Who’s weirder, distance runners or nordic skiers? What’s the hardest sport between running, nordic skiing, and mountain biking? What should a college athlete trying to keep up with training while moving on in life consider when taking those next steps?
In episode two of Who Woke Me Up?, Evan Arthur sits down with Fast Big Dog to answer these questions, and many more.
Arthur, 24, is a 2021 graduate from Colby College, where he majored in Computer Science. He has a strong background in cross-country skiing… spent his time at Colby pursuing cross country running as his main sport… and, like John Wessling before him (see episode one), ultimately found success in mountain biking, similarly making his UCI World Cup debut in Snowshoe, West Virginia, last month. He is therefore well-situated to speak to cross-disciplinary comparisons between the three sports, be it technique, learning how to crash, the role of pure fitness, or more.
Arthur at one point observes that in cycling, “You can just bike, and almost every cyclist just bikes. … For skiing, you kind of do everything, which makes it fun. Skiers are suited to go into other sports, just because they’re so well-rounded. I don’t think a cyclist could really go and become a nordic skier later in life; that’d be hard for them.”
Which, well, shots fired.
Arthur currently trains 20+ hours a week, and also works 20+ hours a week. He has thoughts on balancing the two, which will be of interest to anyone else out there trying to engage in a similar balancing act, no matter the absolute numbers involved in the training load.
Episode two is embedded above. You can subscribe on Spotify here, on Apple Podcasts here, or anywhere else you get your podcasts (some other options: Podcast Addict, Deezer, Player FM).
Thank you as always for listening, and for your support of what is presumptively the number one nordic ski podcast in Jamaica (unless those notably competent scamps over at the Devon Kershaw Show can surpass our one (1) download so far from the Kingston region, in which case we will happily settle for number two). Also if you would like to sponsor us, and so achieve valuable brand recognition in the American and/or Jamaican cross-country skiing spheres, please be in touch.
— Gavin Kentch
