Cross Country Skiing

[Skierchickie]

The trails are still going strong! Of course, now it's too warm after work, so I can only get out on the weekends. It's been 50-ish the past 3 days, but our last significant snow was Monday night (8 inches of wet, heavy stuff). The banks have shrunk quite a bit, but no bare patches yet except right next to the house and anyplace that has been plowed. The trails are well-covered! The crust skiing isn't quite ready yet - I was breaking through a little this morning.

It was fun and fast this morning - I took a spectacular crash - stepping around a sharp curve, I thought I was doing great (too sure of myself = hitting a tree once, etc), then caught an edge. My right ski spun around, with the rest of me following, skidding several feet spread-eagled. Swollen, sore area just below my knee (where it hit the ski edge), sore shoulder, sore meaty part of one palm, sore legs in general. Achy neck, either from the crash or from the disease that is running rampant at work, starting with that and cruising on into a high fever. I'm still hoping not to get it.

Gotta get one really painful crash in every season. I'm just glad I didn't break a pole! I suppose some day it could be a bone, but we won't worry about that!

[anakiwa]

I'm glad to see this thread alive again.

But I'm finding I'm ready to move on to biking (which is unfortunate since we have so much snow and the roads are still a mess). I'm not sure if it's the slushy conditions or the long days or what (I was so looking forward to spring skiing, but now I just want to get on a bike- oh well). The crazy thing is that the base is still 18+ inches in most places (it's too bad they can't just ice pack the ski trails so they'd be all ready in December).

[Bron]

Funny you should say that - at one of the German elite training centres they do store snow over the summer - pack it up in a big mound and cover it with polystyrene! I think that they had enough for a 2km track at the beginning of this season.

My thoughts started turning to the bike after our last race. It has snowed a bit more this weekend, but most places have stopped grooming anyway.

On the plus side, I won a prize for our ski series - very happy about that, and motivated to do even better next year.

Skierchicke, that sounds bad, I hope you are feeling ok now. DH has broken poles while racing before, so far I´ve been lucky and only picked up bruises.

[madscot13]

the skiing season ended a few weeks ago. I have to say that I swear it snowed just for me. I got my first pair of skis this year and there was snow for the entire 3 weeks I was back in Minnesota for Christmas and the 1 week for springbreak. usually we don't get so much snow and I was fortunate for the good stuff to fall when it did.

unfortunately, the biking season will be delayed by school, trips, and a requisite upgrade. I guess it is nice that I live in DC and I'm not limited to summer and fall this year. I'm pretty certain I can bike year round.

[Skierchickie]

I'm pretty sore today! I was able to ski fairly pain-free, but everything else hurts. Just lotsa sore muscles and a coupla bruises - no real injuries. I think I really am 42

[Bron]

Anyone gearing up for the next cross-country season?
I know it's only October but I'm trying to get myself training a bit more and thinking about what races to do.

[Skierchickie]

Not yet, but I'd better start getting wax on my rock skis. Usually we've had an inch once or twice by now - so far only one day with reports of flakes in the air. I've usually stopped biking by now, anyway. I did get my poles out for a walk this evening.