XC skiing and running

[Deleted User]

I will give you a wee bit of background and you can make your own mind up.
Got injured about mid Jan, shin splint/stress fracture type injury so no running. I did not run for 8 weeks but did some training on the XC skiing machine in preparation for our week abroad in early March.
Skiied about 100 miles in the weeks holiday (various intensities), came home did three easyish 5 milers and then raced on a hilly XC course on Sunday. Felt strong during the race and beat people I would normally not beat, so I am thinking that the XC skiing is a good replacement for lots of running, you still need to run but to lessen the impact why not use the skiing machine 1/2 a week.
Any thoughts?

Tmap

"Advanced Marathoning" by Pfitzinger/Douglas has a section on this. Basically, XC is about the best aerobic workout you can get, and some of the all-time record VO2 Max measurements were taken from skiers. What's more, the muscles it uses are very similar to running, with reduced impact, so you can train for longer.

They also quote an example from some American guy who got very fit from training on in-line skates, would you believe.

So yes, sounds like a great idea. I did a bit of XC for a week in Feb and I felt great when I started running again.

[Deleted User]

Mountain goat - I did a load of X-country skiing earlier this winter, I got a great book out of the library called Fitness Cross Country Skiing http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0880116528/qid=1080235822/202-5691029-7225452

which contains lots of different workout suggestions - some of them are tough! Anyway, I think that the time I spent cross country skiing actually enhanced my fitness, I certainly didn't seem to lose any speed or fitness or endurance by running less.

I think that you can easily replace half your running sessions with cross country skiing BUT (two caveats coming up):

- does a cross country skiing machine really replicate the real thing? I'm not sure

- if you are training to race, you still need to run regularly to maintain a good running style, and get your body used to pounding the streets. I didn't do a single long run in July/August/early september (I was concentrating on my cycling) and my first long run back was agony - I had the fitness, but my poor feet suffered, they just weren't used to running! So I think if you are training for longer races, you still need to do the weekly long run, and maybe a tempo session and something else as well...

An interesting PS to this! I took part in a mountain race in the summer - came second, in a pretty good time ... the woman who came first wasn't even a regular runner - but a competitive cross country skier who just ran a bit to maintain fitness.

[Deleted User]

Lizzy I am from a hill running background but found that the training on the roads fairly pounds your poor muscles so I wondered if the XC skiing was a good alternative much in the same way as deep water running and cyclnig are but I get the feeling that actual XC skiing is a good substitute for running and as long as you do 2/3 runs a week to hone your muscles to the rigours of actual running I think you would improve as a runnner up to a certain point.
I do have questions about whether an indoor ski trainer (Nordictrak etc) would be a good simulation for real skiing.

Pammie*

Didn't the great Ingrid Kristainsen do this?

[Deleted User]

Think you would be better off buying roller skis MG.

[Deleted User]

Think that is a good idea Hoover, living in empty North Suffolk there are plenty roads for this sort of foolish escapade, now I need to find out where I can buy these instruments of torture.

sluggie

you can get roller skis from http://www.crosscountryskis.co.uk/

I have found real xc skiing great for cross-training from the fitness point of view, but when you get back into running after a couple of weeks on skis I have found you need to take it easy as your knees are no longer used to the impact

[Deleted User]

on a slightly different note, im going to norway for a year in august. i will be skiing ther a lot, and am looking to train for it, because as we know, any sport is easier when youre fit, and therefore more enjoyable!

so is running good training fo rcross country skiing? what excercises can i do to help me just slide into the skiing role? lol.

i will be telemark skiing and cross ocuntry skiing.

help and advice welcome!

Phil