By Nancy Bywater, Mt. Stuart Physical Therapy
By now we should all be in good ski condition and out enjoying ALL of the ski tracks in Leavenworth. A fun way to work on your ski technique is to pick up the tempo while out skiing. You can do this on skate skis or classic skis. With skate skiing this is best done with V2 on flats, or V1 on steeper hills.
Begin with a warm-up ski of approximately 5 to 10 minutes focusing on good technique. Then choose a location approximately 100 to 200 yards in the distance. Pick up the tempo of poling and skiing and try and do as quick of a cadence as you can. Ideally, you should shoot for poling at least every second on one side for classic skiing or V2 (or poling 2x/second if you count both sides), if you are doing V2 alternate or V1 up a hill, shoot for poling at least every second on the side you are poling on. As you do this, be aware of where your arms are going on the follow through. Your follow through should be shorter, with your hands going no farther back than your hips. Be prepared to feel you form disintegrate somewhat. The first idea of this drill is to learn how to increase your cadence then you can work on your form. After your short burst of high cadence, return to a more relaxed pace for another 5’, then repeat the above drill 3-4 more times. Focus on good technique at the relaxed pace and high cadence on the bursts. Hopefully, as you do this, your higher tempo skiing will begin to feel more fluid and efficient.
The idea of skiing with a higher cadence is to find the most efficient tempo for different conditions. Additionally, it adds a little bit of fun to your daily ski. Most of all get out and have fun on your skis now that we have great snow and sunshine to boot!
