The Masters showed up in force for the 2020 Southridge rollerski timetrial. With a calm wind and a frosty morning that warmed up to t-shirt temps by race time, it was exciting to get a “race” in. The event was changed to an individual start and there was less casual mingling than usual for a Masters gathering, but the competition was as fierce as ever.
Racers spread themselves out and prepare to start one-at-a-time
The course is 3 successively-shorter laps. Each lap features a slightly different climb to the high point, followed by a long descent and flat cruiser section. On skis, the long flat section would be a lot of V2 work (especially in slow snow) but as each lap went by and I analyzed how my speed was carried in relation to other skiers, I spent more and more of that section tuck-skating…by the last lap, I don’t think I used my poles for a solid minute or so: the combination of being low and aerodynamic in a skate tuck, along with aggressive pushes like a speedskater (my glutes have never hurt so bad from a ski race!) was the way to go.
As luck would have it, we have a video clip of US Biathlete Sean Doherty doing some skate tuck on rollerskis. This is from a training camp in 2016 when I noticed how powerful and smooth Sean’s skate tuck was, so I asked him to do a pass for the camera.
We ski in Southridge a lot, Masters, Juniors, and BKL alike. While we often go down that hill and ski along that flat section, we’re rarely doing it very hard or while carrying speed. So it just goes to show how some of the benefits of a timetrial aren’t just racing and competition: you can really learn a lot about how to ski faster in certain situations, and apply them to your efforts in the winter!
You can check out the historical Southridge TT record below:
Southridge TT ArchiveWe didn’t get many photos from the event, but you can find our Masters fall album linked below. As any photos come to us from the timetrial we will upload them there!
Masters Fall Photos
