I was waiting in the lift line yesterday, and this guy was getting exasperated at his wife, who had fallen down (on skis) and couldn’t get up. It was obvious to him how to get up, but not to her — and skiing and snowboarding is more than “just do it.” There’s learning, execution, and …. fitness.

One of the four corners of this blog is fitness. I started running 14 months ago, to get in shape in general as well as to get in shape for snowboarding. Being aerobically fit is a prerequisite for lots of sports, and it’s a big part of enjoying those sports, and I think snow sports especially. Getting tired while you’re out on the snow having fun just sucks.

14 months ago, I could run 200 yards before I ran out of breath. Over these months, I’ve realized that running faster will ‘empty’ out my breath faster, but fourteen months of running have also helped me finish 5k runs without stopping. At a slow pace, alright, but I’m still running a lot further.

My first time snowboarding this season was December 22nd, the Tuesday before Christmas. It was a tough day, since the run was really long (about mile), at altitude (compared to Houston!), and I’m still not that fit. I stopped about a dozen times that first run down the mountain, which was a combination of running out of breath, my feet hurting, my legs hurting, my ankles hurting…

Here in Mammoth, I’m making much longer runs. I’ve figured out how to tighten my boots so that they’re snug, but don’t crush my feet. I’m getting used to the altitude, improving my fitness more, and building up snowboarding muscles. I wish I had run more last year, but I’m still glad I got in as much as I did — nearly every day for the past six months.

I’m making good carved turns, but I still feel fatigued before I’m all the way down the mountain. Tired muscles, or out of breath? I think it’s a bit of both, plus I’m also fighting a cold. I see improvement, and getting better is awesome. It’s a tremendous motivator. Plus, snowboarding is fun as hell!

We’ve got big fluffy flakes falling right now, and tomorrow is gonna be sick. (See, I’m a snowboarder now, I gotta use the words “sick” and “stoked” as often as possible.) See ya on the slopes!