My first time... with cross country!

Hi again readers, sunny weather? We do, but it is incredibly windy, too.

Today, it came to me the idea of writing about something useful in Norway, one of the most popular sports: the cross country. You can rent the material or borrow it from someone.

I rented the skis in the gym for a whole month. I think it cost around 50€ more or less. It was ok counting that you can practise it every day (well, I did not ahaha) on the lake which was next to my residence.

I remember of the experience as if it was today. The first time we practised we were Flavie, my French friend, Maria and her boyfriend. Adventure ahaha. It was the first time to me and for Maria too. Flavie had more experience than us, and Maria's boyfriend, as a Norwegian, had it too, of course.

They explained to us we should try to put our weight ahead, because if you put it on the back of your body you fall. I remember that it was hard just to insert my feet inside the skis. I couldn't fit the ski boot with the mechanism of the ski. Finally, I did it! I almost fell.

But I did not (not yet ahaha). For Maria things went worse because she couldn't go on the top of the first little hill (it was not even a hill). She had to remove her skis and go up by foot. Moreover, she was incredibly scared.

Flavie was really good despite she said she did not have too much experience. Anyway, she was good. We started little by little. The technique was something like putting your weight ahead, bending your knees and never, as I said above, put your weight on your back. If you put the weight in the back of your body you are going to fall, for sure.

Maria gave up, she was too scared, and her boyfriend went with her. Flavie and me continued for while. I was quite motivated, actually. I fell two times but it was not a big deal. And that's why I was so up to try again the next day.

But, the second day I was not so lucky. I guess I had the beginner's luck or something ("la suerte del principiante" we say in Spanish). I was pretty motivated because of my first day. Flavie and I took the Ullevål Seter route which has all the path up. At the beginning is not to inclined, but then... too much for me.

Flavie was more advanced than I was, she was faster than me, for sure, and she was waiting for me all the time. I was a bit scared, so I decided to turn back. I told her "you go, I will go back because this is too much for me". She said it was ok, she wanted to continue, and I agreed with that because I understand that if you like to do something no one has to stop you, so she went her way up.

I turned myself around and… I fell. I had not started going down and I was already as the level of the snow ahahaha. Because of the skiers there are on the snow a kind... marked rails where you can put your skis and follow the path, but if you are a beginner this can be dangerous if you do not control them properly. And this was what happened to me ahahah. I put my skis on the rails and… I fell. Again.

The view was awesome as you can see on the pics, and that is exactly what I saw just before falling. I put my feet on the rails… again! I started going downhill. Do not ask me for what the hell I did, but the thing is that I fell. It was the biggest crash I have ever happened to me against the snow. Incredible. I left a bruise on my right thigh. I had pain in my ass for a week.

Moreover, the place was full of people practising: 6 years old children passed next to me as fast as they could. And me… well… tasting the snow ahaha. So pathetic. I had to say that I enjoyed going down, but my fear was at the same level as my enjoyment.

After that day I did not try anymore.

But do not let my experience to stop you from trying. It is a wonderful experience (for everybody except for me and Clément, who did not enjoy neither).

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