 Poster: A snowHead
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I have a theory, which hopefully is true, that being overweight, and I am, must make a difficult (to me) sport much much harder. I started skiing 18 months ago at the age of 49, and probably 2 1/2 stone too heavy. I really enjoyed the experience, and so I've been having lessons and skied as much as I can since. I do find that my legs get very tired on red runs where I'm throwing in turns at every opportunity - mainly to regulate my speed. I reckon that a fear of going too fast is my main impediment to making more progress, and enjoying the whole experience even more. I guess my fear of going too fast is linked to a fear of falling over and damaging myself - also a function of being heavy.
I'm now on a concerted programme to lose some (lots of) weight and get much fitter, so I have a personal trainer in twice a week, and I go to the gym 3 times a week on top of that. No beer, lots of lettuce and fruit and grilled fish - yuck! I hope to be at or below 13st (I'm 5'11") before the end of the autumn. I'm hoping someone on these boards can supply the necessary encouragement to see it through. Has anyone lost lots of weight and found it all much easier? Will it really make a big difference to ease of turns and stopping, and does it make the learning process that much easier? If not I'll grab my jacket, ring up a client and have sausage, chips and a pint of Spitfire for lunch! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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noggy, Paul Mason has lost (at least) the amount that you are looking to lose. he was amazed at the difference it made to his skiing. Far less energy required during the day. Go for it. I suffer similarly to you and have found that modern carving techniques, well taught, will also reduce dramatically the effort required. Lessons, lessons, lessons. BTW I had some delicious BBQd black pudding with the barby last night.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Being fit makes up for poorer technique. Good technique makes up for a lack of fitness. If you don't have either you make it harder for yourself than it needs to be, if you have both then it really broadens your horizons.
I really notice the difference if I've been working out regularly before I go skiing, compared to how I normally am when I go.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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noggy, keep going!
It really makes a BIG difference being fit and a sensible weight.
Your skiing will improve...but more importatntly your health and life in general will improve.
2 1/2 stone overweight and 49 years old....you were looking at a high chance of T2 diabetes...losing weight will reduce that risk immensly.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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As someone who is very seriously overweight (far more than noggy, ) may I offer a few suggestions, firstly you are doing the right thing, losing weight will help your skiing, secondly improving your technique on skis will help with tiredness, finally get out on a bicycle, regular cycling will improve your stamina but it will also help to exercise many of the same muscles that you will use when skiing
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Just to add my encouragement. Tell your PT that you're getting fit for skiing so (s)he can come up with some suitable exercises nearer the time. Also, I have found spin classes very good for ski fitness. A good mix of cardio-vascular and resistance training for the legs.
Good ski technique will also make you less tired. So will relaxing! Sounds like you're getting a bit tense in your fight not to go too fast which will tire you out.
Good luck!
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Thanks for all the encouragement - very motivating. Actually my general health isn't that bad - bp = 90/50 and chloresterol levels in range. My young lady ( called Bob - looks like the young lady in the Black Adder series) makes me do lots of lunges and squats whilst boxing at the same time! The abductors(?) certainly howl after that. Lunch was some dry chicken and fizzy water. No Spitfire, but I did have a (small) chocolate. I'll go and pump my tyres up. 
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noggy, I definitely echo what's been said already. Being overweight won't stop you being a decent skier, but being a sensible weight for your height/age will help a lot. However, at the end of the day, good technique is what helps most. It sounds as if you're becoming unstable on the steeper runs and hence feeling out of control and needing to turn more to control your speed. Certainly this suggests to me that there is a major technical/balance/stance problem that is hindering you. You can overcome the fear of "feeling" fast with a correct position, but it does take a certain amount of will to practise the exercises! Going fast and feeling fast or out of control are not at all the same thing.
Good luck, and if you do half as well as Paul Mason you'll be well on the way. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Arno, yup. Spin classes in Autumn, and Mountain Bike in Summer does it for me. I'm told Nordic Walking is the thing, but I just can't bring myself to walk around the place with a pair of walking sticks in my hands.
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noggy, Ditto easiski, Fitness is definitley worth it, but nothing beats good technique 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Of course you're right. I reckon though that in order to improve, you probably need to fall over a few times. And if I'm a bit lighter, then falling over and getting up(!) won't be so daunting. I don't have any technique whatsoever at the moment, so it's all to gain 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
I don't have any technique whatsoever at the moment, so it's all to gain
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Great. But you can't gain it on your own... book some lessons fast! It all costs money, but you can get yourself fitter and thinner without a personal trainer. With sensible reading of sound advice on exercising correctly you can DIY. Whereas hardly anybody can gain good ski technique without a good teacher and quite a lot of lessons, especially starting at an older age (I should know, I started ski-ing at 42 and snowboarding at 59...).
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pam w, I do have lessons whenever I ski - my comments on lack of technique were probably over self-deprecating. So far I've skiied for (just added it up) 22 days and had lessons on all but 8 of them. And 9 of those days' lessons were 1:1 private lessons - so I do appreciate that lessons are essential at my stage. We've booked in to Saalbach for next February, and I'm already signed up for 5 days lessons. The thing with my trainer is that she forces me to go through pain barriers that I just wouldn't do on my own - in fact I would defy anyone to 'voluntarily' do some of them. Lat night I was doing consecutive 200m rowing sprints with each one to be done in a quicker time than the previous one, with each sprint interspersed with 10 push ups. By the time I was on the fifth set my arms were like jelly, I thought I was going to be 'ill' and I still had to go on and do two more! Then it was on to skipping, lunges, pull ups, and then stretching. I just couldn't have finished that set without a very stroppy young lady cajoling me all the way. When I go to the gym it's pretty easy to jump on the runing machine for 20 minutes or so, and then do some rowing - but to really put my old bones through the pain barrier does require 3rd party intervention! I do really recommend having a personal trainer for at least one session a week. Otherwise it's very easy to operate in the comfort zone and reach a plateau.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| pam w wrote: |
| (I should know, I started ski-ing at 42 and snowboarding at 59...). |
your my hero pam.....
I started skiing at 37... surfing at 45... still to try snowboarding.... have tried telemarking but not seriously given it a go... I think that is next ....
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Poster: A snowHead
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Noggy - I'll ditto easiski on the "you don't HAVE to fall" part... until recently I rarely fell.... just was not on my agenda and instructors kept me learning but balanced at same time...
you said on red runs you "throw in turns at every opportunity to regulate speed"
this might help...
1)TURNING will not neccesarily slow you down...
2)going AGAINST gravity slows you down (or going with gravity less)
3)so make your turns MUCH FURTHER uphill... (ie shape them like the linking bits in old-fashioned jigsaws)
4) You can make quite large turns - so not need to turn fast if you "finish" your turns in this manner(ie go up more before turning down again)....
5) if your turns are large(r) you will go a tad faster during the downhill part of the turn(as you spend more time skiing "straight" downhill) but your TOTAL speed down the hill will be less and you will have more control (more time to think about finish and start stuff) and so often be better balanced....
6) you will also get less tired as you won't be "trying to stop" all the time
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I lost half a stone this month after a week of camping. It's already made a difference to my skiing, I can now zip up my salopets.
Honestly, noggy, every little helps. Having grand plans isn't always the best thing, though it could work for you. Try to find a sustainable level of eating and exercising that can gradually get you in shape and keep you there.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The theory that being tall and heavy makes skiing more difficult is a key part of my excuse program for being a pretty average skier despite numerous ski hols. Observation suggests that being short is very helpful (you may want to lop a couple of inches off those legs, noggy), which is what you'd expect (lower centre of gravity, greater stability). Being heavy makes you go faster; I'm not quite sure why, as friction increases directly with mass (I think), so I'd expect heavier people to go more slowly. It may be that the increased pressure on edges actually reduces friction for us porkers. The other problem is that falling hurts more, especially, from observation, in low speed falls on my head, which is why I wear a helmet.
On one skiing hol I was lighter and fitter than usual, having spent the previous 3 weeks walking in Nepal and eating little except dahl baht and barley porridge, and it certainly made skiing easier. Didn't last.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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At last something I feel qualified to talk about!
I’m 6’1” and 18 stone and find skiing down not that bad at all! (I generally ski blues fast and reds a bit slower). Skiing a black I jump my turns and that is more energetic so I tend not to ski blacks very often.
What does tire is drag lifts be it Poma or T-bar - much more tiring than skiing down.
Goose T-bar at Nevis is about 1km long and I’m pleased to get off at the top!
Of course when I was younger and lighter I could get more vertical in per day but now I’m quite happy for the 10 min rest on the chair up.
It is possible to be heavy (fat) and fit. I also play rugby and by the end of the skiing/rugby season I am considerably fitter that several lads on the rugby team who weigh a lot less than me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi noggy, I've just found this post and was wondering how it was all going?
I had an accident at Christmas that left me unable to exercise until recently and has left me with 10 kilos to shed by the start of ski season...
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PhillipStanton, Not bad. On the right track - been doing lots of exercise and cutting right down on beer and wine (well, during the week anyway) and I've lost 5kg or so. Need to lose another 10-12 ideally by Christmas, which is do-able I eckon. then we'll see if thst helps the skiing! Must do! 
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Keeping of the pop definitely helps where weight loss is concerned.
I lost a stone and half a few years back, combining CV work and lack of beer, over 3 months.
that would be ~ 9kg
I'm 5'10" and 80kg (12st 10 ish)
I not to bothered about falling over mind, a few years of Judo esque shennanigans, and I'll quite happily bail out rather than waiting for the wipe out. This technique definitely improves your sliding and collecting snow.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I always find it difficult to persuade myself of the inevitable, and steer myself into the nearest snowdrift. Of course the longer you leave it ..... the deeper the snowdrift should be.
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If nothing else noggy it'll improve your powder skiing no end.
A friend of mine is ace on powder as he just floats on top of it. Me? I plough through the stuff. Now that's gotta be harder. 
Well done on the 5kg. That's good progress if you're still allowing yourself some pop at the weekend.
Maybe we should initiate little challengette on the board to help you with the reminder?
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