Methow Valley Nordic Fall Interval Training

Ski specific technique and progressive interval training through the fall to help you build the fitness and skills to make this year your best transition to snow yet!  

The plan: Each Thursday from September 14 to November 16 the class will meet at a different location around the upper Methow Valley (generally Winthrop and Mazama) to work on aspects of technique and progressively build the volume of interval training to build fitness for winter.  The class will utilize dryland ski imitation as the primary method of training - think of classic skiing uphill without the snow - also called ski-walking, moosehoofing and bounding.  Don't know how?  Don't worry.  We'll start each session with a progressive warm-up incorporating elements of body weight strength, coordination, and dryland technique to make sure you are building not just your fitness but efficient movement patterns as well.  As we build better technique through the season, the interval workouts will progress from 15-20 minutes to up to 40 minutes and make-up a larger portion of our two hour session.  

Who's it for?  Adults who have a good base of fitness (consistently active through the summer and ready for two hour sessions which build into periods of fairly intense activity with intermittent periods of recovery).  We will incorporate jogging, jumping, skipping, hopping and bounding into training at times, but can accommodate and adapt for individuals who are recovering from injuries which preclude those dynamic movements.  In terms of distance covered, sessions in the first few weeks will likely cover ~3 to 5 miles of hilly terrain and build up to ~5 to 7 miles over the course of the fall training period.

Equipment: Besides running shoes and clothing for the conditions, participants should bring 'dryland poles' - a pair of ski poles that are around chest height (although sternum to shoulder height poles work in a pinch) with a good tip and a good handle and strap.   

Please note the first date of the class is September 14 - the registration will show September 21 which allows us to keep online registration open longer.