CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

Fitness & Preparation for Winter

by Julie Stanistreet

Courtesy of Garnet Hill On the snow with contributing writer Julie Stanistreet.

Planning to get out on your skis more this winter, maybe catch a few races, because you know there will be more snow than last winter? (How could there not be?) The time is now to be getting in shape for the winter. It will make the transition to the incredible demands of cross-country skiing a lot less painful!

You say you've been running all summer? Or perhaps biking a lot? Or if you're like me, you've been doing a lot of paddling. All of these are great; none of these are enough by themselves to prepare you for skiing. As you know, skiing is one of the best total body workouts you can possibly do, so you need total body preparation. Cross-training is a must. If you've been running or biking, you've got some muscle groups in shape and you're cardio-vascular system is doing well, but what about that upper body? Even the leg muscles used are somewhat different.

There is no one activity that will get you in perfect ski-specific shape, but there are a few that come very close. A variety of activities are recommended. Look at what you've been doing, and consider what cross-training you could be doing to strengthen those weaker areas. I would guess that many people, unless they've been paddling a lot (which uses the same muscles needed for poling), will need to focus largely on upper body strength building.

Here are some very ski-specific training/technique options: If you have roller skis, get them out. Roller skiing is as close as you're going to get to the real thing. Big advantages to roller skis are that they give you balance work, technique work and can really build the upper body strength. It's easier to simulate skate skiing technique, and a little harder to develop good classical technique on roller skis. Many racers feel that if you're not careful, classical technique can suffer from roller skiing. But for double poling and upper body workouts, you can't beat it.

Pole walking is a great, low-tech option (my favorite) for those who don't have roller skis or who prefer to train off the pavement. All you need is a pair of ski poles, about 10-15 centimeters shorter than your usual classic poles, and some good running shoes.

Courtesy of Garnet Hill Pole walking with Tony Malikowski of North River.

Pole walking is not running with poles, nor is it hiking with poles. The idea is to simulate the skiing motion as much as possible. If you don't feel those ski muscles working, you're not pole walking. Keep your feet close to the ground as you stride forward, also bringing your hip forward. Engage your shoulders and triceps when poling, and crunch your lats and abs while you're at it — make that upper body work. The workout you get from pole walking depends on how well you keep your focus on proper technique. If your mind wanders, before you know it, you've slipped into a jog or walk. Everything should feel like you're skiing, except the glide part of it — that's where a good imagination comes in.

An advantage to pole walking over roller skiing is that you can make the workout as easy or intense as you desire. It's a whole body workout that's a lot easier on the knees than running. It's great for interval training, as you can do explosive uphill intervals with poles, and rest as you run back down. You can even imitate skate skiing quite well with poles, especially on the uphills. On the steeper downhills, you'll find it easier to pick up your poles and run, rather than trying to continue pole walking.

How much time you should you spend practicing depends on how much time you have. For most people in the real workaday world, too much time training is generally not the problem, so I would get out there as much as you can, at least three to five days a week, for an hour.

There are lots of books and articles written on training programs; it can be overwhelming. For an endurance sport such as cross-country skiing, you want to do a lot of low intensity training. Don't even think about doing intervals until you've built up your base aerobic capacity, usually about two months of regular low intensity workouts. You can augment your strength by lifting weights and doing other exercises to build up your core body strength. When you're ready for intervals, do them once or twice a week. They are superb training for the muscle demands of racing and can really help you mentally prepare for what's to come (I can handle this pain, I can make it up this hill).

Don't neglect the other things that skiing demands — balance and reflexes. A summer of road biking and running doesn't really prepare you for the quick action needed with changing terrain and conditions. Mountain biking, trail running and whitewater kayaking all are excellent sports that can help to keep you nimble and quick.

A question for the women out there: Where are you? It sure would be great to see more women getting into fitness skiing and racing. I've noticed that in running races, the number of women almost equals the number of men, but in sports like cross-country skiing and mountain biking, we are seriously outnumbered. It's an incredible experience to challenge yourself to improve your fitness and technique, and compete in your first distance race. Just finishing one of those races is a win, in my mind. The health benefits of excellent fitness in women of any age can't be stressed enough, but that's a subject for another article. Come on out and join us!

Some Upcoming Races
There are a wonderful variety of fun and unique events in our region, and most are open to both competitive racing and recreational touring/fitness skiers. In fact, in some races it's not uncommon to have more "tour" skiers of all ages and abilities participate than serious racers — simply to enjoy the scenery and challenge.

• Dec. 14: 25th Reindeer Roundup Pursuit Race. 5K classic and 5K freestyle (total 10K). ESG qualifier. Lapland Lake X-C Ski Center, Northville. www.laplandlake.com
  
• Jan. 25: 21st Lake Placid Loppet. 25K and 50K classic and freestyle on the challenging Olympic trails. Verizon Sports Complex, Lake Placid. www.orda.org
  
• Feb. 1: 23rd Tug Hill Tourathon. A 50K classic event in a friendly atmosphere. Winona State Forest, Mannsville. www.tughillskiclub.com
  
• Feb. 1: 22nd Craftsbury Marathon. 25K and 50K classic. Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, Vermont. www.craftsbury.com
  
• Feb. 8-9: 37th Canadian Ski Marathon. The ultimate event — a 12K to 160K ski tour in 2 days. Lachute to Buckingham, Quebec. www.csm-mcs.com
  
• Feb. 14-16: 25th Keskinada Loppet. Large festival including 10K to 50K classic and freestyle. Gatineau Park, Hull, Quebec. www.keskinada.com
  
• Feb. 23: 59th Stowe Derby. A crazy and fun 16K downhill/cross-country skiing event from the top of Mount Mansfield to the village. Stowe, Vermont. (802) 253-7704
  
• Feb. 21-23: 23rd Empire State Games. 5K and 10K classic, freestyle and pursuit. Must qualify. Verizon Sports Complex, Lake Placid. www.empirestategames.org

A good resource for training tips, equipment information and events is www.xcskiworld.com.

Julie Stanistreet lives in North River and is the ski school director at Garnet Hill Cross-Country Ski Center. She is a whitewater guide and kayak instructor, and enjoys kayaking, mountain biking and sharing the outdoors with her three children.

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