Together with the national team, we are currently finishing three weeks of altitude training in the Italian Alps. At an altitude of 1816 meters above sea level, Livigno is situated in a valley hidden by surrounding peaks. When we arrived late in May, we were shocked by the amount of snow. Only days before our arrival, the start in Giro d'Italia was moved from Livigno due to the rough weather conditions. Last year, around the same time however, it was much less snow, allowing us to embark on various mountain adventures. With surrounding peaks of 3000 meters above sea level in the "backyard", we were really looking forward to return to some of our favourite views.
One of the key takeaways of altitude training is that the body recovers slower due to the lower oxygen levels in the air. Therefore, our training mostly consists of low intensity training, perfect for hiking. However, this year's unexpected snow levels changed our plans. While the snow-capped peaks made for stunning photographs, it limited our ability to go on the adventures we had eagerly anticipated. instead of hiking up the mountains, we spent most of our time admiring them from the roads, cycling through the valleys.
The Unexpected snow and intermittent rain posed significant challenges also for our speed skating specific training. We had to modify our training plans, exchanging inline skating with slide board (a way more boring form of training). Under normal conditions we usually skate through the longer open tunnels of Livigno. Thankfully we could return to the roads during the second week here, only on a limited part of the road
One highlight that we implemented in our daily routine here at camp was morning ice baths. Every morning before breakfast, we made ourselves a cup of AeroPress coffee in our standard LeCreuset travel cups, before heading to the nearby river for a dip. The river flows through the center of Livigno and consist of melting water from the surrounding mountains.
Overall, we managed to make the most of our time here in Livigno. We built our endurance as intended, enjoyed the Italian mountains, and take some images. Now the journey goes back to Norway, where we intend to let the weather forecast decide where to go. Hopefully, we can go out for some small adventures before leaving for our next camp in the German mountains. We will for sure continue with our morning baths.
