First day in the snow!

Saturday, Dec. 3rd was our first day in the snow. We all pretty much started our day around 4:20am, so that we could get in the car for the lovely 3 hour drive to Bear Valley. My carpool buddy, Andrea, and I made it in good time. We were there about 40 minutes early. Plenty of time to rent our equipment and get to the meeting spot. After getting to our team meeting spot we decided it was a good idea to get into our skis and practice a bit before practice actually started. As soon as I thought that I realized that I had absolutely no idea how to get into the skis, let alone go without falling down. After getting a quick tutorial from an experienced cross country skier I decided to get my feet wet with being on the skis. That is when I realized that I had my work cut out for me the next 4 months. I work out a lot, but nothing that I do could have fully prepared me for being on the snow in the skis!

After our team went through the welcoming announcements we were broke off into groups according to our experience. I was put into the intermediate group b/c I have been in the snow and I have snowboarded. Our team leader had us walking in our skis, with no poles; he taught us to fall and how to get back up; he then wanted us to walk for two counts then glide on one leg for 3 counts, all to learn to balance on one leg; then we had to run in our skis. Yes I know that sounds impossible. It nearly is! After some time he had us grab our poles and we learned to stride with our poles. That is the motion to alternate our arms and legs and walk, or glide, over the snow. We then moved on to a pulling technique that looks easy but it taxes out your muscles fast. Basically, you keep your skis parallel and then pull continuously with your arms; reaching the poles to your toes and then pulling yourself forward. When doing so you are contracting your abs and in essence performing a constant ab crunch. That is my favorite motion, though it is hard. When I start to tire out I would default to this technique.

Our coach then had us go on this other trail that would take us to a huge hill, not huge like a downhill slope, but big enough that it was daunting for all of us. I got up the hill by dragging my booty up b/c I fell halfway up it! After we got to the top we had to go down the hill. I was trying to be confident and my coach was giving me a pep talk b/c he knew that I was stressed out about it. After getting his words of wisdom I decided that I could do it. Well I didn't....I biffed it harder then I have ever biffed it before. I not only landed on my backside, but I landed on my backside on top of one of my skis. After hearing my coach say, "OH...that must of hurt!" I got up and got to the trail that we needed to go on before lunch. I biffed it yet again on another, much smaller, hill. I was starting to worry at this point!

Once on the trail I did pretty good. I was actually enjoying myself! Once I was done with the trail I had to turn back towards that devil of a hill to get to our lunch spot. I was thinking in my head that I was going to have to go back down that thing....crap!

Lunch happened and then it was time to ski back to the lodge to return my equipment. My leg/booty area were starting to hurt much more from my earlier fall.....so I thought it was perfect timing to call it a day. I tried to get back down that hill, and fell again. This time I knew that I pysched myself out.....I'll do it next time! I did however make it down the next small hill....which was a great accomplishment for me.

Before we all dispersed we were going to take a team photo, with all 50 of us! My team leader was running to get into the picture and fall so hard that everyone gasped and then the nervous laughter followed, along with questions to make sure he was okay. He was, but the air was knocked out of him and he was a bit slow to move afterwards. I have to say that all of us that day fell! I didn't feel so alone anymore! Misery enjoys company.

I know that I have a hard 4 months ahead of me, but I am ready for it. I am a bit more scared now then I was before our ski day. But I am a bit more realistic as to what will be in store for me in about a week and a half when we go back to Bear Valley.

Until next time......