Nordic Skiing with Half Skate to Offset Skate Exercises

Its always nice to see moose. Can you see it? That's why I love the great outdoors, nature, the wind and sun on the face!

Go to late Feb of 2013 for more about offset/half skate.
As you all know, the lesson plan was to review one skate and move on to two skate. However the nice snow had turned to pretty hard granular ice! The warm-up trail around the lake was dicy, and you had to be quick on your feet.

So half skate to offset skate it was.
-First exercise was half skate in the tracks without poles
-remember to have your shoulder over the edged ski, flex, edge, pushover
-the next several exercises consisted of heel to toe touch, switching tracks on every skate, falling onto the ski that was out of the track, and pushing yourself back to an upright position onto the ski that was in the track
-do not anticipate falling onto the ski that is out of the track, but glide on a flat ski, on the ski that is in the track. Relax
-poles were then added and the above exercises were done again
-there is a 3 point touch to the half skate and the offset skate!
-the hips still come forward as in all double poling
-the double poling action still has the poles planting beside the feet. That is why you must have your feet return heel to toe, with the skis under the hips. Relax
-arm action of the poling has you poling down the ski, till your hands get near the hips, and then the push becomes like a j-stroke, in the direction that your edged ski is pushing
-all exercises were done alternating the pushing foot every few lane returns 
-half skate or the marathon skate, is a very useful technique that can be used to pass others uphill and on the flats, when the skate lanes are blocked. The half skate will give your legs a bit of a rest if needed.

Off set skating exercises began by going around the island on the lake which had been skate groomed, in both directions. You just had to avoid the puddles!
-exercises that were added, included learning what hand should be the high hand. You must be proficient offsetting, to either side. High hand goes to the inside of a turn, or to the uphill side of a slope with exceptions, of course.
- a slight uphill slope was then added
-the feet push equally, but the high hand glide foot, glides a bit further
-timing with quick feet were emphasized. You should be a tick tock like a metronome
-you switched the high hand each time up, so you did not favour one side over the other
-you then practised switching hands half way up the hill as well
-those of you who were able, practised with a little hop to get up the hill even quicker

The class then moved over to a steeper hill and continued to practise the offset. Heart rates went up. For some the steeper hill made their technique better, and for some, it was a bit much, but at least it was a short hill

Class was over before you knew it.
Keep skiing, be safe out there and enjoy yourself