How to learn to tour-skate

Waiting for the couple of people slower than me to cross the line.

Tour skating, or long distance skating on lake or sea ice has become really popular in recent years in Finland, mainly as an import from Sweden it seems. I've never done it, always thinking it looked fun but never quite getting around to finding out more. But now I have, and this is how I learnt:

1) Sign up for the Finland Ice Marathon in Kuopio
2) Hire skates
3) Drive 400 kms to Kuopio
4) Work out how skates attach to boots
5) Get on the start line for the 50 km race with ski poles
6) Skate 50 kms
7) Come in at a very credible not-quite-last-position
8) Take lots of ibuprofen
9) Decide the ibuprofen alone isn't cutting it and drink large amounts of beer
10) Sleep very soundly and ache a bit the next day.

Please note: there may be other and better ways to learn how to tour skate.