You don't have to be a World Cup racer to ski similar distances on the world's best courses. While many masters focus on traditional ski marathons, the annual Masters World Cup presents an opportunity for skiers 30 and older to ski up to four races of regular World Cup distances in a week.
This week's workout comes from Kari Øyre Slind, and it's one the 24-year-old Norwegian cross-country skier only does once or twice a year. “This workout is really tough, but I also feel that it really lifts me to a new level," she explains.
Ole Einar Bjørndalen has seen a lot in his 20-plus years on the IBU World Cup circuit. “The overall level of the athletes has changed a lot," he told FasterSkier in a recent exclusive interview in Norway. "When I first started, there were a lot fewer who skied really fast,”
“I had a lot of good sprint races last season, and there are no championships this season, so winning the overall sprint World Cup is what motivates me the most,” Norwegian national-team member Pål Golberg said in a recent interview with FasterSkier.
FasterSkier tracked down Petter Eliassen, the 2014/2015 Swix Ski Classics overall winner in his rookie season, for an exclusive interview this month. The 29-year-old Norwegian happily shared everything from training and recovery tips, to advice on double poling.
Inge Scheve's take on racing at her fifth Masters World Cup, which took place last month in Syktyvkar, Russia. In all, eight members of Team USA collected seven medals at this year's championships.