UKC

I've never done any XC and a friend who's never had skis on in his life are doing the Birkebeinerennett in March - 54km from Rena - to Lillehammer.

Here's Paul getting to grips with skis - Kick'n Glide > vimeo.com/80462614

In reply to Henry Iddon:

I wouldn't sweat it too much. In countries where XC is normal nobody really "learns" that much, kids are just given skis and expected to go out and ski. Tracks make it sort of self explanatory. I did help out in one PE lesson for my kid in first grade last winter where the teacher was "teaching" XC, but the majority of the kids in his class are from immigrant or half-immmigrant families so may not have skied before coming to school. Having your skis suitably waxed is probably the most tricky issue although if you can get a bit of practice in the different ways to ski uphill first that will definitely help.

If you're fit and keep plodding on, I'm sure you'll do fine!

I "learnt" to tour-skate in a similar way. I had never worn touring skates before lining up on the start line of the Finland Ice Marathon (we did the 50 km race), but we got round within the cut off time. http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.fi/2009/02/how-to-learn-to-tour-skate.htm...

In reply to TobyA:

Cheers Toby. Think the knack will be efficiency from good technique ! NRK are following our progress!!! Don't think Petter Northug has much to worry about tho !

In reply to Henry Iddon:


Exactly, and this is where I always disagree with Toby about whats required for efficient and fast XC track skiing. Any fittish person can shuffle along for a respectable distance at a reasonable rate, but to maintain the sort of efficient pace that can be seen from the people in the background of your video takes some significant amount of learning. Several years ago I did the 75km Finlandia race in the same series as the Birke.... As a fit young lad I was disappointed to be constantly being overtaken by speedy Finnish pensioners who appeared to be enjoying it rather than panting along like me hoping desperately the next drinks station was around the corner.

In reply to Dave:

But did you ever have "lessons" Dave? Or did your kids ever have lessons? Of course there is a technique, but I find with classic it's quite easy to get into a groove and keep on going to the limit of your fitness (whatever that maybe). As long as your wax is working well it is a beautifully efficient way to travel, like a well tuned road bike on a smooth road - yes, over a day it completely knackers you, but in the moment it can feel almost effortless. Skate style is very different and even a hint of incline shows up my far from good technique, but somehow classic is just so nice and smooth, that's why kids to pensioners all do it perfectly happily. Although - of course you're right that if you want to race you gonna have to everything perfectly so that then it is just your fitness that determines your performance.

Henry - people here train on roller-skis or inline skates (with poles), although inline skates will only help you with skate style I guess. But there are classic style roller skis, although with the lack of bike paths in the UK choosing where to go could be the crux of that form of training.

In reply to Dave:

I use to be in the Army Medical Services Biathlon team, endless days of trying to perfect my technique being taught by the Army chap in charge.

Went to a competition and 2 Norwegian soldiers showed me a slightly different technique for the flat and for herring boning and after 2 weeks of doing that, was a lot more efficient and could go for longer.

One of the best sports I've done, good scenery, good phys and always a nice cold ber at the end!

In reply to TobyA:

I'm in the process of getting fixed up with some rollers.

Fortunately I live near Blackpool so can train on the prom which is perfect - 10 miles plus of smooth flat wide surface !

One one of the guys from the Birken organisation is a XC ski instructor so he's refining our technique. As you all say it's a remarkable sport with a lovely rhythm.

Takk !

In reply to Henry Iddon:

We used to train on rollers in the summer. Hours and hours going round the parade square or some random disused airfield. Mind numbing but decent enough training.

In reply to Henry Iddon:

You can see Dave demonstrating his good technique in some of these pictures from last March https://plus.google.com/photos/114922424602799039677/albums/585400513432530... We left our packs where we had bivvied then skied without them around another island - probably a 8 or 10 km loop? - then picked up the bags before skiing back to the mainland and car. Normally skiing "off piste" on skinny track skis isn't much fun but the surface was so firm that day it was really nice.

In reply to Henry Iddon:

More blog > http://null2helten.blogspot.co.uk/

Be on the rollers next week !

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Latest roller capers - http://null2helten.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/seasonal-rollercoaster.html

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Oooooops

Angela Merkel fractures pelvis in XC ski fall http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25622660

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Have you seen this?

youtube.com/watch?v=1cppkpKu-CA&

Davie

In reply to paraffin:

ha - good skills !

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Latest on the blog - tons of snow and blue skies in Sjusjøen > http://null2helten.blogspot.co.uk/

In reply to paraffin:

That's outrageous!
from someone who can barely stand on XCs

Had a fine New Year's Eve & Day with a guy training for Sochi - admittedly we only did 9km while he did 50...

have a fine time Henry

In reply to Carless:
Thanks - going to be a hoot !

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Lucky you've got some altitude to find the snow this winter. Here there has been basically no XC in Southern Finland, when it was cold there was too little snow, and now we have such warm temperatures most of the snow has melted. Never seen anything like it before.

Desperate times calls for desperate measures! http://instagram.com/p/kxWs2iLvA8/ It wasn't even very cold riding.

In reply to TobyA:

same here in scotland, while not as reliable as finland, we've had very little snow at low levels but tons above 600m or so. Usually by now i'd have a few days out on the local golf course or forest .
Very odd winter!

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Yeah very odd - plenty of snow up in Sjusjøen ( over 2m) but Lillehammer and much of Norway has had a mild winter.

In reply to Henry Iddon:

I've been there a couple of times and the snow has always been great right down to lillehammer stadium. Great place for xc skiing - hopefully be back one day.

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Video blog here - Monday was mint ! vimeo.com/87527440

In reply to Henry Iddon:

Well the wind blew…….

http://null2helten.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/tough-times-and-law-38-a.html