Too much snow on the ground to ride in the woods and I really don't want to be on the roads with all this slop, either, so the next best winter workout is a good XC Ski at Fairfield Hills, the former State Psychiatric Hospital in Newtown, CT. Of course the other thing taking me away from cycling or any other physical activity is the fact that last weekend I slipped on the ice and banged top of my shin and it swelled up to the size of a baseball. It's still swollen, just not as much, and it only hurts if I put pressure on the bump, so as long as I don't fall on it again, I am good to go!
When I got to the end of Keating Farms Road, I couldn't believe on one had been skiing yet. The warm-up earlier in the day and light rain made snow smooth and slick. There was a wind out of the North that made it a lot colder than I was expecting and I was lamenting that I didn't wear my mittens. However, once I started climbing from the bottom of Yahoo Hill, that all changed.
Since I have been mostly skiing Nordic on the slopes this year it fun to be in the flats and trying some different techniques that I have been teaching myself, like doing raised heel turn. By angling my the opposite ski of the turn in towards my knee, I am able to turn slightly and thus creating a smoother arch for the next person to follow.
After two miles and hour of skiing I was feeling pretty good and everything was soaked from the workout. The one thing I tried differently in equipment arena was wearing my old pants but I forgot my gaiters so I got a little snow in my boots. I will definitely use the ski pants but when it's much colder. When it's around 30 degrees long johns my old Army BDU trousers are still the best combination.
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