skate skiing, anyone?

[Karin Kirk]

I have experienced a weird lapse in motivation this November. Usually I am out cross-training and getting ready for ski season, but I just couldn't make it happen this fall. (which is a whole 'nother story, actually)

But since we got a big snowstorm ~2 weeks ago, I have been rediscovering the joys of skate skiing. It's very technique-oriented, which keeps my mind really engaged (see Tom's thread) and I don't even notice how hard my body is working.

So I am finally back in a routine of doing something active. I was thinking how helpful it is to have alternate sports during the off-season to keep things fresh and fun. Seems to me that x-c skiing could be a great way to work on base fitness while giving yourself a break from riding, and this can help lower the likelihood of mental burnout come July.

Oh, plus, you can re-use all your nice winter cycling clothes for skate skiing too - it sure is nice to already have all the layers for each variation in temperature and wind.

So - does anyone else out there use this or other forms of winter training?