Training

15 June 2004 I must’ve followed my coffee cup around the house ten times a couple weeks ago before I finally admitted defeat. There was no way I was going out in the pouring, 40-degree rain to get in my long run for the week. Even though I’m registered to run in Grandma’s Marathon here in Duluth, MN coming up on the 19th, I couldn’t summon up the studliness to venture outside. Dejected, I tromped...

Norwegian national team cross country skiers Anders and Jorgen Aukland and Odd-Bjorn Hjelmeset got a little taste of what the Tour de France participants can expect, when they test-rode a small portion of the course last week. Tour de France starts July 3 and ends 22 days later after 3395 kilometer of the hardest riding you can imagine trough a mostly burning hot France. The Norwegian skiers traveled to France to bike some of the...

I was excited. As I drove up the mountain road all around me was white. It was May, early May. It rarely has this amount of snow in Australia this early. I was down in our mountain region in Australia for a job interview at one of our big alpine ski resorts. As I was doing some job research on their website, I noticed their snow cams just showed white. It was snowing. I decided...

Fasterskier.com has posted several articles this spring talking about how the training season official started May 1, (give or take a little) for elite level skiers. In case you didn’t get the point, this was meant to get everyone else like masters and juniors going as well. Gordon Lange and I didn’t stop training this spring either. For information on the training with Torbjorn and Gorden column go to: www.torbjornsport.com/tbksports/030707coaching.html) Gordon got a kick out...

Fasterskier.com checked out San Diego, US cross country team’s choice for a low altitude and high intensity camp in September (September 18 – October 1). We also talked to head Coach Trond Nystad about this. San Diego Men’s Journal Magazine (www.mensjournal.com ) named in their 2004 June issue San Diego, California (right next to the Mexican border) their #1 “Best Big City” in USA. They used 37 variables, like cost of living, air and water...

Bjerke surprised many after getting second place in the Norwegian National Team’s time-trial during their last training camp. The Lillehammer skier won silver in the National Championship two year’s ago, qualifying him for a spot on the National Team. However, poor results last year resulted in being taken off the team. However, he was allowed to participate with the National Team on their recent camp. – I became too focused on controlling my intensity during...

Early tests are confirming that World Cup Sprint Queen Marit Bjorgen has conserved last winters gold winning shape this spring. Many ski racers are getting their MaxVo2 tested several times during the training season. The highest levels are usually tested right prior to the start of the season and the levels usually tapers off in the easy period following the end of the season. Marit Bjorgen also had an easier period after the season, but...

On April 27th we posted an article on FasterSkier.com about Norwegian skier Tore Bjonviken, – I feel that I’m close enough to be able to do this financially that I want to continue as a ski racer at high level, says Bjonviken. Tore became a dad to a little girl in May, make ends meet through sponsors and working in a sport shop. – I have worked quite a bit to find sponsors, and have...

Olympic and World Champion Bente Skari retired after the 2003 season. She and her husband Geir traveled around the World in her first winter without skiing and competitions on the agenda. She is now back in Norway after seven months “on the road”.

The Norwegian national team just finished their first dryland camp of the season. National team coach Krister Soregard attacked the skier’s weaknesses from day one. The spring is barley over, but the national team already has one camp under their belt ahead of this important World Championship season. Despite being only late May, it was not an option to start with a careful approach. – We did much of the same as we are doing...

Last week I stumbled over a copy of the May issue of Running Time Magazine, I have heard and read about Bannister's achievement many times but was not quite aware of the true magnitude, world wide attention and importance in not only sport but history itself this had. I can highly recommend the article for those enjoying reading great “dreams come through” stories. It’s hard to think about anything else in sport history having been...

Anders and Jorgen Aukland, together with Odd-Bjœrn Hjelmeset, are setting course for France next week to take on some of the mountain climbs that have made Tour de France famous. – We’ll stay in Annecy, and bike some of the stages in this area. Annecy is also a short distance to Chamonix and Albertville, says Anders Aukland. We want to bike the toughest and hardest stages of Tour de France, not only this year’s, but...

Usually around this time of the year, when I start rollerskiing again, I think back upon one of the lines from that most intensely masculine of all man-movies, “Fight Club.” In said movie, a line is narrated thusly (or as close an approximation to this as I can remember). “When a guy first shows up to Fight Club he’s a wad of cookie dough, but after a few weeks he’s cut out of wood.” That’s...

The Finish national team coaches have planned a busy summer for their skiers. Here is their camp schedule outlining their plans and preparations for the upcoming season: June 4-6 Kalajoki, men, Car racing/sand-ski-driving (not kidding). Competition on June 6. June11-19 Sognefjellet, Norway, On-snow skiing, women June 13-24 Sierra Nevada, Spain, On-snow skiing, men June 30-July 7 Vuokatti, Summer Competitions July 19-22 Jyväskylä, test camp July 22-25 Liperi, rollerski – competitions and training August 12-14 Otepää,...

Anders Aukland’s main priority last winter was to become as good as possible in double poling. He succeeded and won the Swedish Vasaloppet, The Marcialonga and the 15 kilometer World Cup Classic race in Kuusamo. He is now changing his focus and priorities.

The annual Fasterskier.com June training camp will again be headquartered at the Landmark Inn in Park City (room rates at about $65 – 70). The camp price is $295 for three days and $365 for four days (hotel not included). This includes two daily training/instruction sessions, and one daily lecture or technique video review. We also include a camp BBQ/dinner (private). The camp will be hosted by Fasterskier.com’s own coaches Torbjorn Karlsen and John Aalberg;...

Norwegian Junior National Champion and Birkie sensation Simen Ostensen has started his training for the upcoming season and SkiSport magazine reported from his first rollerski workout of the year. He had teamed up with World Cup and Vasaloppet winner Anders Aukland and his brother, long distance specialist Jorgen (2003 Overall long distance cup winner and first in the 2004 Chinese Marathon and 3rd in Vasaloppet). The workout was done in pouring rain in early May,...

Technical training combined with physical conditioning in cross country skiing Technique and fitness go together Interval 1: Skate without poles from flat into steep terrain — “Keep the wheel spinning” — the ski glides on during the push-off. Interval 2: Same as 1 and with an additional rhythmic task to enhance the difficulty: Alternate two easy push-offs (two short gliding phases) with one powerful push-off (long gliding phase)… Interval 3: Same as 1 and with...

The final stage in the learning process called automation and variability is briefly characterized in this article. From that discussion the proper methods and aims are derived and described. Special focus is laid on practical tips, models of training sessions, and suggestions for exercises. The technique of elite athletes is stable against external and internal disruptive elements What is automation and variability? Even in unfavorable external and internal conditions such as bad tracks, wind, exhaustion,...