Snow shoeing is tough. Here is a photo Cindy took of me on one of our favorite local trails (well this is actually a short road section within the run but you would never know from the photo). We covered six miles in just over an hour and boy it was hard, not so much aerobically but simply from the recruitment of muscle groups I don't normally use when running. I also struggled getting truly comfortable in the snow shoes, something I am sure will improve with practice.
On the Monday we opted for a treadmill run. Our local club Samena was open and so we hopped in the car and made the sometimes dangerous journey there. I decided to run mile reps at 't' pace and after a two mile warm up set about completing 5x1 mile with a one minute rest interval at 9.8 mph (6:07 pace) at the mandatory 1% incline. With a short (I was bored) cool down I ended up with a little over eight miles and about an hours worth of running. Tuesday took me to the multi rider studio to lead one of my classes and boy it was a tough session. The theme was L5 (vo2max) intervals and to say (after yesterdays run) I struggled would be an understatement. Main set was essentially 5x2.5 mins at 120% FTP with a equal rest interval. To see my athletes (who have been riding consistently, unlike me!) cruise through it was great, I had to sit out the last minute of each interval and shout encouragement, my legs were fried. Wednesday saw me hit the snow shoes again! This time I used Cindy's as she was on her skis. They are smaller than mine and made for a faster run. I again ran six miles but on a slightly more challenging trail and managed to get it done in 57 minutes for an average of 9:30/mile. It was challening but fun and I think if this snow keeps up I have found a new sport!
