Training Log Archive: Ari-o

Lots of snow! Slept in, then stoked the fire, then shoveled the porch. Harvard had dug out my car (thanks) so I was able to pull right out on to a snowy 16 and up to Pinkham. Skinned up Tux and came down the Sherbie, quite nice in a foot of powder if getting a bit tracked out. No one else to play with (that I knew) and I passed a lot of people on the way out. Snowing pretty well, a tiny bit of SNPL near the bottom. No issues until I hit a snow hole in the Cutler River bridge at the bottom. Curse words were said. Knee seems okay.

In Pinkham (which someone declared "smelled righteous") there was a group taking an avy class with Mark Synnott and I listened in to a lot of advice (don't be stupid) and that they'd gone up to Gulf of Slides along with a lot of other people. Figured I'd check that out.

Well, everyone else had gone up in the morning. Apparently early in a storm the snow can be pretty stable. I wasn't going down any slide, though. Just to the top of the trail at the first slide, then back. Trail is narrower and steeper than the Sherbie, but I made it down in one piece.

Out for a long ski … half the distance of the Marcialonga (but hillier). Not a super-early start, so three hours was enough (and I hadn't brought snacks, and the snow started part way through so my wax wasn't as good).

Out Hall, over Maple, down Keeney (whee!) out Ellis to the north end, up North Hall, which had been groomed once and needed more snow; nothing showing but super bumpy, really only skiable counter-clockwise, then down Hall and home.

The top of Ellis is just about the grade of the Marcialonga. Really nice ski.

Run to get bike tube.

Decided not to go up for Friday Night Lights, just too much crazy, plus a cold OH is, well, cold.

Turns out someone was there Friday night and it would have been a warm OH!

More ice skating in the Public Garden. So very nice indeed.

Up with parents to WVV; they had a friend along and wanted somewhere you could stay warm, so Dublin was out. But someone else driving, so I could do work in the back seat (and not just check weather models).

Started in town with most of the north end groomed but the trail up was super scratchy with hardpack with a dusting on top; terrible for kick. So I strugglefested up to the North End which had been PB groomed and ooh, nice hard track. I wound up leaving my classic boots at home so kicked in the skate boots, which was suboptimal (the new Salomon classic boots are comfy) but great kick. Kicked all the way up Livermore, then down Beanbender, which hadn't been groomed today but was fun. Had to yell at a couple of walkers to get out of my way but I hope I impressed them with my 210cm classic ski skillz.

Then back up Lower Snows, also older track, and then down in a fast fun track and back in for lunch. Also someone else made lunch. Also tickets were 2-for-1 and my dad paid. Yay!

Afternoon ski was up the North End. Took my skis for the hardpack new skate lanes up Tripoli. Nice trip up, not too hard, then a fun trip down. Snow a little dirty from blowdowns but ready for The Storm, which Waterville is primed to get. Everything will be open for next week and some time thereafter.

Skating in the Public Garden. Just beautiful! Family fun times; took a bit to get my legs back under me but totally worth it.

Run mid-morning, because I was not feeling stairs (knees, congestion, stomach). Nice run. Also, people were skating on the pond in the Public Garden.

Warm up before race. Untransformed manmade, which wasn't bad at all! Guns still going around over Mount Weston, so just a 1k loop, and a bike race course (not really my type of course). Harder skis felt fast on the snow (and cold powder skis still have storage wax) and I varied poles and no poles before the race. Wasn't feeling great; gastro wasn't too happy today. Temperature dropped pretty good, too.

Exactly 1 km per lap, five laps. Went out in the second row, felt pretty good, but couldn't keep up with the front group. Combination of legs still tired from the weekend (I did ski 45k and 900m on Sunday, including some L3 at Oak Hill) and stomach. Fell back pretty hard laps 2-4, pulled it together on Lap 5, passed someone, and almost caught John. Would be nice to have a climb up Mount Weston to push.

Off day, and off to the orthopedist.

Her assessment: bursitis, no long-term issues, but stretch more. So, yay, more skiing! Apparently my body isn't trying to rip itself apart, it only feels that way a couple times a day for a couple seconds each.

Also apparently my x-rays show early signs of arthritis, but that's common for people over 30. Especially people who worked in the huts.

Entry 504 for Seven Sisters out of 600.

Apparently Amy puts on a heck of a race. #YayTeamGiggles!