I am a runner

When I started running again this past fall it was in an effort to loss weight, to stay fit during ski season, and to train for that marathon that's been on my to do list for the past 3 years.

I would look at the other runners I saw on the paths and wonder "when I would be a real runner"? I'm a fairly curvy girl and to me runners were tiny, little things. Women with little booties and non-existent chests were runners. My perception of the real runner had nothing to do with running technique. It was almost completely based on body perception.

But truthfully it was more than that. There is a feeling of inauthenticity that is pervasive in women. Whatever we are doing, it isn't enough. Even though I was running, almost daily, I wasn't a runner. A real runner. How do I change that way of thinking? I ski but am I a skier? I swim but am I a swimmer? Doesn't the fact that I'm participating in the activity mean that I am a skier, runner, swimmer...

What is it that leads to this kind of thinking? For me it was more than physical as I began to add the miles each week, and took my runs from flat streets to hilly, muddy, trails I still questioned "when will I be a real runner?"

This winter I have run in the rain, in the mud, and even in the snow. One afternoon after skiing even I tried running in snow shoes. Last night the weather service warned of high winds and heavy rain but I had a run to do. As I made my way through the forest I realized that something had changed. That something was the way I saw myself.

If you take a look at the new gadget I've added to my sidebar from RunningAHEAD you'll see that I've clocked in over 18 miles this week. I've competed in my first trail race. I finished my first triathlon and loved it so much I signed up for 3 more. I'm still curvy but now I'm fit. I'm strong. I'm confidant and sure footed. I'm proud of what I can do. And yes, I am a runner.

Please share your stories and accomplishments. I'd love to hear from you.

-ski girl aka the runner
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ski like a girl's guide to summer fitness and fun

As summer approaches ski like a girl is going through snow withdrawals. Although nothing is quite as exhilarating as skiing, here are some fun things to do while waiting for the snow to fall again. Summer can be a time of exploration, to build new skills, and to increase your strength and conditioning.

Try some (or all) of these activities for summer fun.

• Run; improve your cardiovascular conditioning and strength by starting a running program. Check out Runners World for safe beginning training program ideas. For added fun find local races to motivate you. Or combine your skills and go for a triathlon. Swim, bike, and run like a girl!

• Hit the trails; go for a hike, trail run, or mountain bike ride. Check out your local ski resort for challenging hiking and mountain biking trails. Explore the terrain that you enjoyed all winter in a whole new way.

• Surfing; find a local surf shop and take a beginner lesson. Surf Diva in La Jolla, California offers beginner and refresher clinics. Or even better take off with the Surf Divas on a Costa Rica Surf Adventure. Complete with daily yoga sessions to help you prepare you for the waves, relaxing massage, wonderful freshly prepared meals and of course, great surf!
  

• Try Yoga; find a local studio and practise a new yoga style. Corepower Yoga offers hot, power, sculpt, and more. They have studios in Colorado, Oregon, California, Illinois, and Minnesota. For those who can't get to a studio they also offer Yoga on Demand, a selection of yoga classes and videos online.

• Keep Skiing; attend a camp and improve your skills. Timberline and Whistler are both host to numerous summer camps on their glaciers. From freestyle to race camps there is something for everyone. NASTC offers a trip to Portillo, Chile and for the first time NASTC is offering a kids' freeskiing/race training camp for ages 8-14. What a great family vacation, summer skiing in Portillo!

Have a great time and enhance your ski skills for next season. Enjoy your summer! If you have any ideas for summer fitness and fun please share them in the comments. Thanks!

The new fit-fat

Like most girls, I have a list of things I'd like to change about my self. Currently at the top of my list is the desire to lose the 20 lbs. I seemed to have "mysteriously" gained over ski season. Something about bulky winter clothes while skiing and stretchy Lululemon yoga pants during my time off slope led to some delusional thinking about the state of my body and a horrible reality check this spring. Now with swimsuit season upon me and a possible trip to Hawaii in the works I'm ready for a change. I'm trying to go about this in a healthy manner. As a former dancer, with a history of going for the quick and easy... starvation/mildly anorexic tendencies. I've made a commitment to myself and my family not to give into to that behavior. My focus is eating clean, exercising, and focusing on new fitness challenges like my first triathlon and my first 1/2 marathon. I'm struggling to stay positive and recently discovered/made up a new category in body types. You may have heard of skinny-fat. The Urban Dictionary defines skinny-fat as someone is thin and looks great in clothes, but is all flabby underneath. Well I've decided I'm fit-fat. I'm strong and muscular. I can run, bike, ski for hours but according to my BMI I am practically obese.

In an article on Forbes.com, JoAnn Manson, chief of preventative medicine at Harvard's Brigham Hospital states: "Being fit and fat is better than being unfit and fat, but it's not as good as being fit and lean." So my goal is to get fit and lean. If you'd like to get fit and lean with me, or just follow my progress, keep checking back on my blog. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Let's all raise our water bottles in a toast to getting fit-lean. I may even throw in in few bikini pics if I make it to Hawaii. It's the Hollywood thing to do when you're over 40 and looking good!

My favorite workout in Portland is Outdoor Fitness training: Snowsports Focus through Peak Fitness NW. Jenn is an awesome trainer who leads us through a booty kicking workout every Monday night at Mt. Tabor. The group is primarily skiers with a focus on off slope ski conditioning but anyone look for a tough workout will benefit. Come join us!!!

Tri girl

Last night I registered for my first triathlon and I'm nervous about it. Can I finish? Will I survive? My biggest fear is over the open water swim. Open Water...wasn't that a really scary movie based on the true story of two scuba divers accidentally stranded in shark infested waters after their dive boat inadvertently left them? I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone but I don't think they survived! Just the words open water raise my stress level.

Now I'm an okay swimmer and I certainly won't be swimming in shark infested waters at least not at first. My goal is to get into the Ironman Kona in 2012, then I may have to think about sharks. But the odds in Hawaii are in my favor. There are 1,800 triathletes in Kailua-Kona bay that morning. How many sharks can there be? Wait don't answer that, I really don't want to know.
For now my swim is a 1/4 mile swim in a lake, no sharks. Just a lot of dark, murky water. I've signed up for the All Womens, (yes, I'm doing this one without Robert), Tri-it version of the triathlon which amounts to shortest time in the water. I'm attending swim clinics to improve my technique and transition from pool to open water. I'm also training with an awesome group from Northwest Personal Training and participating in a mock triathlon to work on putting it all together. I'm doing all the right things but still I'm scared. Any suggestions?

Run like a girl

Sunday was Havoc at the Hideout. My first race this summer. Actually my first race in years. An adventure run, complete with mud, single track, steep climbs, stream crossings, and logs to crawl under. I've been training for months but skiing definitely overtook the time spent running over the winter. Robert did the race with me. My recent training included trail runs, boot camp, weight training, spin class, power yoga, eating clean.... Robert's training plan was to not run at all, no training, eat a pint of ice cream the night before the race and beat me! I was slow. He waited for me. A lot of waiting. Somehow his running up inclines and then waiting for me to make it up didn't encourage me to run faster. As soon as I would reach him, off he'd go. It was great that we did the race together and we've signed up for more this summer. I do appreciate that Robert stuck with me. It was fun to experience the challenge together but I don't want to spend the summer chasing Robert. So more training for me and more Cookies and Cream ice cream for him. I did come in third in my age group which is better than Robert's age group finish. But ultimately, I ran like a girl and he beat me.