“Classic training is important upper body strength training. It helps me become a better skaterâ€. 2005 relay World Champion and Skate specialist Tore Ruud Hofstad of Norway contemplated this spring if he was going to emphasize further specializing in skating or increase his focus on classic. He is now training equal amounts for both technique styles.
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– I have not yet found a permanent solution, but it’s now already July, so in a way I have made a decision, says Hofstad.
He has along with coach Krister Soregard concluded that he is going to spend half of the training time on each technique.
– I have so far this year trained equally skating and classic. This goes for both distance and intervals. This is not a big change, it’s about the same as what I have done in the past, explains the skate specialist.
He is counting on doing better in skating this year as well.
– That’s where I’m the strongest and that’s where I hope for big things to happen this winter. Skating is for me the most important, but I haven’t abandoned classic, says Hofstad.
He captured gold in both the 4 x 10 k relay and the sprint relay and bronze in the 15-kilometer freestyle at the 2005 Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany. But he had trouble hanging on in the classic part of the pursuit.
— I hope to do better in the pursuit this winter. My goal is to make the team in that event, says Hofstad.
We’ll see how it goes. I’m not planning on making a big training jump in classic. I can’t afford to prioritize classic versus skating since my biggest potential is in skating. That’s where I can be World Class. That’s where you need to focus, says Hofstad.
He has other reasons for the classic training though.
— It is important to train classic. Doing only skate training might cause heavy/tired legs and boredom. Classic (as in double poling) is also important upper body strength training. Classic is for that reason helping me becoming a better skater, concludes Hofstad.
