SpeedyGoncalves - Road to Pyeongchang 2018
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SpeedyGoncalves - Road to Pyeongchang 2018
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Week 2 of camp and an interview with Finn Hågen Krogh

November 7, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Hey! It’s Tuesday evening, the impressions from my training camp are beginning to sink in and the effects of two weeks of consistent training aswell. After spending two weeks living as a pro athlete I’ve concluded with two things:

  1. The tiny elite who live of this are a group of extremely privileged individuals who do what they love the most for a living and travel the world
  2. Being a pro athlete is more exhausting than you would think and you have to put most other things aside

During my last week training kept on with more focus on long low intensity sessions of technical high quality and getting the feel for snow again. In other words, not very different from the first week with about 2,5 – 3 hours ski sessions every morning and running/strength in the evening. The only difference was probably that I now was well acclimatized to the height. During my second week, my background and story had begun to spread amongst the locals. Resulting in an interview with the responsibles for the Val Senales ski resort. Portugal and cross country being unknown for everyone keeps confirming itself. In my talk with them we discussed my background and short- and long-term goals for my skiing career and ambitions for the sport in Portugal. During my second week, Norwegian National Team coach Tor-Arne Hetland dedicated some time to give me lessons in diagonal technique. It’s amazing how much difference a little feedback can do!! I would like to thank everyone from the Norwegian team for lots of support!!

On my last day I managed to get a few minutes and interview Norwegian National Team athlete Finn Hågen Krogh regarding how he views life as a pro athlete. Enjoy!

What is the best and worst part of being a pro athlete?

The best part I would definitely say, is the team. The rest of the guys on the team have become some of my best friends and we have lots of fun travelling together. Training wise we motivate each other a lot contribute to each other’s development as skiers. This has without doubt been the best part of being on the National Team.

The worst part I would say is that this lifestyle requires you to be 100 % every day, and it can sometimes be hard to maintain that level of motivation. You have to be the best from the second you get out of bed, you have to be the best already at breakfast! If you’re not hungry, so what you have to eat according to schedule. Of course some days are easier, and others are harder but we have chosen this ourselves and it’s all worth it when winter comes and you see results from the work that’s been put in. One thing is for sure and that is that being a pro skier is way of life and that every decision I make is based on how it affects my performance. This is not a hobby, it started as a hobby but now it’s 24/7. Of course everyone has to just completely switch off sometimes but in general it’s non stop.

 

What do you think is the biggest misconception people have of your everyday as an athlete?

I think most people have the idea that the majority of our training is done at high intensity and that nobody can keep up with us on a long easy run or easy ski trip. On our long runs we run a lot slower (120 – 140 bpm) than people think. On skis we have the advantage of technique and good skis but running is running and most people could keep up on a slow run. If you have a decent ski technique you could probably keep up on a slow trip too I guess.

What is the biggest sacrifice or the hardest thing you’ve had to say no to because of your ski career?

That must be all the friends back at home that I unfortunately do not have that much time for. Because of our large training volumes, I’m often tired and even just going over to a friend’s house can be a hassle. This causes one to maybe isolate a bit because restitution is critical. On the other hand, I chose this lifestyle myself and every skier knows this is what it takes to make it to the top. The hard truth is if you’re not willing to sacrifice that, there is no place for you at this level of sports.

What advice would you give younger athletes who wish to aspire to the highest level of sports like the National Team?

I would say to focus on constantly developing yourself and being curious of “how can I become a better skier?” Dare to go your own ways and don’t just follow advice blindly, because there will be a lot of advice. Sometimes too many advices! At the same time stay humble to those more experienced, reflection is the key and learning from own actions and experiences. I can’t talk to Sundby and do what he does but I can take advice from him. You’ve got to find what works for you, be independent and take responsibility for your own development, be honest with yourself and stay humble. Doing these things, I believe you can develop your potential every year. Specially for younger skiers I would say patience is very important. I was not a top performer when I was around 14/15 (Hovedlandsrenn in Norwegian) For some it just takes more time, for others it’s naturally there. What matters is to not give up just because you’re not that good as a kid. It makes me sad to see people quit too soon.

How does the ski career affect your personal/family life and what has friends and family meant to you?

My family has meant everything, mum and dad took me skiing when I was just a little kid and that’s where everything started, the pure joy of skiing. They’ve supported me ever since, taken me to practice, prepped my skis etc. They’ve been there every step of the way and for that, I am eternally grateful! Regarding friends I’ve gained a lot of great friends in the skiing community. Many of my friends have or still do cross country skiing. This helps as it is easier for someone in the community to understand when I do not have energy to be social and so on. On the other side I do not expect many people to understand how it is to be a pro athlete. I’m not sure everyone understands what it takes.

How old were you when you decided to dedicate yourself 100 % to cross country, what was the deciding factor/motivation and what motivates you today?

It was during my junior (16 – 19) years I really developed as a skier. From being maybe top 50 one or two times at age 14/15 I made great progress as a junior and after a couple of years I was a top performer. This is when I realized that here is where my talent lies. When I was accepted into the junior National Team the decision was for all purposes made by itself. I am a results motivated person, at least that is what I have become, not sure I remember quite what motivated me 10 years ago. I enjoy achieving good results, this motivates me on training even when things are getting tough and motivation is low. In these times I tell myself that “If I do this today it might gain me a second faster time during a race in the season”. Of course I love training and the sport a lot but the biggest motivation for me is results…maybe that’s the kind of things you’re not supposed to say but hey I’ve got to be honest!

Thanks for your time Finn and best of luck for the coming season!

My first race of the season is already this Saturday, more info will come soon 😀

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Week 1 of training camp in Val Senales

October 29, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Hi guys! I’m a week into my two-week long training camp in Val Senales and thought I’d give you an update. It’s been an experience for a lifetime to be here and prepare my season with the pro’s. Lots of training, new friends, inspiration and beautiful scenery sums it up.

I’ve never done any altitude training before so prior to my departure from Norway I’d been given a few pieces of advice from my coaches. First thing: Take it easy! Training in high altitude such as the Val Senales glacier, 3 212 meters above sea level, is done at low intensity, it’s all about getting in lots of hours at low pace. Focus on technique and being on snow again. Intervals must be done at lower altitudes. Second: Pay extra attention to restitution, sleep a lot (10h per day) and make sure to drink more than usual. Third: Enjoy this unique experience! 🙂

The first day on the glacier I met up with Martin Skaugen from Olympiatoppen and the rest of the Norwegians who were well into their session when I arrived. Martin again repeated what my coaches said, go veeeery slowly, don’t push it. After 200 meters I met a tiny uphill and went up as slow as I possibly could. Instantly I hit a heart rate of 170 bpm and was breathing like crazy…”what is going on?? I’m going as slow as I can and it feels like heavy interval session.” This went on for about 3-4 days, it takes a while for the body to get used to the altitude. Luckily, I’m being followed up by the Norwegian team and they monitor my lactate levels to make sure I’m not pushing too hard.

During my stay I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of people from the Norwegian Ski Federation who all support a young Portuguese guy’s dream of the Olympics and bringing the sport to his country. Thank you all for the support! I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know Norwegian-Iranian Pourya, from Sandnes on the West Coast of Norway. He shares my goal of the PyeongChang Olympics. Looking forward to facing you in some races this winter!

Follow @aluzgoncalves on Instagram for more pictures and updates.

So what have I actually done here? Here is a rough workout schedule for the first week:

Sunday: 1h50 min skate skiing

Monday:

  1. 1h uphill rollerski interval skate
  2. 50 min running easy pace

Tuesday:

  1. 1h10min classic rollerski uphill – partially without poles working on balance and technique
  2. 30 minutes core strength

Wednesday:

  1. 2h10 min duathlon on the glacier skiing
  2. Warmup + 5×4 min interval running with poles

Thursday: 2h40min classic skiing

Friday:

  1. 2h50 skate rollerski with speed training
  2. 4×4 uphill running with poles

Saturday:

  1. 1h40 min duathlon skiing
  2. 1h running

Sunday: 1h skate rollerski

Total training time about 16,5 hours

The next week will be filled with more of the same, train, sleep, eat, repeat. Now you know where the hashtag #eatmovesleep comes from. For many this may seem boring, but it’s what it takes to get in shape for the season and I’m loving every second of it.

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See you in Val Senales

October 19, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Exciting news, everyone! This Saturday, I’m heading for Val Senales for two weeks of altitude training with the Norwegian national team. Val Senales is a beautiful place in the Italian alps that will go down in the history books as the ultimate altitude training location for the professional skiing community. For many, it’s a mandatory stop as preparation for the season. As Petter Northug once said; “I’m here every year, it’s a tradition…it’s almost a more important tradition than Christmas, which I rarely participate in”. That says it all. If you want to compete amongst the elite, you’ve got to go to Val Senales – and I’m going!

Altitude training is the practice of training at intermediate altitudes where the partial pressure of oxygen is reduced. The purpose is that over a period of several weeks, the body may acclimate to the relatively lower oxygen levels by stimulating the production of red blood cells. A higher quantity of red blood cells increases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood, which in turn increases the amount of oxygen that is transported to the muscles through the blood. The result is better physical performance.

Earlier this year I wrote about my VO2max test at Olympiatoppen. What I didn’t write was that I came into talk with the man responsible for the test, Martin. We discussed how the Norwegian athletes improve their VO2max scores and the importance of structured altitude training as preparation for the season. To my surprise, I was invited to join the Norwegian national skiing team for their altitude training during my trip to Val Senales this fall. I am excited and feel honored to be able to train with possibly the world’s best skiers, and I look forward soak up all the knowledge I can and learn from the best. Stay tuned for more information!

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What does it take to get to the Olympics?

October 8, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

My friends, family, co-workers and even teammates ask me what it takes to get to the Olympics so here it goes:

First of all cross country results are measured in FIS (the International Ski Federation) points. I’m not going to bother you with how they are calculated. The golden rule is: The less you have the better!

There is a maxium quota of 310 athletes world-wide who can participate in cross country, during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Of those 310 each country can send a maximum of 20 athletes. Each country is awarded a basic quota of one athlete per gender, subject to the athlete having a maximum of 300 FIS points on average in 5 races. This is the requirement I have to meet. Succeeding in this allows me to participate in the 15km skate during the Winter Games.

To give you an idea, 300 FIS points is about 30 minutes on a 10 km skate race or 42-47 minutes in a 15 km skate. In case that doesn’t tell you anything the best pro’s do this in about 22-24 minutes and 32-34 minutes.

Participation in other events like 50 km, duathlon or 4×10 km relay requires less points, which I’m not even close to at the time being. But hey, heard they’re having the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022;)

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Training

Training camp vol. 1

September 19, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Last weekend I participated in my first training camp with Konnerud. We have a couple of these each season. Training camps are as the name states for training but they also contribute to unity and teambuilding. As a new member of the team it is always nice to get these opportunities to spend more time with the other athletes. This one was held at home on Konnerud and consisted of two days of scheduled training.

Saturday:

1.st session:

Skate sprint with other clubs from our region. Sprint races in cross country consist of a prologue to seed the skiers and following quarter-, semi- and finals. In i.e. the sprint World Cup, skiers are eliminated each final but for this session everyone would do three races. I have never done any sprints so I was looking forward to this. The prologue and first heat went quite well and I was able to restitute between them. Still feeling the strains of Thursday’s training I failed to restitute properly after heat one which stuck with me in heats two and three…#rookiemistake

2.nd session: Our coaches gave us a great lecture on cross country sprint, what makes a good sprinter, how to train etc.

3rd. session: Balance and core strength exercises – 1,5h

Sunday:

2 hour run with football playing in the swamps. Why swamps? Because it’s wet and drains you for energy. Besides, no matter how good you are in football everyone is at the same level in the swamps.

My next camp is going to be abroad and is only a month away, stay tuned!

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Am I the first on rollerskis on top of Portugal?

August 22, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Portugal’s highest mountain is the Serra da Estrela. At 1993 meters above sea level the climb has given many a runner, cyclist or even pedestrian quite a challenge. What athlete can resist the challenge of climbing to the top? Never having done any altitude training I decided to start at 1000 meters and head and head for the top on skate rollerskis. Underestimating both the heat and how thin the air would be I reached the top after 2h24 min, exhauseted but very satisfied.

It will be easier the next time!

Almost on top

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It’s official!

August 21, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Today I met with president and technical director of FDI Portugal (The Portuguese Ski Federation), Pedro Farromba and Sérgio Figueiredo. Finally it’s official, at the stroke of a pen my contract with FDI Portugal is signed and I am officialy a Portuguese athlete! Nothing can quite explain the feeling of representing your country in anything I guess. Hundreds of thousands of athletes worldwide share this common dream: One day being able to compete with the flag on their chest and being a part of something greater than yourself. Competing not just for your self and you our your team’s performance and glory but for the nation. For me, I am both honored and humbled.

In our meeting with we also discussed how we can work together to promote winter sports and cross country/rollerskiing in particular in Portugal. One day I hope to see more people rollerskiing in Portugal and to have an international race held there. Let’s be honest, the landscape and climate in Portugal do not favour winter sports. Nevertheless thanks to the work of a dedicated federation, FDI’s program SKI4ALL was in 2015 awarded by FIS as being the 6th best youth promotion program of winter sports, being in competition with all the FIS countries. Not bad for a country where football is religion and few places ever see snow!

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Welcome to Konnerud IL

July 28, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments

Great news! I will from now on be a part of Konnerud IL, my hometown Drammens greatest ski club. Konnerud IL was established in 1927 and their cross-country division was the very first. Konnerud IL has, together with the Drammen city council for 14 consecutive years hosted the FIS World Cup Sprint in Drammen.

My training will be with Konnerud’s junior/senior group. Three coaches are responsible for the training, Mads Madsgård, Hans André Olsen and Emil Andersen. I look very much forward to being a part of this environment and learn from more experienced skiers and coaches. I hope that my story will contribute to showing younger athletes that everything is possible and encourage to set ambitious goals.

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How good is my shape actually?

June 29, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments
This question was answered today by doing my first VO2max test at Olympiatoppen, the entity responsible for developing Norwegian top athletes. Walking in the halls of Olympiatoppen you are constantly reminded of the great athletes that have put in countless hours of training there and you feel humbled to be able to be tested and offered guidance by the same people who work with Norway’s greatest skiers such as Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Niklas Dyrhaug, Heidi Weng and so on.

Gasping for air and almost throwing up after testing

For those who do not know, a VO2 max test measures the maximum amount of oxygen you are able to consume and is measured in ml/kg/min. The test is usually conducted on a treadmill or stationary bike and consists of gradually increasing the speed of which the athlete has to pedal/run until he or she reaches exhaustion. Having a high VO2max is essential to perform well in sport like cross country, cycling and running. An OK fit male my age would typically have around 43 and having a VOmax greater than 55,4 puts you in the top 5 % of males age 20-29 (source: Garmin). My results came in at 55,2, a good starting point in targeting performance increase until the race season starts in November.

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Make a decision and GO!

June 20, 2017 by Speedy Goncalves No Comments
March 1st 2017, the Nordic World Championships are being held in Lahti, Finland. We are having lunch at work and as all Norwegians we are watching the men’s 15KM classic race, when one of my colleagues asks “So André how is Portugal doing? Have they ever had someone skiing?” It took about 20 seconds from my somewhat confused “eeeeeh I don’t know, don’t think so” until someone found out that Portugal has had one athlete in Olympics, Danny Silva, in 2006 and 2010. After a couple of more searches we confirmed what I imagined, cross country in Portugal is virtually nonexistent with three other active athletes. “André, you’re at the level of these guys! We have to get you into the national team, imagine if you could go to the Olympics that would be insane!” And then it hit me: This is a unique chance to make a small difference in the cross country community. A Portuguese person, raised in the cross country paradise – Norway. I am honored to be given the chance to bring this beloved winter sport to the traditional summer sport nation, Portugal. My ambition is to not only inspire my fellow citizens through the television screen in the Olympics, but to also inspire through active participation. I intend to start a cross country team in Portugal, host rollerski events and help fellow Portuguese athletes follow their ambitions in the winter sport community.  From there it took two weeks and a couple of emails and I was registered with the National Winter Sports Federation as an athlete and candidate for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. My first official race representing Portugal was Birkebeinerrennet 2017. This moment will forever be the start of what will probably be one of the greatest adventures of my life. From this day on there was no doubt, I’m going to the Winter Olympics – whatever it takes.

You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.
-Michael Phelps

But, how did we get here?

I tried skis on for the first time at age 10. Playing football with my local club DBK and cross country was a way to keep training with my friends during off-season. My parents bought me my first pair and I tried a bit in their backyard guided by some friends. I quickly liked it and decided to join DBK’s ski group to improve and train with the guys. Being a bit more tan than most Norwegians needless to say some were surprised and pleased to see a non-native Norwegian practicing the national sport. This is also the case for the reporter from Drammens Tidende who one day spotted my father and I skiing and deciced to write a story about us, the title was allready given: Speedy Goncalves on fiberglass skis

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About Me

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Hello, my name is André Goncalves, also known as SpeedyGoncalves. I represent Portugal in cross country skiing. Through this blog I will share my road towards Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. Stay tuned for workout, travel, and the everyday life of a skier. You can contact me at: andre.dl.goncalves@gmail.com and I will gladly answer all your questions and welcome your feedback in Norwegian, Portuguese and English.

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Recent Posts

Week 2 of camp and an interview with Finn Hågen Krogh

Week 2 of camp and an interview with Finn Hågen Krogh

November 7, 2017
Week 1 of training camp in Val Senales

Week 1 of training camp in Val Senales

October 29, 2017
See you in Val Senales

See you in Val Senales

October 19, 2017
What does it take to get to the Olympics?

What does it take to get to the Olympics?

October 8, 2017

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