Cycling Novice

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I’m a runner.  I thrive on long runs, training for marathons and getting out early in the morning before the rest of the world wakes up.  Why cycling?

My husband, Rich, took up cycling several years ago and is now hooked.  He thinks nothing of coming home from work late-afternoon and cycling 27 miles before dinner.  That’s a medium distance bike ride for him.  He’s done several multiple-day bike trips, including a Father/Son 350 mile trip through Northern Minnesota.  And now he wants me to go on a bike trip with him…

Change is good, right?  What will it hurt to miss a marathon this summer and gear up for cycling instead?  I’ve agreed to the challenge, and even started my training rides, thanks to our early spring.  Admittedly, my initial excursions into the countryside have been a lot of fun!  Besides, I have a shiny new high performance bicycle, so I can’t back out now.

Classic or Skate Ski?

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To me, they are two different sports.

Classic is for the woods, preferably on the North Shore.  Narrow trails, lined with trees whose branches are heavily laden with snow.  Out in the middle of nowhere, with no sounds other than the swish of my skis and the plant of my poles.  This is where I can lose myself in my thoughts, as the rhythm of my movements propels me along the trail.  I can explore all sorts of topics in my mind and still take in the beauty of nature around me.  Classic skiing is good for sharing time outdoors with others.  It’s not about the speed or the distance, it’s about enjoying winter, the snow and the scenery.  Classic is for the woods.

Skate skiing is a workout!  It’s great exercise and there is constantly room for improvement.  Better hill climbing, mastering V-2 technique, tucking on the downhills, cornering effectively, powering my poles with my abs.  There is so much to get right, and it feels so good in those occasional periods when it all comes together.  It’s also my chosen technique for ski races.  I’m an endurance person, so it’s the long distance ski races that appeal to me.  And skate skiing is my chosen option for completing 35 to 50k in a race.  Skate skiing is a workout!

It’s not a bad thing to view them so differently.  One sport, two vastly different experiences.  I rather like that!

You’re moving where?

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At a time of life when most people are looking to go south for the winter, our chosen direction is a bit unusual…  Up North.  Rather than flee winter’s cold and snow, we embrace it.  It’s no accident that our new home in Duluth is right across from the Lester/Amity ski trails.  What better way to start a sparkling, sunny winter morning than striding or skating along the trails?  And at the finish, a mug of steaming hot chocolate is only a short walk away.

This snow-starved winter, our backyard trails were sadly of no use.  But Duluth was still a great starting point in our quest for snowy trails.  Weekends found us driving up the shore, where the Onion River Road became a staple for our ski workouts, and later on the After Hours trails in Brule, WI garnished enough snow for good ski conditions.  Many thanks and kudos to those who carefully tended those trails to keep them skiable for the winter enthusiasts like us!