Training Like a Nordic Skier, Part I
I am biased. I was lucky enough to grow up cross-country skiing as a kid. My earliest memories of winter involve having a pair of skis on my feet. I went on to race collegiately at the NCAA Division I level. All that said, I think cross-country skiing is one of the best sports out there. Not only that, training for Nordic skiing is one of the best ways to train for endurance sports and life.
When I was writing this, I realized I had more I wanted to say than would fit in one newsletter. As a result, this will end up as a multipart series to cover the various aspects of skiing and training for Nordic skiing. First, I want to talk about 5 elements that are essential for Nordic skiing:
1. Aerobic Endurance. This seems pretty obvious for a sport that involves racing longer distances, but building an aerobic base is key. You need to have a solid aerobic foundation to layer the other elements on top of. Way before “Zone 2” became a trendy fitness term, Nordic skiers have been training their base aerobic zones.
2. Balance. Developing good balance is fundamental to the technique of Nordic skiing and becoming more efficient. Single leg balance is crucial for skating and classical techniques. Being able to stand on one leg and really commit over each ski
3. Power/Strength. Cross-country skiing is not purely aerobic. Climbing, using our poles, pushing off each ski all require a fair amount of strength as well. And it’s not just arms or legs, it’s both. We need to have total body strength for the sport. Strong arms and grip strength to use our poles effectively. Leg power to get us up the hills and around corners on the downhills. A strong and stable core to link it all together.
4. Total Body. I’ve hinted at this a little bit. Cross-country skiing is one of the few aerobic sports that demands total body endurance and strength. This demands more fitness and upper body endurance than just about any other sport.
5. Focus/Mental Capacity. Developing and maintaining good technique is a great challenge. There are always aspects of our technique that we can improve and become more efficient at. It is also a challenging sport physically which in turn pushes us mentally.
Overall, Nordic skiing requires us to develop complete athleticism. It’s total body, demanding endurance as well as power. Nordic skiers may be the original “hybrid athletes” due to that combination of training big volume but also a focus on building strength. It’s also a lifelong sport due it’s low-impact nature. And it hits all the things we should be thinking about as athletes who inevitably age: endurance, strength, balance, and mental engagement.
