9th
24 years wasted
I can’t help feelings of disappointment with my recent joy. I found a reason to love winter in Ohio. It only took 24 years to find it out. I don’t count the first four years of my life because likely I wouldn’t have been enjoying cross country (XC) skiing or at least wouldn’t have realized how much it helps the winter blahs.
It’s truly amazing how happy I’ve been over the past few days. I had been considering trying out XC skiing for the past 3 months or so. I just randomly picked up a book on it at the new book section at the library. Three aspects to it intrigued me. First, it’s virtually free once you get going. Second, it’s thought to be the best aerobic workout in the world. Third, it gets you outside and in the elements. Fourth (yes, I said three), it appeals to cyclists because of the solitary nature of it.
Melissa and I went for the first time on Saturday (1/6/10) to Chapin forest. We rented a pair of skis for $5/hr. At first we had some trouble clicking in. It’s quite a bit different, but way simpler, than regular skis. It took a few falls after clicking in to really get the hang of it. By ‘get the hang of it’, I mean that I maintained a relatively stable upright position. Melissa was a natural although she credits that to her XC skiing back when she was a kid.
I was sweating within 20 minutes. Dripping sweat. I completely overdressed. I had two layers of under armour and a ski coat. Of course, part of it might have been my poor form, but I really did feel like I had a great workout. We went for about 3 miles around a loop and then came back in. It took about an hour. I loved it and Melissa had a pretty good time too. I’m fairly certain I’m going to keep it up. In fact, I went out the next day, Sunday, by myself. More on that another time.
