SKIMO COACHING PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy will be rooted in enjoying your time in the mountains while making fitness gains through strategic, evidence based training approaches, daily check-ins, and fine tuning your skimo specific skills. When athletes can’t get on snow, a variety of endurance building xtraining options and off-snow practice will be prescribed in order to make those days in the mountains really count.
DAILY CHECK-INS.
You will check in with your coach through a shared log/google spreadsheet. This is where you will find your training plan and communicate with your coach on how things are going. As weather, work, family, and other commitments come up, your training plan will be flexible and adjusted as needed. The training log will help motivate and keep athletes accountable to staying focused on their training and over time also helps build and support the coach-athlete relationship.
THE TRAINING.
Most of your skimo training is at a low intensity to focus on building your aerobic capacity, proper skinning form, and navigating a variety of terrain. Combined with speed work, transition and kick turn practice, and fast descending you’ll become a better athlete ready for success on the hill. You’ll have a variety of cross training options for off-snow practice as well. Whether you’re training for a big race or just out there to have fun and build fitness so you can explore deeper into the backcountry, this multidisciplinary approach will support your success in the sport of skimo, while truly enjoying your time in the mountains.
1-YEAR COMMITMENT.
Mountain athletes emphasize growth over time because they know a strong winter starts with consistent training months before skis ever touch snow. That’s why we require a one-year commitment. Our plans revolve around a full calendar year so our athletes show up for the first day of on-snow training feeling strong and equipped, ready to train specifically for the demands of their events and tap into their potential from the first gun.
THE EXTRAS.
Skimo is still a niche sport here in the US, so having access to a coach and a community of other athletes will help to support your training. Your coach can help you with logistics such as skin choice, waxing techniques, transition practice, race tips, and insider info that will help you make the best of your days out there.
Coach Kristin Layne
Kristin is a ski-mountaineer, runner, former elementary school teacher, and mother based in Aspen, Colorado. You can find her baking sweets in the kitchen or chasing her young girls around the Roaring Fork Valley on foot, bikes, and skis.
Kristin discovered skimo racing after spending many years on heavy touring gear in the Colorado backcountry. She loves the efficiency and details of the sport. Running and exploring the mountains in the spring, summer, and fall provides a good break from ski boots.
Kristin’s coaching philosophy is rooted in her experiences as a mid-pack racer and the leading, evidence based training approaches for athletes. She seeks to support athletes by giving them the structure, tools, community, and skills to be successful in a variety of races. She is very attentive to detail and understands the busy demands of work, family, and other commitments.
Her achievements include the 2022 National Champion in the Vertical for Ski Mountaineering and 3rd Place for the Individual. She also has had multiple podiums at the Power of Four Skimo races, 1st place Female Team at the Grand Traverse Ski, and Female Course Record for America’s Uphill on Skis. Kristin has also won the Power of Four 50k trail run and the Aspen Backcountry Marathon.