During the Ski Classics interviews before Birkebeinerrennet, Astrid Øyre Slind gives her view on the last few weeks. Weeks that included both the World Championships in Planica and Vasaloppet during the same weekend, as well as the historical 50km in Holmenkollen last Sunday.

“It’s been a lot to digest. The bronze medal in the skiathlon was surprising, and I didn’t expect anything like that at that distance. Then in the 30km, it did not quite go my way, but it was still a good race, coming in 10th (place). Then I went straight to Mora on a plane with some sponsors. We landed at 1:30, the night before Vasaloppet. I was in Sälen about an hour later and had a short night of sleep,” Astrid explains.

Øyre Slind started the race really well, breaking away from the rest of the girls. But 20km into the race, her good feeling at the starting line was gone, and the chasers began to catch up. 

“All my energy was gone, and it was a real struggle the last 70km. Normally I should be able to handle that kind of speed, but not this time,” Astrid says, referring to her demanding schedule.

Vasaloppet wasn’t what she wished for, but an upside to a hectic schedule is that the opportunity to get revenge is just around the corner. In the historical 50km on home soil, Astrid claimed second place. Although going into the race, she wasn’t sure of what to expect. 

“Starting the 50km in Holmenkollen last weekend was tough mentally – I didn’t really know in what shape my body was after the tough weekend with Vasaloppet and the 30km in Planica. It turned out it was way better than I expected, my body felt stronger than ever during the race, and I was fighting for the win. I knew I could skate, but I also knew I had 120 kilometers of skiing in my body that the rest of the field didn’t. So, I expected it to feel worse; actually, I’m happily looking back at it,” Astrid says.

Watch The Full Pre-Event Interviews With Some Of The Favorites For The Weekend: Birkebeinerrennet Pre-Event Interviews Live On SC YouTube

Ski Classics Pro Tour XIV – Event 12: Pre-Birkebeinerrennet Interviews

Ahead of the upcoming weekend’s Birkebeinerrennet, she admits her body has been a little sore.

“The last few days, I’ve been really tired, so I think that racing “Kollen” cost a bit more than I felt that it did immediately after the race. I’ve been training a bit, and it’s feeling okay, so I’m hoping for a good race in Birken.”

But rather than recovering physically, recharging mentally for racing each week is what she finds most challenging. Being on the starting line on Saturday, she hopes her body will be in better shape than in Vasaloppet, and she will be mentally prepared for the 54 kilometers. Helping her to a positive mindset are fond memories of last year’s edition of the race.

“I remember that I was feeling really strong. I also remember seeing Therese (Johaug) have a tough time for probably the first time in my life. Winning with most likely the best skier ever on the starting line was a great achievement for me and a moment that proved that Ski Classics is also on a really high level. It was an important win for Ski Classics and for me.”

Does Not Consider Herself To Be The Favorite in Birkebeinerennet

“Normally, I should be one of the favorites, but I haven’t been double poling as much as I should. I think Emilie (Fleten) showed in Vasaloppet that she is in great shape, and I also think Ida (Dahl) is better than what she got to show there. Silje (Øyre Slind) is also really strong. It won’t be a walk in the park, and I think I will be struggling. Hopefully, my shape is still good, and I have been doing enough double poling this season to hang in there.”

To keep up with the best Pro Tour athletes on Saturday, Astrid has a clear picture of her tactics, and what parts of the course are the most demanding.

“I think you have to be alert during the whole race. I guess the speed will be high from the beginning, so the key will be to find a good position and not use too much energy up to Skramstadsetra. After that climb, I think the speed will be really high, and you just have to hang on over the top to get some rest before Raudfjellet and Midtfjellet. If you’re in the leading group on Midtfjellet, it should be possible to go for the victory in the end,” she explains during the interview.

Comparing Birken to Holmenkollen, she considers the latter of the two to be a more demanding race.

“It’s different because the hills are longer and not as steep in Birken, and the course is a bit flatter. In Holmenkollen, the uphills are shorter, so you have to be on edge all the time not to lose the field, and you don’t have the same flat parts where you can catch your breath and recover. So, Holmenkollen is tougher than Birken, but I think Birken will be hard too.”

The Pros and Cons of Combining Traditional and Long-Distance Skiing

Although this season has been successful, foremost in the World Cup and World Championships, Astrid is not certain to what extent she will be combining traditional skiing and Ski Classics for next season.  

“I’m not sure about the arrangement for next season yet. There are no World Championships next year, so at least I won’t have to put all my effort into those few weeks. I enjoy doing both (traditional skiing and Ski Classics), and for as long as possible, I will do a lot of races and just take a week at a time. I won’t do Vasaloppet and the 30km the same weekend again, but apart from that, I think it has been successful.”

However, being world-class in long-distance skiing and traditional races has taken the edge off an attribute that used to be one of her main strengths. The double poling has been suffering due to a lack of specific training.

“My technique is still good enough. It’s more about the muscles and being used to double-pole long distances. You must double-pole a lot to maintain muscle strength, and I’m not sure if I’m strong enough right now. I have been doing some sessions to maintain my double poling shape, but I’m not sure it’s enough.” 

Even if the double poling has been better, Astrid is, at 35, the best she’s ever been. The versatility in training and doing it for a long time seems to be the key.

“My training is really solid right now. I’m doing some sessions that very few all-round skiers are doing. So, it’s a combination of training the right way and doing it for a long time. I’ve been doing it for almost eight years now. It has made me really strong, and training doesn’t wear as much on me, so I can train and compete even more.”

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

• Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

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