Professional Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s training never stops, even when she’s on the road. Shiffrin, 29, shared a picture of herself wearing shorts and a gray tank top, posing next to weights at the gym. “Thankful for everyone who helps us with training & gym spaces on the road… having a routine and familiar place to train is one of the things we take for granted when we’re home, but it’s a bit more challenging when we’re on the road and moving to new locations every 2-3 days! Shout out to Spenst Trysil for having me the last week, your space is great!☺️” she captioned the post. Here’s how the Olympic athlete stays strong, fit, and ready for her next challenge.
Shiffrin has eggs and toast for breakfast, and makes sure to get plenty of carbohydrates throughout the day. “Pasta is my superfood!” she told Good Housekeeping. “Balance and moderation are the basis for my diet, though, so I also make sure to incorporate plenty of protein, fruits, and veggies throughout the day. They’re essential in providing the energy I need, especially on race days that can last 12 hours. I wouldn’t eat a 1,000-calorie bowl of spaghetti for dinner, but I’ve always loved pasta and think it’s a good addition to any meal and a great base for pretty much any vegetable. It’s also great when I have a nervous stomach before race day.”
Shiffrin loves to relax by going through her skincare routine. “I’ve also traveled with my own pillow and one of those silk pillowcases, and it’s made such an incredible difference,” she told ELLE. “In the big nights leading up to a race, I get my candles out. I do my face mask. I’ll tell my boyfriend, ‘You should do this with me.’ And he’ll be like, ‘Wow. It feels good to rest your brain for a moment, doesn’t it?'”
Shiffrin tries to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. “I fully believe the only way you can recover mentally, emotionally and physically is with sleep,” she told The Wall Street Journal. “I’m a top-level napper. I shoot for 45 to 90 minutes. I don’t always sleep that long, but I find it beneficial even when I shut my eyes and tune out the external stimulation.”
Shiffrin is diligent about protecting her skin from the sun. “If I miss sunscreen for one or two days, I will literally see sunspots come up within the next two weeks,” she told ELLE. “Then I have to wear it diligently for months in order for that to even out again. Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen is so good, but I mix that with an even higher level of SPF or a zinc-based one, which is better for your skin.”
Shiffrin’s training starts with ten minutes of warm up on a stationary bike before stretching. She then does intense interval training, including pushing and pulling a weighted sled, and strength training. “I’ve never puked,” she told the New Yorker. “I’ve come close. I’d pass out before I’d puke. We have a grading scale that I fill out for every workout. Ten is dying or passing out. I rate nine fairly often. That may have been a nine, maybe.”