The traditional Norwegian cross-country skiing model prioritizes training on sprint speed. But here, most people have a lot to gain. If speed training is used correctly, you can end up skiing more efficiently in both sprint and longer races, according to former national team coach Geir Endre Rogn.

Rogn is a training expert at Langrenn.com and provides training guidance through his company Topptrent.com. The former national team coach sees that many can benefit greatly from prioritizing unconventional sessions focused on sprint speed in their training, whether they are focusing on sprint or distance races. But you need to practice it, and you’re doing it now, otherwise you risk spoiling the season before it even starts.

“The traditional training philosophy and the ‘development ladder’ from the Ski Federation are generally deeply rooted in Norwegian cross-country skiing. This training philosophy is very tailored to traditional long-distance skiing and less optimized for sprinting. This year, the document ‘development ladder’ was released in a new and revised edition. It’s a fantastic document to base cross-country skiing training on, but it’s still very distance-oriented,” says Rogn to Langrenn.com.

However, he believes that many could benefit from prioritizing sprint training a bit higher, especially younger seniors.

“We see that when athletes move up to the senior class, they often take the step first in sprinting. So, I believe that you have to dare to have a few more sessions with higher speed. But it’s not just for the young. It’s something I see even among athletes at the World Cup level,” says Rogn.

To achieve this without compromising other cross-country skiing training, you have to think differently from what the traditional in Norwegian cross-country skiing has been, he explains.

But specifically, how do you do it in practice?

“It’s about finding ways to train more on sprint speed without it being too demanding and thus affecting the sessions before and after these sprint speed sessions. Then you have to train differently from the traditional cross-country skiing sessions with intervals of five to eight minutes. We have to think about shorter intervals with shorter breaks and higher speed. If you hit the intensity right, you’ll train with good speed but avoid getting too much lactate.”

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Elements from running

Tto get more time on sprint speed without it costing too much overall, Rogn believes it can be smart to incorporate elements from athletics and track running.

For example, he suggests doing 20 x 45 seconds at threshold with 30 to 60 seconds of rest.

“It’s very unconventional in cross-country skiing, and many feel it’s a bit scary because it’s easy to miss the intensity. But if you do it right, it’s a golden session,” says Rogn, reminding us that it’s important to consider the difference between athletics and cross-country skiing.

“They say they train at threshold when, for example, they run 300 meters at 1500-meter pace. What they mean is that they train threshold because of the lactate values. But for cross-country skiing, this would be more about sprint speed. When the Ingebrigtsen brothers run 300 meters, it might be 40 seconds of running,” he says, continuing:

“But they have a track to relate to. On roller skis, this is completely different, and most people do it too fast. It’s partly because in cross-country skiing, there’s a tradition of pushing hard on short intervals. But these intervals are about training as much as possible at the right speed, as cost-effectively as possible.”

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Must practice hitting the right intensity, and it’s urgent

Rogn sees that those who succeed with this type of training and sessions get a return on their efforts with interest. But to succeed, you have to practice. And you should do it now, in the early summer. If not, it can be costly.

“You have to hit the intensity right, and you have to experiment with it now. This is a period where you can afford to miss a bit in training. You still have plenty of time to adjust and find the right balance. If you do this wrong two or three times in the middle of autumn, it can ruin the entire season,” warns the experienced coach profile.

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Geir Endre Rogn is a training expert at Langrenn.com. He has coaching education with a specialization in cross-country skiing and a master’s degree in coaching and psychology from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, and extensive experience in the field: Rogn was the coach for the women’s elite team for two seasons until May 2020, and for the junior national team for two years before that, in addition to eight years as a coach at NTG Geilo. Rogn now provides training guidance through his company Topptrent.com and follows up on everything from elite skiers to younger athletes and enthusiastic amateurs in cross-country skiing, biathlon, and running.