April 16, 2008 (Andover, NH) – New Hampshire’s Kris Freeman, a Type 1 diabetic, has posted the best U.S. cross country distance results since the Bill Koch era of the early 80s. His accolades include winning the inaugural Under-23 championships 30km classic race in Italy (2003), being the first American to qualify for the exclusive “Red Group” – the top 30 athletes on the World Cup circuit – and, among his many other top performances, Freeman placed fourth in the 15km classic at the 2003 Nordic World Championships (the best U.S. result in 21 years).

Freeman showed early on in the 2007/2008 season that he’s a podium threat on the World Cup level, finishing fifth in a 15km classic race in Kuusamo, Finland. It was his best performance in four years. As the season progressed, despite some set backs due to sickness Freeman continued to post top-30 results on the World Cup tour.

You’re famous among the North American xc ski community for your training volumes. Are your annual numbers still increasing and will you lower them as you get closer to 2010?
Kris Freeman: My training volume is higher than most skiers. I don’t plan to increase my annual hour total but I have no plans for a significant decrease leading into the Olympic year either.

There is lot’s of hype about how many training hours you actually do in a year, do you mind putting the actual number out there?
KF: I trained just shy of 935 hours this year. I was on pace for a much higher total but I had some lingering illnesses this season that took a toll on my training and racing plans. I believe that the cause of my sickness was due to my overall training load which included much more intensity this season.

Where does the motivation come from for your training? Do you look to what the other top skiers are doing, or is it simply what you believe you need compete at the world level?
KF: I don’t care what the best in the world are doing. I cater my training plan to my strengths. I have made mistakes but I have made them on my terms. Many skiers train a certain way based on presumptions of what others are doing. There is so much misinformation out there. I always start a workout with a specific training goal and adaptation in mind.

Regarding the school vs world cup success debate, I understand you went to the University of Vermont for a year. Why did you stop your studies there?
KF: Unfortunately the typical college lifestyle is completely counter-productive to being a ski racer. The culture keeps late hours and typically offers a poor diet. And there are countless distractions. NCAA rules prohibit year round training with your coach which is absolutely absurd. The emphasis at a university is studies first, everything else is a distant second. To be a world class skier skiing has to come first.

You have worked with a number of coaches over the years. Has each one had an effect on the Kris Freeman we see skiing today?
KF: Every coach I have worked with has helped me in some way. Some of them of hurt me as well. I have learned over the years that no coach is perfect. As I have matured I have learned to use the strengths of my coaches and disconnect from their flaws. We have five coaches working with the team now and each one brings something different and positive to the table. The current coaching situation is the best since I have been on the team.

Was the 2007/2008 racing season a successful one considering your goals, what worked and what didn’t?
KF: This season was very frustrating for me. It started out very positively with a 5th place finish in a 15km classic in Kuusamo, Finland. Then I came down with a cold that lingered for a month. When I was finally healthy again I had five world cup points races in a row. The highlight of which was a 16th place finish in another 15km classic race in Otepaa, Estonia. Then I got sick again and never truly recovered. Looking back on my training I realized that my best sensations of the year came in October and November. I overloaded myself in the fall which led to unpredictable performances and a compromised immune system. I will be more cautious this year with my intensity plan. The fifth place tells me that I can ski fast enough to win a world cup. My consistency from the previous season told me that I can race at a high level for a full season. Now I have to put that speed and consistency together.

All the best Kris.
KF: Thanks