A: Stretching is probably the most important thing to do throughout the season. Again, low back, hamstring, and quad mobilization can help you to enjoy a long and healthy ski season. A short core session 2-3 times per week can also be really helpful to keep the core engaged throughout its full range.
Early morning training session with only the best.
Good luck this season!
A: I can't tell you how many people end their ski season in November or December after injuring the Anterior Cruciate Ligament of their knee. ACL injuries typically occur after an athlete gets into a position where their body weight is behind their feet. The core is at a serious disadvantage in this position and the athlete then struggles to keep the feet under the center of mass. The weight of the body rotates around the lower body, resulting in a twisting force across one of the knees. The all too familiar "pop" that is experienced in the knee at this time is almost always the result of a complete tear of the ACL. This season ending injury is a guarantee for a great snow year.
As medical director of Team Summit, Dr. Dorf and his team of athletic trainers and physical therapists have recently completed the Fit For Duty physicals for Team Summits coaches. VSO is looking forward to a safe season with Team Summit Colorado. Good luck to all the athletes and have fun out there!
Dr. Dorf-Team Summit Medical Director
A special thank you to the ATCs and physical therapists who helped with the evaluations. You guys are awesome!
A: There are really three reasons to put some time in now in preparation for the ski season.
First and foremost, injury prevention. There is nothing worse than getting really excited for a big season, and then having an early season injury change your plans. The only way to guarantee a big snow year is to have an early season injury that keeps you from enjoying the winter.
Secondly, all the time you put into your ski fitness now will make your enjoyment of the early season so much better. The slopes are frequently crowed and the conditions sub-optimal so the more on the ball you can be the better.
The third important reason to prepare for the upcoming season is so that you can maximize your improvement over the winter. If you spend half of the season fighting for your fitness, that only allows you another half of a season to take advantage of this fitness to make significant strides in your technique. I have been skiing for 47 years now, and I am continually trying to get better, or at least, not get much worse!
A: Because much of what we do during the summer is straight ahead, with an emphasis on endurance and putting one foot (or pedal) in front of the other for hours at a time, we need to diversify our movement patterns. So in addition to doing specific core work (look on YouTube to see Lindsey Vonn's core workouts), agility work that includes side-to-side exercises, short sprints, trail running, or again a ski conditioning class at one of our local gyms is critical. We should also be thinking about specific stretching exercises to address tightness in areas like the hip flexors, low back, and glutes.
We are looking forward to another great season with Team Summit.
As the summer wraps up and winter is right around the corner we need to direct our training toward more ski specific exercises.
Here are some great ideas from Alex Bunt, Lindsey Vonn's strength and conditioning coach: https://www.skiracing.com/premium/the-bunt-effect
Enjoy the fall riding and hiking, but begin adding more of Bunts routines to your routine!
One simple way to do this is to combine a strength routine, a hike, or a bike with some balance exercises at the end of your workout.
Huge congratulations to Mack Dorf (2nd) and Ian Rogers (1st) from Vail, both placing in the Sundance Canyon Road Race in Boulder.
