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PRE-SEASON
Chandra Crawford
Contributing Editor for The Master Skier
Chandra Crawford is a current Olympic Champion and World Cup medal winner. She is a member of the Canadian National Team and one of the top sprinters in the world.
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Chandra Crawford , the author, competing at World Cup event.
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There’s nothing more satisfying than the beeeep of your heart rate monitor as you knock off another couple hours of training.
You set out to do a two hour workout and here you are almost exactly 120 minutes closer to being great. Or are you?
How many of those minutes were high quality and focused?
Following a training plan that you believe in, while an extremely important part of becoming a fast racer, is not in itself an Olympic Sport.
The racer who follows the plan to a T will often get nothing back in return for their diligence. Canadian Team coach, Eric DeNys, constantly reminds us "there's no medal for the best trainer & so train smart! "
Otherwise at the end of that bad race/season/whatever, you'll be the one shaking your head and stammering, "but I don't understand & I followed the plan perfectly! " Well, maybe that's your problem.
It's ok, almost everyone will experience this feeling, so choose right now to learn from your and others experiences. Training plans can almost be as much of a hindrance as help if you don't turn-on your brain.
If you robotically execute your plan and follow it to the letter, you may be planning your own racing execution.
But you don't have to take my word for it, let's consult the ultimate pro in the sport, Beckie Scott. In seeking out advice from Beckie on what it takes to be great I was surprised at the vagueness of her answers. I thought to myself, "this Olympic gold medalist and superstar of Canadian skiing is either playing her cards really close to her chest or the secret to success really is incredibly individualized."
Advocating for trusting your instincts and finding your own path, she offered up what she knew would best serve a fledgling world cup racer, "Empowerment to take responsibility for finding your own way. " Which brings us to the alternative to robotic hour logging, TURN YOUR BRAIN ON! Envision yourself driving the vehicle of your training plan. It's a car, not a train restricted by tracks. You have to make constant micro-adjustments to stay on course as well as steer around the obstacles that will litter your path. Sometimes you have to take detours.
Sometimes your hit the gas, sometimes you hit the breaks, and don't forget to stop along the way for what my teammate Sara Renner calls a "Beauty Break " and take in the scenery! Either way you have to keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel and figure out for yourself what is working.
If you are bagged and dragging yourself through the workout, you should ask yourself what you're really accomplishing being out there.
If your body's "aching all the time, " as Queen says in Bohemian Rhapsody, you have to do things that aren't on your plan like take baths with Epsom salts, go to the easy yoga classes and get a good massage.
When you're sick and injured and exhausted remember the first rule of holes, when you're in one, STOP DIGGING.
If you don't think your speed is up to snuff you need to throw 5-10 x 10 second sprints with lots of rest into the mix. If you have a cold you need to take rest, either completely off training or extremely easy.
You need to be smart enough not to do intensity or races when you're immuno-compromised. Who's the boss anyway & you or your plan?
I think we're all aware that there isn't an award for best follower of the plan, so don't be afraid to consult yourself about things and be adaptable. After all, you're the one who straps on those boards, dons the bib and makes it happen out there. Take the same approach to some of your training and enjoy the beautiful process of putting your plan and fitness to work for you!
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