coldcat 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 How is skiing/riding during the first days of the season for you, do you find you need to recover that muscle memory or does it come back straight away? Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 You will definitly have to get your ski legs back Even though you might want to go hard the first coule days it's always best to keep them short I don't think I ever got my resort legs last year. Even in March a day of deep powder in resort was difficult Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I am working out regularly off season, so the first days aren’t much of a problem. Just a bit rusty maybe. Link to post Share on other sites
coldcat 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Author Share Posted November 21, 2006 Well, I was actually asking more about technique/skill rather than physical condition. Link to post Share on other sites
keba 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I usually find it comes back quickly, maybe a day taking it easy to get everything sorted. Haven't skiied for 18 months though (new baby), so this season might be different... Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 These two are quite linked I think. Seasons that I was not working out, it took me more than 4-5 times to reach the level of the last day in the previous season. Mostly because I don’t have the strength to puss it hard enough from the first days. Seasons that I do work out, it doesn’t take me more than 2-3 days on the slopes to pick it up from were I left it. Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 I usually think I'll take it easy on the first day of a season. But I never do, I just want to get out there. So I'm usually sore at the end of the day. But it feels good! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 coldcat, nobody is reading what you've written, but fortunately I know what you're asking. It was a big concern of mine at the start of my second season. I remember wondering if I'd have to start learning everything again. I decided to take an aggressive approach and act as though I could really snowboard on my first run. So I had a very disappointing first run with lots of flopping about in the snow. But when I stopped thinking about it, the muscle memory was still there, and not only was it reliable, all the thinking about snowboarding I'd been doing in the interim seemed to have honed it somewhat. (There's a very good introduction to the skill of 'image training' in "Thats Ocay XX Time Is on Our Side" by Geoffrey Norman, explaining how American POWs in Vietnamese prisons went sailing and played golf in their heads to pass the time, and discovered afterwards that they had improved considerably.) So to sum up, I'd say it's best to think about it now in advance, and as you strap in for your first run, stop thinking about it and rely on your muscles. (Oh, and standing on a step and cranking yourself up and down on your toes 50 times a day is a good way of preventing calf soreness on your first day. But you weren't asking about that.) Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 I had 5 years off snow boarding and when i went back 2 years ago wondered if I would have to go through days or weeks of being a gumby, fortuneatly it was only a few hours although my courage had dissipated a lot - which isnt neccessarily a bad thing. Thats not to say I was back at my peak that quickly but I was competent. Although I was never that good so most folks many consider me a gumby even when I am riding as well as I ever have Link to post Share on other sites
coldcat 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 Ocean11, thanks It's actually not my second season, but last season was the first season I could really start to be satisfied with my technique. So yeah, I was wondering how it would be at the beginning of the season. Link to post Share on other sites
Early Cuyler 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Dont sweat the technique-Rakim Nuff said! Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Don't know how it is for skiiers, but after a run or two, I've pretty much recovered most of my snowboarding skills. It gets better the more you've become habituated to it - I only went a few days for my first couple of snow seasons, but now that I've been pretty much blowing all my vacation days on snowdays, the relearning curve is much quicker. When I first started out, it took about a day to "get it back". Hope that answers your question! Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 I get it pretty much back immediately. The fitness issue is a different matter, but otherwise I'd say I have found it to be the same as getting back on a bike after not riding one for a while. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Yeah, it takes a bit for the fitness to displace the fatness, even after riding MTB all non-snow season... I'll probably be all noodle-legged at Whistler this coming (American) Thanksgiving weekend, but I should be good for Hokkaido in December. Link to post Share on other sites
coldcat 0 Posted November 22, 2006 Author Share Posted November 22, 2006 That's really cool Bushpig, I hope it is the same for me. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Last season, I found my legs were killing me by mid afternoon. Definitely due to fitness problems. Since September I've been cycling and hiking to tone the legs. Have noticed a sharp improvement when running up the stair now. from Ocean11 "(There's a very good introduction to the skill of 'image training' in "Thats Ocay XX Time Is on Our Side" by Geoffrey Norman, explaining how American POWs in Vietnamese prisons went sailing and played golf in their heads to pass the time, and discovered afterwards that they had improved considerably.)" I've always believe that. Even when golfing, I run through the shots time and again while travelling to the course. Now I'm doing this for the slopes, picturing the shape of my body while going through the turns. Let's see if this works in December. Link to post Share on other sites
giggsy 0 Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I have to walk up 5 sets of stairs about 10-20 times a day. I often run up them. Good exercies. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 Stairs are good. I always choose them rather than the elevator. Unless of course I'm going to the 40th floor! Link to post Share on other sites
Hokkaidough 4 Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 40th Floor would be very good exercies gg. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted November 24, 2006 Share Posted November 24, 2006 I once did 41 down. It was a fire drill. Took about a week to recover. Link to post Share on other sites
HeatherLocklearRocks 1 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Last season, I too got tired way too quick. This time I've been exercising through the summer and I feel in much better shape this time round. I'll have to try running up some stairs. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 In my run up to Slope Day, I'm cycling and walking up hill sides quickly. Muscle stamina definitely more important than cardio vascular at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites
daver 0 Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 i have a photographic muscle memory! Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 I'm out on the bike a lot as well. It's much more fun than jogging. And you go furher Link to post Share on other sites
samurai 0 Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 heck, I've gone entire seasons without ever feeling "on it." but that's because I'm a hack. BTW- I'm soooo scared of my new skis. don't know if I will be able to handle them. Link to post Share on other sites
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