Training
Camp
The FasterSkier September training camp was held September 11-15th. The
coach to athlete ratio was low which made for good technique training sessions.
The camp focus was on rollerskiing and how to do better quality sessions
(intervals, pace and time-trials). We worked on finding “the right”
heart rate from the start of the “hard” session: feeling good
when we were done with the first couple intervals and then gradually increasing
the effort and heart rates. We call these build-up intervals! The idea is
to go from low to high lactate levels rather than blast out as hard as you
can go – fill up with lactate, then have to slow down halfway through
the intervals and ending up disliking and avoiding intervals altogether.
Try the above method and discover how much fun you can have with such sessions
and find out that you can handle more frequent hard training, feel better
and race faster! I believe that all the skiers that attended the camp will
see some good progress this winter.
The camp also included a very nice barbeque with the Canadian National Team,
a mountain bike ride on the entire Olympic 15 kilometer course (and then
some), a mountain run in Park City and two weight room sessions. Ten sessions
in five days, and the great rollerskiing in Heber is alone worth coming
to these camps for.
The next camp will be on snow, December 11-15th – there
are still spots available for this camp. There will also be a three day
option at this camp in addition to five days).
We will this time stay in Kimball Junction, a five minute drive from Park
City and only 10 minutes drive from the two areas we most likely will ski
at in December.
Sign up today!
Rollerskiing:
Are rollerskis with inflatable wheels really making anyone better?
Over the past two years I have seen some skiers train on rollerskis with
large inflatable wheels. The skiers using them have been master skiers.
I have not seen any good international skiers from any nation using such
skis and I think I know why. I have observed skiers on them developing
several bad habits like moving their legs in a bicycle type motion when
stepping forward due to the size of the wheels. This typically throws off
the whole rhythm and causes other “interesting” versions of
the skate techniques as well. To me it also looks like the top speed of
the skis is too high and therefore limiting the training effect. My advice
to those of you that are using such skis is to make sure that you ski correctly
and really work on technique. You also need to look for terrain with uphills.
I doubt though that this is the way to go for skiers training to improve
endurance as well as leg, back, arm and stomach strength – it’s simply
not as specific as it should be.
Torbjorn’s September Training:
I got in another 40(+) hour month. I managed to greatly increase my rollerskiing
hours and truly enjoyed the rollerski sessions! When the FasterSkier camp
was over I spent a couple weeks doing workouts with Jeannie Wall, Beckie
Scott and Justin Wadsworth. I had a great 4 x 6 minute skate rollerski interval
session with Beckie where I had to admit that she schooled me on the third
interval, but I learned something about her and myself. Besides, there is
still four month to the Birkie. Live and learn!
Distance skating with Justin, him on S3 and me on S2 rollerskis was also
very good. Any time you can ski behind someone that is skiing World Cup
– do it! Don’t worry about your heart rates. You’ll pick up
so much technically. It made me refocus on completing my motions, using
my upper body, using clean poling motions, swinging actively with the arms,
leaning forward and “going with the kick”!
Gordon and I also had the “pleasure” of doing a 5K running time-trial
on the Olympic course at Soldier Hollow with the Canadian women. My PR from
last year was about 20.30 and one of my goals was to “sometime in
the future” break 20 minutes, and I did! Beckie broke 19 minutes,
Gordon was right above 19 and I got a BRONZE in 19.17. It didn’t
matter that Gordon beat me – I was very pleased! Gordon asked if we
now had to do it gain the following week, but we’ll wait to the end
of the month and see if we both can break 19 minutes. Why by shy let’s
go for 18.45!
Gordon’s September Training:
Do as I say not as I do. The balancing act continues with my training. Coaching
the Nordic Combined Junior skiers in Park City allowed me to obtain a couple
of September goals. I did increase the roller skiing to about 50% of total
volume and the intensity workouts are averaging out to be about two – three
a week. The Agony Hill running time-trial is behind me – thank goodness.
I had a 35 seconds improvement on my time from the early summer so that
was good, but I was still 45 sec. off my PR.
Two days later I ran a 5K time trial with Torbjorn and the Canadian Women’s
Team. Running with the Canadians is always inspiring and I finished ahead
of Torbjorn and just 8 sec. behind Beckie Scott. However running back to
back time trials is not always the most productive thing to do.
In October I will continue just what I am doing now but be a little more
systematic about it. Any spare time I will be in the weight room working
on my upper body strength.
October Training Suggestions:
30-50%
of the training should now be on rollerskis. The “bread and butter
week” should consist of two quality sessions (intervals, pace or time
trial), one distance session and one weight room session. Even if this was
all you did that week – you still did OK and might even have improved.
Use that as your minimum target and add additional distance sessions first
and then a little more strength or speed.
Those with higher ambitions or more time available might even add a third
quality session.
Example of Quality sessions for October:
– 2 pace or time-trials (one on rollerskis and one on foot) – approximately
15-30 minutes long.
– rollerski intervals: 4 x 6 minutes.
– running interval: 2-3-4-2-3-4 minutes.
– rollerski intervals: 3-4-5-3-4-5
– running intervals: 4 x 3 minutes
For more detailed information and examples of training weeks see the book
How to, When to, Why to… A Norwegian Model Training Guide and Programs
available from www.torbjornsport.com
Enjoy your training,
Torbjorn
More from the advertising department….
October 2002
PRO-SKI Rollerskis
“The New PRO-SKI S3 Skate model is great! After skiing pretty
hard on them though August and September I can hardly see
any wear on the wheels. The skis feel just like skiing on snow!”
– Justin Wadsworth – 3 top twenty world cup results 2002!
“I’m very impressed with the new PRO-SKI TECH Classic Roller
ski. I can easily see where these skis are going to be of great value in
developing technique for even very high level skiers. On the very first
time out I found that the skis had a clearly superior “classic feel”
unlike any other ratcheted roller ski. From a coaching perspective, I really
like the fact that it is hard to ski “lazy” on this model…
typically a big problem on classic roll workouts.”
– J.D. Downing XC Oregon Coach/Director Sept. 16, 2002
“We think that training on a combination of PRO-SKI Classic C2 (or
TECH) and PRO-SKI S2 or S3 skate skis represent the best in rollerski training.
The new S2 skate wheels are a little harder than the old ones and are making
rollerskiing fun at any age. PRO-SKIS are the choice of the Norwegian
and Swedish team as well as the Canadian women’s team and numerous
top US skiers.
It’s time to start rolling on PRO-SKIS!”
-Torbjorn Karlsen and Gordon Lange, TorbjornSport
Call today to order:
435-645-8181
E-mail:info@torbjornsport.com
Web site:www.torbjornsport.com
TorbjörnSport,PO Box 980970,Park City,Utah,84098
