The Finnish cross-country skier Remi Lindholm, known for training hard, has been on a brutal training camp in Ylläs with teammate Miro Karppanen. Having learned from last summer, Lindholm wants to counterbalance the hard training weeks by focusing mainly on recovery.

Lindholm says that the Ylläs training camp has been the most challenging week of his summer. In the first seven days, more than 50 training hours were accumulated. In addition to the number of hours, Finnish athletes have focused on collecting climbing meters and improving muscle endurance.

“It’s starting to get a bit tiring here. Outside of training, the days are pretty much spent sleeping,” says Lindholm to Maastohiihto.com.

Lindholm prepared the training program for the camp together with Karppanen. Especially during hard training weeks, he appreciates a training partner that helps him work better. Heavy training days are primarily a competition against yourself.

“Alone, this would be much harder and perhaps more boring. It’s great to find a like-minded partner, like Miro, who wants to train in the same way and just as much. There are hardly any people who would agree to this kind of training camp.”

The same training week at Ylläs was too much for Lindholm last summer, and it took several months to recover. Despite that, this year, the camp program was made even tougher.

“I usually don’t learn from my mistakes, at least not the first time. I just have to hope that now I recover better than last year.”

After his experience last summer, Lindholm knows how to focus more on recovery than before. Before the national team camp that starts in Italy, he has about ten days to recover.

“Before coming here, I had a slightly easier week, and after the camp, I will take many easy days. Even if it feels good, I want to avoid accidentally building up too much load. If I go to Italy already tired, it will be ruined like last year.”

“Before and after the camp, you must dare to take it easy, but during the camp, you must dare to train.”

During easier weeks, Lindholm also has time to focus on things outside of skiing. Then he goes to his coach Santeri Erola’s cabin, to relax.

“I go to the sauna, swim, and maybe do a little fishing. I like to put my phone on airplane mode and just relax in the middle of nowhere.”

In terms of strength training, Lindholm has tried to slow down in the summer so that he can increase the intensity in the fall.

“I don’t want to overdo it in the summer, so I don’t get fit too soon. I’ve tried to keep the exercises in the speed endurance area, but it’s usually always turned into a race. Sometimes the coach has little to say, and we argue a bit. But in good spirits,” Lindholm laughs.

Since there will be no major championships next winter, Lindholm’s primary goals are in the World Cup. In the distance cup, he aims to finish in the top ten.

“According to Toivo, there will be quite a lot of competition in the World Cup next winter, when you don’t need to be in peak performance for prestigious competitions. Last year, after the first period, I think I was 12th in the distance cup, so they say the goal for the coming season is top ten.”

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Read more HERE.