These days, cross-country skiing is a leisure sport for people who enjoy both frozen toes and sweating, but it’s been around forever. A 4,500-year-old ski was discovered by archaeologists in Sweden, and rock drawings depicting human figures on skis go back even longer. It’s not hard to see why this activity would have arisen from the brains of humankind: Have you tried walking in knee-deep snow? That shit is hard! Far better to strap some planks to your feet and glide along.
That does not mean cross-country skiing is easy: If downhill skiing is for people who enjoy pleasure, cross-country skiing is for those who tolerate pain. Without gravity to help you go, you have to do most of the work yourself. Gliding only gets you to the first slight incline, at which point your calves and quads will have to take over.
