Morgan Arritola - US Ski Team's Continental Cup Team - and USST CC team coach Pat Casey working the Aves in Salt Lake City.  This is some steep terrain at around 4700-5000ft.  (Both Team Today and the USST very strongly recommend helmet use for all athletes and coaches at all times - even on this extremely low traffic road.)

Morgan, Liz Stephen (also a member of the CC team) and Ida Sargent all did threshold intervals today up this very steep grade.  Liz, Morgan and Ida are training here in town for the next month and a half and will be joined by two more up and coming young women racers next week.

USST World Cup Team Member Andrew Johnson was also doing his above threshold workout here (see workout details below).  Casey Simons of the University of Utah Ski team and his coach Eli Brown were also doing some hard skating up this hill.  Zach Simon's too was doing threshold intervals here today.

In another part of the city Torin Koos was defending his title in a local triathlon (no word yet on the results).

The key to these workouts has been control.  Every workout has a goal and accomplishing THAT SPECIFIC goal is how the success of the workout is measured.

For Morgan, Liz, Ida and Zach the goal was to stay at threshold - lactate at 4mmol.  For AJ the goal was to hit a specific pace just over theshold - lactate at 5 to 7mmol.  In all cases each athlete also worked on a specific aspect of technique.

Andrew's am workout:

6 x 4min steep striding on rollerskis, lactate 5-7mmol, HR 165 - 175.  Set the kick hard on every kick, use the core/back/arms/bodyweight by getting over the poles with the upper body.

Andrew's pm workout:

strength training: plyos emphasising quickness, continued gradual build of weight in several lifts.

Andrew's Sunday workout (this week):

Long road ride, lactate around 1mmol (easy pace, long duration).  Last weekend it was a long double pole - the pace goal was the same however (low-end aerobic work).  AJ has learned to ski with excellent technique at low intensities (this was a specific goal).

This week and last week AJ has done three intensity workouts (3 x 10mins skate, 6 x 4mins doublepole, 6 x 4mins classical), three strength workouts and 5 distance/overdistance workouts.

To make improvements set goals, be very specific about those goals, accomplish those specific goals.  Simple.

(Photo by Eli Brown.  Thanks for the help again in this workout Eli and the great shot of Morgan and Pat with the city far below in the back ground.)