I could have also added “Super Bowl” but that would just get obnoxious with all the “S’s” and I don’t want to get obnoxious and write something like “Suck it Seattle,” because that’s just not right. Instead let’s get right into The Rundown!

The week started off with a blizzard, developed into a sinus infection for yours truly, and ended in Vermont for an amazing ski weekend with my family.

 

TheRundownSnowboarding

WEEK OF JANUARY 26, 2015

RUNNING: There were quite a bit of disturbances in my running plan this week, and I ran though all kinds of conditions. I ran through the snow in my FreeSteps6 #amazing:

Snow tires for your feet!

Snow tires for your feet!

I did a killer speed session on the treadmill (8 x 100 @ 6:13 pace), and was cheered on by a friend on the ‘mill next to me, which is a big reason to love the treadmill. There aren’t many.

I had to keep some tissue where my water bottle goes, due to the sinus infection and all. Is that normal? Don’t worry, I was on an antibiotic at this point so I wasn’t sharing my germs. I’m not a sharer.

I also did a tempo run and a few easy sessions, sandwiched in between cycling and swimming, and I loved them all equally. I also got to snowboard for two one and half glorious days at Jackson Gore at Okemo in VT, all in the name of “marathon training!” Gotta love training for a spring marathon.

This was the "warm" day.

This was the “warm” day.

CYCLING: Through the blizzard, I was thankful for my bike trainer. It’s harder on the lady parts then the spin bike, I have to yell at my kids to “don’t run near the back wheel!” and I sweat like a beast, but I was grateful for the sweat. I got in an additional session after my speed work at the gym but had to cut it a little short since the boys had been in the day care for an hour and a half. DCF anyone? (That’s Department of Children and Family Services)

SWIMMING: You would think swimming with a head cold would be supremely difficult, but it wasn’t that bad. I decided to just give it a try and see how it felt. To my surprise, it felt great. CRS gave me a very challenging workout (preceded by a 5 mile tempo run) but I love a good challenge. I also love that I’m becoming fluent in the language of swim!

CROSS-TRAINING: One word: snowboarding! The first half-day on the mountain was fantastic. It was snowing and there was actually some powder. The second day was -5 at the bottom with 25+ mph winds. I almost died on a chair lift, so I called it day. I was seriously hanging onto the chairlift bar with one hand and covering my face (that was already covered with two layers) with the other. When you start saying to yourself “it’s going to be ok” out loud, you know you’re in trouble.

I should have just stayed inside by the fire with my husband.

I should have just stayed inside by the fire with my husband.

FUEL: I sustained my athletic body on martinis, pizza and s’mores. We also let Vaughn start drinking. My dad is Cuban and started drinking coffee when he was 8 so we figured this is the American version of that, right?

 

He's a Guinness man.

He’s a Guinness man boy.

*Obviously this was a joke, and it’s sad that I have to spell it out for the one person out there who will be outraged, but I didn’t actually let my 5 year-old drink beer. 

Feed me!

Feed me!

RACING: Down the mountain as fast as I could in the wind tunnel that was the trail on Saturday. The upside is that it was pretty much just me and seven other loons out there.  For the 8-12 minutes it took to snowboard down, I was in heaven.

THINGS I LOVE: Getting carded! Seriously. Mike and I went to a dive-y pizza place in town and the waitress (bless her heart!) actually asked to see my ID. I almost kissed her. She said it was my olive skin but I think it’s because we didn’t have the kids. Being childless takes 20 years off.

I made my husband take this picture.

I made my husband take this picture.

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH: Having an entire day to snowboard while the boys were in ski school and waking up to see this:

Are you fu**ing kidding me?

Are you fu**ing kidding me?

TV: The freakin Super Bowl! I think my mouth is still hanging open from the last series of events. Wow. Just wow.

We also spotted Rodgers in the bar at Jackson Gore. He’s a lot shorter in person but is pretty good on a snowboard.

This is what the boys will be wearing in a few years.

This is what the boys will be wearing in a few years for snow gear.

BOOKS: Ok so this isn’t a book, it’s SELF magazine, but I was briefly quoted in it. This past October a writer for the rag contacted me after I wrote this post about my husband’s non-runner perspective. She was writing an article about what kind of relationship strengths or strains come from competitive couples, or when just one is the “athlete” of the pair. I spoke with her for about an hour. This is what she got out of it:

IMG_4987

It goes on to say (on page 100) ..things are smoother if she warns her husband about upcoming races and explains her workout schedule. “Fortunately, that doesn’t conflict doesn’t spill over into the rest of our lives. He doesn’t complain about having sex with an athlete.”

Sex sells people.

RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “It’s as cold as I’ve ever been. You would probably cry on the chair lift.” Overhead as a guy was talking to his significant other on the phone, on Saturday at Okemo when the wind chill was about -22.

How was your week?

What’s the coldest you’ve ever been outside?

Do you ski or snowboard? Give me a good story about being on the mountain…

Thoughts on the Super Bowl?

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