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Cross-country skiers live longer.” This popular German saying highlights the value many see in the winter sport of cross-country skiing. Indeed, in many lands where winter snow abounds, the winter countryside is often crisscrossed by a gridwork of ski trails. In some lands, distances between towns and villages are often posted, and many trails have artificial lighting so that skiers can use them to commute between home and work.

Practiced by relatively few before the 1960’s, cross-country skiing has in recent years become popular in many places throughout the world. Some estimate that as many as four million people a year enjoy the sport in North America alone! The secret of its appeal and charm? Its low cost and apparent simplicity. Compared with its better-known cousin—Alpine, or downhill, skiing—some aspects of cross-country skiing are uncomplicated. The downhill skier needs specialized, costly equipment and clothing. He has to travel to specially maintained ski hills or mountains where he may be confronted with both the purchase of expensive lift tickets and long lines for the ski lift. Downhill skiing also demands a certain athleticism that is beyond the grasp of many beginners. Cross-country skiing, on the other hand, can be enjoyed by virtually anyone at any age. The only things needed are a few inches of fresh snow, a little training, and relatively inexpensive skis, ski boots, and ski poles.

Cross-country skiing can be an exhilarating experience! The skier can go virtually wherever he wishes—through fields and meadows, over frozen lakes and icebound streams, into silent forests and snow-covered valleys. Cross-country skiing can lend itself to meditation, reflection, and thought, which can give us a chance to confide in our Creator and thank him for the wonders of life. Winter puts a unique stamp on Jehovah God’s creation. A glistening blanket of snow brings a hush to the landscape. The earth seems fresh and clean, as if awaiting discovery. Gliding through a forest, the trees laden with frost, is soothing to the heart and mind. The stridency of our mechanical world fades away, and soon the only sound is the whooshing of skis.

If shared in by a family or group of friends, cross-country skiing becomes a social outing that bonds and unites. In northern European countries today, some families ride 10 or 20 miles [20 or 30 km] by train and then ski home together.

The Origins

Some may think that cross-country skiing is a recent innovation, but it is far from new. In 1927, rock carvings thousands of years old were found on the Norwegian island of Rødøya. One drawing shows a hunter who is evidently wearing a rabbit mask. He seems to be gliding on a pair of very long skis. More recently, in the peat bogs of Scandinavia, workers uncovered hundreds of ancient skis in excellent condition. Skiing was an essential form of travel for early Nordic peoples during the long, snowy winters. It was such an integral part of their way of life that they even worshiped and honored a ski god and goddess! Today many towns and villages in Norway and Sweden carry the remnants of those bygone pagan beliefs in their names. Why, the very name Scandinavia may refer to the goddess of skiers, Skade.

While skiing has been a necessary part of Nordic life for centuries, the popularizing of cross-country skiing as an international sport had to wait until the 19th century. At that time Norwegians improved the traditional skis by shaping, tapering, and refining them. They also developed a system of heel straps and toe straps that were the forerunners of modern binding systems. In Telemark, a mountainous area of south-central Norway, they soon initiated a series of competitions. The first recorded and timed cross-country ski race is believed to have been held there, with the winner covering the three-mile [5 km] course in about 30 minutes. Cross-country ski racing became popular in northern European countries soon thereafter, but it was another event that introduced it to the rest of the world.

In 1888 the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen led an expedition across Greenland on skis. He subsequently wrote a book about his experience that in 1891 was translated into English, French, and German. The account, which described his grueling journey across the stark Arctic landscape, captured the imagination of its Victorian readers. It stirred romantic notions of conquering the untamed wilderness.

In the 1960’s, family ski touring was organized and launched on a major scale. Ski centers that specialized in cross-country skiing began to spring up. Manufacturers took note, and new, sophisticated equipment appeared. Fashion even entered the picture, making cross-country skiing chic. The demand by the public for areas in which to ski saw many municipalities scrambling to groom any available land, including golf courses and city parks.

Physical Benefits

Cross-country skiing is considered to be one of the safest of the popular sports. Although falling can result in minor sprains, serious injuries are rare, and they usually occur only when the cross-country skier ventures into steep terrain and backcountry.

Because the movements involved in cross-country skiing are fluid and rhythmic, there is very little overuse of or shock damage to joints and muscles. Sports doctors will often prescribe cross-country skiing as therapy for those injured by jogging or cycling. It is one of the few activities that uses almost all the body’s major muscle groups, so the skier receives a complete workout. The heart and lungs benefit greatly, and active skiers usually have blood pressure and pulse rates lower than those of inactive people. Cross-country skiers are thus regarded as some of the fittest athletes in the world.

The combination of low risk of injury with smooth, dynamic movement also makes cross-country skiing an ideal endeavor for older ones. In some northern European countries, it is very common to see individuals in their senior years out for a ski.

Skiing generates a tremendous amount of body heat, so it is possible to be quite comfortable in relatively cold conditions. On the coldest of days, ski racers routinely compete in thin, one-piece racing outfits, often without gloves. Nonprofessionals, however, must take adequate care to protect their extremities from the cold. Experienced outdoor enthusiasts generally dress in layers, starting with a woolen or synthetic underlayer and finishing with a waterproof and windproof outer shell. This enables them to regulate their body temperature and personal comfort. They just remove or add layers as needed. Wise parents do well to make sure that their little ones are properly attired, as children’s small bodies get cold much quicker than adults’. Since they lose heat from their skin very rapidly, they are susceptible to frostbite.

Add to Your Winter Experience

“If you can walk, you can ski” is a common catchphrase among cross-country skiers because the movements of the sport are so closely related to walking. While this statement is true to some degree, most of us would benefit immensely from an hour or two spent with a qualified teacher. Ski centers offer private or group lessons, and in a short while, the novice can learn the fundamentals of skiing cross-country—cruising the flats, skiing uphill, negotiating downhills and, of course, stopping! Once shown these basic skills, most people are equipped to go out and tackle the terrain.

“Nothing hardens the muscles and makes the body so strong and elastic,” said Fridtjof Nansen in 1890 regarding cross-country skiing. Perhaps you too would enjoy the sport. It could very well add excitement to your winter experience.

WHAT vehicle is cheaper than most others, faster than a car in many urban areas, better for your health, and fun? A bicycle. Cycling is good exercise that combines practicality with pleasure. In an age when many people are concerned about their health, travel on two wheels is well worth your consideration.

Baron Karl von Drais, a German inventor, is credited with the invention of the bicycle. His scooterlike contraption, appearing about 1817, was basic in design. The draisine, as it was called, consisted of two wheels, a seat, and a handlebar for steering —but no pedals. Self-propulsion appeared in 1839 when a Scottish blacksmith, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, attached treadles connected by levers to cranks on the rear wheel. Then came a turning point in the popularity of two-wheeled transport. A French father and son, Pierre and Ernest Michaux, fitted pedals to cranks on the front wheel and made the velocipede (from the Latin velox, “swift,” and pedis, “foot”), a faster and more manageable machine.
 
Speed increased as the front wheel size grew. The ordinary bicycle, also known as a penny-farthing, was developed in England and had an enormous front wheel with a diameter of five feet [1.5 m], which contrasted sharply with a small rear wheel. It was called a penny-farthing bicycle, based on the contrast between a large penny coin and the much smaller farthing.

Next was the safety bicycle, a cycle that offered riders the versatility of the ordinary but with a lower center of gravity and wheels of equal or nearly equal size. In 1879, Englishman Henry Lawson exhibited a machine in Paris that had a rear wheel driven by a chain. This model was eventually known as the bicyclette.

Most modern bicycles have a front wheel the same size as the rear one. Thus, the basic design has changed little. Today’s family of utility, touring, racing, and mountain bicycles offers riders comfortable mobility on two lightweight wheels with rubber tires.
  
Healthy Fun

Noiseless, pollution free, often quicker than motorized traffic over short distances, bicycles are transport workhorses in many lands. In Africa, Asia, and elsewhere, bicycles have become “carryall” transportation, as their riders —or pushers— use them to take their wares to market. Not infrequently, the bicycle carries more than one rider, as relatives and friends straddle the crossbar or perch on an uncomfortable luggage pannier.

In Western lands, where the automobile holds pride of place for personal transport, growing health concerns coupled with a desire to escape the urban treadmill have renewed cycling’s popularity. Specially reserved bicycle lanes or paths have sprung up along numerous thoroughfares. In Britain, for example, many local government authorities pride themselves on the miles of paths they reserve for cyclists.

Discounting possible pollution from exhaust fumes, cycling can be healthy. It “is a protection against cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death and premature death in the UK,” observes transport consultant Adrian Davis. Cycling requires a higher intensity of effort, some 60 to 85 percent of a person’s maximum capacity, compared with the 45 to 50 percent used when walking. With minimal weight on a cyclist’s limbs, the risk of damage to the bones is also less than when pounding the streets on foot.

Yet another health benefit of cycling is the good feeling it gives the rider. Research reveals that the exercise involved triggers the release in the brain of chemicals called endorphins, which can enhance mood. Apart from a feel-good factor, cycling certainly offers a look-good factor. How so? “At a moderate speed the pedaller [of a bicycle] will burn off roughly seven calories [30 joules] per minute, or 200 calories [800 joules] in half an hour,” reports The Guardian newspaper. The consequences? Maybe a trimmer waistline and an end to flabby thighs.

Safe Fun
 
A growing concern in automobile-dominated lands is the safety of cyclists. For example, should one wear a safety helmet? Taking precautions is surely wise. On the other hand, simply wearing a helmet does not ensure that the cyclist will be safe from injury. Columnist Celia Hall drew attention to a study of 1,700 cyclists of varying ages who all wore helmets. One of the startling findings of the study was that wearing a helmet gave the riders a false sense of security. Worse still, 6 percent of them wore helmets that did not fit properly. In an accident, an ill-fitting helmet increases the risk of injury by 50 percent. If you wear a safety helmet, make sure that it fits. Check your child’s helmet regularly. Too big a helmet can be fatal.

Drivers of vehicles frequently view cyclists as an irritation and tend to ignore their presence. Therefore, make yourself seen. Wear safety clothing —fluorescent by day, reflective by night. Your bike also needs to be visible, even in the dark. Reflectors on the pedals together with clean front and rear lights are often legal requirements and are certainly wise precautions. Be sure that your choice of safety equipment meets the legal standards in your country.

A well-maintained cycle is vital to safety. Check it out, and clean and service it regularly. After taking all these precautions, you may find it wise in your area to cycle “off road.” But to do this safely, you will need the right type of bicycle.—See the box “The Right One for You.”

Cycling as a Sport

For some, cycling is a sport. Recent scandals surrounding the famous Tour de France have linked cycle racing with drug taking and deception. Time magazine, in an article entitled “May the Best Drug Win!,” claimed that the race was “in a shambles.” Amid debates about doping and chemicals that enhance performance, the reputation of the sport has been marred.

Wise cyclists carefully consider how much time and effort they spend on their sport. Even when health benefits make cycling appealing, balanced people recognize that exercise is simply one factor in achieving a long and healthy life. However, the next time you mount your cycle to ride, enjoy the healthy fun of riding on two wheels!

So says Manny Pacquiao as he declared his readiness to take on the Hitman from Manchester on May 2 in Las Vegas.

The Filipino pound for pound superstar said his training camp under celebrated trainer Freddie Roach has been great and the all hard work would serve him well on fight night.

“Roach and I are training very hard just like we did against Oscar,” he said during the glitzy press con in LA, referring to his buildup for his megafight with De La Hoya, whom he dispatched in nine.

“I am going to be 110% ready (against Hatton). I just pray no one seriously gets hurt,” added “Pacman” as quoted by fightnews.com.

Roach attested to this, going to the extent of predicting an early KO for his prized ward.

“It’s gonna be Pacquiao by knockout. He’s 100 percent in great shape for the fight. He’s the hardest fighter in training I’ve ever seen, he’s very disciplined, he’s a machine. He’s ready for Ricky Hatton and we have 4-1/2 weeks to go and I can’t wait for this fight,” Roach said in a video interview posted at teampilipinas.info.

The acclaimed trainer said Pacquiao’s ring smarts would propel him to victory against the “Hitman.”

“We have a great game plan and Pacquiao knows what to do, he knows how to fight this guy,” he said. “The smarter guy’s gonna win this fight and I feel that’s Pacquiao.”

Pacquiao will be seeking to wrest Hatton’s Ring Magazine and International Boxing Organization (IBO) junior welterweight belt while defending his mythical P4P throne. –GMANews.TV