This morning we got to ski for the first time this winter! The transition back to the boards was the smoothest I have ever experienced. After a summer that included several weeks skiing on Eagle Glacier, I didn't even find myself fixated on the length of my ski tips. The only aspect that was similar to my previous first ski of the new season was that I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I can't get over how great it feels to glide around on snow.
Here the guys are stalling to see if the moose in the trail will move. It's rutting season, so it was a game of "Where's Waldo" with moose. I stopped looking for them when I counted 13. Almost every Alaskan skier (myself included) instinctively clings their poles together with hopes of shooing a moose off the trail. Erik made a good point that the clinging noise could be counter-productive this time of year, because it sounds similar to antlers butting or ramming into a tree, and moose might interpret the noise as a challenge. I know what I would do if a racked bull decided to take me up on a challenge while I was gliding around in spandex-- I would put my skiing abilities to use and would sprint away in the opposite direction!
Laura "Valaasity" Valaas, Becca "the Wrecka" Rorabaugh, Kate (ar)DUSER, and Tazmannix after yesterday's intervals. There was enough snow to start skiing yesterday, but we knew that the most effective way to do the prescribed L4 intervals would be to bound uphill. I was proud of our team for being responsible athletes and getting our "work" done before allowing ourselves to plow through the powder, as we did at Glen Alps for our recovery workout this morning.
This is the time of year where competitive skiers are making transitions in training. We have begun to back off a little in strength training and we are putting an increased focus on high intensity. To effectively train at the highest "load" possible, it is important not to completely dig yourself into the ground in every interval workout. As the racing season approaches, we are allowed to push the envelope on the last intervals in an interval set. Stereotypically, I think nordic ski racers are hard-workers and over-achievers. When we are presented with the challenge to reach our potential or are told "go as fast as you can", we eat that stuff up.
Miss May with a Moose-stache when we kicked off the season last year. The first ski of the year is always memorable-- that's why it was easy to dig up this classic photo of Chrissy.
2 comments:
I cant belive how much snow you have, I am not ready for it. It was 70 degrees yesterday and it is supposed to snow here this weekend. I am doing a running race saturday, a winter run while everything is still green would be sweet! I love the pictures from Kwig I would really like to go back to visit sometime, I have never seen an ariel picture before it is much smaller than I remember.
I didn't know that you were planning on doing some racing, that's awesome! Good luck. Yeah, it was incredible getting to go back to Kwig. Everyone was asking about you. We will have to go back again one of these days!
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