Transitions
After logging a healthy number of rounds around the loop of man made snow for the last week in Livigno, I've come once again to the conclusion that "real skiing" is a.) quite a bit more energy-necessitating than rollerskiing b.) frustrating c.) immensely rewarding d.) not really that similar to rollerskiing. I've spent the last hundreds of hours of training since the start of the season analyzing technique, focused and determined to break my old inefficient skiing struggles for a fresh start this season, but mind you, maybe 5% of the last 500 hours were on actual skis. So the reality is that I've really now only learned good rollerski technique (not completely true, but feels that way). This reality hit me hard the first skate session here in Livigno, leaving my Iliotibial bands wrecked, confidence shaken, and just generally discouraged. Funny how one session can accomplish so much in the opposite direction of progress if you let it!
Each year the transition from rollerskiing to skiing proves a challenge and fresh test of my mental stamina, humbling me yet again, but also reigniting my stubborn love of cross country skiing. In a bit of a frantic effort to overhaul my technique the last few days, I've watched countless hours of World Cup video, some 12 years deep, and a documentary following the Norwegian women's Nordic team. During a rollerski treadmill technique session with the near technically perfect Marit Bjørgen, her coach shrewdly commented that perfection stunts progress, so maybe at that point it's time to quit the sport! Marit has been a member of the Norwegian national team for over 15 years, close to 70% of my entire lifetime, which is quite a long time to be meticulously and tirelessly working on technique- I certainly can find re-inspiration in that kind of dedication!
It turned my thought process to the diversity of techniques employed within both freestyle and classical cross country skiing in any one ski season and then how a few of these techniques become popularized and begin to shape a new technique norm. Take for example the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer and compare the double pole technique (lots of bend at the waist) with the double pole technique used this past season on the World Cup, puncuated by core stability, keeping the entire body in a stacked forward lean. Check out these videos for comparison: www.youtube.com/
www.youtube.com/
So after the tough on-snow session, I popped back on rollerskis for intervals the next day, and (after more hours of WC video feed) back onto skis the following day, with the result (being much to my surprise) a step in the right direction again! :)
Livigno at sunset
Track side smiles (and smirks)
Meeting the cows of Latte Livigno