Category: XCFeeds
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Heather Zimmerman to Complete 48-hours on the Birkie Trail
WHAT: My fabulous friend, Heather Zimmerman, will be running and biking for 48 consecutive hrs.WHY: To raise money for the development of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, supporting the Central Asia Institute.WHEN: This weekend, Friday May 8th- Sunday May 10th.WHERE: The American Birkibeiner trail in northern Wisconsin.GO HEATHER! WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!See http://hzimm.wordpress.com/
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Spring Flings…Snow to Desert back to Snow
div style=”text-align: center;”This spring has been a time of real adventure for me. As athletes, we are “on” from the middle of November through the end of March and so when April rolls around, we are ready for a bit of a break. This year, Noah Hoffman, Sarah MacCarthy, Zoe Roy, Mikey Sinnot and I set out for a 5 day backpacking trip in Escalante, a part of the southern Utah desert. Here is a snapshot of our trip./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; ” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rfa2NFNI/AAAAAAAAAHA/JGgkezf7CpY/s320/IMG_0454.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070084054422738″ /div style=”text-align: center;”This is a gas station. The store is actually inside a mountain, /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”and they have awesome ice cream sandwiches!/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9ReletmjI/AAAAAAAAAGw/AHr-OQCcXIU/s320/IMG_0470.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070069728811570″ /div style=”text-align: center;”As we got closer and closer to our camp site for the night the temperature kept dropping…/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9ReQkYFSI/AAAAAAAAAGo/fo9E0ArmTYs/s320/IMG_0467.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070064115422498″ /div style=”text-align: center;”and dropping…./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9RfHA85NI/AAAAAAAAAG4/j3cRjcSbtR0/s320/IMG_0466.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070078730790098″ /div style=”text-align: center;”and dropping!/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rft8jyxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yVBSs1lP9o8/s1600-h/Mikey+and+snow.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Rft8jyxI/AAAAAAAAAHI/yVBSs1lP9o8/s320/Mikey+and+snow.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332070089181350674″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”What is Mikey thinking about right now? Arizona./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divbr /img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Qb-uALuI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/HLOQc1gAxig/s320/IMG_0478.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068925452594914″ /div style=”text-align: center;”But, the snow disappeared for our sleeping, and though the temps were not /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”what we had hoped for yet, we were still smiling in the morning./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QcHOJKsI/AAAAAAAAAGY/tJagLouK8ys/s320/Lizard.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068927734885058″ /div style=”text-align: center;”But the weather warmed up and we found this guy sunbathing on the rocks./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QcXZzl-I/AAAAAAAAAGg/CXy0kEhLpvA/s320/Sarah+and+Mikey.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068932078770146″ /div style=”text-align: center;”Sarah and Mikey psyched about the warm sand./divbr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbQH4xlI/AAAAAAAAAGI/uQS5LmQsJho/s1600-h/IMG_0507.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbQH4xlI/AAAAAAAAAGI/uQS5LmQsJho/s320/IMG_0507.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068912944694866″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”On one of our days we climbed up and over this arch (Jacob Hamblin Arch). It required a bit of a repel, and conquering a few of my fears, but we made it. Our campsite for the night was actually in those green trees that you can see through the arch. Beautiful mornings!/diva onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbCNtRvI/AAAAAAAAAGA/E_TqZfmzUqE/s1600-h/IMG_0525.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9QbCNtRvI/AAAAAAAAAGA/E_TqZfmzUqE/s320/IMG_0525.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068909211010802″ //adiv style=”text-align: center;”The five of us (Noah, Sarah, me, Mikey and Zoe) standing at the edge of the Escalante river./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9PosPZgtI/AAAAAAAAAFo/SWCw9-ZiQxI/s320/DSCN1499.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068044319064786″ /div style=”text-align: center;”And back to the snow…Last tuesday and again this Saturday a few of us SLC/PC folks set off to find some powder at the end of April. As you can see, we found some, and it was perfect./divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9PpAphKMI/AAAAAAAAAF4/7F9gDUr3Ou8/s320/DSCN1846.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068049797327042″ /div style=”text-align: center;”Pete Vordenberg loving the day, as usual./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divimg style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ObMdc4mpVIg/Sf9Pow9viFI/AAAAAAAAAFw/5oPxRO0fh0A/s320/DSCN1848.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332068045587187794″ /div style=”text-align: center;”I have to admit, it’s hard not to smile on days like these./divbr /br /br /div style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8313858291794282393-2258494518681367237?l=lizhstephen.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Getting back on my feet again
The last few weeks have been pretty crazy, so sorry for the lack of updates! I’ll do my best to sum it all up.
I drove back to Marquette, Michigan a few days after my stitches were removed. It was great to spend some time relaxing up in the U.P. My roommate, Morgan Smyth, and I had some tasty and fancy dinners (I love to cook, and it was fun to be the chef for our apartment)! Also, my legs kept improving every day. I have been out on my mountain bike, and just last week I broke out the rollerskis and it felt AMAZING! I have missed skiing so much the last few months…
My lease ended at my apartment on April 30th, so Morgan and I have been very busy moving out. My dad came up last week and rented a U-haul so he could take a bunch of my belongings back to Minnesota(thanks dad)! I am currently at my boyfriend’s house in downstate Michigan (I can’t move into the apartment I’m subleasing from untill May 10th… so right now I’m kind of homeless. But the DelBello’s are awesome and they seem happy to have me here).
This morning I had a great mountain bike ride on some ski trails through the woods… Couldn’t have ordered up a nicer day!
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Is it sad that I’m sore?
Yesterday was our first practice of the year for the Vakava Race Team. It was kind of an unofficial practice, and really more of a chance to let potential members check out the group. But that dosen’t mean that my abs aren’t sore after the workout that we did! It mostly consisted of drills that focused on specific parts of classic and skate technique, but I think it is a great way to start the season by re-focusing on the basics. It was also a good way to show the new skiers how Dave and Mark work with the group (and I think that they did a great job, for the record).br /br /The turnout was very promissing, and better than I was expecting (I think even Dave was pleasantly suprised). There were 4 potential new guys, and 4 potential new ladies (one of them being my wife Nichole). If they all stick with the team for the long haul it would be fantastic for the group. I personally couldn’t stop smiling on the way home from the practice at the thought of the the new guys joining Derek, Andy, etc. and I on the Burlington Road hill for some epic intervals later this summer. I am excited where the Vakava team is headed, and not just because most of the new skiers were under the age of 30 and fast (there emwas/em one new master skier too – and I think that having the wide age range that we do is a very important and fun aspect of the group). What the turnout last night says to me is that Dave and Mark are on to something, and what we are doing in Vakava is something that other skiers want to be a part of.br /br /The 2009-2010 looks to be a ton of fun!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1572647974447867713-6543487028413999480?l=vakavaraceteam.blogspot.com’//div
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Non-snow season distraction: Former Factory Team Skier Phil…
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around the corner
Sometimes, you have no idea what’s around the corner. This came oh so clear to me in the exam room of an urgent care center in Surprise, Arizona.br /br /After leaving Alaska following long distance nationals and an end-of-season backcountry ski trip, I headed down to Arizona for some days in the sun, on the golf course, with the grandparents. Setting foot in Arizona, I felt a little pain in my lower leg. But it was nothing, especially compared to taking in the sights of arriving back to the continental United States after three months abroad. Soon, in the comfort of family, talking motorcycles with Uncle Shane and the prospect of having a handful of unstructured, relaxing days ahead, the little leg pain I felt soon melted away.br /br /A day later, I’m in a medical center waiting room, wondering what I’m doing here. In several directions my focus is interrupted by the deep, almost sinister, coughs of young’ens and elders battling bronchitis. “If I don’t need to be here now, I’ll probably need to be back here in a couple days” I remember thinking before getting agitated about whether my insurance would cover this little visit to the doctor. br /br /In time, the doctor arrives. “I don’t think it’s much of anything but..” I begin to say but don’t finish. Just the look on the doctor’s face tells me its more than nothing. “It’s good you’re here right now,” he begins. “It’s real good this looks contained. You have cellulitis. This is a skin infection that starts with a scrape, a cut, insect bite or hair follicle that becomes infected by bacteria. This might not sound like much but this is serious stuff. Because it’s in the lower leg where blood flow is low we need to hit this hard. I’m putting you on two very powerful antibiotics. We’ll get this cleared up in a week. Ten days maybe. Call me in three days, tell me how the treatment’s coming along.”br /br /Three days go by. In these three days I get a little worried. The leg doesn’t look better. I’ve got the swelling of edema going on, the pain’s still there, the redness hasn’t gone away. Once again, I head to urgent care. It’s Easter morning. The bronchitis patients must be hunting easter eggs or sleeping in. Either way, they’re not here. But my doctor is. This time I don’t say anything. He doesn’t say anything. I know this isn’t good.br /br /That morning the culture results come in from the lab. They read, “explosive growth.” The big needles come out, as do the liquid antibiotic. If we weren’t messing around before, we really aren’t now.br /br /Two days later, I’m back in Washington. The liquid Rocephin seems to be working. I stop in to see my primary care doctor. He wants to have my leg opened up, and “irrigate it out.” I almost thought he was talking about the acres of apple orchards in blossom around town.br /br /The coolest part of surgery came in getting injected with linocain and getting to watch the surgeon cut into my leg. Very rarely do you get to see a professional ply their trade with a real, meaningful outcome depended on the volitional skill of another; both Dr. Rossi’s and my attention singularely centered on the task at hand.br /br /And the worst part. That’s easy. It’s came in making sure the wound, the hole in my leg, heals from the inside out. Twice a day I pack into the wound as much medicated ribbon into my leg. This ribbon acts like a wick, drawing out the bacterial evilness from my body. Medical professionals call this tunneling. I call it a disgusting process that leaves me feeling a little nauseous and dreading wound dressing change time. br /br /Now, life is trending back to normalcy. First, I just rested. Then I started kayaking in the Columbia River. Then came running on the underwater treadmill and cycling. Now I’m back jogging with the middle school tracksters. This weekend I’m headed up to Whistler for a week of skiing at the Olympic venues. It hasn’t been the April I envisioned. But you know what? Sometimes you have no idea what’s around the corner.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2691525267872963085-6949542546236848728?l=in-the-arena-torin.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Spencer Glacier
I’ve grown up skiing in AK, but last week was my first time skiing out to the Spencer Glacier. One of my favorite things about this state is the endless possibilities for exploring new places. Bart checking out an ice berg on Spencer Lake. Apparently the glacier has been receding at an accelerated rate. Glacier blue and APU blue. Bart getting a little extra balance practice inside the slick
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Where does the time go?
I’ve been meaning to write a blog entry for some time now but just haven’t had the time. Spring is always unbelievably busy with many projects that languished during the racing season and other family obligations like a spring break trip to Phoenix and my daughters ice skating show. I’m always so busy in March and April that I’m forced to stop training and take a break whether I like it or not. By now I’ve got several blog topics stacked up in the queue. I’ll try to get to them in the near future, but for now I’ll just leave you with a teaser; planning training for the coming season, working through shoulder and knee pain that started end of winter (I’m icing my shoulder as I write this), and more thoughts on what caused my slump last winter. I’ll just have to make the time and get them posted. Now if only I could train and write at the same time.br /br /I saw a bumper sticker once that read, “God put me on this Earth to accomplish a certain number of things and right now I’m so far behind I’ll never die.” Ain’t that the truth!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1572647974447867713-5949562070623687766?l=vakavaraceteam.blogspot.com’//div
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European Shopping Trip
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Biking and Rollerskiing
The City of Lakes Tri-Loppet is only two months away and there is a lot of training to get in before then. During the past two weeks the kids at Anderson and Anwatin Middle school have been working very hard.
On Monday the Anderson group which is almost 20 strong ventured on foot to the nearby Midtown Greenway Coalition (MGC). The Midtown Greenway is a great asset here in South Minneapolis because it bisects the Grand Rounds route, which circumnavigates Minneapolis, in half allowing for quicker commuting across town.
The Coalition Vision:
We envision a green urban pathway that provides the anchor for a regional, sustainable transportation network; and encourages healthy diverse communities to prosper, participate, and connect to the region.
The path is built along the old railroad grade and thus is recessed below street level with many unique bridges along the straight path.
The group was given bicycles and helmets to use for the afternoon from the MGC. They also provided a guide who lead us in safety and etiquette along the trail. We biked to Lake Calhoun and back and despite the rainy weather had a great experience.On Wednesday the Anderson Elementary kids had the opportunity to Rollerski. This was awesome! The Rollerskis are a part of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation and are used for kids groups in the community.
We had just enough boots and skis for all 10 kids to participate at once. For most of the kids this was their first time on Rollerskis and they were incredible! We focused on balance, turning and accelerations in our relay races.
After the Rollerskiing we progressed to the woods where we held a mini time trial to get baseline times for everyone. Everyone left at 15 second intervals and their times will serve as a benchmark as we continue training through the summer! -
Biking and Rollerskiing
The City of Lakes Tri-Loppet is only two months away and there is a lot of training to get in before then. During the past two weeks the kids at Anderson and Anwatin Middle school have been working very hard.On Monday the Anderson group which is almost 20 strong ventured on foot to the nearby Midtown Greenway Coalition (MGC). The Midtown Greenway is a great asset here in South Minneapolis because it bisects the Grand Rounds route, which circumnavigates Minneapolis, in half allowing for quicker commuting across town.The Coalition Vision:
We envision a green urban pathway that provides the anchor for a regional, sustainable transportation network; and encourages healthy diverse communities to prosper, participate, and connect to the region.The path is built along the old railroad grade and thus is recessed below street level with many unique bridges along the straight path.The group was given bicycles and helmets to use for the afternoon from the MGC. They also provided a guide who lead us in safety and etiquette along the trail. We biked to Lake Calhoun and back and despite the rainy weather had a great experience.On Wednesday the Anderson Elementary kids had the opportunity to Rollerski. This was awesome! The Rollerskis are a part of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation and are used for kids groups in the community.
We had just enough boots and skis for all 10 kids to participate at once. For most of the kids this was their first time on Rollerskis and they were incredible! We focused on balance, turning and accelerations in our relay races.After the Rollerskiing we progressed to the woods where we held a mini time trial to get baseline times for everyone. Everyone left at 15 second intervals and their times will serve as a benchmark as we continue training through the summer! -
Biking and Rollerskiing
The City of Lakes Tri-Loppet is only two months away and there is a lot of training to get in before then. During the past two weeks the kids at Anderson and Anwatin Middle school have been working very hard.On Monday the Anderson group which is almost 20 strong ventured on foot to the nearby Midtown Greenway Coalition (MGC). The Midtown Greenway is a great asset here in South Minneapolis because it bisects the Grand Rounds route, which circumnavigates Minneapolis, in half allowing for quicker commuting across town.The Coalition Vision:
We envision a green urban pathway that provides the anchor for a regional, sustainable transportation network; and encourages healthy diverse communities to prosper, participate, and connect to the region.The path is built along the old railroad grade and thus is recessed below street level with many unique bridges along the straight path.The group was given bicycles and helmets to use for the afternoon from the MGC. They also provided a guide who lead us in safety and etiquette along the trail. We biked to Lake Calhoun and back and despite the rainy weather had a great experience.On Wednesday the Anderson Elementary kids had the opportunity to Rollerski. This was awesome! The Rollerskis are a part of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation and are used for kids groups in the community.
We had just enough boots and skis for all 10 kids to participate at once. For most of the kids this was their first time on Rollerskis and they were incredible! We focused on balance, turning and accelerations in our relay races.After the Rollerskiing we progressed to the woods where we held a mini time trial to get baseline times for everyone. Everyone left at 15 second intervals and their times will serve as a benchmark as we continue training through the summer!
