In this episode of Race Ready, Andy and Brian dive into their top June training tips for skiers and biathletes, breaking down how to structure early-summer training for maximum long-term gains. From why May is best used as a soft ramp-up to the importance of “back-to-basics” technique work, they outline how athletes of all levels can set the tone for a successful season. You’ll hear how elite teams are using the post-spring window to reinforce foundational skills—like base shooting, ski walking, and technique-specific strength—before ramping up the intensity.

The duo also discuss how to progress your ski-specific interval training in June without burning out too soon. Andy shares his go-to session using one-pole roller ski intervals, and Brian breaks down the underrated power of no-pole skiing. They explore how neuromuscular adaptations require time, and why dialing in movement patterns now pays dividends by late summer. If you’re wondering when to start speed work, how to layer in cross-training like bounding, or why zone discipline becomes critical in June, this episode covers it all.

Finally, the conversation turns to roller ski safety, technique progression, and racing opportunities—including how roller ski events like Blink and USBA Summer Nationals build race-day sharpness and ski aggression. Whether you’re a junior, master, or elite skier, this episode is full of actionable advice to fine-tune your training, improve technique, and stay healthy on the road. Tune in and level up your summer training game.

In this episode of Race Ready, we’re joined by Megan Chacosky, sports dietitian and performance chef at Craftsbury Outdoor Center and longtime collaborator with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. Megan shares her journey from pastry chef to Olympic performance nutrition expert and breaks down practical fueling strategies for endurance athletes. From recovery meals to on-the-go snacks, she explains how elite athletes can use food as a powerful tool to support training, recovery, and long-term performance.

We explore key topics in sports nutrition, including what to eat before and after workouts, how to structure meals during high-volume training camps, and how to adjust fueling plans for masters athletes. Megan explains why carbs are crucial, debunks common recovery myths, and shares budget-friendly tips for athletes shopping and cooking on their own. If you're a coach, skier, or parent supporting a competitive athlete, you'll learn how to build a nutrition plan that meets performance demands without overcomplicating it.

The episode also dives into RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport), the role of supplements like caffeine and sodium bicarbonate, and the dangers of under-fueling—especially for developing athletes. With a blend of expert insights and real-world examples from World Cup and Olympic-level competition, Megan delivers high-performance nutrition advice that every endurance athlete should hear. Whether you're preparing for a 50K ski race or just looking to improve your daily energy and recovery, this is a must-listen episode on fueling for success.

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, Andy and Brian dig into the science and practice of training intensity distribution for endurance athletes. Drawing on a recent Norwegian study that analyzed training logs from Olympic- and World Cup-level cross-country skiers, they explore how elite athletes build fitness over time—not by increasing the percentage of high-intensity training, but by adding more volume at low and moderate intensities. The discussion challenges the assumption that more intensity equals better performance and emphasizes the importance of consistent aerobic development through L1 and L3 training.

They also break down the nuances of VO₂ max versus what they call "performance VO₂"—the ability to utilize a higher percentage of your aerobic capacity during real-world ski racing. Rather than chasing absolute VO₂ max numbers, they argue that athletes should focus on improving efficiency and technique at race pace intensities. This leads into a critique of polarized training models and a reminder that elite athletes still rely heavily on pyramidal intensity structures when viewed across a multi-year timeline.

To make the science actionable, Andy and Brian share the testing strategies they use with their teams—from field lactate profiles and double pole tests to uphill running time trials. They advocate for practical, sport-specific monitoring that can guide both training zones and long-term progression. Whether you're coaching juniors or training at the elite level, this episode offers clear takeaways on how to structure intensity, measure improvements, and make training more effective through better feedback loops

All the articles mentioned in the study:

From juniors to seniors: changes in training characteristics

The higher the fraction of maximal oxygen uptake is during interval training, the greater is the cycling performance gain

Increasing Oxygen Uptake in Cross-Country Skiers by Speed Variation in Work Intervals

Which Training Intensity Distribution Intervention will Produce the Greatest Improvements

In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, we kick things off with an exclusive interview featuring U.S. Ski Team star Julia Kern. Fresh off a silver medal performance at the 2025 World Championships, Julia shares insights into her training philosophy, mental preparation, and how she balances life and sport to stay at the top of her game. She also discusses how she adapts her training during injury setbacks and emphasizes the importance of process goals, cross-training, and maintaining a flexible, resilient mindset.

After our inspiring chat with Julia Kern, we dive deep into a discussion on training zones, cross-training, and youth athlete development. We break down the role of intensity distribution (L3 vs. L4 training), why cross-country skiers don't need to be standout runners, and how young athletes can build a broad athletic base through a variety of sports. We also share strategies for safely increasing training load in the spring and discuss why cross-training is critical for injury prevention and long-term success in Nordic skiing and biathlon.

Whether you're an athlete, coach, or fan of endurance sports, this episode is packed with valuable insights on cross-country skiing training, injury recovery, cross-training strategies, and year-round athlete development. Tune in to hear how top-level athletes like Julia Kern prepare for success and learn actionable tips for optimizing your own summer training season!

Welcome to the first episode of Race Ready, the podcast for Nordic skiing and biathlon coaches, athletes, and performance-minded endurance nerds. In this premiere, Olympic XC Skier Andy Newell and U.S. Biathlon coach Brian Halligan dive into the essential—but often overlooked—tool in high-performance sport: the training log.

We break down how training data, from volume and intensity to subjective feel and recovery markers, becomes a powerful resource when used correctly. Whether you're coaching juniors, racing on the World Cup, or training for your next big goal, we explore how detailed record-keeping can shape better decision-making, planning, and evaluation.

Topics include:

• Why May 1 is the “Nordic New Year” and how to start fresh
• How biathlon and XC skiing approach logging and periodization
• The pros and cons of platforms like Strava, TrainingPeaks, and old-school Excel sheets
• What data actually matters—and what doesn’t
• Using logs to optimize peaking, avoid stagnation, and review past seasons
• Recovery markers: HRV, morning heart rate, subjective scores, and why they matter
• Funny and insightful stories from our racing and coaching careers

Whether you’re coaching a team, self-coaching your season, or just looking to get more intentional with your training, this episode will give you a foundation for how to make the most of your training log—and how to use it to get Race Ready.