Summer training for cross-country skiing
There is a saying that “good skiers are made in the summer.” Reason enough for us, to give you an overview and some practical tips for summer training for cross-country skiing. Worldloppet partner coach Martin Benes with valuable insights in summer training for marathon skiers.
Cross-country skiing is a very demanding sport and requires a mix of aerobic endurance, speed, technique, and strength. No matter what age you are, it is important to develop these different aspects. One analogy that I like to describe training is that it is like building a house. The summer months are the time to build the foundation and the frame/skeleton of that house.
This means focusing primarily on building your aerobic base during the months of June, July, and August. The goal with your summer training for cross-country skiing should be lots of exercise that should feel pretty easy. During this time, most of your training can be general activity. Hiking, running, mountain biking, and road cycling are all good options. How much time you spend training will be very individual but there are a couple of keys to think about:
Consistency is the most important
Establish a good routine around your training. Try to get a session in 5-6 days a week. It is important to have 1 rest day per week. This doesn’t need to be completely off from any activity, but it might be an easy ride with your friends or kids, doing some yard work at home, going to a yoga class, etc. The 5-6 days you are training can be any duration. If you have more time and are used to it, getting more hours in each week can be productive. On the other hand, if you are new to training or your time is limited, it’s important to focus on what you can get in. Even if that is only 30 minutes most days, it can still be focused time and very productive. Consistency in training in the summer will allow you to get more time on the snow in the winter.
Try to use arms and legs when possible
Skiing uses both arms and legs. Lots of sports we do in the summer are using primarily legs. Running, hiking, and biking. Rollerskiing can be a good option for this and a chance to work on ski technique. If you do rollerski, make sure you have proper safety equipment and that you know the roads or paths well. If you don’t have rollerski, or don’t like rollerskiing, there are other good options. Using poles when you run or hike is a good way to incorporate the arms into those activities. I would use older classic poles or adjustable poles for those workouts. Even 30-40 minutes of running with poles can be a very effective workout and is good training for the winter months. Other activities that can be good options are rowing and swimming. Especially if you are on vacation, getting 30-40 minutes of swimming in during a day is a great way to maintain your fitness.
Keep it (mostly) easy
Most of the aerobic building work should be at a low intensity. You should be able to talk with your friends or training partners comfortably during the session. Yes, if you are going uphill your heartrate will go up and your breathing will become harder. Even so it is possible to go a little slower and a little easier. A heartrate monitor can also be a good tool to make sure you are keeping it easy enough. Heartrate will vary between individuals and even days. It is important to learn your body and maybe hire a coach to help you learn what your different heartrate zones are. There are places that offer testing in a lab as well that can help establish your heartrate levels. Regardless, it is important to keep most of your summer training for cross-country skiing easy. This can also make it easier to find people to train with! Take your friends on a hike or a bike ride and keep it slow and talk. Ski marathons are long and it is good to get some longer days when possible. 3-4 hours is a great way to spend time outside on a nice summer day.
Keep strength and speed in your summer training
Two important aspects to developing as good cross-country skiers are strength and speed. We don’t need to spend all our time on these 2 things, but they should be added into your training program. You can add speeds into your aerobic workouts 2-3 days per week. A speed can be anywhere from 5-30 seconds long. They can be a chance to go hard, accelerate, or add more power into your movements. These short bursts can help keep training more interesting and will also help develop your efficiency! Speeds are especially good as you get older to stay fast. Even training for long races, speed is a good way to get faster over 40 km or even 90 km.
Strength is similar. If you like going to a gym and working out, keep it up. If you have a hard time doing strength, start small. Maybe 15-20 minutes twice a week. You can do it before or after you go for a run or bike ride. Strength training helps us stay healthy and is important in preventing injuries. Especially if we bike a lot in the summer and don’t use our arms much, strength can be used to develop upper body endurance. Think of how much stronger you’ll be in double poling!
If you have any questions about training, I am happy to connect on a call or email to answer your questions!
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Martin Benes (MVB Coaching – Personalized Coaching) is a personal trainer specialized on endurance coaching. He works virtually, means everyone around the world can work with him. In a cooperation between Martin and Worldloppet he is offering 20 % discount for Worldloppet Passport Holders.
