The second week of Junior spring training brought out the rollerskis. That’s right, it was time! We gathered at Allen Brook School
Bright clothing, helmets, and rollerski gear at the ready
to get in some easy terrain and a smooth start. In keeping with the focused, steady start to the season we didn’t put on poles for the first 30 minutes, and then got a little technique footage to reference later (and/or compare to the winter).
People were saying the transition felt quite easy, even though we started later than usual. I think that’s down to a combination of several factors:
- We generally have more athletes going to the gym and working on their strength. This was probably the training mode most “kept up with” even between seasons. This means the strength required for technique (not just pure power, but the ability to feel balance and spatial awareness also included in strength exercises) benefits our ability to pick up “new” movements like rollerskiing.
- This group, and more skiers these days in general, have access to world cup and pro skier footage. This could be through official race videos, Youtube clips, or even social media. But the main thing is, skiers are more aware of what strong skiing looks like, and even how they look given all of the clips we’re able to capture.
Kai and Taylor roll out
We only skied on Tuesday this week, and on Thursday it was time to get back to running…this time a bit faster. With a beautiful stretch of dirt road scoped out on Governer Chittenden Road (from Catamount Outdoor Center) we got in 2×1 mile and 2-x4 half mile intervals. The weather was hot but the views were amazing with quaint Vermont farmland, green hills, and the Winookski river trundling alongside us.
We finished off the week with a different type of running, as we took a nice two hour jaunt through the woods of Cochrans, up and over the ridgeline, on another beautiful day. Everyone was well prepared with hydration and snacks, making it a smoooooth trip throughout. Off to a great start!
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