I finally felt it the other day.

I wanted to ski again. Like, really wanted to.

Maybe it was finishing Winter’s Children, the best Nordic ski book ever written. Perhaps I was fueled by the nostalgia of Ryan Rogers’ writing. Or maybe it was the ordeal of the last six days … perhaps I was fueled by the hate and frustration of dealing with car insurance and mechanics.

Whatever it was, I could feel the switch flip. I wanted to rollerski. When I head out the door, I’m feeling less like pretending I’m a pro cyclist, and more like imagining training for the 2026 50k or the 2023 Birken.

Sometimes it’s good to force yourself to do stuff you don’t feel like doing. Sometimes it’s better to listen to your soul. When the fire is back, it means you’re ready to train.