Downhill Skiing

This week, DT took me on my first skiing adventure!  Skiing is like wearing the worst pair of high heeled dress shoes and having no toes.  I felt like Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, every weight change was met with a knife stab to my feet.  DT on the other hand, lived in Breckenridge, CO for several years and managed a ski shop.  He laughs in the face of moguls!  Black diamonds?  Bring them on!

I met DT at ASBCO, his part time job, to find rental skis, pants and gloves.  Trying on ski pants is a humbling experience.  Apparently everyone who skis has tinny stick legs.  I have legs the size of tree trunks.  No fancy bright colored ski pants for me, I was sent to the back of the store to try on basic black pants.  Most ski pants are pretty expensive but mine came with free camel toe!  How exciting!

When we got to Mad River, DT strapped me into my torture devices and we hit the bunny slope.  He taught me how to stop (pizza!), how to bleed off speed (cut across the mountain, and other skiers), and how to change directions.  The one thing he didn't tell me was how to fall, or what to do.  This is pretty important for later.  I discovered why skiers have skinny legs, holy cow it's a great workout!  I would ski more if only I wasn't crying "GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!" after every other run.  I had to sit down and take off my boots for a bit.  DT told me that rental boots can sometimes not fit well and that even his boots don't feel like comfy slippers.  Needless to say I don't like getting the HTFU speech from DT.

Big smiles at the top!

After not falling on the bunny hill, DT wanted to go on a run with his friends.  I don't understand "going on a run" with a friend- you can't exactly talk while skiing.  I put on my brave face and we zoomed up the lift.  Mad River has several beginner trails.  Unfortunately DT wanted to go over the moguls.  I cut to the left of them and trying to bleed some speed, I both turned left and pizzaed at the same time, tumbling ass over teakettle.  Skis are long and when you fall, they tend to stay put instead of tumbling with your body.  I doubled up in pain 1/2 way down the hill, clutching my knee.   Several ski instructors came down to me and started asking questions.  Was I ok?  What hurt?  Did I need a lift down?  I had no clue what to do.  Remember, DT hadn't covered crashing!  I knew that I had to put on a good face for DT who was down at the bottom, looking up at me.  I don't remember skiing down to the bottom of the hill but I'm sure it was thrilling.  DT took me in for some hot coco and I couldn't control the tears.  I saw my 1/2 marathon goal just disappear in front of my eyes.  My entire 2013 season tanked.

 I'm not afraid of crashing, I know it's a part of skiing, cycling or even running.  What I am afraid of is going back to being fat and inactive.  Spraining my knee 1 week into marathon season has been heart breaking.  Soul crushing.  DT tucked me into bed and I caught a glimpse of my training schedule taped to my wall.  I couldn't help the tears.  I don't know how long I sobbed.  This was going to be my good season.  I was going into this being healthy and fit and WHAM!

It's been 2 days since the trip.  The knee is better.  I spent yesterday elevating it with ice and ibuprofen.  Today it was less stiff and sore but it started to throb when I ran errands.  I'm back on the sofa with some ice and my new Jamie Oliver cookbook Jamie's Food Revolution!