Nutrition Workshop Follow-up

 Hi Team, 

I hope that those who were able to attend the nutrition workshop found it beneficial! For anyone who would like to review or who was not able to attend, here is the link: https://georgiancollege.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/georgiancollege/recording/898e7e09fde745549a14dc5f8a94ef1a/playback

It may prompt for a password, which is: zK83yg5j

If anyone has any problems accessing the presentation, or any questions, please let me know.

Hope you're all enjoying the colder, snowier weather!

Nutrition Workshop November 28th

 Hi Team, 

Just a reminder that our nutrition workshop is tomorrow at 1pm! Please try to sign in a few minutes before 1pm so that we can get started on time. Here is the link:

https://georgiancollege.webex.com/webappng/sites/georgiancollege/meeting/download/e7a3c834e13d29e9c27b0f2b12d0ee49

For those who are not able to attend, a recorded version of the presentation will be available afterwards. 

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Team Update and Upcoming Workshop

Hi Team!

I hope that everyone has had a great November so far, and has been enjoying the balmy weather! Here are a couple of updates for the next while:

1) Winter Camp: we have our fingers crossed that we will be able to hold a Winter Camp in December, likely on the same day as the Yuletide Blast (to be scheduled), if it runs. As with the Fall Camp, we will send out a plan in the next couple weeks, and continue to send out updates about COVID cases and public health guidelines concerning the camp. 

2) Jackets! Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about the jackets. We are hoping to be able to distribute them at the next camp (Winter Camp). If the camp doesn't run, we will find an alternative method of distributing the jackets - either way, we promise you'll get your jacket!

3) Exciting news! In planning for the last couple workshops, several athletes indicated that they would be interested in a presentation about nutrition. Our next virtual workshop will be on Saturday, November 28th at 1pm. We will have a guest speaker: Greg Eskedjian, a nutritionist from Mind to Muscle in Barrie. If you have any questions or comments about nutrition that you would like to hear about, please send me an email so that Greg can address it in his presentation! Coaches and parents you are welcome to submit questions as well, and to attend the workshop!

Zoom information will be posted closer to the presentation date.

Stay safe and healthy everyone, and see you on the 28th!

Coach Madi

SOD Virtual Workshop #2

 Hi Team, 

Thanks so much for everyone who came out to the virtual workshop today! I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving/long weekend as well. 

Here is a link to the slides from today: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14ey8Gi_4Kk-YzZWSISHyg0b1PfHgeH-o?usp=sharing

We covered some race strategies and race plans, as well as a teensy bit of nutrition (more to come at future camps!). If anyone has questions, please feel free to shoot me an email and I'll do my best to answer! 

Information from Online Workshop and Photo Contest!

 Hey Team, 

I apologize for the delay in posting this - it's been a crazy week so far! 

Here is the link for the slides from Sunday's workshop: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yuR1k8YXBYM1ZIRitQpCsbPHKytekQrV/view?usp=sharing

- My reading notes (more or less what I was saying) are at the bottom of each slide in the 'notes' section. If you have any questions feel free to send me an email and I can give you a refresher! 

Here is the link to the yoga that we went through afterwards as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC_KukvZ_Co&ab_channel=BohoBeautiful

For those interested, the channel is called BohoBeautiful, and the woman who runs it has tons of great (and short) yoga videos for all sorts of different imbalances or inflexibilities. I have used the video for tight hips (the one we did on Sunday) frequently in the past - it's a great way to stretch out your hip flexors, especially since a lot of skiers tend to be really tight in that area.

As well, here are the results from the photo contest! Thank you so much to everyone who submitted, it was great to see the ingenuity and adventure that went into finding new sports and making new practice areas during the pandemic.

Here are the top 3 submissions: 

Throughout the pandemic, tracks have been closed - but that was no obstacle for Erik! He and his dad cut a 400m track into their hayfield so that Erik could still keep up his running - great ingenuity!

In order to keep things interesting during the pandemic, Adeline found a new sport - track cycling. What a cool thing to have the opportunity to try - and look like a pro while doing it!

Thomas gave a great submission for two of the contest categories - a new sport and with a pet! This new game 'spike ball' look super fun...it may even make an appearance at our camps in the future!

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We will continue to monitor the situation with COVID cases and send out updates for the fall camp accordingly. In the meantime, please feel free to email either myself or Scott with any questions!

Coach Madi

Meeting Link

 Hi all, 

Here is the meeting link for this Sunday: https://meet.google.com/byg-atrp-xmy 

For those who cannot make the online workshop - don't worry! I will be posting the goal setting slides on the blog if anyone would like to review them. 

Don't forget to send in your photos for the contest before Sunday!

Online Workshop and Fall Camp

 Hey Team!

I hope things are going well with you all, and that back to school has been a smooth transition for you! 

Here are some updates about the Online Workshop as well as the Fall Camp:

Online Workshop: Sunday, September 20th, 7pm

• This will be our first team welcome, as well as an opportunity to talk about goal setting.
• We will also aim to give an overview of what the camp structures will look like with COVID this year.
• If there is anything else you would like to hear about in the workshop, please send in your ideas! 😊
• The workshop will be about 1 hour, with an additional optional yoga session at the end
• Meeting Link will be sent out shortly!

Fall Camp: Saturday, October 17th, 9:00am - 3:30pm

• Location: Harrison Park, Owen Sound
• Plan for the day:
• 9:00am - arrive and ice breakers
• 9:30am - Start rotation of morning activities (4 groups)
• Ski walking technique, strength, motivation workshop, double pole technique
• 11:30am - Lunch
• 12:30pm - Trail run (athletes will be in groups), with light intensity
• 2:30pm - Stretch and change
• 2:45pm - Ice cream (if open) and jackets!
• 3:30pm - Athlete Pickup
• Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the day - please bring your own mask!
• Once we know how many athletes are attending the camp we will send out a more concrete plan on how we will be adhering to COVID-19 safety measures. In the meantime, our plan is to keep athletes in small groups that are able to socially distance.
• Registration form: https://forms.gle/SNURtDqhLhkpvBrQA 
• Please fill out this form by September 30th

Photo Contest: Now until September 20th workshop!

• As mentioned, we will be having a fun photo contest as a way to keep in touch virtually! 
• Photos can be submitted via email, or you can post the photo yourself on instagram and tag @sodxcteam 
• We will be posting the photos on the blog at the end of the contest, so stay tuned!
• Participation is optional 😊
• Photos: Have you tried a new sport, trained in a new location, or had your pet join your workouts during covid? Send in your favourite photo (or take a photo in the next week) in any of these categories to enter the contest!

Welcome to the Team!

 Hey, Team! 

I hope everyone has been having a great summer, hopefully finding some new ways to spend time outside! 

First off, welcome everyone to the SOD Team, and congratulations to all of you for the hard work you put in last year to get you here!

I apologize for the lack of communication over the summer - it's been crazy times, as I'm sure many of you have experienced. Due to COVID-19, we do not have concrete plans for camps in the Fall and Winter, but here are some ideas moving forward:

1) Mid-September: Online meet-and-greet, goal-setting workshop and more! We will also try to give out some more information about the camps at this point, as well as let you know the procedures and expectations for the camps pertaining to COVID safety measures. 

2) Fall Camp: We are hoping to have a Fall camp in-person, and will be closely monitoring the progression of COVID as we get closer to the camp date. The current plan is still to have the camp on October 17th, location TBD.

3) Winter Camp: A date has not been set for the winter camp yet, but we hope to have one soon! To minimize date changes and scheduling conflicts, the plan is to wait until the release of the racing schedule for the year before choosing a camp date. 

In the meantime, please send in any suggestions for topics you would like to be discussed in the September workshop, or things that you would like to see at the camps this year! I would love to hear from you to make sure that you're learning about things that you're interested in. This can be anything from nutrition to race-day nerves to training during COVID. If you have any ideas for the fall and winter camp as well, please let us know! 

Can't wait to meet you all in a few weeks!

Coach Madi

Weekend Wrap-Up and Muskoka Loppet

Hi Team,

Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend - I saw lots of determination and positivity go into those races, even in some pretty snowy weather! It was great to see how everyone's technique is coming along, and to hear your race analysis afterwards.

I was really impressed with how everyone approached their races today - it was a tough course, and not everyone had felt their best the day before. Even so, everyone I talked to beforehand was excited for the race and looking at it as another opportunity to go hard and try your hardest - a mindset that is not always easy if you had a tough race the day before!

In case anyone didn't to get to see their results after the race, they are posted here: http://zone4.ca/results.asp?id=9435&cat=all. Time of day has not been posted, but placing for today's race (independent of the pursuit) can be found on the right-hand side.

For those who have trouble staying warm before races (especially when the weather is really cold), here are some tips:

1) Change your base layer. It can make a big different to change your shirt under your race suit after warm up, so that you're not starting the race in a sweaty shirt. Changing hat and gloves is often really helpful too!

2) Wear a hat. When it's really cold out, wearing a hat helps to retain more body heat. If you like to race in a headband that's fine, but consider doing your warm-up in a hat first to keep warm.

3) Keep moving at the start. Doing short jogs and dynamic stretches (like leg swings) while you're in the start area can really help keep you warm, and keep the blood flowing and muscles loose.

4) Wear a big jacket. When you're in the starting line-up or waiting to go into the start area, wearing a big jacket around your shoulders is a good way to keep a bit of extra warmth in. You can just button it at the top instead of putting it on fully, that way you can take it off quickly when your number is called.

Here is a link to some of podium photos from today - they are from my phone so may not be the best quality, but again feel free to use any and all of the photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bGV4XRv5jVnSKrXW6

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For those who are looking for another race opportunity, the Muskoka Loppet is next weekend at Arrowhead in Huntsville. This is NOT an SOD race, but it's a really fun local race, and a great opportunity to practice your double pole!

Registration prices go up after tonight, and registration closes this Thursday, January 23rd. The race notice can be found here: http://arrowheadnordic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Notice-of-Race-2020.pdf

The next SOD race will be at Mono Nordic the weekend after, on February 1st (more on that soon).

Thanks again to those who came out to race this weekend - you should all be really proud of your efforts out there - I'm proud to be coaching such an awesome team!

North Bay O'Cup

Hi Team,

So sorry that I wasn't able to make it out to the Sounder last weekend - I hope that everyone had fun!

I will be at the North Bay O'Cup this weekend. For those that are going, the race notice can be found here: https://27167809-319569386783119776.preview.editmysite.com/uploads/2/7/1/6/27167809/nbnsc_o_cup_3_race_notice_final.pdf

Course maps, schedules, etc. can be found here: http://www.northbaynordic.ca/ocup3.html

I believe that most of you have a couple races under your belt now. I suggest reflecting on your past races before North Bay this weekend, and thinking about what you have done well so far, as well as what you would like to improve on throughout the rest of the season. How will you remember this things in your race?

If anyone has questions about the courses, please let me know! I'm originally from North Bay, and I spend many hours skiing the trails when I was younger. Most of the courses at the Nordic start off hilly and the end with some nice downhills or false flats down - important to keep in mind when you are making a race plan! On courses like this I like to mentally move the finish line to the top of the last big hill or hard stretch, and try to use almost all of my energy by the time I get to that point, then recover on the downhills enough to have one last sprint to the finish line.

Here is a link to some of the photos from the Midland race: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GaoGTvgKKnaMaPFc7

As well, here are a couple of photos from the Winter Camp!: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PGsJFep9QVYBDouk9

Please feel free to download and use any and all of the photos - sorry for the delay in getting them posted!

Hope you see you out this weekend,

Coach Madi

Winter Camp Recap and Midland SOD Race

Hi Team,

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the camp last weekend, I was super impressed with everyone's downhill skills!

For anyone who wasn't able to attend the camp, here's a quick recap of what we talked about:

1) Goal Setting

• There are 4 'tires' that represent four types of goals an athlete can make. In order to perform at your best, you need air in all of your tires.
• The 4 tires, along with some examples, are: 
• Mental - do you find yourself getting discouraged or distracted in races? Are you really nervous before race starts? 
• Physical - do you feel like you're in good racing shape?
• Tactical - are you confident on downhills and around corners? how smooth are your transitions? 
• Technical - are your hips forward? are your ankles bent? do you ski relaxed?

• In order to set good goals, we talked about using the SMART goal setting technique:

• S - specific. Specific goals are better than vague ones, because it's easier to now when you have reached your goal. For example, 'keep my hips forward in one skate' is a better goal that 'improve my technique'.
• M - measurable. Your goals should be measurable, so that you can see improvement. For instance, making a goal of drinking a full water bottle to keep hydrated after a race would be better that saying 'I want to drink more water'.
• A - attainable. Your goal should be something that you can achieve! That being said, a goal that is challenging for you is often better than one that would be really easy. A challenging goal is more motivating, and also leaves you with a greater sense of accomplishment.
• R - relevant. Your goals should be relevant to your sport. While getting a new PB in the 100m is not a bad goal, if you are setting goals for skiing this is not particularly relevant.
• T - timely. Goals are best when they have deadlines. Deadlines can be short-term, long-term, or in between. Technique generally takes time to change, and so setting this goal for the end of a season is probably better than for the next race. 

Goals can be made in any of the four tires, in the short term or in the long term. If you have any questions about how to set good goals, or what kind of goals would be best for you, please feel free to send me an email, or talk to your coach! 

2) Race Plans

We talked a bit about race prep and visualization at the camp as well. 

Visualization can be a really useful tool when you are getting ready for your races, especially the night before after you have skied the course. 

The best visualization happens when you use all of your senses - Can you smell the air? Can you feel the snow under your feet? Can you hear the announcer, and your coaches cheering you on? Can you feel fatigue in your muscles, or adrenaline in your body? Can you see the course ahead of you, and feel yourself gliding along? 

The more details that you can add in, the more realistic your visualizations will be, making your race day feel more familiar, which can also help you to feel more in control. You can use visualization for before the race, or during the race, or both! 

With practice, your visualizations of the race course should take about as much time as the actual race would to complete. 

I personally like to draw out the race course the night before, marking out uphills, downhills, and my strategies for each. 

If you are someone who often forgets their race plan when they are in the zone, try telling your coach or someone who will be out cheering a few points that they can remind you of as you pass. Another option is to try adding visual cues to the race course. You can buy coloured ribbon 'tape' from the dollar store or hardware store, and wrap a little around trees during your pre-ski at points in the course that you want to remind yourself of something in your plan (sounds weird, but it works!)

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The Midland Ski Race is back on for tomorrow - start lists can be found here: 

https://zone4.ca/race/2020-01-05/88874c68/results/

If anyone would like to register last minute, same-day registrations are permitted, but please note it is cash only.

I will be at the start line at 9am for those who would like to do a group pre-ski. If anyone has questions about race plans, warm ups, or anything else, please let me know! 

As well, good luck to everyone racing in Thunder Bay on your last race tomorrow, and congratulations on some great racing so far! Don't forget to smile, even up those big hills!