So I went skiing yesterday.  And today.  I am not sure if I am happy that I found something else that I really enjoy.  I already enjoy swimming, biking, running, lifting, trail running (which is sort of hiking for the impatient), hiking, rock climbing, shooting, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, water skiing, back country camping…….do I really want another sport??  Well, yes, I think I do! How much are downhill skis again?  LOL

I brought my cross country skis out here with me because I have been liking the aerobic sports mostly in the past but somewhere in the past year, I decided I really like speed.  The faster, the better.  Well, I always liked speed but never went very fast.  Now I am going fast and enjoying it immensely.

My brother is a good ski coach…..hmmm, interesting family trait, no?   And tweaked my not-so-bad form after all this time not skiing (6 years?) and suddenly I had control through turns and on steeper hills.   The skis are very different since I last skied; they are not straight down the sides but almost like an hour glass shape.  This helps grab the snow with the edges.  He told me to use all of the edges of the skis, both skis, and roll from edge to center to other edge as you go through your turn and to not rush the turns.  Do not be afraid of the speed or of pointing straight downhill.  You are, after all, trying to go downhill.  And with that, I finally felt I could go fast with control.  I had felt that I could hold my own before on moderate hills but I was doing the same thing I had always done and wasn’t really sure how to get better.  I don’t think you get better by doing the same thing over and over.  You have to try something new - push the envelope a little bit.  After that little lesson, I felt lots faster, lots more in control.  I still could not catch Travis, even with him on Telemark skis, he just flies.  Maybe I am faster than him on the bike!!!  I can hope!!  And besides, thank God for all of the squats and lunges I have been doing because I don’t know how many more runs I could have made- wwhoooeeee - skiing does burn the quads!

Nature note: It is so cool how the snow sticks to all sides of the trees.  It was raining (I missed the really cold weather last week - it has been in the 30’s the entire time so far) when we left the house and another storm is forecast to come in behind this one - so there will be plenty of fresh snow between now and Christmas day.  Always a Schule family tradition to go skiing on Christmas day.  One I have not been a part of in many years and am looking forward to it very much this year.

Off to sit in the sauna.  From Montana for a few more days at least, Jennisse

I can’t tell you why other people like to climb but I will tell you why I like to climb on my bike.
I actually like to climb mountains in all ways - hike, rock climb, train run.  Climbing to the top of a mountain on a bike versus just hiking up somehow is special.  You and your bike must work together.  I am always grateful for my bike when I get to the top.  That and to get off my bike and appreciate the view.  When you are at the top, you can say, “I came from down there?”  When you are the bottom, you can say, “I am going up there?”
Hills and mountains add variety and intensity - they are like truth - you are laid bare - you can’t fake anything on the mountain.  You either have trained, are lean and are ready to go, or you aren’t.  And Mt. Washington is the most unforgiving of all.  Many people quit in the first mile.
Riding your bike up a mountain is just hard - and being a good descender takes some skill and some courage.  There is an incredible sense of accomplishment when you reach the top of a mountain.  And then there is the view.  It is a kin to flying - when you look out, you feel a sense of freedom of mind.
The actual climbing - there is a rhythm to it.  There is some pain - or discomfort so it takes mental and physical toughness and focus.  There isn’t necessarily speed, depending on the steepness of the mountain but it is amazing how fast 9 mph can feel after going 4 mph for quite some time, if you hit a less steep part.  When you are riding up and you look out and can see for miles, you do feel like you are soaring.
I love the rhythm and the sense of accomplishment that I feel when I have been able to push past the pain, focus on my breath and squeeze as much speed as I can out of my body to ascend to the heights of a mountain.
My favorite hill climb of all is Mt. Graham in Arizona.  On the way back down, after several hours climbing from 70 degrees to snow (which was amazing in and of itself) and from the back of the mountain to the front of the mountain, we came back down - no cars - whole road to ourselves and got to fly down these amazing switchbacks.  At one point we stopped and looked down the mountain and could see the road we were going down snaking down the hill like some tweaked sports car add, except it wasn’t an ad and we were just as fast on our bikes as a car would be.
If you read the book we have about hill climbs, the author (who escapes me at the moment) says he just doesn’t consider it a bike ride unless it has a hill in it.  I used to hate hills because they beat me down every time.  Now I am stronger and smarter (I use the right gearing, now matter how big it needs to be to get me to the top) and have figured out how to relax even when it is tough going, so I know I can climb anything.  Anytime.
I love knowing that.
If you want to climb something local that will give you a good idea of what a thrill hill climbing can be, go climb to High Point State Park from the back (north side up).  Better yet, send out an invite and we will all go with you!
Jennisse

Hi, now that Winter is on the way, many of us now need to embrace training indoors to really be ready to hit the roads strong. Training indoors can be a huge help to reaching your fitness goals – here are some great reasons to do it now – and all year round. Continue reading →

Title: Carpe Diem Ride
Location: Frenchtown, NJ
Link out: Click here
Description: Paul Nardoni Foundation Ride for Comfort and Aid to Cancer Patients and their Families
Start Time: 07:00
Date: 2008-10-05
End Time: 17:00

Okay, to be fair, the race report for this race starts a week ahead of the race when my new TT bike arrives. I had placed the order for the custom Serotta (I am very spoiled, I know) a couple of months earlier with some small hope that it would be done for Black Bear. It was. I just had to put on the cranks, pedals, seat, seat post, chain and cassette. Everything else was already built for me. Oh, yes, the most important thing I had to put on was bottle cages. (Remember this, it will be very important later - no quiz - just important.) Continue reading →