Skiiers!

Shana67

I used to really love skiing, and then I gained a bunch of weight. I still loved it, but it was harder and so much work to make it down the mountain (BURNING quads), and I've not skiied in probably 8 years. Now that I've lost most of the weight I need to lose (15lb to go! Yay!!), I am really, really looking forward to getting back into skiing this winter.

What types of work do you do to get ready for ski season? I do loads of hard cardio, and some strength training, but know that I need to do a lot MORE to be ready. I would love to hear your tips and tricks.

Also. Where do you ski? We live in Colorado and love Winter Park - it's where we learned to ski. I also love Copper Mountain, because of how they have green/blue/blacks separated on different mountains.

NorthCascades

I like cross country skiing because it's like a mix of road cycling and hiking. You get to spend a day out on a trail, you're somewhat limited to the groomed trails, you can glide, and it's fun. The Methow Valley (Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp) is our heaven with 120+ miles of groomed trail at the edge of the North Cascades.

If alpine is your thing, they have heli-skiing too.

sgt1372

Gave up skiing a few years ago. Heavenly Valley was my go 2 place. Loved it then but now . . .

I'm too old (66). Have too many ski related injuries (unrepaired 3 way ligament tear in left knee & torn right rotator cuff). It's too much of a hassle to drive up to the mountains. And it's just too expensive.

Now, I just work out in my garage and drive my little red sports car. LOL!

Shana67

NorthCascades wrote: »

I like cross country skiing because it's like a mix of road cycling and hiking. You get to spend a day out on a trail, you're somewhat limited to the groomed trails, you can glide, and it's fun. The Methow Valley (Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp) is our heaven with 120+ miles of groomed trail at the edge of the North Cascades.

If alpine is your thing, they have heli-skiing too.

I've been wanting to try cross country for a very long time - you've inspired me! But nooooo, not doing heli-skiing. I'm not THAT GOOD of a skiier.

Shana67

Also, I'd really LOVE to hear from the experienced skiiers out there on what you do to train for ski season!!

cwolfman13

I don't do anything special to get ready for skiing...but I train in the weight room regularly, including plenty of squats, lunges, etc and I cycle so my quads get plenty of work. I live in New Mexico...we ski Santa Fe often as it's basically in our back yard...Taos occasionally and we usually get up to Wolf Creek a couple of times.

musclegood_fatbad

Mary Jane and Copper are my favorite two mountains near Denver. Usually less crowds, especially on the more advanced side. Steamboat can be a ton of fun too if you like really good tree runs.

NorthCascades

Shana67 wrote: »

Also, I'd really LOVE to hear from the experienced skiiers out there on what you do to train for ski season!!

The first several times I went XC skiing as an adult, I wound up with some really awful soreness near my groin. If there was a hinge connecting my leg to my hip, it would have been glowing red. Didn't start until I'd done about 5 miles the first day. Came back the next time too.

Since then, I've taken up running occasionally. More in the fall because it starts to rain and being on a bike isn't as much fun. I haven't had that soreness from skiing since. Could be a coincidence, I have no idea. But it doesn't seem like I got in skiing shape and maintained it for a year without skiing, to prevent the soreness next year.

peleroja

I loooooove skiing. I only learned a few years ago but it's my favourite thing, pretty much. I'm not an expert but I'm comfortable pretty well anywhere on-piste and can ski blacks and double-blacks at our favourite resorts (we almost always go to Lake Louise in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies, but we sometimes do other resorts in the area like Sunshine, Marmot Basin, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, and Fernie.) I've never skied in the States but we may try out some Montana resorts this year like Whitefish.

As far as prep goes, I haven't found that I need anything special to be ready for a full day of skiing, and we're those first-on, last-off kinda people who eat lunch on the gondola and just go all day. I'm more or less a runner (30 mph-ish) and I don't do a lot of strength work or anything, and my husband lifts but pretty casually, and while we can definitely feel that our thighs got a workout when we're hanging out après-ski it doesn't usually interfere with our day the next day.

However, I'll admit that we don't ski moguls or powder bowls all day - we're more about the steepest groomers we can find - so we're not working as hard as the pow chasers.

BeeerRunner

Just booked my hotel for spring break skiing at Copper Mt. It will be our 1st time there and I'm super excited. Been to Keystone, Eldora, Sunlight, and Purgatory. We live in TX so we just get 1 ski trip per year, but if anyone has a job for me in CO, I'll move tomorrow!!

Last year, was my best ski trip ever. I normally am too tired by early afternoon on Day 2 to keep going. Last year, I was 2 months into P90X3 and after 3 full days of skiing, I could have kept going. By the time of our ski trip this year, I'll have completed my 1st marathon 2 weeks prior. I'm thinking the miles logged running and strength training done in preparation for the marathon will have my legs and core in even better shape this year.

Now, I just need to get new snow pants because I lost over 40 lbs since I bought my new pair last year before I lost so much weight.

Hope y'all have a great ski season!!