Last Run

Other people might be tired out…

Out on my skis this morning, I recalled back to times when I was in school, skiing with my brother. You see I wasn’t the fastest skier, or the most technical. But I enjoyed the opportunity to learn, ski, and get out with my older brother.

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Determination over natural ability

He’s two years older than I, and grew up with the athlete’s body.

I wasn’t as lucky – but I learned to compensate with effort and determination. If he excelled because of his size, speed, and skills, I plucked along with my instinct, drive, and endurance.

That didn’t stop me from having a good time and enjoying skiing.

Going for it

And so, reaching High School, I joined the downhill ski team to get a chance to ski twice a week, run gates, and develop my skills.

Those skills never placed me in the elite category, but I fought hard and made varsity starts in my junior and senior years. Not a strict technician, I’ve probably been described as a bit wild in technique…

In my sophomore year, the coach recruited me to ski cross country as the team had openings – I struggled that year but made progress in the years that followed. One advantage I brought was my ability to ski down the hills – often passing several competitors on the steep descents. (Many XC skiers just don’t get the downhill aspects;-)

Making the most of the day

In any case – a typical downhill ski outing involved arriving at the mountain and stashing gear as efficiently as possible – to get on the slopes. The first few runs of the day involve high speeds with conditions set nicely after overnight grooming. The day (or evening) consists of breaks for food, clothing changes, and the like, and then the crowds thin at the end of the day.

As we had only so much time available to ski, this end of the day period meant few people in the lines and on the slopes – another chance to work hard, ski fast, and have fun.

Focus and drive

But nothing compares to the very end of the day – when you realize that the lifts will stop running in a few minutes, and that this trip up will be your last of the day.

There’s no holding back – this is it. There’ll be time to rest in a few minutes, there’ll be time to warm up, and there’ll be time to eat.

This is your last opportunity to drive your skis into the turns, to let them run down the hill in between, and to focus on all of your other techniques.

This is your last chance to fly down the hill.

And knowing all this, you can sum up the anticipation, demands, and excitement in two words. You look over to the person riding up the hill with you and say:

Last Run

(Until the next time out;-)