Thursday, August 28, 2008

Video: Day 2 of Slalom Training!

Learning to hit the gates, stay open to the hill, keep the outside ski weighted. The difference between this day and the next is INCREDIBLE! Dave gave such specific pinpoint feedback and a plan to get there!!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Reilly made the Australian Demo Team!


Reilly McGlashan, the superhero of Aspen Fashion and the dude that taught me how to do Short Turns made the Aussie Demo Team last weekend! WAY TO GO, REILLY!!!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Stay here in Bozeman or missoula!

What an awesome place! We stopped in missoula and stayed at the Cmon inn and it was terrific!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Bozeman bound.

Good bye mt hood! Today i did something on my skis i have never done before!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

First day of Slalom practice!


Some of these pics are from today, but here is my post from yesterday. Video from today coming soon!!

WOW. Running gates is REALLY REALLY FUN. I was concerned about how to hit the gate, just in case I made a good enough turn that brought me close to it. We went through it in theory, but standing at the top of the course, I was thinking, how can I think about tactics (where the line should be) and technique (how round the turn should be, how hard I push on the ski, re-distributing my weight to the outside ski, the path my body takes across the platform, leveling my shoulders, hands in front, etc) while I am skiing at these freakin' plastic poles??

I hit the first one (and I was wearing my spring gloves) and then I thought... ow. (because I don't have my pole guards on yet for technical reasons, and because I didn't think I was going to hit any gates today). So I changed gloves to the thicker, more padded POC gloves, and they worked out just fine.

In my second run, I hit all the gates on my turn to the left (where I am right foot dominant), but couldn't figure out what my body was doing on my turns to the right. I felt like I should be cross blocking, but my body wasn't far enough inside the gates to allow it just yet. My dyslexia popped up and said hello while I was trying to figure out how to mirror what I was doing on the right side of the course to the left side of the course, and I stood there scratching my head for a while.

Joe, and Frank, two of the other campers, talked me through it on the lift, and my next run was better. Dave was having me focus on making a good turn, and Joe suggested that because I was well padded (THANK GOD!!) I could take the gate whereever it came up, and not worry about it too much.

I decided he was probably right and the next run was better. Dave's coaching is fantastic, on the spot, succinct, and then he gives you time to work on it until you have some understanding. I am STILL too square to my skis, especially when the course got rutted, I was more apt to point my skis to the bottom of the rut, but then have my body follow my skis around, rather than driving them out away from my body and trusting my judgement in the rut with my body inside the gate and more down the hill.

I ran the course again at one after they'd pulled the gates, and was able to ski the ruts well with no gates in them.

I had three mini wrecks today, and thanks to the body armor jacket, I felt fine, even though I fell on the shoulder that I've seperated a couple of times. After my first crash, a pole to the head, and bashing a bunch of gates, I felt much more confident. Dave shot video today, and we got SOME stills from an action photographer, so I should have some video to put up tomorrow night.

My understanding is growing, my trust of my feet is growing, my ability to get forward is growing!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!

To see more pics, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katehowe/

Greetings from mt hood!

Day three of Slalom training!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Skier's Edge workout at Fuxi's, and more














Sorry for the mobile only posts so far, my computer is limping along and sometimes won't stay on long enough for me to type! While its been raining buckets pretty much non stop since we got here, the experience of being at camp has been terrific. (and a quick warning: this is going to be a little rambliy, I'm gonna catch us up as fast as I can!!)

The first day we were supposed to ski, we went up to the Timberline base area and waited for about 2 hours, during which time we got a lot of stretching done, and i got to visit with Tammi, Dave's wife, and get to know her and the other campers a little better.

When we got back to the hotel, we watched a ski movie and talked a bit about efficient movement patterns.

Stacey Gerrish stayed for a couple of extra days and we got to visit, which was SO nice! That afternoon, Tammi, her 13 year old wunderkid Carson, Stacey and I went for a hike on one of the many beautiful trails around Government Camp, and, as women do when they hike, we got to chatting, which was terrific.

There is a great hot tub here at the Mt. Hood Inn, so the boys and I took a soak in the afternoon.

The next day, we got on the hill at about nine, (we were on a fog hold), and we started the day with traverses, stance issues, and patience turns. Dave touched on a bunch of things in the couple hours we had on the hill that had taken me a week to learn at academy;

Inside shoulder points at the outside ski tip, line of the femur points at the toe piece of the binding, the first move is along the length of the ski, or forward and across your platform in the direction of the new turn, schooling the hands, inside hand is up and forward, upper body is quiet, legs turn under the body...

My new skis, the Elan Race SLX were incredible, as expected. I've never been on this particular ski before, I clicked in, took one turn, and instantly knew what the ski wanted and trusted it completely. Scott sent them to me with a beautiful tune on them (WOW, thanks for that!!!!), and in the three turns I made on my way to the mid station chair, I was covered head to toe with the beautiful potential of these skis. I was NOT disappointed. I told Stacey on the chair that in Elans, I feel like I just have really big feet. I don't feel like I'm standing on something that I have to figure out, it's not an argument between me and my skis, they seem to be an extension of the soles of my feet, and the tinyest movement is transmitted beautifully to them.

Stacey and I ripped up our warm up runs, and it felt SO good to be back on firmer snow after months in the slop, and I was very pleased to see that all that slush skiing and avi debris skiing Angela and Kurt and I have been doing has translated into a lot more touch and sensitivity to the appropriate turn shape and angle depth in my skiing. I feel again like I have come to a place where I can BEGIN to learn what I'm doing.

We shot some video and that afternoon we watched it... WOW. I have never ever seen myself ski like that. Actually, I have never seen footage of myself after the end of March when i was prepping for the exam, so it was terrific to see. The issues I was having in my 3 seem to be consistently schooled out, my pelvis is leveleing and the inside hip is working to stay forward. I am still getting dumped, but not as severely as before. The issue now seems to be that I am too square to my ski in medium turns, and I am eager to get back on the snow to work that out of my skiing so I can stay forward.

Yesterday we got rained out again, and today AGAIN, (that's 3 out of 4 days! totally unusual for Mt. Hood in August), but we've been doing tech talks, tactics, and today we worked out on the skier's edge machine at Fuxi's shop.

I met the Fuxinator last year at the progression session briefly, but didn't really get to spend any time with him. This year, because of all the rain, we've had a chance to visit and talk a bit, and I have to say, this is an amazing person. The passion, energy, and excitement that Fuxi has in his day to day life is intense and incredible. He certainly made himself into what he is through hard work and dedication, but the genuine guy is right there in front of you. He's happy to take the time to talk, to share, to sell you some socks, and to ask about you, your life and ambitions. He's a blast.

If you consider coming to camp, and you don't have gear, or don't understand what you need, he can set you up from top to bottom and everything in between, and he takes very good care of his customers and campers, we've ended up with all kinds of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and Fuxi Swag which is lovely!

Dave and Tammi are staying positive, and coming up with all kinds of creative suggestions to keep the campers happy, from tech talks to an idea to go ice skating, to going to the movies in Gersham all together.

By the way, when we were down in Gersham yesterday, the boys and safta and I went to Michaels and got some craft supplies, then hung out in Border's Cafe all afternoon building it, Borders was lovely to let us stay and make a mess, I got some shopping done at a great sport shop in town, Hillcrest Sports, where they had everything from wakeboarding to running to skiing stuff. The selection of clothes was awesome, super cute sports tops, running shorts... if you are in the neighborhood, it is definately worth a trip!

It looks like the next three days will be sunny and warm, and we will be in the gates, on the hill from open to close to make up for lost days. Speed suit and armor, here I come!

This afternoon, a couple of kids came into Fuxi's shop while we were doing the Skier's Edge workout, and Fuxi asked them to give us the best tips they had gotten in coaching (they are all top in their age group and heading for greatness on the world cup.) Here is what their advice was:

"On race day, let go and race, your training is what it is, so just go for it." (Hey, this sounds like I brought what I got!) - Cooper Cartmill

"Stay focused - all the time" Noah from Alaska

"Be willing to crash. You have to be willing to go down, to find the edge and ski there. The fastest guys are always willing to take the crash." - Cody Unicom

and from their coach, Tom: "Chase your dreams and never give up. If you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always gotten."

Thanks for the inspiration, guys! With that in mind, I am going to stop worrying about putting on the armor, and just be grateful that I have it, so that I can go out there and be willing to go down hard. I want to learn how to ski.

Cool new websites to check out: www.WCSN.com, bcalpine.com, v1sports.com

So it rains in oregon.

Rained out again! Poor dave, this is incredible! We are going to go ice skating!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Rained out today.

Today's training will be eating donuts at the Huckleberry Inn! rained out no skiing.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Proud to play for POC!

my gear came tonight! it is so exquisite, and my mom is much happier now that she has seen the armor! much to , post more tomorrow !

Monday, August 18, 2008

Day one

Greetings from the mt hood inn hot tub! No skiing today, lightening on the hill.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

All tucked in at the Mt. Hood Inn


Wow, That turned out to be more epic than any of us expected! We left at 8, expecting the kids to fall asleep, drive till 3, find a hotel, and start again around 9. But, as you can see, EVERY hotel from Misoula to Portland was SOLD OUT. I'm not kidding. There was one room in Spokane for $189. But obviously, that's a bit above our budget! We drove through the night, ending up in Hood River 12 hours later.

I stopped at Jeremy's house and picked up my skis, and if I were, you know, cool at all, I'd be like, ya, so I have my skis. But I'm a big geek, so lets be real: HOLY CRAP THEY ARE AWESOME!

We killed time in Government Camp until Bob Olsen at Alpine Racing Center got in, and then he mounted them up for me in about ten seconds flat. We had a great (short) chat, because, honestly, I'm not firing on all cylanders right now, being really sleepy, and the boys decided to get locked in the stairwell while I was across the street, but it was great to meet him, I learned a couple of tricks (put your ski strap on right side up so they can read your sponsor's name while you are on the podium...) and then we made the five trips up the stairs with all our gear and moved in.

The Mt. Hood Inn seems like a great fit, with a good discount for the Fuxi camp, a nice big room that backs up to a running creek, fridge, microwave, dvd player, free WiFi, a hot tub and free breakfast in the morning. OH, there are also ski lockers and access to a TUNING ROOM! Which is exciting. I may be stalking Mr. Olsen a bit for more ski tuning lessons...

I'm excited to be here, pscyhed to get on the snow, a little worried about the POC gear, which hasn't got here yet, but I don't think I'll be running into gates tomorrow morning yet... and grateful that the boys let me take a 2 hour nap this afternoon while they watched the Olympics and worked on their Legos.

My mom comes in at 7:15 tonight, and we have a camp meeting at 8, so... looking for a babysitter as the boys are kind of psychotically tired... but I think the drama is behind us and good things are ahead!

Thanks again, Bob!

OOH... Bonus pics... my sister found these on line from Vlad at Academy this year! I finally learned how to do a tip stand!! YAY!

Finally!

there it is!

Hood River: NOT a sucky place to live!

Jeremy, you RULE! And scott, Thank you so much! picked up my skis, safe and sound, driving up the hill now!

Huzzah to coffee!

Only 40 miles from hood river. Ethan is a total road warrior! My little man! Good stretch to a long night, Yay for coffee!

No sleep for the weary!

No hotels from Misoula To portland. On to hood. Three hours.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Friday, August 15, 2008

Wherein 2 kids, a mom and a grandma go to race camp...


WOW, there's a lot of details when its more than just me going! I just got off the phone with Sean Derris, the ski school director at Mt. Hood, and I'm so excited that he's going to help show me around the mountain and tell me about their family race camps. Apparently they have a new rock climbing wall, which I am sure the boys will love. Thanks, Timberline, for putting us up, we're looking forward to seeing what its all about!! Check out their website, the place is beautiful, the building is incredible, and BONUS POINTS, its where they filmed The Shining!!

NOW, all the details... my skis arrived in Hood ahead of schedule, but aren't mounted, so we'll have to try and figure that out on Sunday, Stacey said she'd teach me how to get dressed, although I think on Monday I'll probably just wear my regular ski clothes with some armor underneath (I'm gonna work up to wearing the speed suit, although my friend Steven said I'm a good enough skier that it'll help if I wear it... but Kurt is of the opinion that if I am skiing in a wedge and skidding my turns, better turns will help more than a spiffy speed suit... ha ha ha)...

Ben is loaning me shin guards and steering me around Hood virtually from Colorado, Jeremy Riss let me get my junk shipped to his house, in Hood... Mom flies in on Sunday in Portland, Chris Jones is trying to get up there for a day of skiing at some point in the week, if he can quit base jumping long enough to find his skis...

We have a place to stay Sun - Thurs, but still need to find cheap-o lodging for Thurs - Sun... Ben isn't going to camp after all, so the price of gas just doubled... but mom is coming, so babysitting is deleted as an expense...

Its still super duper tight financially (I think I'm about $375 behind my budget already), but we'll keep working on it... The truck is at Firestone getting serviced so we MAKE it to Hood, Hastings was kind enough to delete all our late movie fees without even asking, and let us rent like 13 power rangers movies for the drive...

On my way to tune Ethan and Bodhi's skis just in case they can get on snow, and grab their climbing gear, bikes... holy cow. Stay tuned, its gonna be an adventure!!

Dreams do come true!


Well, its been a heck of a roller coaster this week! Some things fell beautifully into place, others had to be wrestled into place. A few days ago, I thought, you know, I am really forcing this. I am pushing too hard.

Bodhi is exhibiting some separation anxiety for the first time, and this trip is right on the tail of the last one. As much as I want to succeed in skiing and take every single opportunity that I can, I don't want to do it at the expense of my kids relationship with me or mine with them! We are in this together, and they need to feel loved, valued, and involved.

Erin at POC pulled of the incredible and shipped a box of gear to Mt. Hood in the middle of an insane and super busy week, Scott and Matt at Elan made the skis happen in the last moment, the skis are in Hood as well. Amanda donated gas money. PSIA hired me to write an article on my experience at camp, helping defray costs further.

But, I felt like I was not listening to the universe, like I was pushing and pushing without hearing, and something was saying, chill out, stop taking. Stop asking for so much. Be grateful for all the amazing help you've gotten so far, and if this doesn't happen, its not the end of the world.

So, I let go a little. I still hoped that there would be some way that I could go... there are not a ton of people in the camp, so a week of practically private instruction from Dave Lyon and Deb Armstrong was VERY alluring, and I am so itchy to ski ski ski... but at what expense? What relationships might I be damaging by pushing so hard to get what I want? Time to listen, Kate. Time to let go.

And suddenly, an amazing thing happened. My mom. She is going to fly to Portland and meet me at Mt. Hood. I am going to bring my kids with me. Camp finishes at 1 every day, so we will have the afternoons to hike, play in the pool, go down to the river, ride bikes, and just be. We haven't seen my mom in almost a year, and she's been through a really rough time recently, so it will be an amazing reunion/vacation.

Suddenly, I'm not scraping by, worrying about babysitting (lucky me, mom is free), camping in my car and eating granola alone, wondering if I've done the right thing. Suddenly, my family is part of helping me achieve a goal, while having a good time themselves.

On a personal note, after we got this all squared away, it occurred to me that something very special is happening here. While I was involved in figure skating, my mom was not. Its a long story why, but the long and short of it is, I always missed her, looking at the skating parents sitting along the side, sewing the kids dresses, putting them back on the ice when they crashed over and over again trying to land a new jump.

I knew that that wasn't possible for me, and I accepted it that my path in skating was going to be alone. But I always wished inside that it would be different, that it could have been different. In my adult life, I read a quote by Anne Lammot which helped ease that want: "Forgiveness is giving up hope of ever having had a better childhood." In other words, no matter how much you wish today that things HAD been different when you were young, you can't change the past. And when you let go of that and focus on the gifts you have right now, healing is possible.

And suddenly I find myself in a place where my mom and I are comfortably working together so the kids are in a good place, I can train, and she can be a supportive presence. It feels almost, secretly, like a little bit of bliss. There are blessings in my life!

HERE are all the people that helped little ole me get to race camp this year: THANK YOU, Erin, Jarka, Scott, Andy, Ben, Jeremy, Kurt, Stacey, Amanda S., Amanda F., Tom, Mom, Beth, Bo at RaceWerks, and the Timberine Lodge. YOU GUYS ROCK!

It takes a village to teach Kate to ski...

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Dream BIG!

Shoot for the stars and you just might hit the moon... there's lots of these out there. And there is a reason for that.

The steep M trail in Bozeman used to be a bit of a nemesis for me. Its so very steep that sections of it are hard to hike up without slipping back down. Its long, and the higher up you go, the steeper it gets. This is why its great great great to train on.

When I was first hiking this trail this year, it was all I could do to focus on getting up to the M once. The trail continues all the way up another 2/3 the distance to the ridge, only steeper!

I was determined to get my fitness to a place where I could hike happily to the ridge. This was my summer goal. In order to push my way through it, I started making little milestones... Okay, I made it to the little rocky shelf. Whew!

Wow, I now made it to where the trails merge... then to the only flat spot on the trail... here's that tree I can pull on... and then, finally, the ridge.

It took weeks for me to stop pussing out at certain spots on the trail, and while I was trying to make myself get to the top, I kept telling myself, okay, you have to hike at LEAST 10 feet past your high point from the LAST time we tried this.

My ideas about how to suck it up and get to the top changed dramatically after Ben Roberts sent me the book Annapurna, and I really realized what it would be like to look across a whole range of mountains, trying to route find through them, rather than seeing them as obstacles in my way.

I decided to focus on the first peak as a destination, rather than the ridge. When I moved that goal to a loftier goal, I noticed that the little plateaus started falling away. I hiked right past the M and the first outcropping of rocks without even noticing.

When I moved my goal to the second peak, I didn't notice the little stopping places at all!

When I moved my goal to the top of Mt. Baldy, gaining the ridge became easy...

I think its hugely important to dream big, or, to not put a cap on your dreams. When you put a limit on what you think you might achieve, you not only make your journey to that close goal more difficult, you may just be selling yourself short on what you can truly accomplish.

So, of course, being Kate, I like to think not shoot for the stars, but shoot for an entire alien galaxy, because even if you don't get there, you might go somewhere you never even knew existed!!

We are getting there!

Thanks, Mom!! Its always awesome when your very own mom is willing to help you out... she can bridge the gap so I can get to Hood, but we need to make the gap as tiny as possible! Oh, oh OH, I think I'm gonna go!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Thank YOU!

WOW, we are on our way! Thanks, Amanda, for the donation to my training fund! I appreciate it so much! I am so looking forward to writing a great, funny article about getting my ass handed to me on a platter at race camp.

With Amanda's donation and being hired to write the article, we are getting there...

If YOU'd like to help: book an excellent massage by emailing me at katehowe@mac.com, shop at the HardHead store, (I get $5 for every t-shirt sold!) or scroll down on the right hand side, and donate to the training fund!

Thanks ALSO to my very awesome sister, Beth, who set me up in a MUCH better situation for massage therapy, so in the future, I'll need FEWER donations, because I can now travel to YOU with my MOST EXCELLENT massage table with beautiful, fluffy table warmer.

Thank you to the people in my life who help me bridge the gap to financial independence!! I'm looking so forward to the next year and all the promise it holds.

xoxo
kate

Race Camp Obsession. There's a reason.

I have four days to come up with two grand to get to the last session of Dave Lyon's race camp. POC has been COOL enough to send me the gear I need to do the camp. Elan is sending appropriate skis. I proposed an article for the new 32 Degrees magazine, and they are psyched, I'm writing it for the winter issue, all about a Newbie getting schooled at Race Camp.

Its a race to the tax refund. If it gets here in time, and we reach an agreement, I may be able to use some of it to get to camp, and have the balance paid for by the article I'm writing. I'm planing to camp in my truck and eat granola all week, as usual, so the food won't be too bad. I think I have a guy to split gas with to get there.

WHY am I so totally obsessed with getting to race camp? Because I'm Kate, and I get rabidly obsessed with things that seem like a good idea. I can't get it out of my head. I dream of it at night. I think about it all day long.

When I was in Jackson Hole earlier this year, I watched the movie Steep for the first time. Watching NOTHING but steep skiing for a couple of hours, and then going to bed and dreaming about it all night, when I woke up the next morning, I had a different perception of skiing. Of steep skiing in particular.

We went out skiing that day, and had a foot and a half of powder, and from my VERY FIRST turn, I knew something was different. I was understanding what I was doing in a totally different way, and my body was acting by itself, accurately, effortlessly. I was able to reach and allow speed... anyhow, it was an incredible thing to ski one way one day, and completely differently the next.

Last week, Ethan asked me what Race Camp was about, so we got online and I brought up some World Cup Skiing on YouTube. As the video started, I suddenly had that same experience. I watched the skiers feet move across the slope, and I understood what their skis were doing in a way that I never have before. I could see the energy line coming out of the ski, where the line would extend and how it would be drawn down the course, and then watch the skiers follow that line.

I could understand visually where they were beginning to release the ski, and how it would send them early arcing back to the gate. I felt in my body an understanding of what I was watching with my eyes.

And I haven't been on my skis since.

So aside from the fact that I super duper miss skiing right now, and the fact that I'd love LOVE to ski with Mike Rogan again, and the fact that Deb Armstrong's tips from our race clinic at Academy are in my head all the time "a baby amount of pressure" and "keep the energy headed straight down the hill as you hit the apex of the turn" and "shoulder to tip of opposite ski", and the fact that I've never actually SKIED with Dave Lyon...

Let's see there's also the thought that a week of skiing at Hood last summer changed my skiing EXPONENTIALLY (I still thank Ben Roberts for putting that together and saying "Don't wait to get the job of being on the team to do the job that you want to do. Start doing that job now."), the fact that my day in the gates with Ellen Post Foster and Steve Nyman was MIND BLOWING, and that I'm ITCHING to learn more about following that flowing line down through the gates...

I mostly want to go because I can't wait to learn to ski better.

So cross your fingers, we are getting down to the wire!!

Any Excuse to Quit: Or, Assume the Position of Someone Who is Excited to do This!

We've all been there, even on a day when we feel psyched to go play. I woke up on Saturday morning, and the VERY first thought I had was... I could just NOT go for a hike, and instead stay home and make pancakes.

And I actually DID lay back down for about a minute. And then I thought, this is ridiculous. Yes, you didn't sleep much last night, but COME ON! You'll be psyched once you start. Then I pictured myself hiking in the hot sun, and that just seemed like hard work, so I immediately took back THAT awful visual and replaced it with getting my coffee first. Ahhh, that will be nice.

Out the door I go. I drove to my FAVORITE coffee in the WORLD so far, The Daily Coffee on the corner of Oak and Rousse. I got my latte, an incredible vegi burrito for the top of the mtn, and a raspberry coconut scone of DOOM. I felt happy.

I started driving towards the M, and for some reason in my mind, I was picturing loving the drive through Bridger Canyon, savoring my coffee. Maybe its because I spend almost my entire Bridger Bowl paycheck during the ski season getting coffee at the daily EVERY morning, and then savoring it while watching the Alpen Glo.

So I was SURPRISED when I remembered that the M was right there, I didn't get to go through the canyon after all. I wasn't READY to hike! I was thinking I had like 20 more minutes of wake up time! Maybe I won't go after all.

Well THAT's insane. But the thought was there. Then, OH JOY! There are cars everywhere, all down the road, and the M lot is packed. I pulled up and hopped out. I walked up to a race volunteer. "Is the Ridge Run today?" I asked. Yup. "So its probably not a good idea for me to go hike up to Baldy and be swimming up stream, huh?" I asked, hopefully.

"Oh, no! They'd probably love it! That's great! Have a good hike!".

Crap. So much for that, now I HAVE to go. Here is the insane part: I like hiking! I was happy to go!

I schlepped back to my car, and just started putting my gear on. Assume the position of someone who is excited to go for a hike this morning. Put your gear on in a happy, energetic way. Put on your iPod. Lets DO THIS.

I asked the volunteers if they needed anything trucked up to Baldy, and hit the trail. Of course, immediately I felt better. The second I started walking. And then my phone rang, and sometimes, if its a friend, or a client, I'll answer even if I'm hiking... so I did. And I hiked right past all the places that I usually complain in my head, because I was chatting on the phone. Okay, I know its gross to talk on your phone while you are hiking, but HEY, at least I was HIKING!

I got to the ridge in record time for me: 40 minutes flat, feeling good, strong and happy.

You never ever know which days will be days full of energy. I have found that constantly coaching yourself into a place where you keep asking yourself for more, for positivity, to reexamine the way you are feeling, to make a different choice, to give yourself a chance opens doors that would otherwise be BOLTED shut.

Assume the position. Assume the position of someone who knows how to ski! Assume the position of someone who is confident. Your body language can help inspire your own true feelings to follow. I'm not suggesting you lie or pretend, I'm suggesting you put your body in a posture of success, and open your heart to the possibility that you might succeed, and boy, that might feel really good!!

Everything I've Learned So Far... Bike Shorts


Taught to me by my bike, two days ago:

Well padded bike shorts are an essential piece of equipment. 'Nuf said.