Hey there friends! I hope everyone had an awesome three-day weekend. I traveled up north to Stratton, VT late Thursday night so I was out of reception till today which can be really nice, but also leaves me anxious to get on and be able to share with you guys again. My weekend was full of family, laughs, and beautiful weather surrounded by the gorgeous foliage that Vermont has to offer this time of year. It was also full of some awesome challenges… physical challenges. Friday, Timmy and I woke up (relatively very late for us, which was kinda awesome) ate a big bowl of oatmeal and headed out on our bikes for a ride. The terrain was clearly much hillier than what we get on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The challenge in climbing was so satisfying, one climb after the next, with a few long descents along the way. Can’t underestimate the altitude. The change in altitude is no joke. Exposure to high altitude can theoretically improve an athlete’s capacity to exercise. Exposing the body to high altitude causes it to acclimatize to the lower level of oxygen available in the atmosphere. Many of the changes that occur with acclimatization improve the delivery of oxygen to the muscles -the theory being that more oxygen will lead to better performance. You begin to understand how much the change in altitude really does increase the Effort required for the body to perform. All I could imagine during our weekend was how strong we would be if we trained regularly in such an environment. Saturday we took a “rest” day and went over to the Bromley Mt. Alpine Slide. Its basically an opportunity for any adult to take a trip back to their childhood for 3 or so minutes and rip down the mountain on a plastic slide, in and out of the ski slopes, trees and beautiful sights. SO FUN. And then came Sunday… The morning of the North Face Race to the Summit ...or I would rather call it the Stratton Torture Fest.At 9:30am we lined up at the start line at the base of Stratton Mt and when the gun went off so did we. Charging straight up Lower Standard-Interstate-Drifter...2.1 miles up to the summit. That may not sound like a very long way to go, but don't let the distance fool you. About 1.5 minutes into it, your heart rate is pinned at about 175 bpm as you climb/run one foot in front of the other racing to the top. During the race there were a few things on my mind... 1st, "What the hell was I thinking signing up for this again?!"... "Are we there yet?!" and "You can do this Kat, don't give up!" 40 minutes later I sprinted over the finish line to later find out that I placed 3rd! I still cant believe it... Later on after the Patriots game, we headed back over to Stratton Mt. to step back in time with Timmy and catch a Grateful Dead cover band, Dark Star Orchestra, that was performing at the mountain as part of the Columbus Day weekend festivities. It was so fun! I was never a "Dead Head," but it was so fun to watch joy come over Timmy as we grabbed a beer and just danced to the amazing tunes. The place was full and everyone there, from 2 years old to 99, was just enjoying themselves without a care in the world. Its a nice state to be in every once in awhile... We ended the weekend with a family hike up Bromley Mt. The sights were breathtaking, and the temp a bit....brisk😃 For us, spending the time outdoors doing the things we love is so important for our wellbeing. It was indeed a weekend well spent... xo
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