ShareThisBased out of Alpine Meadows in the Tahoe, Calif., area, Leigh Pierini is the ski-training supervisor as well as the women's and steep camp coach. She also is a team member in the Professional Ski Instructors of America and a trainer for the North American Ski Training Center in Tahoe. Pierini, 40, offers these tips for training safely for ski season and staying injury-free on the slopes:-- Pre-workout routine: "Hot water, lemon juice and small Luna bar. Being a coffee drinker, I need to get my coffee going, so it is there for me after my workout, followed by some good pre-workout stretching."-- Morning or evening workouts? "I tend to perform better in the morning, but I squeak in an afternoon session twice a week. That's when my husband gets home and can watch the kids so I can have 'alone' workout time!"-- Typical off-season training week: "Monday: Stretch and strengthen -- using the exercise ball and weights for strengthening and yoga for stretching. Tuesday: 4- or 5-mile run. Wednesday: Cross training; for example: walking a slack line and wall sitting."Slack line: "Find two trees 20 to 30 feet apart and tightly string a 1-inch-wide piece of webbing 2 feet off the ground between them. Keep your eyes focused on one spot in front of you and slowly walk the length of the rope. Use ski poles for balance at first, but as your skills improve, get rid of the poles, and do a single-leg squat on each step. It is great for learning how to move dynamically and for challenging your balance."Wall sitting: "It makes you resist the force of your own body weight, which simulates what happens in certain parts of the turn while skiing. With your back against the wall, lower yourself down until your legs form a 90-degree angle. Try four sets of one-, two-, and three-minute intervals twice a week. Increase the duration of intervals as you gain strength."Thursday: 3-mile run. Friday: Rest day! Saturday: Ski conditioning class with Tahoe Outdoor Fitness. Sunday: Long run."-- Advice for novice skiers: "My best piece of advice comes from my favorite trainer, Robin Barnes of Tahoe Outdoor Fitness: 'There is a difference between being fit and being athletic. One may be very fit, but not necessarily athletic (sometimes the reverse is true also). To get a jump start on the ski season, we should train for both fitness and athleticism.'"In her fitness classes, we spend a lot of time moving on unstable surfaces, whether those are in the natural environment (trees, rocks, uneven surfaces, etc.) or stability balls, discs, etc., to develop our dynamic balance skills. We also do a good deal of agility, reaction and coordination drills."Not only do the activities get you better prepared for the ski season, but they ultimately help you move better through life. No matter what your ability level is on the slopes, think of yourself as a ski athlete."-- Favorite exercise to prep for the slopes: "I got this one from one of the best skiers of our time, Bode Miller. It's called Eccentric Loading: Walk Downhill: Fill a backpack with 20 to 30 pounds (9 to 13 kilograms) and walk or jog downhill to simulate skiing's eccentric loading (i.e., lengthening quadriceps muscles as you lower into a squatlike position). His coach, John McBride, says that this is the closest specific exercise you can do to skiing. You're moving both forward and laterally with increased force. Start with 30 minutes of downhill hiking once a week."-- Motivation on slothful days: "Exercising with friends is such a bonus, but this may not happen depending on the 'sloth' time. Having a schedule helps. Every now and then, I do give in and just turn the slothful day into a true rest day. My body may be telling me something."-- Favorite quick meal or snack? "Anytime snack double-fiber English muffins with peanut butter (crunchy!) and fresh berries of any sort. After a workout, my favorite drink is the Luna Recovery Smoothie -- strawberry banana is the yummiest!"-- Gadget you can't live without: "My Nike Heart Rate Monitor, specifically for women (smaller model; about $100)."-- Worst injury: "Luckily, my worst injury during training this season has been a badly sprained ankle. The recovery was full of rest, ice, compress, elevate (RICE); a supportive husband; and lots of water."(E-mail Sam McManis at smcmanis(at)sacbee.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Preparing for a season on the slopes
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