I had my first lesson on cross country skis in the white stuff yesterday at Bear Valley Cross Country. My instructor P.J. was very good at covering the basics. “Don’t wave those polls around! Don’t plant them too far forward! Remember to plant them next to your feet. Have you thumbs brush your thighs as you move your hands back and forth – thumbs to thighs, thumbs to thighs!”

Additional rhyming advice was offered for recovering from a fall. “Bring your knees to your skis.” She instructed. Because the boot is attached to the cross country skis only at the toe, I could pretty easily move my legs so my knees could be placed on top of my skis and then slowly rise back up.

We also covered several ways to go up and down hills (pretty easy) and how to use my “abs of steel” to do double polling to move forward. I played along and felt no need to disabuse her of this notion. Heavy winter clothing covers a lot! And besides, it was hard to admit that at the moment, cross country skiing for more than a few minutes at a time felt more like having a “steel clamp” around my lungs instead.

Both P.J. and my coaches have explained how we should have an athletic stance with our knees slightly bent and be leaning forward when on the skis. That’s not too hard during dry-land training, even when we lean so far that we fall forward simulating our movement on skis.

But on snow it takes a lot more energy and strength. I felt like Groucho Marx leaning over my skis and building up momentum as I swung my arms and moved forward with a gentle swaying motion. All I needed was the cigar and eyebrows.

After about 5 minutes of this, a tank of oxygen would have been more helpful. I could not maintain that kind of stance and forward momentum for much longer without stopping to catch my breath. After my lesson, I kept skiing and later added up my distance to be only about 5 km over about two hours of time.

For excuses I have that the temperature was about 20 degrees and I was at an elevation of over 7,000 feet above sea level. But I did not feel cold and the Anchorage race will be at sea level. Maybe I’ll have a chance to finish the entire 25 km marathon when I get there.

But I have to finish! I am committed. I can’t and won’t quit now!

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