By Teemu Virtanen
The racing season has already started, and the first two events of Visma Ski Classics season X are behind us and the third one, La Venosta, is coming up on Saturday. Many of us have been training on snow for a while now and the focus is currently shifting from long distance endurance training to more intervals and intensive workouts which prepare for those demanding races that lie ahead. But what is the optimal training load to trim your body for a long distance race?
Naturally, there are no easy answers to those questions as everyone has his or her own approach and way to find the best possible performance level. It is though always interesting to find out what the pro skiers do to prepare themselves, so let’s take a look at two examples from Team Kaffebryggeriet, Morten Eide Pedersen and Vetle Thyli. One thing to bear in mind when reading these examples is that both Morten and Vetle have been training in high altitude lately due to the fact that both the Livigno and La Venosta events are more than 1,800 meters above sea level.
For reference, Morten finished second in the Livigno Prologue while Vetle was fifth only one second behind the winner Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team. They are both favorites for the podium in La Venosta, and now you can see what kind of training may take them there this Saturday. Additionally, you can also compare their training this week to a normal week when they don’t have a race (in Vetle’s case, last week).
Morten’ week before La Venosta (note that there are often two workouts per day for both skiers):
Monday: 3 H double poling with some short sprints
Tuesday: 2,5 H easy skiing / Short run + Strength
Wednesday: Interval 6 x 5 min , 2 min break. Double poling / 1,5 H easy skiing
Thursday: 2,5 – 3 H easy skiing
Friday: Ski testing + short sprints/impulses / 45 – 60 min Run + movement / stretching
Saturday: Race day – La Venosta – Skitest + warm-up 45-60 min
Sunday: Recovery run / 1 h easy + Travel home
Morten’s normal training week:
Monday: 2,5 H double poling / 1,5 H Run
Tuesday: Threshold interval 6 x 8 min double poling / Bike indoor + strength with weights
Wednesday: 2 H Classic with some sprints / 1,5 – 2 H Skate
Thursday: Running Intervals on treadmill – 6 x 5 min, 2 min break / 1,5 H easy skiing
Friday: 3 H Double polling / 1,5 H Skate
Saturday: 2,5 H Classic / Run + core
Sunday: 3,5 H Skate
Vetle’s week before La Venosta:
Monday: Running, hard intervals, 6 x 4 min, almost max, 1,5 H / Cycling, spinning & core strength, 1,25 H
Tuesday: Skiing, classic with grip wax, very easy, 2 H
Wednesday: Double-poling, easy, 3 H
Thursday: Running, easy, 1 H / Skiing, the La Venosta course check, 1,5 H
Friday: Skiing, ski test, race preparation, 4 x 3 min intervals / 0,5 H easy run
Saturday: La Venosta race + warm-up, 3 H
Sunday: Easy run, 1 H, return to Norway
Total hours: 16,5 H
Vetle’s normal training week (last week after the Prologue weekend):
Monday: Skiing, skating, very easy, 2,5 H / Cycling, spinning, 0,5 H
Tuesday: Skiing, classic with grip wax, very easy, 3 h
Wednesday: Skiing, double-poling, easy, 3 H / Run, warm-up & explosive strength, 1,25 H
Thursday: Skiing, double-poling, 5 x 10 min hard intervals, 2,5 H / Cycling, spinning, 0,75 H
Friday: Skiing, skating, very easy, 2 H
Saturday: Skiing, double-poling, easy, 3,5 H
Sunday: Skiing, skating, very easy, 1,5 H / Run, max & explosive strength, 1,5 H
Total hours: 22
