Weekly Review January 17-23

Taking a look at the week that was, in fitness, farm, and life. If you missed last week's review, you can check it out HERE.

Sunset over the Sweetgrass Hills Friday evening while skiing.

Fitness
Jeff and I started the week on skis as we trekked over the mountains for double duty skiing on Sunday and Monday. Sunday was Nordic at the Izaak Walton in Essex, MT, where we also stayed the night in their historic hotel.

Izaak Walton Inn, Essex, MT

Sunday we hit up Whitefish for downhill skiing in thick fog. It wasn't the most fun day of skiing ever because it was a bit difficult to see, but we made it our mission to get better at moguls and I think we both definitely saw some improvement. Plus, my legs felt super strong the rest of the week after that day of skiing!

Progress continued on the #RunLoveChallenge I'm participating in through Oiselle with my teammate, Wendie. I nailed my long run on Thursday after school running "the loop" in town twice for a total of 4.7 miles. It felt pretty good to run outside and even though the roads were snow-covered, they weren't bad to run on.

Run-selfie while running "the loop" in Rudyard on Thursday.

The biggest challenge of the week was actually the "Speed Date" workout we were supposed to do. I spent most of the week stressing about the workout because, let's be honest, speedwork is pretty much neglected in the scheme of my workouts. I wrote out the times and speeds I wanted to try and planned to do it Saturday morning. By the time Saturday rolled around, Wendie had already completed the workout and I was actually sort of looking forward to the challenge and seeing what I could do. And you know what? It was hard, for sure, but it felt great! Huge confidence boost to reach speeds I've never touched before, and it ended up being my longest run of 2016 so far at 5.6 miles! It was so motivating to know that Wendie had done it and that she was cheering me on in spirit, too. Thanks Wendie!

Yes, I wrote myself a pep talk alongside the workout. I'm cool like that.

Here's how the week looked:
Sunday- 8.6 miles/120 minutes of Nordic skiing at Essex.
Monday- Downhill skiing at Whitefish.
Tuesday- 3 easy (slow) miles on the treadmill, 20 min stretching. My legs were beat after the skiing.
Wednesday- 30 min. hip strengthening exercises
Thursday- 4.7 mile run after school.

Snowy roads, but traction was good.

Friday- 2.2 miles (40 min) Nordic ski through Harry's field on our farm. **snow melting fast. May have been my last day on skis at home this year.

This is what Harvey does after going for a ski- nap time. 

Saturday- Speed Date challenge/5.6 miles running, 30 min (1.6 miles) walk with the dogs, 20 min stretching.

My #RunLoveChallenge calendar is really filling up! Half-way there!

And the YTD Stats:
2016 Year to Date, through 1/23/16
Walking: 140 min/6.7 miles
Yoga: 135 min *no yoga this week. sad face.
CC-Ski: 380 min / 10.8 miles (since I started tracking mileage on 1/17)
Alpine Ski: 2 days
Running: 30.55 miles

If you remember, my knee and hip had been a little sore last week. I rededicated myself to stretching in the evenings and it really seemed to help. No issues with it whatsoever this week, even after Jeff and I skied pretty hard at Whitefish on Monday. Stretch, stretch, stretch, people!

Farm
This week on the farm the biggest new piece of action was that Jeff sold some winter wheat to one of the local elevators and then began taking semi loads to town. It can be quite a bit of work at times to haul grain, especially when cleaning out the bottom of a grain bin. Messy, dusty, labor and time intensive. The weather was warmer this week, so Harvey spent quite a bit of time outside "helping" Jeff with this task, although he didn't appreciate being left behind when Jeff would leave in the semi headed for the elevator. Harvey is a smart dog and knows that if he sits down in the road right ahead of the vehicle in which he would like to ride, at the very least, the driver will stop and pet him...

"Guys, I'll ride now, thankyouverymuch." - Harvey
Photo by Jeff.

Harvey also likes to "help" feed the cows...

Harvey likes to lick their noses, and they let him.

And this bull was taking a peek on the action, too:


Life
This week I attended the Rudyard Commercial Club meeting (sort of like the local chamber of commerce) because they were planning to talk about a grant the community is likely to receive to either renovate our current Senior Center or build a completely new building. It was a really interesting meeting, which you can read more about in my previous blog post. I'm going to be on the committee working on the grant project and I'm really excited about it.

Also, in my sports world, my Iowa State Cyclones defeated #1 ranked Oklahoma on Monday night in Ames (college basketball). It was glorious. Here's a great game re-cap from The DesMoines Register: Iowa State Takes Down #1 Oklahoma. Tomorrow night, they'll take on the Kansas Jayhawks. I may hate the Jayhawks more than I love the Cyclones, so you can be sure I will be watching the game. Don't bother me between 7 and 9 tomorrow night because I won't answer. ;)

That's the week that was, everyone! What were the highlights of your week? 

After completing my Speed Date workout. Feeling good!

More Glacier Fun!

We have been so lucky this winter to have already spent two weekends of fun-filled snowy adventure in the Glacier area! Our first trip, if you recall, was around New Years Eve with my family, which you can re-read HERE. Our second trip was just this past weekend and it was a blast!

Jeff's parents have a timeshare in West Glacier at Glacier Wilderness Resort. This is either the third or fourth winter I have been there, but they've had the timeshare in the family for many, many years, so it has been a family tradition for a long time. Each year, Tom and Carol have decided on different friends and family members to share their cabin with. The past two years, we have even rented an additional unit so more of us could share in the fun and keep the tradition alive. This year, Jeff and I rented another unit at a steal of a price and shared the weekend with our friends Skyler and Deitra. Tom and Carol shared their unit with their friends Lynn and Dan, and Rick and Glenda (who are Skyler's parents). We had a great time skiing, laughing, sharing meals and playing games with the whole group.

Typically, when we drive to the cabin, the whole group of us that are heading over from the HiLine carpool and caravan our way down Highway 2. We stop in Shelby for lunch, then in Cut Bank for groceries. The Grown-Ups, as we call them, typically then stop at a little dive bar called The Snow Slip, about a half-hour from the final destination. Over the years, The Snow Slip has become something of a legend among our little group. For the first time this year, Jeff and I pulled in with the caravan to check it out.

Exterior of the Snow Slip.
No, the Mustang was not part of our caravan!

While we were staying at the cabin this year, we spent the first day skiing at Whitefish Mountain Resort--me, Jeff, Skyler, and Deitra. This was the second time Jeff and I had skied there. The weather was in the upper 20's to right around freezing, depending on where a person was on the mountain, so, pretty warm, and the snow was great. It was sunny in the morning but clouded over a bit around lunch time.

Clockwise from top left: Silhouettes of the four of us riding the lift, view from the Summit House, downhill skis on the rack, Jeff and Deitra, Snowghosts and flags at the Summit, me and Jeff.

We skied as a group the whole morning, then Jeff and I skied together just the two of us for the afternoon. I was completely blown away by how much better he has become at skiing! Now, it is I who has to try to catch up to him! Something just clicked for him and he totally rocked it on the mountain on Saturday! We had so much fun skiing the back side of the mountain and challenging ourselves on increasingly difficult terrain as the afternoon went on.

Here are a few photos Jeff took from the summit:

Some "snowghosts" and pretty awesome skyline in the background!

Looking toward town of Whitefish and Whitefish Lake.

Looking toward Glacier National Park. Beautiful!

The next day, we went with the whole gang to Izaak Walton Inn for some Nordic skiing. I started the morning feeling pretty wary of my cross country ski abilities, as usual. I have a hard time getting past my own mental block that Nordic skiing is drastically different from downhill. It isn't. The balance and fundamentals are pretty similar, really. And you're going slower (or at least I am!) so if and when one does fall, it won't be nearly as painful or embarrassing! I watched Jeff's mom and her friends navigating the ups and downs of the trail, unsteady at times, but laughing all the way and told myself that if they can do it, so can I. I'm half their age, and I'm a badass, so what am I waiting for? I remembered a few pieces of advice I'm sure Jeff and Tom have given me umpteen times in the past, and went for it on the next downhill section... and it was fine! In fact, I did great! By the end of the day, I found myself wanting more downhill sections of course when in prior Nordic ski sessions, I would dread the downhills. Definite progress!

 Sorry for the blurry images in some of the squares above... Bleh.

Essex and Izaak Walton were so wonderful, as always. We have such a great time each and every time we go there. The skiing is great, the restaurant and food is really good, the ambiance of the historic hotel is perfect. Everything about this place is awesome. I love it every time we go there, winter or summer. If you're ever in Montana, it's worth a stop. :)

All in all the weekend was a great mix of super-fun winter outdoor activities, spending time with friends and family, relaxation, and personal and athletic development. Jeff and I both progressed mightily in our respective weaker skiing events, so now we're both pretty near each other's level in each. All in all, a successful and fun weekend playing in the mountains! I never knew how much I loved snow until I moved to the West! :)

Check back tomorrow for Thankful Thursday!