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NOVEMBER 1999 NEWSLETTER
BC Nordic Masters are especially invited to Larch Hills Fun Race Salmon Arm, Sunday January 2
No excuses- no loppets are scheduled that weekend; the first one is the next weekend. You will (hopefully) have recovered from the Y2K celebrations.
The event will be low pressure without hype, but it will be a chance to ski with others of your age group; and a chance to see how your training is paying off. No special requirements just show up, enter and ski.
This is the first event to which BC Masters are explicitly invited so why not come and support it.
START - 12:00 noon.- you can sleep in.
REGISTRATION On site only 10:00 - 11:30 am
ENTRY FEES are affordable: only $5 (for 18 years and over)
DISTANCE for 18 years and over is 12.5 km- a good distance to start off the season with before leaping into a full Loppet.
In keeping with the “fun” nature of the event age categories are by the usual 10 year groupings, namely 30 to 39 years, 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years and 70 and over. More information: Marcia and Jim Beckner (250)832-3534 Masters coming to take in the Fun Race are invited to the annual Lantern Ski, on the Saturday night before this. A wonderful evening - 150 lanterns strung up along 5 km of trail. The effect is absolutely magical! do the Lantern Ski as a warm-up! 5 - 9 pm at the Larch Hills Ski Club chalet. Donations for expenses gratefully accepted. Bring along a goodie for the communal table - hot grog and hot chocolate provided.
In 2001 the World Masters are at Mariazell, Austria. The town has a population of 1,500 and is like Grindelwald, without the 12,000 ft mountains. There are also several small communities within a few kilometers. Tourism is the main employment and the hotels have a combined total of 3,000 beds with various price ranges. The major attraction in Mariazell is the Basilica, which was built 900 years ago, and has gone through several renovations over the years. It is quite a spectacular building, attracting large groups of people making pilgrimages from around the world. visit Mariazell
JACK WHITE ON THE WMA MEETING HELD AT MARIAZELL
For the first time ever an FIS official, Paddy Field, who holds the position of "Director of popular events" within that organization, was in attendance at our meetings. He gave an account on how the WMA can be involved within FIS, while still maintaining our autonomy and decision making. This is an extremely important event in the history of the WMA. To have FIS interested to this extent only proves what we have known all along. The WMA is a major player in the world of cross-country skiing and can only continue to grow.
Race format It was voted on and accepted that future MWC's would change from the present format (classic in the morning, free technique afternoon), to alternating days classic and free technique, with all races being completed by early afternoon.
This is a definite improvement, making it more fair for all competitors, and easier for organizers and race officials. However, since Kiruna has already sent out all forms for this years MWC, this format will become effective at Mariazell in 2001.
MWC Entry Form Hint When completing these forms, always enter three races, even if you only intend to ski in one or two. It does not cause the statisticians any problem to enter DNS on race results. But, if at the last moment an individual decides to enter a race which was not checked on the entry form, it will not be possible.
Entry confirmation This has been discontinued because many competitors failed to check these forms, and upon arrival at race sites, complained they were entered incorrectly. However, Sepp Schelbert and National Directors have original copies of these forms to prove their original completion. So when completing the entry form, ensure you correctly note the races in which you wish to compete.
Valcartier 2002 At the WMA meeting in Grindelwald this past March, the Quebec contingent of Andre Filion Jean Yves Babin and Pierre Harvey presented the bid to hold the MWC at Valcartier in 2002. Dieter Heckmann stated that this was by far the most impressive presentation he had seen in his 18 years as WMA President. This was unanimously agreed upon by all of the long time National Directors from various countries. It is very gratifying for this National Director that Andre and the committee worked extremely hard to make this such a professional presentation. After our meeting, many Directors came up to me with the utmost praise for what they had seen. As Canada's National Director, it made me feel very proud. I hope many Canadian Masters will plan on attending this 2002 MWC at Valcartier and make it one of the best events ever held within the WMA
Current plans call for a schedule immediately following the Salt Lake City Olympics, roughly Feb. 24 to March 3.
The competition site is "Centre Myriam-Bedard" located on the Canadian Forces Base at an elevation of 160 metres above sea level. Average temperature is -4C for late February.
We see each other at races and visit after the events, but we don’t know much about each other. Therefore I plan to have an interview with a different BC Master to help us become more connected.
For this first issue Lisa Van Schie-Wynne graciously agreed to speak on the record. Any volunteers or suggestions for the next issue?
LISA VAN SCHIE-WYNNEYou know her name from the Loppet results lists. For the last few years Lisa van Schie-Wynne has generally finished among the top women in BC Loppets and two seasons ago she was the aggregate woman’s winner of the Loppet series.
In her other life Lisa is a family physician at Kamloops who specializes in obstetrics. And recently in her third life she became the mother of a baby boy, who has become a big part of her life now. As with many other BC Masters her skiing focus has been on the BC Loppets, but she participated in the World Masters at Folgaria in 1997 and Lake Placid 1998.
Lisa grew up in North Bay Ontario. She was excited to learn that North Bay will host the Canadian Masters Championships this spring and she hopes to go, if for nothing more than old times’ sake.
In high school Lisa ran cross country; her success at running resulted in an invitation to ski cross country with the high school team. She had some success, “mostly because of my fitness- not from my technique” she says with a smile. But the success “with not that much training” encouraged her. It was a beginning from which she has not looked back and she has skied more or less continuously since then. She loves winter and being out on the trails and this has held her interest in skiing.
Lisa went to the University of Western Ontario at London Ontario for biology and physics. She also took her medical degree there. For a North Bay girl the transition to London was “quite a shock”. Joining the cross country team at Western helped in the transition. “We did things together as a team and the social aspects of being part of a group made it fun. The coach, Gerry Gonzer, was a big fixture at Western and that helped too. And we had some success. Western got its first ever bronze medal in skiing from the women’s relay team that year. I skied the first leg and everyone was surprised when I came into the stadium in third.
“After Western I came out to intern at Shaughnessy hospital in Vancouver- the last year of Shaughnessy”. I hardly skied at all and could not believe the trails at Cypress after the trails I was used to in Ontario.
Lisa met Andrew Wynne, now her husband, and also a doctor, in Vancouver while they both interned. Together they went to Endery in the north Okanagan for a six month locum in the winter of 91-92. She got back to skiing, but she was slow and put it down to getting old (and this at 30 years of age no less!). Later she found out her hemoglobin was down to 82. Once she beat that problem she had a good ski season. She skied quite a bit at Larch Hills that year with Pentti Vakeva.
Following Enderby Lisa moved back to Sudbury; Andrew had an opportunity to work emergency rooms there. She did quite a lot of skiing but no racing. “They don’t really have a good racing circuit in Ontario like here in BC.”
Lac Le Jeune, south of Kamloops beckoned and they moved there about ‘95 renting the first couple of years to see if they’d like it. Now they own a comfortable, large log home on the lake just steps away from skiing. “I feel pretty lucky with the setup we have, the trails so close and Andrew able to set track on about 10k of trails here”.
My first Worlds were at Folgaria (Italy) in 1997. I was only just into Masters, I think I was 32.” Lisa had good results there and competed the next year at Lake Placid where she won gold in the 30k classic and bronze in the 10k.
Lisa trains in summer by swimming and running. She runs a few 10k races and has a recent time of 41 minutes. She does not compete in swimming, but uses it mainly for upper body strength development and for cardio work, preferring pool intervals to those on the track. When training hard she will swim 3 times a week, usually with a masters swim group, and she will run most days for upwards of a half hour.
Folgaria changed the focus of my training; I got into more specific exercises, started doing double workouts three times a week, doing weights more regularly and long run for an hour to 1 ½ hr. I also went to a couple of fall training camps, one in Denver and Marty’s (Hall) camp at Silver Star.
Mostly I try to work on technique- I think that’s where most of my improvement can be. I don’t think I have much room to improve in fitness. Good technique is really important. In classic weight shift, glide and power are the things I work on. Nothing is better than being right on and powerful, being in the groove. It happens quite a bit in training, but I don’t very often feel like that in races.
I don’t have a coach but I’m a visual learner. I like to ski with someone and learn by looking at them ski. I skied in school with a Finnish guy and he had amazing technique. I’m good at watching and emulating.
In BC you hear lots about the Loppets but not about Masters. I think its because there are so many loppets.
I like both the loppets and the shorter events like the Masters or the BC cup races. But you can’t do both the loppets and the short races in the same season. If you’re trying to win the aggregate you have to go to a loppet pretty well every weekend. I think it would be nice to have a combination. It would be nice if there was still room for a few shorter races. I think there are too many events. And if you’re participating in the loppets you do the whole series so that means most every weekend.
What I’d like to see with the loppets is more participaction- too few club members come out- it would be nice to see families- it has to come from the club level- the racing thing is there for the racers but you have to get the regular club members to come out. I don’t know how to do it except through the clubs.
Lisa’s life changed fundamentally last year when her first child, Evan, was born. Now he is her priority and skiing takes a bit of a back seat. She trains with Evan in a pulk in winter and with a buggy in summer, but it’s not the same. “He’s a happy baby and he loves to go out, but pulling him around is not good for technique and not even that good for strength. It puts undue strain on the back.” Last year she was happy just to finish the Cariboo Marathon. Lisa and Andrew hope for another child and that is Lisa’s focus now. Next spring’s North Bay Canadian Masters Championships are her fallback. May all BC Masters have such a fallback.
John Roberts (Alberta Master who maintains the Canadian Masters Website) has proposed a National ranking system for Master skiers.
REASONS for having such a system: We never have all our members at one race so this would let members see where they stand against the entire membership. It would be a motivator to train and ski hard even if there is no local competition in your age group. And provide another reason for someone to join the Canadian Masters Association.
1. A "BASE TIME" is established for each race. This time would be equivalent to the times a National Team skier would turn in. If the race does not have National Team skiers entered, the base time is calculated by averaging the top 5 rated skiers’ times divided by their points ( if you divide any rated skier’s time by their points you should get the time for a top skier).
2. Each skier’s points are then calculated by taking their time, times 100 divided by the BASE TIME for the race. ( ie Robin skis the race in 1 hr 24 mins and you ski in 1:47:49 your points would be 107.82*100/84=128.4) or in other words, your time is 128.4% of Robin's
3. A skier would need 3 results/year to be rated, but the best 3 of the last 6 would be averaged to give their ranking.
It would require provincial reps to work with the local race organizers to see that results are reported in a fashion that would not overwork the National coordinator. It would be a drawing card for race organizers to have their race recognized as a MASTERS POINTS RACE. With some race site promotion this could become a good recruitment tool, ie; have a banner at race site.
Provincial/Territorial Directors will be asked to collect results from major races within their Province/Territory, and further these to John for calculation.
Any opinions on this? Let me know.
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