Cross Country Skiing

[roadie gal]

We just started cross country skiing, been out maybe 6 times. Is there a good source for learning stuff about it? There's quite a learning curve, and we just have cheap skis and even cheaper poles and sometimes my hands hurt. Maybe it's that death grip thing. I would like to know if I'm even using the right ski for the conditions. Not something I learned from growing up in Florida, that's for sure!

Do you have a cross country ski area (or a downhill area with XC trails) around you? If you do, I'd recommend taking a lesson. I've always found lessons so much more helpful than videos or books. There's a lot of technique to even simple striding. The better your technique the more you'll enjoy the whole thing. You can also try out better equipment to see if that makes a difference for you.

[roadie gal]

I went out for a skate yesterday. It was one of the few days that I didn't have a time limit. So I decided to go to one of the warming huts on top of the mountain that I've never made it to on my skaters, although I have on the striding skis.

Well, I huffed and puffed and stopped and went all of the way up to the hut. It seemed like it took forever. The only other person I saw was one of the nurses from work. She and I took turns passing each other and then stopping to catch our breath. At one intersection, she turned off onto a different trail and I kept going. I was VERY tired by the time I got back to the lodge, but I'm so jazzed that I made it! Maybe next time I can do it without stopping so many times...