Langlaufen

I've learnt to cross-country ski, or langlaufen as it's called in Germany. (Does this make me a langlaufer?). And I was bloody good at it even if I say so myself. I've never done it before. Never even seen a cross country ski to my knowledge. But I found it quite straightforward and good fun. I fell down 3 times on Saturday (twice on the same slope, during the same descent - how pissed of was I. Toys were being thrown in every direction from the pram!!), but did not go down at all on the Sunday. And Janet and I covered something like 35km in the 2 days. And it wasn't on beginner slopes either (it was a red route) and lots of others fell around us. Even really suntanned and professional looking people.

In fact the more I think about the past couple of days the more chuffed I am. I will sit here and bask in my own success for a few minutes I think.


That's better. I should qualify the above boasting by saying that I have only ever skiied once before in my life, 4 years ago. And that was Alpine skiing. Although on that occasion my 'friend' took me down a black slope on my fourth day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself though and I'm a bit gutted that it has taken me so many years to go back and have another crack at skiing.
The whole ski thing has made me think though. I've always taken to sports reasonably well, but never as fast as I have with skiing. And I wonder how good/confident/cocky I would be at it if I'd started when I was much younger (not 26!). I don't know why I have taken to it because I've never skateboarded, surfed, ice skated, water skiied or anything similar. I think I have good coordination (plenty of Playstation) and I guess I must have not bad balance. It's funny how people 'get' some things quickly and yet find other sports/hobbies/work really tough to grasp.