Tuesday, February 14, 2012  In Shape vs Sports Shape  After
getting destroyed at the Ritte team training camp it seems like
a good time to address the difference between being in shape and
getting into sports-specific shape. It’s important for any
weekend warrior or aspiring outdoor enthusiast to understand and
plan around this difference. Today’s post is a primer.  A sport
doesn’t exist where you can simply train in the gym and then
compete at a high level without a period of integration, where
you transition the fitness gains achieved into real world
scenarios. There are various factors involved in the answer. The
obvious is skill, as every sport has its own technique, but the
more subtle issues that tend to get overlooked involving
specificity of sport.  The easiest example to understand is skin
conditioning. Skiing, running, climbing, biking, horseback
riding, you name it; all require that your skin be in a specific
condition. Do any of these things too long off the couch, no
matter how high your fitness