Winter break is supposed to be a time to relax with family and friends. However, for many people on sports teams, this downtime seems to be invaded by their sport of choice. As I left on Christmas Day for my family ski trip to Vermont, my bag was filled with thermals and running clothes. My iPhone was ready with both Ski Tracks and Map My Run. For those of us clamoring for the slopes, our crew coaches told us that seven to eight hours of skiing does not equal a workout.
Since I did not own snowshoes for the suggested après ski trekking, I opted for a more traditional form of cardio. Just when everyone was grabbing their fudge covered waffles and hunkering down at the fire pit, I was rushing back to the condo to figure out how to best fit in the mandatory workout. On day one, I laced up my sneakers, layered up and headed out. As my Verizon service wavered on and off, and as I tried to desperately remember the names of the mountain roads, all I could think about was the careful placement of my every step over the snow, around the ice patches and through the slush puddles.
The second day post-ski workout led me to the “gym” at the mountain. I stood in the corner and watched the 70-something-year-old man enjoy his leisurely stroll on the treadmill and the fit 40-something-year-old mom attempt the elliptical as her two kids chased each other around the small room’s perimeter. Eventually, they all left and I finally fit in a 45-minute run, when my phone buzzed with messages telling me to hurry up and that dinner was at 6:30.
I had a great idea on day three– laps! I followed the scent of chlorine and the squeals of children and came upon the very-crowded, no-lane pool. I jumped in and somehow managed to get in 30 laps with only four head-on collisions, two basketballs to the head, and one reminder that the pool really wasn’t suitable for lap swimming. Believe it or not, I logged in all of my workouts over break, finished all of my schoolwork a little earlier than I expected, and rang in 2015 with a clear conscience, a lot of great skiing, and despite the shaky start, relaxation.