Cross Country Skiing

Effective strength training for spring training should start at the beginning of each season, with low loads in the 40-60% one rep max range to strengthen ligaments and tendons. This should be followed by an 8-12 week period of maximal strength development using a few upper body, core, and leg exercises per session at 70-75% one rep max, increasing a couple percent per week. Lastly, power phase should focus on lighter loads in the 65-80% range and moving those loads as explosively and quickly as possible. The goal is to maintain a balance between maximal strength and power, and this should be cycled according to race schedules.
 
Transcript: "This morning's question is about effective strength training, and what does it look like spring training? Is a pretty complex, process described in a short answer, but we'll give it a go. The strength training season or training period. Needs to be started at the beginning of each training season. So on May 4 cross country skiers generally, we start with a six to eight-week, period, using very low loads somewhere in the 40 to 60 percent of one rep max. So think of that in terms, Terms of lift, you could do 50 or 100 times and maybe do 2015, 20, 25 reps. This period is intended to strengthen the ligaments and the tendons. So the connective tissue so that they are protected against injury when we move into the later more intense training periods. Next we would move into an 8 to 12 week period of maximal strength. If we're going to develop our maximal power ability to produce power, we Need to First increase our maximal strength. So we start with just a few 23 upper body core and leg exercises per session. Really generally to is probably adequate for most people and we start out at 70 to 75 percent of one rep. Max loads. This gets us into the 12 to 15 rep range and we increase a couple percent perhaps per week of the period. And build up to, you know, the heavier loads of 85 to 90% or loads. We could do four to six times. Then we move into the power phase where we're really focused on more specific movements and light a little bit lighter. Loads loads in the 65 to 80 percent range. But the focus is moving those loads as explosively and quickly as possible in all these phases, a lot of exercises we can use. But I think it's important to focus on big muscle groups, a prime movers and yours. Sport in the competition period. Then we strive to maintain the balance between both the maximal strength, and the power, and that has to be cycled and very specifically to your race schedule."

I need at least 8 hours of sleep to function optimally. To help me get better sleep, I have a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, turn my phone to silent and face down, and avoid checking emails right before bed.
 
Transcript: "Hey Peter. So how much sleep you need is actually really pretty personal to each person. Me personally, I operate best on at least eight hours but usually eight and a half is kind of my magic number. Where I feel like I'm really recovering. Well, from workouts, I'm firing on all cylinders. So some of the things I do to try to sleep better is I try to have a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, that's pretty important. Rather than, you know, having bedtime swing wildly from Early to late and waking up at different times. I try to keep it pretty stable as much as I can. And then I try to get off my phone in the 30 minutes to an hour before bed. I know that super super hard but I just set my wake-up alarm and then turn it on silent. Turn it face down. So I don't see notifications coming up. And that really, really helps because the light from a screen is not great right before bed and whatever you do, don't check emails right before bed, that's the absolute worst thing. So that's one of the things that really Please help me get better sleep."

My main goals for the upcoming season are to improve my classic guarding technique and herringbone, as well as win the overall Global title and compete in the world championships in Slovenia.
 
Transcript: "Hey Peter. So I kind of have two main goals for this upcoming season. In terms of outcome goals process goals, I'm always working on my Classics guarding technique my herringbone, keeping it together and be too. So I have a lot of technique goals that I'm always evolving with but outcome lies, I would like to go after the overall Global. Again, that's very, very meaningful to me because it means that overall you're really proficient in all the different styles and distances. Has and techniques and then the world championships this year and plenty Slovenia. That's going to be really really cool. And I'm always so motivated by those team events so that for me will be a big, big focus of the year."

If you want to commit to something, commit with your full heart and see how far you can take it.
 
Transcript: "Hey Michael. What is my single best piece of advice in life? I really like this quote that my mom shared with me years ago about basically if you have a committed heart, you're going to make something happen. Even if the conditions aren't perfect because often times in life, the timings never exactly right? You know, like, for example, at the Olympics, I had food poisoning 30 hours before the timing was not right? But if you really want something to happen, it's Worth committing your whole heart to it and committing everything you have and really going after it. So essentially if something is worth doing to you then go all in and really just commit to it because then, you know, that you've really tried and you've given it your absolute best shot and you don't have to wonder, you know, what, if I had tried this, what if I had just done it, you know, you know, I tried it. Here's what happened. And you get to live at peace with that answer. So, even if If it's not the outcome you wanted, you know that you gave yourself the best chance of success in whatever it is that you're going after. So yeah. Basically the advice I would give is if you if you want to commit to something commit with your full heart. Even if the timing isn't right and just see how far you can take it."

I love living in Vermont, it's a wonderful place where I have my own condo and garden, and the changing seasons make it a great place to train. I am also lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team of people.
 
Transcript: "I love living in Vermont, stratton's of wonderful. Wonderful place. I have a cute little condo and I can kind of get it set up the way I want. I have my little tiny garden out on the patio, so I grow my own kale and swiss chard, and tomatoes, and zucchini and herbs all summer and it really does feel like a home base. I basically live out of a suitcase, probably six months out of the year, when you count training camps as well as the whole winter of racing, the World Cup circuit. So feeling like I have this little Bass that I can come back to and feel like, this is my place. You know, I've got my pots and pans, and my mugs and everything all set up. That's really, really special. And I love the changing seasons in Vermont. The training, there is phenomenal, and the group that I live there with is just an incredible team of humans."

To manage stress before a race, I like to have a regular routine that boosts my confidence and makes me excited. This usually involves going for a run with teammates, taking pictures and exploring the scenery, and listening to music before the race. Doing things that fulfill me helps me stay in the right mood.
 
Transcript: "Thanks, Leah for the question. And the question is, how do I manage stress before a race? Depends on the day. But for me, having some kind of routine that brings up my confidence, calms me down. Gets me. Excited is been really helpful. So for me often it's just making sure I'm in a happy state or doing what makes me happy. So a lot of times that's going for a run the day before with my teammates or taking my camera out and exploring where I am taking pictures appreciating the scenery I'm in. And then Then before the race I like to put my headphones on and that 15 minutes before as we're just jumping around in the start pain and listen to my favorite music, dance around a little bit and kind of get the nervous Jitters out of my system and get really excited to go. So for me, it's doing the things that fulfill me. So some photography stuff hanging out with people and then right before music to get me in the right mood."