We spent a lot of time last week still stuck in April weather patterns of cold rain and wind, but that didn’t stop the first week of Spring training from getting underway.
This spring we’re really focused on basics. It’s a LONG time until race season, and last year the level of energy was very high…maybe even too high to sustain for quite as long into the year as we would’ve wanted! During a long drive home from some NENSA meetings earlier today in Hanover, I was thinking about a road analogy for this:
In a well-organized system, the basics of training (fitness, general athletic skills, motivation, physical and mental health) are like the highways. They can carry you 90% of the way, whether you’re going from Jericho to Hanover, or Burlington to Michigan.
The other paved roads are the puzzle pieces that make everything more connected. Specific rollerski training. Strength. Intervals in addition to just easy days.
Driveways, dirt roads, or even bushwacked paths over hills and across rivers are represented by those crazy things you try to eek out something different than the competition. What if we tried incorporating this workout that we saw a pro skier doing? What if we followed this or that research paper and adjusted our intervals by a few minutes? What about a dedicated day only for speeds each week?
For the springtime, we’re focused on building a really solid highway infrastructure. That means the basics like:
- Are we gradually increasing our running, and focusing on being prepared for it with PT and injury-prevention?
- How is our hydration and fueling before/during/after training?
- Do we really need to rollerski right away in the first week, or can we build a few other skills first?
- Oh yeah, are we still going on some fun adventures?
The training year began with some concocting of electrolyte drinks…coconut water, honey, sea salt, and more went into some delicious creations. Notice Rye also adding some special flavoring by stirring with a nearby stick. Organic and local!
We hit the dirt roads and trails at Catamount on Thursday for some running pickups, the first “real” workout of the season. But it was another dark and stormy day, which made Saturday’s adventure over in Stowe even more nice! Sunshine and warm temps and a bit of a hike up to the gondola lift, followed by a transition to our skate gear for a nor-pine trip down the mountain (and lunch at Piecasso of course).
Spring training registration is still open, as are spots at Rocky Mountain Camp! Sign up at our registration page.
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