Training for Extremes: "Rocky Mountain High"

"If I am ever going to ski that, today is the day," I said to my brother-in-law Jim looking upward from where we were to the summit of the peak at Winter Park Ski Resort in Colorado. "Are you sure that it is a Blue?"

Now if you haven't downhill skied, you might not know the color code. Green runs are more gradual from very gentle slopes to slopes that will get you moving pretty good put don't have a lot of turns or bumps. Blue runs are definitely steeper and not for beginners and Black runs are definitely steep, often narrow with bumps and often turns. The color code also varies from area to area. For example the hills in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are longer and often steeper than those in Illinois so a Green run there might be a Blue run in Illinois. In Colorado everything jumps a notch and what is a Black in Illinois would be an easy Blue there. You don't even think about skiing a Black run in Colorado unless you want to end up being a decoration on a tree like the late Sonny Bono. Jim, answered, "I'm sure its a blue, but I don't know how tough?"

I have climbed over 40 mountains and never get over the thrill. Getting off the lift at the summit of the Winter Park peak was no disappointment either. Well above treeline at 12,000 feet, the view of the surrounding snow covered peaks in all directions was spectacular. It took every bit of skill that Jim and I could muster to ski the five miles down to the bottom of the mountain but even writing about it brings back the excitement. There is just something awesomely cool about being well above treeline cutting back and forth across the steep slope to keep control of the speed. The run was within my ability but I did things that I hadn't had to before such as skiing in and out of some good sized bumps and ridges in the snow (small moguls) and skiing solid for over a half hour. It was the most exciting and best-ever ski run of my life and I never could have done it had I not trained for extremes.

Now I am admitted "gym rat," and I love all the activities there but the reality is that I have different goals in mind. While it might look like I am "training to extreme," I am actually "training for extremes." There is Illinois fit and there is Colorado fit and these are definitely not the same. The demands of the activities that I have enjoyed in Colorado have required all the strength, agility and endurance that I can muster. Breathing at altitude a major issue there because my body hasn't had enough time to develop the red blood cells it needs. It often takes up to week to deal with this issue and generally up to a year to do it effectively. You really can't fool mother nature.

Now I am a true winter bear, or I guess I should say "snow dog," because this is my favorite season, especially in Colorado. In six days I cross-country skied three times, downhill skied, snowshoed to a high mountain lake, mountain biked to the top of a mesa and ice skated. I thought about how specific activities at the YMCA helped me. For example after skate-skiing up a half-mile mountain slope I went into a racers tuck and held it all the way back down hitting 23 mph. I couldn't do that without all the squats that I have done in Power Hour and Kickboxing. Endurance is always an issue in the thin air, but I managed to climb over 800 feet on my mountain bike although admittedly I did have to get off one an a while on the extremely steep parts. I don't know what made my heart go faster however, climbing or heading nose down a rocky trail that encircled the mountain with some major drop offs. Most of these activities involved a high degree of balance which is worked on in Yoga and other classes.

I have done some wonderful activities in Colorado and as usual, can't wait to return not only for the fun but to see my sister and her husband, and my niece and nephew and their families. I never know what to expect and the range of activities can be from gentle hiking to an insane 90 foot frozen waterfall that we ice climbed. It is always an adventure, but thanks to my Y training I feel that I am as ready as I can be for these. After all, I am training for extreme fun. 

Beginning Adult Exercise: Oops, I should have done this first!

The beginning adult exercise class taught by Kay meets right before lunch and is truly an introduction to many of the other activities available at the YMCA. Kay has taught about everything there during her career so she knows how to take activities from some of the more intensive exercise classes and tone them down just a degree for this class. Not that you don't get a workout however since I worked up a sweat doing the kickboxing routines that she introduced. I had attended a couple of kickboxing classes because of the carryover to my favorite sport of cross-country skiing but had some mistakes in technique. Because the pace of this class is somewhat slower, and because there are less participants, Kay was able to see these errors and correct them. This will make for a better and more effective workout the next time I am in the regular kickboxing class. Kay noted that she does the same thing for Zumba, introducing the moves at a pace that beginners can understand. All in all, this is a good class if you are beginning an exercise program and want to know what activities at the YMCA are available and also, if you are like me and love variety.