From Whence We Came

“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea — whether it is to sail or to watch it — we are going back from whence we came.” – John F. Kennedy, 1962

I copied this quote directly from one of my new favorite blogs to read, Cold Splinters. I’ve never heard this Kennedy quote before, but almost the same words have spilled from my mouth many times.

Man, am I ready for summer.

Bits of Winter – Part 1

The robins came back last weekend. We also set our clocks ahead and the ski hill had its last hurrah. I wore my capri hiking pants and went for a cruiser ride. I would say Spring is about to make an appearance.

I’ve been on a journey of awareness lately, and so began to reflect on the bits of winter 10/11 worth remembering. Here’s part 1.

I started doing some new circuit workouts in the fall in preparation for the snowboarding season. It was a little experiment. At that point I didn’t know that I would also become the proud owner of a new board. I deserved one after 7 seasons on the old one, no? I definitely noticed a difference in the time it took me to get my legs back. Jump squats galore and stationary cycling kept me from getting jell-o legs for my first few days on the slopes. That was a plus. The negative? Thicker adductor muscles…which means tighter jeans. Whatever. A means to an end, right? Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter are doin’ alright in their typical snowboarder bods.

I’m sure the new board and overall great conditions for the season had something to do with my performance. And, I should give my skills a little more credit, too. I’m not a freestyle rider, though. I tend to stay out of the park, only going in to pop over some kickers here and there. I’d rather coast down a hill, absorbed in my thoughts, carving deep turns. The most style I gave this winter was ollie-ing before stopping at the base and getting back on the lift.

Riding “eastern powder” and glade runs in WV was my overall highlight for the season. I scorpioned halfway through a run between some trees, and came up belly laughing like a kid, my husband shaking his head at me.

I’m keeping that in mind for next season as a reminder that pushing myself past my comfort zone can be fun and exhilarating. Until then, squats are off the menu.

Gear Review: Bacon Betty on Camp the Summit

Patrick at Camp the Summit asked me to write up a review of our beloved GSI JavaPress. No sense repeating anything – go to their site and read the review!

Blackjack (or 21 Days)

I’m writing this on March 1st, as we begin to close out a winter where we haven’t had any “blizzards.” Well, not yet anyway. Blizzard is a strange term ’round here – it mostly refers to the conditions we experience (fast accumulation, wind and drifting) more so than the amount of snow we get. Last year we had two back-to-back storms that brought us about four feet within a week’s time, offering us the experience of riding East Coast powder. (After we feverishly dug out of a waist-high drift covering our front door so we could make it to the ski hill.)

That being said, I’ve gotten more days on snow this year than possibly any other of my 8 years on a snowboard. Granted, we live within 15 minutes of the closest hill, but we lined ourselves up for success this year.

The first (and best) decision I made was to not work at the ski resort. For two seasons previous to this one, I took a part-time job at the resort so the Mr. and I could ride for free. Problem was that 2-3 shifts a week there actually made me kind of sick of the place. This year, instead of waking up before the sun on Saturday mornings to stand behind a counter, I was waking up before the sun to make first tracks (and to beat all of the non-locals to the lifts).

Secondly, I bit the bullet and bought us season passes. Good on three mountains. Discounts on 20 others. Enough said.

I also planned ahead and got us a four-day stay at our favorite cabin getaway in West Virginia. Because it’s in a snow bowl, Canaan Valley gets more than 180″ of natural snow each year, and this year is no different at over 200″ so far. We had a blast riding glades and ungroomed trails for two solid days. Kick. Ass.

Last, but not least – I got a new board this year. After riding my Gnu Carbon Select for only 7 seasons, I retired it (to hang on the wall in my office) and got a 2011 Burton Feelgood. I must say, I never imagined that replacing my board would make such a difference. For our conditions in the East it can’t be beat for a freeride board.

So there you have it. I can honestly say that if my season ends tomorrow, I’d be perfectly happy with how it played out. Not that I’m ready…

The Rainbow in My Pants

If we’re friends on Facebook, you might recall the “there’s a rainbow in my pants” photo from several months ago. This is what happens when you do an endo on narrow singletrack, going downhill, and planting your quad – not once, but twice – into your handlebar. Two days rest with constant ice later:

I still have a visible dent in my muscle.

So, when Outdoor Divas launched their Damaged Diva photo contest yesterday, I was in. The other chicks have some pretty gnarly photos entered. Alas, I didn’t snap mine while I was still bloody and pissed off…

You can “like” my photo here in the contest’s photo album. Even if I don’t win, it makes me feel better to know that I’m not the only one crashing.

Get Inspired

So loved this video, and wanted to share it. It is so inspiring and calming to me.

Send it sistah ! from sébastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

Training for Snowboarding (aka I Need an Incentive)

Maybe my eyes are still starry from our “epic” winter last year,

but I’ve been dreaming of getting back on my board since September. Season passes have been purchased.

I would love a new jacket, helmet, and goggles…and Chris says I need a new board (I can’t let go of my Gnu Factory Choice – yes, from 2002). But, all capitalism aside, I’d rather be prepared physically. This year, I actually want to train for snowboarding. How novel!

Maybe I’ll give progress reports, although I don’t know how to measure my progress. I guess I’ll know when I get on my board…

Anyway! I’m super picky about my workouts because I like to be able to divide them up into circuits if they aren’t already. These two I’ve deemed worthy:

• Pro Ride Whistler’s Snowboard Workout
• Bodybuilding.com’s 4-Week Plan

Both of these have options to rest 1 minute between sets/exercises, which I probably won’t do, but other than that, I don’t anticipate modifying them.

One thing I’d never realized was that biking is great off-season training for snowboarding. I love being efficient!