November 2002
A Balanced Life
Olympic cross-country skiers, although visions of health and fitness and stamina, are dogged by a frustrating though thankfully nonfatal condition: exercise-induced asthma (EIA).
Experts estimate that an astonishing -- and increasing -- number of cross country skiers are stricken with bouts of EIA. And elite skiers lead the pack; recent studies show that some 50 percent to 70 percent have ... Read more >
Training & Technique
Common wisdom has it that there is no free lunch, but that's not entirely true for the skier, at least in a metaphorical sense. Out on the ski trails, the freebie is called glide.
To glide without a hill to slide down, you need the ability to balance on one ski at a time while continuously moving forward from ski to ski. Allowing your momentum to carry you forward from ... Read more >
When gliding, the best wax is the same for any skier. When you need a kick wax, the best wax depends on the abilities and desires of the skier. Kick wax needs to be applied for the specific individual.
Driving east along Michigan's State Highway 28 through Ishpeming enroute to Marquette you'd hardly think you were entering one of the top cross country ski communities in America. But once you get away from the strip malls and fast food joints along the highway, you soon discover that the Marquette, Michigan area has everything it takes to make it one of those true cross country ski enclaves where when the word "skiing" is used, it usually means Nordic.
I awoke, startled, from a slumber in the warm mid-day sun on the sonnenstrasse of the Gasthof zum Schwarzsee to see Markus standing next to my table extending his hand in greeting. The crisp alpine air, sun, and scenery had lulled me into a relaxed mood high in the Nockberge Mountains of southern Austria.