MY LIFE: 30

Where the heck did I go?  What am I up to?  Will you see me in West, why wasn't I in Placid...?  Haha, I am sure that no one is asking those questions, but just in case...

I have started a lululemon store!  It is a showroom (read, boutique) actually.  I am still living in Idaho and look forward to seeing lots of you at Spring Series (being held in Sun Valley this year).  Don't worry, I still have a blog.

I was too rough on my body and burnt both ends... twice.  It finally threw in the towel.  After getting healthy and receiving a phone call from lululemon, here I am.  Painting!  

...and holding community events, taking classes and supporting the local athletes and instructors.  Above, our little shop donated 50 yoga mats and held Snow Salutations to bring in a big winter.  El Nina, you ask?  Yeah, you can blame her on me!

Don't fret.  I still get to wear spandex EVERY DAY!  I work out, stretch (actually more than I did as a pro athlete) and am the luckiest kid in the world!

Come by and say hello the next time you find yourself in Idaho!  My shop is in the Galleria Building, behind Sturdo's in Ketchum, Idaho (second floor).

katewhitcomb@yahoo.com will be my email forever and has been since the Internet was invented... yes, I am a master now so I can say things like that :)

I look forward to doing races this winter too so watch out!  BMT, maybe with a side of the Engadin and Birkie... they say you never loose the fever!

Thank you Amory and ITA for all that you have enabled me to do.  Brad and the 5th graders, who I will continue to visit as long as you still think I am cool.  Of course to the ski community as well; what a family you are!  I am so proud to be a cross-country skier and look forward to connecting with you all in the near future.  Ed Hamel for being my first and most inspirational coach.  My big brother Matt, for having hot friends (the REAL reason I loved Bill Koch Ski League) and the original gang of girls - Lindsey, Mariah, Amy, Holly, Abi... I love you girls.  Bust Butt Ed on Bear Hill forever!

Kate out, but not far away.  LIVE IT UP because today is not coming back.  Not ever!

lululemon

Ketchum, ID - Fresh back from a 4-day Seattle trip (get this, for work!)  I am opening a lululemon showroom here in the Wood River Valley.  The location is yet to be decided but I have been hitting the pavement and running up my phone bill in the search for a great spot.

Full-time lululemon is now my focus but skiing is still on my mind and schedule.  I am incorporating more yoga, kettle bells, pilates and other group fitness into my routine these days due to lululemon.  I have been loving every minute.

I won't be chasing the circuit this year but plan to do some of my favorite races like the Boulder Mountain Tour, Engadin and the American Birkebeiner to name a few.

If you know of anyone interested in working with lululemon and me (starting September/October), here in Ketchum, send them my way!

Thank you Chandra Crawford (Canadian National Team), for suggesting me to lululemon!  I hope to see you this spring in Sun Valley for LDNs.

GRASS STAINS AND SPLINTERS

Worthington, MA - I am at my folks house this week (sleeping a lot, playing in the woods and getting some dirt under my fingernails). I rehung the rope swing and got a few new calluses from putting it to good use with Lindsey (in the purple).

It has not been ALL fun and games though - I had a job interview, and have another scheduled for tomorrow. Okay, it HAS been all fun and games. It is very exciting, thinking of what you want to be when you grow up. It is even more exciting when you realize you are about to start doing it and in fact, don't have to grow up at all!

Who said you have to stop climbing trees and playing in the brook when you turn 30? I hope nobody, because I am not giving it up in 3 months!

My health continues to improve and I look forward to training again in August. Here is to living it up. Every. Single. Day.

Hanging the rope

REKLESS, PRAXIS & DRIED BLOOD

Ketchum, ID – I caught (read killed) three mice yesterday behind the washing machine. They were so cute, until they ran across my bare foot while washing dishes. Then they were scary. They were scary, until they crept into my room at night. Then they were dead.

Some mice have also been chomping on my strawberries and peas, outside. I asked a neighbor if he had any tricks besides getting a cat – he said dried blood. I said yuck, but went to the garden store and sure enough, they sell it. I guess my garden is no longer vegetarian but then again, neither am I.

These are the kinds of things that I have found myself doing to avoid working out. I have been an athlete for so long, it is all that I know. Ski racing and training have been so much more than a job – it is my social life, my appetite and my sleeping pill. As I continue to take time off, in the hopes of kicking my immune system back into shape, I find myself lost and unsatisfied. What does one do when they don’t have to run for 3 hours in the morning and go to the gym for 2 hours in the afternoon?

I have been studying for the Praxis exams (I am also getting my Netflix money’s worth). I went to school to become an elementary educator (read 4th grade teacher) but I never put down the coin to attain the actual teaching license. 6 years later, I am freshening up on my Piaget and Vygotsky to turn my Vermont recommended license into an Idaho, for real one. Come August I am hoping to be training again and by September, maybe even teaching (and I don’t mean the volunteer kind, although I do love Brad and the kids).

Am I going to be a ski racer next year? Yes. I will always be a skier and even a racer. I am not going to do the circuit however. I am going to try to make some money for a change, get healthy, train on my own and focus more on community races, maybe a marathon or two, three or four also. Yes, I am going to be a master this fall. There, I said it.

I have some ideas and opportunities coming down the pipe too, so stay tuned. My mind changes, about what I want to be when I grow up, daily. For now, I am re-learning Bloom’s Taxonomy and hoping the mice leave me at least ONE strawberry this summer!

Oh, and I am going to a Reckless Kelly concert on Saturday (favorite song) and found some morel mushrooms. Have a great 4th everyone!

RUN, BIKE, HIKE & RODEO

Ketcum, ID - I ran the Sawtooth Relay and then slept for 14 hours for the three nights following. I did the Wood River Cup short-track mountain bike race and then slept for 13 hours and woke with a cough. I went to the Mackay Rodeo and danced all night long with cowboys before promptly taking a 5-hour nap followed by a full night's sleep...

Sawtooth Relay, Team Heaven and Heli

I am clearly not listening to the obvious signs that my body is still under the weather but it is finally spring and there are so many fun things to do! I am going in for more blood work today to see if maybe I still have mono (since January) and booking a flight home, to sea-level, for some un-distracted R&R.

Enjoying the sun at the top of Dragon's Back, Ketchum

Pio Cabin - should have brought my skis

STILL SNOW[ING]

Ketchum, ID - I tried to hike to Pioneer Cabin last week without luck. After struggling across the first snow-field, sinking up past my bare knees and keeping an eye on the dark clouds rolling ever closer, I called it a hike.

The final view on that jaunt is incredible and I was disappointed that I was unable to share it with my visiting friend. There is plenty to enjoy in the valley, regardless of the new snow in the mountains. Check here for the latest trail updates in the Wood River Valley.

Whoville from Dollar's backside

I competed in last weeks Wood River Cup, short-track mountain bike race but lost track of time this afternoon and have missed this evening's adventure. I will have to catch the train again next week. The Sawtooth Relay is coming up Saturday and my first leg, including 1,331" elevation gain over 5.35 miles, should be killer (hopefully not literally). Ending at 8,701" ain't no thang... right?

Last night's dinner included the first harvest of lettuce from my garden (Ketchum) so spring has sprung, regardless of the continued rain.

Living it up, Kate

T-SHIRTS & 5Ks!

Hailey, ID - Girls on the run had their final 5k race today. They endured the wind and the cold with sporadic precipitation that ranged from sleet and snow to rain, interspersed with blasts of sun! Great job to all who participated - way to complete a great goal!

In other news, I continue to work with the 5th graders in Brad Stansberry's class at Hemingway Elementary. Last week brought ITA shirts to the entire gang. Always taking the opportunity to ham it up in front of the camera, proceed below for images from the past week.

A bit of logo posing

Pretty girls...

...and tough boys.

Hands in the air for "happy hair"

There always has to be a silly picture!

Adorned with "happy hair" from Goodie

Girls get beads for every kilometer they complete!

Although it is actually snowing outside, they say that spring is here (or was). Regardless, I have a bunch of fun stuff planned for this year so stay tuned. A potential weekly 5k, adventure races and training groups. Stay tuned and stay warm, burrrrr!

ELK

Spring means lots of change. Flowers grow, we clean out our junk and have yard sales and SOME people, who hunt, give away their 2008 elk to make room for the 2010!

One persons left overs are my lunch for the next 2 months. Nice. When I lived in Maine, at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle, people use to drop food off to us. The pro athletes had been adopted by the community and we would come home from a 6 hour hike to find 50 lbs of potatoes on our doorstep, or a gallon of peanut butter. It was awesome. The Star City knew how to embrace it's athletes!

It has been 4 years since I have lived in Maine, but on my visit to Montana last week I was the grateful recipient of some elk burger meat. The stuff is so lean that you have to add an egg if you want it to be a paddy! So far I have made elk goulash with shepherd's pie on the to-do list for today.

Thank you to all who have supported me over the years. Mike and Jan, thank you for Saturday night! I am a lucky girl to have people who care for me.

Talking at Career Day, Potomac, MT 7th grade

APRIL

Ketchum, ID - If spring has sprung, and my flowers are in bloom, then why is there snow in the forecast? Regardless of the weather, the town feels the season change and is gearing up for the next sport.

For me, spring means mountain biking, trail running, swimming and strength training. I ride for a local woman's team, Mud Honey and the trails are already clear down in Hailey! For a full report of local trail conditions for riding and running, check here.

More on my mind and lots of cool stuff starting up here in Idaho so stay tuned. Girls on the Run is in full swing and practicing for our 5k that will occur on May 22nd so mark your calendars for that one!

Tuesday Night Rain/Snow Likely Lo 27 °F

Wednesday Chance Rain/Snow Hi 42 °F

Wednesday Night Chance Snow Lo 20 °F

Thursday Chance Rain/Snow Hi 41 °F

Thursday Night Chance Snow Lo 24 °F

The frightful fate of my tulips and hyacinth

LOCAL 237

There is still some great skiing to be had, here in Ketchum, Idaho! Hawaiian Nationals concluded the Sun Valley telemark series this weekend and the gang sent one of our finest back to work.

When you play as hard as people in this valley do, you either need to rely on multiple jobs or else have a fund of sorts. My buddies and I belong to that first group of workers and we play as hard as the next, if not harder... but work has its place too.

The gang takes a breather at Roundhouse, Bald Mtn.

I just dropped Kent at the airport, who played with us all winter long. He chooses to separate his work from play. Being part of Union 237 Boilermakers, Kent is about to start 8 weeks of 7-12s. Yeah, that is 12 hours/day, 7 days/week... for 56 days! Yikes.

Get it done Kent and then get back here to play!

Kent, Mike & Brian: recreating after recreation

I am one of the few who has been lucky enough to have a job that duels as play, and work is about to begin again. Although there is snow in the mountains, the bike paths are cleared to roll and the single track will be close behind. I am getting my personal trainers certification this spring, studying German and staying focused on living it up, every single day. I hope you guys are doing the same!

Kate and the boys: another great day in the mountains!

OPENING DAY

Brie & me with Galena at our back

Spring has always been a time for change and a time for play. My flowers (now 4 inches tall) are somehow weathering the frost and snow each night and my legs (miraculously) are still supporting me after 6 days of skiing powder. I love life and I am living it up, happily!

Kate U's birthday cruise, Alturas Lake, ID

I still have the residue of sickness in my chest but my heart is happy and healthy! My car is still having trouble and I am flirting with sending Justy to car heaven (appropriate on this Easter Sunday). I am studying for my personal trainers certificate and look forward to regular scheduled training again soon. People in the Wood River Valley are already on their road bikes but I am sticking to the snow for now. That time will come and I can wait for it (translation: fair-weather biker).

This is Idaho. Yes please.

More regular updates to come. Happy Birthday little brother (yesterday), mom (Tuesday) and of course Go Sox!

SPRING FORWARD

Spring has come with an hour lost - good thing I got a solid 10 hours sleep, regardless. Bad thing that my tulips, crocus and hyacinth have already started to come up (I told them not to). They now have 5 inches of snow over them.

Me and the boys (Cam, Billy, Kent, Brian & Mike)

I have had the chance this spring to get up on the hill with my buddies and spend some extra time with my 5th graders. I still have fatigue and a sporadic chest cough from my virus (2 months running) but I am okay with taking the extended break. After 6 solid years of ski training and racing, I need a bit more than 2 weeks off this spring.

I hiked powder yesterday with a girl friend (Kate Underwood) and am paying the price today (hence sleeping until 10 and waking up coughing again). I am hot tub bound with my pot of green tea to soak up some of this Sun Valley sun momentarily.

With the spring comes cleaning and maintaining. My car, Justy, is in the shop. Some water has leaked into the dash and has made some of the circuits wonky. I am not fixing that however - what I am fixing is the gas leak. Loose circuits don't play nice with gas leaks (that's the college education talking). So Justy (pictured below) is getting a new gas tank. Unfortunately they don't make a 7.5-gallon Justy tank from 1988 anymore (the nerve, I know) so he is getting a 5-gallon bladder. The 11-gallon, which would have been SWEET on our 52 mpg streak wouldn't fit. I will still be able to go over 250 miles on a tank and since Justy is a bit beyond long off-road adventures currently, I think we will be okay.

Kate + Justy forever: a portrait by brother Jake

I am also moving, as you know from my post previous. I have visited Aspen, Carbondale, Crested Butte and Boulder from Colorado; Bozeman, Livingston, Billings and Red Lodge (I love Red Lodge) from Montana. On my list of considerations are also the Burlington area of Vermont and... well, I am trying to narrow it down. Thank you for all of the suggestions (comments, emails and phone calls alike).

More to come as it becomes clear to me. Until then, enjoy everyday like it's your last - It's spring-time baby!

TOUR OF CO

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado, I decided to make the trip regardless.

I coached, cheered and supported at xc and alpine events alike for the past two weeks with little improvement to the rumbling in my chest. I thought I was crawling out of the hole for the past few days - until this morning. Coming back to Ketchum, I have been notified of a virus that a large portion of the local population is housing. I talked to 4-weekers, 7, like myself and even heard wind of a 2-month tour of this thing. So I have something to look forward to, which is nice.

Crested Butte - Prader Cup athletes sporting new lids!

I am trying to take this downtime, not only as my body frantically waving the white flag for me to give it a break, but to find my next path. I am unsure if graduate school, work or a combo is in my future. One thing I am certain of is the need for a new location.

I heart Ketchum. I mean L-O-V-E it, for real. For the last 3 years, however I have been either sick or injured. I am taking it at face value that possibly the altitude is one too many stressors for my body to deal with. I am in search of lower ground.

Keeping warm and waiting for awards

Last week I scoped out Colorado. I was in Aspen, Carbondale, Crested Butte and Vail (all of which don't cure the altitude issue) as well as Boulder, which is currently front-running on movable places. Today I head to Montana.

Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are eastern states that I am considering. I flirted with Oregon for a moment but was hard pressed to find adequate schooling in acceptable proximity to snow, as I want to continue to train but take a break from chasing the circuit for a few years.

Feeling mildly lost, but excited about the possibilities, I will throw it out to you guys - Any ideas?

WATCHING THE OWL

Aspen, CO - Although teammates and friends were out there chasing... today I was a spectator of the Owl Creek Chase marathon. The face of a happy skier, Christi Small of Carbondale, CO (left). Below, Teammates Nicole De Yong and Mikey Sinnott celebrate Nicole's victory!


Congratulations to the US Nordic Combiners today in BC as well as to Canada for their first GOLD!

A good looking men's podium this Saint Valentine's day

I am still down with my 2010 virus, btw. Tired, underweight and coughing, I am ready to admit that my season is officially over. So it goes, so it goes.

To all those racing in tomorrow's 10/15k skate in Whistler - get some! To my roommate on his first Olympic start (with many to come) do your bib proud!

XOXO kate

HORIZONTAL

Ketchum, my own bed, Idaho - I got sick a while back (right after AK) and it hung on for a while. I would feel better and ski, get sick again and rest, repeat.

As the Boulder Mountain Tour gets closer, my hometown marathon here in Ketchum, I decided to go back to the doctor one last time to get a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to race.

15 minutes, 3 prescriptions and 4 rented movies later, I am back to being horizontal. The diagnosis is not good. If you can name it, I probably have it. My doctor stopped at bronchitis, walking pneumonia and a sinus infection. No wonder I have had to drag myself out of bed after sleeping 12+ hour each night. My body has officially thrown in the towel.

The crazy part is that besides ears that hurt and sleeping a lot, I don't feel that terrible. I am hoping to be back on my feet after all of these drugs kick into gear!

I took a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner last night with my Fischer rep, Brian. We almost ran over Marit Bjorgen with the horses (don't worry, we missed her). I guess the Norwegian team is skipping the World Cups, staying put and training for Vancouver. Good luck to the gang up in Canmore!

Until I have something more positive to report, be well!
`kate

VERTICAL

My computer hard drive broke and I lost everything. Ever picture since moving to Idaho, every video, all of my music. I will chalk it up to an involuntary and early, yet probably necessary spring cleaning. It is what it is, so I won't dwell.

I did find two images from Fast and Female on my camera, so I guess I can't say that I don't have ANY images left.

Kikkan (shown below with the mic and pink head-band) put together a great day of skiing for over 300 Alaskan girls! I was lucky enough to be asked to help coach for the day and played tunnel tag for 2 hours, as the Fast and Female groups rotated through my station.

Kikkan, leading a post-ski Q&A

This is what PART of the gang looked like!

My season goals have changed. I did not make the Olympics or the Canadian world cups. With my best Super Tour finish being a 5th and National finish a 7th, it seems I did not have enough time after injury to recover fitness to the level necessary to attain my original goals. All is not lost, however. I have a full marathon season ahead, a local Nordic Festival in Ketchum and the chance to get up on the alpine hill a few days in the sun.

Still one of the luckiest kids in the world,
`Kate

The final day.

Hey all, my computer is broken so this is the final update from the road (thanks for the use of your MacBook, Sim). I need to re-boot, says the World Wide Web, with one of the discs that I have at home. I am crossing my fingers that the blinking file folder with the question mark inside, that never goes away, will go away and return all of my files to where I left them...

In other news, it is warm in Alaska. We had lots of new snow during the mass start classic races, which made for some difficult waxing.

I usually force a positive update when I am feeling less than positive but I am over it. I have had a terrible season, a pathetic Nationals and I am going home salty - that is the truth. The broken computer just tops it.

Tomorrow is a new day however, another race and I will be charging. Fast and Female on Saturday will be SUPER fun too. Night.

NATIONAL CHAMPION!

...at least my roommate is!

Simi, in the red and white suit, lead almost the entire race - from qualifier through the heats. Just in time for rent too!

Not a bad crowd for a XC race. Way to go AK!

Into the finish... WAY into it!

Here is a cool link to the weather at the race venue. 10/15k skate tomorrow. Weather could be vastly different from today so I won't waste my time testing skis. An easy classic around the course to recover and prepare is on my docket today. Until tomorrow, `kate