Question #2
Moving onto the second question Lynn asked me last week, which was:
Lynn asks: The next book is about skiing – is it hard to write about winter when you’re sitting on a cottage dock? Or is skiing something that is always fresh in your mind? Between skiing, and horseback riding, and running – are there any common threads? Anything similar between them that draws you to each?
Hmmm … I think I’ve skied for so long that it’s just embedded in me. I’ve skied for even longer than I’ve ridden. I can’t say I have any memories from a time before I skied. So, yes, I guess I can always conjure up the feeling of skiing. When I’m doing it, it’s fresh in my mind, and when I’m not (sitting on a cottage dock) I long for it (depending how long it’s been since ski season ended; in early June I might not long for it quite as much as I do by the end of August).
As for skiing, horseback riding, and running, they all give me different things. There is a common thread, but I’ll come to that at the end.
Skiing – This is the most social of the activities I do. I will, and sometimes do, ski alone, but mostly I ski with my family and, often, I ski with friends. With skiing there’s so much non-skiing time – in the lodge, on the lifts, hanging out at somebody’s ski place at lunch or after skiing. I love being out in the middle of winter. I love embracing the cold, and the snow. I love feeling sun on my face. I love going fast and getting out of breath, but I also love the people I ski with. We all have a love of skiing and the outdoors in common, so they’re probably the people I find it easiest to hang out with. Also, we may all go our separate ways in April, but we just pick up again in December, no problem – like we were never apart. It’s lovely.
Riding – Riding is semi-social. I ride and interact with others, who are like-minded, which is nice, but my strongest riding relationships have been with my first coach, and my horses. When I’m riding, I forget about absolutely everything else. If I have any problems at all – even if I have a cold – those things will simply leave my mind. I have to think that’s probably good for me; it’s probably good for anybody to have something that just lets their mind still for a while. Riding is also very physically demanding – far moreso than skiing. Every ride is a workout – sometimes I don’t even know how much of a workout until the next morning – ouch!
Running – Completely anti-social! Saying hi to people on the running path is as social as I get. What do I love about running? Everything. Getting somewhere using my own feet. Breathing hard, muscles working, sweating – yes, I do like sweating – being outside, being able to do it anywhere, in any weather. Thinking. I think all the time while I’m running. Unlike riding, there’s no mind shut-off, but my mind does focus – so I’ll take a problem -real-life, or writing – and work it through during a run. I need my runs to plot my stories.
So, they all give me different things, but what do these activities have in common? A sense of accomplishment, I guess. The picture at the top of this post was taken on our ski holiday in March when a huge (unexpected) dump of snow came overnight. I surprised myself by how well I skied in the powder (rare in our part of Canada). All day, I pushed myself and got through deep drifts and the powdery moguls that formed and I was really proud of myself for tackling it – so, accomplishment.
Having said that, I’m not a great skier. I’m a strong recreational skier, but I’m not great – I never will be – and that’s OK with me.
Riding, however, is different. I’m a good rider, overall, and there are parts of my riding that are near-great. I never was a top-level competitor, but I do believe I could have been if I’d put in the time, and money (and had some lucky breaks). Being able to do something at a high level, with the physical and mental / strategic challenges that accompany that is very rewarding. I am always getting better at riding. Literally, every time I ride, I’m better than the last time. Where just maintaining my skill is OK for me in skiing, standing still in riding isn’t fine with me. I’m always seeking ways to improve my riding – both physically, and mentally – so, more accomplishment.
And running – well every run is an accomplishment. Here’s another place where I’ll never be anything more than a strong recreational participant – and that’s OK with me – but I also always want to be working on my running. I like maintaining my fitness so I can run certain distances in certain times. That’s important to me. In running the measure is myself – my own last run – which also gives me a sense of accomplishment.
I have thought about what I’d do if I was forced to give up one of the above activities – they’re each so much a part of me that it would be incredibly difficult – so let’s just say I hope it will never happen, and leave it at that!
How about you? What are your activities you can’t live without?
