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The past three days, I have been able to ski for about two hours on good snow. Of course, as a biathlete, this has all been on skate skis! When I was a pure cross-country skier not too long ago, I was actually better in the classic technique. Skating was so difficult for me. The acid burn that I felt when I was skating was just so intense that I rarely looked forward to skating. That has certainly changed - though the burn is still there!
Today I was able to start working specifically on technique. I have been incorporating some gliding without poles in order to find better balance. The trail has a spine down the center of it since so many people have been skating and there has been no real grooming as of late. Thus balance is something to be had the first moment one skis the trail as it stands now.
For the past few weeks, I have been working on increasing my tempo, angles, and power. I took it so far two weeks ago that I actually broke my rollerski while attempting to quadruple my V2 (dobbeldanse) tempo. That was a shame, but I suddenly realized that my work was paying off. Most of my technique work has been on the uphills. The past few seasons has seen my uphill technique get more and more fluid, with a slower tempo and power level. It might look pretty, but that is not going to win a race!
Tomorrow I will take a day off from skiing. My muscles certainly are not demanding it, but I will have many more weeks to come of good skiing. I will do a max strength session tomorrow to increase my upper body power.
Since June, when my former ski coach Reid Lutter provided me the U.S. Ski Team's strength plan, I have been lifting weights more and more often. Of course, it is periodized and planned, but I have found this type of strength much more beneficial than simply core and "general" strength alone. This other types of low-weight strength are important, especially during the season to help prevent injury, but they are not going to make you a stronger skier. I had done years of this type of strength with very few gains. With max strength, I have noticed three-fold increases in power, both lower and upper body.
Ski well, shoot straight, and don't forget your dry shirt after training.
Peace,
Brian
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