Powder Day!

Two feet of fresh, fluffy snow fell on Southern Vermont last night. My excitement was so high, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.
After some sweet powder turns at the hill, we took Agatha for a little romp. She had lots of deep snow to navigate. I love watching her race around in drifts higher than her shoulders. She is pure joy when she plays. I can’t help but smile as she flys by.
Fifteen minutes was enough to earn her a contented place in front of the wood stove.
Hubs and I are also vying for a hearthside spot to warm our tired muscles. I’d assumed I was in decent shape. My weekly running mileage is okay. But, deep powder is a quad burner. And the later, more chopped-up trails had my legs on fire hopping around van-sized moguls. Hooray for cross training. Finally.
Okay, NOW I’m ready for winter.

What a splendid end to a cold and crappy week.

Thanks for riding and running with me,
Astrid

The Rain Can Stay, The Humidity Has Got To Go

This is what a sunny day looks like. We do occasionally have them here in Vermont. We had the wettest June on record, with 15″ inches of rain.

Most mornings, we have a brief interlude of sun before the usual afternoon deluge. I’ve been working a ton, so the rain isn’t unbearable. I run most mornings, catching a little Vitamin D before work.
The trails are swamp like. Beautiful, but steamy and thick with mud and bugs. Aggie could care less about the messy trails. She simply wants to play. I could do well to take a lesson from her.
I’ve been struggling with hip/groin pain. It’s not a deal-breaker, but a serious nuisance. I’ve been run/ walking more than I want. So, I foam roll. Okay, I SHOULD foam roll. I do ice. That’s the easy part. But, wait, rest? Naaaah. I’m much nicer when I run.

Since my last post, I’ve done a twelve miler, two races and two respectable weeks of mileage. I’m so pleased with with all of it. The highlight was a five mile trail race Saturday I ran in 1:01:37. I took a full 14 minutes off my time from last year! It was a slippery mud fest. I’d
say half of the 150 racers took a spill in the slop. But, oh-what-fun! AND I was fast! Well, not fast, but fast for me! My friend’s kiddo calls me Fastrid. I accept. Better than the embarrassing Gastrid. Yes? Ha!

I missed you guys. What’s new in your running world?
Astrid

Checking In

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Old rope tow shack on my favorite trails.
Happy New Year!
I'm working on getting used to running in cold, bleak, January Vermont weather. Sorry '
bout the run-on sentence. I don't run in sub 20 degrees F yet. So….The upside is…CROSS TRAINING! I mean, it's suggested I use other musckles, right?

Night riding!
This is our super secret local riding spot. The old rope tow is my upper body toner. The amazing dump we received for Christmas/ Boxing Day is for working those leggies.

Me and hubby riding at Okemo.
J has finally made the switch from skiing to riding. And, I’m happy to report, he’s loving it! AND we’re still married (despite advice that someone other than his wife teach him). We’d been trying to get out on the hill together for the last three winters. Since I started running last year, my motivation to stay active has been pretty high. Hence, the frequent snowboarding this season. That, and the incredible snow conditions. Hooray! I so missed riding. It’s great to get reacquainted with my old love. My Tahoe years feel like my memories again, not some tall tale I substitute for my staid life.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. I love sharing my trail love with you.
Astrid