Board2Breathe

Hey all!
My name is Brian, and I'm somewhat of a beginner to snowboarding. I have a few years under my belt, and I can handle my own out there pretty well. I've been on 2 week-long snowboarding trips (one to Smugglers Notch, VT and the other to Sunday River, ME) and on both trips my legs cramped up quite immensely after a couple of days, and I basically had to take an entire day off to recover from the cramps and pain. I'm going to Aspen, CO for a week during the winter X-games week, and I'm pretty much going to be eating, sleeping, and boarding (and watching Shaun White of course!). I'm in good shape, but I'm a novice when it comes to pre-boarding preparation and post-boarding recovery. So far I've just been doing some basic stretching before I ride, and then I sit in either the hot tub or hot bath tub afterwards. I don't want to have to make my girlfriend massage my legs everyday (although she would do it anyway ). Can anyone give me a few tips that can keep me boarding for as much as possible for a week straight? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Brian

JeffreyCH

Be sure to stay well hydrated, sports drinks with added electrolytes work well. Eat a couple bananas everyday for potassium. Do a good stretch in the morning, evening, and a few basic stretches during the day. That should get ya good to go.....still have the girl rub ya down though

That's how I do it, and I'm 41, ride 7-10 days straight on my trips to Co. open to close pretty much non-stop except for a few beer breaks here and there. I also ride my local hill pretty much every weekend, so I stay in shape.

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InfiniteEclipse

I'd listen to Jeffrey, he is legend

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Board2Breathe

Thanks for the tips Jeff!
Do you suggest a particular energy drink? Or even better, a particular energy shot? I'd love to be able to just carry a few energy shots in my jacket throughout the day to keep me going. And good 'ole h20 of course!

On a side note, do you know of any good massage places in CO? I'm sure I'll be visiting a masseuse mid-week on my trip!

Thanks,
Brian

InfiniteEclipse

I've tried a lot of energy shooters and my favourite is Monster Hitman hands down. Acts fast, tastes good, lasts 5-7 hours and has no crash

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JeffreyCH

I actually avoid energy drinks, most are loaded with caffeine. I like gatorade G2 and vitamin water.

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Board2Breathe

@Eclipse - Yeah I like those a lot.. I'm actually a bit of a Monster freak.

@Jeff - Ahhh almost forgot about Vitamin Water.. that stuff is very good and it tastes great. I'll be sure to bring a case of vitamin water and perhaps some G2 as well. I think the "Revive" vitamin water is probably the best choice. It has B vitamins, vitamin C, electrolytes AND potassium.

cifex

Snowboard more!

I'd suggest taking an intermediate lesson or two to learn to ride more dynamically. Typically unless your very unfit, you'd be cramping up because your not changing edges often enough. Happens even more so if your riding beginner trails.

Good luck and have fun out there!

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Board2Breathe

LOL I know I'm not very fit, you don't have to tell me!

Just kidding.. but I know I need to work out more for sure. Maybe that will be my new years resolution.

As for the lesson idea, that is a great idea! I figured snowboarding would be a cake walk because I have been skateboarding since I was able to walk. Well, I picked up snowboarding pretty quick (the basics) but I'm sure I could use some more lessons to improve my form. I was already planning on taking some park lessons to improve my spins, but an intermediate/advanced lesson sounds like something I could benefit from.

Thanks again for the advice guys, I CAN'T WAIT EVEN MORE until I make my trip to Colorado. In fact, I just want to go boarding really bad period. Killington, Vermont is a 3 hour drive away, and I think a Black Friday boarding trip sounds like a good idea!

Toecutter

Cramping after a long day of riding is probably just from your muscles not being conditioned for what you're doing. Electrolytes during exercise can help, but conditioning is also important. If you can't ride before Aspen, then try to do squats to work your legs.

After you ride each day, a cold water soak helps flush out lactic acid. It doesn't feel as good as a hot tub but it's more therapeutic. Think of pro sports teams' locker rooms with the ice bath whirlpool for post-game soaking.

Compression also helps. If you can buy some compression shorts then wear them at night as you sleep. If you can't afford the shorts, then even a couple of simple Ace bandages wrapped snugly around your thighs will help.

Cold Water Immersion - Australian Sports Conditioning

Compression Gear: Fact vs. Fiction