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According to skate technique expert Torgeir Bjørn, Petter Northug is best during the last ten minutes of a race. Bjørn, who is the technique coach with the Norwegian national biathlon team, explains that this is the part of the race where technique matters the most. Petter Northug agrees with Bjørn, and says that basic core strength is a determining factor in being able to finish ski races on top. “Up until 2008 I wasn’t particularly...

This workout from the U.S. Ski Team’s (USST’s) Noah Hoffman definitely falls into the “don’t try this at home” category – or at least not without some modifications. Hoffman, an up-and-comer on the U.S. distance squad, brings overdistance workouts into a realm usually monopolized by ultramarathoners. On long runs hitting the six- to seven-hour mark, Hoffman does in a day what many weekend warriors do in a week. But these workouts are not just about...

For Athletes, Shifting Sprint Distances Force a Fine Balance

Since sprinting was first introduced, at the 2001 World Championships in Finland, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has constantly fiddled with the format. The number of heats, the number of athletes in each one, and the total number who qualify for the rounds—all have been altered at one point or another. But one of the most contentious—and significant—changes has been the length of the sprint race. Changes Were Necessary, Officials Say According to FIS Cross-Country...

Inspired by Brother, Driven by Dreams

ENGERDAL, NORWAY – For as long as she can remember, Maja Solbakken wanted to do everything her older brother Martin Andersen did. Siblings of accomplished athletes often feed off the energy and determination of their brother or sister — that is true not only for those on the World Cup circuit, but also for those who are the second-tier. The youngest of three siblings, Maja, 16, grew up in the rural Norwegian community Engerdal, close...

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) will launch a new adaptive skiing program this winter, centered in the greater Boston area. Leveraging a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Olympic Committee, the initiative, which targets disabled veterans, will partner with area hospitals and operate out of the Weston Ski Track for its first season, then likely expand to other ski areas in New England over the next three years. A search for the program’s director...

Early season skiing is always tough. A lucky few end up on glaciers or live in locations that benefit from early snowfalls, but the majority must make do on rollerskis. However, Canmore, the epicenter of Canadian cross country skiing, has hit on a new way to get on snow early. Beginning this weekend, staff at the Canmore Nordic Center (CNC) in Alberta will roll snow into a loop in an operation nicknamed ‘Frozen Thunder.’ The...

There are workouts where you finish battered and beaten, muscles packed with lactate. And then, there are days when you just go out and ride your bike. Tad Elliott does 70 percent of his training on two wheels, but there’s one workout that he especially relishes: a 68-mile loop near his home town of Durango, Colorado, that he rides with his friend Troy Wells. Unlike some of the more painful sessions one might do on...

Eating to Train: An Interview with USSA Dietician Adam Korzun

Bananas an hour prior to every race. Granola bars afterwards. Pasta the night before. As much as for any other aspect of the sport of cross-country skiing, there are dozens of beliefs, strategies, and misconceptions when it comes to food and nutrition. To clear a few of them up–but by no means all of them–we spoke with recently-appointed U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Sports Dietician Adam Korzun. A native of Alabama, Korzun has worked...