SC Mailbag

All questions that Sophie receives and answers will appear in her Training Rap and here in her Mailbag as well for easy reference during the season – pls check back regularly.

Here’s another great reader question for USST skier Sophie Caldwell in today’s edition of Sophie Caldwell’s Q&A, part of our exclusive new “Sodie” Training Rap feature with her friend and teammate Sadie Bjornsen. We’re all interested in achieving optimal recovery and Caldwell sheds light on her techniques in response to Hilary Saucy’s inquiry. Also check out Sophie’s training rap HERE and check her MAILBAG for all Q&As thru the season.

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November 7 – Sophie Caldwell’s Q&A – Recovery

Hi Sophie,
What is your favorite way to recover on an off day? Do you find certain things that help, hinder or speed up your recovery? I find that after a big week(s) of training I often struggle to recover as fast as my teammates do. I do eventually recover, but I have to take 1-3 days off and some more days easy where everyone else on the team has bounced back in half the amount of time. I’ve always been this way so part of it may be me, but I’m wondering if any of it has to do with how I’m recovering and what I’m doing after workouts and during my rest days.
Hilary Saucy
Maine

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Hi Hilary

I’m definitely guilty of sometimes spending my entire off day in my PJs, but I think the most effective off days are spent by still doing something – just make sure it’s not really ski related. Sometimes doing absolutely nothing is what you need, but sometimes it can also make you feel very sluggish and even more tired the next day.

I think going for a walk or even a really easy hike to a pretty place is a good way to keep the body actively recovering without tiring yourself out. Making sure you’re still well hydrated and eating enough on off days is also important. I’m someone who tends to get tired out pretty easily, but I’m at the point where I know when I need an easier day. I think making sure your easy days are truly easy, and then still making sure you move around a little on your off days, are both good ways to bounce back quicker.

You never want to dig yourself into a hole, but I often feel pretty tired the morning after an off day and then find that once I start moving again I feel better. I just need to wake back up after sleeping for a day. 🙂

It’s also important to note that after a big week of training, it will take more than one day to recover. It doesn’t mean you need to take a week off, but generally we take a recovery week where the template of the week might be similar to a hard week – but everything is just a lot easier and shorter. We also tend to feel our worst during recovery weeks because we are allowing our bodies to rest and rebuild, and that’s okay!

Thanks,
Sophie

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November 14 – Sophie Caldwell’s Q&A – Speed Work

Sophie, you have incredible talent at 1.5km sprints – a 2-1/2 minute race. However, much of your training seems focused on longer distances. Typically, an athletic event of 2-1/2 minutes duration like a 800 meter running race or 600 or 700 meter rowing race is 70% anaerobic and 30% aerobic. Do you do speed work later in the season on snow? What do you think of your training mix for x-c ski 1.5 km sprint races?

Bob Biddle

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Hi Bob,

Great question! With healthy elbows, my training usually consists of a lot more speed workouts. We typically do 1-2 workouts per week that are focused on speeds. Since breaking my elbow, my coaches and I didn’t think it was worth it to try to do one-pole speed workouts because of the risk of falling. I’m still trying to throw in some running speeds, but I’m saving the skiing speeds for the snow, when I can hopefully use both poles!

Luckily, speed workouts have been one of my strengths in the past, so I’m hoping my speed will come back quickly. Even though sprints are only 2.5-4.5 minutes, making it through the sprint rounds requires quite a bit of endurance. I’m hoping to improve my distance racing as well as my performance in the sprint heats, so that is why a lot of my training is still based around distance training and endurance.

I think there are some differences in the training of a sprinter and a distance skier, but the basics are the same. When we come together for camps, we all do the same training. The people who excel at distance racing still do speeds and the people who excel at sprinting still do long workouts. It’s important for distance racers to be able to finish with speed and it’s important for sprinters to be fit enough to last through the rounds.

Cheers,

Sophie

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