The update:
And just like that, we’re already 4 weeks into the 2021-2022 season! After wrapping up a big on snow training block in Alaska, I went down to Texas for my sister's graduation, a few relaxing days with the family on the coast, and for some heat adaptation training. ;) It ended up being a great time with the family, with some good seafood, cheesecake and some much needed recovery after some hardy training. Now after 18 hours of driving, and plenty of naps later, I am back home in CO getting back into the full swing of things with both life in general, and with training. And in the spirit of training…
The thing:
Part one: For a lot of skiers around the globe, the new season starts on whichever week has May 1st in it. This season, that meant a start date of April 26th. If you were to ask most people how to go about Spring training, they would probably say... “Well, you race through the end of March/ beginning of April, and then you take some easy time to recover from the past season and get ready for the next season.” This is generally pretty sound advice because in most places, this is what the climate allows for. But what if you can keep skiing through the end of the season and into the start of the new season? I would say that if you are in a good place mentally and physically to take this route, continuing to ski as long as the conditions allow can help you take an extra step towards future goals. However, if you are fried physically and or mentally, then absolutely, take a break, reset, get to where you need to be to be hungry to tackle whatever the upcoming season has in store.
Part two: Whether you end up taking a break, or ski for as long as the conditions allow, Spring is also the time of year to start building back into various dry land specific modes, ie, roller skiing, biking, running, etc. The trick to this, is being very flexible with your training plan. The demands of most forms of dryland training are specific enough to themselves that they all take time to re-adapt to. You might have planned a roller ski on day 1 and 3 of the week, but on day 3 you might still be super sore after the first roll, and it might be advantageous to give it another day until you roll again. With that said it is also wise to start off on the lighter side of things. If a normal distance roller ski in the heart of Summer/ Fall might be 2 hours long, start off with a 60-90 minute roll to see how you feel, and build from there. This way you can avoid potential injury, and make the most of training on a day to day basis because you’re not blown out from doing too much too soon.
As for myself, this past week will be my first week back to dryland training after having extended on snow ski training for as long as possible, and I’ll continue to build back into full blown summer type training here over the next couple weeks. In the near future, I’m looking forward to getting back on the horse working for Tenderfoot Outfitters, catching up with friends and family in CO, and continuing to pursue my goals! I hope everyone is having a terrific Spring, and if you ever have any questions, or topics you would like me to address, feel free to contact me via email at garrettbutts3710@gmail.com! Got some cool stuff coming up so stay tuned.
Until next time,
Garrett Butts
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