Try Anything Twice

 

Tom and I outside of Bragg Creek.

Many of you will know that I don't generally live by the motto, "Try Anything Twice." Most of the time it's a struggle to get me to try something once. It's no secret. I don't like new things. And I don't like doing things I'm not good at.

Enter cross-country skiing.

My first experience with cross-country skiing was at the Canmore Nordic Center. My most vivid memory from the day is cursing as I struggled up (and slid backwards on) a giant hill, while a small child happily and expertly passed me in the second set of tracks. It did not set a good tone for my memories of skiing. My second time was a few years later, again at the Canmore Nordic Center. This time I took a beginners lesson with my mother-in-law, and soon to be sister-in-law. While I enjoyed the company, I did not particularly enjoy the lesson. Although I do acknowledge that my technique did improve quite a bit.

I recently had my third experience. My THIRD experience, people! Not only did I try cross-country skiing TWICE (and not like it), I actually tried it a THIRD time. Am I improving my character, or what!?

Tom and I had Friday off, so we headed out to Bragg Creek with Tom's friends, Ben and Rupinder. Ben had skied a few times, but it was Rups' first time. We slogged down a track that had been destroyed by trucks driving back and forth on it. Eventually we made it to a junction where the trail was in pretty good condition.

Ben and Rups.

It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny. At first the terrain was quite flat, and I thought, "Okay, this isn't so bad. I think I'm enjoying myself." But then we started the up and downhill portion of the trail, and that really killed it for me. Here's the thing-- I don't really like hills. I don't like going up them (you struggle, and slide backwards, and waddle in a bow-legged position), and I don't like going down them. It's probably inexperience, but I feel like I'm going to go flying off the track into the trees and break every bone in my body. And now that I've started my second round of half marathon training, keeping my ankles, knees and legs intact is extra important to me! I wiped out once and got myself good and snow covered. And that was enough for me.

Cross-country skiing just isn't for me. But somehow I have a feeling I'll end up out there on skis again...