Running to Increase Physical Endurance on the Ski Hill

Running increases physical endurance. This increased endurance will benefit many aspects of your life by improving your ability to maintain activity and delay fatigue. Think of your favorite pastimes. From water-skiing and snow skiing to baking with the grandkids and hiking a mountain trail, your favorite hobbies will benefit from regular running. Fatigue is an enemy to us all. It can stop our fun or stop us in our tracks. Increased physical endurance gained through running will manifest itself in your ability to walk farther, play longer, and enjoy everyday activities more fully.

My favorite ski buddy!

I run to ski. I belong to a family of skiers and it appears that we will be skiing for a long time. The grandkids are embracing the sport and I want to be able to enjoy it with them for a long time.

When performed well, snow skiing appears effortless. It is not. While it requires strength in the lower body, skiing isn’t all about the legs. In fact, much of skiing is about endurance and a lot about technique. When I get tired my technique worsens. Fatigue brings on bad habits. Bad ski habits bring on danger and the opportunity for injury. (Read about one such experience HERE.) I have discovered that the more I run, the longer I can ski without fatigue. The longer I ski, the more I improve my technique and the less likely I am to experience an injury. The longer I can remain injury free, the longer I will be able to enjoy skiing with my grandchildren.

My skiing family!

Snow skiing is just one of my motivators for running to increase physical endurance. It's only one, but I think it's a pretty good reason. On days when it seems too difficult to lace up my shoes and get out the door, I can remind myself that I run to ski with my family and that may be all the motivation I need.

How has running helped you increase physical endurance? I would like to hear about it in the comments below.

Happy Running!
- Carol aka Running Granny Green
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A Lesson from the Ski Hill

I'm sharing this snow skiing story today from Milk Cans and Quilt Blocks. It's the season for skiing and it's always the season to learn a life lesson.  Enjoy!

Lucky Friday

An excerpt from Milk Cans and Quilt Blocks

I was only trying to show my niece and her daughters a good time at Bogus Basin Ski Resort.  The mountain I learned to ski upon.  The mountain we frequent a dozen times every year.  My Mountain!

Spring skiing is so great!  The weather is enjoyable.  Nobody cries to go indoors because they are freezing.  You can get a suntan.

Never mind there was a plane to catch.  Never mind there was a track meet to attend.  Never mind the snow was rapidly turning to slush.  It was Spring!  Spring skiing is so great!

Never mind I’m pushing fifty.  Never mind I decided to take an alternate route and six-year-old Shyan decided to go with me.  Never mind my cell phone was losing its charge.

Never mind I misjudged my location!  Never mind my brother-in-law is Director of Mountain Operations and would kill me if he had to send search and rescue!  Never mind, never mind, never mind!

But mind I did when I realized we had two choices.  We could take the path of least resistance and slide down into a gully that must come out somewhere.  I minded that I had seen others in that gully and I knew I didn’t want to be stuck in there.  Or … we could climb ever so slightly and come out on my favorite run.  Or so I thought!

Never mind my favorite run was two crests away!  Those crests were separated by ravines.

So up we climbed up … and down.  Then up … and down.  Shyan was beginning to show signs of panic.  This apparent from the ascent up the music scale and increase in volume of her cries of “Aunt Carol, where are we?” and “Aunt Carol, are we lost?”

“No Shyan, we aren’t lost.  We’re at Bogus Basin!”  That was all I was certain of – we were at Bogus Basin and Shyan had a plane to catch to visit her father in Seattle.  Oh, and I was also certain I didn’t know how I had led her to the place I had, nor how I would lead her out!  I hoped Shyan couldn’t hear the panic rising in my own voice.

When things seem really bad, they usually find a way to get just a little bit worse.  That’s how it was when I triggered a mini avalanche sliding fifteen feet down an extremely steep slope.  I had been attempting to lead Shyan to safety, coaxing her to sing “Do as I’m Doing, Follow, Follow Me!” an old Sunday School song, in an attempt to keep her panic at a manageable level. 

The effort required to climb while lugging six-foot-long skis and ski boots on my feet was beginning to exhaust me.  I was hot, so I opened the zipper to my jacket, removed my gloves and hat, and made a fruitless attempt to use my cell phone.  It probably would not have found a signal if the battery had been charged.  We shall never know. 

After my unfortunate slide, I could not see Shyan for she was positioned above me and behind a tree.  My legs began to tremble and I feared that I was exhausted.  Shyan was crying that her leg hurt.  I did not know if she was safe or injured.  I began to panic.  We were alone in an area other skiers were unlikely to venture and I had no way to signal our location.

I could not call for help, and yet I did.  I cried out loud, “Father!  Help me!”  There was no need to explain my predicament, for HE surely knew!  Calmness came over me and my thoughts were clear.  I knew what to do.  I removed my skis and used them much as one would a tree limb hanging over a river bank.  I jammed one into the side of the mountain and then the other pulling myself up and jamming the toes of my boots into the snow with each step – a little higher - slowly climbing to safety.  I slipped a time or two, but never so far back as I had begun and I continued to progress. 

When I arrived at the origination of my decent, I rested a moment, still unsure as to where we should go.  We were lost at Bogus Basin.  I continued to assure Shyan that we were inside Bogus and we couldn’t be lost because Uncle Steve would find us as long as we were still inside Bogus.  I dreaded the moment I faced Uncle Steve!

As I stepped into my skis – a monumental task considering the degree of my fatigue – Shyan pointed to a small rise and asked “Aunt Carol, can we go up there?”  There was a large outcropping of rock on a small knoll.  It looked as good a place as any.  I still had no idea how to get to the safety of the ski lift at the bottom of the hill.  Only one problem, it required a little more climbing!  The snow was very loose and the going precarious but we carefully made our way to the top of the knoll.  I stopped to rest.  My trembling legs welcomed the reprieve.

“Lucky Friday!”  Shyan shouted.

“Huh?”  I panted.  I think it was a Thursday.

“Lucky Friday!” she repeated.

I followed the direction of her outstretched arm and beheld a black ski run sign that read “Lucky Friday.”

“Aunt Carol, can we go there?”   This time she pleaded!

laughed, relieved that we were indeed still at Bogus Basin and we had actually discovered a marked run.  It was a run I dreaded because I knew its location, the black double diamond marker, and the condition of the snow combined to create a challenge I would not welcome even if my legs were fresh, but it was a marked run and it would eventually lead us to safety.

I could not keep up with Shyan as she sped as quickly as her short skis could carry her through the trees to where she knew her mother was surely waiting.  I picked my way through the maze stopping often to rest and make a very ugly, very novice-like turn to avoid a tree.

Much laughter ensued when we emerged from the trees at the bottom of the hill.  It was the nervous laughter of relief, followed by a few tears.  Uncle Steve was nowhere to be seen, for which I was extremely grateful.  The search and rescue had not yet been activated.  I would live!  My nephew, Nathan, Uncle Steve’s boy who grew up on the mountain asked, “Did you see Castle Greyskull?”  Castle Greyskull was the name he and his brother had dubbed the outcropping of rock that Shyan had determined we should follow. 

“Yeah, I guess we did.  And we came out on Lucky Friday!”  I added.

“Did you actually see the Lucky Friday marker?” he asked a little amazed.

“Yeah, we did,” I panted.  “I didn’t know there was a run called Lucky Friday.”

Nathan shook his head and quietly stated, “I’ve never seen the Lucky Friday marker.”

How often do events occur that prove both comical and very earthshaking at the same time?  The family had a lot of laughs about Aunt Carol getting Shyan lost at Bogus Basin.  It is a story that will be told for years amongst the skiing and non-skiing relatives alike.  What a joke!  Carol got lost at Bogus and Shyan had to find the way out!  Yes, we all make light of it.  But for me, it was sobering.  How quickly did I turn the wrong way when I felt certain I knew what I was doing?  How scared did I get before I turned to the only source that could help me?  And even after that, I continued to slip, never so far down as the first time, but it took increased effort and many attempts before I reached my goal.  And what of the child?  In the Book of Mormon it states, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”  (2 Nephi 21:6)  How often does one overlook the faith, optimism, and humility of youth?  I was fortunate.  On that “Lucky Friday,” or Thursday, I was reminded of several lessons, most especially to remember to exercise the humility of a child.

If you enjoyed this post, you can find more essays like it in Milk Cans and Quilt Blocks and Gold Pans and Irons Skillets, available in my Etsy shop and on Amazon.

Happy Running!

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Book Excerpt: Winter Survival

 

 

This one is for my family and friends in the east.  We've got blue skies and promises of spring here in the high desert of southwest Idaho, while many are still battling snow and freezing temps on the other side of the country.  This excerpt from Gold Pans and Iron Skillets is for you.

 

Winter Survival 

Winter survival is not a Boy Scout Merit Badge. It is a fact of life that long winters must be dealt with. There are a number of ways to do this ranging from hibernation to leaving the country. Neither of these options is very practical as one is not a bear, nor can the entire northern half of the country reside in Arizona. Suggestion? Don’t beat winter, enjoy it!

In the land of the Rocky Mountains in the winter there are two things a little girls needs—a pair of ice skates and a pair of snow boots. Oh, and quite possibly a couple of bread sacks to slip over her shoes enabling them to slide into her rubber snow boots. Those were the days!

Water does freeze and remain frozen long enough for outdoor ice skating entertainment. This can be done on a designated ice rink provided by flooding a vacant lot, or by skating on the frozen water remaining in the local irrigation canal, and sometimes on the street if the snow has been packed hard enough! First, one must don a coat, hat and mittens, then pull the bread sacks over her shoes, and stomp them into her snow boots. Then sling a pair of ice skates over her shoulder and brace to face the bitter cold outdoors.

If she is fortunate the trek to the ice rink will be short as her nostrils begin to stick together shortly after venturing outside. Upon reaching the rink she must locate a seat, usually a log or rock, on which to perch while removing her gloves, snow boots, bread sacks, and shoes. Then she must untie the knot joining her ice skate strings together. At this point she may need to pause to insert fingers into her mouth in order to thaw them enough to maintain dexterity. Inserting foot into ice skate, she then laces her skate and secures it with a bow. Again, she pauses for finger thawing then puts on the second skate. After skates are secured she quickly inserts her hands into mittens and puts her shoes and sacks into boots for safekeeping.

It is now time to enjoy the ice. Wobbling carefully onto the rink she soon finds herself caught up in the flow of skating traffic. So long as she remains upright and those around her do the same, she will continue to move in a counter clockwise direction, enjoying the glide of her skate blades across the ice. However, as with any forward moving traffic, there is inevitably a crash. It may be self inflicted or the result of another’s mishap, but the fall will come. If lucky, her feet will come out from under her and she will land on the padded most part of herself. Otherwise, her hands and knees will be the first to make contact with the ice, causing excruciating pain! She will pause to inspect the ice for indentations and cracks before returning to a standing position. When the joy has been had and she can no longer feel the pain of cold in her fingers and toes, it is time to return home. She must first remove her skates.

She removes her mittens as finger thawing must once again take place. It is not as effective as prior to skating for the girl is anxious to get home, and her fingers are much more frozen. Hopefully, she did not tie her skate strings too securely. She unlaces her skates and pries them from her frosty feet. Now, she must insert same feet into chilly shoes, bread sacks, and rubber boots. This process takes much longer than it did indoors prior to her skating venture. Her hands are cold. Her feet are cold. Her shoes, sacks, and boots are cold, thus refusing to slip easily into place. She attempts to tie her skate strings together, but aborts the effort as her fingers are now curled into a scratching claw-like position. She slowly pulls on her mittens, tucks an ice skate under each elbow, and trudges home.

Upon returning home the girl removes all of her outerwear and drops it conveniently just inside the front door where it warms and pools thawed ice all over the floor. Nose running, fingers stinging, and cheeks aflame, she heads immediately to the kitchen sink where someone has convinced her that running her fingers under cold water will warm them. When she can stand it no longer, she dries her hands, as best she can given the fact that they are not very cooperative, and proceeds to find some quiet indoor activity such as a nap.

Similar procedures (minus the skates) are required for snowman building, snow fort construction, and snowball fights. The outdoor gear must be donned and the thawing process occurs after the fun has been had.

What value this outdoor activity? Exercise, fresh air, sunshine, all of which are key to a healthy, happy existence. Esther swears that the winters she sent her children outside to play each day, they never experienced colds or flu. We justify our season ski passes as part of our overall health regimen. (Too bad the IRS doesn’t see it that way.) And it works. We are happier and healthier because we get out in it. Don’t ignore the cold. Don’t fight it. Embrace it. Experience it. Enjoy it. And send me the money saved on doctor visits.

 

Buy it here.

 

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Happy Running!

I'm still running ...

Boy!  Time slips by when you have a lot of projects underway!  It’s time for a Running Granny update.  Yes, I have been running, but I am in that lull between Cross Country season and Race Season.  Cold weather can be a deterrent, but that’s not my excuse.  I usually don more clothes and brave the cold.  It’s all the other distractions that make me struggle.  The Christmas season is always a distraction – busy, busy, busy!  I kept running, mostly out of fear that I would expand like a balloon what with all the reasons to celebrate with food!  I’ve been writing and editing and publishing.  Finally!  I took a little trip to the tropics.  You can get a brief overview with photos HERE.  While in Maui I found time for two runs.  I even used MapMyRun just to prove I was there.  We also managed to work in a nice hike to this waterfall.  Beautiful! 

Now I am back in the saddle again, as the old cowboy sang - still running, hoping to be skiing, marketing this new book, and gearing up to write the next one.  Readers of this blog might look forward to it.  I haven’t determined a title yet, but runners will be able to relate and I hope that non-runners will enjoy it, too.  I am hoping that it will inspire folks to push through pain a little more and learn from the uncomfortable experiences they have already endured.  I will keep you all posted on the progress. 

In the meantime, Happy Running!

I’m a runner and I know it!

More evidence that I am a runner came today.  I escaped for a couple days with my husband.  While he was in meetings learning how to better do his job, I had free time on my hands in Teton Village! I could have booked a pedicure.  We all know runners need pedicures! I could have shopped the shops or ordered breakfast in and scheduled some other kind of pampering at the spa.  I could have gone to Jackson Hole and spent the day in those shops or stayed in my room to read a book. But I am a runner, and so I ran three miles at 6300 feet!  Here is the evidence.  Those would be Teton Peaks in the background.

 

Proof

 
I need to work on selfies.  I forgot to smile!
It was a brisk morning and the elevation is a killer, but here are some of the things I would have missed had I chosen a different activity.

 

A glimpse of the Tetons in the fall. My early years were spent in view of these mountains and I still get a feeling of “belonging” when I see them.

 

Check out those ski runs!  It won’t be long before they are covered in snow, the lifts are running, and skiers are scattered about the mountain.  Did I mention that I am also a skier?

 

Look at those fall colors! 

Yes, I am a runner and I know it, not because I can run a six minute mile – I can’t. It’s because I run.  Whether I run because I am racing, staying sane, helping with a cross country team, or killing time, it matters not.  What matters is – I run. 

Do you run?  If so, then you are a runner, too.

 

What do you do that says, "I am  runner?"



Burley Spudman 2013 – A little older and a little faster!

Awesome Friend Paulee

I’ve told you about my awesome friend, Paulee.  She talked me in to joining her for a team effort in the Burley Spudman Triathlon last year.  It is a beast!  Paulee did the first two legs, swimming a mile in the Snake River and then biking 25 miles! She is also a beast!  I ran the last six miles.  We thought we were pretty cool last year when we won our age group – until we broke our trophies!  Read about it here.

Another year.  Another Spudman. Did I mention we are in the oldest team age group?  Sometimes you can get more competitive as you age because you move into an older group.  Ya, we don’t have that luxury to look forward to.  Fortunately, you don’t have to win to get a trophy. You just have to finish in the top three.  (We really wanted another trophy since both of ours are broken.) We knew the competition was going to be tough and kept telling each other that we were doing it for fun, to keep in shape for snow and water skiing, and we just needed to finish.

Some of our fans

Experience is invaluable.  Last year I was nervous for nearly two hours before it was necessary.  This year I knew I had more time to get prepared for the run and I stayed much more calm waiting for Paulee to return on the bike.  My tummy was happy about that.  Paulee’s swim was FAST and she really cut time on her swim to bike transition – opting to forgo socks and gloves this time.  The weather was cool.  It even rained a bit during the run.  I was equipped with my new light Pearl Izumi runners and I was able to manage my mid-run fuel better.  I ran my fastest 10K thus far!

 

Three must be our lucky number this year.  We cut three minutes off our time from last year and we placed 3^rd in our age group – good enough to get another coveted Spudman Trophy!

Unbroken Trophies

The best part?  That would be doing something I love with a friend I love.  That, and all the obnoxious bragging we do to our hubbies!

Obnoxious post-race selfie

I Run to Ski

Brundage Mountain.  Look at that powder!
 

I’ve mentioned before that I am running away from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, but there are other reasons why I run.
I run to ski.
Skiing isn’t all about the strength of the legs.  In fact, much of skiing is about endurance and a lot about technique.  When I get tired, my technique (which is not expert, anyway) goes out the window.  Fatigue brings on bad habits.  Wow, that’s another essay in itself!  More later on fatigue and bad habits…  Bad ski habits bring on danger and the opportunity for injury.  The more I run, the longer I ski without fatigue.  The longer I ski, the more I improve.  The more I improve, the happier my ski partner!  The happier my ski partner, the more I enjoy skiing.  And so on…

While my avoidance of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is a long term goal, I have more immediate motivators to keep my running.  Snow skiing is just one of them.  On days when it seems just too hard to lace up my shoes and get out the door, I can remind myself that the ski hill will be much more enjoyable if I just keep running.

What is your motivation? I would like to hear about it in the comments below.

Happy Running!