Sometimes you just gotta get out there!
Performing well in any endurance sport requires consistency. I don’t mean that you have toexercise every day for 280 days in a row to excel, but you do have to commit to getting out the door most days of the week.
In the winter, this can be particularly tough. Finding the motivation to go for a bike ride when it’s below freezing is nearly impossible for me. That’s why cross-training during the cold months is so valuable. Put on your skate skis, go for a run, use the elliptical at the gym, whatever. If you’re training for the PPP, it doesn’t matter too much what you are doing for training right now, so long as you are doing something. Get your heart rate up! Do some squats and situps in your living room while you watch Lost. We can work on the specifics of the race later.
*The only caveat I have to the above is if you are new to cross-country skiing, the time to start is now. Skiing, whether skate or classic, takes some real time to learn the technique. Getting help from anyone who is a proficient skier or taking a lesson will really speed up the learning process. Skating can be seriously frustrating to try to teach yourself. You won’t regret getting some lessons.*
