By: Patrick Weaver
Subaru Factory Team

There usually comes a time during the ski season when the thought of getting out on snow for another workout becomes less appealing.  There aren’t many things that I enjoy more than skiing, but by the end of the season, the training, the travel and the racing will collectively take a toll on both our bodies and our minds.  I have a few remedies that I find are helpful to get me through to the last few races. 

Running: This time of year, it is often much easier to get out the door for a run than it is to get on snow for many of us.  For a cardiovascular workout, your body does not know the difference.  Start conservatively… a 30-45 minute run in the early spring may be plenty until your muscles adapt.  It’s always a great change of scenery and might be just the ticket your mind needs to help boost your motivation.  If you have other favorite activities, of course these are options as well for mixing things up. (Swimming, biking, yoga, etc.)

Pyramid Workout: This type of workout is excellent for keeping your racing speed and getting a quality intensity workout, but at the same time is not too hard and I find them fun to do.  Start with a warm-up, 15 to 20 min. of easy skiing. Then do 15 sec, 30 sec, 45, sec, 1 min. and back down the ladder in the same way.  Recovery times should be equal to the intervals. (This can get interesting trying to time with your watch.)  Focus particularly on the recovery phase and ready yourself to go fast again even if your heart rate has not fully recovered.  The key here is to control yourself enough during the intervals so you are able to recover adequately to ready yourself for the next interval.   I have been using this workout for years and it always seems to sharpen me up for the big races.

The easy tour: The goal here is to not think about doing a workout.  Try some different trails if possible (I like the local snowmobile trails, especially for workouts like this), go alone or with a friend, and have an enjoyable ski.  Ski slowly enough to have a conversation without being out of breath.  The most important thing here is to appreciate why you are doing this.  You should be out there because you love to ski and you really want to ski.  Being out there because you feel you need ski is not the point of this workout.

Resting:  Many dedicated skiers often don’t include adequate amounts of rest and recovery in their schedule.  While there is plenty of research saying that resting is one of the most important parts of your training plan, it certainly seems logical for people to feel that they accomplish little without a doing workout.  If you are feeling a bit of the end of season burnout with a couple races left in the season, it does not make any sense to continue to drudge through workout after workout.  In fact it may be more to your advantage to be well rested for those final races than it would be to ski every day until competition.  Take the day off from skiing (or several if necessary), go for a walk or a short jog, and do some stretching. It will certainly be to your advantage on race day and might be the right kind of medicine to help end the season with a bang!

Wake up! It's time to train!
New CXC training DVD released for sale!

Central Cross Country Ski Association is pleased to announce the release of a brand new training DVD "Wake up! It's time to train!"

70 minutes of exclusive interviews with US Ski Team coaches, XC drills and
technique, fitness testing, sports physiology, core strength, training volume,
intensity levels, race footage, and much more. Featuring CXC Ski Team and US Ski Team athletes.

"This video contains invaluable first hand information from the top coaches in the
US and can be helpful to all, coaches, athletes, parents and master skiers. This is
also a first step study guide for the CXC Coach's Education and Certification
Program which will be launched in the spring of 2007" commented Yuriy Gusev, Central Cross Country Ski Association's CEO

This exciting DVD can be purchased on line at www.cxcskiing.org or at the CXC booth during American Birkebeiner Expo. All proceeds from the DVD sales will directly support youth, junior, senior and master's programs in the Central Region.

also

Central Cross Country Ski Association is pleased to announce the new USST
technique CD-ROM Cross-Country Technique Fundamentals is available for
sale at http://www.cxcskiing.org/

Developed by US Ski Team coaches, this revolutionary teaching tool features
Olympic and National Team members Andy Newell, Kikkan Randall, Chris Cook, Andrew Johnson, Kris Freeman and more. This CD lays the foundation for both Classic and Freestyle techniques on which we can build a consistent
technique program that will continue to develop great cross-country skiers
for years to come. For use by coaches and skiers of all ages and abilities,
this highly interactive CD-ROM features:

- How mastering these skills will improve your athletes skiing
- Detailed explanations and videos of 20 new cutting-edge drills
demonstrated by members of the USST and top junior racers
- World Cup footage of these skills used in races.
- Templates for designing customized lesson plans

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2007 National Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships
American Cross Country Skiers (AXCS) and The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) will host Master's Nationals at Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic trail system, March 21-25. 

The event will offer classic, skate, skiathlon and relay races and serve as the U.S. National Championship for citizen skiers age 25 and older. Complete event information for the 2007 National Masters Championships is available at www.xcskiworld.com. Click on Performance and follow the 2007 National Master Link. Online registration is set up at www.mbsef.org Click on the Nordic Races link. Entries can also be printed and mailed. All profits will benefit the junior racing programs of MBSEF.
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The Equinox Ski Challenge
24-Hour Nordic ski race
Rendezvous Ski Trails in West Yellowstone, MT
Check-in time 8-9 AM March 24, 2007

There will be 6, 12, and 24 hour races
For more information visit www.equinoxskichallenge.com

NOTE: If you have an event you would like to have in SkiPost please send emails to weanswer@skipost.com

For more information on Subaru's technically advanced all-wheel drive vehicles check out www.subaru.com

"It's What Makes A Subaru, A Subaru."