New Books to Read

As we get deeper into endurance sports, we have begun to collect and immerse ourselves in the best resources possible. There is so much to learn when it comes to training, recovery, nutrition, and planning. And when it comes down to the harsh conditions of races like the Power of Four, or even more so, the Grand Traverse, it would be silly to go out unprepared.

One of the first resources we explored was skintrack.com

Skintrack has some of the best training programs and in a package also comes with a comprehensive manual for ski mountaineering with an emphasis on racing. Using this program, Maggie and I were able to go from complete novices that could barely finish a race to finishing middle of the pack for nearly every race we entered. For such a small investment, Skintrack almost single handedly gave us a huge head start on our journey.

Next are the Training for New Alpinism and Uphill Athlete books from Steve House, Scott Johnson, and Killian Jornet. While only part way through new alpinism, I have devised year long plans to properly prepare and race my way through the mountains, whether on skis or on foot. These are indispensable and should be required reading for anyone with mild interest in endurance sports.

Finally is Sky Runner by Emelie Forsberg. It is her journey into these sports that has inspired us to catalogue and write about our own. We don’t expect anything to come of our blogging, but there is a lot to be said for accountability to ourselves.

Through these resources and, I’m sure, many more to come we will be able to set ourselves up for success.