The Best Winter Yet!
I must admit, this winter has been the best winter of my life. Our “winter” began late November when we traveled across the country in our little Acura and the EFC Trailer in tow. 
We spent 2 awesome weeks in Colorado with Rob’s whole family, enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving feast and tons of family fun! I was healing from the pelvis fractures and enjoyed riding my CEEPO with Rob, although on the trainers in Rob’s parent’s home and not outside, it was so great to be back. I was happy Rob was able to run off our rides and enjoy the beautiful trails and the glorious views of the mountains and I patiently awaited my running return. My patience paid off and I enjoyed two short, but epic runs looking up at the snow covered mountains and soaking in the 50 degree sunny day at the end of our Colorado adventure. 
On the way home from Colorado we stopped at Coach Steve’s in IL and had a blast running the Santa Sleigh 5K with EFC Athletes, Coaches and their families. I enjoyed walking and running the 5k in the crisp December air and was thankful to be healthy and strong once again! 
Once back home in Ohio, Rob and I settled into a nice routine of little morning rides and short transition runs off the bike, healthy homemade meals and powerful days in front of the computer growing EFC. We had a joyous Christmas season, a fun family New Year’s Party and we smiled right into 2010! January started off with a bang with many EFC athletes gearing up for a great year ahead and another trip to Colorado in our path. Off we went in our little Acura, driving across the county and straight up into the Colorado Rockies for a fun 5 days in Beaver Creek with Rob’s whole family. I’m still new at skiing, so I road on the trainer easy every morning than joined everyone on the slopes for some greens and blues! Maybe next year I’ll try a black?? 
Once home in Ohio again, Rob and I got back on track with our healthy routine. We started working out with some of our athletes and coaches and are really thrilled with how well our EFC Athletes are quickly getting into the training groove this year! Things are well with our family and our nieces and nephews are excelling at volleyball, gymnastics, floor hockey, ice skating, swimming and pre-school. It’s been awesome to be a part of as much as we can!
Although we do work about 10 to 12 hours a day, working out of our home allows flexibility and we are really enjoying all the snow! Because we have to be available for our athletes before and after normal 8am to 5pm work hours, we have been doing most of our training mid morning or late afternoon and enjoying the daylight. We have Yax Traxs for our running shoes as well as racing snowshoes, so we have kept right up with daily trainer rides and runs off the bike. And we’ve added in functional strength work, Triathilates and Rob’s Navy Seal Pull-Up Routine. I’m going to have some pretty big gun this year! With all we are doing with EFC, our new component, EFK (Energy Fit Kids) and our training, I must say, it’s been the best winter yet! 
Gosh, I know I had some fun winters with my mom, dad, brother, Grandma and Grandpa at our cottage in Michigan, snowmobiling, ice skating and igloo building, but heck we still are having some fun with that this year at “Papa’s playland” right here in Ohio! And I remember a fun winter when we lived a year in the burbs of Chicago and enjoyed peaceful runs on the golf course and snow tubing with my family at Villa Olivia. But this year still tops that!
And I know I had a great “run” in Chicago, living downtown with Rob, working with Eli Lilly, building EFC and living life to the fullest, but I can’t say that any Chicago winter was awesome. I remember the “brutalness” of those winters more than anything. My vivid winter memories are of me riding my Schwinn mountain bike through the snowy streets of Chicago at 5:30a.m. and 5:00p.m. dodging crazy bus and cab drivers and making it to my spin classes alive but frozen. I remember the negative 30 degree wind chill factor days where upon arrival to the club, with frozen fingers and Rob’s number on speed dial, I would call him and barely mutter “So…cold…have…to…pick…me…up.” 
And I remember running along the lake front with Rob, slipping on ice and returning home with our eyelids nearly frozen shut and glad to be warm once again. 
I can sit back and revel over the “awesome ride” of a life of fun and challenges so far and I can smile and say, life is great working with Rob by my side and being healthy to enjoy the great outdoors!
How are you doing this winter? Are you having your best winter yet? I’d love to hear from you!
-Coach Kel
Posted by on 02/24 at 02:30 PM
Coach Kel's Training and Racing •
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