I'm moving

I am moving my blog over to my new webpage. Please point your browsers here from now on:

http://web.mac.com/sonjawieck/iWeb/Sonja%27s%20Outdoor%20World/Blog/Blog.html

Not all old posts are moved over yet, but some are. I will be blogging here starting today! Thanks for your patience while I make the switch.

:) Sonja

Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Championship Results

We just returned from a GLORIOUS weekend up in the mountains. We left Friday night (after a gracious friend took Arwen at the last minute) and headed up to Winter Park where our friends Chris and Taylor had reserved a condo for the 5 of us. We had a great night with them, chatting and catching up. Saturday morning we made our way to Winter Park Ski Resort which was a 2 minute bus ride from the condo. I skied in the morning while Troy stayed with Annie and then I met him at 1pm and we swapped. I picked everyone up in the car at the end of the day. Everyone had fun skiing, it snowed the entire day and the conditions were FABULOUS! The bumps were soft and we did some awesome runs off the top and through some dense trees. The snow was powder, and fluffy, and just lovely! That evening we had lasagna, garlic bread and a salad, prepared by yours truly. The boys all seemed to enjoy the food. Annie was an absolute RIOT that evening. I knew she was outgoing, but it was a hoot. She played with Chris and Taylor without even acknowledging us for about an hour. She would sit on their laps, bounce on their tummies, laugh, giggle, roll around, bounce on the couch, and act generally silly, all pretending we didn't exist! She went to bed like clockwork and slept very peacefully. After getting her to bed I had several glasses of wine, a mimosa, and hit the hot tub! Ahhhh!

Sunday morning we checked out of the condo and drove over to Beaver Creek Ski Resort for the third race in the Beaver Creek Adventure Series, called the Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Championships. This is the largest snowshoe race in the world. They have a heavily competitive 10K, and a "more on the fun side" 5K. The 10Kers race for $$$, the 5Kers, for goodies! My very good friend Amy had taken the plunge and signed up for the race. This was to be her first race EVER, in any discipline. What a rock star! We met up with her at the free parking, and Troy dropped us off at the lifts. Troy went to check into our hotel in Avon, while Amy and I took two lifts up to the top of the mountain where the race was. The previous two races started at the bottom of the mountain, and therefore Troy could participate, or spectate. But the last two races are at the top of the lift and infants are not allowed on the lifts, so Troy and Annie must kill time until we are finished racing. We got dressed to race, took a small warm up, and stood around to let the nerves swell! Amy was nervous, and that made me even more nervous, but I tried to stay upbeat! The race was off! Swells of people with snowshoes all instantly on the move. The start was uphill, and not a very nice uphill. Quickly the pack broke into small groups as we trudged upwards. Somewhere between 0.5 and 0.75 miles the 10Kers took a left up some huge nasty hill while we 5Kers got to continue on a modest hill. I remember feeling tired and wondering early in the race if I was having an off day. I looked ahead of me, I could see 3 women and I thought to myself, what if those 3 are in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. How would you feel knowing you could get them now. I sped up. We passed the 1 mile marker (15 minutes...huh). I passed a girl, she passed me back. We took a dip into a deep powder section. The powder was knee deep, not runable (not a word, I know), dang. The girl ahead gained distance on me, I gained distance on her. The 10Kers joined us again. There was a 2 mile marker (apparently for them, not for us, b/c later we passed another 2 mile marker). A water stop, I passed it without water. We dipped into more powder. I had a fast 10K lady on my heals. One step before the end of the powder section I tripped on my snowshoe and fell on my face. We both had a strong laugh about that. "You almost made it" Hahaha. More hills, bye bye 10Kers, they turned off to more hills. The real two mile marker (30 minutes), and another powder section, this time hip deep. I got stuck several times, so stuck I had to yank at my leg several times to free it. Women were told to run through the powder on the right side of the flags, men on the left, I complied (apparently the winner of the 10K did not, but they let her keep her title...hum...interesting). Out of the powder and more rolling hills, I now loose the girl in front of me to the fog, she's there, she isn't. She's far ahead, I'm all alone. Slowing down. I catch a glimpse behind me on a turn...girls behind me...close behind. I go, I go hard. Don't want to get passed...no! It works, girl in front of me gets closer. I hear the announcer, the end is close. Time to haul. I pick it up, I dial in the form. I finish. I look around, not many women. I count 3. I get in the tent for snacks and see another 2. 6th, could I be 6th? Sure enough. 6th it is. Time of 47:08 for a 5K (although, this "felt" longer than 5K). I'm high...ooh, but now getting cold, very cold. I change clothes quickly and walk back along the course to cheer for others and watch for Amy. Sure enough, there she comes, looking strong as ever, and awesome as ever. You would never know it was her first race. I watch her run to the finish, so proud of what she overcame, and what she now knows is possible.

Ahhh, the sweet taste of being done and knowing you did well...ahhh.

We ride the lift down, meet up with Troy, and grab the provided lunch. I win a pair of Atlas kids snowshoes in the raffle and we head off to have a few celebratory drinks...thanks Amy!! Awesome race!

CO Mountain Mama Photos

Here are a few photos from our Mountain Mama Snowshoe hike yesterday. We had a great day getting out with the babies on our backs. The weather was nice, the kidos were warm and happy!

Annabelle at the Doctor

Annabelle had her very delayed 12 month visit to the Pediatrician today. She will be 15 months in 10 days (she is supposed to come in then too). So we combined the appointments today, which meant a double dose of vaccinations :(.
She handled her vaxs extremely well this time, much better than all previous visits. I assume it's because Troy was there and she was on "big-girl"/"make a liar out of mommy" behavior. She screamed while they administered the shots and then crawled into dads arms and promptly calmed down.
The ped would like us to work on her sleep issues and her solid food issues. She is drinking about 2X as much milk as he would like to see, and not nearly as much solids as he would hope, but he assured me that as I stop offering the milk as often and let her get a little more hungry, her appetite for solids should pick up. He also thinks as the solids pick up, so will the sleep, especially if we put our foot down and stop offering bottles at night. This is going to be tough, Troy feels it's the right direction, as do I, so we will be heading that way.
Her stats were once again hilarious, today she is 20 pounds, 2 ounces (12th percentile) in weight, and 32.5 inches (96th percentile) in height. Her head is normal, 18 inches (55th percentile).

Frisco Gold Rush Race Results

I ran the snowshoe race at the Frisco Gold Rush today. This was the first race in my new snowshoes (pictured here) that I bought off ebay! I practiced in them a little on Saturday with my friend Amy, but apparently not enough because I tripped myself not once, not twice, but three times during the race.
The race was 7K (4.35 miles), and was a big loop from the Frisco Nordic Center. It went through some trees, and then most of it was on Lake Dillon. Everyone thought the portion on Lake Dillon would be nice and packed (or icy), but it was actually shin deep powder. The entire course was ungroomed, which was different for me, but a really good experience as well. It was hard, the added distance was hard and the terrain was tricky.
I placed 6th amongst the women, and first in the 20-29 age group. My time was 43:25, which is approximately 9:58 minute mile average. I felt really good about it, and I got a medal :)

Taking a Step Back

Life and my internal thoughts have gotten a little out of control lately. It's time to take a step back and reassess what the heck I am doing. Days ago I was so obsessed with this year being the best year ever with races up the wazoo. Why? Where was I going with this? I convinced myself I needed a plan, or a coach, and I fibbed to myself saying it was becasue I would get injured if I didn't have one. I've been injured once, when I was 13 (IT band). Honestly I have a pretty teflon body, it can withstand a ton. I've summited mountains in Peru, and I am 1/2 my dad's genes...believe me, I'm a tough girl (note: physically, not emotionally :) ).
Well, I loooked into a coach, went a few steps too far in that direction and now I need to step back a bit.
So, how did I get here? Here's the story: Well, I started loosing weight, and then I signed up for a race so that I would be motivated to continue my healthy exercise habits. It was fun, I enjoyed the race and I felt good afterwards. My memories of high school racing are associated with anxiety, dread, terror, pain. I didn't feel any of those feelings, so I signed up for another. Again, a very positave experience, and that started the avalanche. I trained and did what I liked on a daily basis. I found a new love...to ride my bike. I loved to hook up Annie and go explore trails, and to run errands. I felt studly, and healthy. I started racing more, doing snowshoe races and duathlons. Training where I wanted too, spinning when I wanted, resting when I wanted, and knowing that I was maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Then I did well on some races and it went to my head. I started to think "I could be good at this" and "I SHOULD be good at this". This is way off base.
My original motivation was to obtain a healthy body, to make consistent exercise and healthy eating part of my permanent life. And, here I have gone and doven off the deep end before I knew what I was doing.
It's time to go back to my roots. Train when I want, for the events I want, at the speed I want. Maintain a blisteringly positave attitude about exercise and healthy eating. Remember that my husband, and my baby girl are my motivation, and who I ultimately report to in this world.
I am where I wanted to be 5 months ago. I got there for the right reasons, and I'm going to stay there for the right reasons as well. 5 months ago I was hoping for a change, a physical change. I got that and so much more. I got an attitude change, I got a new body, I got some new hobbies, ones that I can share with my family. I have reached my goals and I haven't even stopped to absorb the gravity of all this. I have done miraculous things, and I wanted to just blow past that and onto the next thing.
No, I will not cheet myself of this luxury. If I have hopes of making this change stick, I need to come to terms with my accomplishments. It's time to slow down and enjoy things.
Many, many, many people try every year to make the changes that I have made in 5 months, most don't make it. Most don't have the drive. Drive is not my issue, it's balance. Balance with family, life, creativity, eating. I will never be complete with my quest for balance and moderation, I must continue to train daily.
And it finally occured to me: what if I get injured? Big flippin deal, then I take a month or two off, while staying healthy: biking, swimming, or whatever, and when I am better, I jump back on the bandwagon.
Please excuse the "self-help-ness" of this post, it's more so that I can get some stuff off my chest so that I can go to sleep. I have been laying in bed for hours tossing random thoughts around in my head.