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Pro Workout: Continuous Bounding with Ivan Babikov

The harder the race, the greater the chance you’ll see Ivan Babikov at the top of the result sheet. So it’s no surprise that he uses a brutally difficult training session to prepare himself for the winter. In an interview from his home in Canmore, Babikov said that this workout – a variation on bounding intervals – was a holdover from his younger days training in Russia. In Canada, Babikov said, most athletes do their...

What do you do when you can’t keep up with Andy Newell? For most of us, the answer is that we continue on with our normal lives, content to compete for a spot in the elite wave at the American Birkebeiner rather than the top spot on a World Cup podium. But Steinbock Racing’s Chris Cook was not so easily deterred. Instead of giving up, he turned to a sprint workout: sets of all-out 30-second...

Pro Workout: Bounding Intervals with Kristina Strandberg

Our Pro Workout series continues, this week shifting from rollerskis to running shoes for ski bounding intervals with XC Oregon’s Kristina Strandberg. A native of Sweden, Strandberg is a consistent force on the U.S. racing circuit.  A two-time SuperTour overall champion and repeat winner of the FasterSkier Continental Skier of the Year award, Strandberg earned a spot on the World Cup circuit for the start of last season. She competed in seven World Cup events,...

How Many Hours? A FasterSkier Forum

The eternal question of cross-country ski training: how much to train?  This is a debate that will never find resolution, for the simple reason that there is no one answer.  A recent FasterSkier http://fasterskier.com/2010/06/after-ncaa-championship-gelso-to-join-sun-valley/) to give you background, so you may better understand where this is all coming from. One of the keys for any young skier using these charts would be to do it with you club or program coach, so you can decide...

Pro Workout: Uphill Intervals With James Southam

Two weeks ago for the first installment of our “Pro Workout” series, we featured a high speed session with Olympic sprinter Simi Hamilton. This time around we literally shift gears, talking with Alaska Pacific University’s (APU) two-time Olympian and distance stalwart James Southam. With three trips to World Championships in addition to his Olympic appearances, Southam is entering the final year of a strong career that also includes multiple National Championship titles. For the last...

Run In The Off Season And You’ll Fly In The Ski Season

Tired of going out for a rollerski in the rain only to come back with soaked boots that need to sit for a day and a half trying to dry, stuffed with newspaper? Tired of rollerskiing in the hot sun? Tired of rollerskiing already, period? Running may be the answer, according to Dick Moss of Sudbury, Ontario. He’s been a coach for 29 years, working primarily with runners, but he has seen the occasional Olympian sneak...

CXC Update – June Camp

Thursday marked the final day of the first training camp of the summer for the Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC). Based out of Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, the camp consisted of 10 days of training at various locations ranging across the St. Croix Valley. With previous head coach Bryan Fish around for the first week before moving on to his new position with the US Ski Team (USST), the camp also functioned as a...

Cross Training: Rowing

During the summer months, it can be hard to stay focused and keep your muscles snappy when all you seem to do is rollerskiing, rollerskiing and more rollerskiing. Cross training is important in order to avoid burnout or injury–especially for juniors or masters looking to mix it up during the off-season. In a new series to FasterSkier, we’re going to take a look at some of the ways skiers keep themselves and their bodies sane...

Catching up with Clubs – Spring Training

It’s no secret that fast skiers are made over the summer.  Hundreds of hours of training include running, bike rides, lifts, and rollerskis, all necessary for any racer hoping to be competitive in the coming winter.  But coming off of the racing season, the general feeling is that in springtime it’s best to relax and have fun while starting to build a solid base of strength and endurance.  We checked in with various clubs across...

Counting Down: 7 Days to a Marathon

Counting Down: 7 Days to a Marathon Brian Gregg is a member of the CXC Team Vertical Limit.  Equipment Sponsors: Vertical Limit apperal, Salomon skis/boots/bindings, Toko Wax, Polar Heart Rate Monitor, Swix Poles, Rudy Project Eyewear/Helmet, Marwe Rollerskis, Nordic Ultratune Stonegrinding, Podiumwear custom race apparel. Assuming you have been training regularly, have your travel booked and know where to find your skis, boots, and poles the hard work in preparing for a marathon is done. ...

Anybody Can Ski on Snow” – Training to Race Fast Without Snow

In the past month, the CXC Team Vertical Limit has been all over the west skiing on awesome trails with abundant snow.  We raced in West Yellowstone, MT, Bozeman, MT and Silver Star, B.C.  Although these trips are a blast, early season races are extra challenging because most athletes competing have spent only 10 days (or less) skiing on snow.  Whether you get the chance to travel to snow in November or not, there will...

Cross Training for Nordic Skiing

www.cxcacademy.com for more strength training ideas. It is important to remember the value of cross training in order to keep skiing enjoyable. I like to mix up my training, especially on low volume weeks, so that I’m not just “skiing easy.” Mix it up, try new activities, and remember that almost anything active can be considered cross training for Nordic skiing.