Jan. 7     Race – Woke up with a lot of energy. Morning jog with my teammate. Blue skies for the first time in a while. Watched the men race and then prepared for our 3:45pm start. Had an awesome start and felt great skiing near the front on the 1st lap. Wheels started to come off on the 2nd lap but kept fighting and held on for 12th. Now 8th overall heading into the final day! Alpe Cermis, here we come!

Jan. 6     – Woke up in Val di Fiemme and had a nice late morning ski checking out the classic course and doing a short interval to keep the body firing. Afternoon contrast bath and massage for recovery. Food here is awesome. Last breath before the final two stages!

Jan. 5     Race – Another solid day in stage #7. Got chased down over the first half but responded well and skied in a fun pack over the last lap. Won the 3-way sprint for 5th. Now on to Val di Fiemme for a rest day and the final two stages.

Jan. 4     Race – Super pumped with the silver in today’s TdS skate sprint in Toblach! Qualified 3rd and then followed big moves by [Marit] Bjoergen and [Justyna] Kowalczyk in the final. Hard day but moved up to 4th overall. Six down, three to go!

Jan. 3     Race – Another long wait until the late afternoon start. Did some sprints and jumps in the morning to reawake the body. Snow conditions for the race were kinda funky. Decided to go on hardwax. Felt better than the result showed but may have been a little flat from the long travel. A good warm up for tomorrow’s sprint. Now officially past halfway!

Jan. 2     – Easy morning jog. Supposed to be an easy travel to Toblach but got held up a couple times and didn’t arrive until after dark which meant we missed skiing. Settled for a run instead.

Jan. 1     Race – Morning jog and then a long wait until the 3:45 start. A little stiff from my crash but still feeling good. Pace was mad out of the start. Drifted back a little during the classic but kept calm and moved up through the skate. Felt really good on the final climb. Almost got back up to 5th but ran out of trail, finished 7th. Now on to Italy for a rest day.

Dec. 31     Race – One of my best classic sprint performances ever. Qualified 4th and was feeling strong and in position to advance when I crashed on my own at 200m from the finish in the semis. Bummed I didn’t get to race in the final. Celebrated my 29th birthday with my teammates in the evening so overall it was a great day. Happy New Year!

Dec. 30     Race – Super tricky waxing day for stage 2. Skied around the top ten for most of the race and sprinted up to 6th on the final straight. Feeling strong with two down and seven to go! Snuck in a quick contrast bath, massage and dinner before jumping in the van for the four-hr ride to Oberstdorf.

Dec. 29     Race – Started off the Tour on a good note with tenth in the Prologue today. Most excited to have felt good after coming off a rest week. Did a little pre-race jog this am and then had a massage and a walk this evening for recovery. One down, eight to go!

Dec. 28         – Checked out part of the Prologue course they had open here in Oberhof which was pretty much just the main climb. Snow was super soft (like glacier snow), making it hard to do much ski testing. Did some race prep and discovered the tourist trails near the end. Opening ceremonies are this evening – ready to get this Tour started!

Dec. 27     – Said goodbye to Ramsau and made the 5.5-hour trip up to Oberhof. Felt like we left a winter wonderland to head back into the land of no-snow. Just a short jog this morning to get ready for the drive and a little walk around town this evening. Will go check out the course tomorrow. TdS begins in less than 2 days!

Dec. 26     – Post Christmas let down. Went for an easy skate with my hubby. Body is getting tired of resting, ready to start racing again! Did an explosive session in the weight room to get things going. Saying goodbye to our Christmas crew and heading to Oberhof tomorrow. Tour de Ski here we come!

Dec. 25     – Went on a jolly good ski with my teammates around the mountain. Stopped to take in the beautiful scenery and take lots of pictures! Spent the afternoon unwrapping gifts sent over from my family, and then stockings and a gift exchange with the team. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Dec. 24     – Happy Christmas Eve. Did some L3 skate intervals with Holly and Liz. Felt good to fire up the system after a few easy days. Afternoon jog and bodyweight strength in the basement. Enjoyed a traditional Austrian Christmas Eve feast and then finished off the day chatting with some good friends over Skype and watching Home Alone.

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Dec. 24 – Q & A – Warm Ups

Hi Kikkan,

As a junior skier, coaches often tell me to “get a good warm up” before races. I was wondering what that looks like. Can you give me a picture of what your warm up looks like, and what you change in it for sprint vs. distance races?

Abe Meyerhofer,
Alaska

——–

Hi Abe,

Getting a good warm-up is important for both interval workouts and races, to make sure your body is open, warm and ready to perform at it’s best! I usually start all of my warm-up routines by skiing or jogging easy for 15-20 min. Sometimes it can be hard to keep this pace easy with race nerves surging and an exciting atmosphere around, but try to keep a lid on the effort if you can.

Towards the end of the 20 min, I start picking up the pace just a little bit and then transition into about 5-10 min of L3 or sub-race pace skiing. This is a pace that is a little slower and easier than your goal race pace and helps switch on the aerobic system. The next part depends of whether it’s a sprint or a distance race.

If it’s a distance race, I usually just add on a couple minutes of race pace skiing to the end of the L3 interval. Nothing too hard or too long, but it does help to wake up the body to the pace it will be racing at. After the interval, ski easy for another 5-10 min and then throw in a few short bursts. In the start pen, I usually jog around, swing my arms and just work on staying loose.

If it’s a sprint, I next add in some 30-60 second short intervals at race pace with a couple minutes rest in between. I usually do 3-4 of these on important parts of the course. I finish up my warm-up with some easy skiing and a few short 6-10 sec bursts. While I’m in the start pen, I continue to stay warm with some track-style drills like high knees, bounding, skips, etc. The key is to feel warm and sweaty when you start!

Practicing your warm-up routine on interval days will help you figure out what works for you. Everyone is a little different. Sometimes the situation at the race site may cause you to change plans, so just remember the basics and be ready to be flexible.

Best of luck!
Kikkan

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Dec. 23    +speed – Warm winds and rain blew in for this morning’s skate. Found the best skiing right behind the groomer. Did some speeds in the stadium. Got pretty slow by the end. Super low key afternoon with a nap, some computer worked and a jog. Worked on some sugar cookie dough with Liz before dinner.

Dec. 22     – Snow continuing to fall here in Ramsau. Went on one of the more beautiful ski outings in the my life around the Rittisberg with Jeff. Classic skiing on Fischer zeroes was epic! Spent the afternoon taking care of some business down in Schladming and then a pre-dinner sauna with the team. Life is good!

Dec. 21     – Went for an easy skate cruise with Jeff, Liz and Holly in the snow. Got a little lost and ended up going twice as far as we wanted. But still a super fun ski – then and afternoon jog and weight session. Psyched to see some SkiErgs in the gym! Now heading out to watch the men’s WC slalom 2nd run.

Dec. 20     – Woke up to a blue bird day in Ramsau and enjoyed a nice easy classic cruise with my husband before lunch. Watched the first run of the women’s WC slalom live in Flachau in the evening.

Dec. 19     – Packed up and headed out of Rogla for a few hours on the road. Made a stop over in Salzburg to check out the Christmas markets before heading up to Ramsau. Had a nice day off from training and psyched to feel the Christmas spirit in the air. Looks snowy and wonderful here, can’t wait to scope out the trails tomorrow!

Dec. 18     Race – Not quite the finale I was hoping for today. Felt strong in the rounds through the day but had some bad luck in the final and went down in the first 150m. Chased but couldn’t get back up to the group and had to settle for sixth. The effort hits you a lot harder when the adrenaline goes away! Still psyched to keep the red bib and now looking forward to a nice Christmas break!! Going to take a few days easy now.

Dec. 17     Race – Super tough but fun 10km classic today. Conditions were hard but much nicer than yesterday. Got up in the lead pack early in the race. Faded a bit over the 2nd half and just got out-lunged at the line for 10th place. Still psyched to grab a new distance classic WC personal best with 11th. Now looking forward to the skate sprint tomorrow.

Dec. 16     – Got our first look at the Rogla courses this morning. Super windy and soft tracks. Pretty chaotic on the short 2km loop. Did a some race pace skiing and tested skis. My husband arrived after lunch from Alaska, yay! Pre-dinner jog with the North American girls. Psyched for tomorrow!!

Dec. 15     – Back to non-winter here in Slovenia. Today we did a team run in the pouring rain. It felt like we were suddenly back in September! Thankfully I have kept my running legs in shape and it was nice to stretch out the legs. They’re piecing together the course today and hopefully we’ll have something to ski on tomorrow. Tonight there is thunder and lighting outside the window while I catch up on some computer work.

Dec. 14     – Final ski in Davos was a good one. Did an easy skate with Liz and Holly. Snow felt silky under foot. Threw in a few speeds as well. Then travelled to Rogla via a flight and a couple bus rides. Back to no snow again.

Dec. 13     – Put in another easy distance classic session. Lots of World Cup skiers out doing intervals and testing skis. Took another big nap after lunch and then right from bed into a run down to the weight room for strength. Last day in Davos, will be sad to leave tomorrow.

Dec. 12     – Coming back down from the clouds after an exciting weekend. Enjoyed a nice easy classic cruise with my teammates while listening to Christmas music out of my drinkbelt. Took a big nap this afternoon and had coffee at our favorite place. Snow is falling and life is good!

Dec. 11     Race – Oh, it was a day that athletes dream of! Not that it felt perfect but my body was strong today and I had full power through all the rounds. Super psyched to qualify first and end the day in the top spot too! Had a great team behind me and it’s a day I’ll always remember!

Dec. 10     Race – Long and tough 15km skate today. The course was surprisingly tough with mostly climbing up the first half of the lap and a lot of working sections on the descent back to the stadium. Had a great start through 2km but got stuck in a middle gear for the rest of the race and ended up 27th. Still my best distance result here in Davos which has previously been challenging for me and a great warm-up for tomorrow’s sprint!

Dec. 9     – Time to get back on the skate boards and test skis for the weekend. Once my skis were dialed, I did some L3 on the course with my teammates. Sun was out and the skiing was awesome. Blasted some Christmas out of my waterbelt which caught some people by surprise. Afternoon “Fika” with some friends and then a jog home by moonlight.

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Dec. 8 – Q&A Drafting

Hello Kikkan,

I am a biathlete from eastern Canada and am trying to take my raceing to a new level, my question regards drafting. How effective and important is this? Any insight you could provide and tips for effective drafting would be of great help to me.

Good luck, and keep up the great results.

Thanks,
Carsen Campbell

Hey Carsen,

Thanks for your question. Drafting is always a curious topic. Sometimes it can really make a difference and sometimes it doesn’t seem to really work at all.

From my experience, if you can tuck in behind a good skier and follow their rhythm, it can help teach you how to make efficient movements and stay relaxed in your own skiing. You can also save up a little energy for that last punch you need at the finish.

The only thing to consider when drafting is that you are at the mercy of the skier ahead. They get to take whatever line they want, they could fall or bobble and you may have a hard time getting around them when it counts. So my advice is to practice skiing behind others in practice and learn to always be ready for something to happen.

Good luck in your racing!

Cheers,
Kikkan

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Dec. 8     – Got first tracks on perfectly groomed trails this morning. Easy classic cruise on the 5km course. Blue skies. Spent the afternoon cruising around town.

Dec. 7     – Winter has finally arrived in Europe! Woke up to heavy snow fall here in Davos. Got out early for our intervals to avoid the crowds. Did some classic threshold using what they have completed of the 5km so far. Waxing was pretty tricky by the end. Ran to the weight room and did strength in the afternoon. Got in a little time on the SkiErg as well. Finished of the day with contrast baths.

Dec. 6     – Nice classic cruise around the 2km “lower loop” in the am. Pretty busy out there. Had some coffee and saffron cake with our Swedish friends after lunch and then got out for an afternoon easy skate just as the sun went down. Finished in the dark which was actually kinda fun.

Dec. 5     – Woke up early and traveled back to Davos. Feeling a little bit worked over from a hard weekend of racing but still feeling the positive endorphins of some good performances. No training today, just napping and getting settled back in at the Hotel Kulm. It was snowing upon our arrival so maybe we’ll see more than the 1.4km loop this week! Yeah!

Dec. 4     Race – Wow, what a day!! Sadie and I teamed up for our first ever Düsseldorf team sprint. We were definitely dark horses coming in. The semi-final was super hectic but we avoided crashing and advanced thru to the final in 2nd. In the final, Sadie got off to a great start but then got caught behind a crash and we spent the next few laps trying to catch up. We got back into contact on the last laps and I was able to move up over the final leg to snag the silver for our team. A historic first team sprint podium for the US and pumped to share it with my awesome team!

Dec. 3     Race – A fast and furious day in Dusseldorf with typical weather – warm, cloudy and rainy. Laid down a Decent qualification placing 10th to advance to the heats. Made moves over the 2nd half of the course to advance through the quarters and semis. Pretty hectic final. Snow was hard to balance and there was some contact out there. Made it into 2nd coming off the last curve and free skated into the lead on the homestretch. Psyched to take my 4th world cup win. Really pumped for the team sprint tomorrow!!

Dec. 2        +speed – Left Davos and traveled to Dusseldorf in the morning. Afternoon jog with the team. Pretty odd to be running on green grass! 800m city sprint tomorrow!

Dec. 1    +speed – Skied about 30 loops on the sprint course today. Thankfully I had some intervals and speed with my teammates to pass the time. A little tune-up before heading to Ddorf. Afternoon run in the woods in borrowed clothes from Anna Haag.

Nov. 30     – Drove one hour to ski on a 4km man-made loop in Pontresina. Sun was out and the skiing was pretty sweet. Skied an easy distance classic workout. Two-hour nap after lunch on the Deck. Easy run and strength this afternoon.

Nov. 29     – Awoke to the sun streaming in my window here in Davos. No natural snow around but the skiing was surprisingly good on the 2km man made loop. They are seriously good with snow making here! Enjoying the sun, good food and coffee and good friends. Just easy distance today again to absorb the weekend.

Nov. 28     – Took a super easy morning post mini-tour and went for a slow jog. Packed up and left Ruka, headed for Davos, Switzerland. Traveled the rest of the day.

Nov. 27     – Pretty stoked with sixth place in the Ruka mini-tour this weekend. Today was a tough battle, skied mostly by myself and had to fight off a hard-charging pack. Skis were great. Even did a jog and some strength this aft. Now I’m looking forward to a few easy days!

Nov. 26     – Another solid day. Legs were a bit heavy but fought hard and finished in 12th. Two down and one to go…!

Nov. 25         – Kuusamo classic sprint today. Finally got back in the rounds with a 15th in qualifying and then skied my way into the final. Had good speed in the finishing stretch but couldn’t quite catch third. Still super psyched with 4th place, my career-best in a classic sprint. All the rounds were super hard today, fast and quite anaerobic. Should be a good boost for tomorrow’s 5km skate! Easy jog to cool the jets in the afternoon.

Nov. 24         – Woke up to a warm wind and some rain. Pre-race testing went smoothly. Did a couple of hard laps around tomorrow’s sprint course. The rest of the day was full of athlete rep duties.

Nov. 23     – Skied quite a few laps around what has been prepared so far – 2.5km. Nice to see everyone walking the uphills. Easy distance skate. Run and strength this aft.

Nov. 22     – Travel day, no training. Two drives and two plane rides. Arrived in snowy Kuusamo, Finland. They hope to have 5km open by tomorrow.

Nov. 21     – Took an easy day to wind down from the exciting weekend. Put in an easy distance skate on the Sjusjoen course. Legs were a little tight from the racing but overall the body felt pretty good after the two races. Did an easy jog and strength session in the afternoon. Tomorrow we travel to Kuusamo.

Nov. 20         – Fun relay day. We had a bit of tough luck on the 1st leg but I was able to bring back some teams on the 2nd leg and Liz and Holly did a great job of skiing us all the way up to 9th place. Tracks were glassy and fast. Body felt strong again and it was fun to hammer. Team is looking strong for the future!! Easy jog in the pm after the race – roads were icy from the freezing rai

Nov. 19     – Opening World Cup race today, 10km skate. Started hard on the first of three laps and then just tried to hang on! The course was Deceptively tough with not much rest – had to keep working the whole time. Psyched to finish 8th, my first distance top ten. The women’s team was strong today so the relay tomorrow should be fun!

Nov. 18     – Finally got to check out the race course for tomorrow’s opening world cup. It’s pretty sweet considering there is no snow outside the course. Did some ski testing and a threshold lap with the my teammates to wake up the body. Kind of fun to be back around the world cup circus again! Looking forward to a 10km skate.

Nov. 17     – Conditions in the tunnel greatly improved for this morning’s classic ski. Just another easy distance session. Then a quick pack up and a 4-hr drive to Lillehammer. Excited to see all the World Cup peeps tomorrow when we go scope out the courses.

Nove 16     – First ski in the tunnel. Conditions aren’t quite as nice as during my trip here back in June. It’s kind of like skiing in a giant sugar bowl. Did a super easy skate today just to work out all the travel in my legs. Feeling a little sleepy this afternoon from the jet lag but headed out soon for a jog and some light strength training.

Nove 15     – Arrived in Torsby by mid afternoon and went for a light jog. Pretty weird not to see snow on the ground after leaving the winter wonderland of AK. Great to be reunited with my US teammates!

Nov. 14     – A full day of travel. Left Anchorage at 1:30am on Monday and will arrive in Oslo Tuesday morning. Got to see my brother for a couple hours during a layover in Newark. Psyched to get to Europe!

Nov. 13         – Was supposed to be on my way to Norway today but my 12am flight got cancelled and I was delayed 24hrs. Made the most of an extra day at home and went for double sessions on another fresh six inches of snow. Tired of saying goodbye and ready to get on with this trip!

Nov. 12     – My last ski at home for a long time! Easy classic distance this am. Got more new snow overnight. Now putting the final touches on packing for my 5-month trip! Goodbye bed, see ya in April!

Nov. 11     – Skate distance time trial today. Feeling a little awkward at race pace but still so good to get in a practice before the World Cup openers! Put in a strength session this aft.

Nov. 10     – Classic sprint time trial this morning. Definitely felt the burn but good to get in a hard effort! Went for an easy jog in the afternoon.

Nov. 9             – Another cold but beautiful day. Groomers were going around the course during my ski so the trails were pretty sweet! Did a little race prep for tomorrow’s sprint TT. Feeling the leg work from yesterday’s strength. Easy jog in the afternoon.

Nov. 8     – Over-dressed for my morning distance ski – at 10 deg F it ended up feeling pretty balmy. Cruised around the easier terrain while having a little fun with my new GOPRO head camera. For the afternoon I hit up the gym with a warm up run on the treadmill and strength session after. Going to be sore tomorrow!

Nov. 7         – Woke up to more fresh snow! Beat the groomers out there so we packed a small loop down and then did some speed drills. It felt like skating on pillows. Just one session today to absorb the last couple weeks.

Nov. 6     – Christmas comes early! Woke up to 6 inches of new snow. Went for a fun classic cruise in the fluff with my Mom and Aunt Betsy (’80 Olympian).

Nov. 5         – Classic distance time trial this am up at Hatcher Pass – 1hr north of Anchorage. Snow was a little slow and soft but it was really good to get in a hard race effort in tracks! Definitely blowing the cobwebs out before the World Cup starts in 2 weeks. Afternoon workout was getting my hair re-PINKED for the season!!

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Nov. 4 – Q&A Nutrition

Hi Kikkan,

Really enjoying your training rap. I’m a cyclist as well and think about nutrition and the sports I partake in more than I actually put into practice but know it’s an important factor in the whole “equation” so to speak. I love all kinds of foods and any tips you can share would be great.

Thanks,

Everett Wilson
Calgary, AB

Hi Everett,

Thanks for your question. As an athlete you can appreciate the role nutrition plays in optimal performance! I like to think of my body as a race car engine, the higher the quality of the fuel I put in it, the “faster” the performance I get out. That means eating a balance of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats and a lot of fruits and vegetables. One of the benefits of being an endurance athlete too, is that the engine burns pretty hot so there is a little room for “treats” in there too. One of my favorite treats after a tough interval session is the white chip Macademia nut cookies at Subway.

Basically, if I eat a smart balance of foods and time my meals/snacks to occur every couple hours, I keep an even level of energy that allows me to handle all of the training and racing my schedule demands.

Enjoy the winter!

Cheers,
Kikkan

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Nov. 4    [zone z="2"] – The snow on the local trails is still hanging in there despite some warm winds yesterday. Today’s time trial was postponed due to a heavy snowstorm at the venue so I did some classic distance skiing this morning instead with a little one-pole training thrown in. Got in a good agility workout just trying to avoid the rocks! This afternoon took in a run and some strength building as well.

Nov. 3     – Got in two distance sessions at the local ski trails five minutes from my house. A little rocky but still Decent skiing. Did manage to dig up some dirt when we picked it up to sprint speed, 10×15 seconds, had to switch to double-pole speeds halfway through. Battled the wind in the afternoon and did half my workout skating and half running. Hope the snow hangs in there!

Nov. 2     – Got up early to workout with my sister at the local gym. Always fun to share my passion for fitness with others!! Then an amazingly scenic (and chilly) ski up in the mountains above town while filming some clips for a local commercial. For my afternoon distance ski I checked out the local trails on my rock skis, skiable!!

Oct. 31/Nov. 1     – Snow has graced the city streets of Anchorage. The trails aren’t quite skiable yet in town and now rollerskiing is done, so I will be spending some quality time on the SkiErg. Did some skiing up high today and now off to the gym…

Oct. 30         – Wrapped up a successful Fairbanks visit with an OD skate on snow this am and a Fantastic Fast and Female event in the afternoon. Logged a ton of skiing in four days, now one week until the Euro trip begins!

Oct. 29         – Put in some distance and one-pole skiing this am with the camp and then got to turn on the jets with an afternoon team sprint! Starting to get the hang of this skiing thing.

Oct. 28    [zone z="2"] – Another solid day with double sessions on snow here in Fairbanks. Skied with the 1st tracks high school camp and did some great drills. Never too old to learn new tricks!

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Oct. 27 – Q/A – Equipment

Hi Kikkan,

Thanks for taking time to answer questions from your fans – I enjoy reading your training rap as it inspires me with my own training. As a World Cup level skier I’m wondering about your equipment – how many pairs of skis, poles and boots do you own or need at your level of racing? Is there a big difference from say when you were a national level skier?

Good luck this season.

Bob Thompson
Bangor, Maine

Dear Bob,

As a World Cup skier there is plenty of gear involved! Let’s start with the skis. I usually travel the World Cup series with about 30 pairs of skis. Split those into 50% skate and 50% classic and then you have different flexes, different grinds and even different base materials for different temperatures.

While I have a few pairs of favorite skis that seem to be great in many conditions, I still have to have those specialty pairs for certain conditions. For poles I travel with two sets of each for skate and classic and usually have a couple spare shafts on hand. For boots, I travel with three pairs: skate, classic and skiathlon.

I have found that as you go up the ladder of performance, the need for more specialized equipment has become more important. On some days the level of fitness is pretty even at the World Cup level, and it might just be the racer with the fastest skis that can win.

The good news is that the faster you get, the more companies are willing to help you find the best equipment. I’ve been working with Fischer, Salomon and Swix for skis, boots and bindings, and poles respectively for several years now, and having a strong relationship with these companies helps me focus on skiing my best performances.

Thanks for your question and good luck this season!

Cheers,
Kikkan

———–

Oct. 27     – Great to be back on snow again. Just arrived in Fairbanks for a 4-day volume camp. Had a 2.5-hr easy distance classic ski this am and will head out for another easy distance skate this afternoon. Going to join up with some high school skiers tomorrow.

Oct. 26     – Cold and slow DP roll this am as a midweek recovery workout. Did the 1st half alone and then met up with my hubby for the 2nd hour. Now off to Fairbanks for some skiing!

Oct. 25         – 10km skate roll threshold session with my APU teammates. Felt like we were absolutely flying compared to the UT altitude! Then an afternoon run and weight session.

Oct. 24             – Worked on some high speed bounding, 7×75 secs up Lone Tree Hill. Got after it pretty good and was definitely flooded by the end. PM easy double-pole to round out the day.

Oct. 23     – Took the day off from regular training but went for a walk with my Mom and sister to a local fitness park and did some stretching and strength exercises.

Oct. 22     – First real ski of the season this morning at Hatcher Pass. Three hours of tracked classic on Swix VR45 reminds me why I just love to glide! Put in another hour on the treadmill and SkiErg this afternoon to balance out a great day!

Oct. 21     – Rebounded after feeling crummy yesterday with a solid bounding workout this am – 6x4min on one of our standard interval courses. Saw some really fast times. Definitely feeling the fitness getting stronger! This afternoon some weights and core!

Oct. 20         – Definitely feeling the let down post-altitude. Went for a skate distance roll, there was the slightest layer of snow on the pavement. In the afternoon I went for a classic roller ski and then met up with Jeff [her hubby] for a 30-min run. Felt a little disconnected from my body.

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Oct. 19 – Q&A – Strength Training Part 2

Hi Kikkan,

What are the details of your strength and core program this time of year? Specifically what exercises would you be doing. Do you have a maintenance program once the ski/racing season starts?

Karl Schneider

Hi Karl,

My current strength sessions are divided into three parts. Part one is mobility exercises that help me reverse and balance out some of the motions I do over and over in skiing and focus on the shoulders, hips and back flexibility. Part two is the main part of the program where I do a couple big leg/whole body lifts like power cleans and a couple upper body exercises like weighted pull-ups. The final part of the program is core based and usually includes three core exercises like weighted plank.

Once the racing season starts, I will still continue to do a mix of mobility, power lifting and core, but the amount in each session will be reduced. I also use some explosive exercises to get the muscles fired up for racing.Cheers,
Kikkan

————-

Oct. 19         – Up early for a 3-hour drive further north to Healy, AK. Got to spend an hour with the elementary kids talking about skiing, Olympics, etc. and we made up our own version of the Winter Games. Then it was a five-hour drive back to Anchorage, to fit in a quick workout before the annual APU fall potluck.

Oct. 18         – Snuck in a nice skate roll distance ski this am before heading two hours north to Talkeetna to visit their local high/middle school. Shared my story with the kids and did a little nordic workout afterwards.

Oct. 17     – Encountered some snow flurries on my run this morning, could be skiing in a few days here in AK! Just one easy distance session today and a massage.

Oct. 16    – Wrapped up a great 2.5 -week altitude camp in Park City and now I’m psyched to travel back home. No training today and a couple easy days coming up.

Oct. 15     Finished up my Park City camp with a classic roller ski-run combo over distance session this morning. There’s been some great training here with the team and now it’s time for a short break as I head home to Alaska.

Oct. 14    [zone z="3"] – Skate sprint time trial at Soldier Hollow today. Felt a little sluggish in qualifying but opened up in the heats. Good to go through a full sprint protocol before the season starts. Gym session this afternoon, did plyos up the stadium steps. Solid race + strength day!

Oct. 13     – Worked on some classic speed today – starts, transitions and over speed. Even got a little sunburned. Afternoon trail run to cap off a great day.

Oct. 12     – Early morning visit from USADA delayed my training a bit but I still logged a great Z1 recovery skate roll with Liz Stephen. Spent the afternoon running a few errands in SLC.

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Oct. 12 – Q&A – Strength Training

Hi Kikkan,

I’m a skier and I was wondering how often you do strength training each week?

Thanks,
Conor McGovern

Hi Conor,

Thanks for your question. Strength training is an important component to my weekly training plan. I typically do two sessions a week in the afternoons following my intensity sessions. I work with Alex Moore, a US Ski Team strength & conditioning coach and he builds my plan based on testing we do in the spring. Strength training is important not just for building more strength to go fast on skis, but also to help balance out the body, increase mobility and prevent injuries. Plus it’s pretty fun too! Best of luck this season!

Cheers,
Kikkan

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Oct. 11     – Today featured bounding with poles intervals up Canyons Resort in the Utah mud. Good test for the heart and lungs! This afternoon I set a new PB with my power clean @ 60kg.

Oct. 10     – Started off the week with some challenging uphill skate intervals, 5×8 min @ Z3 up East Canyon. Got buzzed by a helicopter at the start. Distance classic roll this aft.

Oct. 9     – Today’s a rest day as we’re still unwinding from the energy of Fast and Female. Enjoyed a pancake breakfast and a stroll in the sun. No training today but back in action tomorrow.

Oct. 8     – Busy day! Started off with a 7:30am meet up for a 3-hr skate OD. We went point-to-point through snow, sleet and rain and finished with 2,400ft in elevation gain. Immediately after we headed back to the COE to get ready for four hours of Fast and Female. It was a very successful event with 85 participants and 30 Ambassadors from six different sports. Now I’m going to go sleep for 18hrs to recover. All Z1 – although the dancing at Fast and Female certainly got my heart rate up!

Oct. 7         – Classic distance time trial at Soldier Hollow this am – three laps of 3.3km. Good to get in a hard distance race effort at altitude. Hope to have a little strength left for this afternoon’s weight session!

Oct. 6     – Total change of climate here in PC…awoke to slightly falling snow! Our skate speed session on roller skis was quite chilly! Ran through about three inches of snow in the afternoon.

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Oct. 5 – Q&A

Training Hours

Hi Kikkan,

Thanks for doing this Q and A with us guys. Could you tell us your hours per month from May until now and what you are shooting for total hours for the year?

Marty Hall
Gatineau, QC

Hi Marty,

The goal for total training hours this year is around the 750 mark. That will be about a 30-hour boost over last season. My training progression has been to hold a solid amount of volume from May through August around 65-75 hrs a month. Then in September I’ve come down a bit in volume as we bring in more intensity, to around the 65-hr mark. October should be similar and then once we’re into the race season, it’s all about being best prepared for the races. Usually with travel days this fluctuates quite a bit between 40-50 hrs.

Cheers,
Kikkan

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Oct. 5     – Recovery DP/classic roll session this morning up Mirror Lake Highway. Worked on light and quick movements. Greeted with a giant apple fritter after the ski! Afternoon off from training and getting ready for our Fast and Female Park City event this Saturday!

Oct. 4     – Post thunderstorm, the sun came out just in time as we started our skate RS intervals this morning – 4×10 min at Zone 3 around the Soldier Hollow roller ski track. This afternoon, a strength session at the COE – worked on my power cleans.

Oct. 3     – Distance run around the Mid Mountain trail, peaking out at close to 9,000 ft. this morning. Probably should have worn some gloves for the distance DP this aft… BLISTERS!! But still a good session.

Oct. 2    – Good start to the camp with a (Z1) DP roll and speed this am and an easy (Z1) skate roll this aft. Feeling the altitude a bit but psyched to be in the sun!

Oct. 1     – Day three at altitude so taking it easy with a 30-min run/hike on the mid-mountain trail. Beautiful sunny skies and temps here in UT – now off in search of Costco to fuel this camp…

Sept. 30     – Another successful day of testing, seeing gains in the “almost max” skate test and the strength test. Also got to practice my power cleans and test out a couple new killer core exercises!

Sept. 29     – Solid 1st day of testing on the treadmill at the COE. Made it further in both the near max and VO2 Max classic tests as compared to May. Max tests are hard but great to see the improvement. Skate and strength tests tomorrow.

Sept. 28     – Travel day down to Park City. Tomorrow we will replicate the testing we did back in May to see what improvements have been made over the summer.

Sept. 27     – DP [double pole] roll this am on a chilly 0 degree C morning with some specific strength mixed in. Then a strength session right after. Feeling pumped!

Sept. 26     – Recovery run this am for 90 min. Clear skies, gently falling leaves and a rockin’ playlist on my ipod made for a very enjoyable cruise!

Sept. 25     – Enjoying a day off from training and taking the time to catch up on projects around the house.

Sept. 24    [zone z="4"] – Finished off a solid 3-week training block this am with a 3-hr skate roller ski OD [Over Distance] around the Anchorage hillside. Body definitely feels the load and am now ready for a short break before heading to PC [Park City] for testing.