About this episode
In this episode of the Race Ready Podcast, we kick things off with an exclusive interview featuring U.S. Ski Team star Julia Kern. Fresh off a silver medal performance at the 2025 World Championships, Julia shares insights into her training philosophy, mental preparation, and how she balances life and sport to stay at the top of her game. She also discusses how she adapts her training during injury setbacks and emphasizes the importance of process goals, cross-training, and maintaining a flexible, resilient mindset. After our inspiring chat with Julia Kern, we dive deep into a discussion on training zones, cross-training, and youth athlete development. We break down the role of intensity distribution (L3 vs. L4 training), why cross-country skiers don't need to be standout runners, and how young athletes can build a broad athletic base through a variety of sports. We also share strategies for safely increasing training load in the spring and discuss why cross-training is critical for injury prevention and long-term success in Nordic skiing and biathlon. Whether you're an athlete, coach, or fan of endurance sports, this episode is packed with valuable insights on cross-country skiing training, injury recovery, cross-training strategies, and year-round athlete development. Tune in to hear how top-level athletes like Julia Kern prepare for success and learn actionable tips for optimizing your own summer training season!