Balancing run/training schedule with skiing

[Chatagirl]

I'm a 'newish' skier, this will be my second season.

I was just wondering how the skiers/runners integrate skiing into their running schedule. Do you count the skiing as cross-training? Or do you keep your runs on the schedule and do your planned runs before/after skiing?

I'm trying to get my mileage up after almost a year off from running and can't imagine squeezing in a long run (or even something over 3 miles) on ski days. Not just in terms of time, but also having the energy to run before/after a day on the slopes (the whole altitude 7,000+ is an extra added bonus). We typically ski Fri/Sat/Sun every other weekend.

Missing 2-3 runs per week can really throw off the mileage. I'm not training for anything specific but would like to get a 1/2 on the schedule in the late spring. Just wondering what the rest of you do

 

[Pequenita]

I'm not sure this will help you build or maintain mileage for a spring half, but here's how I throw skiing into the mix:

I find training in the winters difficult to do, mentally, so it's the season when I dial back. I do a mid-week speedwork session and then run 5-14 miles between Friday and Sunday, one of those days on trail. If I ski one day of the weekend, I run the other. If I'm on a ski vacation, I forget about running all together. And that's it as far as running goes until it's light enough to run in the mornings, and then I build according to a training plan for whatever race distance I'm doing in late spring. My longest race in the spring has been 12k, so I haven't had much to build up to.

Aside from running, it's strength/balance training the rest of the week for me. My weeks have been looking like this lately:

Monday: PM yoga
Tuesday: AM Pilates or REST
Wednesday: AM teach yoga/PM winter maintenance (speedwork)
Thursday: PM Pilates
Friday: yoga + easy run* or ski
Saturday: yoga + easy run or ski
Sunday: easy run or ski + PM teach yoga

I rarely ski more than one day of a weekend, and to be honest, this season I've only gone out one day.

*Friday/Saturday/Sunday, run two out of the three days. I don't run if I ski.

Do I count it as cross training? I guess in the way my schedule is, yes. But I think of cross training as something that gets the cardio up, using different muscles than running. So in that sense, it depends more on what I am skiing.

I've started planning out a race training schedule, and basically I added in an extra week to accommodate days "lost" to skiing or travel. I don't know how serious a runner you are, but I fully admit to not being as meticulous about training as a lot of runners are.

ETA: I'm only adding in the teaching yoga part because I demo a lot of the poses.

 

[Robyn]

Honestly, while I love to run, skiing is my number one priority in ski season. I don't plan races for spring/early summer for anything more than a 10k because I just can't commit to building mileage. For example, most of the winter I've been able to do 4 days a week (not ski days) but this week I'll only get 2 because I'm skiing 4 days.

 

[Kimmyt]

You can definitely run during the winter after skiing. I did it all last season. It might be difficult once you get to the longer runs, but base building and maintenance runs are fine. I found that running right after a day of hard skiing actually helped my legs feel better.

 

[Sami]

I think it's more about staying in shape. I also make skiing a priority during the winter months. My husband and I were supposed to run the NYC half last Saturday, but it was snowing (finally) and we were going skiing Sunday. He ran it anyway, and then spent all of Sunday afternoon trying to convince our kids that one last run would really be enough (he failed each time). I skipped the race, went snowshoeing instead, and had a great ski day on Sunday. Just an example. I do try to do as many hills as I can in the winter months (easy where we live in the Hudson Valley). But I won't usually run the day before skiing. I would run the day after, though. I run every other day, though, and always have-- never been injured that way. So it's easy to make my off days the day before and the day after a ski trip. Really, the point of exercise is to feel good, have fun, and be/stay strong and healthy, so as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're working your body fairly often, it's all good. Mixing in all different kinds of sports is good for your body and your mind, too. So rather than worrying about specific mileage per week, I'd just concentrate on overall exercise days. Just don't stop running altogether and you'll be fine.

 

[Sami]

One other idea-- you said you ski every other weekend. When you are race training, you'll have a light week followed by a harder week anyway (as least that's how I train). So plan your long run on the weekends you are not skiing. For example:
ski week would be:
TuTh 4 or 5 mile run each day, then ski FriSatSun
TuTh 5 or 6, then Sat am 8-9 miles
Rest Sunday
next week run MW 5-6 ski FriSaSu
you get the idea. slowly increase your mileage, do long runs every other weekend, stay in good shape overall and you won't have a problem with a half. Your longest training run w/a half only needs to be 10 miles and you should do that maybe twice. (of course, do more if you want a better time, etc. but just as a general "I want to run a half" rule, this is adequate).
Map it out on a calendar. Good luck, and don't forget to cut back if you start to feel like it's too much. Preventing injuries comes first.

 

[Chatagirl]

Thanks all for your ideas/input.

The lack of snow is going to make things MUCH easier:( Conditions weren't great this weekend so that meant a late start and/or early finish to the day and gave me time for a couple of quick 30/40min runs which is about the max I can do at altitude (7,500 ft) right now. We are likely canceling our Feb trip unless some snow comes (which isn't in the forecast). So, at least that's one positive to a crappy ski season. Oh, and the 50-60 degree dry weather at home is pretty ideal running weather

I've done plenty of races so it's not about a specific event or bucket list item. I've found that having something on the schedule helps keep me on track. I wouldn't really worry about it but having been off of running for almost 1 year I really need to get some consistency going again. You know....that pattern where you just do your workouts without thinking (like brushing your teeth). It's been a struggle to get back into that mode.

I definitely want to be able to go into 'maintenance mode' at the start of NEXT season. Realistically, getting runs in on a ski trip during a good season will be next to impossible with a 4+ hr drive to/from Tahoe, long ski days, and no safe place to run before sunrise or after dark at the house. It would mean having to drive separate to have access to a car and a way to get to the fitness center after dark or....finishing ski days early, changing into running clothes and running around the resort parking lot (which was seriously under consideration).

 

[Sami]

funnily enough, after saying I don't run before a ski day, I did a long run on Saturday and then took my kids skiing for a few hours on Sunday. I felt fine while I was skiing, but last night and this morning I had tired legs!

 

[Chatagirl]

The only reason I wouldn't do a hard/long run the day before skiing is purely $$$. I don't have a season pass and lift tickets are too expensive to cut the day short or spend it in the lodge.

It was the same thing when I was working out with a personal trainer. I wasn't spending all that money to show up too tired to work out.

If I had a pass and easy access I would love doing some relaxed, easy 1/2 days on the slopes, even after a long run

 

[Sami]

I only have a season pass because my kids are in a seasonal program at our local mountain. It's only 500 vertical feet and we've had only about 8 inches of real snow, so it's just ice and granular. Don't be too jealous! But it's cheap, and you're right, having it makes it easy to ski for a few hours and go home, or go after school, etc. But I'd trade it for a season pass at a real mountain in a second!