While many talks about recovering after a hard race season, this is not the case for Frode Estil, 2002 Olympic Champion in the pursuit race. For Frode, the end of the race season blends into next year’s training season – he is not in need of a rest period.
Read about how 2002 Olympic Champion Frode Estil trains
FasterSkier · August 19, 2004
– I ski as much as possible in May, and have many “half-hard” ski sessions.
The National Teams’s first training camp is in May, and Frode uses this as the start of his systematic training season. His training from May – October is very even, without much periodizing. Natural changes in the weekly training volume are more due to the frequent training camps with the National Team. The monthly training volume is between 80 – 85 hours.
Regarding the faster and more intense training sessions, Frode also here follows the same plan the whole summer and fall.
– I believe in hard training on a regular basis, therefore I also participate in Cross-Country running races.
Frode includes a hard session every fourth day.
– I do vary the interval sessions, both in terms of length and the activities (foot, rollerski, etc.). I believe in alternating between long, controlled bursts and short, hard interval bursts.
How about the speed on long distance sessions?
– I may have a reputation of going relatively easy on the long distance sessions, but I also include some faster ones. I do however strongly believe in separating easy and hard training.
A few years back, the rumor was that you had an enormous explosiveness (spenst)?
– Today there are younger skiers that are more explosive than me, but I have been consistent in including much “spenst” and speed in my training, about 2 – 3 times per week.
How about strength training?
– In this area, I am not the “best in the class”. I try to manage a couple of general strength session per week. I do however get specific strength from double-poling up steep hills on rollerskis. I also run much in soft and boggy terrain, which is great for my leg strength.
When the competition season start, the training is designed around racing and traveling.
– We often race twice each weekend, so I train easy on Monday and Tuesdays. Wednesday includes some easy intervals, without getting lactate buildup. Thursday if often a travel day, while I “wake up” the body with dome easy intervals again the day before the competition.