The Icy Scorpion

So about three weeks ago I decided to take a mental health day and go snowboarding at Donner Ski Ranch.  Even though I hadn't been snowboarding in about 6 years I was excited to get back out there and carve it up.

I got to the ski resort and got my board and ticket and headed up to the top. I figured how hard could it be, it’s just like riding a bike, right? I should have known how the day was going to go as I disembarked the chairlift and immediately crashed it so hard that the lift attendant ran out of the shack and asked with concern, “You Ok dude?, I can call the medics if you need.”  It must have been a sight to see.

I straightened out my head, arms, and legs in a futile attempt to regain some dignity and replied “Thanks, I’m cool, I like to get my wipeouts over with early”. I could tell then that I was going to have a hard day.

The rest of the morning went pretty well, I looked down and could see someone starting to rip up the slope, carving a pretty S patterns across the mountain. “Ok, if that little girl with the Dora board can do it I can too”, I thought to myself. So down I went.

Everything was going pretty good until I built too much speed and caught my front edge. Immediately I launched forward in an impressive display of speed meets gravity. It was truly physics in action.  My face dug in, my arms flailed in a wasted attempt to regain balance; my legs curled back over my back in a circ de soleil contortionist move and I ended up with the board hitting me in the back of the head.  Thus the icy scorpion……

I laid there for a while, assessing the damage. I felt my face turn numb and I began to worry  that I had broken my neck, then I realized that I was simply an idiot for keeping my face in the snow for too long.   I hauled myself out of the burrow I had inadvertently made and looked around to see if there were any pieces of myself left in the snow. Everything seemed to work although I was extremely sore. I then continued down the hill looking around to see if anyone had seen me….Fortunately not.

As the morning went on I got more and more pain in my knee. By the time I met Ruthie and the kids at the hotel in Reno that night I was hobbling like an old man.  Now that it is three weeks later I am back in the saddle trying to keep up with James in the challenge.  The knee still is sore but it works.  Moral of the story, if you are 35 or older, don’t pretend that you are 18. Your mind might tell you that you are young and in good shape, but your body will prove your mind a liar.

Here is an update on my progress. I have lost 10lbs, am feeling pretty good and am back to exercising every day.  We are eating pretty well, and starting to cut meat out. Veggie burgers are actually really good.

In the next post I will describe the deal that James has offered me. I can “buy” more time on the challenge if I need it, it will just come at a high cost to my dignity.