July 26, 2008 (Anchorage, AK) – Swedish born Kristina Strandberg came to the US in 1999. From that time until present she has graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM) with a Masters degree, raced for five years with the Factory Team, and recently became a member of the XC Oregon club out of Bend, Oregon.

While at UNM she won the 15km classic at the 2000 NCAA Championships. Since 2004 she has been the 4-year champion of the FIS North American Marathon Cup and this past season she took the overall spot on the US Super Tour, as well as having a second place finish at the 2008 US National Championships in the 10km classic.

You are originally from Sweden. What city do you call your “hometown”?
Kristina Strandberg: Both my parents grew up in a village outside of Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden and that’s where I want to go when I get homesick. Most of my family still lives in or close to Örnsköldsvik, a great town known for it’s ski jumping hill, “the Paradise Hill,” and it’s hockey players (i.e. Peter Forsberg).

You went to school at the University of New Mexico. Is that what brought you to the United States?
KS: Yes, many years ago! I ended up in New Mexico more or less by chance. I didn’t know anything about college recruiting so I blindly contacted coaches in the spring. As it turned out UNM was the only team that still needed women and Nordic Coach Fredrik Landstedt offered me a scholarship. I’m very happy I ended up in Albuquerque. I wanted to experience something different from Sweden and New Mexico definitely is different! Also, Fredrik is an excellent coach with a good understanding of the strains put on college athletes. I learned a lot from him and I definitely improved as a skier.

How was the adjustment coming from Sweden to the southwestern US?
KS: I remember flying into Albuquerque for the first time. We landed around 9 pm and it was pitch black and very warm. What a contrast to the light summer nights of northern Sweden! The biggest challenge for me was the heat. The first few weeks I suffered while training under the blazing sun and I had a hard time sleeping at night. It cools off pretty fast in the fall though and after a while I acclimatized to the dry climate. Other than that it was really interesting living in a new place so different from home.

You have remained in the US since graduating and continued to pursue your ski racing. Last year you were the overall woman’s Super Tour Champion. Are your eyes focused on the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and will you have to return to Sweden for qualifying?
KS: Last spring I was done with school and I decided to try life as a full time skier. I wanted to see how my body would react to more training and proper recovery. My goal was to reach the top here in the US, podium at Nationals and win the Super Tour. Now that I’ve reached those goals I definitely have my eyes on international racing. Next winter I will have one more year of solid training behind me and my goal is to perform at the highest level in both Sweden and the US. If I meet these goals, I’m up for another challenge, the 2010 Olympics would be the ultimate goal. Since I’m Swedish I would have to race well in Sweden and prove myself internationally to make the Swedish Olympic Team.

You are known for your classic skiing ability – although your skating is improving quickly. Was good classic technique something that was instilled at a young age in Sweden?
KS: Yes. I started skiing before skating came around so I classic skied a lot as a kid. As soon as I could walk I started shuffling around on skis in our back yard. I think the early start helped me get a good intuition for how to glide on classic skis. I also watched a lot of skiing on TV growing up, so I knew what good skiing looked like. I cannot remember any real technique training other than practicing pushing my feet forward and stretching my stride. I guess that worked!

You and Lars Flora have been a couple for a number of years. Would you classify Lars as your “coach”?
KS: Definitely. Lars writes my training plan and that’s an arrangement we are both really happy with. We share training philosophies so working together is smooth. Since we live together it is also practical that our training plans are in sync. XC Oregon Coach JD Downing is also a great resource for me as he is always available if I need advice.

Do you consider yourself more of a sprinter or distance racer? Is your training program focused on one technique more that the other?
KS: Since I was a kid I’ve always been told that I’m a slow twitch person and that I can’t move really fast for a short distance, but I’m somewhat fast for longer distances. After a while I just accepted this as the truth and I considered myself a distance racer. When I started training with Lars (about three years ago) he made me do pure sprint workouts and I thought it was the craziest thing ever. I thought my sprinting was beyond repair and that speed training could do nothing for my distance pace. I was wrong! My main focus is still distance racing but I have learned that increasing my speed and power is as important as improving my endurance.

Thanks for your time and good luck with your short term and long term goals.
KS: Thank you