Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Epic Pass Deadline Extended

Vail, you're too nice. For all the procrastinators out there, snow.com announced that the deadline for purchasing an Epic Pass, one of the five season pass options for skiing seven resorts in Colorado and Lake Tahoe, has been extended. Instead of being left out in the cold by not purchasing your pass before the clock struck November 30, skiers and snowboarders now have until December 5 to add a pass to their online shopping cart. 

Ooh, six more days to decide? It's almost too good to be true, considering I forgot last year's deadline, forgot to badger husband to buy a pass and then forgot that he wouldn't want to ski as often as me as a result. I know what I'd be adding to my Christmas wish list if our TV didn't break two weeks ago--I'd be going Epic. Skiing through winter certainly beats suffering through it in the Windy City. But even that doesn't have to be the case this winter with a Chicago to Vail deal if you travel between January 8 and February 17, and book your trip by next Monday. Check out all the details if you're like me and can't tolerate Midwest skiing. Or rather the 30 seconds or less it takes to ski down the run followed by the 15-minute lift line.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Score a Skiing Season Pass Before It's Too Late

I like to ski...a lot. I also like to save money though that's more because my sporty pursuits can put a real dent in the wallet...and on the credit card...and in the savings account. Well, not exactly. It's really so I can ski again, and again, and again. And when you live 1,000 miles from a ski destination, it's those other costs--flight, transportation, eating out, and lodging--that start to add up. Sound familiar?

Maybe you've debated over where you want to spend your winter skiing--and how long and when. Maybe you've tried to talk yourself out of the need for a season pass. Maybe you've been trying to tack on more ski days to your upcoming schedule to justify the need for a season pass. Maybe you've been saving your pennies waiting until the last possible second to pull the trigger on buying your season pass. But you know you want one, and you know you can't go a season without skiing, and you know you can't, or shouldn't, spend top dollar to make those turns in your favorite powder stashes (that's me). Whatever your excuse is for not currently having an Epic Pass in your arsenal for the 2011-2012 season, aside from living closer to another mountain in say Montana or Wyoming or Utah, your time is about to expire.

The deadline to purchase one of the five Epic Pass options to ski seven resorts in Colorado and around Lake Tahoe--Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Heavenly, Keystone, Northstar, Vail, and Arapahoe Basin (not owned by Vail Resorts but still just as awesome to have in the mix)--is today, November 29. And if you don't decide by midnight tonight, you're truly SOL because that means you have to buy lift tickets per time, which can add up if you plan to ski more than seven days at one or all seven of these mountains. Ouch.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Divorce for Lindsey Vonn? Reports Say Yes

I thought it was a hoax. I read a tweet from The Ski Channel and shook my head in disbelief. It sounded too false to be true, if that even makes sense. Lindsey Vonn? Single? Soon? What am I reading?

But when you click on The Ski Channel's link, you'll realize that it actually is true. That skiing's golden girl, Lindsey Vonn, is getting divorced. Wait, what? Say that again.

Lindsey Vonn and her husband of four years, Thomas Vonn, are getting divorced according to a statement provided to The Associated Press and later revealed at The Ski Channel. Thomas Vonn wrote in an email to the AP that he filed for divorce last Monday, according to the article. The couple got married at the Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley on September 29, 2007, and Lindsey subsequently took her husband's surname, and the world started calling her Lindsey Vonn instead of Lindsey Kildow.

Thomas is a skier himself, also competing on the U.S. Ski Team and finishing ninth in the Super-G at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Park City. Lately he's served as Lindsey's chief adviser, helping her focus on skiing while he coordinated interviews and logistics, and provided tips on the race course. That also includes accompanying her to appearances and events as I met skiing's power couple when Lindsey threw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field (wow, was that really two years ago?).

As of right now, Lindsey isn't letting her personal life stop her skiing life. Or at least not too much. She still plans to be coached by the U.S. Ski Team and race the World Cup circuit for the season. And sure, it was tape-delayed, but she was on Universal Sports' ski coverage yesterday afternoon.

I can only wonder about celebrity status and marriage meltdowns. Like A-listers in Hollywood, maybe this marriage had too much time in the limelight?

Read more about this news at ABC News and ESPN


Photo grabbed from Vail Resorts and credited to Jack Affleck.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Gobble, Gobble: Run a Turkey Trot

Is it just me, or does it seem a little odd that we're boarding planes to see family near and far, buying turkeys and all the fixings, and watching the holiday decor turn on around the city? While the marathon seems like it was ages ago (even more than the month and a half that it actually has been) and my last 5K feels long forgotten (maybe that's attributed to the fact that I have no chocolate leftovers), I'm still in disbelief that it's practically Thanksgiving and I'll be chowing down on turkey, er turducken as far as tradition goes in my house, in two days time. But this year, I'm hoping to add another activity to the mix and hope that it finally sticks enough to become a tradition: the Turkey Trot.

Getting in a sweat session on Thanksgiving, or any holiday? That's a given: I can't remember a time where I didn't run around outside with my cousins, hike the hill near their house, run along the Lakefront or through my parents' neighborhood, sneak into the secret Spinning class at the gym, or push my way into a crowded yoga studio for a detox class. Besides, it gives me extra justification for the holiday smorgasbord. Healthy or not, you'll find me indulging on the holiday desserts that I swear I have a second stomach for, after stuffing myself full of turducken, green beans and sweet potato.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Time to Think Soldier Field 10 for 2012

It's the end of the work week--TGIF. It's Veteran's Day--thank you to those who've served our country. It's 11-11-11, a date that we're not going to see for another 100 years. All of these are great to celebrate, but here's something to get runners excited and set to start planning for 2012: registration for the Soldier Field 10 Mile race opens today.

The race that's held over Memorial Day Weekend and at Soldier Field has veteran spirit written all over it, so it's only appropriate that this Chicago favorite starts registration on Veteran's Day. Plus it's perfect to get a jump-start to next season whether it's a goal to increase mileage, try a race you've been out of town for before, aim for a PR at the 10-mile distance, you name it. My running mind is excited because I could only watch the 2011 Soldier Field 10, my legs being in no shape to run or even walk the shorter Hut-Hut Hike, let alone 10 miles, even though my mind was ready to go.

Quick details on the race:
  • Runners finish on the 50-yard line at Soldier Field
  • The race will be held Saturday, May 26.
  • The course runs along the Lakefront
  • Finishers receive a medal and special commemorative item, in 2011 it was an awesome stadium blanket.
Ready to register for this race that sells out every year? Check out all the details and get started at soldierfield10.com. I'll be signing up later today, will you?


Photo grabbed from soldierfield10.com.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fit-Pic: Reflective on the Run


I'm usually the person who likes to hang in the background, hopefully going unnoticed. That's not going to happen when I wear this Nike jacket. Unveiled at the Fleet Feet Fall Fashion Show last night, the Vapor Flash Jacket has technology that produces 400-candlepower reflectivity. So much for slipping into the background: We had more than 100 LED lights flashing on us to show just how bright these jackets are when it's pitch black.

It's perfect for running in the dark--and I'd contend that it's even better for biking since I always forget to bring my blinky light with me and can only hope that drivers see me pedaling on the roads. It's bright on one side but reverses to a matte fabric with glow accents so you can tone it down where needed. I really wanted to go home with this jacket (Fleet Feet was kind enough to reward the models with one of the running fashions we sported during the show), but this one was such a hot commodity--and it retails for $300--it had to stay at the store. Christmas is coming...can we say wish list?


Photo courtesy of Lauren Matricardi.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

NYC Marathon Preview: 10 People to Track

The world fires itself up more for the New York City Marathon than pretty much any other race, Boston included. That could be because it draws a crowd larger than Boston's, runners are practically begging to get in year after year with a packed-to-the-hilt lottery, there's always at least one celebrity running it (oh, Katie Holmes, I still remember when you took to the course and People snapped a Star Tracks photo), and it takes runners on a tour through all of New York's boroughs.

I've known that I've wanted to follow the November 6 race for months, even though I hardly know anyone, on a personal level, who's running. But in addition to the speedsters like Meb Keflezighi--and what could be a showdown between Meb and Geb (Gebre Gebremariam)--and Mary Keitany, here's who'll I'll be tracking when the race kicks off Sunday morning and runners start flooding the Verrazano Bridge:

1. Andy Baldwin
2. Kristin Armstrong
3. Mario Lopez
4. Christy Turlington Burns
5. Ryan Sutter
6. Dave Zimmer
7. Mya
8. Ethan Zohn
9. Apolo Ohno
10. Jennie Finch

You might recognize all of these names at the get-go with the exception of one. Dave Zimmer isn't famous in terms of being a reality TV star, a TV host and former Saved by the Bell star, a Runner's World columnist and author, or an Olympic athlete, but he's the owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago so I couldn't help but get excited.

Who do you know who is running the ING New York City Marathon?

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