Prepare your body and optimize your movements to fully enjoy each outing.
It is 7 a.m. The head group’s headlamps are already dancing far ahead on the trail. You, you’re at the back. Since the first third of the ascent, your quadriceps are burning. Already? With your mouth open, your breathing becomes labored. Your heart is pounding in your chest. The usual questions start to settle in: “Will I make it to the top or will I ruin everyone’s outing? And if I do, in what state will I find myself?”
This scene, I have lived it. I have especially seen and heard it, very often, among the practitioners I accompany. And each time, the diagnosis is similar. It’s not a problem with equipment (you’ll have to find another excuse to buy a new pair of skis). It’s not a “cardio” problem in the way it’s generally understood. It’s a problem of poorly targeted physical preparation and economy of movement.
The ascent on skins is not a classic endurance activity. It’s neither running nor cycling. It’s a prolonged, very muscular effort, at altitude, at a pace we don’t always decide. “Just running” or “just cycling” in the summer and fall is not enough to properly prepare for the season. Climbing better is not just about going faster. It’s being able to follow the group heading towards that race you dream of, without fearing the ascent. It’s reaching the summit with enough freshness to fully savor the descent. It’s recovering quickly enough to set off again the next day and make the most of the weather window. It’s also maintaining a safety margin when conditions change, the snowpack warms up, or the day lengthens. Ultimately, climbing better is mostly about enjoying the mountains more. The good news is that sticking your tongue out on the ascent is not a fatality. Behind this difficulty lie mechanisms that can be understood… and especially improved.
