Trained Too Hard

Pre Christmas results were weak this year as well, and his best ahead of the Olympics were a 4th at the Norwegian 15-kilometer championship and a 10th in the 15-k classic World Cup race in Otepaa.

Anders has started evaluating what he has done and why the results have been lacking. He feels that the last season can’t be compared with this season, but is clear about one thing.

– It has not been successful.

It was however looking good, he had trained well throughout the summer and fall, and he was in good shape at the end of the dryland season. No medals are however handed out to skiers in October.

— I might have been in too good shape at the end of the fall, says Aukland.

It’s a saying among cross country skiers that it’s not dangerous to be in good shape. The problem is however that everything feels easy when you are in shape and the intensity is (often) getting pushed higher than planned in the workouts.

– It’s about small margins, you believe that your range is higher than what it really is and that you can push a little harder that what you should.

Anders good sick when fall turned to winter and had to skip the World Cup opener at Beitostolen. He was not able to recover for the remaining pre Christmas World Cup races and wasn’t able to get in top shape even with easy training over Christmas. He felt that he was back in shape six weeks later for the Olympic 15-kilometer classic, but the race was a waxing disaster for the Norwegian team. He doesn’t doubt however that he was in shape since he was only 1.30 behind the podium with terrible skis.

Post Olympic results included third in the Swedish Vasaloppet and victory in the Norwegian Birkie.

Aukland has the receipt ready for next season in order to avoid the same trap again.

– I need very few hard workouts to get in shape, and get in shape very quickly at altitude, and will for that reason reduce the number of hard workouts late in the fall.