Minnesota Valley Training

Minnesota Valley is a year round cross-country ski racing club.  Our training headquarters are Hyland Park in Bloomington, MN.  For Junior and Senior skiers we offer summer and fall training programs, a thanksgiving training camp, winter support help as well as a full time competition team.  For Masters we offer a year round and a fall training program.

Why Follow a Training Plan?
Minnesota Valley Interpretation of Training

The best way to have a successful ski season is to continue to work on your base endurance, ski technique and ski strength year-round through the use of a training plan.  Training plans operate as a road map for each skier to use in guiding them to their chosen destination, which is to be the best skier they can be.  Why think of a training plan as a road map?  The reason Minnesota Valley uses this analogy is twofold--1) a map is used to plan the best route to a destination; and 2) the map is then kept handy in case there is a need to alter the initial route to account for travel difficulties--bad roads or accidents--encountered enroute.  Similarly, the training plans are created as the best route available and are modified as the need arises to alter this initial route based on what is encountered in the skier's 'road'.  By using a training plan and consulting with a Minnesota Valley coach, this allows the skier to put themselves back on track as training difficulties--such as issues with family, school or issues with health, injury or sickness, are encountered.
 
 

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Why All These Training Plans?
Minnesota Valley Interpretation of Training

The reason for different training plans is quite simply because all skiers are different.  One size does not fit all skiers.  An interesting aspects of nordic skiing is that a person of almost every age and physical ability can participate in skiing.  Therefore, each skier has different overall athletic and skiing training bases, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.  While we present here our three basic training plans, the truth is that an individual training plan will be customized for each skier by one of our Minnesota Valley coaches to taking into account all we learn about the individual.
 
 

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What Are The Typical Training Considerations?
Minnesota Valley Interpretation of Training

The coaches will survey each athlete to learn their athletic backgrounds and their skiing goals.  Also, each athlete will be tested to learn their level of athletic and skiing abilities.  Only then will a training plan be developed in consultation with the athlete in order to explain and verify the understanding of each element of the training plan and how it is intended to meet the skiing goals for that athlete.  As for the considered items, they are each skier's overall athletic and skiing training bases, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and goals.  An individual training plan will be customized for each skier by one of our Minnesota Valley coaches to take these into account.  Also, the plan is a living document that will change based on feedback from the athlete to reflect the successes and difficulties each athlete experiences throughout the year.
 
 

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