beginning season sore muscles

[liquidfeet]

OK, so you've gotten back out on the slopes now. The snow is iffy, or fluffy, or icy, or whatever. Whatever conditions you've tackled in the last weeks, they certainly don't mimic your last 6-8 months of dry land conditioning, and now you hurt.

So, what hurts? Can you figure out what movements made those muscles go into overdrive?

My first two days, nothing hurt. Then I skied three days in a row, and am currently experiencing total body ache. The oddest part is the intense soreness in the front of my neck. Really can't figure that one out.

 

[Lisamarie]

Sorry, I just saw this one. I'll throw out a few ideas about neck pain:

Tight Shoulders

Looking down at the snow

Poles too Long

Poles too Short

Poles too Heavy

Can you post a photo of yourself skiing? We may be able to figure something out.

 

[liquidfeet]

Thanks for the offer of help. The neck pain is gone, so no worries. Now I just have to learn to ski better. No muscle soreness is left after nine days on snow so far. I think the poles are ok. Looking down at the snow could be it, instead of looking off into the distance, as I should. I'll keep that in mind at the beginning of next season and see if looking ahead (which should be natural for me by then, I hope) leaves NO neck pain.

 

[RachelV]

My whole lower torso was sore after my first weekend this year... my abs and and my lower back on each side, right where your kidneys are. Never had anything like that before, and it hasn't happened in the 2 weekends we've skiied since.

 

[Jilly]

Somebody needs to on their core. Our local racers are tending to do more core exercises than just legs. With the new skis, the core muscles are being used more.

 

[liquidfeet]

I've found that core work and quads work both help in getting back up after a fall. Sunday I sorta fell - the skis for some reason coming off the lift jetted out ahead of me and I fell back --- but my body never hit the ground. The quads just stopped me mid-air, with my butt hovering just above the ground, and I stood back up with no help. I felt rather proud of that recovery. (I was not proud however of the skis sliding out from under me.) I suspect both quads and abs helped on that one.