Why the Best Ski Training Isn’t Always Ski Training
Hi Team Birkie blog followers!
Thanks for tuning in. My name is Eli Gore, I’m a professional ski racer for the Team Birkie Continental Team. This is my first year transitioning from collegiate ski racing, so it’s been quite the ride! I raced and studied at the University of New Hampshire, where I majored in Multimedia Communications and Studio Art. The transition to Team Birkie was seamless. I’ve always felt pretty grounded in the midwest ski community since I grew up in Wisconsin, so when I had the opportunity to ski professionally for this team, it was a no-brainer. This week's blog will be about training balance and the importance of diversifying workouts.
The “Straight Line” Approach
The best way to get better at something is to do it a lot and that’s no different for skiing. If you want to become a stronger skier, it's plain and simple: do it a lot. However, this “straight line” approach to sports training comes with its caveats. If you only do ski-specific training year-round, you’ll probably get strong, but you’ll also risk hitting that mental wall where sport starts to feel like a chore. You can also run the risk of injury if you don’t diversify your workouts enoough. I’ve had shin splints, tendonitis, knee & hamstring issues, back pain, and more - all from doing too much at once. Almost everybody I raced with at Junior Nationals as a U16 stopped skiing by the time they hit college or slowed down significantly. This was especially true for the super fast young juniors who trained like they were olympians year round. There's nothing like the feel of snow under your feet, but once you get to a certain level, the chance of burning out at some point is common.
Soccer Nights at UNH
This past spring, when the ski season wrapped up, I signed up for a coed intramural soccer league. A couple of nights a week, instead of rollerskiing or running volume, I was chasing the ball, sprinting, laughing with teammates, and maybe pretending I was better at soccer than I actually am. It wasn’t serious training, but at that point in the year, it’s not supposed to be. It was fun and kept my fitness up without any pressure. A great way to make the most out of my last few months in college.
Healing from broken ribs in Montana and Spain
I crashed and broke a few ribs earlier this summer at our Team Birkie camp in Steamboat Springs, CO. The pain was high, and the vibes were low, but fortunately that healing process actually ended up coinciding with some of the coolest experiences of my summer. After a few weeks on the couch, I gathered with some of my former UNH teammates for a backpacking trip we had planned under Mount Cowen in Montana. I’ve used backpacking for training for a number of years, and this time wasn’t any different. Carrying a weighted pack around for 6-7 hours a day is a great volume workout, and even better at altitude. Considering the ribs, thank god for ibuprofen.
Soon after my backpacking excursion, I found myself on a road cycling trip in Girona, Spain, which was also planned months before with my family. Road biking was surprisingly a pretty good way to heal and keep my upper body stable. Smooth roads, endless climbs, café stops, sunshine, and tons of Spanish. It wasn’t skiing, but it gave me that same feeling of speed and freedom, and it made me excited for the winter ahead.
Why This Approach Works
These examples are just here to guide your experience. I’d say skiing fast is about one third involed with a good mindset. If you’re excited about what you’re doing, you’ll push harder, recover better, and race with more energy. Other sports, little adventures, even off-script training days, all keep you fired up.
Plus, every sport teaches something. Pacing yourself on a long run feels a lot like managing effort in a 50k. Bombing a technical descent on a gravel bike gives you confidence for tricky ski downhills. Even a short soccer or ultimate frisbee game after strength, changing speed and reacting fast, builds agility you’ll use in a sprint heat.
Alright, that’s all I’ve got this week. Thanks for reading and hopefully learning something from me.
