shadoj
Angel Diva
These words describe my experience exactly.
I'm the opposite, with chronically tight calf muscles, though it's less of an issue than when I was younger. Plenty of strength in my tibialis anterior, but do I have to pay attention to stretching & even relaxing my calves. Other joints are different -- I need to think about active engagement of my hamstrings for my hips. As a former gymnast & inline skater, you bet I can push into the tongues of my boots with my butt stuck out behind me, but I think I've finally gotten to the point where that now feels "wrong" on skis.
I'm really enjoying everyone else's advice, technical knowledge, and experiences.