Leaving for Montana in a spring snowstorm.
In midwinter Shelli Johnson , Super Athlete, great friend and mom extraordinaire to three boys, invited me to go with her to the annual West Yellowstone Rendezvous Ski Race in March. Since the only thing I can do on my touring skis is shuffle along at a snail's pace, my only choices were to 1) enter the 25 classic ski race, which sounded grueling and impossible or 2) learn to skate ski in 6 weeks. I picked #2 and bought some skis from Skinny Skis in Jackson.
It wasn't pretty but I took some lessons from our high school ski team and put in 4 or 5 practices a week at our golf course, groomed courtesy of the Lander Nordic Ski Association. I would ski when Scott came home for lunch or do laps by pulling Ben on a sled. It was such a blissfully sunny and cold winter with loads of snow on the ground that skiing on the golf course was the perfect way to enjoy an hour or two of training -- with fantastic views of the Wind River Mountains just to the south of town.
It wasn't pretty but I took some lessons from our high school ski team and put in 4 or 5 practices a week at our golf course, groomed courtesy of the Lander Nordic Ski Association. I would ski when Scott came home for lunch or do laps by pulling Ben on a sled. It was such a blissfully sunny and cold winter with loads of snow on the ground that skiing on the golf course was the perfect way to enjoy an hour or two of training -- with fantastic views of the Wind River Mountains just to the south of town.
SO - I'm happy to report that I finished the race and had a blast!
(Thanks to Shelli for the great pics on this page.)
Carbo loading the day before the race at the Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole, WY.
I had signed up for the 10k, then all the way to Montana debated whether or not I should change my "k's" at the last minute to the 25k. Which I did. Ignorance is bliss, right?
Snow conditions were tough (sticky and slow) but the sun was shining. Me, just about at the finish line. And I didn't some in dead last! (Photo by http://www.montanastars.com/)
Kathy, at the post-race 'feed' at the fire hall, put on by the local Boy Scouts.
Shelli, post-race with plenty mojo left. She did fabulous, placing 3rd in our age group. Shelli could have EASILY hammered out the 50 k!
post-race celebratory Patron Silver
Stopover on the way home in Grand Teton National Park.
Thanks to Shelli for letting me tag along on her adventures! And thanks to my support team Scott, Laura & Ben!
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