The race season has already started for some elite level skiers, while most racers get their season debut in late November, December or early January. The first races of the season are often a struggle, especially if you haven’t done the optimal training for racing which is time-trials or pace workouts. By struggle I’m talking about having a hard time skiing technically well, not being able to find a good start speed and finding yourself...
The popular annual Fasterskier.com on-snow December 9-12 training camp in Park City, Utah is almost fully booked. There are only eight spots left so don’t wait to sign up. This is a great opportunity for anyone that is planning on racing this season to improve his or her upcoming race results. The camp’s focus will be on how to optimize your training, get the most out of your workouts, technique and how to race faster....
The US Cross Country Team is currently in Muonio, Finland preparing for the regular World Cup opener in Ostersund Sweden on November 20-21. FIS races are on the agenda already this weekend and coach Trond Nystad reports that they currently have great training conditions. Trond, can you give us a quick situation report from Finland? – We are now in Muonio, northern Finland. The skiing is great. We have about 12-kilometers of great skiing and about...
The cold weather guideline for children decided by the Norwegian Ski Federation (NSF) is currently being heavily criticized. Experts are claiming that it’s irresponsible and is putting thousands of children at risk. “Craziness,” says Professor Ulf Aaseboe, chief physician of the pulmonology department at the University hospital of North Norway about NSF’s cold weather guide for skiers under 15-years old. Today it’s set at -15 Celsius (5 F).  Source: Langrenn.com
I’m Feeling Good And Has Never Been Better. Norwegian national team skier Vibeke Skofterud disappointed big time in the recent World Cup sprint race in Düsseldorf, Germany and ended up second to last in the prolog. She feels that despite this result that she is fitter and in better shape than ever.
Four Years Without Outside Competition Doping Tests For World Championship Winner Norwegian newspaper VG reports that Martin Koukal (25), of the Czech Republic who sensationally won the 50-kilometer skate race at the 2003 Worlds has not been doping- tested outside competition for more than four years. It was Koukal himself who revealed this lack of follow up from the anti-doping sector in his own country in a meeting among the racers in Pragelato this spring.
Norwegian top skiers Kristian Horntvedt and Jens Arne Svartedal have developed asthma problems and are still struggling with the after-effect from racing in extreme cold conditions at last years Norwegian championship at Bardufoss. – I had no problems with the cold temperatures in Bardufoss, but I got sick a few days after I got home says Horntvedt to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten http://www.fasterskier.com/racing.php?id=793 Super Tour: COLERAINE, Minn. (Jan. 18) – Bitter, biting cold and wind (-15...
The October issue of Fasterskier.com’s Club subscription service was sent to subscribers on October 15. The Club provides detailed, in-depth coverage of modern and interesting issues in the sport of Cross-Country. Most of the Club’s articles will cover issues related to training and racing, and will also include material for all ages and abilities, from World Cup skiers’ training to important elements of youth and age group training and skiing. This month we included two...
Getting ready to race this season: This is a critical time of year to do a high percentage of your workouts as specific training and to include weekly interval workouts in your training routine. Specific training for cross country skiers means to train in ski terrain using ski motions involving both arm and leg muscles. Training speed and heart rates also need to meet the demands of what you find in ski racing. It’s a...
A group of researchers have concluded that the active ingredient in Viagra improves performance in situations involving low oxygen supply. This might result in the product being added to the doping list. It’s the ingredient Sildenafil in Viagra that has proven to increase performance in situations with low oxygen. The research report is published on the web site of The Annals of Internal Medicine:
Many skiers on the Norwegian women’s national cross country team have set personal MaxV02 records lately according to the newspaper VG. It’s women’s National team coach Svein Tore Samdal that has revealed this in an interview during the team’s on-snow altitude camp in Val Senales, Italy – Almost everyone has performed “all-time high†on the oxygen uptake tests. It’s nice to see that the skiers are in shape. This is also a natural progression. We...
The training benefits of trapping rats have yet to be discovered by the Nordic ski world. However, I believe that this new found means of building muscle, bee venom tolerance, and endurance, while having fun and getting paid will soon become an integral part of every serious ski racer’s training plan. Woodrats are about the size of white lab rats, but much cuter, with silky gray fur and large black eyes, and constitute the primary...
The last month has been a tough one. Instead of cranking up the intensity to get ready for the race season, which is only 7 weeks away, I have been trying to nurse a knee back into shape. I have one of those injuries that require only one thing, and being an athlete with a goal, a plan, a lot invested, and just too much energy, that one thing is really difficult to find: PATIENCE....
The Norwegian men’s cross country national team started their on-snow camp in Val Senales, Italy with their smallest team ever when only three skiers showed up due to sickness, according to newspaper VG. Only Frode Estil, Tore Rud Hofstad and Jens Arne Svartedal started skiing at 3000 meters altitude last Saturday. – Another three skiers should hopefully arrive on Tuesday, says national team coach Sorgard. Anders Aukland, Kristen Skjeldal and Odd Bjorn Hjelmeset are all...
Swedish World Cup star Anders Sodergren won a national level cross country running race on October 3, and has not lost an individual race of any type since the Swedish cross country ski championship in March. Sodergren tells Swedish Skidsport.com that his summer training went very well. He has felt good since March and won every individual race he has participated in this summer and won the last running DM running race in dominating fashion....
John Aalberg, David Zink and I did an early morning running and running with poles interval session outside Park City, Utah in the beginning of this week. Here are some comments and photos. David was visiting from Colorado and was driving back after the workout while John had “work to doâ€. It was for that reason going to be an early morning workout and I was told to be at the parking lot at the...
For decades I have been approached by skiers that are asking me asked me why I suggest doing diagonal skiing on rollerskis. They have been told that – “it’s bad for your technique” and that they should avoid it. Here are some reasons why it’s good for you, as well as what you need to work on to reap the benefits from this training method. My approach is that diagonal skiing on rollerskis is great...
CHULA VISTA, Calif. (Sept. 29) – U.S. cross country skiers are finishing an intensive two-week training camp at – and around – the U.S. Olympic Training Center outside San Diego. Training at sea level for more than a week “is just what we were looking for,” said Coach Trond Nystad. The camp closely follows a nearly one-month camp on snow in New Zealand (at The Snow Farm outside Wanaka) and a summer of daily sessions at...
Looking forward to the Chicago Marathon on October 10. Huge test. One chance to either prove or disprove the training that I have done this summer. One race day. All the eggs in one basket. Though I have done some time trials this summer, I have not raced May. It is all I can do to log the mileage & training volume during the summer season. There are other things I enjoy doing in the...
It’s fall and it’s interval time. Cross country skiers should ideally start their interval training in May and gradually increase the number of weekly sessions, the specificity and difficulty of these workouts toward the season. Regardless of race length — everyone from sprinters to marathon skiers will benefit from a high max VO2 and they are all doing (or should do) interval training. 1-4 sessions per week are common. Doing blocks of many weekly interval...