NENSA Interview With USST's Liz Stephen

FasterSkier · January 30, 2008

NENSA's Competitive Program Director Janice Sibilia interviewed US Ski Team athlete Liz Stephen. The complete interview can be found at NENSA.net

NENSA: You have been working hard at this sport for several years. It seems that during the past 2 years your skiing has taken a big leap forward with regards to developing power and speed. Can you enlighten us as to if you think it's from changing things in your training recently, or do you think it's the years of consistency that are paying off?

Liz Stephen: I think it is a combination of both. I think that in order to take steps forward you have to constantly be evaluating what you are doing. My coaches and I sit down at the end of each season and come up with what we thought went well and what we would like to change for the coming year's training and goals for the next season. Evaluating what you have done allows you to see sometimes what you missed or what can be done better in the next year's training. So, for me, there are always new things being added, new ideas, new focuses, but the consistency is there as well. I am consistently adding volume to each year's goal and I make sure that the basics are kept in it all the time. Year in year out smart training builds a solid base, and that kind of building takes consistency. So, for me, it is a combination of both; not letting things get stale, but also not forgetting to get the basics in.

NENSA: What are some of your personal goals in skiing this year?

Liz Stephen:I am not one who really likes to put results goals at the top of a list, or in fact on any list. Instead, I put goals down that are more process goals, as those are the goals that keep me loving the sport of cross country ski racing. Goals that I have had for the year are technique goals, and strength goals. Goals that are aimed toward making me the best athlete I can be for the future, and the healthiest person I can be for the rest of my life. Of course, there is probably no athlete anywhere who doesn't have at least one or two result goals for themselves, and mine consist of a podium at U-23's in Poland and a podium or two at the OPA cups we will be at following those races.

Read the rest of the interview at NENSA.net.