Skinny skis

I live in Minnesota, which means that for what seems like half the year it is entirely too cold and gross out to bike and distinctly unpleasant to run.  This is upsetting to me, as it leads to undesirable activities like spin class and treadmill running.   Nonetheless, I persevere, looking forward to warmer days and sunny skies.   This year, however, I have embraced my inner Norwegian and taken up the fine sport of cross country skiing.   This is not my first foray into the sport of my homeland, but the last time I did any skiing was more than a decade ago when I was flush with the invincibility of youth and ignorance.   These days, I find myself overly concerned with the fragility of my bones and ligaments, though not entirely undeservedly.  

Elm Creek - Couldn't ask for a nicer day

Naturally, Owatonna has received very little snow, but our friends to the north in the Twin Cities have been more fortunate.   As such, my peeps and I have been heading northward on the weekends to take in the varied joys of the Three Rivers Park District trail systems.   I have to say, that in general, I am very impressed with the offerings they are able to put forth.  In particular, Elm Creek has become a favorite of mine, not the least because of the large fireplace in the chalet, which provides a fantastic place to sit and warm up after a chilly afternoon.  

The boys, showing how it's done, twinner style.  

As for the skiing, it's been a learning, or perhaps relearning, process.   The first day out was -- awkward.  With no confidence in my abilities and my aforementioned fear of breaking myself, even tiny hills were anxiety inducing.   Additionally, I had no idea how to go UP hills, which led to a rather humorous incident of sliding backwards down a particularly steep slope until finally tumbling to a stop.   Thank goodness for the kindness of a random woman who introduced me to the concept of stepping up a hill herringbone style.   Additional trips have increased my confidence and I have started to remember some of the more "advanced" techniques - snow plowing, for example.   I'm still pretty cautious, but it's been a blast.

Demonstrating my expert snow plow technique

The advantage of all this, of course, is that it's a fantastic workout, in addition to being fun.   While spin class is usually entertaining, it's not exactly the highlight of my day (well, it is, but mostly because my life is pretty dull this time of year).    Running outside can be fun, but the temperature range I'm comfortable running in pretty much stops in the mid teens.  I'll run outside in colder, but mostly just to prove I can.   Skiing, however, has the benefit of being such a butt kicking workout that even in downright frigid temps it's possible to be comfortable (and maybe even too warm!).   The only part of me that disagrees are my hands, which mysteriously have started getting painfully cold before I get my blood pumping.  I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I used to wear a size 10 ring, and now wear closer to a 7 1/2.  

That hill is a lot more intimidating in person...really, it is.

This past weekend was an exceptionally beautiful time to be out.   Both days graced us with moderate temperatures and a light dusting of fresh snow that made being outside feel like a privilege.   Sunday was interesting, as it was the first day I had been out where I was routinely coming upon other skiers.   As I'm still trying to figure out the mechanics of the sport, I'm not particularly fast, so I normally just wait for people to pass me by.  Sunday, however, I was going at a good enough clip that I was passing some people myself.   This led to one of the more surreal experiences I've had lately.   A woman came up behind me and was riding pretty close to me.  Eventually I had to stop, as I ran into a bad patch of track and needed to negotiate the edge to avoid falling.  As she passed me, she apologized, saying that she wasn't faster than me, but was faster on the downhills because she was heavy.   I nearly tripped, hearing words that I have said and/or thought a million times coming from someone (who wasn't that big), talking to me!  

Speedy!

Next week I'll have a post about the new year and my plans and hopes for it.  In the meantime, have a fantastic Christmas or holiday of your choice!

(Thanks to Randy for the action shots!)