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Abby Larson
Subaru Factory Team
My first tip for all you roller skiers is to get new pole
tips and keep them sharp! Nothing is worse than roller skiing
when your pole tips don't adhere to the pavement. Ok, so there
are a lot of things that are worse but it doesn't make it
any less annoying.
Summer training can be a great time to build base, increase
strength, improve technique, and enjoy the nice weather. It
can also be a time when it's hard to motivate to train. The
first few flakes of snow are months away and the first race
of the year seems like another lifetime. It creeps up fast
though and before you know it October is kicking down your
door and screaming "Yellowstone is only six weeks away
you Cream Puff Slacker!"
Avoid this nasty wake-up call by finding ways to stay motivated
and fit throughout the summer. This doesn't mean you have
to rollerski five times a week and do intervals like its October
(we only have so much mental strength). But it does mean putting
in some training time and working on maintaining or improving
fitness.
Unfortunately, the motivation can be hard to find when ski
season is so far away, so create a reason to stay fit and
train. Bike races, century rides, trail marathons, road races
are all great opportunities to develop a whole new set of
training and race goals. I'm the kind of person that really
needs a reason to get fired-up about training and I've found
that racing throughout the summer wets my competitive appetite
enough to keep me psyched on training year-round. It's also
a fabulous way to get involved with another athletic community
and bring more people into the ski world.
Track clubs, Wednesday night road rides, and swim groups
are just a few of the athletic communities that can be found
in most areas. New people, different activities, and race
goals can serve to kick-start training in the spring and summer
or end a training slump/plateau. The easiest way to get connected
with these training groups is to ask at the local bike and
running shops. Many times athletic shops will be a meeting
place for local rides and runs.
Another idea for a little training motivation is to register
for a race that's several weeks away. It's easy to go on-line
and find a triathlon, a running or bike race that can fit
into your schedule. A few good web sites are: active.com,
coolrunning.com,
theschedule.com,
bikeride.com,
and trifind.com.
Spice it up and try something totally different like a 24
hour mountain bike race (you can do them as a team too), an
adventure race, or a trail marathon in a place you've never
been. If you have the luxury, make the race into a vacation
and plan a few extra days to camp and enjoy the scenery.
So check out your options and stay motivated this summer,
you'll be glad you did this fall!
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