Fit-Pic: Hello Winter!

We've had everything from below freezing temperatures to balmy spring-like days this winter. People running in shorts along the Lakefront in December. Crowds walking and riding bikes last Friday when the temperatures soared near 60. Me actually running in January--and not on the treadmill. Trust me, this never happens. But if look out the window today, snow is falling from the sky, not just leaving a dusting like it did at New Year's but layering the ground enough to freak out drivers, delay flights and leave the bikes on the racks.

I'm glad I'm not the owner of this bike. What a mess to dig out! But that's winter, right?

Next Stop, Ski Country

Put me on the next plane to Denver, Salt Lake City or Reno. Please! I have the powder flu--that itching, burning feeling where you yearn to blow off work, make a beeline for the roads taking you straight into the mountains, click into those ski bindings, and hit the slopes for what sounds like knee-deep powder.  But there's no remedy for this ailment when you're living in the flatlands of Illinois and the Midwest's temperatures have skyrocketed to near record-setting levels--even a trip to Wisconsin on the ski bus is out of the question, at least for this ski snob.

I'm dying here in Chicago, quite literally. It's snowing, nay, dumping, in the mountains, and I'm stuck in the land of wild temperature swings, melting snow, and gale-force winds. Sure, I like swapping out my heavy layers and commuting by bike instead of by foot, but that snow is calling my name. First Lake Tahoe. Then Utah. Then Colorado. I've seen the pictures on Facebook to prove it. And the storms aren't done yet. Take a look at these snow stats:

Lake Tahoe
By Thursday morning, Northstar-at-Tahoe reported 32 inches. On the south side of the lake, Heavenly counted 21 inches. Back to the north side and Squaw Valley USA was also sporting about a three-foot snowfall. I had been taught last winter that a good Lake Tahoe storm meant at least a foot, but I still can't fathom skiing, or seeing, nearly three feet of snow falling in a 24-hour period. And for a place that had been quiet about reporting snowfalls, which tends to mean they're not coming at the levels snow-seekers are used to, this was needed.

Utah
If you don't want to be tempted by the "greatest snow on Earth," don't follow the Ski Utah Yeti. This friendly snow creature only makes the powder flu worse from far away when he tells you it's monster dumping in the mountains or warns of an impending snowfall. This time around resrots from Alta to Brighton to The Canyons sported at least 8 inches of snow with more on the way.

Colorado
Every time there's a snowfall this season, Colorado resorts post pictures, especially Snow.com (here and here). For this girl, who would trade digs in a second with anyone living in this state, those pictures make it even tougher to be stuck in Chicago. I may be heading out west to ski next week but Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail are already calling my name. Their storms are only starting but how in the world does it snow three inches an hour at Beaver Creek? If I-70 is open Friday morning, I'm willing to put money on the numbers ditching work for a three-day--or four-day if Monday is already scheduled off--weekend.

Jealous yet? I am. I wish I had a Presidents' Day Weekend out of town--it'd be a good one with all the snow and even better to practice those powder skills. Instead, I'll be waxing and sharpening my skis and doing my snow dance for next weekend.

Who's out there skiing?

Photo of Beaver Creek's three inches an hour grabbed from Snow.com's Facebook page.

Fit-Pic: No Running Outside

Chicago's 2011 blizzard sent people packing for home midday. It canceled classes--yoga, fitness, universities--and even the Chicago Public Schools, which NEVER close. It stranded passengers on trains and buses for far longer than usual, and it shut down Lake Shore Drive. Yes, that's right, it was an absolute parking lot, there's a slightly blurry photo below to prove it. But my favorite sighting from the night was the sign telling me that I wouldn't be able to run, walk or trek on the Lakefront Path. Unless it's the weekend of the Air and Water Show, when you don't want to run through the hordes, does a foot path ever close? Even the gym was open normal hours...no complaints there, since I skipped my Monday workout and hoped to make up on Tuesday, snow and all. What crazy--or not so crazy--activity did you do during this snowstorm?

Fit-Q: Is Chicago Really Going to Get a Blizzard?

I should be happy that the snowstorms have skipped Chicago this winter. While the powder dumps have found Atlanta, New England, New York City, D.C., Colorado and Utah, I have yet to witness a storm that shuts down the city. I take that back--I have yet to witness a storm that garners enough snow for me to break out my snowshoes. Even the snowfall the night of the Lunar Run wasn't enough.

But this time the snow is supposedly coming. Round one is expected tonight, then round two--the larger one--is predicted for tomorrow night, and we're supposed to wake up Wednesday to a white winter wonderland. The talk around town is that Chicago's going to get one its biggest snowfalls ever! But I'm ever the pessimist and thinking that this 3-inches-per-hour really isn't going to happen.

So here's the deal. Guess how many inches of snow the Windy City will actually get with the survey below or in the comments section. And if Chicago really does wake up Wednesday to an epic snowfall, how are you going to spend your snow day?

poll by twiigs.com

The Daily Feed: Sites We're Searching 1/31

I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I'm back to the grind this Monday. I crossed off items from the weekend checklist, got in my workouts even though it took a little kicking and screaming to get it done on Sunday, and caught up with friends--something that commonly falls through simply because we've both run out of time. But my computer was on the fritz--AGAIN!--and I'm praying it behaves this week, my internet connection randomly went out too many times to count, and instead of feeling fresh for the week I'm already dragging. While I haven't found the secret to perking up my energy stores, my eyes did perk up to a few bits I found online during this morning's random browsing session. Check it:

• If you're eating lunch at your desk today, head over to Be Present's website to save on some shopping. From 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. mountain time, shoppers can save 20 percent on their orders just by entering the code lunchsalebp.
• You'll find Lindsey Vonn on the cover of FITNESS magazine's February issue, but The Ski Channel shares some of that interview here. Don't discount picking up the magazine either--Vonn lists her favorite flat belly tips and more.
• Aw...looks like Ryan and Sara Hall are both running victory laps after impressive finishes at their races this weekend. Go Team Hall! Ryan finished second in the Houston Marathon, while Sara won the 1500m at the Millrose Games.
• Looks like a storm is a-brewin' in the Midwest. Weather predictions are calling for Chicago-style snowpocalypse, which means I finally might be able to drag my snowshoes out of the closet for the season.
• Just in case Chicago really is blanketed in snow Wednesday morning, why not get in your run tonight at Universal Sole's Puma FAAS Predictor Run?
• Or if your running technique's not up to par, grab one of the few spots left for Thursday's Good Form running clinic at Fleet Feet Sports Chicago. It'll change the way you run--even if you've gained all the speed you're going to get and harnessed a technique that works for you.

What news or links caught your eye today?



Photo grabbed from Paolo Signorini at flickr.

Fit-Pic: Hey Hey, Powder Day

What a difference a year makes. Last winter, Vail was begging for snow. When I visited in late February, the locals said we couldn't have timed our trip better because the skies finally poured much-needed white powder onto the mountains. Now skiers are practically wading in the freshies. Bruce Ruff enjoyed a blue sky powder day at Vail Mountain, making fresh tracks after the recent 10-inch snowfall. 

Here's my question: What run do you think Ruff is skiing? While it's definitely not easy to tell--and I honestly don't know the answer--the trees in the background coupled with the slope could be a giveaway to those who ski Vail regularly. I keep thinking I've seen those trees before, except I can't pinpoint where on a mountain that has 5,289 acres to ski. My suggestion: Faro or Ouzo that spill into the Game Creek Bowl. Challenge it!


Photo courtesy of Vail Resorts and taken by Jack Affleck.

Snow Way! Work Up a Sweat after the Snow Storm

Call it Snowpacalypse. Name it Snowmageddon. Dub it a blizzard that hit an area that might see three feet of snow across an entire winter--and even that's doubtful--not 30-plus inches of snow in 24 hours. But the snowfall doesn't have to mean you're cooped up indoors until the roads are cleared. Sure the snow puts a damper on grocery shopping--my brother-in-law reported that the shelves were bare on Friday--and may keep you from the gym for a day or two, but it only livens up the outdoor activities.

And it makes me jealous: Chicago's been pretty devoid of snow lately aside from a few flurries and I still have a few weeks before returning to ski country, so this powder hound was plotting how she'd spend a snow day. I'm big on lists these days, sorry, and almost set out to share my suggestions for activities that could give you a calorie burning workout without heading to the gym, stuff I wish I could be doing if I had snow to play in. But the D.C. peeps beat me to the punch as these pictures prove and were already making the most of the record snowfall. Even some of my seemingly far-fetched ideas were not so out there. The snowfall brought any and every pursuit out of the woodwork, including those that don't work as well in the snow:

Snowmen, snow forts and snowballs, oh my! It's almost too easy to hearken back to being a kid and making all three of these after a big snowfall. But back then you probably didn't think about their metabolic benefits. DuPont Circle hosted a snowball fight initially promoted through Facebook and other social networking sites. The chasing, dodging and tossing immediately gets the blood rushing. Rolling snowballs--the bigger the better--works the legs and the arms, especially when you have to push your entire body into it to get it to move.

Snowboarding. I couldn't believe this picture from Rock Creek Park: Mason Calhoun took his snowboard out for a ride in the park. It might not be the best vertical, but what is when you're in the capital and usually have to go to West Virginia or Pennsylvania for decent skiing and riding?

Nordic tour through the city. I always joke that I'll cross-country ski or snowshoe to the grocery store if the roads are bad and I don't want to walk on the unshoveled and unsalted sidewalk. While Chicago hasn't had the snowfall to let me do it, someone did use his skis to reach the White House. Cross-country skiing is always reported as being one of the best cardio exercises available and can torch more than 500 calories per hour. It's not every day that you can click into your skis or strap on your snowshoes at your front door and go for a tour--forget driving to a park.

Snow running. OK, there's really nothing special to snow running, I'm just giving running a fancy name because of the conditions endured. A little snow usually doesn't stop runners from getting outside too move the legs, often quoting it beats the treadmill. But many might agree that 30 inches is just too much. Alas, not true for the lululemon running group at the Logan Circle location. They left at 10 a.m. for a fun run through the snow and made the running look easy. It doesn't even look like they have grippers like Yaktrax over the soles to prevent slippage on the snow.

Snow biking. I hope this name isn't trademarked for the activity popularized at ski resorts--a bike-like frame where the wheels are replaced with skis--since that's the only way I can describe
pedaling mountain bikes through the snow. A Facebook friend found two to six inches of hard pack on the streets and said it was "So. Much. Fun." His status is awesome: "Those of you in the DC area of the two-wheeled persuasion, if you haven't gotten out yet, go grab your fat-tire bike. You won't regret it." 'Nuf said. (Note: this was added Feb. 7 after the snow had settled.)

Almost forgot the other winter favorite: sledding. It might not offer as much exercise as running or biking but it's just as fun--or more with the snow flying up around you. And you still have to run up the hill after each run--instant workout.

Make the most of a snowstorm and get outside. Your body will thank you for it. Or you could trek to the store to pillage for food...with an hour and a half line at one Whole Foods, that's easily an adventure in itself. Photos grabbed from theqspeaks and Kurlylox1 at flickr.com, Elyse Braner and Bruce Buckley. Posted by Kate

Fit-Pic: Skier's Paradise

Fresh powder in the Daly Chutes of Empire Canyon at Deer Valley Ski Resort and a skier who's about to bite it. Photo by Vishal Verma.

Chicago and most of the Midwest got hit pretty hard with a snowstorm on Friday and Saturday. My friends wrecked their car driving up to Alpine Valley to hit the slopes when it landed in a ditch, and I was too nervous to take the car out even to drive a few miles north to trek in my snowshoes along the Lakefront. But when a friend sent this picture reminding me of our times at Deer Valley, I thought it was snow-worthy. And it is far more action-packed than a serene shot of Lakefront scenery captured on my own camera. Posted by Kate