At my 6 am Jamie Atlas’ ski conditioning classes I am building muscle, gaining flexibility and burning calories. Of course!
There are, however, the following side effects…
1. Waking up 6:30 am on non-exercise days and feeling like I slept in
2. Drinking my daily recommended amount of water before 7 am
3. Sweating like I am in a sauna, actually more like a steam room, while everyone is fully clothed (no awkward moments, accidental views of unsightly body parts, and no shaving my legs!)
4. Learning the Australian language. I think I’m learning although I still say, “What?” to Jamie a lot. Of course I noticed that he also says, “What?” to me a lot. Luckily this isn’t a serious communication barrier.
5. Getting out of the house at least three times a week, even if it is dark and really cold outside.
6. Exercising my brain by trying to figure how to repeat the “complicated” moves ten more times but now starting with my “other” left leg.
7. Possibly being motivated to actually go ski after hearing that everyone else in the ski conditioning class has been up skiing, many times. Some even skip ski class and actually go skiing! The nerve.
8. Feeling very energetic and motivated to accomplish everything on my “To Do” list, at least for the first hour after I get home.
9. Watching the local Sloan’s Lake fox troll the neighborhood in the dark morning and finding out he/she smells like the sewer. Can foxes live in the sewer?
10. Wearing workout clothes any day of the week and people just assuming I went to my ski conditioning class. Wait, maybe this isn’t a good thing. Maybe people will start wondering why I don’t shower and get out of my sweaty clothes.
11. Going out in public with some seriously scary bedhead and not caring, well at least realizing it is dark and my workout mates haven’t made funny of me, to my face.
12. Eating breakfast twice! The one at 5:30 am doesn’t really count, right?
January 13, 2009
Last time I skinned up Berthoud with Tanya I was right on her tails. Today she flies up the mountain. Now that Josh has new skins–ones that work–he also thought it was ok to pass me.
Today I decide I had really better become an exercise junkie. Starting on Monday, of course.
Later I ask Stephanie–the serious exercise junkie–”How much do you exercise?” I was thinking I should know how much she does so that I can do more. You know… since she has had a head start and all.
2 hours a day, 5-6 days a week?!
My only hope is that Stephanie and Tanya have a cold during our
Canada trip.
February 2, 2008
She takes off.
As if an underground conveyer belt is moving her smoothly upward, Stephanie quickly glides up Berthoud Pass while Tanya, Josh and I slog our way up, trailing far behind.
I’d like to say it’s her new skis or that it’s because she is still in her 20s but I know it’s because she’s an exercise junkie every day of the week.
I wonder if I can become an exercise junkie?
I’ll start tomorrow. No, make that Monday. Yes, I’ll become an exercise junkie on Monday.
January 26, 2008
Pictures: Nice hat the Fraser condo grill is donning! Figure eights on Berthoud Pass.
There is actually too much snow on Berthoud Pass face today to make very good turns but Josh manages to create figure eights (camera phone picture) out of the turns I sqeezed out… point skis straight and, after gaining momentum, make just the slightest hint of a turn.
It was gorgeous out and our friend Jon, who was hiking up, stopped to say hello. He invited us to join him and his wife Greta to ski the good stuff the next day but I needed to head back to Denver in the morning and Josh didn’t have avalance gear with him. Thanks for the offer and we hope to make it out with you very soon!
January 13, 2008
Reading Oprah’s magazine on the stationary bike sure makes time go by faster.
After months (and months) of not exercising, except as a weekend ski warrior, I’ve decided I’d better kick it into high gear for
CANADA. Well, at least put into gear.
January 10, 2008
Carl and I hang out at the condo and chat (the rest of the posse is at The Jane) while he ices his leg before flying home to Texas. Carl is one of the condo owners, an ultimate frisbee player and geologist who still skis on long skinny skis. He tore his calf muscles when he ejected out of those skis.
January 7, 2008
Picture: Angela, Cuatro, & Andy enjoying Stephanie G’s apple crisp… yep, that’s a 1/2 gallon carton of 1/2 & 1/2 Cuatro is pouring on his dessert. Liquid ice cream of sorts.
Our Ski Weekend:
Josh and I pick up our friend and neighbor Katy at her house. Approaching the McDonald’s drive-thru…
“Would you mind if we made just one more stop? We need to pick up curtains at Bed, Bath & Beyond.”
We did finally make it to the mountain. Spring weather in
Denver and very wintery weather in
Winter Park… 3-5 inches on the way!
Josh and I make a couple of runs on Berthoud (powder turns of course!), I drop Josh of at
Mary Jane so he can pound out a few bumps and I head to the Fraser Condo.
For dinner Cuatro cooks up
elk and antelope that he “caught” himself, Josh cooks his specialty cabbage dish (learned from his sister Mimi) & cheesy pasta, and Stephanie G. rounds it out by make a spectacular apple crisp. The rest of us–Carl, Will, Caryn, Andy, Angela & myself–take seconds… you know, just to make the cooks feel good. This is good living!
January 5, 2008
Pictures: Carl, Josh, Cuatro at the condo; Hadley & Guntra (orange coat) renting ski equipment; dinner with Josh’s family minus brother Dan and partner Rhonda (not actually from this night).
While renting
ski equipment at Winter Park, Hadley tries on a very wet boot… yuck! The guy tells him they are ALWAYS wet and won’t give him a different boot until he asks for one with a different fit. The next set is dry. Apparently they aren’t ALWAYS wet.
Hadley, Gruntra, Josh, Carl and I make some turns. I long for fresh powder. Hadley & Guntra warn us about the chill at the top of the new Panoramic lift but, like knuckle heads, we decide we must experience it for ourselves. The fierce and frigid wind was blowing a bunch of snow onto the run so it was sort of like skiing powder. “Be careful what you wish for,” comes to mind.
Dinner is at the Posey’s house when we return. Everyone takes their usual seats at the table for ten. Charlie, the seven year old chef of Charlie’s Diner, makes a toast, “To yummy food!” We all appreciate that!
Charlie, however, doesn’t find his
orzo very yummy so I sprinkle it with salt. Now he can’t get enough of it so I make the comment, “Everything tastes better with salt.” To which he replies, “EVERYTHING? What about ice cream and hot chocolate…” Don’t you need to watch TV or something kid?
January 5, 2008
She takes off. 
Pictures: Carl, Josh, Cuatro at the condo; Hadley & Guntra (orange coat) renting ski equipment; dinner with Josh’s family minus brother Dan and partner Rhonda (not actually from this night).
