Just when you think you might be onto something. . . I finished a triathlon, a ran a marathon, I own more gear than any condo dwelling girl without a garage should.  I could definately fool someone into thinking I was a kick butt athlete.  As long as they never actually saw me in action.

It has been a long standing joke in my family that my greatest athletic ability lies in my willingness to keep on trucking, despite a lack of any actual talent.  It certainly was true through my youth, and I will even say that it stayed true through my college years as I got myself into the world of adventure sports.  Then, it was almost ok.  I figured of course, when I was learning to ski for the first time at 16 with friends who had been doing it since they were 5, of course they’ll be better.  At 18 I started rock climbing with folks who at 25+ had been doing it since high school.  I could only expect they would be leading while I was on toprope.  At 24 I even accepted getting dragged on my face for many yards learning to kiteboard, while the more adept watched and tried to hide their amusement.  But I must say that this weekend, while on a leisurely paddle on calm seas, it all started to feel a little old.

Since it was an almost record breaking 90 degrees in Santa Barbara this weekend, my husband and friends and I were fired up to get the kayaks that had been collecting dust all winter, on the water.  It was a perfect day.  The water was flat so no surf entry was needed although it didnt even matter since a dunk in the pacific would have been welcome on such a hot day.  All was well and fun until I just couldnt keep up.  We werent even going anywhere!  Just bobbing around paddling back and forth looking for dolphins but at times I could hardly even enjoy my surroundings because I was paddling so hard.  Not to mention getting seasick.  It didnt make any sense as no one but me would have even thought speed was an issue.  But the fact that I seemed to be working so much harder than everyone else got to me just a little.  Fortunately with good friends, no one seemed to mind.  But it still drove me a little crazy and got me thinking.  Kayaking is not new to me.  I cant even remember when I first learned as all my life I have memories with a paddle in my hand.  So when I cant use that “uneven playing ground” as an excuse for why a friend is stronger/faster/all around better at the sport than me. . .then what?   

I suppose this is just one of those humbling moments that life is full of.  And one of those times where I am supposed to remember that I have ALWAYS been active because I love it, not because I am winning any medals for it.  Its not like I wish I were a pro.  I dont even need an age group win, but it would be nice to atleast be able to keep up  when out for an adventure with friends. 

Fortunately it wasnt a big deal because being the kind friend that she is, jannine stayed back with me while our husbands forged on,  looking for sea life and every so often looking back at us, wondering what the heck we were doing back there.  Although I cant believe they would even wonder, as I was right where I usually am when out with athletic friends. . .a few steps behind.

Dont get me wrong, it was still a fabulous day.  Hot, sunny, got to go for a swim in the ocean, tried out my new (very NON waterproof) hatch in my lovely womens specific kayak, and got to end the day with one of those awesome showers when you wash a really really good salty day off and get ready for what is surely to be an excellent night’s sleep.  And in the end, I know that’s why I keep putting on my running shoes, busting out my kayak paddle, or pumping up my bike tires.  Because at the end of the day, we all had another great day. 

My question is, why the topic of “global warming” when brought up in my classrooms in the ‘80s was swept under the mat by so many people?

Government officials and scientists alike were so quick to debunk the idea. Here I sit, hearing the dire news about the state of the world. Our cultures and livelihoods are at risk, animal and plant life are threatened to the brink of extinction, potable water is scarce in too many countries, ice-caps are receding at breakneck pace and air is pregnant with toxins that travel beyond any boarders that we have created.

Now is the time that my professors were speaking of back then. I am frustrated that my generation is only now seeing action being taken, when it could have been spearheaded so long ago. Because of our fear of thinking outside the box and sheer laziness, our sons and daughters are left with a burden that they don’t deserve to bear.

If more people in high places would grow fed up with the status quo and lay their fears of embracing new ideas to rest, maybe the most annoying buzzword of the moment, “green,” wouldn’t grate on me so much. Because I have hope and I’m fairly optimistic about the condition of being human, I can see the silver lining. I recognize that now is a critical time in our history and that change can be made, but how many people are still on that fence and deferring to tomorrow?

When spring comes along in the Colorado Rockies, it makes me want to play hookie from all the trappings of real life. Fresh powder followed up quickly with bluebird skies and warmer temps draw me away from the office for more fun duties, like loading my truck with snowboard gear, friends and dogs to hit the slopes.

So it was a few days ago, when the reports stated the fresh stuff was taking over the mountains near and dear to me. My friend and I headed to Copper and as soon as the shuttle stopped at the base, we hightailed it to the lift and back bowls. The target was hiking the ridge all the way out Copper Bowl to try to find fresh tracks followed by a cat trip to Tucker Mountain (the best kept secret..well maybe not anymore at the resort).

Luck was with us that day, when 1. no one else was hiking the ridge as far as we had and 2. We caught the last cat up of the day (eliminating the hike to my favorite chute…but for the record I like earning my turns). Fresh tracks greeted my friend and I all day long, pretty impressive for front-country riding.

There is something about yipping down a hill and dodging branches in trees (or getting trapped in a tree well) and seeing the grin from ear to ear on a friend’s face on a powder day that sets all things right again, and I become grateful for the trappings of life.