The Finn Sisu Skiers Extended Season Ski Club ended its 10-month training season two weeks before the American Birkebeiner, and a day before the Twin Cities snow base melted away the first time. This is partially a recap of the season and partially a sales pitch for all of the adult cross-country ski groups who meet and train during a part of the year.

For all of you reading this who haven’t taken any formal cross-country skiing lessons, but are a skiing addict, a recreational skier, a parent who is interested in spending more time with their cross-country skiing child, or returning to cross-country skiing after a hiatus, signing up for one of the adult cross-country ski groups during the next ski season may be for you. Here’s my pitch: skiing can be even more enjoyable than it is already if you learn skating and classic techniques, expose yourself to skiers better than you, and understand how to train.

As I was running in the bitter cold March wind the other night, I thought about how much more I enjoy freezing my internal organs when I do it with 30 other people (and I’m gliding on snow, not pounding the pavement). Similarly, in the warmer months, it is more pleasant when the mosquitoes have a group of people to attack rather than one or two people! In order to allay any fears you have of joining one of these groups, I will attempt to give you a glimpse of what we do during the different seasons at typical Thursday night Sisu skier meetings throughout the year. Its also important to know that you are never too old or young or too experienced or inexperienced to give it a try. Although I’m drawing on my experience with the Sisu skiers, there are many excellent adult ski classes throughout the Twin Cities and outstate Minnesota. Skinnyski.com and local ski shops are good sources of information for when groups begin and how to sign up. Many ski clubs do not require roller skis, and some specifically concentrate on skate skiing (which helps to limit equipment costs).

During the summer months, we alternate between skate and classic technique through dry land training on the hilly trails at Battle Creek Park or on roller skis. The dry land training consists of a lot of pole hiking (hiking with ski poles), plyometrics, speed and agility drills that I remember doing at junior high basketball practice, hill bounding, and 1-3 minute trail running intervals. On roller skis, we focus on skiing technique and double polling.

The most difficult time for many skiers is late October until the snowmaking loop at Elm Creek opens because its too dark and sometimes wet & icy to put on roller skis after work and, for the Sisu group, too dark to do dry land training on the beloved wooded Battle Creek trails. It is the time when skiers don their winter ski gear, even if it is 15 degrees too warm to be wearing a ski jacket, spandex leggings, and a stocking hat. Fortunately, this is the time that most of the fall-winter ski groups begin meeting. It is nice to share the anticipation of the first snowfall with others of like mind in order to avoid the look that could kill from a spouse, friend, or co-worker as you wish and hope and maybe even pray for the first and subsequent snowfalls of the winter. During this transition period, the Sisu group takes advantage of the open land and short hills at the, urban Como Park and, clandestinely, the golf course. We string our summer roller skiing and winter skiing together with hill bounding, poll hikes, and strength training as we await the first snowfall.

Once the snow falls and depending on the snow conditions, the Sisu group meets at either Como Park or Elm Creek. On the snow, we evaluate if the months of hill bounding and rollersking have made us either faster or hurt less, or both. We continue to work on balance and skating and classic technique and add sprints or short hill intervals to our regimen.

Now that the business is out of the way, I’ll tell you that another great part of joining a ski group is the dedicated coaches and the other skiers. Despite the premise that we’re there to become rock-star skiers, its a good time, a good workout, and a really great way to become a better skier. As life is busy, the Sisu group is sometimes my primary social event of the week, and its worthy of that title. It is an enjoyable, planned 1-2 hours of exercising outside and seeing good friends.

I’ll leave you with a comment made by a gentleman in my ski group after skiing up a series of difficult hills, “Geeze, clean living is tough!” My reply is, “Yes, but man, is it fun.”

by Mary Vancura