As the cold front hits Seattle, I am frantically organizing my life around the coming ski season, certainly a problem with a one track mind. Last time I mentioned some new ideas about my approach to fitness and taken the next step to start a new company with a good friend of mine, Christi Masi, founder of the Healthy Bride & Healthy Goddess and all around multi-sport bad-ass. The new venture is NW Athlete, a fitness program based on Rob Shaul’s Mt Athlete for the Northwest and my clients who for years have asked about mountain fitness.
For the last year I have worked out with Crossfit and found a new level of durability and strength to compliment the usual running and climbing. For me, this compliments my new passion in sustainability as this makes all mountain sports a long time pursuit with the knowledge I am doing everything I can for fitness and injury prevention. As Christi asked me for a top ten list, here is what we came up with for our top ten reasons for getting fit for ski season:
1. Because you are tired of skiing the one day tours and want to do a three tram ride day at La Grave or ski off Rainier and still have the stamina for all the beer you can drink afterwards.
2. Your kids are becoming better skiers than you, and you want to blow their minds this year by leaving them in the dust.
3. You are one year older this year and you know you better work at getting in shape so you don’t hurt yourself this year.
4. That trip to Rogers Pass will be WAY more fun if you can ski the mountain top to bottom without stopping.
5. Those new skis will feel lighter if you actually workout a bit more…
6. That couloir/traverse/ski descent just keeps calling to you and THIS is the year!
7. You want strong legs and core anyway.
8. Your BFF is begging you to do it with her.
9. To get your friend to go on BCA Guides trip this season, you have to go.
10. Because you know it will be a great season if you get of the couch and just do it!
With that in mind, an hour a day starting now will get you ready, starting Oct 15 I will start posting workouts you can follow and ask about for the first 8 week periodization program to get you ready for the December opening day!
Cheers,
Matt
Rev Ricky Love
Matt…Rick Winfield here, the email I have for you is bouncing. I think I recognize that pic, did I take it @ Monetier? 🙂 What a great day of skiing that was! Hope you are well my friend!
Matt Schonwald
THx Rick, great to hear from you! It looks good for the Sierra this year, with El Nino in the house. It is your photo, that day is still embedded in my mind as some of the best tree skiing ever!
Maybe we will cross paths again this winter, life is good up in the PNW, how is California?