I really don’t care much for cold weather anymore. Heat is uncomfortable but cold is painful. I grew up in a sub-tropical climate near the Gulf of Mexico where some winters never see temps below freezing. It only makes sense that the older I get the more tropical I feel. However, I love to Nordic Ski. I guess I have problem.
When I was younger I ran away to Colorado and the American west to embrace all four seasons. I especially liked skiing. First it was Alpine style downhill, then traditional Telemark, and finally my favorite, Nordic. The Nordic technique that appeals to me most is freestyle/skate which is done upon nicely packed wide groomed paths with lightweight gear and skinny skis.
In most states that offer a fair amount of downhill skiing you will often find cross country ski Nordic Centers with miles of groomed trails. Some places turn the local golf courses into a variety of serpentine trails. Other areas may be a little more rural in nature like a ranch with a cowboy who knows how to drive a Snowcat. The US Forest Service also grooms trails upon public lands for snowmobiles and cross country skiers. Many areas are free but usually the specific designated Nordic Centers that put a lot into maintaining trails charge a fee. It’s generally $10 to $20 for the day. Season passes are normally very reasonable.
In the mid 1990’s up to the mid 2000’s I was nuts about Nordic skiing and participated in a fair number a races. My running background transferred well to an aerobic base but it took a lot of kilometers over two year period to become proficient at the freestyle technique. Ironically, the more familiar traditional classic technique is much harder to master. When I lived in Aspen I was only a ten minute walk to miles of groomed trails and skied 4 or 5 days a week. After awhile I got pretty decent at it.
I returned to Houston in the Fall of 2004 and dusted off my roller skies to sweat along Bayou bike paths. Skiing became limited to short winter visits to Colorado. In 2006 I ran off to the Adirondacks in upstate New York and skied by butt off while working at the Mt Van Hovenburg Nordic Center, site of the 1980 Winter Olympics. That was pretty awesome. Since that time I’ve focused more on International travel, long distance hiking, and have resorted to running as the usual method to maintain a desired level of fitness.
The last competitive Nordic events I participated in were in 2006. They were the Keskinada Loppett in Ottawa, Canada and the Lake Placid Loppett while working at Mt Van Hovenburg. Both are 50k’s and I was happy to place 3rd in my age group at Lake Placid. Competitive cross country skiing is by far the toughest sport I have ever participated in. It’s one thing to go for a walk with skis on your feet. It’s another to race. Every ski race is like a long lung busting interval workout with the only recoveries being the down hills which usually seem way to short. In other words it feels like most of a race consists of skiing as fast as you can uphill.
It takes a lot to be competitive but years of working on technique go a long way when it comes to simply enjoying the activity. I probably only have half the engine I use have for racing. Technique wise I’m about the same which allows me the ability to joyfully skate along for 2 to 3 hours while taking in some beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain scenery.
From Denver I’m 1 ½ to 2 hours away from some splendid Nordic Centers but last week when the city got just enough snow on my mother’s un-plowed neighborhood streets I went out for a ski just like I go out for a run. It got a lot of smiles from the neighbors as I whizzed around with a quick V2 skate tecnique.
Anyway, not much has changed since my last December post. I’m balancing my time helping my mother while she undergoes chemo and weathers the ups and downs. I don’t mind. I just look forward to making it a point to get up to the mountains 1 or 2 days a week. I know I'll eventually get back to traveling internationally when the time is right.
