XC

We decided to try something new last weekend and went cross-country skiing at nearby Albion Hills. It was a beautiful day for it, not too cold and with plenty of fresh snow on the ground.

I was surprised at how aerobic this sport could be, it didn't take long at all to get our heart rates up! The movement was a little strange, sort of like running on polished floorboards in socks. The skis are much longer and narrower than downhill skis, with tips that curve upwards. The ski poles are also a lot longer, and the boots clip into the skis at the toe only, so it was quite a different feel to downhill skiing.

I'm glad we were able to give cross-country skiing a try. When the Sochi Winter Olympics start I'll have a new found appreciation for the incredible endurance of athletes who can race distances of up to 30km (women) or 50km (men)! We only managed 2.5km at a very leisurely pace before it was time to go inside for a hot drink in the chalet.