Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Fitness: Skiing!

Always a great workout, I've loved skiing since I was young.

However, four years ago I knocked myself out while skiing and ended up in the emergency room with a concussion...not a good story. I vowed to never again ski without a helmut and instead spent the last four years afraid of skiing and not going at all.....until my good friend Lindsey invited me to go.

To celebrate her fabulous birthday, we went in on a great condo and night-skiing package deal at the Getaway Lodge in Keystone, CO. It was a great weekend, full of friends, beer, glow-sticks, a little bubbly, oversized glasses and of couse skiing....

On the way up the moutain in the gondola (which I far prefer over the chair lift), I started getting that nervous, twicthing feeling of anticipation. My heart was pounding and my stomach did flip-flops at the sight of the snow-covered trails as we climbed higher and higher up the slope.

Jumping out of the gondala (so much better than trying to jump off a chair lift), I clicked on my rentals, adjusted my snug helmut and zipped my coat to the top. Staring over the edge at the start of the run, I had flashbacks of waking up in the First Aid lodge, not knowing what day it was and unsure of how I got there. Oh...I don't know about this!

Excited to get started right away, the rest crew jumped up and down the slope they went. I realized it was the time I'd been anticipating and I just had do it. I tentatively made my way down the top of the trail, remembering the feeling of skiis on my ankles and when to lift your foot or turn your knee. Thankfully the group stopped for a minute to make a run decision and I caught up, feeling slightly more confident.

I proceeded down the hill, already feeling the workout in my burning calves and thighs, thinking "I'm not gonna have to workout for at least two days!" I picked up speed and started following my spouse, always a better skier than I. I started going faster and faster, feeling the wind blush my cheeks and the snow fluff up behind my turns. I was feeling quite invincible with my helmut, but then made a mental note that just because my head was safe, didn't mean I wouldn't break every other bone in my body.

Slowing it down just a bit, we made it down the rest slope and back to the gondola to go up again. I made the whole way without so much as trip or stumble!! Horray!!

We spent the rest of the evening getting in as many runs as possible, taking in the beautiful sunset over the mountains and experiencing night-skiing for the first time ever! Finishing off the night with great food and friends, made it a perfect weekend and assured me that I'm definitely not afraid to ski again (with a helmut of course).

















Photo Taken by Lindsey Hamilton

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