Goldstream Sports Newsletter 6-12 Vol3

Goldstream Sports December Newsletter Volume 3

Seasons Greetings. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. We thank you for your business over the past year, and we hope that we have helped you get the most out of your sporting endeavours. The new year brings with it new goals and ambitions, let us help you reach those goals.

New Women's Ski Group

Goldstream Sports is excited to announce a new ski group for women only led by Aelin Peterson. We would like some input from you on the days, time and locations of the group. For more information and suggestions please call Joel at Goldstream Sports at 455 6520.

Feature Item: Wilderness Engineering sleds

BaseCamp and KinderShuttle sled systems are gear and child carrying sleds with a large capacity and e xceptional side-hill stability, and they track true even in crusty, icy conditions.

The BaseCamp sled is an expedition model, with an 11,000 in 3 duffel bag made from tough 1000 denier Dupont Cordura nylon, suitable for trips to the White Mountains or the North Pole. The duffel bag attaches with 2 buckles and the whole sled is easily carried on your back in difficult areas like fjording rivers and traveling through pressure ridges. The harness is fully adjustable front and rear, keeping the poles by your side where they belong. Loops can be sewn directly to your pack waistband.

The KinderShuttle is an easy way to spend time outside with the whole family. The sled hull is the similar to the BaseCamp with a well-padded child seat, a 3-point safety harness and a sturdy chrome-moly steel roll-bar keeping the child safe even if the sled tips. The sled has a 1000 denier Dupont Cordura nylon cover with a roll-away clear vinyl wind screen, and 2,000 in 3 storage for a diaper bags or thermos. The window is -42 degree F cold crack vinyl - the very best available. The sled weights around 12lb and is suitable for hauling children up to 60lb.

Both sleds are available in an assortment of colors.

Sale Item – Waxing Irons

Bring in a printed out version of this newsletter and receive $20 off any waxing iron in the store. We have a variety of Toko and Swix irons for skis and snowboards.

The Interview: Tyson Flaharty

With the colder temperatures and fresh snow, the Nordic ski season is in full swing. Competitive skiers have been training all summer and fall for the races around North America and Europe. Skiing events range from the local city and club races to the Junior Nationals and U23 World Championships. One skier who has been training hard for years is Tyson Flaharty. We had a chance to talk to Tyson while he was in Fairbanks recently.

GSS: When did you start ski racing?

TF: I was racing at West Valley High School for three years. I graduated and then I joined the UAF ski team. I am now racing with the APU Nordic Ski Club in Anchorage, and it is awesome.

GSS: You were recently racing down in the Lower 48. Where were you racing and how did you go?

TF: I was in Bozeman, MT and Idaho. I skied the Super Tours, which were 5 races at an altitude camp. We did a lot of training and a lot of races. There races were two sprint races in Bozeman, then we drove over to Sun Valley and did another sprint race and 10k classic and a 30k skate race. It was a lot of races in one week. We were trying to keep the training volume up - it was a tough week.

GSS: I heard that you were having problems with lactic acid build-up during one of the races. What was that caused by?

TF: That was the 30k race at the end of the week, it was after a lot of racing and it was at an altitude of around 8000ft. I had low glycogen stored in my muscles so the lactate built up much faster and I suffered a lot of fatigue in my body. I was just tired

GSS How did you work through that?

TF: I was feeling pretty good up to about 5k into the race and then the next 25k I suffered. It was probably the worst feeling in the world. I just kept going, and then all of a sudden I was dizzy and my legs were burning and I could not really move, but I had to keep going because I was in the middle of the up-hill. I knew if I finished the race I would feel better later.

GSS: Is there anything you can take to restore the glycogen in your muscles?

TF: There are some energy drinks that you can have. I took some Cytomax throughout the race and that seemed to help me a little bit. It is just how your body is reacting. There is not much you can do during the race.

GSS: How have you been doing in races?

TF: I have done pretty well this season so far. I had a rough season last year. I had three races this year so far and I have done better than any of the races last year. That is helping out in my overall race season. I had a couple of good Besh Cup races last weekend. I came second in the sprint race and 5 th in the classic race.

GSS: Were you in that big pile-up?

TF: I am not sure where that was. I got the first seed start, so I was at the front of the start. Trond Flagstad, the UAA coach, and I set the pace for the first 1.5k of the race. We didn’t have to worry about anything except keeping on going. It was fun racing in a big crowd and in a big competition.

GSS: Are you training this season for speed or for endurance?

TF: I am trying a combination of both. I tend to do long sprint races, but I want to be a distance skier in the future, so it is kind of weird right now specializing so much in sprint and in distance. The 10k classic is my high prize right now, I am really happy if I get to race in one. It is short is enough that it does not burn me too much but I still get to go fast.

GSS: Do you receive any sponsorship to help you in your races?

TF: Madshaus helps me with boots and skis, I have been skiing on Madshaus for six years and I really like those. Swix helps me with poles, gloves, hats and clothing.

GSS: What races are you involved in with the Super Series and the US Nationals?

TF: There is the Besh Cup, and the races in Houghton, there will be 4 races in 5 days; 10k classic, 15k skate, classic sprint, skate sprint relay. If things go well I can make it to the U23 World Championships in Italy, things are looking pretty good right now, we will see how I look in a week and half or so, after Houghton.

GSS: What is U23?

TF: That is the races aimed at skiers between ages 20 and 22. Below those ages in the Junior World Championships, and older than the U23 is the World Cup.

GSS: What is your average weekly training schedule like?

TF: A normal training week is averaging around 15 hours a week. That includes two interval training sessions, and extra hours of easy recovery to long distance in between to get the body ready. It is all about consistency, we do that every week. Once in a while we do something different like a time trial or a race.

GSS: What is your advice for someone wanting to get into ski racing?

TF: Audun Endestad told me to stick with it and be patient and the opportunities will come, you have to train for a couple of years to get to a high level, so you might as well be ready to do that for a long time and put years into it and if things work out right it will happen. You should not expect results too fast, otherwise you will end up in disappointment.

January 2007 Calendar