You only learn if you fall.

So it’s fair to say that I had a Nordic wobble when I was on and off the snow in our recent trip to Seefeld.

A day into a three day training weekend in Austria and I decided that Nordic skiing just wasn’t for me. I battled with the decision of pulling out of the Arctic Circle Race and broke the news to my ACR buddies, Slatts and Jonny, that I’d not be going to Greenland.

Why?

I was of the opinion that I just didn’t enjoy the motion of XC skiing. The sport just didn’t interest me and being a complete novice added to the frustration. Entering a race that even seasoned Nordic skiers said was the hardest on the planet due to the hills, seemed like a one way ticket to failure. Incidentally, I am terrible at going up even the tiniest of hills.

My comrades were disappointed to say the least and made valid arguments with words of wisdom in favour of going to Greenland, regardless of the level of my skiing. They reminded me that it will be three long days in one of the most hostile yet beautiful places on the planet, but a lifetime of memories that can be drawn upon for the rest of our time.

U-turn

Like most big decisions, things are better if they are slept on and on the third and final day in the idyllic Austrian town, I decided to give it one more go thanks to some encouragement from my nearest and dearest.

Before I went out, I wrote some words for my new O2e blog and found myself contradicting my own mantra that I share with O2e.

Essentially, I was telling the O2e faithful that it’s not the success of completion, it’s committing to embarking on the journey.

So come 27th March 2017, that’s why I’ll be on the start line of the Arctic Circle Race.

I get by with a little help from my friends.