The Ski Before the Storm

Finally the Elver Park ski trails are open. They are still a bit sketchy. Not much of a base yet, leaves and sticks all over the snow, and a few bare spots here and there. But it does not matter. My training has officially turned to the snow. Last Friday night we got two inches of snow, and then followed that up with another four on Thursday evening. Not enough for ideal conditions, but still enough to skate across the western edge of the park. I kept my new skis in the garage, and instead spent the morning on my rock skis.

It did not take long to realize that skiing is not running. Over the past several months I have gained a great deal of confidence in my fitness level. I have gotten to the point where there were very few runs that I felt I couldn't handle. The hills, the flats, the short runs or the long runs all ended with me feeling fatigued, yet still never questioning my stamina. This morning on my first hill I knew that the game had changed. So as I crested my first hill I knew that I needed to trust my fitness level. I needed to focus on my breath, on my stride, and on my strength. Slowly I felt better. Slowly I gained some stamina. And slowly I began to realize that I am indeed prepared for this journey. Sure I am not even close to being able to ski 50 km, and yet I am certain that when I get my new skis prepped, my strength, my stamina, and my skiing skills will begin to reveal itself.

And the good news is that tonight we are in the middle of a winter storm warning and another six to ten inches are expected. If the forecast is correct, we could have a nice base by tomorrow evening, my new Salomon sticks will be waxed and ready, and no more rock skis will be necessary. And the search for birkyness will move almost exclusively to the nordic ski tails.