use the same course they tackled for the Uphill Challenge: it has been over a month since that challenge and now would be a good time to see if some continued work has paid off!
• Some might choose a different mode…find a long road to bike up, a challenging section on a path to rollerski, or a windy day for a paddle: waves count as hills in a watercraft 😉
• You can also choose to take on the MNC Bolton uphill run test, which has GONE VIRTUAL! The Juniors did this test on Saturday, and before the race I re-mapped the course on Strava to ensure it would more easily show up as a segment. The “start” and “end” of the segment are not a little bit inside the actual course…so if you start 15′ uphill from the lower gate (by the “Waffle House”) and end at the plateau just before the top of the chairlift (above the wind turbine) and then add 10 seconds to your Strava segment time, you’ll have your Bolton test record time.

There’s no online requirements for weekly challenges…no submission platform, no media that needs to be sent in…just a chance to get inspired to try adding something to training! Next week (beginning June 15th) we will discuss and implement the always-beneficial “30/30s” into the challenge!

Bolton test…now virtual!

From the Vista base area, up Sherman’s Pass on the gravel road!

Last week Masters Thursday Running and Sunday Cycling kicked off and we plan to start rollerski coaching starting 6/2.   It was great to start to see people again (at a safe distance) and enjoy the great VT outdoors. The Masters running and cycling groups continue this week so check the Masters Training Doc for details and contact info.

Introductory Roller Skiing Program

Starting Tuesday 6/2 Coach Andy will be starting up his  weekly ski coaching in Willistion at 6PM. This will be a fee based program and based upon interest will run 8 to 12 weeks.  Given COVID uncertainties, we plan to do a soft start 6/2 and follow up with registration sign-ups and details once we know there is sufficient interest (minimum 5 athletes needed, maximum 10).

If you are interested please join our Slack channel. 

Slack

This season we will continue to use Slack to communicate Sunday Ride and Rollerski groups.  For those not familiar with it.  Slack is a work collaboration tool that allows people to communicate to specific groups (called Channels) or individuals though the use of a web or phone based application.   This allows us to communicate rapidly to groups anytime and anywhere fo rth emost part.

While it can seem complicated at first,  with a little familiarity one can quickly see and respond to messages.  More advanced users can use simple commands such as:

/who : is tells you who is a member of a channel.

/yesno “Are you in? : Create a little thumbs up or down poll to the question “Are you in?”.

To join our summer Slack channels click here.

Our fist group bike ride for the 2020 season will be this Sunday 5/24. Meet at Mills Riverside Park 9AM. We are working on a schedule of rides for the summer and will post on the website when ready.  We must stay in groups of 10 or less which should be day to do.  If you wish to lead a ride please let me know. See  you Sunday!

We will try to post ride location every week on the Training Doc but please subscribe to our MNC Slack channel to get the latest updates and RSVP.

Masters Thursday Running Group

Tired of running on your own?  Looking for some new trails to explore?  Need a regularly-scheduled workout to stay on track with your summer training?  Desperate for some social interaction???  Then mark the Masters Running Group into your calendars for Thursdays at 6pm, beginning this week (5/21). 

These are free, informal meet–ups for MNC masters where the goal is simply to get out for a run and have some fun in the process.  This year we’ll be moving around each week to explore different trail networks or the occasional dirt road.  Current plans include runs at Preston Woods, Catamount, Mobb Farm/Mobb Hill, Sleepy Hollow, Bolton Valley, and Shelburne Sugarworks, among others.

Runners of ALL fitness levels are welcome.  We typically split into smaller groups as needed based on how far/fast people want to go on a given night, with most people running 3 to 6 miles.  Some of us think a long, gnarly uphill looks like fun while others are alternating between jogging and walking while getting back into running shape or recovering from an injury.  Women in particular are encouraged to come – we have several 50+ women who are regulars.  We’ll figure out a way to accommodate your goals wherever you are on the fitness spectrum.

Logistics:

·       Weekly meeting locations will be posted in advance on the Masters Training Doc and also emailed to those on the running group distribution list (email Katie Hill at khill@gmavt.net if you want to be added to the distribution list).

·       RSVPs:  We’re still limited to gatherings of no more than 10, so for now we‘re requesting RSVPs for those who plan to attend, including “maybes”.  If it looks like we’ll have more than 10, we‘ll meet in two smaller groups either physically spaced out (if room), or staggered by 15 minutes.

·       Social distancing:  Six feet minimum & masked when we’re together at the meeting point.  Running side–by– side:  six feet minimum with a mask on, ten feet minimum without.  Running in a line:  twenty feet minimum.  Everyone’s comfort level is different on this, so we’ll check in before starting the run to see if anyone prefers more distance.

·       Masks:  Please carry a mask (or a least a buff) at all times.  Wear it when we’re gathered together.  You may take it off during exertion when adequately spaced out, but please put it back on when passing or if you encounter others out on the trail.  Even if you feel comfortable at a distance without a mask, the other person may not.

·       Don’t forget the bug stuff!

FIRST RUN OF THE SEASON – Thursday 5/21 at 6pm.  Meet at the Round Church in Richmond (overflow parking at Volunteers Green on the other side of the bridge).  The River Trail offers 6 miles of out-and-back on a flat trail along the river; as of last week the trail was relatively dry and open, as the fiddlehead ferns were just starting to unfurl.  The heavily wooded Preston Woods trails across the road are open and offer several loops with rolling hills to very hilly terrain.  It’s possible to combine a bit of both trail systems.  RSVP “yes” or “maybe” to Katie Hill at khill@gmavt.net.

Trail maps:

The Trailforks app is recommended as it shows many of the trails we will be running this summer; download the free Vermont map, which is supposed to work when there is no cell phone signal.  Trailforks shows both the River Trail and Preston Woods trails, and also includes other trails that continue up the hill and through Cochran’s beyond the limits of the Preston Woods property.  Other sources of info on these trails:

River Trail on trailfinder.info

Preston Woods on trailfinder.info

PDF map of all Richmond trails, including River Trail: click here

PDF map of Preston Woods:  click here