Dolomitenlauf
Austria's Largest Cross-Country Skiing Event
Hey there 👋🏼
Welcome to the Working Order newsletter, where I share a new adventure with you every week and explain how to prepare for it.
I’ve included the full conversation above, complete with audio and video. But if you prefer to keep things short and sweet, you can read my takeaways and summary, which cover the best parts.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
The adventure
For this episode, I sat down with Jenn Woltjen to chat about her love affair with cross-country skiing. Being from Kansas, I knew nothing about this winter sport. Typically, I chat with trail runners, cyclists, swimmers, and backpackers for Working Order. So, when I connected with Jenn and learned more about her sport of choice, I was thrilled to bring her on.
Originally from Norway, cross-country skiing was the predominant way to travel on snow. It was used by our ancestors for hunting and exploration. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that the first cross-country skiing became a sport. Today, it's a popular Olympic sport and common amongst winter sports enthusiasts.
Cross-country skiing is one of the best ways to get outside during the winter. It doesn't require a ski lift or even a mountain. If there's a decent amount of snow on the ground, you can partake. Following a big snowfall, it's not weird to see folks skiing through Central Park.
Cross-country skiing is also accessible for all fitness levels. Despite the claim that it's the toughest outdoor sport in the world, it's still accessible for all levels of fitness. Ask any seasoned cross-country skier, and they'll tell you that half the fun is simply being outside. Whether going for a 15-minute stroll through the snow or taking on a more challenging race like Jenn, cross-country skiing has something for everyone.
When I spoke with Jenn, she was preparing for the Dolomitenlauf, Austria's largest cross-country skiing event. I want to give a massive thank you to Jenn for educating me on her favorite winter sport. It was a pleasure hearing her story. Her growth mindset was clear from the beginning. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Key takeaways
1.) Growth mindset
It’s never too late to try something new. The key is to give it a go. You don’t need to be perfect or perform at an elite level. You're still learning, even if you’re only out there for 15 minutes.
2.) Enjoy the process
Just because the summit looks wonderful, you must still climb a mountain. Find a mountain you’re willing to climb. Commit to the process, not the finish line.
3.) Supplement your primary sport with similar activities.
Jenn uses running to support her cross-country skiing adventures. Trying new activities makes you a well-rounded athlete. You gain new perspectives and experiences.
We talked about
What she likes most about cross-country skiing
What is cross-country skiing?
The Dolomitenlauf, Austria’s largest cross-country skiing event
Why Jenn keeps pushing the envelope
How Jenn approaches training for cross-country skiing
Food as a means for recovery
How Jenn fuels during races
Lessons learned
Links and resources
A condensed written version of our chat is below. I’ve edited it for clarity and brevity.
The background
What Jenn likes about cross-country skiing
Jake: I like to start off with a quote. I found one on your Substack profile that stuck with me - Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Jenn: That's a perfect quote to start out with. As long as I can remember, I've always been a cross-country skier. I’ve always enjoyed skiing long distances and being out there in the elements. Sometimes people call me an endurance junkie. I like all endurance sports, not necessarily cross-country skiing, but long-distance running races. I enjoy the challenge, the preparation, the training, what you learn from the experience, and how you can push yourself.
What is cross-country skiing?
Jake: Can you provide some background on cross-country skiing because I know very little about it.
Jenn: Cross-country skiing is free-heeled skiing. Usually, you're on very skinny skis if you want to go fast. And you have a free heel, which gives you the striding motion. Or there's the skate skiing technique, which is very popular and more like ice skating. You are using your willpower and your own strength to move forward. You climb a lot in cross-country skiing. Downhill skiers usually just go down. So, in contrast, cross-country skiers do a lot of climbing. And that's what I like about it: it makes it more challenging.
The Dolomitenlauf, Austria’s largest cross-country skiing event
Jake: So, where are you heading in January? What’s this event in Austria?
Jenn: Dolomitenlauf is the largest cross-country skiing event in Austria. It’'s an unbelievable event. It’s in a valley, so it's not going to be extremely hilly or mountainous like if you were skiing in the Dolomites. I'm planning on doing the marathon length of 42 kilometers.
Why Jenn keeps pushing the envelope
Jake: What intrinsic motivator keeps pushing that limit for you?
Jenn: Well, I think it's a combination of my love of cross-country skiing and my love of endurance events. I love the challenge and the training. I love the process. And it makes me, I'm going to admit, feel younger. I don’t know how much longer I can do these events. I want to keep pushing myself. Plus, I get to visit new places and meet interesting people. It’s always an adventure. There's always something unexpected that happens, which is part of the adventure.
The training
How Jenn approaches training for cross-country skiing
Jake: How do you train for cross-country skiing?
Jenn: I’ve become a runner over the years. Running was sort of like a second love, which actually worked out really well. Running is something you can do year-round, unlike cross-country skiing. So, I’ll run through the winter if I can’t get out and ski. As I’m preparing for this event in Austria, I’m running three times a week. I’ll mix in shorter runs or speed work, but I really enjoy trail running. One of the things I do like to do when I'm out on the trails is use my trail running poles. It’s an excellent way to get your arms going for cross-country skiing.
Work on your balance
Jake: How important are single-leg movements?
Jenn: When you cross-country ski, you're skiing on one ski at a time. If you look at the technique and watch somebody ski, they're on one ski at a time, push off on it, and then go to the other ski. So, balance exercises are critical. And when I say balance, I mean something as simple as a single-leg deadlift or anything you can do on one leg. I have a Bozu ball in my basement so I'll do exercises on that.
The food & drink
Food as a means for recovery
Jake: From a nutritional standpoint, how do you prepare for a cross-country ski event?
Jenn: In general, when I’m training for a running race or a cross-country ski race, I focus on managing my macros. If I’m doing a lot of cardio, I’ll up my carbs. If I need more recovery, I’ll up my protein. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I need to build recovery in more. I plan my weekly training around my recovery, what I think I will need, and so forth. And I probably need at least one to two solid days of recovering, not doing cardiovascular work, maybe just one day of balance work. I have to pay attention to that because if I go out and I don't recover enough, and do a hard workout, I'm trashed. Nutrition is a big part of that.
How Jenn fuels during races
Jake: What about when you’re in the middle of a race?
Jenn: When it comes to race, it’s learning what your stomach can manage. It also depends on the length of the race. If a race is four hours long, I will need some sort of nutrition. In that instance, I usually rely on gels because they’re easy to take and use. Most races will provide fluids on the course, but I’ll also bring my own fuel. I’ve used Hammer Nutrition for years and still use it today.
Lessons Learned
You’re capable of more than you think
Jake: What have you learned about yourself from all your time training and competing in cross-country skiing?
Jenn: That I can do it. My first big race was 50km. I vividly remember this race because it was bitterly cold. It was zero degrees, but they decided to go ahead with it. I knew it would be a long day, but I survived. I was pretty trashed the next day, but I look back at it now and think, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’ It was such a huge accomplishment for me, and you’re wondering if you’ll ever do that again, but you always come back. You just keep challenging yourself because you meet this wonderful community, and its so inspiring. One of the reasons I’m doing this race in January is because I know a woman who is older than me, and she’s still doing all these races in Europe. I’m going, ‘Hey! If she can do it, I can do it!’”