Skip the Gym -- I'm Going Cross-Country Skiing!

"Without skis, snow is something you shovel. With skis, snow is something you glide on. Snow is a cross-country skier's delight."
("Gliding Over the Snow." Subaru's Drive Magazine, Winter 2005)

I shut my alarm off and peeked out the crack in the blinds to see what the morning had in store for me. Since it had snowed a foot or so overnight, and was still coming down, I decided to forego my early morning drive down the slippery canyon to the gym.

Hmmm...wimp out too many mornings like this and I'll lose everything I've gained in my regular morning workouts, I thought to myself.

For me, living at 8,000 feet in the mountains above Park City, Utah, offers plenty of rewards and advantages. But my frequent reluctance to drive down the mountain at 5:30 a.m. on dark, snowy mornings was turning out to be a definite drawback.

I was feeling frustrated and a little down on those snowy days when I didn't make it to the gym. Especially after a two or three day storm rolls in to blanket the aspens in a dense, white fog, I'm anxious to get out of the house. Sometimes it feels like my daughter and I are the only ones on the mountain when it storms, even though there are other cabins nearby.

Then it hit me! It's wintertime and the ground is covered in snow. Our garage opens onto a snow-packed driveway with banks at least five feet high. The snowplowing ends just down the road, past our neighbor's house. Beyond that it's all fresh snow, just waiting for a pair of skis to swish through it.

Now I don't fret on those snowy days when I don't make it to the gym. Instead, I just pull out the KinderShuttle, strap my 2-year-old in, buckle the belt around my waist, clip into my skis, and ski down the driveway. The KinderShuttle has a small seat with a back support and safety harness, and plenty of room to accommodate a growing child, plus snacks and drinks.

In wet, snowy weather, I just zip the clear plastic windshield over her so she stays warm and dry, encased in her weatherproof cocoon. The padded belt is comfortable around my waist and allows me to pull the sled with little resistance as we travel up and over the hills. The sled allows us both to comfortably spend time outside together as I get fit pulling an extra 30+ pounds behind me!

Our outing is a silent, reflective time, especially in the mornings before the sun has popped up over the distant horizon. The only noise that interrupts the cold, still air is the crunch of the snow beneath as my skis glide across it.

What a great workout as I huff and puff up the next hill only to be greeted by a short downhill run and then another hill. It's hard work, but the views, solitude and fresh air are well worth it.

Now, when I have a touch of cabin fever in the winter, instead of yearning for springtime, I just go outside and breathe in the pine-scented air as I glide around the neighborhood on my cross-country skis.

What's your favorite way to stay active during the wintertime?