XC skiing in CO

It was cold in CO this weekend!  A snow last Thursday left the roads icy and temperatures below 0 didn't help melt anything.  I ran outside in 0 degrees and through the snow with Mickey on Friday.  And then another much warmer run on Saturday with all 3 dogs.  We all had a little bit of cabin fever and needed to get out.  Adam was stuck riding the trainer which he doesn't like much.  I know if the roads were clear, he would have been out, even in the cold.  

We've been wanting to go XC skiing together this winter, but Adam has been working most weekends, so it wasn't possible. Not this weekend, so we took the chance on Sunday to drive to Breckenridge to the Frisco Nordic Center.  Adam came here to XC ski with his friend last month.  It was a beautiful drive out there, but VERY slow on the way back (traffic!!!) so next time we go, I think we will go somewhere closer.

I've been skiing classic style since I was little and have only done skate skiing once, so we decided to do classic.  I love classic style XC skiing. I think I would really like skate style skiing, once I get the hang of it.  I love the feeling of flying through the snow.  We planned to do 2 hours, but Adam started to really hit the wall after an hour.  He kept up pretty well on the uphills, but on the flats and downhills I dropped him pretty fast.  I would get into a groove, then look back and he was nowhere.  So I had lots of breaks which I don't normally get.  Adam said, this is what I must feel like when I ride with him...sort of, but I think I'm a better cyclist than he is a XC skier.  At least for now :) 

The scenery was beautiful.  We didn't take any pictures when we were skiing but this is a picture I found on the internet of one of the trails (actually a road) that we were on.  

Once we were in open fields we got amazing views of the mountains all around.  

It is hard to get pictures or even describe just how beautiful it is--there is nothing like actually being out there.  

We want to go somewhere where we can take the dogs along, but can't do that on any of the groomed trails because the dogs can ruin the track.  So, we may try snowshoeing with them or try to find somewhere where they can come along to ski.  If they have booties to protect their feet, I know they will love it.

I got a horrible migraine the evening after we went.  I started a new prevention medicine a few days before and a slightly new treatment regimen.  I had been taking a medicine since 2006 and it was originally very effective, but the last couple years it has not been working as well and it was time for a change.  It started off well, but Sunday evening was bad.  I think I need to make some changes to the new treatment regimen. I'm also trying to pay attention to all the things I do in the day leading up to a migraine, to try and see what is triggering it each time around and try to make changes if I can.  The things I saw as possible triggers after hearing what my doctor said are taking a long nap after we got back (sleeping too much or too little and disrupting the sleep cycle could be a cause); the extreme changes in weather and altitude; eating a hamburger that may have had preservatives in it; the stress from the long, heavy traffic, and sometimes icy on he way home (I actually learned from my doctor that a migraine doesn't come as a result of stress but when the stress is over and how the hormones change as a result).  I'm sure there are other possible triggers I could be missing.  But I guess it is good to keep track and try to figure things out a little better.  I used to keep close track of when I was getting migraines, but never the experiences surrounding it.  So hopefully this helps.  

I could have written some happy new year/2011 post, but it doesn't feel too different than 2010, so why would I?  I guess I am just not much of a New Year's resolution person.