2008

Wow I havent posted in a while. I intend to do a better job in '08. The last few weeks have been busy, but good. So what have I been doing?

Skiing - Ive been working hard up at Loveland still..instructing on the weekends and some other days. I still dig it, its a lot of fun. I picked up my first couple of paychecks for the season and they totaled about 220 buks! Haaa! I think I made more as a paperboy in 9th grade! But..I've skied about 20 days so far this year, Ive been able to take some instructor clinics, and scored some pro deals on some new Nordica racing skiis. Which are SO fast, that I crashed last week on them and broke ribs, and tore an MCL. Fortunately, as has been the case all my life with literally every sports injury Ive ever had, of them are serious at all. My MCL tear is a Level 1, which means...basically..nothing. Shut up and train, is what it means. And then my #8 and #9 rib on my back left side, snapped against a rock. I should maybe get the ski patrol to move that rock, now that I think about it, before some other dude snaps his ribs on it. Ah...we've had so much snow that by now, its buried. Anyhow, breaking ribs can be a bad deal if one end punctures an organ, but thats not the case. Basically just deal with it and train, same as it always is. So, I missed 5 days of saddle time because It was basically so painful to move around that I just sat in bed for two days. But, I'm back at now. Today is day 7 and its only just mildy uncomfortable is all. Basically I'm trying to be careful how I move for a few weeks so I dont jack up my knee any further and to let the ribs grow back stong.

I have been reminded of a good frind of mine, fellow triathlon coach and Ironman triathlete who broke two ribs 10-days before Kona in 2005. He raced and did fine. So, Im on day 7 and IM at least back on the bike, I figure that by this Saturday (Day 10) Ill be good to go.

Little Steven skied with me twice so far this year and is doing well. Santa brought he and I some skateboards for Christmas and were heading to the skate park in a couple hours . Assuming there is no snow there, we wil ride a bit. I have to admit..its been 20 years since Ive skated, and the equipment has changed a bit, but surfing and skating as a kid...like riding a bike. How hard can it be? I'll report in later. Maybe I'll bust s'more bones...who knows.

We had no hockey game last week since it was Christmas week, but we do have one this week. I'm not sure if I shold play or not.... hockey is not a priority to me - bike racing is. And I dont want to ruin my chances for a good strong year in the saddle when some NHL wannabee checks me into the boards during a coed roller hockey game. Believe me...some of the guys on some of the teams take it WAY to seriously. I'll see how I feel on Friday morning.

OK more later. Stay tuned