I have wanted to get into cross country skiing for a while, but never paid for a lesson or asked a friend who knew what they were doing to take me out until very recently. We took to the trails of Theodore Wirth park in Minneapolis, and I had a pretty good time.
Knowing how good of a workout skiing can be, and with how long it stays cold enough to keep snow on the ground in Minnesota, its sort of surprising that I haven't done more skiing in my life. I've only gone a few times, and just the other day was the first time that I really got a lesson.
It is hard. Technique is extremely important, as different techniques are needed depending on if you are going up a hill, on flat ground or down a hill. Balance was also really important, as the feeling of balancing on skis isn't exactly natural to me. I'm sure endurance is important as well, though we didn't go far enough to test my endurance. As with anything, having the patience to learn will be important if I want to continue skiing.
We ended up skiing for about an hour, and with all of the stop and go of falling and fixing technique, I think we only traveled something like 3 kilometers.
I am definitely looking forward to spring, but I think I'll be back on skis again in about 9 months.
