GRP Snow Update from Oberhof, Germany

Written by GRP Skier Annika Landis

Here is an update from the skier’s training camp in Oberhof, Germany, where we spent two weeks training on snow at the Lotto-Thüringen Skisport-halle ski tunnel. The tunnel is a 1.7k indoor loop with groomed skiing all year round, and many national and junior teams take advantage of this facility during the summer and fall to get on snow. However, it wasn’t an easy journey to get here. Our first flight out of Burlington was extremely delayed because the baggage door was open and we had to abort takeoff and return to the gate to get it fixed. While this delay caused us to miss our connecting flight to Germany, I am also glad our ski bags didn’t fall 20,000 ft. Even though they have been handled roughly before, I’m not sure they would have survived that!   

Because of the delay, the team, biathletes and skiers, had a full day to spend in the Dulles - Washington DC area. The group decided on a few different activities; Michaela and Luke decided to take the bus into DC itself and sightsee, while the rest of us decided to stay closer to the hotel and check out the National Air and Space Museum.  There was so much history packed into the museum and it was both aweing and sobering to see the history of aviation from a discovery, commercial, and overwhelmingly military perspective. 

The team at the National Air and Space Museum, where we got to see the Discovery Space Shuttle and the Enola Gay (the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb). 

After our delay, we finally arrived in Oberhof, tired, but antsy to start our training camp. Some of you may be wondering: why go all the way to Germany in September to ski endless circles in a tunnel? The main reason to get on snow early and not just do a dryland camp somewhere closer, is to work extensively on transferring technique changes from the summer onto snow. As beneficial as rollerskiing is, the inescapable fact remains that it is not the same as real skiing. To name a few reasons, there is less resistance on pavement, less terrain and surface type diversity (i.e snow conditions), and higher consequences for taking technical risks (road rash). Because the feel of snow is a bit different, it is easy to revert back to old, comfortable technique habits when first transitioning from rollerskiing to on-snow skiing. Focusing immediately and intentionally on transferring good technique changes made over the summer will go a long way towards ingraining those good habits into everyday ‘natural’ skiing and therefore racing. The tunnel provides reliable snow (unlike a glacier) where we can get a head start on this transition before winter arrives. 

(Alex and I getting some perspective before our ski) 

We settled quickly into our routine of skiing in the tunnel in the morning, and jogging in the afternoon. There is an extensive network of trails and dirt roads right out the door from our apartments, which makes it easy to get a bit turned around, but also provides lots of great options for jogs and walks. The forests around Oberhof have an almost storybook feel, with thick, mossy spruces extending impressively straight and tall into the fog. 

(On an afternoon jog through the forest near Oberhof)  

The focus of our two-week camp was speed, intensity, and technique, which means the overall volume was a bit lower than it might be for a typical training camp. One of the benefits of the tunnel is that we can narrow our focus, eliminate distractions and hone in on the individual and collective technical changes that we are trying to make before the season starts. Another benefit of the 1.7 k loop is Pepa can seemingly be everywhere all at once, iPad out and recording. 

Technique work is a perfectionist’s nightmare - there is always something else that can be better, more efficient, more dynamic, etc… Especially at the national and international level, the majority of our technique changes are to try to get whatever extra edge we can in a scrappy competitive field of talented skiers. It can be a frustrating endeavor, but also one that pays off immensely if you are intentional about consistent practice and focus. 

(No-pole drill on classic skis. In the first photo, my hips are back and my shin/ankle is straight. This pushes my weight, and therefore my momentum back and down. In the second photo, I am driving forward with the knee, my hip is much higher over the ski. This position allows me to set the wax effectively and enjoy the ride on a gliding ski). 

We use a few methods to get the most out of our technique sessions throughout the week. First we use drills like no-pole skiing or V4 tap, in our warmup to encourage our bodies to be in the right technical position. We will watch technique video from the day before so that we have a good idea in our minds of what we need to work on. And the last step is applying these changes at a higher speed. Afterall, the changes we are trying to make are to maximize skiing efficiency during races. The first part of our camp focused on speed, and the second half was focused on longer intervals and time trials. This allowed us to work on applying efficient technique at high speed with power (speeds) and efficient technique over time and under fatigue (time trial efforts). Being able to apply technique changes at high speed or when you are tired is a good indication that you have absorbed that new information into the natural mechanics of your skiing.  

(working on long glide on a flat section of the trail) 

Unfortunately, at the end of the first week, the team was struck simultaneously by a stomach bug and covid. The skiers had managed to stay covid-free for the duration of the pandemic, but the inherent risk embedded in traveling and being out in the world was bound to catch up with us. Training, even relatively light training, places a strain on the body and diminishes the body’s immune response. With the sudden onset of sickness among the team, we shifted our focus to a more ‘feel-good’ approach to training. Those of us who were still healthy continued to train in the tunnel, but with a strong emphasis on paying attention to how the body felt each day. This way we were able to achieve high quality intensity and speed sessions while reducing the stress load from additional volume training.  

Even with sickness and training, we had the time, if we chose to use it, to explore the town. This consisted mainly of trying to find which coffee shop had the best hot chocolate and pretzels. 

Overall, even if we didn’t complete the camp we had envisioned, everyone remained in good spirits and we each did what we could to make the most of our situation. I think we are all excited to be back in Vermont in time for the foliage and start our two-month countdown until the first SuperTour races in November! 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy fall! 

Annika