week 20
In August we planned two back-to-back volume weeks to help build base fitness and efficiency. This month we keep the volume reasonably high but will include two back-to-back weeks that focus on intensity to boost our Vo2Max. Don't get too antsy, there is still lots of time before the snow starts to fly, but incorporating a few quality L4 sessions this time of year can help increase the effectiveness of our distance training as well. Think of it like going up a flight of stairs... each step representing L3 and base training, while each rise represents capacity training. No matter how you plan your months, skiers need a little bit of both in order to 'go anywhere'.
This week we recommend one L4 B session designed to log a decent amount of anaerobic time. We also recommend a sprint intensity pyramid to practice high speed transitions and gear changes. Don't forget, during weeks with L4 training make sure the easy days are kept at a reasonable pace. This is our last week of velocity strength before we begin another cycle of max and power.