INDOOR XC SKIING
The Slide Board: A new use developed
for an old off-season training standby
By John Burns, MPT Anyone who was at this year's Birkie should have learned that circumstances beyond anyone's control have a way of dictating what a  person can and cannot do; and, therefore, an alternate plan should be at the
ready. Actually, training for the Birkebeiner the past few years has proven to me that I must have an alternate plan when trying to improve upon or, at the very least, maintain my sports-specific cross country skiing fitness.
The alternate plan for Birkie 2000 was as simple as finding a designated driver to be able to get to and from the Sawmill Saloon. In terms of preparation for the next Birkie (keep your fingers crossed), an often used alternative way to stay fit when
circumstances make it impossible to get outdoors can be as simple as participating in an indoor interval training program. In regard to this somber idea, the use of a slide board has proven its value as a sports-specific way to address the lower extremity muscles involved in skate skiing. At the very least, the skill of trying to maintain your balance between pushing off and gliding gives this exercise a somewhat dynamic "feel"
similar to skiing. However, in conjunction with the time spent "abducting and adducting" to and fro on the slide board, athletes must invest in an exercise that best addresses the  demands required of the upper body if they wish to be ready for the arduous climbs the Birkie is so well known for.
Speaking for myself, if an exercise isn't appealing to me on more than one level of satisfaction, I find it very difficult to fit into my training schedule. This leads me to why I took the lower extremity "feel" of an old standby exercise, the slide board, and matched it with an exercise routine that would address the strengthening component required for double poling along a snow-laden trail. Voila! By crudely constructing a
weighted, rug-bottomed piece of plywood, upon which were fastened an old pair of ski poles, which in turn was placed on my ol' slide board, I found what I was looking for. I found a means to strengthen and increase the endurance of the upper body muscles. This exercise simulates the muscle involvement of double poling. The recruitment of the muscles involved is done in the actual progression to which they are
called upon when skiing, with the same rhythmic and fluid "feeling" one derives from double poling – one kilometer after another. It's a decent workout when integrated into a comprehensive interval training program.
 Laugh if you must – I did when I first tried it – but it really works. And better
yet, by progressively adding weight over a few weeks, you'll be able to perform condensed, concentrated double pole workouts, thus, reducing the time and lessening the monotony associated with having to alternately train indoors for an outdoor activity. You can also incorporate different types of poling intervals, such as coordinating double poling with ankle weighted skate-offs or a double pole kick routine. These intervals will challenge single
leg standing core stability while performing upper body dynamic poling.
The double pole apparatus is rather simple to construct; the difficulty lies in having to succumb to the possible repercussions of global warming  and being forced to alter your plans when what all you really want
to do is cross country ski. Until winter returns (if it returns), I recommend that you create your own double poling simulator to maximize your indoor training. Give it a try, and remember – keep your fingers crossed!
If you would like detailed instructions on how to construct your own, ideas on an indoor interval training program or, if you are in the Milwaukee area and would like to try it out, you can do so by contacting the Tao F.I.T. Center at 414/530-6542.
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