Do you know what a Growth Mindset is? How would you rate your growth mindset? Do you use it in all the areas in which you’re trying to grow? The more I coach, the more I think that a lot of our problems as athletes and humans begins with how much we believe we can change, and whether or not we believe we have power over those changes. The belief that you can change is...
It is well known that XC ski racers have to be incredibly “fit” to be competitive. But how do we measure “fitness”? For decades, we’ve known that a high VO2max is necessary to be a competitive ski racer. Training to improve VO2max involves a large volume of training at a low intensity and a comparatively smaller volume of training at a very high intensity. Over the past 20 years, changes in equipment technology, course preparation,...
You name it and Joe Howdyshell, director and founder of U.S. Ski Mountaineering national team. An average workweek for Howdyshell entails 40-60 hours for the SEA and another four to five hours for his national team coaching duties. His introduction to the U.S. Ski Mountaineering position and sport itself was in large part due to his background in cross-country skiing: he’s been nordic skiing since the age of 12, and he was previously head coach of the Summit Nordic Ski Club prior to...
Liz Stephen has made a name for herself as one of the best uphill climbers in the world on the cross-country World Cup circuit, frequently achieving her best performances of the season in the final stage of the Tour de Ski up the grueling Alpe Cermis climb on a ski slope in Italy. She placed second for the time of day up the climb again this year, her fourth time to do so. “I want...
This week’s Wednesday Workout comes from Joe Howdyshell, Executive Director of the Summit Endurance Foundation, who stresses the importance of rollerski drills. While rollerski drills are often simple and quick they can help performance immensely if done before every rollerski.
With the costs to participate in endurance sports like cross country skiing so high, Joe Howdyshell and the Summit Endurance Foundation are trying to ensure that no youth is barred from endurance sports due to financial concerns.