More than 30 skiiers took part in Cross Country B.C. and Caledonia Nordic Ski Club’s Teck Regional Dryland Training Camp at the beginning of the month in Prince George.
Skiiers from Quesnel, Burns Lake, Williams Lake and Prince George descended on the Otway Nordic Ski Centre, raring to prepare for race season under the tutelage of 13 coaches.
The weekend camp began with roller skiing as the athletes wheeled, balanced and sprinted through agility courses and workouts to help build skills in advance of the first snowfall. The session was followed by a two-hour run on the surrounding Otway Mountain bike trails.
National biathlete Matt Neuman hosted an afternoon session, inspiring the group to set out an action plan to follow through on their athletic goals.
Day two saw participants carrying logs and pulling tires in a unique strength and conditioning course. The rain and wind didn’t affect the group’s attitude as they were put through the paces.
After a cooldown, Dave Adolph, manager of high performance at Engage Sport North, welcomed participants to a session exploring spinal tension and the importance of posture and quality movement. Adolph, who spent eight years as the athletic therapist to the University of British Columbia’s varsity teams, had a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.
The training camp ended on a calmer note, as athletes stretched their muscles in a yoga session.
With these nordic skiiers all set for the season, it’s just a matter of waiting for snow to fall to test their new skills.