It was -22 degrees here the other night (that would be farenheit, in case you were wondering). So yeah. Winter is here. I mean, it is HERE.
It's cool. I don't get all up in arms when the weather hits negative digits like some people do. If you wait until noon, you can still get a good ski, hike, run, whatever in and you will probably sweat while you do it.
True story. It's so dry here and we're so high in altitude, that sun is fierce. It works wonders during the winter.
Since we last talked, I have been on a bike NOT AT ALL. Here's me, crying.
Not really. It's winter, people. I love winter. I love snow. I love all of the activities you can do on snow. And this winter, I vow to ride my trainer exactly zero times and to go outside and recreate 5 million times.
How's that for a promise?
Here's how I started. Brian and I ran a five-mile Turkey Trot in Durango on Thanksgiving Day. I have been running trails regularly as of late, but I haven't run over 4 miles in...months? year? I don't know. A long time. And certainly not on pavement. I was surprised to find that 1) my time was decent and 2) I wasn't sore the next day.
That was a win.
And then I was all, screw this dryland stuff. Let's ski. So I took Tygh out in the Ergo on a 0 degree day and we toured a little at Mill Creek. I was happy. He didn't care.
I have been itching to get on my skate skis for weeks. Unfortunately, skate skiing is not as baby-friendly as classic. I mean, maybe you are super woman and can totally maintain your balance while wearing a 20lb. baby, but I am essentially a novice skate skier and well, you would see me fall flat on my face a lot.
I had an opportunity on Friday to get on my skate skis and I took it. There was a lot of floundering and a lot of near misses and a lot of stops to catch my breath. It's also hard which makes me want to do it ALL OF THE TIME. Of course.
I skied with Brian and he kicked my ass on his classic skis. Jerk. He also took the opportunity to get in some upper body work since we were skiing on the football field.
This picture has no real story other than its complete awesomeness. 1 year old + fleece pajamas + down pants + fleece jacket + down vest + hat + mittens + down booties + down suit = a very pissed off Randy from A Christmas Story.
Let's talk about the weekend. It snowed and snowed and snowed ALL WEEKEND. And I enjoyed two powder days in a row. Like, to my thigh, deep in the trees powder days. Combined with the cold, that powder was delicious.
Did I mention that we live close enough to everything that I went to the resort for the morning, met Brian and the kids at the trailhead, snowshoed in to the woods, cut down a Christmas tree, came home and shoveled the driveway and porch and it was only 3pm????
Mountain living, people. Mountain living.
I was back on skate skis Monday because I was determined to work on my technique. And also not stop so much to catch my breath. I will get better at this, right? Right?
On Tuesday, I pawned the kid off (it was negative something or other. Too cold even for the bebé) and went for a quiet tour at Mill Creek. It was cold. Cold enough that even though I was nordic skiing, I still had to wear a down jacket. But it was drop dead gorgeous and quiet. So wondrously quiet.
Three more months (at least) of winter. It will be good. It will be full of snow and fresh air. And my trainer will be covered in dust.
YES.
