The Goal

The purpose of summer training is not to become fast in June. It is to build the aerobic engine that will allow you to ski fast in January, February, and March.

The athletes who make the biggest improvements are rarely the ones doing the hardest workouts. They are usually the ones who train consistently, week after week, for five months without major interruptions, injuries, or burnout.

Intensity Distribution

Approximately 85-90% of your summer training should be performed in Zone 1 and Zone 2.

This means:

  • Easy enough to hold a conversation
  • Easy enough that you could continue for a long time
  • Easy enough that you recover quickly and are ready to train again the next day

Most athletes already know how to suffer. What separates successful endurance athletes is their ability to accumulate large amounts of aerobic work.

Weekly Training Hours

Athlete LevelJuneJulyAugust
Development Athletes8-12 hours/week10-14 hours/week12-16 hours/week
Conference Scorers10-14 hours/week12-16 hours/week14-18 hours/week
National-Level Athletes12-16 hours/week14-18 hours/week16-20 hours/week

Remember that these are ranges, not requirements. Consistency matters more than hitting a specific number.

Recommended Intensity Breakdown

For a typical week:

  • Zone 1: 65-75%
  • Zone 2: 15-25%
  • Threshold / VO₂ / Speed Work: 10% or less

Example for a 14-hour week:

  • 9-10 hours Zone 1
  • 3-4 hours Zone 2
  • 1-1.5 hours higher intensity

What Counts as Aerobic Training?

  • Running
  • Rollerskiing
  • Hiking
  • Mountain biking
  • Road cycling
  • Ski walking
  • Long easy strength circuits
  • Swimming

If you can comfortably talk in full sentences, you're probably in the right place.

Hard Workouts

Most athletes should perform:

  • One threshold workout per week
  • One speed, hill sprint, or VO₂ workout per week

Everything else should support these sessions, not compromise them.

If every workout feels hard, you are likely training too hard.

Strength Training

Continue strength training throughout the summer.

Focus on:

  • General strength
  • Core stability
  • Single-leg balance
  • Pulling strength
  • Ski-specific movements

The goal is to build durability and injury resistance while gradually increasing ski-specific strength.

The Three Keys to Success

1. Consistency

A good week repeated twenty times beats a perfect week followed by injury or burnout.

2. Aerobic Volume

The largest gains in endurance performance come from accumulating months of aerobic training.

3. Recovery

Sleep, nutrition, hydration, and rest are part of training. Athletes who recover well improve faster.

Final Thoughts

Do not compare your training volume to someone else's.

Focus on:

  • Completing your planned training
  • Staying healthy
  • Being consistent
  • Gradually increasing volume
  • Arriving in November excited to ski

The athlete who trains consistently from June through November will almost always outperform the athlete who trains hard for a few weeks and then disappears.

Coach's Note: Make sure your Zone 1 and Zone 2 workouts are truly easy. If you turn every session into a moderate effort, you won't be rested enough to get the full benefit from your high-intensity days. Hard strength workouts can also be done on your interval days. The goal is polarized training: keep the easy days easy and the hard days hard.

Call or message me with any questions or suggestions.

Coach Martin Wiesiolek
Head Coach
Colorado Mesa University Cross Country Ski Team