Canadian X-Country Skier's Top Tips For Competing This Season

...After these past few weeks of training and unwinding at home, I’m back on the road again getting ready for the World Cup finals in North America. Part of being an athlete means taking smart steps to stay healthy on the road, so I wanted to share some things I find helpful when it comes to staying healthy during race season.

  • Keep some recovery snacks handy. I like to travel with some granola bars and recovery drink mix from home. Sometimes you don’t know how long a travel day or group training session is going to be, so having a bit of food available is good for recovery and for keeping your immune system strong.
  • Don’t get cold during and after training. If your body is putting a lot of energy into staying warm, it might not have the energy to fight off viruses that are going around. These past few months, I’ve been testing out gear from my new base layer sponsor, Brubeck, and I’ve found their Extreme Wool line is especially good for racing and training in cold temps. As someone who used to have to wear multiple base layers to stay warm while training, this has been great. A side travel perk is that the Brubeck gear stays fresh even after a LOT of use, so no hotel washing machine, no problem.
  • Sleep! Probably the most important thing when it comes to staying healthy. Whether that’s getting in some naps if you need to catch up on extra hours or working with a sports psych to help with stress, sleep is key.