The new year has begun and World Cup racing is underway! Right now I’m in Pragelato, Italy, training with the Canadian cross country ski team. We’re at the nordic race venue of the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics – the Olympics where Canadian skiers Sara Renner, Beckie Scott, and Chandra Crawford won silver and gold medals. Watching them win medals when I was 10 years old is what inspired me to become a skier, so it’s been a lot of fun training here.
Our team of four women and four men was selected after trials races in December, and we arrived in Europe a few weeks ago. Qualifying for this trip also means I’ve qualified for the World Cups in Canada this March. I’m really excited to be a part of this team, and to have new opportunities to chase after my winter racing goals!
We’ve just finished a World Cup weekend in Dresden, Germany, where I raced the individual sprint, finishing 37th, and a team sprint. This was a big improvement from my racing last season, but I’m motivated for more in the weeks to come. Our next race is a World Cup in Oberstdorf, Germany, which is also the site of the 2021 Ski World Championships. I’m nervous but excited – racing there will be a great World Cup opportunity, and also a chance to test out the venue before next winter’s World Championships.
While on the road we race almost every weekend, and each week we’re travelling to a new town or city. In order to ski fast weekend after weekend, it’s really important for us to recover well between races and to stay healthy. This is especially important around air travel, where it’s easy to get sick. For me, a big part of this is maintaining proper nutrition while on the road. I like to focus on hydration and good fueling around workouts.
On travel days, it’s easy to get dehydrated so I put Nuun electrolyte tablets in my water bottle. This keeps me hydrated, and it also tastes great! In training, I use a sport drink mix for any workouts longer than 60 minutes, and I make sure to drink a big glass of water after the workout.
Around training, I always make sure to have a small snack before and after workouts. Some easy on-the-road snacks are granola with yogurt, or peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I also like travelling with some protein bars from home, because these can be hard to find overseas. The nice thing is that pre and post-workout fueling doesn’t have to be complicated – just a little snack before and after is enough to keep my body recovering well and my immune system happy!
Next up on our schedule after Oberstdorf is a training block in Seefeld, Austria, followed by a World Cup weekend in Falun, Sweden. Then it’s back to Canada for some the final World Cups of the season in Quebec City, Minneapolis, and home soil racing in Canmore!
Nutters Everyday Naturals Is Proud To Sponsor Canmore, Alberta Athlete Maya MacIsaac-Jones in her World Cup Endeavors
