So, after my usual multi-year gap between trying new things, I decided to try out skate skiing Friday. I skied, miserably, from '87 till '94, adopted snowboarding in '97 (still love that, just hate driving) and was looking for something that could be done in town when we have the luxury of new snow. Friends are doing it, say it's a good workout and warn that it's not easy. They definitely got that last part right. Still, a two hour lesson with a very patient teacher at Eldora gave me all the information I needed. I am not ready for skate skiing.
I watched people gracefully gliding by. They looked so serene, even with the elevated heart rate. I figured out how to get the skis on and considered that an accomplishment. There were brief "aha!" moments over the course of the morning, but it was mostly me stomping and slipping and getting really tired. I felt sorry for the other student in our lesson, since he was way more advanced, but then again, he had to practice going up hills later in the hour and I got to continue shuffling back and forth on relatively flat ground. Maybe I should consider myself lucky. Vicky, my instructor, did mention that those with any previous classic xc experience usually take to skating more easily, so I will definitely give some thought to taking a lesson in that next time. For now, I'll stick to what I know. At least till Wednesday when I break out the new snowshoes.
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