Fall is starting to really show here in Alaska, and with it comes more specific and race-oriented training! This transition that’s happening right now, symbolized by light snowfall in the mountains, is a shifting emphasis from general fitness to more specific race workouts. Through the summer, I consistently do intervals and high volume, but over the next few weeks, those intervals shift into some shorter, higher intensity efforts and an increase in time trials. It’s exciting to feel the focus turn towards winter racing, but it also makes me really appreciate the easy, fun, less “ski-specific” workouts.

Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten to do a few really fun workouts with friends that aren’t my usual training partners. My favorites have been my first distance mountain and trail runs of the summer. I've forgotten how nice those are, especially as the colors are starting to come in in the mountains. It really gives me an appreciation for my health that allows me to experience the beautiful land in Alaska. Other than those fun workouts, I’ve been hitting a lot of my overdone rollerski and bike routes.

Over the next few weeks, I’m really looking forward to doing some time trials because I feel really fit and I want to see where I’m at. This is the time of year where the summer training really starts to absorb and it feels like you get fitter by the week. It is a feeling I never take for granted, and I’m especially grateful to be able to train at full capacity, physically unaffected by big storms and smoke like the rest of the country. It is very scary to see these effects of climate change already so pronounced, and really makes me hope that we can start to make meaningful change at high levels by voting for and speaking up for actions that will protect and revitalize our ecosystems.

Can you talk about the fall training blocks you have done in the past and whether or not you’ve modified it to see more success in your fitness/preparations for ski season? If so, why do you think you needed to make those adjustments? Are you doing anything different this year?

This year I’m following a very similar plan to what I always do. My modifications come generally in the form of pushing the amount and intensity of training that I can handle. Every year as I’ve developed I’ve been able to do a little bit more and that is a good feeling. I know that won’t last forever but I really appreciate consistency in my training so I generally don’t change things too much.

2. What is your favorite interval (level 4 or 5) workout that you are doing this next month? How do you execute it in case readers want to try it for themselves?

My favorite interval workout this time of year is a basic 6x4-5min L4 set. It’s one we do all year but I like it because it really feels like a great fitness-building workout. The goal is to pace it like a race, so by the end I’m going about as hard as I can. With the breaks it ends up being the pace for about a 30-40 minute race so it's really good practice for interval start pacing. I do it with bounding and classic and skate rollerskiing, usually on a rolling uphill section or loop.

The fall intervals that are my least favorite are 12x1’ maximum bounding because you produce so much lactate it gets very uncomfortable. With longer intervals it’s hard to flood with lactate as much so it’s not quite as painful.

3. Does nutrition change for you as you transition from one training block to the next? If yes, how so?

No, my training blocks are similar enough that I tend to eat the same type and amount of food. It’ll change week to week based on intensity and training hours (more carbs for intervals, more calories for volume), but overall there isn't that much fluctuation.

4. Have you made any changes in your schedule/training plan with the recent announcement from USSA about national races etc.?

I haven’t made any changes yet. My plan is to go to Europe to race on the World Cup if that happens, so I wasn’t going to race national level stuff too much. It is still a bummer to have those races cancelled, they are so important for the structure of our elite racing, and I still hope maybe late season Supertour Finals or distance nationals can happen but we’ll see. If everything falls through I’ll probably train more through the winter than a normal year, but who knows. We’ll make those changes when we know more!

…about 30min later. Ptarmigan in background.

Tracen with a strong bear crawl up towards the Wedge

An early start with Hunter (Turnagain Arm Trail)

Goofy lookin Hunter before any bear encounters. ( Saw 2 on our way back on the out & back, the second one got scared into a tree and we didn’t want to go underneath it so we ran BACK out on the far side. Got a ride from Mom then. Bears 1, us 1: … — Goofy lookin Hunter before any bear encounters. ( Saw 2 on our way back on the out & back, the second one got scared into a tree and we didn’t want to go underneath it so we ran BACK out on the far side. Got a ride from Mom then. Bears 1, us 1: no one got hurt so we’re good with that).

Thanks for reading!