.: Ski XCOttawa.ca :: Skiing in Ottawa and Gatineau Park

Remembering Why I Love Skiing
By:  Katie McMahon   (2012/02/26)

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Well, it is the middle of the race season and for most ski racers, the stress of competition has had a wearing affect on our minds and bodies. If you are like me, you have probably gotten sick at least once during the race season and have had to ask yourself the terrifying question of "why am I doing this?". Lately, I have been feeling somewhat stressed out and discouraged due to illness and my body not bouncing back as fast as I would like it to. It's times like these when you have to press the pause button and take a moment to actually enjoy this sport we dedicate hours upon hours of our lives to. Luckily, this weekend the snow gods obliged the Gatineau Park and when I woke up Sunday morning, paradise awaited me.

It felt like I was skiing through Narnia this morning!

As I was skiing this morning, I was thinking about when I was a kid and I skiied purely for the fun of it all. On my skis I would stop to build forts, and imagine I was a character in one of my favorite books. The goal was never to go as hard as I could for an interval, but I would race over the tops of hills simply because I wanted to go super fast down the other side. Every ski was an adventure that of course, always had plenty of stops for hot chocolate and trail mix.

My Dad and I stopping at a cabin (most likely for a snack) in the Gatineau Park

Personally, I think this should be XCOttawa's new race suit...

Today, skiing the same trails I did when I was 3 years old, I was reminded of the fun I used to have simply from gliding (shuffling) along on my skinny skis. It was absolutly beautiful skiing today, everything was perfectly groomed, not to mention the gorgeous sunshine! It is days like these when I don't want to be anywhere else but on my skis.

Clashing buff, glasses and hat...that's just how I roll :)

Needless to say, my ski today definitetly helped me remeber why I do this whole cross country ski racing thing; I simply LOVE to ski! No matter how tough the race season can get, it is important to always remember to enjoy the journey, because if you're not having fun, life can get a bit overwhelming.

The view from trail #1 looking down Aylmer/Luskville region I do believe

Magical!

Looks like I'm not the only one having a great ski!

Thanks for Reading,

Peace :)

 
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