Skiing's Open Season: Where to Ski This Weekend

If there's one thing that makes cold weather and snow tolerable, it's skiing. You won't find me layered head to toe running on the Lakefront Path very often (I'm a mostly treadmill girl once it dips below 30), but I will bundle up--handwarmers, four shirts and all--to carve turns on the snow. The ski season may have started off slow with Keystone and Breckenridge having to postpone their opening dates, but it's certainly getting into full swing now.

Skiers were treated to epic conditions at Breckenridge, Winter Park and Wolf Creek (we heard Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta, Canada, was pretty good too). You can thank the storm that blanketed ski country with much-needed snow in time for last weekend's resort openings. But lucky for you (and me since I think I'm hitting up one of Colorado's finest on Sunday), the colder weather that stuck around is making this weekend's openings equally as amazing.

Here's where you'll want to make some tracks before the family comes to town for Thanksgiving.

One Day, One Low Price: Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Offers Discount Today Only

Credit

What's a common complaint among runners? That race registration fees can get expensive. Multiple 5Ks, 10-milers and half marathons that are creeping toward $100 (or more), marathons that are at least $100 (or more than $200 if you're running NYC).  When you run a lot of races, you start to feel like you're getting bled dry on the fees alone. So if you could save some dough and not pay top dollar for a race you think you'll run next year, wouldn't you take it? Of course! Here's your chance.

Today the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series launched #MyRnRTour, a new interactive race calendar planning tool for its 2015 races. To celebrate, the series is giving runners a hefty one-day discount on its race registrations where runners can register for Rock 'n' Roll series races for as low as $59 in select cities. Instead of costing upwards of $100 (if you drag your feet on registering, that is), the 2015 HumanaVitality Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon costs $70 while its accompanying 5K costs $35--an offer good only on November 20. The 2015 race will be held the weekend of July 18-19 in downtown Chicago featuring local bands blasting tunes along the course and concluding with a headliner concert at the finish line.

Fit-Pic: Winter is Coming!

Snow on the peaks of Crested Butte? Sure, it's only October (barely), but three inches of fresh snow this time of year is not an un-welcome sight in Colorado. When the rest of the country curses the snow, Colorado, its Rocky Mountain towns especially, embrace it.

And why? Because it means that winter--and skiing all that snow--is coming. Fall colors might be lovely to look at (this coming from the girl who wasn't even a fan of the rich yellow, orange and red hues until a weekend in Aspen changed that), but bare trees and snow piled as high as the rooftops signal a season that's more fun to play in. And knowing that Crested Butte Mountain Resort, and other Colorado resorts who shared pictures on social media, got some snow makes the cooler weather and switch from shorts to pants more tolerable for this girl. I might savor every last bit of summer, but skiing keeps me sane in winter.

Who else is ready to hit the slopes? Fifty-four days and counting if you're waiting for Crested Butte's free skiing when it opens on November 26, the day before Thanksgiving.

Photo looking at Paradise Divide shot by Chris Segal and provided by Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

A New Kinda Girls' Night Out...with New Balance

Better get these laced and ready for Wednesday!

There are a lot of things I could be doing on a Wednesday night...actually cooking dinner for once instead of tossing together a salad (or grabbing something at the store), watching the new Top Chef Duels, catching up on the ever-growing errand list, or putting in some QT in the pool, on the bike or out on the trail.

But what's unfortunate about these options is that they're all activities I'd be doing alone. And while sometimes we all like a little alone time, I get enough of that other times of the year--like nights when my husband's on call. Besides, it doesn't take much arm-twisting when a night out involves fitness. Maybe when I have to drive there, but not when it's only a short bike ride away.

So when I heard about New Balance Chicago's new Girls' Night Out, I knew what I'd be doing on Wednesday, August 13. Question is: who wants to join me?

Fit-Pic: The Green Miles

I wish I could say that this trail blazer was me, but I can only dream of tackling this trail--a gem of one, if I might add--in Crested Butte, Colorado. You see, it was my husband who texted me this photo from the mountain town we fell in love with back in March during a ski weekend (as for the trail name, I'm drawing a complete blank on what he called it.) He was doing the mountain biking, and he "kindly" wanted to show me what I was missing as I chugged along on the trainer logging those Ironman miles. Judging from the picture, CB is as awesome in the summer as it is in the winter.

Jealous? Absolutely. Not only does the greenery stretch for miles, but the trail doesn't look too rugged for these terrible-at-mountain-biking legs. Even though the saddle on my mountain bike is about the most uncomfortable thing ever (that's what a bike upgrade complete with new Adamo saddle will teach you), I probably would have sucked it up just to avoid the hours I was pedaling...indoors. Not by choice on that trainer sesh, mind you, but it was the best option I had in southeast Michigan where I was spending the weekend. And I definitely could have taken a slice, or two or three, of pizza from The Secret Stash after my ride. There's always next year. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.