Spring is here and summer is upon us!
Like some of you, I’ve been wondering how to stay active without snow on the ground. If you google “off-season training for cross-country skiers”, here are some of the websites that pop up. Some are clearly geared towards competitive skiing but there are some good ideas to take away. I might try some of the strength training exercises in the fall to get ready for the ski season, but for spring and summer, I decided to try a hiking club to stay active and to socialize with like-minded people.
1) General principles
https://www.muscleprodigy.com/off-season-cross-country-skiing-training-methods/
Click to access trainingphilosophy.pdf
2) A specific training schedule
https://skihaussteamboat.com/season/
3) Drills and strength training
A) Indoor strength training:
http://blitzconditioning.com/strength-training-for-cross-country-skiing/
B) Outdoor drills -see especially tire dragging, which looks kind of fun:
http://www.xcottawa.ca/articles.php?id=2089
4) Cross-training:
A) Roller skiing
I’ve seen a few people out on the Martin Goodman trail- it looks like a lot of fun!
B) Nordic pole walking?
Apparently it’s been popular in Finland for decades. Here in Toronto it seems to be geared towards older folks – even the Toronto Public library organizes groups.
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/search.jsp?Ntt=Nordic+pole+walking
C) Hiking
This seems to be a popular choice in the off-season. There are tons of hiking groups in Toronto. This is the club that I joined
https://www.torontooutdoorclub.com
Happy healthy summer to all!
Trakkers Cross Country Ski Club 