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Ski Fitness = tri fitness ?

scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
in General Training Discussions

I know there are a number here that are avid downhill skiers. I just spent the weekend skiing. Now skiing for me is not an act of schussing down the mountain, as any normal type A-er it is about skiing hard, skiing moguls and enjoying the fact that my fitness allows me to ski hard.

 The question is: if you miss a weekend of bike interval training because of skiing, how much can you feel confident in your ski workout as having provided some benefit for your missed workout. 

 As a Caveat, I did manage to get my runs in during the early mornings and single digit wake up temps!

 Also curous how this breaks out as altitude vs non-altitude (east coast) skiing.

also, I did make the effort to get on the bike last night and try to do some FTP work, the focus in this sentence should be the word: "try"

Comments

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    I'll let you know tomorrow, when I do an FTP test after 2+ weeks of no biking, just skiing (very hard) @ altitude.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]
    A couple weeks back, I was in Colorado, and skied hard for six days straight. Didn't bike or swim at all, but did do three short runs. When I came back, I felt like I hadn't missed a beat in the bike department.
  • kens1964kens1964
    Interesting question that evaluates the benefit of cross training and perhaps a specific flavor of cross training that involves both endurance and intensity. I enjoy Adel Moussa's blog Suppversity and happended to have just read this piece. I think it may speak in part to the question as he is referring to high intensity interval training and its impact on VO2 max. http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2014/02/24-hiit-workouts-in-three-or-eight.html
  • scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
    @ AL - we need to ski together, I KNOW i can keep up with you there!!
    will you still be in CO this weekend?
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    Scott:

    • Having done a 5/10/20 test on the trainer after two weeks of NO biking, just skiing, my conclusion is, I did not *lose* any fitness, but I certainly didn't gain any, as I would have expected if I'd kept at the bike/OS during that time. I think any longer, and I would have started to go backwards. So a weekend skiing bumps should "count" for a bike workout. But not doing intermediate cruisers - that's no better than walking or ten minutes with a hula hoop.
    • No, I wont be in CO over Pres Day weekend, going back Feb 27-Mar 8. But don't count on besting me on the slopes - I've been skiing those mountains since you were in diapers, I think. [Insert image of gauntlet/ski mitten on the ground here.] IMO, I'm a better skier than triathlete, and the improvement in skis over the decades more than makes up for any losses coming from age.
  • scott dinhoferscott dinhofer
    AL - my comment wasn't that i would best you, but that i would "keep up" something i have yet to do with you on a tri course, though with my no smaller self, that should be more doable. I have found that my new found fitness has translated to me skiing better than ever.
    like everything, when i ski, i ski hard, all the time, full on, bumps wherever possible. cruisers bore me. So i guess if i spend a long weekend in Vail and put in a few early AM runs, I should be ok...

  • baprince15baprince15
    Glad to hear that my weekend trip shouldn't hurt me. After banging out 17,000 vertical feet in 3 hours on Monday my legs still feel pretty beat up.
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