From Asphalt to Snow : Summer Tri to Winter Tri
By: Kurt Perham – Personal Best Multisport Coaching
With the first hard frosts here in New England, my thoughts are turning to alternative sports…namely XC skiing, and as of recently Winter Triathlon. Winter Triathlon you ask? Yep…except we aren’t talking swim/bike/run here….we mean run/bike/xc ski.
With a host of races around the country and the possibility of an Olympic sport soon, more and more folks are giving the sport a try…and why not…it’s FUN!
The main challenges you will face as a summer triathlete trying winter triathlon are the need for more equipment and the learning associated with xc skiing (nordic).
Let’s start with equipment. First, the run. This is pretty straight forward; a good trail shoe will do fine. Some of the more serious athletes will wear an XC running spike (no snowshoes needed here). For the bike, you will need a mountain bike. Nothing fancy, but you will want to get some nice wide tires (2.1 or larger) and have the ability to run them at low pressure (below 20psi). The new tubeless style works great for this. You will also need some mountain bike shoes and obviously some warm clothes/gloves. Now the xc skiing. For most folks, they will want to invest in a set of skate style skis as this is the fastest technique for xc skiing. You don’t have to get top of the line, just some moderate priced race skis are fine (250.00 to 350.00). Then you need some good, comfortable skate specific boots, some of the better companies are Alpina and Salomon (note the binding is specific to boot brand, so make sure they match!). Fit is key, you want them snug, but not restrictive. Too big and your foot will move around in them, too small and you will get cold (and sore!) feet. Then you need some poles, for skating the pole is longer than the old style “kick and glide” set up, so they should come to mid chin or right near your lower lip when standing. And the very last thing you might invest in is some basic waxing equipment, such as an iron, a few glide waxes and a couple of brushes to prep the skis. I suggest you visit a reputable nordic ski shop for this gear as the fit and flex of the skis is important.
Onto the engine.
For winter tri the physical conditioning that you carry over from the summer season is a great start. You will need to hone a few technical skills though. The running is usually on packed snow, so adding some trail runs in the fall is a great start. On the bike, you will want to get out on the mountain bike as much as possible. Getting on snow can be tricky, but start with some technical trails in the fall and you should transition quickly to the feeling of riding on the snow. You will also want to add some more variable paced intervals to replicate the physiological demands you will face on race day. For new winter tri competitors, the xc skiing will be the biggest challenge. As soon as there is snow to ski on, go and get a lesson from an experienced instructor. Learn the basics (V1, V2, V2 alternate, etc) and practice practice practice! You will find the limited technique will turn every ski session into an interval session so make sure you plan these into your general periodization schema. Lastly, if you can add some winter bricks pre-race, these will help to prepare you for the demands of the unique transitions in winter tri (the legs are always getting hammered!)
So if you are ready to try something new this winter, check out a local winter triathlon (or other multisport event) and don’t just train this winter…RACE!
Kurt Perham is the Founder and Head Coach at Personal Best Multisport Coaching. He has coached athletes of all levels for over 10 years. He has competed in winter multisport events since 1996. If you would like more info on Kurt’s services, check out www.pbmcoaching.com
