February 24, 2006
COYOTES RULE FOR INLINE NORDIC SKIING!
Every winter Olympics i get a rush of emails from people saying how COOL the Nordic Ski Racers and Nordic Biathletes are...let me assure you, unless you want to wallow in unmentionable pain and excruciating intensity for several years until you build up the upper AND lower body strength PLUS the cardio fitness of the HIMALAYAN GODS...you better just keep sittin' back on your comfy couch and watch these SuperHumans...however, if you Dare to Dance the Nordic Dance...ol' coach ilg has just the recipe for you...as discussed in my third book, THE WINTER ATHLETE, the dryland version of Nordic Skate Skiing is perhaps the most superb replicator of nordic skate skiing. the key? a no longer made, off-road inline skate known as "THE COYOTE" by RollerBlade. see photo above.
COYOTES slow the speed of inline skates so that the timing is more realistic to snow skiing and works more harmoniously with various Nordic Skate Skiing Techniques such as V2 Technique (shown above).
...and...COYOTES are kickass fun to downhill in! here i am in a classic Nordic Ski Tuck. note how i am skeletally bracing in order to rest my muscles after a long uphill effort. in Nordic Skiing, it's all about Timing and Efficiency. It's just too brutal of a sport to waste any effort. Nordic Ski Racing is like chopping down a Sequoia Tree with a hatchet in either hand and running a marathon at the same time. Welcome to the REAL Olympic Sports, baby! no riding chairlifts, hopping on a snowboard, and doing 40 seconds of turns and winning a Gold Medal...no sirree...not in Nordic Skiing baby!
****
Dearest Coach,
First, a huge congratulations to you and the Mountain Yogi Team for whoopin' some ass at the Mount Taylor Quad this weekend!!! I dedicated my very feeble mountain bike ride to you and your team that morning..... so proud of you and your team -- not because of your glorious victory, but because of the magnificent courage and effort you all display. You are all shining beacons along the very steep path of WF. Thank you.
i watched some of those crazy cross country skiing races in the Olympics this weekend. They re-ran the 1994 men's relay race. WOW -- have to say my interest in this sport is peaked. Guess I'll start by breaking in those new inline skates of mine as soon as the weather permits.
Noble Stalwart Student MC...
thank you my Tribal Brother and Fine Warrior Student!
The best inline skate to get to mimic the timing of nordic skate skiing is RollerBlades's COYOTES. they are off road versions, yet due to their bulky nature and slower speed, they are IDEAL for inline skiing as described in THE WINTER ATHLETE. Student K found a pair on EBAY for $50. they do not make them any longer. get some.
nama ste!
el coache