Power foods

With the current colder weather and fresh snow on the ground I have hit the gym for a few of my workouts this week. I dont know whether its my final peak week of training or the spectators at the gym but I have been pushing myself extra hard this week and it feels great!

With the extra effort at the gym in the morning, when I finally make it home I look for some real power foods to keep me fueled for the rest of the day but also to help me recover from a hard workout indoors.

Immediately after my workout I whip up a power smoothie as I call it.
I start with a packet of carnation instant Breakfast chocolate flavor.

I add one banana,
1 cup of frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blue berries, raspberries and blackberries)
1 cup baby spinach,
2 cups almond milk.
Blend and enjoy!
( for some extra power I'll all add 2 scoops Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite in Chocolate or Strawberry)

This power packed puppy has about 550 calories and is full of protein, with enough carbohydrates and fats to rebuild my muscle and keep me going all afternoon. Plus it has loads of vitamins and minerals to keep my immune system healthy during cold and flu season.

Staying in shape in the off season

Lets face it. It’s hard to stay in shape between seasons when Halloween candy is abundant and the sun doesn’t come up until you are already at the office. Plus having Thanksgiving and Christmas fall somewhere in that transition season doesn’t help with motivation. The best way to avoid injury and to be ready to go when the snow flies is to find a mid fall motivation. I Live in Montana and by December the rock is just too cold to climb, there are ice patches on the trail for mountain biking, morning and evening it is well below freezing, if the sun is shining, and there is only a dusting of snow on the mountain. So what do I do to stay in shape and active? I trail run.

After guiding on Rainier all season my legs are in great shape for going up and down hills but not as much with the long flat runs. So by trail running 4-5 days a week I can take advantage of already being in shape and stay strong all fall to be ready to rip powder once the snow starts falling. I mix up my running with most days on trail doing a variety of distances from 3 miles of steep hills or a long slow 12-20 miles on a trail through the beautiful changing colors of fall or with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. To keep my knees happy with me I swim at a local pool once a week and even go for a bike ride or take a spinning class to keep my workout varied. I also use strength training regiments to keep the rest of my body tone and strong.

Motivation can be tough as the weather gets colder and the days are shorter. With lots of obligations such as holidays and school / work commitments this time of year it hard to find the inspiration to run daily. I stay motivated by signing up for local and regional running races. Anywhere form your local 5K to a marathon or big trail run in the area is a great place to start. Having something to focus on and train for will help you get out of bed in the morning. Find a running partner to help spark the fire of running under your bottom and get outside. Go for a jog together before or after work, or join a few friends during lunch and get a few miles in. Running burns about 100 calories per mile so every little bit help you stay in shape and ward off those nasty Halloween pounds.

This year I completed some of my biggest races yet. I ran a local 30K trail run here in Montana. I drove over to Spokane WA for my first ever Marathon and finished in under 4 hours. I even ran in my hometown Thanksgiving Day 10K Turkey trot with a PR of 43:18. This gave me yet another excuse to eat all day. Signing up for a local race is a great way to stay focused on training but going at it along can be intimidating. If your town has a local running club, ask to join for Saturday morning run or find a work friend and help motivate each other to get outside and train together for the race.

When the air is crisp and the days are short I take a little more time thinking about what to wear on my trail runs. I long for the dog days of summer when I am pulling on my CW-X stabilyx running tights, Outdoor Research wind pro ear band, Pl Base glove and my highly visible Saucony ethereal jacket. These functional yet fashionable clothing options make it bearable to run on eve the coldest days by keeping me warm and dry. By keeping my ears and hands covered, I maintain a lot of body heat and can stand to be out of a run for as long as I need. Don’t get stuck on a treadmill all winter. Get outside and stay in shape. Happy running!

Let it Snow

Winter Time is here!

Last weekend my roommates and I went up to Lolo pass to check out the conditions. what we found was 14" of fresh snow and it was still coming down! Not quite enough to ripe through the trees for face shots, but enough to start the base of what seams to be the start of another epic season here in the Northern Rockies.

Not only will the back country skiing be endless this winter, the resort skiing is going to be worth while. To afford the ski bum status, I will be Volunteering with the Snowbowl Ski Patrol this winter. We had a day of lift evac training this saturday and already the runs are covered, and the groomers were out. after a chilly morning at Snowbowl (14 degrees), I came back to town with glowing thoughts of the winter ahead and picked up a new pair of

alpine boots! ( Salomon Instinct 100) I spent the afternoon tuning skis and adjusting bindings! Im ready for the snow!

Not only am i excited for the skiing this winter has to offer, I Will also be Traveling down to Arizona in January to run in the Arizona Rock 'n Roll Marathon with the hopes to qualify for Boston 2013!

After Completing the Spokane Marathon in October I was tired and sore for a few days, but as soon as I began running again I was looking for a new goal. With the Great Barrington Turkey trot 10K only days away Im looking for something bigger. With 8 weeks to go, The Rock 'n roll Marathon seams like a great opportunity to keep training, set a new goal and get to some warmth and sunshine during the heart of Winter.

Skiing will keep me strong, but I will have to keep running, and with Montana temps in the low teens to 20's its gonna be a cold couple of months!

A fall of first's

Being back in Missoula has been a whirlwind of exciting activities. I started running again, well continued to run on a training program. I completed my first 30K trail run and my first road marathon. I placed 3rd in my age group in the blue mountain 30K here in Missoula. It was a highlight of the fall. Then one week later i ran the Spokane marathon. The marathon was a great challenge, I really got to see what my body was made of with it. I have to say it was fun for the first 15 miles or so.. then at mile 22 not so much fun! but now 2 weeks later im back running daily again and training with crossfit to stay in shape and get ready for ski season.

I have now also tried my first cycle-cross race. (Think road bike frame and mountain bike tires). I raced at Missoula's biggest cross-race event; Rolling Thunder, last night. It is a dirt and grass course with hills, obstacles to jump over and technical corners. It was awesome! It was a big event and a few hundred people came out to watch! I think I may have found another expensive and gear heavy hobby!

Ouray CO Ice Training

16 hours of driving three days of Ice Climbing, Two Days of skiing and two trips to the Hot Springs and Im back in Missoula. I just returned from a 6 days trip to Ouray Colorado, Located in Southwest Colorado in the heart ofthe San Juan Mountains. It was quite an adventure. It began with a 7.5 hour drive to Park City Utah where I meet up with a friend from high school and stayed on his floor for a night. Early the Nextmorning i packed up my sleeping bag and pad, poured a BIG cup of coffe and hit the road. I drive another 8 hours headed to Telluride CO.

I had some time before the friends I was staying with finished their work as Ski Patrollers at the resort so I explored town. I road the gondola and got a great view of town, just enjoyed being in this beautiful place. After two days of staying in a remote ski in cabin in the mountains, skiing at the resort I packed up and headed to the other side of these beautiful mountains to Ouray.

I arrived in town and immediately hit the hot springs to relax and take the first shower i had in too many days to admit. after many hours of soaking in the pools, I meet up with a fellow guide and proceeded to make myself at home at their condo.

Tuesday and wednesday were great days of Ice Climbing and Guiding training. We spent alot of time climbing, as well as talking about and learning new techniques and guide tricks.

It was a great vacation and sprit lifter. The next adventure begins on monday when I start classes. Wish me luck!