A great ski season starts with running shoes in the spring. But you need to know what you’re doing, warns the training expert. Here are his top tips for getting the most out of it – without running yourself into injury.

“What you put into running now, you’ll reap with interest through the summer, fall, and ski season.”

So says Geir Endre Rogn, former national cross-country ski team coach.

Easter is over, temperatures are rising, and the days are getting longer: spring is a golden opportunity for cross-country skiers to build a solid base.

According to Rogn, running is a key component of that base – both as physical and mental stimulation and to prepare the body for more intense training later in the season. But: you have to use the tool wisely.

Running Year-Round – But Especially Now

Although many cross-country skiers keep up some running during winter, spring and early summer are the times when it’s truly worth prioritizing it a bit more.

“This is when you have the time to give running some extra focus. Later in the dryland season, more attention shifts toward rollerskiing and uphill sessions. But if you manage to do longer, low-intensity runs throughout the summer and fall, you’ll get a strong training effect from it,” says Rogn.

Running is also a great muscular complement to skiing. Cross-country skiing involves slower movement patterns than running, so running adds something extra: it loosens up and strengthens the body in other ways.

Don’t Be Fooled by Good Fitness – Progression Is Key

It’s easy to get eager when the snow melts, the sun is shining, and your body is still fit after a solid winter season. But Rogn strongly cautions against this:

“Many go out too hard. Their cardio fitness is there, but the muscular base to handle the strain isn’t. That’s when injuries hit,” he says.

Rogn offers three clear tips:

1. Start with short, easy runs on soft surfaces.
2. Don’t run every day at first.
3. Increase gradually – first in duration, then intensity, and finally on harder surfaces like asphalt or track.

“It’s tempting to run far and fast when the spring sun is shining, but there’s no rush to do long runs on foot now,” Rogn emphasizes.

Use This Time to Work on Technique

Rogn recommends using spring to improve running form. Light trail runs and higher speeds offer opportunities for technical development – which can be both motivating and beneficial.

“It’s also a good time to fit in a race or two, perhaps in June,” he adds.

Take Injuries Seriously – Immediately

Running differs from many other endurance sports when it comes to injury risk. And you can’t just “run off the pain.”

“The impact and strain on knees, tendons, and muscles are much greater than in skiing. If something hurts, it rarely goes away on its own,” says Rogn.

Shin splints are a common issue in spring and should be taken seriously from the first twinge.

“If you ignore shin splints or other typical running injuries and let them settle in, you may end up struggling with them all summer and fall. So take it seriously from the start. Train other things in the meantime – skiing, cycling, or rollerskiing – until it’s fully healed.”

Geir Endre Rogn was coach of the women’s national elite team until May 2020, and of the junior national team for two years before that. He also spent eight years coaching at NTG Geilo. Now he runs a coaching service through his business Topptrent.com (https://www.topptrent.com), where he works with both high-performance athletes and dedicated amateurs.

Read more: “You gotta harden up”

This article was first published in April 2025 and updated today.