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SkiLab. Nordic skiing and snowshoeing will build functional core strength, cardiovascular endurance, aerobic power, agility, balance, and confidence in a pragmatic and natural environment. Achieve superior total-body conditioning with one sport. Read the Reviews. Looking for adventure, lifestyle, or performance fitness? |
The ski program offers:
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“Living and coaching natural fitness through clean oxygen fed sport.” |
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FALL PROGRAM
Trail Running will continue Tuesdays 6:30pm and Sundays 1pm into November or until we are on skis. Trail Running is FREE and everyone is welcome. (64 sessions/yr)
Dryland training (nordicski walking, ski striding and core strength) will begin first Monday in Oct at Mooney's Bay (terry fox centre) 6:30PM [8 sessions]
Thurs 6PM, Sun 8am - unstructured practice for the Race Team - Roller skiing P9
WINTER SESSION
Nordic Skiing sessions begin 01 Dec
For Adults 18+ (Parents are welcome to bring teenagers 16+ and we will coach them for FREE)
All sessions are your choice of either classic or skating technique.
SCHEDULE
MONDAYS SKI TECHNIQUE 6:30pm "Learn to Ski" technical sessions classic or skating for all levels and abilities. Place: P6 Mackenzie King Estate. Beginners and Novice Skiers are encouraged to attend this session to begin with. The complete “Learn to Nordic Ski” curriculum is published on DVD from www.xczone.tv
TUESDAYS SKI AND SNOWSHOE TRAINING 6:30pm "Train to race" group workout skating. Normally consists of a variety of interval and intensity sessions to develop power and strength. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com or www.twitter.com/fitnesslab This workout is meant for intermediate to expert skiers. You are stongly advised to show up early and warm up a bit before the Tuesday workout. We normally go for a short (optional) snowshoe after skiing. The complete “Nordic Sking Technique and Training” curriculum is published on DVD from www.xczone.tv
WEDNESDAYS FREE SNOWSHOEING 6:30pm group workout snowshoeing. Normally the training consists of a variety of Fartlek or varied pace(run/hike) and terrain (approx 8kph). Discover a new snowshoe trail every week. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com or www.twitter.com/fitnesslab
THURSDAYS XC SKI TOUR/TEMPO 6:30pm "Tempo" or "moderate touring speed" group workouts classic or skate. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com or www.twitter.com/fitnesslab This workout is meant for intermediate+. Tempo workouts are just a bit slower than race pace. Many of us will be doing classic technique, but anything goes. This is the nite that we will also have hut to hut skiing and pot lucks, sometimes.
SATURDAY TIMETRIAL OR RACE XC SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING 9am. We also use this time to have special events or clinics. Place: TBD www.trirudy.com or www.twitter.com/fitnesslab
SUNDAY LONG DISTANCE 9am-noon istance training for intermediate+ racers followed 1pm-3pm Group "Ski Touring" easy group guided sessions for intermediate and below. It is suitable for novice skiers and better. Place: TBD posted on www.trirudy.com or www.twitter.com/fitnesslab
LEVELS
Verify what level you are ?
OTHER ACTIVITIES
We will spice-up the sessions with optional special events and activities:
- Biathlon
- Ski Orienteering
- Hut-to-Hut Skiing
- Potlucks
- Ski and Spa
- Snow Shoeing
- Winter Trail Running
- Winter Adventure Racing
SPECIAL CLINICS
We will run a number of special clinics and training camps this season on Saturday afternoons:
- Beginner-Novice Skate Skiing and Classic
- Intermediate+ Skate Skiing and Classic
- Downhill skiing on cross-country skis
- Ski, Run Snowshoe training camp
- Women and daughters on skis (Fast and Female)
- Instructor Clinic
- Waxing, equipment selection, training etc
Press HERE for more details of our ski clinics.
RACE TEAM EXTRA TRAINING (OPTIONAL) e-mail me directly
SATURDAY 9AM-12 - Race Team Training (time trials) Place TBD
SUNDAY 9AM-12 - Race Team Training (LSD) Place TBD
Note: The race team is pacing about 19km/hr-24km/hr for a 50km event (about top 200 in the gatineau loppet) whereas the speed of the regular group is <10kph for touring on skis.
COST STRUCTURE
PERFORMANCE PROGRAM (5 sessions/week, free clinics)
140 fall-winter sessions (valued at $1400 based upon a standard $10 drop in fee):
01 Sep - Early registration - Price $150/yr (value worth $1400 discounted 89%)
01 Oct - Price $200/yr (value worth $1200 discounted 83%)
01 Nov - Price $250/yr (value worth $1000 discounted 75%)
01 Dec - Price $300/yr (value worth $800 discounted 62%)
01 Jan - Price $350/yr (value worth $600 discounted 42%)
01 Feb - Price $400/yr (value worth $400 discounted 0%)
This includes the 140 expert lead technical and training sessions, special clinics, coaching support and fun (fall-winter) and another 100 FREE trail running sessions (Spring-Summer-Fall).
LITE PROGRAM (limited to one session per week, clinics extra) After Jan $10/session or:
Jan $120 for 12 sessions
Feb $80 for 8 sessions
Mar $40 for 4 sessions
FREE for students for the year
FREE trial session
$10 drop-in fee
IMPORTANT LINKS
Read full detailed program and our coaching philosophy. Check group training at www.trirudy.com for practice times and locations. Go to our virtual club house on facebook and interact real time. Goto a comprehensive resource library for technique and training. For a detailed description of many of the trails go to connect.garmin.com (search xczone). Also download a trail Map of the Gatineau Park.
INSIDE THE LAB
NETWORK OF EXPERTS that regularly participate in the group include: XC skiing, Alpine, Running, Ultra Running, Adventure Racing, Orienteering, Mountain biking, road cycling, cycle-cross, paddling, rowing, snowshoeing, boxing, wrestling, triathlon, swimming. There are 5 Olympic and 15 former members of the National Cross Country Ski Team who skied for XCZONETV. We have eight (8) NCCP and CANSI certified (level 1-5) xc ski and biathlon coaches and instructors with the program.
PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT CREW consists of: medical doctors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, sports psychologists, exercise physiologists, biomechanical engineers, nutritionists, wax technicians, national ski reps.
DEMOGRAPHICS Total number of adults in the program exceeds 500, with 150 formally registered in nordic ski program. We have 5 instructors and 6 assistant instructors. The group contains 4 former Olympians, 16 National Team members and 5 professional athletes in a number of sports. 5% have never been on skis before 2% are recovering from injury 10% are beginners 25% are novices 60% are intermediate level 10% are advanced 5% are expert, elite or pro athletes Number of participants at a normal run varies between 20-80 people. Ages range between 16 to 65 with most people between 21-45. 48% men and 52% women.
SPEEDS (These are road times. Trail times can be much slower). The average (race) running speed of the group is 52min/10km or about 12 kph ( less than 6min/km). The fastest speed is 27min/10km with 10 people who can run sub-35min 10k. The Slowest pace is 65min/10km. Most people in the group will run a 55-60min/10km pace on the harder workouts. The LSD (slow workouts) are 8kph (>6min/km). The fastest ski (race) speeds is approx 24min/10km. Whereas the average is 50min /10km
TESTIMONIALS
“I moved to Ottawa five years ago from Calgary for graduate studies with some hesitation that I would miss the Rockies. As soon as snow fell I discovered the great skiing in Gatineau park, but soon got bored of skiing on my own and not having anyone to push me. Two years ago I found Natural Fitness Labs which was exactly what I wanted, a chance to improve my ski technique, gain fitness and meet people with common interests. Going out for a good ski or run is a great stress relief, especially when your thesis seems to be sliding off a cliff. I will soon be moving from Ottawa and one of things I will miss the most is this group. Thanks Dave and Lise!!!” - Nicholas Utting
Lynne Bermel, Ottawa Sun Newspaper -
"Last weekend, Dave McMahon was on one of his favourite trails in the Gatineau Park when he ran into a cross country skier who had crashed on a downhill. The skier had failed to negotiate a corner that had been snowploughed down to the gravel. The skier ended up with a few broken parts to show for it.
That caused McMahon to wonder how many others were risking injury, broken equipment and a few bruised egos because they didn’t know how to take the down hills properly.
True to form, McMahon didn’t stop there.
The next day, the former biathlon champion turned cross country ski coach and film producer, was on the Net, inviting anyone he knew to a special “crash course” on proper descending techniques.
He’s running that course at Camp Fortune tomorrow – the latest in his long line of programs and instructional offerings he’s developed over the years to teach people about cross country skiing as well as adventure racing, trail running and mountain biking – sports he affectionately calls “clean oxygen fed activities.”
“I’ve always been into sports that tax the cardio and muscular systems. You can’t find a better all over body workout than cross country skiing,” says McMahon, whose adult Nordic ski program that he runs with wife Lise Meloche, a two time Olympian, has grown to 400 members and is one of the largest in the country.
“Cross country is all terrain skiing. What goes down must go up,” he says. “Not to knock alpine skiing, but let’s just say the return on investment is a lot higher than riding a chair lift.”
They live less than 200m from the edge of the Gatineau Park. For the last 20 years, when they haven’t been working – he’s a full time engineer at Bell Canada and she is a high school teacher - they’ve rarely been out of it... and