Why do we train once we’re done with our last big race?
The snow season in Kelowna starts late and ends late. This year our first TR1/TJR session at Telemark was December 1st. The first race of the season was December 5th. That does not give us much time to do basic technique work. In the spring we have all the time that we need to work on basic technique, get in some nice long base miles, and enjoy the beautiful Okanagan spring skiing conditions. There is no doubt that success in skiing depends greatly on the amount of quality time spent on snow!
When and where do we train?
We will keep training at Telemark as long as there is snow to ski on! We will be training on Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings until there is no snow left to ski on. It looks good for that time being somewhere in April.
What about the stadium melting out?
We just drive a bit further up the road to what we call “the yellow gate”, which is the junction of Carol’s, Connecter, and Fern closest to the start of the Crystal Rim climb. There is usually snow from there on up for an extra couple of weeks at least. Click me for a map of the yellow gate location. There may also be skiing from the Crystal Mountain parking lot if that works out.
What about after that?
After that the team will be running practices on weekends up at Sovereign Lakes Nordic. They do not groom for all of April, but there is still good skiing to be had there. They do have grooming from May 11 to May 15th, and we will definitely run some training up there then.
How do I know when/where/how
We still put it all on the calendar, but with the rapidly changing conditions at Telemark in the spring we have to update it closer to the actual day than usual. If you have a question about training, don’t be shy about sending an email or text to your coach!
What should we look out for in the summer?
Most years in May there is an opportunity to purchase next year’s wax stock at a significant discount. This is thanks to Pat at Kelowna Cycle and Adam. We will also be putting together a bulk roller ski order that saves a lot of money too. If you are in, or thinking of joining, the TR1/TJR group next year roller skis and roller ski pole tips are needed for dryland training! Other than that, get outside, get lots of exercise, make your fun active fun, keep in touch with your ski friends, and enjoy the beautiful Okanagan summer.
When do we start training in the fall?
Dryland training starts in late August for the TR1/TJR athletes, and by September is three times a week just like on snow practices. JD athletes have a few opportunities for training in August and September, and start regular twice a week training in mid-October.
REMEMBER! The more time on snow the faster you go! Races in January are won in June!
