Good technique (i.e. good work economy) and endurance are the two most important factors in ski training and ski racing for optimal performance. It’s important that each rollerski workout is used to make technical improvements. This will greatly improve your race efficiency. Here are some ideas for how to do that:
What to work on
Focus on relatively short rollerski sessions in the beginning of the summer. Increase the length of your rollerski workouts when you feel that you can ski such workouts with good technique.
Work on improving balance and weight shift, good upper body usage, good clean poling motions — avoid wild swinging, appropriate pole plants — pole and push in the right directions, let each body part move in the right direction and at the right time – timing, kick at the right time and in the right direction and check if you are using appropriate leg spacing for the technique you are using.
Some methods for how to do it
Do some rollerskiing without poles — in both classic and skating. 5-15 minutes per session is enough in the beginning. Start with skating like a speed skater using diagonal arm motions in flat terrain when skating. (It’s as simple as and identical to walking. Your left hand moves forward simultaneously with the right leg moving forward).
A few things to work on in this drill:
