Cross Training Chronicles: A Skate Skiing Adventure

Cross training is one of my focus goals for 2015, but I am not ready to throw in the towel and become a gym rat just yet...or perhaps ever.  So when my Italian friends, Carlo and Sofia, offered to give me lessons in skate skiing a few weeks ago, I couldn’t turn them down.  (Really... I couldn’t.  They were on my doorstep, ready to go!)

So on a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon, we drove to the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex, just a short drive north and nestled in the backwood dunes next to Lake Michigan..  The Winter Sport Complex, part of Muskegon State Park in North Muskegon, boasts some of the best cross country ski trails and snowshoe trails in the area, as well as acres of ice rinks and a quarter mile ice skating trail through the woods.  The groomed and lighted trails of the MWSC are meticulously maintained when the snow conditions allow.  Skiers of all levels can enjoy the well-marked ski trails, ranging from a fairly flat 2.5K loop to the more advanced Lost Lake 5K loop.  

Gearing up behind the Lodge.

Now, I have been a Nordic (or classic) style skier most of my adult life.  I still have the pair of skis my parents gave me when I was in high school.  Skate skiing is a different beast altogether.  The skis are longer and much more narrow, the poles are taller too.  Since my equipment was not right for skate skiing, I rented the proper skis and pole from the lodge for $20.00 on top of the $7.00 fee for the trail pass.  Then my lessons began....

I struggled at first...I was clumsy and awkward; much like a duck on skis.  Carlo and Sofia were terribly patient with me, talking me through the technique, one step at a time.  First I learned how to move forward, making skating movements with my feet, without the use of my poles.  Trying to reverse the muscle memories my body draws from after many years of Nordic skiing was no easy task.  The runner in me struggled with being slow and graceless, falling up hills and down flat trails.  Once my instructors felt I had minimal mastery of one aspect of skate skiing, another element was thrown in: poles; pole placement; body movement; rhythm.  After about an hour, Carlo, Sofia, and I made our way back to the lodge and I was feeling slightly more confident in my skate skiing ability…I hadn’t fallen down in the last 15 minutes.  

After a brief reprieve, my trio headed out again, lapping around the 2.5K loop twice.  Starting back up was difficult, having lost my concentration on my form and technique.  I found my rhythm again, reminding myself to slow down...this wasn’t a race or about hitting my weekly mileage.  This experience was about learning something new and enjoying time with my friends...about giving my body a break from my runner’s mindset.  Once I realized that I just needed to relax, skate skiing suddenly became MUCH easier and more natural.  

By the end of 10Ks of sunny trails, I was tired, sore, and incredibly happy.  While I search for some used skate skiing equipment of my own, I will still have to fall back on my Nordic skis.  But, I can’t wait to go back out and continue to embrace the Michigan winter and a new way to cross train.

Carlo, being an avid photographer, captured my trials, errors, stumbles, and falls with his camera.  Here is a brief compilation of my progression from complete novice to basic:

 What else have I been up to these past few weeks?  Guest blogging for Michigan Runner Girl about Run Muskegon's upcoming inaugural Shamrock Shuffle 5K!  Check it out here! 

Carlo, me, and Sofia on the trails.

My Oiselle Katron Vest & Go Joggings tights were perfect for skiing!