Real World Priorities - an honest perspective

As I've mentioned before, it isn't easy for someone entering a new sport to get a grasp on all that there is to know.  You've seen Biathlon on television or heard about it from a friend, and would like to give it a try.  Suddenly there seems to be so much to know!  One must obtain skis, learn how to wax, and also obtain a rifle, which can be a daunting task in itself.  Then there is the training, getting to races, and making sure that all of the effort you've put in equals your best effort.  This, friends, is the goal of Biathlon training - to ensure that everything you do results in your best effort - whether that's tenth place or first place.

Anyway, with all of this information, I thought I'd make a quick list of how you should prioritize your time and money when it comes to Biathlon.  I will start with the least important things and work my way up to the most important things.

• Banned performance enhancing substances:  Do not bring shame and dishonour to yourself and to the most beautiful sport in the world.  When you look at yourself in the mirror after a race, know that you put in your best effort and that you played fair.  When Lance Armstrong got busted for drugs, I may have been a bit wickedly happy because I never really like him in the first place. However, I was also deeply saddened.  He represented not only himself in a race, but also his country and the sport of cycling.  He brought shame and dishonour to all of these things. How do you tell a ten year old fan of cycling that his hero is, in fact, not a hero?  Furthermore, I believe Lance Armstrong's efforts had a more far-reaching effect. In other sports when someone continues to put in a seemingly super human effort and dominate his or her competitors, there will always be a suspicion.  There will always be a dark cloud over what was only ever meant to be fun, and to promote excellence. Those who have fun and honourably strive to be their best are the true winners in sport.
• Fluorocarbon powders: If you are within seconds of the podium, fluoro powder may help you win.  If you are ten minutes from the podium, do not think that this magic powder will somehow transform inadequate training into an award winning performance.  Fluoro powders are very expensive, and unless you have money to burn, your funds would be better spent on finding a great coach to help you with your technique.
• Top of the line equipment: There is definitely a big difference between the cheapest equipment you can buy and the most expensive equipment you can buy. However, marketing companies spend millions of dollars trying to convince you that the only way you can win races and enjoy the sport is to purchase the most expensive equipment available. If you have the money, sure, give in. There's worse things you can spend your money on.  However, if you have to choose between expensive equipment or, let's say, an opportunity to go to a training camp to learn more about technique and how to train, the latter should be your priority.  It is important to have good equipment that fits you, but I honestly believe that the effects of good equipment versus the best equipment on your racing results and experience are negligible.
• Ammunition: A rifle can be very particular and fussy when it comes to ammunition.  Not all ammunition works the same in all rifles.  You should experiment with different kinds of ammunition to find one that works specifically with your rifle.  The biggest thing I look for is ammunition that doesn't jam in my rifle.  Seriously, it won't matter how tight a group the ammunition can produce if it gets stuck in your rifle all the time! I am also drawn to ammunition that doesn't make my rifle abnormally dirty.  Keep in mind that your ammunition is only as good as the person firing it. I honestly wonder what good is ammunition that is capable of shooting groups smaller than a dime if the Biathlete can barely hit the target! Sure, if you have $1300+ and want to buy a case of Lapua Polar, I'm not going to stop you. However, in the big picture, if you only had that money to spend on one thing or another, invest it in coaching and training camps.
• Shooting:  Okay, time to say something controversial that maybe not all people will agree with. During a professional race, missing a target will very likely be the difference between first place and tenth place. This is because the differences between professional Biathletes are so slight, that every little thing makes a difference.  At the amateur level, it is most likely that there will be very big differences between how different athletes train.  Consequently, there are bigger differences in results. A very fit, experienced skier might very well be able to "out-ski his shooting mistakes" and beat someone else who is very accurate. In an amateur race, you are more likely to produce a poor result by bad skiing rather than bad shooting. As the level of training and experience in the field of Biathletes increases, the greater chance there is for little details to result in success or failure. This does not mean that a novice can neglect his or her shooting training! Shooting is very important and can still make the difference between a bad result and a good result in a race. I have failed to get on the podium because I missed ten shots, and I have failed to get on the podium because I missed one shot. All I am saying is that fitness is more important, not that shooting is unimportant.  On that note, don't forget to dry fire practice today!
• Clothing: Ah, this is such a hard one to discuss and I don't know where to put it on the list! Marketing companies work very hard to fuse function with fashion. Consequently, it is difficult to know what to buy and how much to spend! Cross country skiing is a sport that demands a high aerobic effort in a cold environment.  Because of this, there is a danger of developing conditions like frostbite and hypothermia. To avoid this, you must put some serious thought into what you wear. Dress in layers. If you are too warm and sweat too much, there is a danger of hypothermia. Wear a wicking clothing layer to keep sweat away from your body. Experiment with clothing and, if possible, always give yourself an option by adding or removing clothing. Spending money on the appropriate clothing for cross country skiing is a wise investment. I will discuss clothing more in a separate post.
• Roller skis:  Buy roller skis.  For most people, there are more non-snowy months than snowy months. This means that you will probably have a chance to use roller skis more than your actual skis.  Roller skis are the best possible way to develop fitness and technique without actually being on real skis. If you roller ski regularly through the training months, I promise you that when it comes time to ski, you will see an enormous difference that little else can compare to.
• Technique:  Some sports take more technique than others.  A very fit person will be able to keep up with an experienced cyclist much easier than, let's say, a very fit person can keep up with an experienced swimmer.  Cross country skiing is one of those sports that requires a lot of technique, and it will be something that you work on until the end of your days.  Never forget the basics. The goal of developing good technique is produce maximum speed with the least amount of effort. Success is quantifiable.  You will notice that as your technique improves, you will begin to ski faster while putting in the same effort. Technique is not to be underestimated, and you should seek every opportunity to learn from the best coaches and to practice.
• Fitness:  Cross country skiing and Biathlon demand a level of fitness that few other sports can compare to.  The fitter you are, the better you will do. Of course there are other factors that will contribute to your success, but I honestly believe that there are few other factors that will contribute to your success more than fitness. If you diligently attend to the development of your strength and cardiovascular system during the training months, you will directly contribute to having your best Biathlon season ever.
• A strong and intelligent mind: The most important thing you can bring to Biathlon is a strong and intelligent mind.  This is truly the number one thing that defines great athletes in any sport. Successful athletes not only train harder, they train smarter. They make the best possible use of their time.  They prioritize. They understand the techniques involved in their sport and they apply those techniques successfully on the road to victory. A strong mind is what you will need on steep hills when your body fails you. A strong mind is what you will need to block out distractions on the range and produce your best shooting result. Those who believe that Biathlon is only a physical activity do not understand the sport, nor will they produce their best result. If you want to be as successful as you possibly can be in Biathlon, there is no other single factor that has such a positive impact as a strong and intelligent mind.

Behind every professional Biathlete is thousands of hours of training, years of focus on technique, and also the best coaches in the world. If you think it's just the fluoro waxes that make Emil Hegle Svendsen go fast, you're wrong.  Never confuse the icing with the cake.

Zeroing a Rifle

Zeroing your Biathlon rifle is very important, and must be done at the beginning of every shooting session, whether it is a practice or a race.

Firstly, why must one zero a rifle?  In my humble understanding, light affects how the eye perceives objects, and different lighting conditions affect how you perceive the target in different ways.  Other factors that might affect where your bullets land on the target are wind, and how light is reflected off fog and snow.  A rifle that hits the dead centre of a target on a sunny day will not hit the dead centre on a cloudy day, no matter how good the marksman is.  This is why you must zero a rifle.  Now, how does one zero a rifle?

It is helpful to have someone looking through a spotting scope as you are shooting, but you can also do this by yourself (as I do).  Firstly, shoot five bullets at a standard paper Biathlon target at 50 metres. Look through the spotting scope and determine the centre of this group.  In a perfect world, your five shots will be centred on the target.  However, if you live in the same world as me, adjustments must be made - especially if the shooting conditions are different than the last time you shot.

To make adjustments to how your eye perceives the target, two adjustment screws on the Biathlon rifle's rear sight are used.  One of these adjustment screws adjusts the sight left and right, also called a windage adjustment.  This is the adjustment used to compensate for wind, and is usually located on the side of the rear sight.  Counter-clockwise will move your bullets right, and clockwise will move them left.  The L stands for the German word links (left), and the R stands for rechts (right).  I turn the screw towards the R is my shots are going to the right, and turn the screw towards L if they are going to the left.  Hopefully this isn't too confusing!

The other screw is usually located on the top of the rear sight, and moves the sight up or down.  This is the adjustment used to compensate for changes in how your eye perceives the target in certain light conditions.  This is also called an elevation adjustment.  Turning the screw counter-clockwise will move the fall of the bullets up, and clockwise moves them down.  In German, the H stands for hoch, which means high, and T stands for tief, which means low.  I remember how to adjust the screw by turning the screw towards H if my bullets are going too high, and T if they are going too low.  See, German really is one of the most useful languages you could learn!

Each turn of the screw moves the bullet approximately 3 mm, or one bullet width on the target when it is at 50 metres.  Something to remember: make small adjustments at a time - don't go turning that screw like it's the Wheel of Fortune!

Regardless of spiritual inclinations, confirmation is also an important step in zeroing.  This is done by skiing a short, fast loop to elevate your heart rate before shooting five final rounds.  This is done in recognition of the fact that in general, bullets move downward as acuity improves with moderate exercise, and moves upward when it deteriorates with intense  exercise.

Because every athlete is different, you should get a sense of what happens to your own shooting during varying levels of intensity, and know how to compensate for this accordingly.  I will discuss this more on the Pre-competition Shooting post.

One thing that zeroing in practice should help you develop is a sense of changing environmental conditions.  Always always always pay attention to what is happening with the light and wind! There is nothing more frustrating then missing a shot because of avoidable errors. Maybe the Penalty Loop should be renamed The Thinking Loop, because this is where you go to think about why you missed your targets, and how to avoid mistakes the next time!

When you are entering the range during a race, here are some very important things to remember that may possibly make the difference between getting selected to the National Team or being dumped by your boyfriend or girlfriend:

• As you enter the range, do an effort check.  Did you ski in too hard?  If so, make sure to consider this and take an extra few seconds to slow your heart down before shooting
• Check the lighting conditions!!!!  During your zeroing before the race, you should always make a note of how the lighting conditions are.  When you come in to shoot, one of the first questions you should ask yourself is: did the lighting conditions change?  If so, make the adjustment with your elevation adjustment screw!  The general rule is lights up, sights up.  If it is sunnier in the range, move your sights up 2 clicks.  If it is cloudier, move your sights down 2 clicks.
• Check the wind!  If the wind seems different, how?  Compare the wind to how it was when you zeroed by observing the wind flags.  Wind flags are red flags located in a line towards the target. How they are moving should help you determine how to make adjustments.

Wind, I believe, is the single most confusing environmental factor to adjust for during a Biathlon race.  If the wind is light and steadily coming from one direction, there is little  problem and the appropriate adjustment can be made.  However, the wind often comes in gusts, and can come from different directions in a short period of time.  Furthermore, the wind can be different at the shooting line than how it is closest to the target.

If the wind is coming in unpredictable gusts, do not make an adjustment.  Instead, keep an eye on the wind flags, wait for a calm period, and fire your shot at that time.  This is very hard to do, and not a skill easily mastered by the novice Biathlete.  However, this is what makes Biathlon so amazing!  Just remember, no matter how bad the shooting (or skiing) conditions are, your competitors often have to suffer through the same conditions!

Anyway, so here is a very general description of how the wind affects your bullet:

• Wind coming straight towards you tends to push the bullet up
• Wind coming from behind you will push the bullet down
• For a moderate side wind, there will be 1 click of elevation change for every 3 clicks horizontal change
• Generally, the flag at the 10 metre line is one you should pay particular attention to
• If the wind is swirling, pay attention to the flag nearest you, but keep an eye down-range to see what wind may be incoming
• Cold, dense, moisture-laden air magnifies the influence of the wind

To make matters worse, every range has its own personality.  That is, different ranges will have unique wind conditions.

Conclusion

The best thing you can do is practice in all kinds of conditions.  If you look outside the window and the weather isn't very nice, do not say to yourself, well it's nasty out so I won't be shooting today. Remember that you have to be prepared for all environmental conditions that may occur during a race.  The only way to do this is to practice in all environment conditions that may occur during a race.

Familiarize yourself with how to adjust your sights.  Shooting in gusting winds is the ideal time to practice one of the hardest aspects of Biathlon shooting - waiting for the best conditions to shoot while not allowing your heart rate to get too low.  

Dry firing is very important to help you cultivate concentration and condition the muscles in your body to hold the rifle as still as possible, among other benefits.  However, learning how to shoot in different environmental conditions can only be achieved by shooting in different environmental conditions. 

Take every obstacle as an opportunity to test yourself and become a better Biathlete.

If the conditions are difficult during a race, do not beat yourself up for having a bad day on the range. Conditions can change quite quickly, and it is very possible that the conditions during your shoot are different then those for your competitor.  If you want proof of this watch some of the races going on right now in Östersund!

Whether the weather

Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not!

(Author unknown)

When I first started cross country skiing, I think I experienced just enough of the fine weather conditions to get hooked.  To be sure, skiing smoothly over firm snow on a cool day under a blazing blue sky is the best thing in the world.  Shortly thereafter, however, I experienced weather that was far from kind.  This was up at Mt Washington several years ago (yes, I've only be cross country skiing for several years).  An alpine storm had set in; the wind compelled one to personify, and so I shall say it howled angrily.  Visibility was next to nil, and frequently I went flying off the would-be trail and down steep embankments into the trees.  My glasses kept fogging up and I thought if I removed them it might improve how much of my surroundings I discerned.  No such luck.  The wind drove the icy snowflakes painfully into my eyes, and I was forced to return to my completely fogged up glasses.

Since then, I've experienced similarly stormy days, and two years ago I completed a Biathlon mass start in the rain.  I used to complain about the weather before realizing that, damn, I can't do anything about it!  Consequently, what good is it to complain when all this does is further exacerbate the one's dark mood?  Something else that helped was watched the World Cup races.  Years ago I saw Helena Ekholm shoot perfect in crazy foggy conditions during a race.  Of course Oberhof is also notorious for their terrible weather.  If you don't believe me, watch some of the races and you will see athletes struggling in fog, rain, and terribly course conditions. Strangely, the Oberhof fans seem to be the most ardent out there!

Anyway, watching the gods of Biathlon battle it out in wretched conditions instilled within me a more sincere appreciation for the focus, determination, and resilience it takes to weather the weather.  No one likes to be out in the nastiness, but we still have to do whatever we can under the circumstances. Durchalten.

Like many Biathlon fans, I was totally crushed today to discover the women's individual race in Östersund had been cancelled due to high winds and sleet.  It wasn't just that I was looking forward to watching this race all day long, faithfully avoiding any websites or social media sites where the results might be spoiled.  More so, this tragedy brought to the fore the fragility of Biathlon, and any other sport dependent upon the weather.

Due to a lack of precipitation on the West Coast (often called the Wet Coast), Whistler Olympic Park has been closed; the opening weekend at Mt Washington (my local mountain) has also been delayed. What does this mean?  Well, it means not only will I not be able to train on snow before the first BC Cup Biathlon race in Whistler, but further, the only competition I can afford to get to might be cancelled altogether!  Unlike last year's World Cup Biathlon competition in Annecy le Grand Bornand, there is no possibility of relocating a humble BC Cup to another location with snow.

What now?  What indeed?  What do you do when you plan for an entire year to race, spend thousands of dollars on equipment, make other sacrifices, only to discover that the only competition available to you is cancelled?  Well, you ask yourself some hard questions.

The existential crisis that results from such a Biathlon-related trauma causes one to question the very foundation of their life - whether such a life has meaning, purpose or value.  Why not walk down the street and grab a six pack of beer?  Why not take up a cheaper sport and save thousands of dollars? Why not stop torturing myself with these relentless trials of the soul?

Ah, I wish it were as easy as drinking several pints of beer and then going to the store in the morning and buying a squash racquet.  It's not that easy; in fact, it's not an option at all.  (Firstly, anyone who drops Biathlon to play squash is a borderline psychopath).  During such challenging times, one's love is truly tested.  Many relationships end at the first sign of trouble, or when someone more attractive comes along. If that relationship is based on anything less than love, it is only a matter of time before a fateful trial will undo the so-called love.

When I first saw that newspaper photograph of Ole Einar years ago, my imagination was captured. When I first shot a Biathlon rifle, there was no turning back.  Since then, I've found myself wishing the path were easier.  I wish Biathlon were cheaper; I wish I could race every weekend, and I wish the wankers at Biathlon BC didn't do such a fine job of killing the sport.  However, I'm in it now, and truly believe this is the best sport in the world.

No one said life was going to be easy, and Biathlon is no exception.  There will always be steep hills to climb, time spent in the penalty loop, and a myriad of logistical set-backs.  However, there will also always be Biathletes who rise above these set-backs to provide shining examples of what makes this sport truly great.  And there will be moments when we, too, will experience the things that brought us to the sport - a great shooting score, obtaining a new top race result, or skiing on those dreamlike, sunny days.

Maybe I no longer have a competition to look forward to this year, but I'm still going to go out and put in 20 km of roller skiing tonight by headlamp, and when I get back I'll put in some time completing my scheduled dry fire practice session.  Tomorrow, with any luck, the bloody hurricane in Östersund will have found something better to do and we'll be treated to not one, but two fine races.

A shot from the top of the Far East trail at Mt Washington.  I just had to include this to remind myself

what I look forward to.  Never lose the vision; never lose the dream.

Pre-competition Phase - Physical Training

Spring and Summer are a distant, happy blur, but now the leaves have changed colour and fallen from the trees in a rain of red and gold.  Hopefully you've enjoyed some productive training over the warm months - long bike rides in the country, trail running, or overnight hiking trips.  Hopefully you've also been doing a lot of dry firing so that taking your rifle off your back has become a fluid motion, and you have become more and more conscious of your breathing during shooting.  Maybe all of those lower intensity, long workouts have made you impatient, and you are now curious to test how fit you really are.  It's now time to enter the next part of your Biathlon training journey: the Pre-competition Phase.

The Preparation Phase is characterized by the development of strength and a high volume of lower intensity cardiovascular exercise.  Hopefully this phase has also allowed you to get a sense of how much time you can actually devote to training, and to develop a regular weekly schedule.  This is the phase that sets the groundwork for the more intense training in the Pre-competition Phase.

The Pre-competition Phase is characterized by higher intensity and more sport specific exercises. Ideally you have access to roller skis.  If you do, most of your cardio training should be done on roller skis, and all of your high intensity workouts should be on roller skis.  If you do not have roller skis, than ski striding with poles is the next most desirable activity.

Strength

With strength, the emphasis is also more on power.  This means that instead of completing an exercise for 10-12 repetitions, you will increase the weight so that you are only able to complete 5-8 repetitions. Because it is not advisable to jump into a strength program and start lifting heavy weight, it is important that you are not only familiar with the exercise, but also your body is used to completing the exercise. In the Preparation Phase, you have hopefully developed this physical and mental familiarity, and are ready to challenge your body further.

As always, focus on whole body exercises such as the bench press, the squat or leg press, and the lat pull down.  It goes without saying that a focus on core strength should also be primary with every strength workout.  One of my favourite exercises is the straight arm pull down, as I feel this develops those muscles that are critical to poling strength.  This exercise can be completed with the machine shown in the video, or with resistance bands:

You can complete this great exercise with a focus on power by using a weight that only enables you to complete 5-8 repetitions.  However, I also like to transform this exercise into a strength-endurance exercise by completing many back-to-back sets with minimal rest.  For example, I will start with a warm-up set of 15 repetitions.  I will then increase the weight and then complete another 15 repetitions. I will keep on increasing the weight until I can only complete 5 repetitions, and then will work backwards by decreasing the weight every set.  The less of a break you take between sets, the more you develop muscular endurance, which is essential to Biathlon and cross country skiing.  To make this exercise even more challenging and sport-specific, one can complete the straight arm pull down while standing on a bosu ball:

Cardiovascular Training

With your aerobic workouts, you will want to maintain your base fitness by continuing to do longer, less intense cardio sessions where your heart rate is in the 55-70% range.  However, in the Pre-competition Phase you will want to introduce more and more physical challenge through speed work and intervals.  That is, you will want your mind and body to know what it means to work very hard, and you will also want to learn how to complete sport-specific motions quickly and with maximum attention to correct form.  

One way to complete your intervals is with ski striding.  If possible, find terrain that is hilly, and also in an environment that is safe and where you will not be interrupted.  After a warm-up of 10-20 minutes, include ski striding sprints up a hill as fast as possible.  At first, maybe 10 seconds of sprinting in this form may be challenging.  That's okay!  It is not where you start, but how you develop that is important.  After a sprint, take a rest of at least one 1-3 minutes.  Maybe in the beginning you will want to alternate a ten second sprint with a one minute rest.  By "rest" I mean you will continue ski striding, but at a slow pace.  

There are many different variations in interval workouts that you can complete by adjusting the period that you sprint for, the period you "rest" for, and how many interval sessions you complete.  Your workouts can also be adjusted by using hills, or completing your sprints on flat ground.

Attempt to create order for your workouts by creating a steady progression where the first and second week are increasingly more challenging, the third week is the most challenging, and the fourth week is the least challenging.  Your first week may include a 10-30 minute warm-up, 10 sprint intervals, and a 10-20 minute cool down.  Your most difficult week may include the same workout, but with your sprint periods lasting several minutes instead of 10 seconds.

Roller Skis

Roller skis are the best way to complete your workouts during the Pre-competition Phase.  Cross country skiing places unique demands on your cardio-pulmonary system in that many different muscles are demanding blood and oxygen all at once.  If you do most of your training with cycling, which uses 40% of your total muscle mass, or running, which uses around 60% of your total muscle mass, you will be very ill-prepared for cross country skiing, which uses over 80% of your total muscle mass. Therefore, ski striding and roller skiing should be your primary forms of exercise during the Pre-competition Phase.

All roller ski sessions should begin with a 10-30 minute warm-up.  As a general rule, the longer your exercise sessions are, the longer your warm-ups and cool-downs should be.  The purpose of a warm-up is not only to supply blood to the muscles you will use and warm up your joints, but also to get you in the mood for your workout.  This means that during a warm-up, you should be thinking about what your goals are.  Do NOT think things like, it's cold out or I'm tired.  Be present in every single workout you do and you will achieve maximum results.  Go through the structure of your workout in your head:  I will start with a warm-up, then focus on poling for ten minutes, and then focus on balance for ten minutes, etc.  Pay close attention to your form and your balance.  Are you planting your poles in the correct position?  Are you landing on a flat roller ski?  Are you pushing off with the full range of motion?  Are you gliding as long as possible?  How is your breathing?  Do you have any aches and pains that you should attend to with focused stretching afterwards?  

There are many important things you should be thinking about during a training session, and negative self-talk is not one of the things that will make you a better Biathlete.  

Stay positive, give yourself constructive feedback you can work with, and be present!  

While ski striding is a great off season training method, roller skiing is the most sport-specific exercise you can do without actually being on snow!  With roller skiing, you can work on balance and double poling in a way you cannot with ski striding.  You can practice proper weight shift, cornering while descending, and many other techniques that will be useful to you in your Biathlon races.

If you have a heart rate monitor, your heart rate should be in the 80% HR max and above during the sprint periods.  However, these workouts can still be completed without a heart rate monitor by using rate of perceived exertion.

How should you feel during these sprint periods?  According to the rating in the link above for the Borg scale, you should rate your exertion between 15 and 16.  Your breath will be quite laboured, your muscles will feel the discomfort of the effort, however this will be a pace you will be able to maintain for 30 minutes.  If the effort is too easy, you will not obtain the full benefits of these interval sessions; if the effort is too difficult, you may not be able to recover in time for the next sprint period.

It may take you some time to figure out how to rate your effort, but this is okay!  In fact, it is very important!  Why?  Because during a race, you should always know how much more you have to give. You do not want to go so hard during the start of a race that you "blow up" and are unable to finish, or you slow down dramatically.  For Biathlon, it is especially important because you want to know how hard you can exert yourself while still shooting accurately.  For example, if you know you've come into the range too hard during a race, you can take an extra couple of seconds to reach a point of steadiness where you can shoot accurately.  I will discuss this in more detail during on the Pre-competition Shooting post.

Some other points to remember:

• The focus should always be on correct form
• Monitor and keep track of how you feel in a workout diary or journal.  Hopefully you will notice that you continue to feel better and better!
• Take time to rest if you need it!  Training too hard will burn you out, compromise your form, and will not optimally prepare you for the race season.  Train smarter, not harder.

Alright, now it's time for me to hit the range for some shooting practice, but I'll leave you with a great shot of Veronika Vítková from Östersund where she was practising with her team for today's mixed relay.  I can't wait to get home and watch this race!

Core Strength

When I first started studying to be a personal trainer in the 1990s, core exercises were always something you did at the end of your workout.  The logic behind this was that if you did core exercises in the middle of your workout, there was a risk that you might fatigue those very muscles that you required for stabilization during heavy lifts, and this would be a safety issue.

Fast forward almost 20 years and fitness theory has gone through many exciting developments.  Today's training sessions focus on a synergistic approach - that is, an approach that includes various muscle groups working together.  In light of this new focus, it is now quite common to see people combining core exercises with other exercises - for example, doing a dumb bell bench press on a Swiss ball, or one-legged deltoid flies.  I think this change of focus is a great leap towards more functional fitness.  If our muscles do not work in isolation during "real" activities (yard work, sports, etc), than why would we train them in isolation?

As a result of the new focus on core strength, there are now a myriad of examples to be found on the Internet and elsewhere concerning how to strengthen your core.  Needless to say, core strength is critical to Nordic sports such as Biathlon - not just for the generation of powerful movements, but also for good execution of technique.  Now let me expand a bit on the core, and core strength.

Firstly, let's talk about what is meant by "the core".  The core consists of many different muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis, and shoulder girdle in order to create a solid base of support.  These muscles are great at helping you maintain a stable position, or to transfer energy.  Push ups are not really considered your traditional core exercise, yet it is exactly these muscles that you engage in order to help you perform a rigid body position as you are pushing with your arms.  There are also many sports that require strong core muscles in order to transfer energy, usually through a twisting motion: golf, hockey, racquet sports, and cross country skiing to name a few.

Many people think that core muscles include only those in their stomach region:

However, there are actually about 29 muscles that comprise the "core", and are also located in your lower back and hips.

Just as with other exercises, it is best to train core muscles as a dynamic motion that mimics real-world activities as opposed to a static, isolated exercise.  For example, instead of solely relying on crunches, there is another exercise that I think is totally applicable to Biathlon, called "the wood chopper":

If you do not have access to the equipment shown in the picture, you can also use exercise bands attached to trees or indoor structures to create resistance.  I think an exercise such as the wood chopper is great for transferring energy in cross country skiing, especially in the offset poling technique.

Another great alternative to traditional sit-ups or crunches is the plank.  The plank is an isometric exercise, that is, one that makes us stronger without movement or change to the joint angle.  I think this is a great exercise as it is useful to maintain correct posture during the standing shoot.  Here are some examples of the plank (standard and side plank):

These exercises can be done for any length of time, from 10 seconds to a few minutes.  Although they can be completed at the end of your normal workout session, I sometimes make a point of doing core exercises between strength sets in order to introduce an aerobic challenge to my workouts.  As with all exercises, focus on good form above all else, and with this that includes a straight back.  This is directly transferable to the standing shoot in Biathlon, where maintaining an unwavering skeletal structure is far more desirable than using weary muscles to steady your position.

With a powerful base of central sport we are not only able to generate the power needed for many sport-specific motions but this strength can also help us to avoid injury.  In fact, my thoughts on strength training in general is that it helps to stabilize joints and the spine in order to help us to avoid injury!

The development of core strength, like the development of strength in general, should not be an afterthought in one's Nordic training.  Just because Nordic sports are most strongly perceived as aerobic activities does not mean that strength is not important, or can be ignored.  I promise that if you pay close attention to the development of your core strength, it will have a surprisingly positive effect upon your season.

Happy training!

Preparation Phase - Shooting

During the different phases of training, shooting often runs parallel to physical training in its scope. That is, in the off season when physical training is more general and less intense, the training one does for shooting is also less intense and general.  In other words, during the Preparation Phase of Biathlon, the athlete should focus on marksmanship and the general principles of shooting. Focus on higher intensity combination training later in the season.

For the novice Biathlete, aim to spend about three months in the Preparation Phase, focusing specifically on the fundamentals of precision shooting.  Usually this would mean that from May to July inclusive, you are doing your most amount of dry firing, and your time at the range does not involve any kind of physical or psychological stress.

Now, where to start.  You should begin by obtaining a rifle and having a qualified individual ensure that it is fit specifically for you.  It will be difficult to excel in shooting if you do not have regular access to a rifle, or if it is not properly fit for you.  With access to your own rifle, you will be able to practise dry firing on a regular basis at home.

For the beginning athlete, here are some annual guidelines you should aim for:

• +/- 4000 rounds
• 40 hours of dry firing (dry firing sessions can be as brief as ten minutes)
• 30-50 hours of shooting

There are many different aspects to shooting, and thankfully many of these principles are applicable across different disciplines of shooting.  For example, aspects such as sight picture and natural alignment.  For you, this is a good thing because it means if you do not have access to a Biathlon coach, you will still be able to develop a sound skill set by studying under other trained marksmanship instructors.  In no order, here are some basic skills you need to develop as a novice Biathlete:

• Sight picture (concentric rings; what you need to see before you pull the trigger)
• Prone position (more stable than standing and thus easier for many to learn)
• Breath control (even more important for Biathlon than other disciplines)
• Trigger control (as little pressure as possible; be consistent!)
• Aiming process (sometimes called target acquisition)
• Natural alignment (rigid muscles + uncomfortable position = missed shots!)
• Concentration

I honestly believe that Biathlon training should begin in the summer, and/or in an environment where there are as few distractions as possible.  This way, you can focus on learning how to shoot instead of, let's say, freezing your butt off outside in -20 weather!  With the many technical and mental aspects of shooting, the athlete must pay close attention in order to acquire the skills which equate to success.

You may ask why one should start with precision shooting - something that doesn't involve any physical duress - when Biathlon is all about shooting under duress?  The reason is simple:  if you do not have an awareness and command of sound shooting principles when you are in a calm, focused environment, I guarantee you that you will most definitely not have these skills when your heart rate is at 150, your muscles are shaking, and your competitors are skiing and shooting all about you! Therefore, get the basics down in the Preparation Phase before you move on!

Now I will provide some more information on the fine points I mentioned in the list above.

Sight picture:  This is what you see; it's that simple.  If you do not know what a good sight picture looks like, you are doomed, so let's see what a good sight picture looks like - what you see when looking through the sights of a Biathlon rifle:

This is what is meant by concentric rings: the rings created by the target, the front sight, and the rear sight.  There is ample opportunity to misalign these rings.  Maybe the target is perfectly aligned with the front sight, but you will still miss if the front sight is misaligned with the rear sight.  I would know because I make this mistake all the time!  I get caught up in the heat of the moment, I'm all excited, and I forget to check my sight picture.  Please don't do this.  Making sure you have a good sight picture only takes a second, and is much less painful then skiing the 150 metre penalty loop.

Prone position:  Despite the prone target being much smaller, about the size of a golf ball, this position is usually easier because you have much more body contact with the ground - creating a firm base of support.  When you come in to shoot in a race, make sure to take the time to set up this position because ideally, you will not have to make any adjustments once you are in it.  Here is what the prone position looks like:

That is, this is what it would look like for a right-handed person.  If you are left handed, it is the exact opposite.  You may wonder why the athlete faces the target at an angle.  I was thinking about this the other day at the range and it is like this.  Because one of your elbows will be behind the other because of how/where you hold the rifle, you must consequently angle your body in order to create a straight, relaxed spine.  Relaxed is the key word!  If there is any unnecessary tension in your body, it will result in pushing or pulling the rifle off target at the crucial moment.  The best way to check natural alignment is to get into position, line up for your shot, look through your sight, and take a couple of breaths.  Now, close your eyes and take a few breaths.  Open your eyes and look through your sights again.  If you are off target, this means that you were not in the most ideal position, that is, naturally aligned with the target.

Breath control:  During practice and when you are not under physical stress, I find that it is quite easy to forget about my breathing.  I will hold my breath as I am acquiring a good sight picture.  Frequently this works and I am able to hit the target.  However, the cold reality is that you will not be able to do this during a race!  In a race, your body will be screaming for air, and if you hold your breath, your body will start shaking and you will miss your shot.  Thus, practice breathing in, breathing out, coming on to your target, and holding this position for no longer than two seconds.  If you do not see a good sight picture within that two seconds, let your breath out and start the cycle again.  Breath in, breath out, breath in, and then let your breath out half way before holding it.  At this point you should see the target come into perfect view.  Here's some hard evidence of how this works.  When I was at the range last week, I fired off some rounds and was mindful only to hold my breath for no longer than two seconds, even though I was at rest.  Here is what my target looked like:

I was pretty excited by this, as really, I'm not the best shooter.  Amped up over this good shooting, I decided to shoot again.  I knew I could do an even better job and so decided to take my time.  Alas, this meant I was holding my breath for much longer, maybe 4-6 seconds per shot.  Even though I was under no physical stress, my shooting was much worse.  Specifically, my shots were strung out from left to right instead of being in the tight cluster seen above?  You know why?  It's because as I held my rifle and my breath for too long, my rifle started to waver left to right, which is what it does when hooked into your arm band with your sling.  Now, had this been a race, I probably would have missed all my targets by taking so long.  And so, my advice to you is ensure you do not hold your breath for longer than two seconds, even in practice! If you have not achieved a good sight picture that you would feel confident shooting at within two seconds, exhale and start the process again.

Trigger Control: A biathlon trigger should be set to no less than 500 grams of pressure.  This is a lot heavier than the trigger on many precision shooting firearms, and most likely this is because you don't accidentally want that trigger going off because you couldn't feel it through thick gloves!  On this note, try to practice shooting in the gloves you compete in as often as possible!  Get used to how the trigger feels through gloves.  If you practice with bare hands all the time, you will develop an incorrect feel for the trigger.  Practice dry firing with your specific rifle.  Get a sense for how much pressure it takes before the rifle fires.  To do this, practice graduated pressure.  That is, apply 10% pressure, then 20% pressure, and so on all the way up to the point that the rifle fires.  If you practise this enough times, your sense of how much pressure your trigger takes to engage will get better and better.  If you are at a competition and the weather has suddenly turned much colder or warmer and you must use different gloves, practise dry firing with the gloves you will be using in competition.  As far as pressure goes, you should only apply as much pressure as you need to make the rifle fire and no more!  After the rifle fires, you should in fact still be able to move the trigger back even more.  If you can't that means you applied too much pressure.  Trigger control is important in the same way that shutter control is in photography.  Both of these will create movement, and so the less pressure you exert and the more controlled you are, the more clear your shot will be.

Concentration:  Above, I talked about trigger control.  Your emotions could have a negative effect upon trigger control, causing you to jerk the rifle and move your shot off target.  If you are excited or angry, this may cause you to exert too much pressure on your trigger; additionally, if a competitor suddenly comes in to the shooting mat next to you, you may jerk the trigger by surprise and cause a missed shot.  It is great to be in touch with your emotions, but when you are on the shooting mat, you want to forget that you ever had emotions.  Maybe your joy or anger will help you get up the steep hills on the race course, but Biathlon consists of two disciplines.  When you come in from the course and settle on the mat, you must shift your mind.  The athletes who can do this the best are the most successful.  Period.  On the shooting mat, you are neither happy or sad, nervous or angry.  You cannot think of anything else - the fight you had with your boyfriend/girlfriend, the cold weather, the pain in your lower back.  You cannot think or feel anything.  If you think or feel anything, you will miss your shot.  Some say that shooting is 90% mental and I think this is true.  I also say it is like a form of meditation, and teaches you how to control your thoughts and emotions.  In a world that tells you that you must multi-task in order to be productive, shooting is one of the few activities where your full and undivided attention is absolutely mandatory.

In many movies, you see actors full of rage who are shooting and they somehow manage to hit their mark.  This is garbage.  Anger, just like any other emotion, will cause you to miss your mark.  If you must take any lessons from movies, remember Luke Skywalker and the focus he must use to raise his fighter jet from the swamp, or to defeat Darth Vader.  Ah, you laugh, but it's true!  And this is yet another reason why I think Biathlon is the best sport in the world - because it teaches you control and focus.

Remember this every time you pick up your rifle to practice and you will learn fast, and you will learn well.

Taking the show on the road

This weekend I made the trip from Vancouver Island over to Seattle to attend a reading of William D. Frank's new book, Everyone to Skis!, which pertains to the history of Biathlon in the Soviet Union.  While I haven't delved into it yet as I just got my mitts on it, I have been enjoying E. John B. Allen's book, The Sport and Culture of Skiing.  The history of skiing, and looking at history through the lens of sport, is fascinating, and I would recommend either of these books to anyone interested in skiing.  If anything, it provides profound insight into how the sport developed in certain countries, which in turn helps one to understand the state of the sport in that country today.  For example, if you ever found yourself wondering why Biathlon or cross country skiing is more popular in a country like Norway more so than Switzerland, these books would aptly answer the question.

Anyway, so that is some background as to why I was in Seattle.  However, being November, I didn't want to jeopardize my training, and so decided to attend the local YMCA for some workouts, cardio sessions, and post-workout relaxation sessions in the Sauna. (aka: the Finnish Embassy).  While there, I spent a lot of time thinking about being away from and attempting to develop or maintain fitness.  When you are in home territory, you know where all the good runs are, where all the necessary equipment is at the local gym, and where to get just the right foods before or after your workout.  However, what if you are on the road?  

While one option may be just to "let it slide" for a few days or a few weeks, anyone who has worked hard at reaching a certain point in their training will be loathe to let that hard work drift out the window.  Therefore, if you are keen to keep your training on track, I have one valuable piece of advice: make a plan and stick with it!

Unless you are going to the moon, there is always something you can do where you're going.  

• Plan ahead.  Spend some time on the Internet researching where the fitness centres are, what the hours are, and how to get there from where you're staying.
• If you will be visiting friends or family, let them know before you go that training is very important to you, and that you will be making time to keep up with this training.
• Contact local running stores or bike stores in the city you will be visiting and enquire into running and cycling groups, or routes that are popular.
• There are always body weight exercises!  This includes push ups, sit ups, lunges, etc.  For skiing, there are also balancing exercises that can be done anywhere - in a room at wait, waiting for the bus, etc.  Look for natural features in the environment where you can perform "ghetto workouts." Tree branches and the overhangs of buildings provide great places for chin ups, while some features in playgrounds, such as monkey bars, can also work for triceps dips.

With a little bit of planning, imagination, and determination, you can make some kind of training session work no matter where you go.  Heck, trying new exercises or new fitness centres might even revitalize your determination to train hard!

Another great reason to own your own Biathlon rifle is that you can often bring it with you and fit in some quick dry firing sessions every day.  All it takes is ten minutes a day!  This Christmas I'll be going home to Alberta to visit some family.  After some contact with the local club, the Edmonton Nordic Ski Club, one of the coaches named Alan Ball invited me to train with their athletes!  Yes, he insisted I bring my skis and rifle to Alberta so that I could train with them. 

Holidays and vacations are a great test of your determination.  While some will take any excuse to drop their training plans like a bad date, the truly focused athletes out there will find some way to stay active.  Even going for a long walk  or doing some sprints up a hill, going for an evening swim at the local pool - anything is better than just sitting there in front of the television for a few days or few weeks!

Most cities I've been to have some kind of recreation available - whether it's indoor fitness facilities or opportunities for hiking, biking, etc.  And if you really are in such a rural area that nothing is available, than there's a probably lots of opportunity to do some farm work!  Whatever you do, don't forget the work you've put into your training.  Training isn't about doing something once in awhile - it's about what you do regularly.  Sometimes you might not feel like doing all of your workout, or you have to modify your plan for whatever reason, but as long as you're doing something, you'll cut your losses and stay as close to the path to victory as possible.

Roller skiing

While it is possible to develop cardiovascular capacity doing such activities as cycling or swimming, there comes a time in the season when one must direct one's attention towards sport-specific training sessions.  This not only prepares the body for the physical demands unique to cross country skiing and Biathlon,  but also helps to hone the technical abilities that are so critical to success.

Here's a few photographs of me dodging peacocks and putting in time on the skis. Thankfully I've got a beautiful park right across the street where I can train, and thankfully I met the professional nature photographer, Gottfried Esch,  who was kind enough to send me these images. Vielen dank!

A little bit about me

Just in case anyone is wondering what my background is as it relates to Biathlon and fitness, I thought I'd supply a little bit of information about myself.

I first became interested in Biathlon around 2006 when I saw a photograph of Ole Einar Bjørndalen from the Torino Olympics in a newspaper article.  It was rare exposure for such a fringe sport (at least in Kanada), but as it turned out, a pivotal exposure.  From that moment, I thought Biathlon was the most wonderful sport in the world, and set out to find more about the sport and the people who participated in it.

After several years of following athletes like Michael Greis, Martina Glagow, and Andrea Henkel, a breakthrough opportunity presented itself to me.  My friend Joszef had obtained tickets for us to attend some Biathlon races at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver!  The experience was incredibly special, from camping out in the snow, to watching legends such as Bjørndalen and Magdalena Neuner ski past with immortal grace.

Shortly afterwards, I was able to try Biathlon shooting at the local range at Mt Washington. After this I was hooked.  I knew this was the sport for me, and set out to obtain my own Biathlon rifle and pursue training in this sport.   It wasn't an easy path.  From the time I set out getting my firearms licence, to waiting for a left-handed Anschütz to arrive in the mail, over a year had passed by.  While I could hone my marksmanship skills at Mt Washington, this was over 250 kilometres away.  It took me another few years to get a membership at the local gun club, which just happened this August.

During this time I had opportunities to serve on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver Island Biathlon Club, helping to set up races and programs.  After taking the entry level officials course through Biathlon Canada, I was also an official at several races, with my last officials opportunity being at the range at the Canadian and North American Championships this past March in Whistler.

I have also participated in several races, including BC Cup races. Two years ago I placed third at the provincials.  I can still remember my first race in Whistler.  I had no idea how bloody hard this sport was!  I don't think I was fit enough, and I was slaughtered on the hills.  When I came in to shoot, my mind was usurped and distracted by the pain my body was going through. However, I wouldn't be writing these words now if I didn't derive some sort of sadistic pleasure from the sport!  Shooting underneath the Olympic rings thrilled me to no end, and anyone who has ever shot at Biathlon targets will know what I'm talking about when I say it's a great feeling to hear that sound made when you hit the target bang on.  It's the best sound in the world!  I also cannot even begin to describe the feeling of hitting all five targets in a shooting bout, thus being able to ski right past the penalty loop with a confident smile.  These pleasures keep me alive and looking forward to my next race.

Living on Vancouver Island, racing is really hard.  It costs hundreds of dollars just to attend one race weekend because one requires a ferry to get off the Vancouver Island.  After this, one must then drive hundreds of kilometres to the race venues.  Sometimes I wonder why I spend so much time and money on a sport I can only participate in a couple of times a year?  But the answer to that question is clear - it's love.  I love this sport more than anything else, and it really is more than just about racing.  It's about training regularly, making improvements and breakthroughs, meeting other Biathlon fans from around the world, and being part of this small but passionate community.

This past February I went to the World Championships in Nové Město na Moravě with my good friend, Franz.  Compared to being at the Olympics, I enjoyed these Championships much more. I think this was because my participation in the sport gave me a much deeper understanding of what was happening during the races, and also an appreciation for how much work athletes must put in to making it to a World Cup race, let alone getting on the podium.  I could write about my experience in Nové Město na Moravě for days, but maybe I will save that for another time.

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As far as my specific credentials in sport and Biathlon go, here's a little breakdown.  I have taken courses in fitness theory, strength training, and personal training through BCRPA, which is the governing body for personal trainers in British Columbia, Canada.  As mentioned above, I have also taken the entry level officials course through Biathlon Canada, volunteering at several races over the past few years, from Cadet races to the National Championships.
As well, I have completed my coaching certification through Biathlon Canada up to level 2, which is now called Introduction to Competition.  I thought I would include scans of my transcripts just so you believe me ;)

And this is a brief description of my involvement with Biathlon! I have always had a hard time finding information about the sport, but have been fortunate to meet people who have shared their knowledge with me.  I would especially like to thank Pat Douglas, who taught me about Biathlon shooting.  I would also like to thank her son, Philip Douglas, who loaned me his rifle for my very first race.  Without these two people I might not be here writing these words.

The whole purpose of this website is to pass on the humble amount that I know about the best sport in the world.  It is my goal to inspire others, and to offer a one stop source for information that may just answer some burning questions.  If you would like to share your experiences with me, or offer some information to add to this blog, please write me at waldverloren@gmail.com.  

Thank you!

The infamous Norbert and I at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Gabriela Soukalova in Nove Mesto.  It was great seeing the

legends of Biathlon zoom past so close!

Terje Bøe's victory in the men's mass start in Nove Mesto was amazing 

to witness first hand.  I'll never forget these Championships.