Black Diamond!

 And my first ski fall since I started skiing again, but it was fine. 

I went back to Nashoba again today. Because of COVID you have to sign up early for your spot, which is a good thing, but also not so good. Today was really really cold, one of the coldest days of the winter so far. I layered up a lot, including tights, snow pants, base layer top, pull over, and jacket, turtle fleece neck warmer, mask, gloves, helmet, goggles. I had hand warmers and probably should have used them (but they were in the car, and I was lazy).

I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable on skis - I think I need to work on my comfort with going faster and feeling like I'm in control. Oh yes, and actually being in control when I go faster. I do feel like I'm moving down the mountain with a bit more speed.

Because it was so cold there weren't a lot of people there (I assume that's why it was so empty) and so a lot of the slopes were pretty opened, which was really nice! As I got a couple hours into my ski time, I tried this trail called "dog patch" which is next to the black diamonds. The black diamond lift is the best to take up from dog patch and, as I went up, I realized how empty the slopes were, and how short. So, I decided to go for it! It wasn't pretty. There were a lot of snow plow turns and me reminding myself of the "C" shape turns out loud, but I got down! After doing it once, I felt like I could do it again, so I did. Then I figured third time is a charm, and went down again. After the third I decide to ski something that I could actually ski, rather than work my way down, and went back to the blue square. I was feeling so good about myself and my amazing ability and that's when I fell. Ha! Take that ego. Anyhow, it didn't hurt and I was able to get up again, so all is well.

Towards the end I was sitting on the lift deciding if I was done, and I though "I can still feel my fingers, there must be time for one more run." I wound up staying for the full 4 hours - it was great!

So, big + for doing a black diamond, but I'm not going down a "real" black diamond in the near future - I am aware that these are a bit easier than your standard diamond.

Epic Day 2

 I did the second day of the Epic workout yesterday. It was all arms, with a little core. I used 4 pound weights - the woman in the video had 18 pounders. So, yeah. This workout was 40 seconds on, 20 off, and every third round was pushups, which I can't do. I did some slanted pushups on the arm of the couch and some planks - in fact I did 2 minutes and 40 seconds total plank, but in 40 second bursts. Today I felt fine, which was nice! Up next is abs, and it looks brutal, but I'm determined to continue through all 40+ workouts!

Today was such a good day! I watched our new president and VP be sworn in, and saw Lady Gaga and Janet Yellen on the same stage and looked at Bernie Sanders memes, and everyone survived - there was no craziness. For a few minutes I felt so light, I thought I was floating off my couch.

Night Skiing!

It's the middle of January and I haven't been skiing yet this year. I feel like last year ski season ended before quarantine, so that's only two months (hard to believe it's been 10 months)! Anyhow, I was able to get off work a little early and decided to hit the slopes at Nashoba. I figured that for my first ski of the season it didn't need to be a big mountain - a little hill would be fine. And it was. 

There wasn't that much snow, so only two of the easy trails were opened.  But I went up and down the same slopes for 4 hours, practicing my turns and edging. I'm going to watch some videos next. I was all nervous about the fact that sunset is at 4:30 ish, and I would be paid through 6:30 ish, so I would be skiing in the dark. But then as it got dark, they turned on some lights, and it was totally fine.

I actually started to feel pretty good about a few of my runs, and it felt kind of fun! Looking forward to some longer trails that are hopefully a little less crowded..

epic workout

I did #1 of C G's epic workout and it was tough but also really good. She has a ton of them, and I'm going to try to incorporate them into my quarantine exercise routine. It was a 45-minute workout with 45 seconds on and 15 seconds rest (my favorite part) with day 1 focusing on legs. So many squats! So many ways to do squats! I'm going skiing tomorrow, and my legs are already a little sore, so maybe I should have started with workout #2, which looks like it's arms, but then I figured I would just get confused if I didn't do them in order. It says to do them five days a week, but with parkour, yoga and hiking, I'm going to try for two days a week - hopefully that's actually achievable.

Winter has been so strange. With COVID, my mom's death, working from home, and the rioting in the capital last week, I feel like I go nowhere and do nothing. This coming weekend there are supposed to be "peaceful armed protests" around the country. I'm really scared for the new administration. I hope they keep the two of them safe, and far apart from each other. I feel like this weekend is a good one to stay at home, except for parkour and maybe a walk in the woods. And next week, too. We are hitting 4000+ a day in the US dying of COVID and hospitals being full. And all the news talks about is our current president - I can't wait for this chapter in our history to end!

PS. For some reason this post has like 43 reads. I changed the identifying info so it won't be so googleable. Weird that this is like my most read post, and really I just did this workout like 2x and didn't like it that much.

Speed Vaults!

I had a parkour breakthrough today! I've been doing parkour for almost a year now, so maybe I should have had this breakthrough before now, but whatever. I've been meeting this friend to practice at the school across the street once or twice a week, and we've been sort of goofing off, whatever, trying things. I had been working on different vaults, and I tried a speed vault in class last week, without much success. I watched a video or two on the technique, and I was trying to do it over a tree that they have that's lying on its side - it's a couple feet tall and by a nice soft dirt landing. At one point I wasn't thinking too hard about it, and I just ran (stepped a little fast) and did it. And I was so shocked because it totally turned out! And then I had to do it again about 10 times to prove I could really do it, and it wasn't an accident. Then I tried on another tree, and I actually found it to be a bit low. I think this is something I can work on and have become one of "my" vaults, like the step vault that I once found scary but now love!

Yesterday was a kind of surreal day because a bunch of Trump supporters stormed the capitol building in Washington. I saw a few doing moves that looked like climbing and parkour, with not bad technique.  But, holy cow! It was crazy to watch!! It seemed like a weird mix of people, some who were so angry and really scary looking, some who were apparently smoking pot and chilling, and some who looked like they were on a tour of the building and stayed within the boundaries of where you are meant to walk. Meanwhile, over 4000 people died because of covid, and it barely made the news, and there aren't enough resources to get the vaccines out effectively. We are so out of focus and off course. Thank heaven we will have a new president in less than two weeks. I'll probably do a speed vault to celebrate :)