Cross Country Skiing

What is it like coaching at a ski school?

Coaching at a Ski School: The Pros and Cons Unveiled

What is it like coaching at a ski school? Well, in many ways, it is amazing. But let's go through the pros and cons here. So some of the pros, probably the biggest pro is that I get to work with my athletes every single day and they all show up, right? There's no like, oh, I had to go to hockey practice instead or like too much traffic. I couldn't make it. Like, they're all there every day. And that's amazing for getting to know them as people and humans just makes it a lot easier from that coaching front. And it also makes it easier to monitor kind of how they're absorbing training load. Outside of just a training log, I get to see them every day. And so if in their training log, they write, I feel great. But then when it comes to like looking at them, and they're just dragging, you can start the conversation there, right? Like that's a little easier. Some of the other advantages is just like traveling all together as a team. That part's great. And actually, some of the disadvantages also fall around the logistical side of things. Like a lot of the club coaches don't have to deal with shuttling their athletes to and from the venue on race day, they can just focus on making skis and then coaching them there. Whereas we need to have somebody who can go get the athletes from the hotel and bring them back and to try and avoid having them on their feet all day. There's also the downside of discipline, which you have to deal with because you're much more of a parent than just a coach. So yeah, that's one.

Coaching at a ski school has its pros and cons, such as being able to work with athletes on a daily basis as well as having to deal with logistics and disciplinary issues.

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Coaching at a ski school is an amazing experience in many ways. One of the biggest pros is the opportunity to work with athletes who show up every single day. This consistency allows for better connections and understanding of them as individuals. Monitoring their training load and well-being becomes easier when I see them daily, beyond just checking their training logs. Additionally, traveling as a team creates a sense of camaraderie. However, there are logistical challenges involved, such as shuttling athletes to and from the venue on race day, which can be time-consuming. As a ski school coach, there is also a parental aspect to the role that involves discipline and guidance. Overall, coaching at a ski school has its pros and cons but provides an incredible opportunity to work closely with dedicated athletes.

What are some good things to eat after a hard workout to ensure you fuel yourself for your next workout?

Fueling Your Muscles: The Key to Optimal Recovery

So what are some good things to eat after a workout? Key point here is that you eat. It can be anything. But the key point is that after a workout you have what we call the glycogen window, which is the period of time where your muscles will just like suck up any carbohydrate that you give them and put it into the muscles so you're like fully replenishing. So that window is about 30 to 60 minutes. It's shorter for women and longer for men. Men can survive a little longer on this. And if you miss it, you're not going to recover as quickly. One thing to consider is that it's not just about eating after your workout. If you're doing a pretty long workout, recovery for the next workout starts during your workout. And so that means fueling during the workout, whether it's drinking sports drink or eating snacks along the way, that can really affect your next day. So if you want to get crazy with it, I think it's one to four grams of carbohydrate per kilo of body weight within that 30 minute window for optimal muscle recovery. And if you just need suggestions of something to eat, it's whatever's easy for you. So whether that's those UHT milk containers or chocolate milk or a PB&J or granola bar, muffins, gummy bears are great for this. We call things fast carbs and slow carbs. And fast carbs are simple carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed. The slow carbs are moderated with usually fat or fiber and take a little longer to absorb. So this is the place for fast carbs because you want that to go in. You want it to be quick. You also want some protein with it, which is why milk or dairy is such a good option. But there's plenty of other things if you can't eat dairy. So like just it doesn't need to be, doesn't need to be like quote unquote clean or good or anything like that. It's just give yourself some sugar as soon as you possibly can and you'll appreciate it.

After a workout, it is important to eat something within the 30-60 minute window for optimal muscle recovery. This can be anything that is easy and fast for you such as UHT Milk containers, chocolate milk, PB&J, granola bars, muffins or gummy bears. To replenish your muscles quickly, look for "fast carbs" which are simple carbohydrates quickly absorbed. It's also helpful to have some protein which is why dairy is a good option.

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After a hard workout, it's important to eat within the glycogen window, which is around 30 to 60 minutes. During this time, your muscles are primed to absorb carbohydrates and replenish their glycogen stores. Women have a shorter window than men. Fueling for your next workout starts during the current workout, so consider consuming fuel like sports drinks or snacks during exercise to optimize recovery. For optimal muscle recovery, aim for one to four grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight within that 30-minute window. As for post-workout snacks, choose whatever is convenient for you. Options include UHT milk containers, chocolate milk, PB&J sandwiches, granola bars, muffins, and even gummy bears. Fast carbs, which are simple carbohydrates quickly absorbed by the body, are ideal during this time. Pair them with some protein for even better results. Milk or dairy products are great options due to their protein content, but there are alternatives available for those who cannot consume dairy. The key is to prioritize getting some sugar into your system as soon as possible after your workout to support recovery.

Do you have to go to a ski school to be an elite skier?

Don't Train Alone: Ski Schools vs. Elite Clubs

So this is going to sound counterintuitive because I work at a ski school and I think it's great. But you do not need to go to a ski academy in order to be an elite skier. If you think about what makes somebody a good cross-country skier, there's sort of four pillars of training, progress, whatever. There's fitness, technique, strength, and mental performance. And if you can address all of those, you're going to improve. You're going to get good. Now, the importance of your pace group, your training group, is... it's big. And so you want to surround yourself by fast people. If you were training in a silo or you are the best skier on your team, it's really hard to improve if you're already at the top. And that's where the advantage of either going to a ski academy or a really high-level club can help you out. So, don't train alone. It's not worth it. You aren't going to get as good as you possibly could get surrounded by good people. So, what's the advantage of a ski academy? Everything is provided for you. All the logistics, all of the ski support at races, travel, lodging. And remember, stress is stress. And so if you're spending stress you could be spending on training, organizing all of that, it's going to be detrimental to your career. And so that's sort of the advantage of a ski academy. But you can absolutely get it done at a good club. And there's a lot of those.

Ski Academies are great, but you don't need to go to one if you have access to a good club that can provide the resources and support to help you become an elite skier. The advantage of a ski Academy is that it takes care of all the logistics, travel and lodging for races, so you can focus on training.

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Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to attend a ski school or academy to become an elite skier. While ski schools can be beneficial, there are other ways to achieve success in skiing. To excel as a skier, focus on four key pillars: fitness, technique, strength, and mental performance. By addressing these aspects, you can improve and reach a high level of skill. However, the training group you surround yourself with plays a significant role in your progress. It's important to train alongside fast and talented individuals who can push you further. Training alone or being the best skier on your team may limit your improvement potential. Ski academies or high-level clubs offer advantages in terms of providing comprehensive support such as logistics, ski support at races, travel arrangements, and lodging. This minimizes stress and allows you to dedicate more time and energy to training. Nevertheless, achieving success is also possible through a good club setup where access to training resources and a supportive community are available. The key is not to train alone but rather seek opportunities where you can surround yourself with talented peers and mentors who can help elevate your skills.

How do you balance simplicity with maintaining variety in your training?

Unlocking Variety: Balancing Simplicity and Fun in Training

So balancing simplicity and maintaining variety. When you say simplicity, I'm gonna make some assumptions and mean and assume that you mean sort of basics making sure you're covering those basics and not getting crazy about it. So it's actually you can do these basics in a lot of different ways and that's kind of awesome it's what makes cross-country skiing fun. So for example the basics are like be super fit. You can cover that with so many different modes and so many different activities that you can get a ton of variety and still in that variety be doing a lot of level one training. So there's step one. How about agility? You can cover that doing you can do roller ski agility, you can do on snow agility, you can work in the gym, you can play soccer, lacrosse, any kind of field sports. That's step two. How about strength? You can do that in the gym, you can do that on skis, you can do that moving firewood. Lots of different options for that as well. And then intervals again any mode works. So as long as you're nailing those physiological needs you can make it any variety you want and play with it. Keep it fun, do different routes, go different places. This is why we ski.

You can balance simplicity and variety in cross country skiing by focusing on the basics, such as being fit, agility, strength, and intervals. You can cover these basics in different ways, such as roller skiing, on snow agility, playing field sports, strength training in the gym, or moving firewood. This will help you keep skiing fun and interesting by changing up your routes and places.

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Balancing simplicity and maintaining variety in training involves focusing on the basics while exploring different ways to accomplish them. In cross-country skiing, the basics include being physically fit, which can be achieved through various modes and activities. Agility training can be done on roller skis, on snow, in the gym, or even by playing field sports like soccer or lacrosse. Strength training can be performed in the gym, on skis, or through activities like moving firewood. Intervals can also be done in any mode. By ensuring that these physiological needs are met, you have the freedom to incorporate a wide range of variety and make training enjoyable. You can explore different routes, try new places, and keep it fun. This is one of the reasons why we love skiing.

How could long distance road biking develop my skiing performance? 

How long distance road biking can boost skiing performance

So you're asking about long-distance road biking and how will that help you develop your skiing performance. When you say long-distance road biking, there's a range to that. So I'm gonna assume you mean like mortal long-distance road biking, like you know 50 to 100 miles. There are those people who will go bikepacking like across the continent or something. That's different. But so if we're talking distance road biking in the range of like call it three to eight hours, that can be useful for your cross-country skiing. That can really help build your aerobic base in a very low-impact way. And that's sort of the sum of it. If you are focused on cross-country skiing, you're gonna need more than just road biking to really excel in the sport. Some of the things that you're missing on your road bike are like weight-bearing exercises that will help with bone density. You're missing agility and any sort of multi-directional movement and upper body strength. And so those are some of the things you're gonna want to do in addition to your road biking if cross-country skiing is one of your goals. You also may want to consider upper body strength and weight-bearing stuff even if cross-country skiing is not one of your goals because bone density matters as you get older. Have fun!

Long-distance road biking can help build your aerobic base, but it should not be the only form of exercise you use to prepare for cross country skiing. You also need strength and agility exercises, as well as weight-bearing activities, to improve your performance in the sport. Additionally, these activities can help with bone density, even if cross-country skiing is not a goal.

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You're asking how long-distance road biking can benefit your skiing performance. When it comes to long-distance road biking, there's a range of distances involved. Assuming you're referring to distances like 50 to 100 miles, this type of biking can be beneficial for cross-country skiing. It helps build your aerobic base in a low-impact manner. However, if you want to excel in cross-country skiing, road biking alone won't be enough. You'll need additional exercises like weight-bearing exercises for bone density, agility and multi-directional movement for overall mobility, and upper body strength. These are important elements to consider alongside your road biking if cross-country skiing is one of your goals. Even if skiing isn't your focus, it's still worth considering upper body strength and weight-bearing activities for bone density as you age. Enjoy your pursuits!

How do you differentiate instruction to meet the needs of a diverse group of young athletes?

Unlocking Potential: Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Athletes

The question is, how do you differentiate instruction to meet the needs of a diverse group of young athletes? I would say if you have a team with a range of abilities, one thing you can do is you can start every practice with a series of drills. And drills are not hard. It can be things like, okay, we're going to ski without poles, or do the kick-kick-glide drill, or we're going to do some skipping, or whatever your drills are. And it helps athletes of all levels, right? They can be winning at Junior Worlds, and still doing these drills is going to be a helpful thing. And then it also obviously helps the beginner skiers who are going to be struggling to balance and struggling to figure it out. But everyone is getting something out of these drills if it's something different. And this is something also letting the athletes figure out technique for themselves, instead of necessarily instructing them, I want you to ski exactly in this way, because everyone moves a little bit different in this world. So that can be a great way to avoid having to do too much one-on-one, which can take away a lot of time from the group. But if you have a large and diverse group, have fun!

If you have a team with a range of abilities, start every practice with a series of drills that can help athletes of all levels. Also, let the athletes figure out technique for themselves instead of instructing them, as everyone moves differently. This can help avoid having to do too much one-on-one and facilitate a fun environment for the whole team.

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To differentiate instruction and meet the needs of a diverse group of young athletes, one approach is to start each practice with a series of drills. These drills can be simple and cater to athletes of all levels, from beginners to those who have achieved high levels of success. Examples could include skiing without poles, kick-kick-glide drills, or skipping exercises. The drills provide value to everyone, allowing each athlete to work on something specific to their needs or skill level. Instead of providing strict instructions on how to ski, it can be beneficial to let athletes figure out their technique for themselves since everyone moves differently. This helps avoid excessive one-on-one instruction that may take away from group training time. With a large and diverse group, the key is to make the process enjoyable for all.

Alex Jospe answers your Cross Country Skiing questions. See all the advice Alex Jospe has and get answers to your own Cross Country Skiing questions.

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Alex Jospe is an American cross country ski coach at Stratton Mountain School, with a background in a variety of endurance sports. She is an avid outdoorswoman and advocate for women's sports.