Week 50
April is here! If you are not relaxing after a long ski season now might be a good time to transition into recovery mode. Like we have mentioned before, April training can look very different for skiers depending on where they live and what kind of of training modes they enjoy in their down time.
Some prefer running and biking (see Tips For Transitioning to Dryland and Gravel Cycling entry), some travel to the beach for water activities, while others head to the mountains for backcountry skiing. At the end of the day our goal is physical and mental recovery while keeping the body active and injury free. Mental recovery is important, which is why here at NTS we are somewhat reluctant to even post daily plans over the next three weeks. Have some freedom in your daily activity! We will however continue to post a single general training plan recommendation for juniors, masters, and elite skiers for weeks 50, 51, and 52.
Can the April recovery phase look different depending on your age? Yes. Elite skiers who generally train the most hours per year will benefit more from having reduced training hours in April. Juniors who tend to be multi sport athletes and keep consistent activity year round can exercise more in April and will even benefit from this in their long term development.
This is why Juniors could add hours to our recommended plan, full time skiers could reduce hours, and masters will likely fall right in the middle. Most importantly take some time in April to recover mentally and begin to identify new process and outcome goals for next season.