Birkie Prep Session 4
The Erika Flowers session
Our 4th Birkie prep session is designed to train various marathon paces so we can practice skiing efficiently and quickly while also recovering from bouts of hard effort. This session is a great way to learn how pacing can affect your technique and what kind of pacing cues are helpful for you during a race.
"I think this session forces you to practice pace changes over the course of a longer session, similar to a 50km. It builds throughout the session in the same way a marathon race might build steadily, you might have a surge during the first part of the race that requires you to push then recover, and an even faster surge near the end before the finishing sprint. You teach your body to go hard at the end while carrying fatigue from earlier in the session." EF
Warm up:
25 min L1
3 min L2
5 min easy, dynamic stretching
Intervals:
20 min - sustained L3 pace (controlled, low L3, practice taking a gel and drinking during this interval)
3-5 min recovery
15min - sustained L4B (marathon pace, 2-3 heart beats above threshold, practice taking a drink feed)
3-5 min recovery
10 min - sustained L3 (controlled with good technique, practice drink feed)
3-5 min recovery
5 min - L4 (hard finish pace)
Terrain:
Do these continuous intervals on rolling terrain with a mix of climbs, flats, and downhills.
"This workout is also a good way to proctice skiing with efficient technique throughout a variety of different paces. I feel like the L3 pace is all about using a relaxed technique, L4B I think about adding more power to each push but remaining still remaining relaxed. The way I distinguish between L4B and L4 is by adding more tempo to my technique."
"I like to combine this L3 after a L4 effort because you teach your body to continue to ski fast and technically well even after a hard surge. Technique should always be a focus during a marathon type session. I like to think about skiing down the track with a straight ski placement, and whipping my arms up with a relaxed shoulder, and having relaxed bouncy legs. This is my strategy to practice going fast without being tense. In marathon racing we can't afford to tense up. This session is a perfect way to practice building you pace and effort without tensing up." EF
