My First True Love

Nordic skiing is my first true love. Seriously. I fell in love with it when I was 12 years old. To this day, I still love getting out on the trails in the winter and enjoying the peaceful and beautiful snow-covered forests. But, it hasn’t always been easy finding time to get out and do what I love, or finding time for any exercise for that matter. It’s a constant battle, made more difficult by my need for everything to be changing and exciting. I become very easily bored with the same exercise routines (thank you ADHD). Thankfully, I’ve found ways to fit in exercise and get back to my one true love. Here’s my story!

When I was in 7^th grade, my friend’s older sister told me she was thinking about joining the Nordic ski team at school. She said, “I’ll join if you join”. Like any typical 7^th grader who had a cool older girl asking her to do something, I said “ok”. Well, 2 weeks later, she told me she joined. I asked my parents if I could join and miraculously, they said yes. Part of my easy slide into Nordic skiing was definitely the many friendly and inclusive team members, and an awesome, goofy, funny coach. But more than that, I found something I enjoyed, gave me a sense of accomplishment, was challenging and hard to learn, and could make me go really fast. There’s nothing like the breeze on your face while flying down a hill. And I got fast. I loved racing. But more than being fast, I later realized I had been given the gift of a life-long form of exercise. And it is arguably the best kind of exercise that exists (insane amount of calories burned, uses every muscle group, easy on the joints, great cardio).

However, after I became a mom, I found it difficult to find time to get out on the trails when I had young children. So much gear to gather, skis to wax, trail conditions to research, insanely specific schedule planning to arrange someone to watch my kids, driving to and from the park, and of course, the actual skiing. Unfortunately, I didn’t make much of an effort to ski with my kids when they were really young. There are amazing pull-behind carriers made for Nordic skiing. I wish I would have bought one. However, when each of my kids turned 4, I took them out skiing and taught them how to do it. They all loved it. Seeing my kids ski and enjoy the thing I most enjoy was amazing. To hear them say some of the things I have often thought myself. To watch them learn to enjoy the things I love about skiing: The cold wind on my face. The sound of nothing but my skis on the snow and my breathing. Hearing my heartbeat. Feeling how strong my body is. Flying down a hill. Seeing the beautiful snow-covered trees. Feeling the peaceful nature surrounding me. Coming across a deer on the trail.

Throughout my life, I started to notice how much exercise helped my mood, sleep, and energy levels (and we all know how those things become more difficult as we get older). During the pandemic, I had some major struggles and changes in my life. I got back into skiing regularly, and it literally kept me sane. As I got back into the swing of things, I was disappointed by the lack of info out there for Nordic skiers when I searched for workout schedules or other stories. So, I decided to start sharing my own knowledge and experiences with not only Nordic skiing, but exercise in general. So, welcome to my blog- all things Nordic skiing, exercise, and being an active mom! Follow me for exercise hacks, tools of the trade, and more about my fitness journey.