Liz Stephen's Summer Training
A veteran of 10 seasons on the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, Liz Stephen has established herself as one of the best distance racers in the world and a terror on the Alpe Cermis at the Tour de Ski. She was fifth overall in the Tour last year, and has earned the respect of her peers. As the 2015-16 season approaches, Liz walks through the preparation season that will send her onto the tour in late November.
Every year, as September turns to October, and the autumn leaves change color and fall to the ground, I am astounded that yet another summer has come and gone. Somehow, even with all of the hard work and the many long hours I put in, it seems to pass in the blink of an eye. I guess that is a good thing, as it must mean I love my job of being a professional cross country ski racer.
The spring, summer and fall are our preparation seasons. From May through October we had five U.S. Cross Country Ski Team training camps. Our first camp has traditionally started in Bend, OR in mid May. But this year, due to lack of snow, we all headed to Park City for a testing and dryland camp.
It was a great two weeks, as the team hadn’t been together since the end of the season. We were all eager to catch up and hear about everyone’s spring adventures. Then we all dispersed to our various training bases for the month of June, reconvening in New Zealand during July for three weeks of on snow training.
Having lost the Bend camp, we had not been on snow since the end of March. So it took us all a session or two to get our ski feet back under us! This was my seventh time to New Zealand, but I had not been in four years, which made it even more fun.
We live on the top of a mountain where the only cross country ski center in the nation, Snow Farm Lodge, is located. For three weeks, we walk out the door twice a day (with a few exceptions for some afternoons off or a strength session in the gym down in the closest town of Wanaka), we put on our boots and step out onto the ski trails.
Liz Stephen trains at Soldier Hollow in Park City. (USSA)
The scenery is absolutely stunning in whatever direction you choose to look. This year the weather and snow conditions were some of the best on record. We had a really productive camp with a lot of technique work, lots of on snow hours and lots of team bonding time. We also hosted a French World Cup skier named Anouk Favre-Picon, which made the camp a lot of fun and we gained a lot by sharing ideas with one another.
After two weeks at home, we all headed to Norway for a camp that was structured around a rollerski mini tour at the end – the famed Toppidrettsveka. With the exception of Kikkan and I, none of the team had competed in a rollerski race before. So nerves were high in the beginning, but we quickly found our place and felt more comfortable at high speeds in big packs.
The weather in Norway was also really nice, especially considering they had one of the coldest and rainiest summers in a long time! The best part about being in Norway was getting to knock heads with some of our World Cup competitors mid-summer, as well as enjoy their company in a more relaxed environment than the race season. A lot of morning training sessions included athletes from many different nations, all heading out for a ski or run together. It was a really fun atmosphere to get in some really good racing and training.
In mid-September, the eastern contingent of our team met in Lake Placid, NY for a weeklong intensity focused training camp. Then the entire team came back together at our final camp in Park City during October.
It’s always a busy time of year, as we have a little less than a month until we head out on the road to endure four months of competing. But the camp is always a good one. As it was the first time the entire team has been together since May, it was really nice to have everyone together in one place, pushing one another in the sessions and enjoying the last of the fall preparation.
Winter always comes quickly. And though the summer has gone by way too fast again, I can feel myself getting excited now that I’m on the winter road with my family by my side.