XC skiing is a long road

I saw a little video last night of my best racing days.

I looked like I wasn’t even trying, no visible exertion.

Right at the front at the halfway point.

The thing is that it took me years to get there. And I

wasn’t even to the point where I could really put the

coals to the fire. I think that would’ve happened the

very next season, which never happened.

But it’s amazing how the skills add up and there’s still

room to grow.

You get your smoothness down, the technique, some

fitness….then you’re lucky coz you still can look forward

to adding POWER someday! Pile some DYNAMISM in on

there!

Man, that would’ve been fun. To get past just trying not

to overdo it, avoiding mistakes, taking it easy. To where

you can pile it on.

Skiing with abandon, dynamically, absolutely does not

mean *going under*. You can have a spark and still

be relaxed. I wouldn’t have gotten any LESS smooth.

My base was finally ready. I would’ve finally added WEIGHTS

and power stuff that summer. No rush or panic.

I’d never done those aspects, I’d been patient.

Come that very next season I could’ve finally

gotten more BEND and DRIVE in BOTH legs. Reach out, float

and collapse even more with body weight. More snap. Longer

float.

XC is a sport where you can get BETTER for a LONG time!

Be patient. Have your ‘just finish’ year. Then add a bit more

during the summer. Then feel some speed, some hill ability.

Then have a POWER summer. So the next year, several from

when you started, you can finally ski DYNAMICALLY!