Max Novak has been one of the world’s best rollerskiers for the past two years. Here, Team Aker Daehlie’s new signing talks about top form, sticking to the training schedule, the upcoming completely training-free week, and the race he would most like to succeed during winter.

Max Novak was one of the skiers who chose an intense end to last week, to say the least, racing both at Toppidrettsveka and the competitions during the Alliansloppet weekend.

As a result, he was the most successful athlete who faced the triple competition challenge. 

Novak won the long-distance race in Norway, finished fourth at Alliansloppet, and won the 15-kilometer race in Trollhättan, Sweden. These results are just another display of Max Novak’s being one of the world’s best rollerskiers over the last two seasons.

But he has entered the respective rollerskiing seasons in two different ways:

“Last year, I was injured and started training at the beginning of June. Two months later, I was in good shape. The fact that it went so well last year meant that I chose somewhat the same plan this year where I took it easy until June 1, even though I was not injured,” says Max Novak when Langd.se met him at home in Östersund.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Max will compete at Värnamorullen, and after that, a completely training-free week awaits:

“After taking a week-long training break, I know I will be in terrible shape. But this is a way of “breaking down” the form. It is not possible to just raise the form. That’s why we choose this setup, where it’s like restarting the entire system. I do this once a year, take a training break to create extra energy for the fall and to get that last push before winter comes,” says Max Novak, who, just like Ida Dahl (read an interview with her here), is coached by Mattias Reck.

“We don’t see each other very often as he lives in Gothenburg, and I live in Östersund. But we are in close contact by text or phone. I get a basic plan from Mattias regarding the training plan. As for the intervals, I usually stick to the plan I’m given, but on the distance sessions, it often happens that I put in a few extra hours if it feels good,” says Novak with a smile.

“I know that I respond well to a lot of training, but it is important to find the balance to get in shape for the most important competitions. Before Vasaloppet last winter, I did a few extreme weeks and noticed that I could handle more than I thought. And I must admit that Nils van der Poel partly inspired me. He proved that it is not dangerous to train a lot. And I am delighted with the way I completed the training this summer. I have trained for many six hours sessions. But in those trainings, time is the most important thing. It is important not to go so fast, kind of talking pace,” says Novak and continues:

“Mattias and I learn how my body works each season and what I respond well to. And it feels like we’ve found the key to finding my best shape. It is something that I have sought throughout my career.”

Novak’s skiing career started relatively late. 

The 26-year-old Max Novak grew up on Asperö, in the Gothenburg archipelago, and skiing was initially something that only happened in connection with visits to the cabin in Alsen ( between Östersund and Åre) during the school holidays. 

At the age of twelve, the family moved to Jämtland, and he then started skiing for Offerdals SK.

“I went to my first ski competition the day before I turned thirteen, and immediately after that, I wanted to go to ski high school,” says Novak, who is now entering his fourth season in the Ski Classics.

This past winter season, he won his first race in the Ski Classics, Pustertaler Ski-Marathon, and finished third overall.

Now the goal for the coming winter is clear:

“Well, I want to do better than last year. But it isn’t easy to have the overall as a goal. At the same time, I usually have an even form. Then it’s clear that I have an extra focus on the Grand Classics, and above all Vasaloppet and Jizerská50,” says Novak and continues:

“In Vasaloppet, I want to be the Swede who breaks the trend (the last Swedish victory was from Jörgen Brink in 2012). As for Jizerská, it’s a competition in that I really want to succeed. But the two times I’ve gone there before, I messed up, and I haven’t been able to do it. This is because my parents were born in the Czech Republic, and my mother’s entire family lives there. I really feel at home. It would be awesome to have a really good race there this winter,” concludes Max Novak.