Two days after nearly 36,000 people ran that Boston Marathon on Monday, we’re willing to bet there are more than a couple still feeling the pain of the 26.2-mile run from Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston. Here are some tips for minimizing post-race stiffness and soreness.
Unless you’re the audacious Liz Stephen or Overall World Cup Champion Therese Johaug, you’re probably not a huge fan of hill climbs. However, when the mid-April temps turn our favorite trails into puddles, nordic ski enthusiasts have to get creative to get their on-snow skiing fix before spring training begins.
One author shares his uneasiness with training plans and investigates CXC Academy, an online subscription service that provides nordic tips and regimens for skiers of all ages. "You will go faster when you want to go faster and it will be a lot more enjoyable," founder Yuriy Gusev says.
What could be more fun than going for a trail run or backcountry ski with a primal purpose, like bringing home dinner? Lex Treinen shares his love of what he calls "old school biathlon," a hunting-and-gathering workout off the beaten path.
The Wednesday Workout is back with featured contributor Aku Nikander sharing some of his secrets to success while skiing for the University of New Mexico.
This past weekend, nearly the entirety of the adult population of Midwestern skiers made their way to Hayward for the annual get-together of the ski community: The Birkie. The American Birkebeiner (or Birkie, for short), is the biggest ski race in North America. For many skiers, the race represents their culmination of training for the whole year. Read a first-timer's perspective on the race, the trail, and Birkie Fever.
German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle was caught using a banned stimulant at the Sochi Olympic Games, as American cross-country skier Kikkan Randall called her “the last person, really, that you would suspect.”
This week's, Colin Foley of the Callaghan Valley Training Centre details one of his favorite intensity workouts, which felt like a sprint qualifier: max aerobic speed at 15-second intervals. "It’s something that we’ve done a few times and I really hope we do more in the future," he writes.
Erik Bjornsen enjoys the finer things in life: hot chocolate, Sequence and 1994 Ford Rangers. More about the younger of the Bjornsen siblings and first-time Olympian, who's racing at U23 World Championships starting Wednesday in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
On her 26th birthday, this northern Vermont native still has the smallest feet on the World Cup, can drink maple syrup straight, and is a self-described "horrible swimmer." More fun facts about Ida Sargent in the weeks leading up to her first Olympics.
Jessie Diggins is a banana-bread junkie, has a healthy fear of clipless pedals, and is one of the few people who will admit they like listening to Taylor Swift. More fun facts about the 22-year-old Minnesota native headed to her first Olympics.
In her first year of dental school, Audrey Weber, 27, has less time for ski-specific training and instead shifted her focus to the gym, where she's found success with CrossFit. "Currently, I am 13 months into my own personal case study called, 'How Fit Can an Ex-Cross Country Ski Racer Stay on Four Hours of Training Per Week?' " she says. "Some preliminary results are in, and the findings are quite interesting." she says.
Regardless of what happens with the official U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski Team naming on Wednesday, Caitlin Gregg says she's happy. The last four years have been about balance, Gregg explains, and a journey with her husband that she wouldn't trade for anything. "One of the greatest things though is that anticipation of not knowing that you made it," she says.
Santi Ocariz is living proof that you don't need a ton of free time to keep skiing and training when possible. "I would describe my exercising as opportunistic," he says. "If everything else is done, then I treat myself to some exercise.” While not the most foolproof training plan, it was enough to help him nearly win the SISU Marathon last Saturday. A former elite skier, he might be an exception.
Not quite all of the the skiing regions of North America have been hit by the so-called "arctic blast" of air that resulted in temperatures as low as -35F with the wind chill, but cold is the theme, and training in frigid weather can be challenging. So this week we bring two different Wednesday Workout options, both ideal for extreme cold.
Head coach of Rouge et Or nordic team at Laval University, Luc Germain shares part of his athletes' training plan during the holidays. "On January 1st, some of my athletes will be tired after a good celebration of the New Year, so I suggest them to come back to the basics ... and do only the first part of this super session, but if they can handle more, then the whole workout will leave them tired and happy!" he writes.
A follow-up article regarding the improvements ORDA has made to its Mt. Van Hoevenberg property, specifically its lodge, in the last two years and what could still be in store for the Olympic cross-country facility in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Merry Christmas! On the rare chance that you can sneak out for a workout during the busy holiday season, try the following 45-60 minute workout from Sam Tarling of the Maine Winter Sports Center.
'Tis the season and you're scrambling for gifts... but what could be better than something homemade? Like... granola! Buy a mason jar or two or three, whip up this easy recipe, and dole out like you're Saint Nick.
Some little-known facts about the 26-year-old US Ski Team sprinter, including the time he ate red ants with USST coach Matt Whitcomb and his 37 ascents of Grand Teton.