The Skier in Summer

Posted by Mitch Kaplan Jun 22, 2006

Okay, let's understand this. I'm a skier. Skiing is first, foremost and forever for me.

That makes summer difficult. Indeed, I've grown to abhor summer.

I don't endure heat very well at - and certainly not the humid heat we suffer in NJ.

I don't swim - the water's too wet. I like my water frozen.

I played tennis for most of my life - til it nearly wrecked my feet with plantar fasciatus.

My softball career recently ended when I noticed that I was fielding the ball several seconds after it had passed me.

So, what's a skier to do?

Well, certainly one can go to the Southern Hemisphere. And, in fact, I will in August be heading to New Zealand. You can expect a full report on both North and South Island skiing.

But, in the meantime?

I run. I run, and run, and while I run, I envision myself on a long, winding mountain road with snowfields towering over me. At one point in my outdoor route, I'm running through a park where there are widely spaced trees. I run around those, imagining them to be ski racing gates. It helps me practice my body alignment for turns.

I often run on treadmill, too. When I do, I run in incline as much as possible. Going uphill builds the quadriceps, skiing's most important muscles. All the while, I imagine I'm hot-shotting through mogul fields.

Running keeps me active and in shape. Come October and November, I begin doing thrusts and sideways power jumping.

Boring, yes.

But, when winter finally re-arrives, I've stayed in skiing shape as best I could, and I'm as ready as I can be to make the most out of what's always too short a season.

Related Article - Staying Ski/Snowboard Fit