Pål Golberg (NOR) has his eyes set on the overall sprint World Cup in a season with no major cross-country championships.
“I had a lot of good sprint races last season, and there are no championships this season, so winning the overall sprint World Cup is what motivates me the most,” says Pål Golberg.
In getting there, Golberg points out the importance of soaking up the good experiences and increasing the capacity of the engine, and Golberg’s top training tip is to believe in your plan.
“There are so many training strategies you COULD try, but you have to decide on one plan and believe in that. That’s the most important part. Everything else builds on that,” Golberg says, pointing out that this is true regardless of ambition level.
So far, this season has been a lot different than Golberg had envisioned.
“I’ve done a lot of things differently this season compared to previous years,” Golberg says, explaining that getting sick with some sort of virus at the end of the 2014-15 season forced him to change a lot.
“I’ve had to change my priorities. I have to listen more carefully to my body and adjust my training plan accordingly. The result is that I logged quite a bit less volume than I planned to through the summer and early fall, and that’s disappointing. But you have to keep things in perspective. I can’t expect to be among the podium contenders in the early race season. However I plan on being back in the mix by New Year,” Golberg says.
The 25-year-old is not planning on racing the Tour de Ski. He will focus on getting fully recovered.
“There are a lot of other races that suit me better, and by skipping Tour de Ski, I get solid training periods on either side of Christmas, “ he says.
That said, Golberg enjoys the thrill and excitement of the tour format, and is aiming for the Tour de Canada at the end of the season.
“Tour de Canada suits me and my strengths a lot better than Tour de Ski, because there are more sprints and more classic races,” he says, adding that he expects a fierce battle for the team among the Norwegian Ski Team racers.
“It will be a tight selection. I think everyone wants to race Tour de Canada this year,” Golberg says.