[nickdhulster]

Hello, This season I plan to compete in more vertical and sprint races. I still plan to do well in the individual races so am looking for a good strategy for training. I used the advanced 16 week skimo plan last season and will use it again. Not really having a previous season before that I quickly improved by the time race season ended. All races were in the individual format last season so less focus on speed work and more on base aerobic fitness. I know from this summer season I can handle a bigger training load than last season so I am curious If I stay true to the plan but Up the overall percentage of all mileage/time per workout(aerobic and anaerobic) would that give me more bang for my buck overall? Or by keeping the plans overall aerobic exercises true but upping the anaerobic side a bit more give me more speed? I definitely know when I’m putting too much emphasis on the speed side of things but I’ve been mostly doing base work all year long. Anyone have experience with the vertical/sprint/individual races and training suggestions? Thanks

Topic

[NE Rando Race Series]

NE Rando Race Series on October 6, 2022 at 4:32 pm #71369

Curious where you plan to participate in these races?
So few of them anywhere in North America!
I’ve organized a couple Vertical races previously in New England, and am organizing another this coming season, plus Eastern North America’s first-ever ISMF/Olympic-format Sprint race and also Relay race.
As for training, having participated in (IIRC) four Vertical races out West and two Sprint races:
– Vertical race is mainly characterized by its missing elements and hence sole focus on skinning. The duration is obviously shorter, but not so short that it really feels like it has different fitness demands. More like you just want a longer warm-up, and then your only ascent is treated like your final ascent of a standard Individual race.
– Sprint race is totally different. All the usual elements, plus gates of course. (Tip from former NCAA alpine race coach: initiate the turn *above* the gate, not *at* the gate! Might feel slower, but is way faster.) Totally intense, with no opportunities to make up lost time on mistakes. And the duration is so different that it feels like a different sport from a fitness perspective.

[nickdhulster]

nickdhulster on October 12, 2022 at 5:54 am #71496

Thanks for the reply. Colorado! A few of the USSKIMO sanctioned races have the first day dedicated to a vertical or sprint. There is also some resorts that put on vertical races but nothing too competitive. They really seem to like the longer individual formats. Not that I’ve been doing this very long but it seems there is much more variety in the EU and other ISMF countries. When you organize the shorter races do you have the team/individual race the next day? It seems punishing to try and compete at the podium level for both in one weekend.

[NE Rando Race Series]

NE Rando Race Series on October 12, 2022 at 12:30 pm #71502

Scheduling is indeed a challenge. Coming from an alpine race coaching background, I’m used to two full days of racing: SL one day, GS the other. That obviously doesn’t work with skimo! (I’m aware of at least two prior attempts at successive Individual races on Saturday + Sunday, but I think all those have ended.) All four Vertical races I’ve competed in out West started once the lifts were shut down for the day, requiring a headlamp at the end of the Vertical race, followed by a dawn patrol start the following morning for the Individual race, which meant a turnaround time of only about twelve hours from getting off snow following the Vertical race to starting to warm up on snow for the Individual race! A Basin Vertical last year was supposed to be Friday evening, but it was cancelled at the last hour – literally – because weather conditions were *exactly* as forecast, so ended up being a Sat evening + Sun morning combo yet again. This year, since I first replied in this thread, I noticed that A Basin is planned as a more reasonable Fri evening + Sun morning combo, with one of the new Frisco Sprint races in between on Sat. I see that Santa Fe though is planning a combo of Fri Vertical followed by Sat Individual. My plan out here is to package a Vertical race and a Relay race in a single day on the first Saturday in December, then two weekends later have a Sprint race day. We’re lucky to have venues with perfect terrain configurations for those races and availability at that time of year. Races I’m putting on after New Year’s will be Individual format only.