Easing Back Into Skiing

After my failed attempt to snowboard on Monday, I switched back to skiing on Tuesday. I could barely put on a pair of used ski boots I bought for $40. Once I was able to jam my feet in, they hurt like hell. I could barely walk a few steps. I had to take off my boots. There went my chance for skiing.

I brought my boots to the warming area to warm them up. Before I put them back on, I massaged my feet. It felt better. I snapped my boots into a pair of used skis I bought for $50. I paid $75 to tune up my skis and to make sure my boots fit in the binding correctly. Then I paid $35 for a brand new pair of poles at the ski shop at the resort.

I skied for a few minutes at the magic carpet at the Wildcat resort and my feet started to feel the pressure. I took off my skis to let my feet rest. When I turned around, I couldn’t see Đạo and Xuân. I asked the lift operator if she had let the two kids on the lift to the green slope. Because it was a slow day, therefore; she noticed them. I worried that the green slope would be a bit of a challenge for Xuân. I kept waiting and felt anxious that I forgot about the pain in my feet.

Even though I didn’t feel like I was ready to get back on to the green slope, I hopped to see if I could find them. I spotted them with the ski patrol. When the patrol saw Xuân crying, he stopped and talked to him. He felt intimidated by the slope. The patrol gave him a wagon ride back down the mountain.

I plowed myself down and eased back into my groove. I didn’t fall at all. I joined Đạo and Đán on the green slope until it was time to close. Each time, I made my plow smaller to gain a bit more speed. My next goal is to learn parallel skiing and hockey stopping.

When we got back to our rental house, I was exhausted. Around bedtime, my arms were sore. I realized that I used my poles too much to push myself. My arms were so uncomfortable that I could not fall asleep. I ended up only with a few hours of sleep. I woke up with a headache, sore arms, and a painful thumb. Getting old sucks.