Winter sports and work-life balance
The sporting career of Nordic combined skier Fabian Rießle is peppered with many successes: Olympic gold with the team at the 2018 Winter Games, the world title in the team competition at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2015 and 2017 and in the team sprint in 2019. But everything changed with the birth of his daughter in October 2020.
Since then, family has taken a central place in his life alongside sport. Maintaining the right balance here is a challenge. Especially in everyday training. Together with Carado, Fabian Rießle has found a way to balance both. "I find it very difficult to go away because I have a small child at home. I also don't like to leave my partner alone during parental leave. Thanks to the camper van, they can both travel with me and support me." Especially mentally, the two of them are an important support for him.
Together with his wife Sandra Ringwald, herself also a long-time World Cup cross-country skier, and his daughter Paula, the sports soldier is always on the move. "If my training schedule allows it, we can also go on a spontaneous discovery trip sometimes," Fabian Rießle tells us.
Together, Fabian and Carado will get you fit for the track.
Fabian gives you tips on how to improve your cross-country technique.
Tech tips
1. Tip
2-1 WITH ACTIVE ARM SWING
This technique is the fastest in skating and is mainly skated in a straight line or when going slightly downhill. Here, an arm swing is added to every other leg push-off.
To note:
1. Always stand straight over the ski. To do this, you can imagine a vertical line between your foot, knee and hip.
2. The hips should actively come forward and up.
3. The poles should not be inserted too far back but at about the same height as the binding.
This way you can generate as much thrust to the rear as possible.
2. Tip
1-1
With this technique, an arm swing is added to each leg kick. The 1-1 is mainly used on flat terrain or when it is slightly uphill.
To note:
1. the poles should be used slightly in front of the shoe to generate as much power as possible.
2. stay as stable as possible in the upper body and do not swing back and forth.
3. when pushing off the legs, do not let the skis swing too far out, otherwise you will lose time and distance.
4. the gliding phases can be used as a short recovery.
3. Tip
2-1 On the Mountain
As the name suggests, the 2-1 mountain technique is mainly used on steep sections of the course. Technically it is very similar to the 2-1 with active arm swing, but it can also be "jumped". This is often seen in professional athletes.
To note:
1. steps should be as space forward as possible.
2. the leading arm and the leading leg should always come to the ground at the same time.
3. the arms should not be fully extended, but at an angle of about 90° in front of the body.
4. Tip
Technical Exercises
These four small exercises can be used to specifically improve or train some areas.
Swimming
As the name suggests, the arms make a swimming motion here. You really notice how much propulsion can be generated via the active use of the arms and upper body.
Legwork
In the second exercise, as in swimming, you don't need poles. The aim here is to generate as much power as possible by pushing off with the legs.
Pole exercise
For exercise number three, a stick is placed under the buttocks. This way you can work on posture and a straight hip position.
Super 1-1
In the Super 1-1, two arm swings are added to each leg kick. This exercise trains the balance and coordination of the arm swings.
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