Actually, it has been around for a while in cycling. It is well known
that participating in a stage race will elicit tremendous fitness
improvements if the individual can get through the stage race without
crashing (physiologically). Some people just can't handle that type
of format though, and never come through a stage race without breaking
down.

Steve,

That's interesting about cycling stage races. Over the years I
believe that I've seen something similar in ski racing. Though this
is not a quantifiable statement - it seems after a skier competes in a
week-long competition (Nationals), and as you noted they don't burn
themselves out, they emerge skiing faster then when they went in. In
essence such a race series is a compressed intensity block, similar to
a stage race (but with more rest).

A thought - maybe AXCS Masters should use this logic as promotion for
skiers to participate in the AXCS National Masters race series at the
end of January/early February. You want to ski faster in the Birkie?
.... then get your intensity block in that will make you faster - ski
National Masters. If it works for cyclists, it will likely work for
skiers.

Tim Kelley