Cross Country Skiing Rocks

OMG- I am having an affair. It is with cross country skiing. Shush. I love it.

Today was our biggest measureable snowfall so far and as hubby and the girls went off four- wheeling and sledding in the back farm land, I decided to try cross country skiing. I promised myself the year before last that upon watching the girls learn to downhill and cross country ski, that I too would at least participate in cross country. Back in the day, I used to ski downhill and other than the hot Toddie at the end of the run, pretty much hated every moment. I picked up a pair of used CC ski's for about $150 last year, but it never snowed enough for me to try them out. Today, I ran out of excuses and all alone strapped into my ski's, only fell once and fell in love with the whole idea of just me and the ski's taking my good old time to get where I wanted to go. I even left the i-pod behind to hear the snowflakes. Mental note- buy good goggles to keep the snowflakes out of the eyes.

Cross-country skiing is supposed to be one of the most difficult endurance sports, its motions use every major muscle group and it (along with running, rowing and swimming) is one of the sports that burn the most calories per hour in execution. Whooo hooo. After an hour of trying different terrain from the driveway to the tubing trail to the fresh snowfall I could not believe that I had not fallen. Ah ha-- wipe out in the back yard as my ski's went off the four wheeler path into the new snow --but surprisingly, I got up with little effort and no injury -only to head back merrily on my way.

I can sure see how opening a track through deep snow can be quite arduous. My 125 pound frame sunk like a battleship so it took a lot to get used to. We got nearly a foot of snow! I have older styled bindings without cables and I don't know enough about them to say if they are good or not but certainly good enough for this country bumpkin enthusiast. The hardest part of the new snow was that I was creating a sole that felt like it weighed in at 200 pounds on each leg. I am sure my technique absolutely sucked but damned it anyway, here I am hours later and I am not sore and am itching to head out for the Sunday morning breakfast club on ski's.

Who the frig am I? Have I discovered that I like snow? Oh, shit. Oh SHIT.

I think my skis are waxless and they sort of have a fish scale, cross pattern in the kick zone to provide grip. At first I was pretending I was ice skating but to compensate for the length of the skies and the poles, made some major adjustments that finally had me looking forward instead of at my feet. At some point, I realized I was a long way from where I had started and realized I wasn't even winded. Not bad for all the Marlboro's. Dang it anyway, as much as I hate winter I love cross country skiing. Even my feet were warm.

I gave it a good hour and then got a call for happy hour at my sis in laws and figured with the roads so shitty I was going to ski there and SOB-- I did it. D drove us all home so I couldn't ski back but if it wasn't so dark I could have made it home on my ski's. Ah the bravery of alcohol.....

Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream on ski's- at least while the snow flies. Bring it on old man winter- I love skiing!