Cross-country skiing is a social activity, an extension of walking or jogging that makes a fun and exhilarating exercise. It's a great fat-burning cardio workout and is an excellent form of cross-training for runners and for those recovering from injuries such as shin splints.
Then there are the competitors who take it much more seriously. As an Olympic sport, less than a second can be the difference between a gold medal and no medal. Cross-training goes both ways between cross-country skiing and running.
Canada's senior national development coach Eric de Nys said: "All of my athletes on my team use running for training. Depending on who they are, some run a lot while others not as much."
Members of the men's national team were in Russia last week for the World Cup and de Nys said the snow sport, which like running includes sprint and endurance events, compliments road racing and training but doesn't replace it.
"Some cross-country skiing can be a benefit for runners but of course specificity in the end will be the biggest benefit. For example, if you want to be a good golfer, you don't play hockey. Some of the athletes could benefit from injury prevention and having variety."
Cross-country skiing is also a great way to maintain your cardiovascular fitness as skiers have efficient and highly developed lungs and heart. Classic, rather than the skate-ski style, mimics the stride of a runner, said Eric Hoppe, a Vancouver physiotherapist specializing in sport injuries and rehabilitation.
"It creates a good aerobic workout, is low impact and requires an upright weight bearing stride, which is similar to running. In this activity it allows a person to get outside and be free of the gym, which is often what many runners find appealing about running to begin with."
I agree. I prefer running in nature.
Blaise Dubois, a physical therapist and running lecturer, warned against the activity for runners with injuries such as plantar fasciitis, hamstring and lower back injuries. If you have questions, speak with your doctor, trainer or physio.
Learning how to cross-country ski is straightforward but demands coordination.
Purchase or rent equipment set to the correct ski height and pole length for your size. To find your ideal ski length, you should multiply your height in inches by 2.6, then add 25 inches. Your poles should be 10 to 40 centimetres less than your ski length.
Start out on a flat surface that is groomed for cross-country skiers. Small hills and downgrades should be avoided at the beginner level because it is considerably harder to master the techniques.
Glide your feet one at a time in a forward walking motion. You will be lifting your heels when your foot is extended behind you and then dragging your toe forward to slide your ski and extend your stride ahead of you.
Your poles will help you balance and can increase your pace in a similar way to running since you can pump your arms more quickly to accelerate. Moreover, you can leverage yourself forward using your poles: dig the forward pole into the snow and pull your body ahead. Release it and reach further ahead to dig and pull again with the second pole as you co-ordinate the movement with your glide.
Now picture yourself striding effortlessly through a landscape of snow-capped trees and rolling white hills. Cross-country skiing is an amazing activity and you don't have to travel far to do it.
Christine Blanchette is a competitive runner with a passion for fitness, health and putting one foot in front of the other. Contact her at [email protected].
