It's been below zero for a couple of weeks, making it hard to get out and enjoy outdoor exercise. But I have to get out before I go crazy! So I grabbed my cross country skis and drove up to Hatcher Pass to finally get out and ski. It was 10 below but did warm up to plus one when I got to the Archangel Parking lot. First I tried skiing with Baby on her leash. That lasted only a couple of minutes because she was much more interested in chasing loose dogs that ran by, than running ahead of me. It was so cold that my hands nearly froze just getting my skis on. Then I quickly realized that Baby needed to ride in my backpack, for the good of both of us. So, once again, my hands froze as I struggled to pour her into the the heavy fleece bag that I keep inside the backpack. Then I hoisted all 8 pounds of her onto my back and was finally moving. I made a note to myself, use mittens, not gloves and bring hand warmers next time. I did struggle with cold hands for my whole 4 miles. But I would just stop occasionally and stick my hands inside my hood and warm them on the back of my neck. It actually worked rather well. I skied all the way to the bridge and was surprised that I actually made it that far. It is often a nice destination when skiing Archangel Road. The sun was behind the mountain at that point, causing the temperature to plummet. So I turned around and we headed back. It was a gorgeous day and the bright sunshine made it seem warmer than it actually was.
So, my first cross country ski of the season has been accomplished and I'm officially ready for winter. I just registered for the Frosty Bottom Marathon in Anchorage on January 15th, which means I need to get out there and train as much as possible, regardless of the weather.
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