The 50 kilometers long nightmare (Or how I managed to go 50 kilometers in 6h43m)

Winter is here! We have snow all over and the ski season has begun. Although it must be said that winter came a little bit late this year, we didn't have snow until well into December.
So, after New year's celebrations (which I spent sick in bed) we packed up our skis and traveled to the Czech Republic to participate in a 50 kilometers race: Jizerska 50.
We have read about it and we have prepared ourselves for a really nice race. Well, racing is a way to say it, I'm not racing to win I just do it because it is fun to participate.
We were keeping an eye to the weather on Bedrichov (the little in the Czech Republic where the race happens) to be sure to bring the proper equipment. All the way up to New year the weather was perfect, around -5C and new snow coming all the time. The week before the race, the temperatures went up to 0 and warmer and there was even rain. If you have ever done cross country skiing you know that those temperatures are the worst case situation because the snow melts and then freezes again but this time as ice.
We left for Prague on Friday 6th and we arrived without problems. We were lucky to meet a couple of acquaintances that gave us a free ride to the place of the race. Unfortunately Mona got sick so she had to spend the rest of the weekend in bed in the hotel. Next day I went to Liberec to pick my starting bib and my time measuring chip and to hear the gossip about the proper waxing for the skis. Once back in the hotel I busied myself preparing my skis for a scary 0C race. On Sunday I followed a group of swedes going to the race and got to the start line in good time to make the final preparations.
A little bit before 9:15 I was on the slopes and that was when I realized that I had no grip at all. I mean, none. My skis just glided without any friction! I had to go my first kilometer fish bone style until I reached a place where people were trying to wax their skis. I managed to get some wax from a guy, and my intention was to get enough grip to go the other 4 kilometers to the first waxing service. Skis rewaxed I was able to go the four kilometers and reach the waxing service. To my surprise the guys at the waxing service asked me if I had wax for my skis. When I told them that I didn't have they told me they didn't have wax either... Dear race organizers, the whole point of a waxing service is to help people with waxing problems, make sure you have wax on the first place.
I continued going with my skis having a weird feeling of having the wrong wax that provided too much grip and no glide at all, but it was better than having no grip at all. Specially since the next 5 kilometers were up hill. Once I reached the top (around 1h30m), I realized that the wax had frozen and I was literally going on top of ice. From the top then it came a long down hill of about 3 kilometers, which was a nightmare because there were no tracks at all. It was pure ice and I had to use a lot of strength to keep my skis on the slope. People were falling left and right and I myself came in close contact with the slopes a couple of times. I managed to get down, but once there my skis were completely useless. I didn't have grip, I didn't have glide and there were still about 35 kilometers to go. By this time I had seen enough people leaving the race, but I decided to keep going because I wanted to get the stamp that will eventually enable me to get the Worldloppet medal and hopefully become the first south american to get such medal.
I tried double poleing, but that didn't work because there were no tracks on the slopes. Dear race organizers, I don't expect that you manage to use the same resources that swedes use for Vasalopet or norwegians for Birkebeiner, but having the machines redoing the tracks a couple of times during the race will simplify things a lot for everybody.
At around 3 hours I eventually got to Smedava. I had heard about it because it is a famous up hill on this race. It is incredibly steep and it is long. So, as you might imagine, having no grip at all this was no fun. I'm not joking when I say that most people took off their skis because they went faster by foot than by skiing (FIS rules say that removing your skis other than to rewax them is forbidden, but I guess at that point people just wanted to survive and being disqualified was not a big concern). Being the one I am, I held on to my skis and climbed the hill using twice as much time as I should have. But I did it following the regulations!
From there on there was some flat terrain on the top and then a long down hill, that again was more than a nightmare. It was just ice, no tracks and a lot of people. By this time we were all tired so people were falling a lot. When I finally reached the end of the down hill, there was yet another up hill (although much milder than the one from Smedava) and the final down to the finish line. By the time I reached the finish line, it was dark and people were getting worried about the people still on the tracks.
All things considered, I learned a lot from this race. Skiing can be a hell if the weather is not right. Not only when is too cold (I've been in races were the temperatures were around -24C), but when is too warm too. I should consider getting myself some Zero skis, which are specially designed for this kind of weather. And of course, next time don't trust the organizers and their waxing services. Take your own wax and equipment!
The odysee didn't stop there. The next day we went to Prague and took our flight back. Our flight was Prague - Munich, Munich - Oslo. The first flight was delayed, so we were stuck at the airport in Prague. When we finally arrived to Munich, _WE_ reached our next plane but our lugagge didn't. Lufthansa said, no problems we'll deliver it to your door. And so they did next day, except that my skis were damaged beyond repair :-( Now I'm waiting for the insurance company to tell me that they are going to pay for my skis before buying new ones. Luckily I had bought new skis as a Xmas present to myself, so it is not that important now.

El problema de la educación

El sistema educacional en mi país ha estado en huelga hace casi 5 meses. Por un lado estudiantes y profesores y por el otro el gobierno. Ambos lados han expuesto sus argumentos y ahora están jugando a no escucharse.
Todo empezó con los estudiantes protestando por una educación de calidad. Los profesores, en realidad no los profesores sino que la agrupación llamada "Colegio de Profesores", se sumaron rápidamente al baile al ver que los estudiantes por fin habían obtenido atención. El gobierno se ha empecinado en decir que todo está bien y que con algunos ajustes todo va a estar mejor. Del otro lado dicen que es el modelo el que está mal y que no se puede pretender arreglarlo sino que hay que partir de cero.
Algunos datos para poner el problema en perspectiva. Cuando yo estaba asistiendo al colegio (empecé en 1983), la universidad era para unos pocos y se estaba recién desarrollando el concepto de universidades privadas. Los colegios eran pocos y la separación entre colegios privados y públicos era enorme. Tan así que las ligas deportivas escolares se dividían entre particulares y públicos.
Hoy en día, abundan los colegios y el acceso a la educación superior es relativamente simple. Surge entonces la pregunta, dónde está el problema?
En 1983 y durante toda mi formación académica, siempre escuche conversaciones acerca de la calidad de la educación de distintos colegios, fueran públicos o privados. Que el colegio X que es privado es un asco, pero el liceo Y es excelente y viceversa.
Hoy en día la discusión se centra, por el lado de los estudiantes, en el lucro en el sistema educacional. El problema sería que al incentivar el estado la creación de establecimientos educacionales privados mediante la entrega de subsidios, los privados pueden obtener ganancias producto de esto. Lo mismo sucede con las universidades, salvo que como está prohibido lucrar con las universidades esto se realiza bajo la figura legal de la inmobiliaria dueña de las sedes y el material pedagógico.
Por el lado del gobierno, la discusión se centra en focalizar recursos y en mejorar la calidad del sistema.
Los estudiantes quieren educación gratuita y de calidad para todos, en todos los niveles. El gobierno dice que no alcanza la plata. Los estudiantes responden que mediante un alza de impuestos se puede financiar. El gobierno responde que las alzas de impuestos llevan a la pérdida de competitividad. En fin, esto se ha vuelto un diálogo de sordos en el que nadie escucha a nadie.
Según mi punto de vista, el real problema de la educación chilena no es ni el precio, ni la calidad ni nada de eso sino la segregación. El sistema chileno evita la "mezcla de clases" y hace permanente la división entre "ricos y pobres" (para usar el lenguaje de los estudiantes). Esto es tan visible, que pese a que el "Consejo de Rectores de Universidades Chilenas" no tiene razón de ser, las universidades están segregadas en dos grupos sin ninguna lógica. Dentro de las universidades del CRUCH hay universidades buenas y malas, lo mismo que dentro de las universidades no-CRUCH. El sistema de educación primario y secundario en su gran mayoría discrimina a los alumnos por la cantidad de dinero que cada padre puede pagar para que su hijo o hija asista a un colegio. Es más, incluso las escuelas de formación militares discriminan de acuerdo a la capacidad de pago. Si no puede pagar, será suboficial pero si puede pagar puede aspirar a ser oficial!!!!
Lo que más me molesta es que la discusión, por muy productiva e iluminadora que esta sea, deja de lado el problema principal. Cualquier medida que pretenda solucionar el problema, debe partir por eliminar la discriminación y segregación a la cual nos somete el actual sistema educacional.
Para decirlo de alguna forma, no sacamos nada con mejorar la calidad de un porcentaje de establecimientos educacionales (a.k.a. como "liceos de excelencia"), si la gran mayoría no podrá optar a esa educación.
Pido a quien lea este post, que por favor medite lo que acabo de exponer. El primer problema a solucionar es la discriminación y la segregación que esta produce. Solucionando eso, el problema se hará mucho más simple.

Jetlag

Jet lag, the killer of travelers.... well, I think I have traveled too much because I'm getting jet lag proof. For work purposes I had to come to Boston (Cambridge actually) and after clearing immigration and taking a shower I was dutifully working at 15:00. Not only that, the next day I was training like I do in Norway (well... not as usual because in Norway I don't get up at 07:00).
So, I was thinking about what are the tricks to avoid jet lag and I came with a few suggestions:
1. Plan ahead. It all resorts to sleeping, when going west avoid sleeping (or don't do it for longer than one hour on the plane). When going east sleep as much as you can because you'll arrive ahead of your timezone. So in the days before your trip you need to start shortening or lengthening your sleeping.
2. Be a man and don't listen to your stomach. Truth being said, the stomach is the hardest part when adjusting to a new timezone. The stomach has its routines and it does not like changing them. When arriving to a new destination just eat when everybody else is eating, even if you are not hungry. And keep a small chocolate bar next to your bed in case your stomach decides to take revenge on your disobedience.
I think those two are the main things, if you have any jet lag avoiding tricks that you want to share I'll be happy to hear them.

Birkebeiner

Despite living in Norway I had never gone Birkebeiner, until today. If you don't know what Birkebeiner is, I can tell you that is a very popular ski race here in Norway, and of course wikipedia will tell you more if you click here. Basically it recreates an old story, where two skiers had to cross mountains with the young king on their arms to save him from his enemies.
The weather was perfect and the slopes were perfect too. Overall it was a perfect day.
Now to the race description. Birkebeiner is very tough. It has a lot of uphill, and a lot of downhill too. The first 14 kilometers are up, up and up. With two stops, one at 5 kilometers and the other one at 9.5 kilometers. After that one continues up for 4.5 kilometers and down you go. A little flat and up again. By the time you reach the second drink station, you are already tired since you have been going up for 20 kilometers (with 2 kilometers down hill that do not help with your sore muscles).
From there on is... well... up. And up, and up, and up. Again, there comes a new down hill for a couple of kilometers and up again. One reaches the third drink station after 27 kilometers, and guess what... up again... By the time you come to the final drink station, you have gone up and down for a long while and your muscles are really sore. From that point on, is some flat terrain and then some down hills for about 5 kilometers. The down hills are not difficult, they are really narrow and there is a lot of people, which leads to problems. Since you are already tired, it is difficult to focus and to keep your balance, and even more difficult to avoid people who falls. After coming all the way down, you still have about 5 kilometers to the ski stadium and that is pretty flat with a small hill in the last three kilometers.
I'm satisfied with my performance this year since it was my first time. I'll train more for next year and I'll see how fast I can go.

How to survive Vasaloppet

Yesterday I participated in the oldest cross country ski race in the world, Vasaloppet. Not only is the oldest, it is also one of the longest too! In case you have never heard of it, go here and read the wikipedia entry.
If you are reading this entry, it is probably because you have already heard of this race and are wondering how to make sure you get to the finish line in one piece and by your own means (not because the doctors took you there!). In order to explain to you how to survive it, I have to walk you through the race so that is what I'll do in the next paragraphs.
Vasaloppet is a 90 kilometers long race, so the first thing to take into consideration is the fact that you will be passing through different landscapes, different temperatures and different types of snow.
It is also worth noting that despite all the myths about Vasaloppet being just a "flat" race, there are considerable height differences in the course, and believe me after 50 or more kilometers, even the slightest uphill becomes a challenge.
I'll split the race according to the drink stations, because it is very nice to know what comes next when you are stopping for a drink and a small snack.
The first stretch is from the start in Sälen to Smågang. It is about 11 kilometers long and it is known because right after the start (about two kilometers from the start line) you will find "the hill". It is not particularly steep but it is not very wide and there are huge waiting lines to get to the top. After reaching the highest point, one goes a little bit down and after that it is mostly flat until Smågang.
The next stretch is about 13 kilometers long and goes from Smågang to Mångsbodarna. This one is mostly flat with a slight uphill that stretches for a long while. It is possible to double pole most of the time, however be aware that you should not be using too much energy here. This is the stretch (together with the first one) where you can see who is a novice and who has done this before. Let people pass you, this is a 90 kilometers long race, there is no point in trying to go fast now just to run out of juice in 30 kilometers.
Once you have reached Mångsbodarna, the next stop is Risberg, again about 11 kilometers. This stretch is tricky. There is a lot of uphill, even if it is not very steep. Again, it is possible to double pole or at least to kick and glide most of the time, however it is wise to do some diagonal strides from time to time. There is plenty of race still ahead!
From Risberg to Evertsberg is about 13 kilometers. This one is also tricky. It is mostly flat, with a slight uphill that stretches a long while. It is possible to double pole it, although saving energy here it is a good idea.
Now you are in Evertsberg. It is time to congratulate yourself! You have passed the middle point and from this point on is mostly down hill. From this station to Oxberg is about 15 kilometers. Mostly down hill or flat, however be advised that about 2-3 kilometers before Oxberg there is an uphill. This one is not super steep but it is demanding. Be mentally prepared because here is where you can pass all those who passed you in the first two stretches and now are running out of juice! Right before Oxberg there is a 180 degrees turn, be aware that many are really tired and do not handle that turn really well so be prepared to avoid "falling corpses".
Oxberg to Hökberg is a nice stretch, about 9 kilometers. There is a lot of down hill (not very steep) and this stretch is really nice to double pole. There are a few ups but nothing very demanding, although remember that at this point you have gone about 50 kilometers so anything that goes up becomes really demanding. It is a good practice to go fish bone in some uphills, specially the short ones since you will save energy and probably the tracks are already destroyed by this time.
Hökberg to Eldris begins really nice with a nice down hill. This stretch is also about 9 kilometers long. Here you will go through the forest and some slight uphills. Again, nothing to be scared of.
Finally the last stretch, Eldris to Mora. 9 kilometers of mostly flat terrain. There are some minimal downhills and uphills but this stretch is basically flat. If you still have energy, this is perfect for double poling. Be aware that the final kilometer is divided in two parts, right before reaching the church in Mora there will be a small uphill that crosses a road and right after you go down. You need to go up again and there you are, ready for the final 500 meters of Vasaloppet. Somehow magically, everybody is able to double pole that stretch. Be aware that you will not see the famous sign until you are about 200 meters away from the goal.
Some advices:
- Remember that Vasaloppet is a 90 kilometers long race. There is no point in sprinting to Smågang if you are going to run out of juice.
- For ski preparation you need to concentrate in having a good glide for the most of the race. Since the slope stretches 90 kilometers, expect that you will have some parts with very good glide and some with not so good glide.
- Despite all the myths about people not using gripping wax in Vasaloppet, unless you are extremely fit, you are going to need it. Again, use a wax that will work well most of the time. If possible use a racing wax, like the VR series of Swix because they have an extended temperature range and they will not let you down that easily.
- Be aware that the tracks become dirty with tree leaves, sport drink bottles, sport gels and all sorts of stuff. If possible, try to lift your skis when the tracks are too dirty or when there is something plastic on it (like a used sports gel), because it might damage your skis or it might make you loose grip.
- If you are not sure about your downhill abilities, then Vasaloppet is not for you. Races as long as Vasaloppet are not meant for people that need to be snow plugging when going down hill. You need to save the energy for better things, and besides, using that speed to go as far as you can just by gliding in your skis makes a world of difference!
- There are few things that are more annoying than a slow person in the fast lanes. Try to avoid using the left lane. For the most part, there are 6 to 8 tracks, so use them! The left lane is just for passing people.
- Even if you are a super athlete you still need to drink and eat during Vasaloppet. I personally spend about 2 to 3 minutes in each station. I drink two glasses of sports drink (blueberry soup if it is too cold) and one bread. That gives me enough energy to go from one station to the next one.
- Be nice to people on the slopes. The majority of us do this because it is fun, not to break the record. If you see somebody in need of help, do help him or her. If you want to pass somebody, just go on the left side and do it. If somebody wants to pass you, just move to the track to your right. There is no need to start yelling at people!
- Since there are so many participants, the level varies a lot. There are a lot of experienced skiers and a lot of unexperienced ones in Vasaloppet. Be prepared to jump to the track next to you if somebody falls right in front of you. This year out of the blue a ski came right in front of me and I was lucky that I reacted without thinking, otherwise I might have been seriously injured. When I say a ski, I really mean it. Somebody lost his/her ski and it went from the right side of the slope to the left side without an owner!
- Take care of your poles! Going Vasaloppet is like going in a pole graveryard. You will see lots of broken poles along the way. The most common cause of broken poles is people stepping into your poles, so instead of trying to cover a large area with your poles, keep them close to you, specially in the uphills!

To be or not to be?

This old Shakespeare quote summarizes my state of mind these days. I'm in the middle of deciding what to do in my life and I'm torn between two decisions. On one hand I have things that I liked mixed with things that I don't like and in the other hand I have a lot of uncertainty.
The question is more on the lines, where should you give up? Is it worth to fight for something that might not happen? Is it worst to know that you gave up without a fight? The problem is I am getting tired of being the one fighting. I am getting tired of being told that things are going to change for the best and then face the reality and see that nothing that matters has really changed. I am tired of having to pretend that things are better when they are not. I am tired of hearing that is only for now, when is not only for now. Things have only gotten worse.
Should I just say enough? Should I give it one more try?

Winter season

If anybody had told me in 2007 that in 2010 I would be writing a blog post about cross country ski races, I would have probably smiled and walked away. Up to 2007 my experience with snow was very limited, mostly snow was something that belonged to the Andes in Chile and that you never had to worry about.
Well, the fact that in 2010 I joined two ski races speaks for itself. It is even more impressive if one considers that my first cross country ski trip was during December 2008, after receiving a "theoretical description" of how I was supposed to use my cross country skis. After that winter season I decided to take the next step since I realized that I missed to have an activity that was important for me and not related to work. During 2009 I trained and thanks to my colleagues I got a pair of rollerskis, which I used to practice during summer. In November 2009 I took a technique course to improve my "marka teknikk" and learn proper racing technique. I spent most of the 2010 winter training and I took a second technique course during January 2010. The result is astonishing. I finished the Oslo skimarathon (41kms) in 3:46 and even more impressive, I finished Öppet Spår, the open race of Vasaloppet (90kms) in 8:05. Is that something or what?
Since I really enjoy this for 2011 I have even bigger plans, I plan to participate in two races in the Czech Republic, the Oslo Skimarathon, Vasaloppet and Birkebeiner again.