Killington Report

After a full week of holiday partying at Killington, I am pleased to report that I actually went for a run and a swim tonight. When I got home I was still in my ski gear so it was easy to run outside and play with Zion for a minute. The frolicking in the snow got my blood pumping so I changed my shoes and took him for a spin around the lake. It was funny to me to be running with my ski pants on but my temperature was perfect. Zion was hilarious too. The sidewalk was bootpacked snow bordered with snow banks, so I ran on the sidewalk and gave Zion the nudge to run in the snow bank. As we ran along he was taking huge bounding leaps in the snow next to me. I wish I had a camera to film him. He's so happy in the snow.

When I got back, Dad started talking about swimming and what his recent accomplishments of swimming 5 laps in a row without stopping. I felt so good from the run that I decided to head to the BSC for a swim. I counted off my 20 laps and logged 1000m with no stops. Right around 350 meters I felt a little sluggish, but as soon as I finished my 10th lap, or 500 meters, I felt awesome. After a full week of partying, I can't believe my body responded as well as it did. The run was almost like a trail run since my foot slipped back with each step in the snow and the swim felt like someone was scratching my back after a full day in ski clothes.

On my drive home from the pool I decided that I would start eating vegetarian again, and that would be my New Years resolution. With that, I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a bunch of fruit, veggies, and fish. Of course I was starving by the time I got home, as I always seem to be after an evening swim, so I devoured the meal. But, right now I have a high and happy feeling for making the healthy choice.

On to the snow report. Killington was fun this week but very cold and very icey. It finally warmed up by Saturday, and boy that made all the difference. The trails that were open to the public were a sheet of ice with soft mogul piles clumped on the trail and everything that was closed was beautiful. On Saturday, we ducked the rope on Devil's Fiddle and my face lit up. It was like a whole new world. The snow was soft, there was no ice and there were large moguls, not like the little icey moguls that everyone loves here. These were the kind that you can ski big mountain style on. Despite there being a few uncovered rocks, which luckily I didn't hit, it felt like I was skiing the Hobacks in JH.

Otherwise, the method of skiing on the icey trails was to skid sideways down the ice to the next pile of powder, then hit the mogul to slow down, and skid to the next mogul, and repeat. It was not fun at all. I'm realizing how much I knew about the mountains out west which I had been skiing for years. Here, I get screwed because I don't know how to access the woods or the trails with better snow because I've never explored. I have to really put in some time to learn my way around, otherwise every weekend up here is going to be a disapointment.

Snow Report
Tuesday - Killington - insanely cold, negative degrees with the windshield, icey, frostbiten toe after 3 runs.
Wednesday - Pico - very cold, icey, skiied with Dary and Allie.
Saturday - Killington - warm at 24 degrees, best ski day yet, rivalled out west.
Sunday - Killington - very cold again, windy, sheets of ice. Even Bobsled Rich and Big Frank said the skiing sucked.

New Years Resolution
Eat vegetarian.

Workout
Horn Pond - 30 min run with Zion in the snow.
BSC Lexington - 1000 m swim (constant) and warm down.