Travis' Workout Blog Week 2: Saturday Slow Long Distance!

So after a hard week of training with 4 to 5 days at the gym, and 5 days of intense bike rides/sprints, my Saturdays are the days where I can relax a bit and do some of the easier but long cardio workouts that are actually some of the more important workouts of the summer!  Its really important to really work your "lower end" cardio early in the training period so that you build a strong cardio base, so that when you do those sprints and intervals all week you can work at a higher intensity level.  We call these workouts "Slow Long Distance" workouts, and I usually like going on a fun adventure by going on a hike in the mountains!  During these SLD workouts I try to keep my heart rate between 135 and 155 so it is pretty chill and I have to go slow on some of the uphills.  However there is a huge payoff to doing these workouts outside on a hike rather than on a spin bike in the gym; you get to see some pretty amazing places and it is super fun! Believe it or not, some of the other skiers do these SLD workouts on a spin bike in the gym!  This last Saturday I drove up to Lake Louise and did a three hour hike up above the lake to the Lake Agnes Tea House!

Marie and our borrowed dog for the weekend Milka rocking a Big Truck hat and enjoying the view on our Slow Long Distance!

Lake Agnes

And the Tea House!

These SLD workouts are my favorite workouts of the week and not a bad way to spend a day as an athlete getting out of the gym and into the mountains! So make sure to get outside and enjoy the amazing places that nature has to offer, and know that these kind of hikes are actually great workouts and really important for skiers like myself!

Next week Ill post about one of my lower body workouts!

-Travis